Christmas: Hazelnut Cookies

It's that time of year!  We make Christmas cookies, and then eat them all before Christmas.  When families get together to laugh and have a great time while listening to Christmas music.  My family is definitely no exception!

{Delicious hazelnut cookeis}

Something that always reminds me of Christmas is hazelnuts--it's the only time of year that I eat them in cookie form.  I remember growing up, we would make these and use a cookie press to make fun shapes.  However, being older, I just use a cookie scoop to make beautiful uniform cookies.

{This recipe couldn't be easier--sugar cookie mix and hazelnuts!}

{Make sugar cookies according to the instructions on the back}

{Add 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts per bag of mix}

{My hand-dandy cookie scoop (LOVE it!!!)}

{Cookie balls!}

Hazelnut Cookies

Makes 32 cookies medium/50 small

Ingredients

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup butter, melted

2 eggs, room temperature

3 cups hazelnuts, ground finely

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix dry ingredients together.
3. Scramble eggs in melted butter until combined then add vanilla.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until combined.
5. Add hazelnuts.
6. Scoop cookies out onto baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes (8 minutes for soft cookie but 10 minutes for a firmer cookie).
7. Cool for 1 minute on baking sheet then transfer to wire rack to completely cool.

Easy but soooo good!  What kind of Christmas cookies do you make with your family?

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Homemade Biscuits

Breakfast for dinner is a standard in my house.  In fact, I don't think I have ever made breakfast (sausage gravy, biscuits, bacon, pancakes, waffles, etc) before noon!  My husband's favorite meal is breakfast for dinner, and we indulge about once a  month--even eating it in bed!  (You don't HAVE to have breakfast in bed in the morning....  It's fun!)

{Homemade drop biscuits!}

It's just two of us so to buy a can o'biscuits is a big waste.  We used to buy the frozen Pillsbury Southern Style biscuits.  However, as with much of our food consumption, I have been trying to come up with a biscuit recipe that I can make at home when we needed it because frankly, we needed the room in our freezer!  I did the box biscuit mix thing for a while, but they just didn't live up to Pillsbury standard. 

Anyway--long story short, I created a recipe!  I NEVER tempt fate and create a baked recipe because so much can go wrong, but thankfully, they ended up delicious on the first try!!!  (Kudos to my culinary education--please don't try it at home unless you know what you are doing!!!)  Ben even said they were better than Pillsbury (which is a pretty tall order).  The best part--it's super easy!

{Dough after mixing it up}

Homemade Biscuits

Makes 6 giant biscuits

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Combine all dry ingredients and whisk until completely combined.
3. Add milk and butter and stir until dough forms.
4. Knead dough about 6 times just to get everything nice and mix up.
5. Drop biscuits onto a greased baking sheet.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Bonus--Just mix up the dry ingredients for a 'biscuit mix' substitute!  I have used it in this Apple-Cranberry Bar recipe with excellent results!

You can add different flavorings for a twist like ham and cheddar or gouda and onion or garlic and parmesan....  The possibilities are endless!

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Chicken Salad

This chicken salad recipe came about by accident--seriously it did!  My grandmother made a recipe called Chicken Logs which was a chicken filling wrapped in crescent dough and baked.  Well--the filling was so good that it became our chicken salad!

{I like to sandwich mine between two buttery crackers!}

I'm not a huge fan of mayonnaise-based chicken salad recipes--never have been.  Also, I had never had chicken salad with fruit in it until I started working in the restaurant business.  That's why I LOVE my chicken salad recipe--it's made with cream cheese instead!  The cream cheese makes it creamy and just totally different than what most people know as chicken salad.

{Mixing the chicken, onions, and garlic together}

{Adding cream cheese}

Don't get me wrong--I have had chicken salad with mayo AND fruit and liked it (I am partial to cranberries in chicken salad).  However, whenever I think of chicken salad, I think of my cream cheese chicken salad.

{Finished chicken salad!}

Chicken Salad

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

3 cans cooked chicken, drained
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz cream cheese, softened

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Serve with crackers or bread.

Intrigued?  Try it!  It's definitely different.  If you would like to try the Chicken Log recipe also, just put the chicken salad inside 2 triangles of crescent pinched together to make a square.  Roll to seal shut, and bake until the crescent dough is done about 12 minutes at 350.Pin It

Spaghetti Squash

I know what you must be thinking: Spaghetti squash?  Is this woman CRAZY!  Seriously--there is a sqaush called that because the 'flesh' of the sqaush comes out in strands--just like spaghetti!

{See?  Isn't that so cool?  (Yes--I am a dork....)}

Although not quite as easy as throwing pasta into boiling water for 10 minutes, this squash is much more nutritous.  Since I try to stay away from refined carbs like pasta, this is a fantastic alternative for me (besides the fact that it is so COOL!).  The sqaush is extremely mild flavored so it goes well with anything and won't give a sqaushy taste.  This is perfect to get kids to eat their veggies!

How do you cook this wonderful vegetable, you ask?  Quite simply--roast it, cool it a bit, then scrap out the 'pasta' goodness!

{Looks so plain}

{Cut it open--you might need a large knife for this!}

{Raw--can you see the 'strands'?}

{Oiled and ready to go!}

{Mhmmm roasted!}

{You can definitely see the strands here!}

Roasting Spaghetti Squash

Makes--depends on the size of squash mine made 2 servings and it was small

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash, your choice in size

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Cut the sqaush in half and scrap out the guts and seeds.
3. Oil and season the insides of the squash and place on a baking dish, inside up.
4. Roast squash for 1 hour depending on the size--the edges should be browned and flesh tender.
5. Take sqaush out of the oven and let cool 10-15 minutes.
6. Take a spoon and scrap out the 'strands' making sure to not burn yourself!
7. Serve with your choice sauce.

Just to test it, I served this to Ben without telling him it wasn't pasta, and he NEVER knew the difference (at least he didn't say anything, and he is not shy!). 

{I served it with chicken pesto sauce}



Are you intrigued?  I definitely recommend it!  I have had it with spaghetti sauce, baked in casseroles, and every which way you can think of; my grandmother loves this squash too (she introduced it to me)!  Yes, you can buy it at the store so go get one and have some fun!

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