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Bites from other Blogs

Would it be possible to get another couple of weeks added to the holiday season? Everyone on the blogs is baking like crazy and I know that I’m not the only one who could use extra time to try recipes. And a couple extra days to finish up my holiday shopping wouldn’t hurt either…

  • Garrett from Vanilla Garlicis guest blogging some great cookie recipes at Simply Recipes this month and the Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies are certainly noteworthy. He made peppermint bark from scratch, but I’ve found that that particular candy is a hugely popular gift item and it never hurts to have a recipe on hand to help use it up. You can’t really have too much peppermint and chocolate.
  • If Christmas cookies alone aren’t adding enough butter and sugar to your diet, consider making up some homemade toffee to add to those dessert plates this year. The Salty Marcona Almond Toffee made by hogwash is a crunchy candy with the outrageously addictive combination of salty and sweet. You’ll need a candy thermometer, but the recipe is easy and makes a generous batch.
  • Pioneer Woman Cooks has some tempting French Breakfast Puffs up. The puffs start out as rich muffins, but what makes them really indulgent is that they are pulled out of the oven and dunked while hot into melted butter. The butter soaks into the muffin and creates a perfect surface for a thick coat of cinnamon sugar to adhere to. The final product is somewhere between donut and muffin. Yum!
  • I mentioned that any cookie that improves with age is a good choice for a holiday baked good gift. Pfeffernüsse are one of those types of cookies. Spicy, like gingerbread, and sweetened with both honey and molasses, the flavors in the cookies mellow and meld together after storing them for a couple of days. Mele Cotte rolled this batch in a generous amount of confectioners’ sugar before baking, giving the cookies a beautiful contrast between their white exteriors and dark interiors.
  • Panettone is a holiday classic and the version at Wild Yeast looks close to perfection. The bread is very rich and tender, studded with almonds and crunchy pearl sugar on top and chock full of candied citrus and raisins inside. It’s a bit time consuming, but once you take a slice, you’ll probably admit it was worth the work.
  • Have you heard of glogg? It’s a Swedish drink, a spiced wine that is very popular at Christmas. The premade versions of the traditional drink are ok, but as is the case with many foods, homemade is a cut above. Food and Thoughts has a great take on the drink in her White Glogg, which is made with white wine or hard cider. Perfect for a cold night. 

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3 Comments
  • Susan
    December 19, 2007

    Thanks for mentioning my panettone! I always enjoy reading your selections from other blogs, and am honored to be included.
    Happy Holidays!

  • Zarah Maria
    December 20, 2007

    Thanks for mentioning me Nic! I really like your “Bites” – there are so many great bloggers out there, and even though I try to keep up, I love having someone else bring my attention to what they think are the posts not to be missed.

    Have a Wonderful Christmas!

  • Chris
    December 21, 2007

    Nicole, thanks for mentioning my Pfeffernüsse cookies! Like Susan and Zarah, I always enjoy stopping by to read what’s up on your blog. Spotlight posts like these are a great reference!

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