Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

IT'S SNOWING!!!!!

The weather finally came through!! It's been snowing all morning, from dainty little flakes to big fat puffs. We were very bad influences out back, let Bracken off her leash to play, and gained a few like-minded friends. I don't think she's had that much fun in weeks!! Snow and friends?? All we're missing is peanut butter, and it would be the greatest day of her life! She was so fun to watch, slipping and sliding up and down the hill, and every so often she'd flop down and just roll in the snow. I don't know if there has ever been a dog that loved snow more than my beastie. I wish I'd gotten pictures. Well, what better for such a Christmassy day, than a festive Christmassy cake??

Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting (adapted from The View From Great Island)
Printable Recipe

1 cup boiling water
2 tsp baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup ground almonds/almond flour (or use more regular flour)
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the boiling water with the baking soda and set aside. Grease (well!!) and line a 10 inch springform pan. (This cake is sticky, grease the pan like crazy!)

Beat the butter until fluffy, add sugar, and beat till creamy. Add the molasses and water/baking soda mix.

Sift together dry ingredients and add them to the wet ingredients. Add eggs, beating after each. 

Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, or with just a few crumbs. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Carefully remove cake from pan when ready to frost. (my edges were a bit high, my oven was too hot, so I trimmed them off)

Frosting:
1 8-oz. package cream cheese at almost room temperature (still pretty firm)
1/4 cup salted butter at almost room temperature
2-3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
Zest from 1 lemon

Whip together the cream cheese, butter, zest, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and whip carefully until smooth and thick. Refrigerate any leftovers.

The original recipe has a spiced-rum buttercream, but cream cheese frosting is my favorite!! And adding a dash of lemon just made sense. Ginger and lemon, right?

Oh, this is a heavenly cake. Rich dark spices, so moist and toothsome, just a bit more substance with the almonds, everything gingerbread should be! Molasses, brown sugar, spices... did I mention molasses?? I love molasses!

And the creamy frosting with a hint of lemon is the perfect compliment. You could frost the sides as well, but I wanted to see that dark gingerbread underneath!

Are you ready for Christmas?? With a window full of falling snow, and a slice (or three) of this cake, I sure am!!

Shared at Wow Us Wednesdays and Foodie Friday

Soft & Thick Cut-Out Cookies

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without traditions. Christmas Eve presents, looking at lights, Christmas dinner, visits with family, service, treats, stories, activities... We are a rather young family, but we're trying to establish ours! On Christmas Eve we open a "cozy" present, the past 2 years we've finally started plates of treats for friends and neighbors, this year I would like to carry on a family tradition I grew up with of looking for Christmas lights on Christmas Eve.

Ah, plates of treats. What to make?! My mom made chocolate covered Oreos that were always a hit. Last year I tried chocolate covered pretzels. I'd like to try little loaf cakes one year. Stephen has more favorites than me, so his rule our little plates, but these cookies are mine. I used to reserve my stack of cookies, and painstaklingly frost them perfectly. This meant I was usually sitting there twice as long as anyone else! I'm a bit of a perfectionist. You should watch me spread butter and jam on toast someday, I'm told it's hilarious. I've only let the boys frost cookies once. Ever. In their whole lives. I just couldn't send less-than-perfect cookies out the door, what would people THINK?! Well, it is a testament to my happiness and lack of stress that this year I let the boys frost cookies. All by themselves. Stress- and twitch-free.

And to quote my Mom, yes, I'm letting them out the door that way. :) It was actually really fun to watch! And we learned quite clearly who takes after his Mom!!

Stephen's cookie...                Joe's cookie... :)

Soft & Thick Cut-Out Cookies (adapted slightly from Christmas Recipes from The Lion House)
Printable Recipe

2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

Frosting:
1/2 stick butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 Tb milk
food coloring

Cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat till fluffy again. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together, and add to the creamed mixture. Mix till combined. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface, about 3/4 inch thick.

(I like to roll it out on parchment paper. Just grab a lump at a time, don't bother trying to roll the whole thing out! If it gets a bit sticky, sprinkle with a little bit of flour. Be sparing with the flour, or you'll end up with tough, floury cookies)

Cut with cookie cutters, and place on greased/lined cookie sheets. Bake for 10-14 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies, until they are just puffed. If the edges start to brown, you've gone too far!! You want these to stay soft!

Mine puffed a bit more than usual because I didn't have time to refrigerate. If you want more perfectly-shaped cookies, you can roll them a bit thinner, but they won't stay so soft.

Let cool completely, then frost!

Beat butter for frosting till fluffy. Add vanilla and sugar, and beat till it looks all crumbly. Add the milk, 1 Tb at a time, beating lots between each. It may not seem like enough, but wait a bit. If you add too much milk too soon you'll never get it fluffy. I know from experience! Beat until thick and fluffy, separate into frosting bowls, and stir food coloring into each.

And there you have it!! These are my favorite Christmas treats. I could eat the whole batch myself. They're perfect.

I did the pink tree on purpose. Just like those fluffy pink frosted cookies you can buy all over, right?? Believe me, these are better. Just as soft and wonderful, but buttery, more vanilla, just better.

Yes, you could do royal icing for fancier, more intricate frosting, but as beautiful as those are, I've never had one that actually tasted yummy. These DO! The frosting hardens just enough that you can stack them gently, but stays soft and creamy underneath. Always.

They make me happy.

Shared at Tasty Tuesdays and Wow Us Wednesdays

Weekly Menu Dec. 17

I had so much fun doing the Simple Woman's Daybook last week, that I decided to make it a Monday feature! You can try your own here!


Menu For the Week:
Thick & Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Raspberry Swirl Sweet Rolls

7 Layer Cookies

Cranberry-Raspberry Cheesecake

Source: fineartamerica.com via Pinterest

For today, Dec. 17...
Outside my window... It is clear and sunny. At least it's chilly!! And I checked the forecast... we just MIGHT have a White Christmas!!

I am thinking... I need to take my poor beastie out to romp. She's been getting antsy, and took it out on our giant pointsettia... she got in big trouble. Lucky for her, I'm not emotionally attached to it. And I can't get too mad at her, because it's my fault for not getting her out more often!

I am going... Well, to the dog park for one thing! I'll grab a few groceries on the way, get ready for the week.

Source: Etsy via Tumblr

I am thankful... For Christmas. I am extra grateful this year, because it is the first Christmas we have had where we weren't moving, recently moved, extremely stressed, horribly sick, or completely broke. I'm not doing as many "things" as I had envisioned, but it doesn't matter, because I am drinking in every moment. Now if only it would snow!

I am pondering... The heart-breaking events of the past week. I've been trying to kind of skim over the top of the grief, because I was afraid I would completely break down if I thought too deeply about it. Well, last night I did. And I was right. I couldn't stop imagining how everyone must feel; parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, neighbors, teachers... I have mourned with those that mourned. And they are in my prayers, because truly, that is all I can do. Sometimes it is hard for me to accept that. 

I am wondering... if I ever offend anyone when I talk about my religious feelings. I would be silly to assume you all feel the same way I do, but I hope you know that I love you all, and I never mean to bother or exclude anyone
.

Source: 27.media.tumblr.com via Pinterest

I am reading... The Hobbit! Stephen and I went to see the movie on Saturday. Hooray for dates!! I was a bit annoyed at all the things they added in though, so I am re-reading it for the zillionth time to make sure I remembered it correctly. Grr. Why must we make it into a 3 movie behemoth?! It happens to be my favorite Tolkien book, because of it's lighter tone, but I was a little bit disappointed with the movie, to be honest. Although the scene when the dwarves show up at Bilbo's house was fantastic. My favorite. :)

I am hoping... For SNOW!!! Have I mentioned that enough already??

Source:Andy Marfia@flickr via Pinterest

I am looking forward to... This weekend. The Geologist is off on Friday, so we will have a long, Christmassy weekend!! I must find a neighborhood with good lights around here somewhere! It was a Christmas Eve tradition in my family to go drive through neighborhoods full of lights. Our boys share that love, and shout out "MommyMommy LOOK! Christmas Lights!!" at every string we see.

Source: retroscape.tumblr via Pinterest

Something new about me... I love horses. I wanted to be a jockey when I was growing up... but as soon as I topped 5 feet and 130 pounds... The dream died. But I still love them. I have favorite racehorses, I worked at 2 different ranches, a horse was my first friend in Missouri. Footage of horses running brings tears to my eyes. Yup, I'm a silly horse girl!!!

Guilty pleasures... Spicy Cheetos. I know, aren't they vile?! It comes and goes in phases. My sister-in-law calls them Devil Cheetos and refuses to kiss my brother when he's eating them. We share a love of spicyness. My senior year in high school I would get a bag every day, with a Code Red Mountain Dew. Bleck. The things we live on when we're teenagers!

Pet Peeves... When my husband says "Whatevs." I don't know where he got it, but it's like fingernails on a chalkboard to me!! So of course, he says it as often as he can. Sigh. 

Change of Plan: Mini Egg Nog Muffins

Sorry friends!! I know I promised you Raspberry Swirl Sweet Rolls, but I kinda ruined them. I'll whip up a better batch for you next week, I promise! To tide you over I'll preview a recipe that was supposed to be on next week's Christmas Treats list.

Deep thoughts of the day: There have been quite a few hotly-discussed issues on Facebook lately. It feels like every since the election, people still feel the need to argue about something. Now, I'm not dismissing anyone's views or feelings. It just makes me think. For me, Facebook is a tool that I use to keep track of people I love, dear friends and family that live far away. I love being able to know what's going on in their lives, and drop them a line anytime I like. I try not to use it to state strong opinions that might be offensive to others.

So because I don't join the fray, I vent my feelings to my husband, and like the perfect friend that he is, he listens. And the core of so many problems I am seeing seems to be this: lack of forgiveness. The ability to let things go, to move on, to not make mountains out of molehills. To assign the blame for the actions of one, to the many. I realize that deep hurt is caused, I am not just telling everyone to "grow up". But no matter how awful your experiences, there comes a time when it is best for everyone, including you, to forgive, and let go of the hurt and anger. I do speak from some experience, too. There is just no point in constantly spreading the hurt and anger around. I suppose I feel it more keenly in this season, which is supposed to be one of love, comfort, forgiveness, service, and JOY!! Most especially JOY! So to sum up, I'm not judging. I am not telling you to do anything. Just sharing my thoughts, and wishing you all joy. And to me, the best way to be open to joy, is to let go of anger. Just a bit. :) (PS-This is in NO WAY referring to the tragedy in Connecticut)

Mini Egg Nog Muffins (adapted from Shugary Sweets)
Printable Recipe

3 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup butter softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup eggnog

For the Glaze:
1/2 cup eggnog
3/4 tsp nutmeg
3 cup powdered sugar
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon together. Set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Slowly add in flour mixture (in 3 batches) and eggnog (in 2 batches) alternating and mixing till just combined between each.

Lightly spray mini muffin cup pan with baking spray. Mostly fill muffin cups and bake for 13-15 minutes. Cool completely. (You could probably make these as normal size muffins, they would take longer to bake. And only fill the cups 2/3 of the way)

Whisk together eggnog, nutmeg and powdered sugar. Dip tops of muffins into glaze and allow to set (about 15 minutes). ENJOY!

These were a lot of fun to make! And they're just so CUTE! My very first mini-muffin experience. I love them. They were a hit at our church Christmas party, too!

They remind me of the little dancing mushrooms in the Nutcracker section of "Fantasia." When I was little, my siblings and I would dance along with the movie, and now my boys do. The mushrooms are my favorite. 

They are warm and nutmeggy (with some backup support from his friends cinnamon and ginger of course!) Not cakey-sweet, with that delicious eggnog glaze. I love how the little puddled glaze bits stay on, like little feet!

Okay, maybe I shouldn't be attributing so many adorable properties to these scrumptious little muffins, or you might not eat them! And you should definitely eat them. After admiring their adorableness. 

They freeze very well, and make a ton, so you could pop some out for Christmas breakfast! That's the plan around here!

Shared at On the Menu Monday, Make The Scene Monday, and Sunday Showcase

Small and Wonderful Things 11

Christmas is SO CLOSE!! So today, I have a Christmas-themed Small and Wonderful Things. I'd like to show you some of my favorite Christmassy things!

These pinecones are white and sparkly, my Mom gave them to me. She has a bit of a Christmas ornament addiction, so once she filled up her tree she started on ours! I am grateful to be the recipient of her compulsions :)

Our Christmas squirrel!! He is a new addition this year. We had a pretty awful day a few weeks ago, so while I was out exercising, Stephen took the boys to buy me "I'm sorry" presents. And this little guy was it. I gave him a festive scarf, and now he lives in our tree :)

I made our own tree topper this year! We used to use a spiky snowflake ornament, but it just wasnt cutting it this year. So I used some old ribbon, leftover from my acorn wreath... (old picture)

...Dusted off my florist shop bow-making skills, and we love it. The picture is kind of dark, but the ribbons are burgundy, and a pale green and gold. 

Oh, my Faceless Santa!! Yes, that is actually his name. He was custom made for me by a lady who lives in North Pole, Alaska. Seriously!!

My mom has a few of these, and one year she bought me one! I picked out each and every bit of him while I was visiting up there. The fur (fox!), the cloth, his walking stick (I even found the stick myself!)

 Every little bird and pinecone...I gave the birds a bit of black on their heads to turn them into cardinals...

Even his little sack of bird seed!

I love my Faceless Santa :)

Last but not least, our glass icicles. It took us years to find them! I knew I had to have some on my tree; I grew up with them on our family Christmas tree, and I couldn't live without them. Finally, after much searching, we found them, and they are my favorite decorations!

Hope you've enjoyed a peek at my Christmas. Someday, when we have more room, my decorations will be something to truly marvel at! 

NEWS!! & Jean Griffin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Guess what, friends, I have a surprise for you! Do you see that little banner at the very bottom of my page? Go ahead, scroll down, I'll wait...

Do you know what that is?? Well, it just so happens that yours truly, April, little brand new foodie blogger than I am, just happens to be one of the new contributors to TheDailyMeal.com!! If you haven't checked it out, you should. It's one of the fastest growing food sites out there, and has even passed foodandwine.com, bonappetite.com and saveur.com! One of the things that sets them apart is that they are NOT a spin-off of a magazine. They are their own site, for anything and everything food-related! Recipes, entertaining, tools, tips, reviews, restaurants, travel, television, everything. They personally select each contributor, and are keeping the number smallish, and they picked ME!!!! I still can't quite believe it.

To be honest, when I first got Sharon's email (she's the executive of community development) I thought it was a hoax. I almost deleted it... but then I let it sit there a few days... and decided to reply. What could it hurt, right?? She was so sweet, and assured me she and her site were completely real, and gave me some info to check for myself. :) I almost fell out of my chair!! I got to talk to her on the phone today, and I am thrilled to be a part of this site!! Don't worry, nothing will change around here. This just means lots more people get to read my recipes! YAY!! So. You should go take a peek, and I promise I'm not just saying that because I am part of it now. It really is an amazing site!! *dancing around giddily*

Oh! I'm also sharing my favorite breadsticks over at mommyiscoocoo today, go say hi to Amanda!

Jean Griffin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Printable Recipe

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening (I used butter-flavored)
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs (if doubling, use three)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup quick oats
1 cup chocolate chips (I used half milk and half semi-sweet)

Preheat oven to 375. Line or grease a baking sheet and set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla, and beat till combined. Stir in flour, salt, baking soda, oats, and chips till combined.

Roll into 1-1 1/2 inch balls, and bake for 10-13 minutes, until the edges just start to brown. Remove to wire rack and let cool completely.

These are my favorite chocolate chip cookies. And yes, that's coming from me, the scorner of chocolate! Okay, I don't scorn it... anyway. Favorites, right here.

Are they chocolate chip cookies? Are they oatmeal cookies? They're neither. They're unique! My favorite part is that they are somehow just a tiny bit salty. In that awesome, chocolate-covered-pretzel kind of way.

They're crispy-chewy instead of soft-chewy, lots of chocolate, buttery and yummy. This is actually another mother-in-law recipe (I didn't even notice when I planned this week!) and I have no idea who Jean Griffin is.  But she makes awesome cookies. The only things I changed were swapping margarine for butter, and adding a dash of cinnamon. Just cuz it's awesome.

And there you have them! Infamous in the Phillips family, the original recipe makes twice this much. Mom (in law) used to freeze them. Hers always turned out thicker, more domed... I shall have to investigate!

Shared at Farm Girl Friday