December Favorites

Welcome to RDtipoftheday's favorites December edition. This blog series highlights some of the things I've been watching, reading, listening to, cooking, and eating. These are a few of my favorite things in December.

Eating & Cooking

This is my first attempt at gingerbread cookies. The cookies held their shape well, but the flavor was off. The molasses was so strong that I went back to the recipe to make sure it wasn't a molasses cookie. They were good but not gingerbread-y. Oh well! I got practice piping, and I'm doing some research for a better gingerbread cookie recipe. If you have a good gingerbread cookie recipe, comment below. I am looking for a heavily spiced cookie and with less molasses flavor.

Watching

There's something about baking and decorating at Christmas time that is super festive and so fun. I have big plans to make cookies, cupcakes, and more!

Cookies


Do you participate or host a Christmas cookie exchange? Christmas cookie exchange parties are such a fun idea. And, December 4th is National Cookie Day. Here's a yummy looking recipe for salted chocolate brownie cookie, Christmas cookies, and soft chocolate chunk cookies. 🍪 

Here a video and recipe to make mini edible gingerbread cookie houses. There's even a pdf for the template for these tiny houses. So cute!

If gingerbread houses aren't your thing, check out this chocolate candy house. So cute!

Here's a recipe for gingerbread cookies; these are shaped like skeletons, but I bet they taste like Christmas. Gingerbread reminds me of Winter and Christmas. Do you eat gingerbread all year or just at Christmas time?

I love decorating cookies with royal icing. There's a bit of a learning curve with the flooding and outline consistencies. Once you master that, you'll be making professional looking cookies in no time. Here's a tutorial for making and piping royal icing. 

Cupcakes and Buttercream Icing

I got some extra large piping tips recently, so I can make and decorate cupcakes. Here are some recipes I wanted to try. It's perfect because December 23 is National Bake Day. 

Want to decorate some Christmas cupcakes? Here are some tips for making Christmas ornaments or "Christmas baubles."


Here's a tutorial for making buttercream icing, a master class in making buttercream icing, and decorating with buttercream.

Here's a tutorial for making Swiss meringue buttercream.

Cream cheese is a family favorite in our house. I usually have a cookie cake or carrot cake with cream cheese icing for my birthday cake. Here's a tutorial for making cream cheese and chocolate cream cheese icing. What's your favorite icing to make, use, or eat? Feel free to comment below. 

S'mores cupcakes would be perfect to eat around a fire. These cupcakes have a cookie crust, chocolate cake, meringue topping, and a chocolate drizzle.

I love chocolate and hazelnut. This Nutella cupcake recipe is a "must make" recipe for me.

Here are some tips for decorating with fondant or as she says "sugar paste."

Baked Goodies


If cookies or cupcakes aren't your thing, there's always other baked goods to make for Christmas. 

Here's a recipe for chocolate hazelnuts fudge brownies.

Have you ever made homemade dulce de leche? Here's the recipe. Would you make dulce de leche or do you have a favorite brand to purchase?

YouTube is one of my favorite forms of entertaining. It's t.v. on demand and a look into people's lives. Here's a behind-the-scene video from the Crumbs and Doilies bakery in England.

Festive Christmasy Drinks


Hot chocolate or mochas are some of my favorite holiday beverages. These homemade marshmallows would take these drinks over the top!

Sweet and salty is one of my favorite holiday flavor combination with desserts. You can try this sea salt caramel recipe to add to your favorite holiday beverage.

Reading

I've been reading a lot. It's so cold that reading under a cozy blanket seems like a perfect way to spend the evening. This month I've been reading Simply Tuesday, and I've got Let's All Be Brave and Wild and Free next on my reading list. Feel free to pick them up and read along with me.

Encouraging

We are t-minus 16 days until Christmas. This season is one of my favorite times of year. People seem to be happy, joyful, and more kind. I hope you don't have lots of holiday hustle. Instead, I hope you have time to rest and be refreshed. 

If you are looking for holiday gifts, here are some ideas.

100+ Stocking Stuffers Ideas

Gifts under $10

Gifts under $30

Gifts under $50

If you're shopping for your favorite bakers, here's a list of kitchen baking essentials from Jemma, who owns her own bakery.

I hope you enjoyed these tips, recipes, and all of my favorites from this month. Let me know if this is a feature that you would like me to continue by commenting below. And, let me know if you have a topic you want to be featured. Thanks! Have a great week!

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy:

Celebrate December: Food Holidays and More

Tips for Easy Entertaining

November Favorites: Tips for Holiday Meals

Cookie Decorating Class

I think it's important to always be learning. I love watching Food Network shows to learn about cooking. I think it's event better to take classes. So, I am taking out some cooking and baking classes. My first class was a pasta class. My second class was cake decorating. Then, I took a 3-part cooking class. This was my second dessert class to take. I took a cookie decorating class at a local bakery and baking store.

We had about 30 students in the class. There was one instructor and one helper. The instructor provided us with a packet that included the cookie recipe, royal icing instructions, and some basic decorating techniques. We learned how to decorate cookies using royal icing and fondant.

Here's our set up. The cookies are baked and cooled. The icing for outlining is in a bag with a small tip. The flooding icings are colored and in squeeze bottles. One of the cookies is iced, flooded, and dry, so we can add decorations. And, we had buttercream icing in an icing bag fitted with a star tip.

When decorating cookies, start by outlining your cookies with outlining icing.

I really like this technique we used for the cupcake liners on the cupcake cookies. Flood the cookie in alternating colors. Then use a toothpick or scribing tool and drag the icing int horizontal stripes to make the design. 

I practiced new techniques with buttercream icing. We learned a zigzag, star, and rosette techniques.

Combining this technique makes a visually interesting and yummy cookie.

We flooded the middle of a flower and used yellow nonpareils to decorate the center of the flower. 

Then, make dots around the flower to completely cover the cookie.

To make the sandal cookie, pipe border icing and flood with a light pink royal icing. Use edible markers to make a design on the sandal.

Pipe small circles and add a sugar decoration to complete the sandal.

This fish cookie was so quick and simple to decorate. Put two colors of flooding consistency royal icing into shallow plates. I used yellow and orange. Dip a sea sponge made for crafts into the icing and lightly sponge onto cookie. Start with the lighter color, the yellow. Let the icing dry. Then, lightly sponge your second color on the cookie. I used orange. Use royal icing to adhere the candy eye on the fish for expression.

This was the fastest technique for cookie decorating. And, I love the result! Start with two shades of pre-made fondant. I used white with a little navy to make the lighter color. Kneed the the light blue and navy together to marbleize the patterned. Roll to 1/8 inch with a fondant roller. Use the cookie cutter to cut out the fondant to the cookie's shape. We used piping gel to adhere the fondant to the cooled cookie. Use the fondant roller to gently roll and stretch the fondant to the size and shape of the cookie. Use royal icing to adhere the eye. Use the larger end of an icing tip to make indentions in the fondant to represent the shark's gills.

I love this shark cookie. I love the marbleized color of the fondant and sharp edges. I think it looks professional. Some people do not like the taste of fondant; it is sweet. I think fondant tastes like marshmallow, so I don't mind it.

I tried decorating cookies with royal icing once before taking this class. There was a learning curve, so here are my helpful tips for successfully decorating iced cookies. Here are my six tips for successful cookie decorating.

1) Completely cool your cookies before decorating, or the icing will melt

2) Cover your prepared royal icing because it will dry out. 
-  If you are coloring your icing, divide it into container and cover with plastic wrap.
-  Keep a damp paper towel over the tips of your icing bags or squeeze bottles.

3) Use a toothpick or scribe tool to get air bubble out of your cookies.

4) Allow your icing to dry for 24 hours before stacking.

5) Practice on a piece of wax paper or parchment paper. When you learn a new skill, there is a learning curve. Most people are not experts when they start something new. That's why we practice. I love watching YouTube videos or videos on Instagram. Then, you can learn a new skill and practice at home.

6) Have fun decorating!

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy:

My First Cake Decorating Class

Cooking Class Part 1

My First Cooking Class

Summer Pasta Class

Dessert Bar for Valentine's Day: Double Chocolate Brownies and Ginger Cookies

There is something about the cold weather that makes me want to bake. Maybe it's being near an oven to keep warm. Maybe it's because I love sweets. Maybe it's because baking sweets is a good excuse to invite people over and share the baked-good-love. Or, maybe it's a combination of those reasons.

I have always enjoyed baking. I love sweets and a reason to eat sweets. Valentine's Day is a perfect reason to bake treats, invite people over, and share.

I made this Valentine's Day inspired dessert tray with two simple recipes and store-bought chocolate covered pretzels. I made ginger cookies and double chocolate brownies. 

These double chocolate brownies could also be called boyfriend brownies because you could make them to get a boy who's a friend to become your boyfriend (hahahaha! just joking.). Do you know the old saying that a way to a man's heart is through his stomach? These brownies may qualify for that statement. But, these really are super simple brownies; they are a great, easy recipe for a beginning baker. They are simply jazzed up boxed brownie mix.

Double Chocolate Brownies
1 box fudge brownie mix
oil
eggs
1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Nonstick cooking spray

Follow the recipe on the brownie box and add the recommended amount of oil and egg. Mix well. Spray 8 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add brownie batter. Top with chocolate chips. Bake according to the box. This recipe is so easy I don't even know if it qualifies as a "recipe." 

Enjoy! Happy (early) Valentine's Day!

Follow me, RDtipoftheday, on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter for more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating. You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

Being a Good Host/Hostess Part 2: Three Simple Steps to Meal Planning

Now you know you don’t need to be perfect to be a good host or hostess. Let’s all take a deep breath and sigh that the huge pressure we’ve place on ourselves has been lifted. Okay, let’s host!

The first thing that we must do is invite people! This helps determine how many people you must cook for. If you are new to hosting, I would encourage you took cook for smaller crowds and allow people to bring something. Determining how many people are coming and if they are bringing anything, allows you to know how much food to prepare. I always overestimated because I don’t like to run out of food. Another bonus is leftovers!!

Two, I check for food allergies, special diets, or food preferences. I have some allergies and greatly appreciate when others ask. So, don’t feel awkward, your guests will appreciate your thoughtfulness. If you are a guest, don’t be shy telling people if you have allergies. Your hostess will be glad they don’t make food you can’t eat or food that could make you sick.

Three, plan your meal. When I host, I like to have a main course, 1 or 3 sides, and dessert. If I am feeling extra ambitious, I will also make or assemble an appetizer. Let’s take is step by step (day by day).

Appetizer – make it easy. I like having appetizers available to your guests if they arrive hungry or at different times. Appetizers also provide you a buffer in case dinner is running late.

Hummus and Veggies

Main course – I love a casserole or something to fix ahead and forget. Or, choose a nice cut of meat as your budget allows.

Mexican Cornbread

Enchilada 

Chicken and Biscuit Dumplings

Pizza Bianca

 Sides – I like to offer a couple options in case people don’t like one. Think – salad, bread, veggies . . . so man choices. Just choose a variety. Think about what complements your main course. Then, think about varying colors, textures, and flavors.

Asian Green Beans

Butternut Squash Salad

Winter Vegetables Soup

Dessert – I love desserts! I don’t think you have to offer this when you are hosting, but it is nice to have. People usually linger and talk over coffee and desserts. This is the signal to the end of a meal. Usually, it is my favorite part. The cooking is done and I can enjoy my guests. I love meeting new people and getting to know them better.

Red Velvet Cookies

Pumpkin Pecan Crisp

I hope this simple, casual approach helps enable you to be a better planner, takes any fear away from entertaining, and encourages you to host more.  I am not perfect; I am still working on being a good hostess and not putting so much pressure on myself. The best way to get better is to practice. So, here's to practicing! For more on being a better host/hostess see part 1 and stayed tuned for part 3.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow RDtipoftheday on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. Or, you can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin, which is a free app that automatically updates every time a I publish a new blog post.

4 Tips for Making Pefect Cookies and Ginger Cookie Recipe

So, one of my New Year's goals is to try 50 new recipes in 2015. I started the New Year with lots of veggies in a vegetable soup. My second recipe is a little sweeter. I love sweets, and I believe they can be incorporated into one's diets in moderation.

I have never made ginger bread or ginger cookies. Can you believe that?!? I have used ginger in savory, Asian cooking but never in baking. I realized this travesty over the holidays when everyone was posting pictures of ginger bread houses and decorated gingerbread men cookies. I decided to try this recipe that uses powdered ginger and crystallized ginger. It was delicious! The cookies were moist, chewy, and packed a punch of spicy, sweet ginger.

This was my first time to cook with molasses as well. It was less sweet then I thought it would be but it was fantastic in the cookies. And, I got a chance to use my SilPlat non-stick cooking mat! It worked like a dream with this sticky dough.

Here's the recipe if you would like to give it a try.

Ginger Cookies (Adapted from Giada's Double Ginger Cookies)
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger (or ~1 ounce)
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup molasses
1 egg at room temperature
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350* F.

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl: flour, sugar, ginger, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and candied ginger.

Combine wet ingredients in a mixer: melted butter, molasses, and egg. Beat together until combine. Slowly add dry ingredients into wet mixture. Use a medium-sized cookie Schoo to scoop 1 1/2 Tablespoon of dough onto a buttered baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with a non-stick mat (Example: SilPlat). Bake at 350* F for 7-9 minutes.

Tip #1: Spray your 1/3 measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray before measuring molasses. The non-stick spray . . . helps the molasses not stick to the spoon. It makes measuring sticky ingredients less messy.

Tip #2: Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop cookie dough. This makes it easier to get similarly sized cookies that cook evenly.

Tip #3: I recommend making a batch of these cookies and freezing the dough in 2 batches. This helps with self-control and only having desserts in moderation. It also is handy to have dough already made for company or just quick cooking.

Tip #4: I defrost frozen cookie dough for 1 day in the fridge before baking.

This recipe was adapted from a Giada DeLaurentiis' recipe for double ginger cookies. I hope you enjoy! Please let me know if there are any ingredients or dishes you want me to try in the new feature #NewYearNewRecipes #NYNR #50RDrecipes.

For more recipes and tips and tricks for healthy eating, follow RDtipoftheday on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.