The best Christmas Cookie!

These cookies are a family favorite. It is not Christmas without Raspberry Ribbons at our house.
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Cookies:

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raspberry freeze style jam

glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or bean (will make frosting a little brown so omit for looks)

I prefer to let my dough chill overnight for best buttery results. Otherwise, the shortbread spreads quite a bit, and so do the depressions, making it tough for the jam to stay in the trench and prevent cookies from breaking in half. You can bake the day of if needed!

In a large bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well
Divide dough into 2 portions; shape each into a 10x2-1/2-in. log. Place 4 in. apart on greased or foil-lined baking sheets.
Refrigerate for 30 mins
Make a 1/2-in. depression down the center of each log with spoon or side of your hand. Bake for 10 minutes on parchment paper
Put back in the refrigerator for 1 hr up to 24 hours
Preheat oven to 350°F
Bake cookies for 10 mins
Put Jam in a plastic ziplock bag and cut a small hole - 1 cm - in the bottom of one corner to pipe.
Fill depressions with jam. Bake until lightly browned, 10-15 minutes longer.
Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.
Move the cookie log to a cutting board by slowly transferring over
Get a large knife and a wet paper towel, and start cutting into 3/4-in. slices - wiping the knife with a towel each time. Carefully lift or slide the parchment over to the wire racks.
Let cookies cool for 20 mins.
In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients. Put the glaze in a plastic bag and cut a tiny hole to pipe the icing over the cookies.
Drizzle over warm cookies in a zig-zag pattern. Let rest for 1 hr before moving to a cookie tin.

Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup!

1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), halved vertically & horizontally cut into 4ths * and seeds removed
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped shallot (about 2 shallot bulbs)
1 apple, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoon thyme, to your taste
4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 teaspoon maple syrup
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 to 4 cups (24 to 32 ounces) of chicken or vegetable broth
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling
3-4 tablespoons pumpkin of roasted seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Cut the squash into quarters. I think it's easiest to slice it in half and then slice it vertically so you have more control.
Place the butternut squash 4ths on the pan and drizzle each quarter with just enough olive oil to coat the squash on the inside (about 1/2 tablespoon each). Rub the oil over the inside of the squash and season generously with salt and pepper.
Place the squash face down and roast until it is tender and completely cooked through, about 40 to 50 minutes (don’t worry if the skin or flesh browns—that’s good for flavor). Set the squash aside until it’s cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, warm 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat until shimmering, Add the chopped shallot and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often until the shallot has softened and is starting to turn golden on the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add in the apple, cook until soft and then turn the burner off until the squash is done.

Use a large spoon to scoop the butternut squash flesh into your pot of soup. Discard the tough skin. Add the maple syrup, nutmeg, thyme, and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper and mix to combine. Pour in 2.5 cups broth.
Use an emersion blender inside the pot to blend the soup until it's pureed. Add an additional 1 cup of broth and blend again until your liked consistency. Stop once your soup is ultra-creamy and warmed through. If it's still too stiff, repeat with 1/2 a cup more of broth.
I like to top individual bowls with some extra black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and roasted pumpkin seeds

Adapted from Cookie + Kate

This stew is perfect to kick off fall.
Add more heat if you like a spicy stew.

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
2 cups diced sweet potato or yams
1 cup chopped carrot (about 2 carrots)
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
2 garlic cloves, halved
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baharat spice (or 5 spice)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1.5 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 cups broth (I used chicken)
3-4 cups chopped fresh kale
Optional: Chopped peanuts and additional cilantro leaves

In your instant pot, turn on saute mode. Add 3 tbls of olive oil to the bottom of the pot. Cook the onion on medium heat until golden, add garlic until fragrant. About 7 mins total.
Add the carrot. Cook for about 5 mins or until the mixture reduces in size slightly.
Next add your spices, peanut butter, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a slight boil on saute mode or until the peanut butter mostly dispurses.
Then turn off saute mode by hitting cancel on your IP. Then add your sweet potatoes and click pressure cook. Set the timer to 14 minutes.
Once it's done, use your pressure release valve. Open the IP but be careful because it soup could already be boiling!! Let it chill for a sec then add the kale, cilantro, and beans.
Try your soup to see if it needs any more salt or cilantro.
You are done!

You can also follow this recipe on your stovetop with a large pot

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add carrots, onion, and garlic; saute for 5 minutes.
Stir in remaining ingredients (except chickpeas, kale, and cilantro); bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add Kale, chickpeas, and cilantro
Serve!

Crockpot

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add carrots, onion, and garlic; saute for 5 minutes.
Put the carrots, onions, garlic, and the remaining ingredients (except chickpeas, kale, and cilantro) in a slow cooker.
Cook for 4-6 hrs on low.
Then add kale, chickpeas, and cilantro once the sweet potato is tender.
Serve!

Orange, Chocolate, Hazelnut Biscotti

When I was a kid, I hated biscotti. I didn't understand why it existed until my friend Elizabeth's mom, Suzanne, gave me a piece of her homemade holiday biscotti.

It was so delicate, buttery, and crunchy - in such a satisfying way. I had no idea that's how biscotti is supposed to taste until that moment. Forget store-bought, stale, chocolate dipped, tooth-breaking biscotti. Say hello to crumbly, buttery biscotti.

Today, I'm making biscotti for the first time and I'm thinking of her in heaven. This batch is vanilla, orange, chocolate, and hazelnut. Hopefully one day I'll get my hands on her the recipe she was so proud of. For now, this is what I am eating!

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until creamy and well-combined.
Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
Stir in vanilla extract and orange zest
In a separate stir flour, baking powder, and salt together
Gradually add flour mixture into butter mixture, stirring until completely combined.
Stir in mini chocolate chips and almonds.
Using lightly floured hands, divide dough into two equal pieces and place on prepared baking sheet. Form dough into two separate logs approximately 10-12" long by 2-3" wide, 1" tall. Be sure to space them at least 4" apart as biscotti will spread (you may use separate cookie sheets to bake, if needed). If dough is too sticky, lightly dust with additional flour and lightly powder your hands with a thin layer of flour.
Cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes per log if you have the time.
Bake 30 minutes on 350F (175C), or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow biscotti to cool.
Once cooled, slice loaves diagonally into slices about 1 1/2" thick (I recommend using a bread knife for this). Place biscotti cut-side down on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
Return to 350F (175C)oven and bake for 10 minutes. Flip each biscotti over gently, and then bake another 10 minutes on 350F. I use tongs to do this. Biscotti should be lightly golden brown when finished baking.
Allow to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

adapted from https://sugarspunrun.com/biscotti/

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Hi friends!

Today I am hitting you with one of my favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes - Peanut Butter Blossoms!

I adapted this from Preppy Kitchen, NYT Cooking, Sallys Baking Addiction

INGREDIENTS:

▢1&1/4th - 1&1/2 cup all-purpose flour
▢1/2 cup butter unsalted, room temp
▢3/4 cup peanut butter
▢1/2 cup sugar
▢1/2 cup brown sugar
▢1 tsp vanilla extract
▢1/4 tsp salt if you are using unsalted PB
▢1 egg large, room temp
▢3/4 tsp baking powder
▢36 chocolate kisses

COATING

▢1/2 cup granulated sugar
or 1/4th cup green granulated sugar, 1/4th cup red granulated sugar (or use food dye)

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Preheat over to 350F

2, Sift flour, salt and baking powder together then whisk to combine.

3, Cream butter, peanut butter, and both sugars in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for about 1 min. Or you can just do this by hand with a spatula. This is really easy when the butter and peanut butter are at room temp.

4. Mix in egg and vanilla extract then add flour mixture and beat until incorporated, about 1 min.

5. You can chill dough for about 30 minutes if you're baking in advance (the dough can be rolled out and baked right away but I always prefer to chill mine if I have time - typically I roll the balls in advance before I put them in the fridge for a quicker chilling time and easer time prepping the dough afterward.

5. Roll dough into one inch balls if you are not chilling the dough. Roll each in sugar then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone sheet

6. Bake for about 7-8 minutes or until puffed and SLIGHTLY browned on the bottom. Remove from the oven and press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Slight cracks are fine.

7. Bake cookies for an additional 3 minutes.

8. Allow cookies to cool completely on a baking sheet, enjoy warm. Be sure to wait a little extra time to cool because those kisses will BURN your mouth if you eat them too soon.

9. ENJOY!