Coffee time with Auntie E- And The Winner is......

Thank you all for linking your Holiday recipes during the Holiday Flare contest.
The voting was not a success, Only had one vote on a couple of them. However what I did was go to each recipe site with one vote and check on the Rules compliance. If they did not follow the rules for entering the contest, then they were disqualified.

Well I have a winner. Only one so she will get the top prize. A $50 Visa Gift Card.

Now the Winner is........

Cranberry sauce with Ruby Port and Cinnamon
entered by Stacy Uncorked.

Now if you would like to view the recipes entered you can follow this link...
Holiday Flare

Congratulations to Stacy.

Thursday Holiday Flare- Cookie time

It is time to link up your favorite cookie recipe.
We are still in the contest phase. You can still link up your desserts, main dishes, side dishes and bread. Just choose the appropriate colored link above and link it up. You will be able to come back until December 25th to link up, Then on the evening of the 26th voting will begin. Oh I hope you will come back to vote. for more info on the contest see the side bar "Holiday Flare Contest Rules".

I think you will love this recipe. It has become the holiday cookie in our family. As I stated before this is the one in the 1992 SouthenLiving Annual Cookbook. I sent it in the they published it that same year I created it.


Almond Snaps
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup Almond paste
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoon Milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup All-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Sugar

Beat shortening and almond paste at medium speed with an electric mixer. Add 1/2 cup sugar and the next 4 ingredients, beating well. Combine Flour,Soda, and Salt: Gradually add to shortening mixture, mixing well.

Roll into 1-inch balls; Roll in 1/4 cup of sugar, and place 2-inch apart on lightly grease cookie sheets (Nowadays I use a silicone mat-no greasing necessary).
Bake at 375 Fahrenheit for 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned; cool about 2 minutes on cookie sheets. Remove to wire racks to cool.
(We have a hard time letting them cool! They get eaten warm in our home).

Holiday Blueberry Scones- Bread Week!

Welcome to Thursday Holiday Flare,
This weeks category is Breads.

Oh those holiday breads,so many to choose from. This year I wanted to do a Breakfast Scone.
I love scones with a cup of coffee or tea. Scones are really easy to make. Do not have much prep time and the cooking time is about 30 minutes. Time to make and have in the oven before the folks are up. I guarantee that the smell will get everyone up and going.

Holiday Blueberry Scones.Photo scones shown with Cranberry cream cheese

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tablespoons fine organic sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

• in a large bowl Mix the above ingredients together I use a whisk, to get it some air.

114gm Cold unsalted butter(about 1/2 cup)

• with a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture. just until incorporated well.

Mix together in a small container.
1 cup Fresh buttermilk
1 large Egg.

Beat well.

• make a well in the flour/butter mixture.
  
• Pour the buttermilk mixture in the well.
  
• With a wooden spoon start at the sides and fold in, continue until all the milk is incorporated in flour mixture. DO NOT OVER MIX.

Fold in 3/4 cup Frozen blueberries.

• Turn out unto of floured surface.
  
• Pat down to about 1 inch thickness.
• Cut into squares and then cut the squares in half diagonally.
  
• You will have 12 pieces.

Line a jelly roll pan with Parchment paper and transfer square using a flat spatula on to pan. leave as lest a inch around each one.

• Cook at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Now it's time for you to link up your Holiday Bread Recipes. Remember leave a photo and the recipe link. Voting will open tomorrow. Remember your can still link your holiday Desserts and Side dishes up, just click on the Holiday flare link under the blog title. That will bring up the other links.
Want to join in, grab the Holiday Flare button on top side bar, check the rules and enter your recipes on the appropriate links.

Any one can come back to vote on their favorite ones. You are allowed to vote up to five times on each category. Only one vote per recipe will be allowed. Be sure to check back on Monday for Coffee time and the next weeks category.

Recipe Printable View- no graphics.

Thursday Holiday Flare- Desserts

As I have mentioned I have been taking some cooking technique classes at William-Sonoma. This week she had a dessert that was adapted from another recipe. Their Food products are very good. This recipes uses their Cranberry relish. I found it not to be too sweet, yet had that holiday flare taste to it. My teen daughter went with me and she really liked this recipe. So, we came home and made it. I did add my Flare to it,however it is a basic dessert square bar recipe. Now I will share it with you, we think it will make that perfect ending to a Thanksgiving Meal.

Holiday Cranberry Dessert Bars

You will need:

1(18.25oz) package Yellow cake mix.(divided)
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie spice
1/2 cup Sweet unsalted butter (Melted)
3 large eggs.(divided)

1 (18oz)Jar Williams Sonoma's Cranberry relish
2 Tablespoon 1%Milk
2 Tablespoon all purpose Flour
2 tablespoon sugar.
1/4 cup Unsalted Butter (at room temperature, however not too soft)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

First Layer.

• Mix yellow cake mix and pumpkin pie spices together, Set 1 cup aside for later(for the topping part);
• Combine the rest of the cake mixture with Melted butter and 1 egg in a bowl, Mix well and press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. {You do not need to grease the pan.However you can brush a little of the melted butter on the pan's bottom, if you want to make sure it won't stick. I used an insulated non stick pan}.
  

Second Layer

• In another bowl combine the jar of cranberry relish, 2 eggs and milk.
  
• Mix well and pour evenly over the Pressed cake layer in the pan.

Third layer(topping)

• Stir the remaining 1 cup of Cake mix with flour, sugar and softened butter. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in butter til crumbly.
  
• Sprinkle over the relish layer.

Bake in 350F preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Cool for about 10 minutes and cut into 1 1/2 inch squares.
Makes about 48 pieces.
Printable view

Thursday's the Potluck Club.-Side Dishes.

It is that time for Holiday Flare. We have four weeks until Thanksgiving, five weeks til Hanukkah, eight weeks before Christmas and nine weeks to New Years. Now where has the time gone? Before you know it we will be in full swing of the holiday seasons.
This year each week will be a theme week. Thursday's the PotLuck Club will be Thursday's Holiday Flare for the next nine weeks. I will start the week with a Thanksgiving side dish. Have one? Link it up below. For this one I will use a thumbnail link. You can post a photo with the recipe's name. For the whole holiday Season I will put a Recipe Holiday Flare link in the side bar. That way every one will be able to get to all the recipe Links in one click (I will start that next week). You can view it as a holiday resource page leading you to all the holiday flare recipes from around the world. I am so looking forward to trying some new dishes this holiday season.
So let's start sharing those recipes and have a marvelous a Holiday Feast!