Sour Cream Sugar Cookies, Yummy!

Reindeer Cookies...Yummy!

Biting into a homemade soft sugar cookie that has just a hint of nutmeg is my choice for a sugar cookie!  Sour Cream Sugar Cookies are hands down...the winner.  Rolled out and cut into festive shapes, then decorated with colored sugars,  they are perfect for the holidays...any holiday.  This past week I started my Christmas baking!  There are always unexpected happenings and also sewing projects to complete, but I always have time to bake these delicious cookies containing sour cream.    

It is a two step process.  On Day 1 the dough is made, wrapped and then stored in the fridge overnight.  On Day 2 my cookie cutters, decorated sugars, rolling pin & rolling mat are used.

Rolling out the dough that has been refrigerated, overnight.

For years I've been baking this soft cut-out cookie and it has become a tradition for my fam to enjoy them at Christmas. 

An added + is that after they are baked and cooled, these cookies can be packaged and stored in the freezer until the holiday arrives.  Now, a double batch of these scrumptious family faves, are ready and waiting in our freezer. 

***Unsalted Butter works best in this recipe!  The stiff dough is easier to work with.
     

 Sour Cream Sugar Cookies   printable recipe card

Oven: 375°F
Yield: About 5 dozen, depending on size

Ingredients:

4 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Cup unsalted Butter, softened
1 and 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Sour Cream (can be Fat Free)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Colored Sugars for Decorating

Method:

Day 1-

1. In large bowl with electric mixer beat Butter and Sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add Egg, beat.
3. Add in Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt and Nutmeg.
4. While beating on Low, slowly add Flour, 1 Cup at a time.
5. Add in Vanilla and Sour Cream. Beat on Medium until well combined. Dough will be stiff.
6. Remove dough from bowl and place on plastic wrap, wrap dough.
7. Place wrapped dough on aluminum foil and wrap well.
8. Refrigerate overnight.

Day 2-

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Unwrap dough and cut into four parts.
3. On well floured surface, roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Use cookie cutters.
4. Place cookies on pan/sheet 1" apart. (Maybe 12 cookies to a sheet.)
5. Sprinkle with colored sugars.
6. Bake 10 - 11 Minutes. Bottom of cookies will be a light golden brown.
7. Remove with spatula to wire cooling racks.
8. When cool store in airtight containers.

**These cookies also freeze very well.

If you want to treat your family and friends to a sugar cookie that is light and contains a hint of Nutmeg, take out your cookie pans/sheets and the cooling racks!  These Sour Cream Sugar Cookies are just the best!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Best we not blink!  Every time we do, our weather changes!  After enjoying grilled seafood almost every evening last week, I now welcome the heat from my oven while preparing dinner.  This is great timing to bake/freeze special treats for Easter!  Our temps are no longer in the low 80°F's! 

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies with a hint of Nutmeg are delicious!  I prefer to use unsalted Butter, but Margarine may also be used.  However, I find that the dough made with butter is much easier to work with.  The soft, light, tasty cookies are made in a 2 step process.  On Day One prep the dough and wrap it in plastic wrap and then in foil.  It needs to be chilled overnight.  On Day 2 locate your fave holiday cookie cutters and rolling pin.  Yes, colored sugars, too. 

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies - printable recipe card

Oven: 375°F
Yield: About 5 dozen cookies, depending on size

 Ingredients:
4 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Cup unsalted Butter, softened
1 and 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Sour Cream (can be Fat Free)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Colored Sugars for Decorating

Method:
 
Day 1-

1. In large bowl with electric mixer beat Butter and Sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add Egg, beat.
3. Add in Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt and Nutmeg.
4. While beating on Low, slowly add Flour, 1 Cup at a time.
5. Add in Vanilla and Sour Cream. Beat on Medium until well combined. Dough will be stiff.
6. Remove dough from bowl and place on plastic wrap, wrap dough.
7. Place wrapped dough on aluminum foil and wrap well.
8. Refrigerate overnight.

Day 2-

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Unwrap dough and cut into four parts.
3. On well floured surface, roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Use cookie cutters.
4. Place cookies on pan/sheet 1" apart. (Maybe 12 cookies to a sheet.)
5. Sprinkle with colored sugars.
6. Bake 10 - 11 Minutes in 375°F oven. Bottom of cookies will be a light golden brown.
7. Remove with spatula to wire cooling racks.
8. When cool store in airtight containers.

 **These cookies also freeze very well.  After cooling I stack them in Ziploc Freezer Bags and into the freezer they go!

***Any leftover dough make for very special "Initial Cookies"!  Ropes are made from the leftover dough. The first letter of each family member's name is shaped and placed on the cookie sheet. Each letter is 2"-3".  Usually this cookie is saved - to be eaten last.  :)

If you are looking for a special dessert to please everyone in your family - bake these Sour Cream Sugar Cookies!  They are soft, light and scrumptious!

Enjoy!
Yummy!
       

Turkey a la King



The Guest Towels are Ready!

Every year just before Thanksgiving when Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce is a featured special at my grocery store I purchase both the jellied and the whole berry sauces.  There are some Thanksgiving Day traditions that I savor from my own childhood.  One tradition is placing a tangy slice of this cold jellied sauce next to steaming turkey slices and mashed potatoes (that are topped with yummy gravy) on my dinner plate.  Oh, definitely, mashed Butternut Squash is also present.  That was also a tradition of my DH's family.  Yes, I could prep the whole berry sauce earlier during Thanksgiving week and we could enjoy that, but it would not be the same as both of our childhood memories.  This tradition has continued.  Our sons have always kept a watch for the can of  Cranberry Sauce while grazing in the fridge before dinner. 

This treat is enjoyed with our Thanksgiving Day Dinner, enjoyed the next day with Hot Turkey Sandwiches and then enjoyed once again with Turkey a la King that is served over toasted Oatmeal Bread.

There is always enough roasted turkey remaining for that last meal.  Turkey a la King is delicious and it's very easy to prepare.

Turkey a la King
Serves 2 - 3 Adults

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Margarine/Butter (I use unsalted.)
1/3 Cup Flour
1 Cup Chicken/Turkey Broth (I use College Inn Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth.)
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup (cooked) Turkey chunks, cut up, more if desired
2 Cups Cooked Carrots &/or Peas combined

Toasted Bread

Method:

1. Melt Margarine/Butter in skillet.
2. Remove skillet from Medium heat and slowly stir in Flour.
3. Return to heat and slowly add in Chicken Broth & Milk while slowly stirring constantly.
4. Continue stirring over heat until sauce is thick and bubbly.
5. Add Turkey chunks.
6. Add in cooked vegetables.   
7. Stir and heat mixture for 1 - 2 Minutes.
8. Serve over toasted Bread.

This meal always uses the remaining pieces of roasted Turkey and we always remember the Cranberry Sauce!

Maybe there will be a few slices of Cranberry Bread (click on name) to enjoy later for dessert.  In New England we do like Cranberry Bread.  :)  Two of these breads filled with fresh chopped cranberries are on my "to bake" list for tomorrow along with Butternut Squash Custard Pie (click on name).   

Enjoy the holiday with your family & friends.  We have much to be thankful for and it is always good to appreciate what we have.

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Ah, Yes! Yummy Blueberry Muffins!

Yesterday, I took a bag of frozen Blueberries out of our freezer and placed them in our fridge to defrost. Those bags of Blueberries that were packaged in the summer sure come in handy! Purchasing fresh berries in the grocery store is an option, but it’s great to just walk downstairs, open the freezer and locate a Ziploc Freezer bag of Blueberries to use when needed.

Valentine’s Day is approaching and I need to start thinking about tasty treats. A goodie that can be enjoyed at Breakfast and also just because… Yummy Blueberry Muffins are light and tasty. This is my favorite Blueberry Muffin recipe (click here for recipe card). I use one Egg plus two Egg Whites and also Soy Milk when preparing them.

Twenty-two muffins are usually the result of baking one batch. These Blueberry treats taste even better the day after they are baked. That is, if we can wait that long before eating any. They also freeze well! No, we will not wait until Sunday to enjoy them! Yummy!

YUMMY BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Oven temperature: 375° F, Time: 26 Minutes
Yield: 22 Muffins

Ingredients:
½ Cup Butter /Margarine
1 ¼ Cups Sugar
1 Egg + 2 Egg Whites
2 Cups Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Cinnamon (Optional, but great addition)
½ Cup Milk (can be Soy Milk)
2 – 2 ½ Cups Blueberries (can be frozen & then defrosted or use fresh)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Put paper liners in muffin tins. (Makes 22 muffins)
3. In large bowl cream butter/margarine with sugar until light.
4. Add Egg + Whites one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add Baking Powder, Salt, Cinnamon and ½ the flour. Beat.
6. Add ½ of Milk, beat.
7. Then add remaining Flour, beat.
8. Add remainder of Milk. Beat.
9. Gently add Blueberries, stir in by hand with spatula or spoon.
10. Fill muffin cups ¾ full.
11. Bake 26 Minutes or until muffins are slightly browned.

Are you baking any special treats?

Enjoy!

YUMMY!!!

A Quick Yummy Dinner!

Preparing for the holidays keeps all of us busy! One project is underway and another seems to be in the forming stages. It certainly keeps us moving and humming along. Yesterday, decorating the new small artificial trees for our front doorstep required using my hubby’s Workshop.





Now, I am very acquainted where everything is located in my Kitchen and in my Sewing/Computer Room. However, I usually do not venture into the Workshop, so I can never easily locate the glue sticks and the glue gun. Actually, the easier method was to ask for help in locating everything I needed, because I also wanted to use my hubby’s large workbench.







After my Christmas trees decorating project was completed, it was time to start dinner.

Earlier in the day Sea Scallops were purchased at our local grocery store. It was frigid outdoors, but the aroma of Pan Seared Scallops (click here) on my stove reminded me of the warm days of summer. The “Baked Potatoes” were in the microwave and a nutritious, colorful veggie salad was already on the table. A yummy dinner was ready quickly! Do you also enjoy preparing and eating Seafood during the colder months?

After dinner my knitting needles were clicking away making progress on the black knitted hat! Are you working on projects for the holidays?

Enjoy the season!

Smells Inviting, Tastes Great!

This past Sunday was Mother’s Day and my hubby was the chef!!! Nice!!! He used our outdoor grill – even better! These days we eat many meals of fish or of chicken, so enjoying Luscious London Broil that he prepared and grilled was totally a treat!

Earlier in the day he prepared the London Broil. (Click here for my printable recipe card with the directions.)

Parsley, Chopped Onion, Garlic Powder, Pepper, Basil, Oregano and (2) Bay Leaves were placed in a Gallon sized Ziploc Bag along with Lemon Juice. After rinsing the meat in cold water, add it into the bag. Carefully, remove the air from the Ziploc Bag and zip. Then place it on a dish and refrigerate the London Broil for at least 3 hours. 5 hours is better. During this time, carefully, turn the bag over at least once and continue refrigerating.

Before dinner heat the grill and then remove the meat from the Ziploc Bag. Place the London Broil on a large plate and spread about 2 TBS. Gulden’s Mustard on top. Place this side down on the hot grill. Carefully, place and spread 2 more TBS. Gulden’s Mustard on the meat side facing up.

Grill to desired doneness. Place on a clean plate and slice on the diagonal.

Luscious London Broil served with a Salad and microwaved Baked Potato – Yummy!
How sweet!

Enjoy!

Simply Delicious!

On Valentine’s Day serving a dessert that is delicious and also red in color is so appropriate! No matter what tasty dinner your family will be eating, SIMPLY DELICIOUS (click on bolded words for recipe card) is a great dessert for the end of your meal. These three ingredients – one pkg. of Strawberry Gelatin, one cup of Vanilla Ice Cream and one cup of Hot Water make two servings. For four people double the recipe. This very easy and scrumptious dessert is a favorite with children of all ages!

Before serving, place a dollop of whipped cream on top!

Yummy!

Enjoy!