Fun Kid Recipes, Activities Keep Them Busy For Holidays

From Denny: These chefs came up with some great food ideas of keeping little hands and minds busy during those long holiday visits away from home. First up in this video is an adorable cut and paste arts and crafts collage project for collecting images of what they best hope for the New Year of 2010.

The fashion projects are especially clever! They use out of fashion costume brooches as refrigerator magnets. (Now why didn't I think of that one? I was just going through my closet the other day and wondering what to do with those same items. Will definitely use this useful idea.)

Then for the youngest kids they came up with using different colored beans and lentils to create the "sand" for an indoor winter sandbox to for play! Hey, you can always make soup out of it as soon as the weather warms up and they can go outside to play. :) At the end of the video they even offer a few local travel tips to keep kids entertained.

How do you like this cute little bird gif I just found today? He sure is one tolerant bird! Feel free to use him on your blog or site as he is free.

Featured recipes:

Whoopie Pie cookies
Winter Apple Charlotte dessert

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Whoopie pie

From: Chef Jansen Chan, executive pastry chef at Oceana restaurant

Serves: 12

INGREDIENTS

For the pies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 4 oz. (1/2 cup) butter
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

For the vanilla fluff filling

• 1 3/4 cup. plus 2 T. sugar
• 10 T. water
• 1 envelope gelatin powder (1/4 oz.)
• 3/4 cup egg whites
• 1 1/2 pounds butter, room temperature (substitute 1/2 pound of peanut butter for butter and omit vanilla for a peanut butter filling)
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

For the pies:

In a bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt together. In a mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Slowly add the egg and vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl thoroughly and add little bit of the dry ingredients. Mix and then add a little bit of the buttermilk. Alternate this process until all the drys and buttermilk are used.

Scoop 1/4 cup of batter on to a parchment-lined sheet tray and bake at 375 degrees F for 15-18 mins., rotating once.

Remove from ovens and let cool on trays.

For the vanilla fluff filling:

Soak gelatin in 2 tbls. of water. In a heavy-duty pot, stir together sugar and water until dissolved. Cook at a high heat until 266 degrees F.

Meanwhile, in a mixer, whisk whites until light and foamy and carefully slowly pour hot syrup into the whipping whites. While still hot and whisking, add bloomed gelatin and continue whisking until cool.

On the machine still, slowly add butter, a tablespoon at a time, until the butter is fully incorporated. Add salt and vanilla extract and mix.

Ready to use immediately.



Winter Charlotte

From: Chef Jansen Chan, executive pastry chef at Oceana restaurant

Yields: 8” d x 3” h cake pan or 9” d x 2” h cake pan

INGREDIENTS

• One 8” d x 3” h cake pan or 9” d x 2” h cake pan
• 1 loaf of brioche, challah or white bread
• Butter (for coating)
• Sugar (for coating)

For the filling

• 2 pounds Golden Delicious apples
• 2 pounds Granny Smith apples
• 2 pounds Bosc pears
• 1 cup dried cranberries or raisins
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

For the Winter Charlotte filling:

Peel and chop each fruit. Cut pieces into about 1/2” cubes. Random sizes are OK. Place all ingredients except dried fruit in a wide sauté pan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for ten minutes, or until juices are released. Turn heat to medium high and continue cooking for another 10-15 mins, or until juices are evaporated. Add dried fruit and transfer to a bowl and allow to cool slightly.

To assemble:

Line the bottom of the cake pan with a circular piece of parchment paper. Butter the top and sides. Then, coat the inside with sugar, releasing any excess sugar.

Cut brioche into rectangles (2” or 3” high, depending on the height of the pan) and triangles. Brush lightly with melted butter. Line the bottom of the pan with triangular pieces, overlapping pieces of bread, butter side down. Line the sides with the rectangular pieces of bread, again, overlapping the pieces of bread.

Fill cavity with slightly hot fruit filling. Don’t worry if the mound is higher than the pan, the fruit will sink and shrink.

Top pieces with any remaining buttered brioche. Don’t worry about being decorative as this will be the bottom of the charlotte. Place a piece of foil loosely on top to prevent overbrowning.

Bake at 400 F for 40 mins, rotating once in the middle. Remove foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before unmolding. Place a plate upside down on the charlotte and flip the entire charlotte. Carefully remove the cake pan, releasing the charlotte. Let cool for an hour.

Serve warm with crème anglaise or whipped cream.

*** ALSO: 8 Easy Yummy New Years Recipes to Warm Your Guests

*** THANKS for visiting!

Edible Christmas Decorations and Chocolate Cookies From Nigella

From Denny: Nigella Lawson is such a joyful spirit and I always enjoy watching her. Her recipes are easy too. These cookies are so easy she says that they can't be ruined when children are involved in the merry making. Now there's nothing better than that endorsement! You don't have to stress about perfection and the kids don't have to stress about getting criticized for making a mistake. This cookie dough is very forgiving - as we all should be this holiday season. :)



For some reason this video is not available for embedding so here's the link if you wish to view it:



Video: Nigella's Tasty Christmas Treats







Edible Christmas Tree Decoration



From: Nigella Lawson



Makes: approx. 35-40



Nigella: I couldn’t have Christmas without these, or at least, not happily. Rituals are essential to give us meaning, a sense of ceremony, and making these peppery gingerbready edible decorations is how I have always marked with my children that Christmas had begun.



INGREDIENTS



For the cookies



• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

• Pinch of salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1-2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) soft butter

• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

• 2 large eggs, beaten with 1/4 cup runny honey



For the icing and trimming



• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

• 2 tablespoons meringue powder

• Edible gold or silver sprinkles

• Florists’ ribbon for hanging



DIRECTIONS



Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and pepper in a food processor and, with the motor on, add the butter and sugar, then, slowly, the beaten eggs and honey, through the feed tube, though don’t use all of this liquid if the pastry has come together before it’s used up.



Form two fat discs and put one, covered in plastic wrap or in a resealable bag, in the refrigerator while you get started on the other.



Preheat the oven to 350 F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Then dust a work surface with flour, roll out the disc, also floured, to about ¼ inch, and cut out your Christmas decoration with cutters of your choice, which could include fir-tree shapes, angels, stars, snowflakes, and so on.



Re-roll and cut out some more, setting aside the dough scraps from this first disc, well covered, while you get on with rolling out the second. When you’ve got both sets of leftover clumps of dough, roll out and cut out again, and keep doing so till all the dough’s used up.



Now take a small piping nozzle and use the pointy end to cut out a hole just below the top of each cookie (through which ribbon can later be threaded).



Arrange the pastry shapes on the lined cookie sheets and bake for about 20 minutes: it’s hard to see when they’re baked, but you can feel; if the underside is no longer doughy, they’re ready. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.



Mix together the confectioners’ sugar with the meringue powder and 3 tablespoons water, beating it until it’s thick enough to be able to cover the cookies with a just-dripping blanket of white. Carefully ice the cold decorations, using a teaspoon (the tip for dripping, the back for smoothing), and scatter sparkles or sprinkles as you like. When the icing is set, thread ribbon through the holes and hang on you tree.







Christmas Chocolate Cookies



From: Nigella Lawson



Makes: approx. 24



Nigella: I love these dark, fat patties of chocolate shortbread exuberantly topped with festive sprinkles. There’s something so cheering about the sight of them, but they have more in their favor than looks: They are a doddle to make, and meltingly gorgeous to eat.



INGREDIENTS



• 2 1/4 sticks (18 tablespoons) soft butter

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder



For the festive topping



• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

• 1/4 cup boiling water, from a kettle

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Christmas sprinkles



DIRECTIONS



Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.



Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl and, when you have a light, soft whipped mixture, beat in the 1/3 cup cocoa powder (sifting if it is lumpy) and, when that’s mixed in, beat in the flour with the baking soda and baking powder. Or just put everything in the processor and blitz, if you prefer.



This mixture is very soft and sticky and I find it easiest to form the cookies wearing my disposable vinyl gloves, so pinch off pieces about 1 tablespoon in size, roll them into balls, then slightly flatten into fat discs as you place them, well spaced, on your cookies sheet; you should get about 12 on at a time.



Bake each batch for 15 minutes; even though the cookies won’t feel as if they’ve had enough time, they will continue to cook as they cool. They will look slightly cracked on top, and it’s this cosy, homespun look I love.



Remove the cookies sheet to a cold surface and let it sit for 15 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack, with a sheet of newspaper under it (to catch drips while topping them).



To make the topping, put the cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, water and vanilla extract into a small saucepan and whisk over a low heat until everything’s smoothly combined. Take off the heat for 10 minutes.



When the cookies are cool, drizzle each one with a tablespoonful of chocolate glaze — to glue the sprinkles on in a minute — using the back of the spoon to help spread the mixture, though an uneven dribbly look is part of their charm. After you’ve iced 6 cookies, scatter with some of the Christmas sprinkles, and continue thus until all the cookies are topped. If you ice them all before sprinkling, you will find the cocoa “glue” has dried and the sprinkles won’t stick on.



*** Thanks for visiting! All these Christmas clip art and animations are FREE for use on your blog or site, enjoy!



*** For more recipes check out Comfort Food From Louisiana!

Video: Funny Oreo Cookie Obsessed Fan!

From Denny: Thanks to reader elchupaoreo from YouTube for this chuckle of the Oreo day! Check out the Oreo cookie obsession. Someone is really flying their Oreo Freak Flag today... :)

Recipe: Easy Chocolate Macaroons

Photo by Kraft Food

From Denny: Killer combination here of white and dark chocolate, coconut and pecans make the perfect cookie! Park this in your holiday recipe file for quick easy crowd pleasers.

From: Kraft Foods

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 27 min
Makes: About 2 dozen cookies or 24 servings

Ingredients:

2 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 squares BAKER'S White Chocolate, chopped
2 cups BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut
1 cup PLANTERS Chopped Pecans (or buy local for freshest)

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Microwave unsweetened chocolate and milk in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

STIR in remaining ingredients. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto greased baking sheets.

BAKE 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are set. Immediately remove from baking sheets to wire racks. Cool completely.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Size-Wise

Sweets can add enjoyment to a balanced diet, but remember to keep tabs on portions.

Storage Know-How

Store in tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Recipe: Simple Easy Chocolate Coconut Krispies, Plus Vegan Recipe

This is a S'Mores version, cool! Image by e.marie via Flickr

From Denny: People are always searching for a recipe of a food they fondly remember from childhood - and Rice Krispie bar cookie recipes are often a favorite! When this was featured in our local newspaper recently (no photo) I just had to include it here. What's perfect about this simple easy recipe is that it's perfect for this holiday weekend of Labor Day. You can make and take it any where easily, enjoy!

From: Susan Filopowicz

Yield: 12 muffin-size or 24 minimuffin-size servings.

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons butter

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1 (10-ounce) bag marshmallows

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

2-1/2 cups shredded coconut

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1-1/2 teaspoons water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Melt butter, 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate and marshmallows. Combine and add Rice Krispies and cool.

2. Spray palms of hands with cooking spray and while mixture is still warm press the mixture up to 1/2 full of the minimuffin cups or regular cupcake tins.

3. In a medium glass bowl, stir coconut with 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk. Microwave 1 minute on high. Stir and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to cool slightly. While warm, pour over the crispy mixture to the top.

4. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate and 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave for 30 more seconds. Add water and vanilla and drizzle over each crispy cup and top with several slivered almonds.

***

Vegan version of Rice Krispie treats Image by Jocelyn | McAuliflower via Flickr

Now here's another version of a Rice Krispie treat, vegan style from Jocely McAuliflower @ Brownie Points Blog.

Chocolate GORP Rice Crispy Treats

GORP: Good Old Raisins and Peanuts

Lightly oil an 8″ x 8″ baking pan and set aside.

Combine in a sauce pan:

light corn syrup, 1/2 cup

light brown sugar, 1/4 cup packed

1/4 teaspoon salt

Bring to a full boil and remove from the heat.

Stir in:

peanut butter butter (or any favorite nut butter), 1 cup
(Warming the peanut butter jar in the microwave makes the 1 cup easier to scoop out.)

vanilla, 1 teaspoon

crisp puffed rice cereal, 3 cups

With oiled hands, press the mixture firmly into the buttered 8″ x 8″ pan.

Directions:

Sprinkle the top with chopped raisins and enough grated or finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate to cover the entire pan, making sure to get the chocolate in the corners, as well as thick enough to form a layer. As I was working with a large block of chocolate and free-form with the raisins, I don’t quite remember the quantities required. A four ounce chocolate bar and 1/2 cup of raisins are a good place to start.

Using a blow torch (or a brief visit to the broiler), melt out the chocolate layer to help adhere the raisins.

This cuts best before the chocolate has completely hardened.


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