Midterm

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Christmas should be a time of fun. Filled with family friends, laughter and good food! Christmas is the one time of the year when you can eat so much, and still have left overs for the next few weeks. Since I was a young child, I have always helped my mom cook our Christmas dinners. We made everything from ham, to mash potatoes, to a variety of desserts. I will never forget one of my favorites is called “snowballs.” I don’t have the exact recipe, so I discovered a similar one.

Snowballs

Ingredients

·        2 cups finely chopped walnuts

·        2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·        2 tablespoons natural nut butter

·        ¼ cup vegan butter spread or butter of choice, softened

·        ⅓ cup packed brown sugar

·        1 cup white whole-wheat flour, sifted

·        3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 275°F.

In a food processor, pulse walnuts for 10 to 20 seconds, until finely chopped.

Add walnuts to a large bowl, stirring in vanilla extract, nut butter, vegan butter and brown sugar. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes using a spatula.

Add sifted flour a little at a time, stirring in between, until uniform and mixture resembles a dough.

Portion dough into 1-tablespoon balls and place on large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove and let cool. Dust with powdered sugar.

Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container for two weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

Another favorite of mine are “fudgy brownies.” There are very simple and delicious.

Fudgy Brownies    

picture of brownies

                          

Ingredient

•box of Betty Crocker fudge brownies

•3 tablespoons of water

•1/2 cup of vegetable oil 

•2 eggs

•Vanilla ice cream

Instructions

•set oven to 350

•let cook for 22 minutes

•let cool for 10 minutes

•put a brownie on a plate with a scoop of ice cream

Every year a big tradition with most families including mine is having the kids make gingerbread houses. They are fun and easy to make. There are various sets you can buy to create one of your one. Although they can be made from scratch as well.

Gingerbread House

Ingredients

·       1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

·       1/2 cup dark brown sugar

·       1/4 cup light molasses or dark corn syrup

·       1 tablespoon cinnamon

·       1 tablespoon ground ginger

·       1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

·       1 teaspoon baking soda

·       2 cups all-purpose flour

·       2 tablespoons water

Decorating ingredients

·       Icing

·       Assorted candies of your choice (gumdrops, chocolate chips, peppermints, etc.)

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking soda together until the mixture is smooth. Blend in the flour and water to make a stiff dough. Chill at least 30 minutes or until firm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut out the following paper patterns for the gingerbread house template:

Two rectangles, 3 by 5 inches, to make the front and back of the house. Two rectangles, 3 by 5 1/2 inches for the roof. Two pieces for the ends of the house, 3 inches wide at the base, 3 inches to the roof line, and slanted to a peak 5 1/2 inches from the bottom. Four smaller rectangles, 1 1/2 by 1 inch for the roof and sides of the entryway. And one piece, 2 inches wide at the base, 1 1/2 inches to the roof line, and slanted to a peak 2 1/2 inches from the bottom for the front of the entryway.

Roll gingerbread dough out to edges on a large, rimless cookie sheet. Place paper patterns onto the rolled out dough. With a sharp, straight edged knife, cut around each of the pieces, but leave pieces in place.

Bake at 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes until dough feels firm.

Place patterns on top of the gingerbread again and trim shapes, cutting edges with a straight-edged sharp knife. Leave to cool on baking sheet.

Place icing into pastry bag with a writing tip and press out to decorate individual parts of house, piping on decorations, windows, door, etc., as desired. Let dry until hardened.

Glue sides, front and back of house together at corners using icing. Place an object against the pieces to prop up until icing is dry (it only takes a few minutes).

Glue the two roof pieces to the pitched roofline of the house. Then, similarly, glue the sides and roof of the entryway together with icing. Attach the entryway to the front of the house.

Continue decorating the house, gluing on gumdrops, licorice and peppermint, as desired.

picture of gingerbread house 

This is my midterm, there is alot i will be changes as i keep working on my magazine, so far i have had fun creating what i have.