Rosemary Focaccia Bread

A favorite repost for the holidays.... Mom used to bake bread quite often when we were growing up.  As a young kid, this activity seemed marathon-like.  We had to wait forever for the yeast to rise, sometimes twice. I’d watch Mom combine the yeast with water and flour, stir it rapidly and then cover the bowl with a raggedy old orange dish towel.   Like a cub following its mother, I’d wander behind her into our secret “furnace room”.    The furnace room was off the laundry room and it was always dark and tropically warm.  Mom would place the … [Read more...]

Chocolate Covered Clementines

While I am away on vacation, I'm reposting some of my holiday favorites.  Enjoy! The other night, I decided to make some chocolate dipped clementines while I was getting dinner together.  I had a bag of the fruit sitting on my counter top for days. We peeled them, and dunked them in Baker's chocolate, and then sprinkled them with sea salt and popped them in the refrigerator to harden. It only takes 3 ingredients and 10 minutes to make. Chocolate covered clementines are the perfect two-bite sized treat for après dinner or a refreshing … [Read more...]

Viennese Crescent Cookies

While I am away on vacation, I'm reposting some of the holiday favorites.  Hope you enjoy.... Viennese Crescent Cookies, or Vanillekipferl, are similar to sugar cookies and the most distinctive characteristic is their shape: they are formed into crescents.  The cookies use ground nuts for flavor, either almonds and hazelnuts.  Since my daughter loves nutella, I suspected the odds of her liking these cookies were high. Hazelnuts before Hazelnuts after They are often served dusted with powdered sugar or dipped in chocolate. They are … [Read more...]

Holiday Peppermint Bark

During the holiday season, I've always suffered from homemade gift envy until I realized just how easy it is to make something that looks, and tastes, like it took hours to create. On the contrary, my latest batch of homemade gifts have taken less then 30 minutes to make (that's less time than it would take to actually go out shopping for individual presents).  This year I made Honey Cranberry Butter for the teachers.  They were received with oohs and ahs, raised eyebrows and "oh my, look how beautiful."  It's all in the presentation.  They … [Read more...]