Dehydrated Meringue Cookies
1/4TSP cream of tartar
3/4CUPS granulated sugar
1/2TSP peppermint extract
red & green food coloring (gel is best but doesn’t matter)
Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a large bowl. Use an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed until they become frothy. This will take about 2-3 minutes.
Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the sugar, a little bit at a time. Once all the sugar is added, turn the speed all the way up to high and beat the egg whites until they are glossy and form stiff peaks when the beater is lifted, about 4 minutes.
Turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the peppermint extract.
Use a small brush to paint lines of red food coloring inside a piping bag fitting with a large piping tip, spacing the lines 1/2 to 1-inch apart.
Fill a piping bag with meringue use the tip you prefer. Squeeze out in shapes you want, on a dehydrating sheet spacing them 1 inch apart.
These can be done in oven at 200 for 1 hour and 1 hour left in oven with door stayed closed after cooking.
We make this every Christmas
Cranberry Ginger Cake
2CUPS fresh or frozen cranberries
1CUP sugar
1stick butter or margarine
2/3CUP brown sugar
1/2CUP each of milk & maple syrup
1/4CUP molasses
1 1/4CUP all purpose flour
1TBSP ground ginger
1/2TSP each ground cinnamon, baking powder & salt
1/4TSP each baking soda & black pepper
2 large beaten eggs
1TBSP fresh ginger.
Icing:
Cream cheese icing, candied cranberries
Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a nine inch square pan. I used two smaller cast iron pans to make a double decker cake.
In a small, saucepan, stir together cranberries, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Stir the cranberries over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and cranberries form a sauce that is bubbly and thick about 10 minutes. Half the cranberries should be broken down with the remainder left whole.
In a separate saucepan, stir together the butter, brown sugar, milk, maple syrup and molasses over medium heat. Bring it to a low simmer and then remove it from the heat. Do not let it come to a boil, or the mixture may curdle.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda and black pepper. Beat in the butter-maple syrup mixture and then beat in the eggs. Stir in the ginger.
Scrape the batter into the pan. Drop cranberry sauce onto the surface of the cake batter. Drag a skewer stick through the batter mixing cranberries in nicely, as if you are marbling a cake. Transfer the cake to the oven and bake it until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire baking rack and let the cake cool completely before eating it.
Mine took less time as I did smaller cakes.
Icing isn’t needed but we love it.
Donut Tresse
3CUPS all purpose flour, plus 2TBSP for dusting
2TBSP butter
2TSP dry active yeast
6TBSP white sugar
1CUP milk
1 egg
1/2TSP salt
corn oil for frying
1/2TSP cinnamon
1/2CUP semi chocolate chips
2-3TBSP of nutella
Mix 3TBSP of sugar & cinnamon in a longer container to be able to hold a donut. Can use a plate to. Set aside.
Pour chocolate chips and Nutella in another (microwave safe) container and set aside to microwave later.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add milk, the rest of 3TBSP of sugar, and salt. Mix well until everything is dissolved. Crack an egg into the saucepan, mix well. Add the yeast and stir. Let it sit for 5 minutes til nice and bubbly.
Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, usually about 1 hour.
Take a piece of dough and roll it out back and forth in your palms so it forms a rope 10 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter.
Fold in half & bring the ends together. Securing tightly at the end. Now twist them up 3 or 4 times. Set aside, continues til all are done. Cover.
Let the doughnuts expand for another 30 minutes. 15 minutes in, gently flip each doughnut over, so the bottoms don’t get flat and all sides expand nice and round.
Low Fat banana Bread
1 egg
3TBSP each white and brown sugar
1TBSP vanilla extract
1TSP cinnamon
1TSP each baking soda and baking powder
1/2TSP salt
1 1/2CUPS all-purpose flour (white or whole wheat)
2TBSP melted coconut oil (use butter for less fat)
Grease your loaf pan and preheat your oven to 350F.
Mash bananas in a mixing bowl. Add egg, vanilla, white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon, stir to combine.
In a separate small bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture and stir to combine.
Gently stir in melted coconut oil or butter. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 few minutes before inverting onto a wire cooling rack.
