turnip mash

this is the only time all year i am sick of mashed potatoes. i come from a group of potato lovers, and i count myself as one of them, but a girl can only eat so many. time to change it up. with turnips.

i've never had turnips before. at least not that i can remember. they were good. not great, but a definite contender for those i'm-sick-of-potatoes days. how can anything be bad simmered in milk & garlic and mashed with a stick of butter?

chicken & wild rice soup

need a break from the sweets? yea, me too. how about a bowl of vegetables spiked with chicken, half & half and wild rice?

really? that's it? that's all you've got? but what about something a bit more festive? a bit more complicated? i mean, just throw some vegetables, chicken, rice & cream into a pot. that's it?!

yep. that's all i'm asking of you.

why?

because it's simply one of the best soups i've ever had. ever. 

holiday shortbread cookies

wanna impress your friends/coworkers/family/significant others with the easiest and least time consuming cookie recipe ever?

then whip up a batch of shortbread. butter + sugar + flour + mixins. and make them holiday by mixing in white chocolate, dried cranberries, and pistachios. that's it. virtually impossible to screw up.

chocolate peppermint pinwheels

one last christmas cookie post before the big day. as if you even have time for one more or haven't had your christmas cookie plan together for the last three weeks.

...or up to your ears in candy canes? add them to the peppermint half of the dough for extra crunch and minty flavor.

anyway, nothing says christmas like peppermint. how about peppermint + chocolate?

spiced thins

more interested in the cookies than the coffee? i don't necessarily blame you...

these super crunchy spiced thins are perfect with coffee. whether gingerbread flavored or not.

the secret? roll them out super thin. i'm talking a sixteenth of an inch - no, i did not measure - but get them as thin as you possibly can. towards the end of the batch, i got sick of rolling and did one sheet pan thicker. instead of the characteristic crunch, they were a bit chewy. the flavor was great, but the crunch is what i really wanted.

these are one of the few things crunchy enough to dunk in my coffee and not get soggy!

spiced thins
adapted from everyday with rachael ray
prep: 15 minutes, chill: 1hr+, bake: 1hr; makes about 6 sheet pans full

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon each of ground cloves, allspice, and nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup unsulfured molasses
4 cups all purpose flour

1. using an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar, butter, and shortening until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. mix in the spices, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla. mix in the molasses.
2. at low speed, gradually mix in the flour until incorporated. the dough will be quite thick.
3. divide the dough into quarters and roll each into a ball. place each ball on a sheet of plastic wrap, flatten it with your hand into a disc, and wrap with plastic. chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
4. preheat your oven to 325F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
5. roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8" to 1/4" thick. cut the dough into whatever size and shape you'd like. place on the cookie sheets. the cookies don't spread much when baking, so leave about a half inch space between them on the sheets. reroll the scraps until all the dough is used up.
6. bake about 12 - 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
7. let cool on the cookie sheet a few minutes until set. remove with a spatula and let cool completely on a wire rack. store in an airtight container.