Dessert Pancakes

I enjoy having a sweet treat to start off a new year. And starting 2021 with something sweet is a good way to say goodbye to the challenging year that was 2020. I made this recipe as breakfast for lunch on New Year's Day. The apple cinnamon pancakes with a tasty topping were a great way to start off a new year. 

This recipe makes a lot of pancakes. MDS and I ate many, but we still have leftovers for another meal. When I made this recipe, I made the mistake of not chopping the apples to be small enough and some pieces were too big. I recommend chopping the apples into very small pieces to avoid uneven pancakes. I recommend this recipe for a delicious breakfast any time of the day.

Dessert Pancakes 

• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 2 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cup finely chopped apple

Filling:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Combine milk, eggs, and butter. Sift flour with sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; add to mixture. Stir to blend. Fold in the apples. Batter should be lumpy. Pour about 2-3 tablespoon batter per pancake on a lightly greased hot griddle. Bake until bubbles begin to break on the surface and the underside if brown; turn and brown the other side. For the filling, mix sour cream with sugar and cinnamon. Spoon filling between and on top of each serving. Enjoy! 

Christmas Tree Cookies

This recipe is intended to make cookies to hang on a Christmas tree--the recipe calls for putting a hole in each cookie for hanging the cookie. To me, it seems like a waste of good cookies to hang them on a tree, unless you plan to eat them. I skipped the tree decoration step and when straight to eating these delicious cookies. You can decorate a tree or just enjoy these cookies.

Like many cut-out cookie recipes, the dough needs to be refrigerated before rolling out and cutting the dough. Initially, the dough was tough to work with, then it became pliable. This recipe calls for a simple decoration of colored sugar, which is quite easy and fast. Or you could do fancier decorations and frostings.

Christmas Tree Cookies 

• 3 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 1/2 cup flour
• 1 slightly beaten egg white
• decoration sugars

Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Stir in flour until well-blended. Chill dough for 1-2 hours. Roll dough on a well-floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cutters. Use a pointed skewer to make a small hole in the top for hanging. Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. To decorate, brush cookies with slightly beaten egg white. Decorate with assorted color sugar. Enjoy!

Ginger Bunnies

I have no idea why these cookies are called ginger bunnies instead of gingerbread cookies. This recipe is a classic gingerbread, so I think of these cookies around the holidays. Although this recipe is easy to make, it does take a little longer because the dough needs to be refrigerated and then rolled out and cut. These delicious cookies were worth the effort.

When I made these cookies, I used a classic gingerbread man shape, like Gingy from the Shrek movies. You can use any shape for the cookie. Per the recipe, I rolled these cookies thicker than most cut out cookies. I did not decorate these cookies, but gingerbread men are fun to decorate, especially if you have decorating skills. 

Ginger Bunnies 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. all spice

Cream butter and sugar. Blend in remaining ingredients. Cover; chill for 2 to 3 hours. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes; place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from sheet. Cool. Decorate as desired. Enjoy!

Almond Jewels

Every December, I make lots of cookies to share with friends and family. Due to this year's pandemic, I might not make as many cookies, but I will still enjoy the ones that I do make. Mom has a separate recipe box devoted just to cookies, so I can always find something to try out. These Almond Jewels are a hit. 

The recipe is a basic shortbread that gets dressed up with sliced almonds. Shortbread is a quick cookie to make because the entire batch is made in one pan as a sheet, then cut into the desired size after baking. When I made this batch, I cut some jumbo cookies and some bite-size cookies. No matter what size you cut the cookies, they will disappear fast because they are so delicious.

Almond Jewels 

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Heat over to 300. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; blend in egg. Add flour and mix well. Spread in a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with almonds; press almonds lightly into the dough. Bake at 300 for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars. Enjoy!

Turkey with Cornmeal Dumplings

After Thanksgiving, you might have more leftover turkey than you know what to do with. Here is a terrific recipe for leftover turkey. Now, there are some people who see no reason to make something out of the leftover turkey when you can just enjoy the turkey as is. But then you might never try the tasty recipe. 

This recipe makes a thick stew that is a bit like Thanksgiving in a bowl--turkey, cornbread, and gravy. Next time that I make this recipe, I might add some chopped celery for more Thanksgiving flavor. The dumplings are made by dropping in spoonfuls of batter into the soup base. My first few attempts did not result in dumplings, but later attempts did result in good-sized dumplings.

Turkey with Cornmeal Dumplings 

• 3 cubes chicken bouillon dissolved in 2 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/3 cup flour blended with 1/2 cup cold water
• 3 cups cubed cooked turkey
• 1/3 cup cornmeal
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup flour

Over medium heat, stir dissolved bouillon and blended flour until thickened. Add turkey. Stir together well cornmeal, baking powder, salt, poultry seasoning, egg, milk, and flour. Drop by tablespoon into gently simmering sauce. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through. Enjoy!

Apple Slices

Apple Slices are a Chicago bakery standard. They are a variation on double-crust apple pie, but baked in a sheet pan and topped with glaze. The result is somewhat closer to cookie bars than pie. My favorite memory of apple slices are at Little Bohemia Restaurant. Every meal included soup, delicious rye bread, a main course, two sides, and a dessert. Grandpa usually got the apple slice dessert or, sometimes, the peach slice.

This treat could be made with just about any filling. Apple is the most common filling, but you can find peach, pumpkin, cherry, and many other varieties. When I made this batch, I did take a shortcut by using canned apple pie filling. If you have time and fruit available, you can make your own filling.

Apple Slices 

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 21-ounce can apple pie filling

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. melted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tbsp. milk (more or less)

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until crumbs form. In a measuring cup, combine water, egg yolks, and lemon juice; pour over flour mixture. Blend with a fork. The dough will be moist. Press half of the dough into a 13x9 jelly roll pan, using fingers or a small roller to push dough to cover the pan. Cover the dough with the pie filling. Roll out other half of dough on a floured surface. Carefully place dough over the pie filling and pinch edges. Cut several slits into the top dough for steam vents. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes. Allow to cool.

Make the glaze by blending the ingredients together. Vary the amount of milk to get the right consistency. Spread glaze over the apple slices. Allow glaze to harden. Slice into 2 or 3 inch squares. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Prizes

During Fall, pumpkin-based products pop up everywhere. Recently I found this recipe in Mom's recipe box, so I had to give it a try. These cookies are delicious and amazingly soft. I highly recommend these cookies. This recipe makes dozens of cookies, so you will have plenty to share and still eat many on your own. And, as an added bonus, your house will smell amazing after baking these cookies.

I did not have pumpkin pie spice on hand, but it is easy enough to make your own. For this recipe, I add more spice than what is called for by using 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice. You can easily vary the spices to suit your taste.

Pumpkin Prizes 

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 3 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugars thoroughly. Add eggs. Beat well. Stir in pumpkin. Sift together dry ingredients; mix with creamed mixture. Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet. Bake 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Enjoy!