Christmas Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing and Colored Sugar

It took me several tries to get this recipe exactly how I wanted it but I finally got it!  These sugar cookies are slightly crisp, buttery and delicious.  They are good just by themselves or decorated with Royal Icing. Here's how to make them:

Royal Icing

4 egg whites

6 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp cream of tartar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Water

Food coloring
Sugar Cookies

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar and vanilla until frothy.

Slowly add in the powdered sugar.  Beat until everything comes together and is smooth. If it seems really thick add some water.  A drop at a time.  You want it to be thick enough so you can pipe it or spoon it on the cookies but it won't run everywhere.

Divide the frosting into bowls and add your choice of food coloring.  Now you're ready to decorate cookies!

After all the cookies are decorated, let the icing dry for at least 8 hours.

Peppermint Marshmallows

Yay, it's the holiday season!  I've been looking forward to this time of year so I can post a bunch of really fun holiday recipes.  Marshmallows are so fun to make, it really is like magic watching everything come together.  I decided to make peppermint marshmallows to go along with the holiday season.  This recipe may seem really complicated but as long as you have the right equipment it's so easy to make with very few ingredients. Here's how to make them:

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Here are all of the recipes from my Thanksgiving dinner!

Roasted Turkey Breast with Herb Butter Crust

What you'll need:

6 lb turkey breast, skin on and bone-in

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced

1 tbsp fresh sage, minced

2 tsp salt

3 cloves of garlic, minced or grated

Chicken stock, as needed

For the brine:

1 gallon of water

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

Ice, as needed

In a large stock pot, combine water, salt and sugar.  Heat until the salt and sugar are melted then add enough ice to cool it down.  Add the turkey breast, cover and let sit in the fridge overnight.

The next day, take the turkey breast out of the brine and rinse with water.  Pat dry really well with paper towels.  Place in a roasting dish.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine butter, rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic and salt.  Spread over the turkey breast making sure to get under the skin.

Pour some chicken stock in the bottom of the roasting dish, a cup or so.

Roast in the oven for about 2 hours or until a thermometer reads 155-160.

Take out of the oven and cover with aluminum foil.  Let it rest before carving.  While it's resting, it will continue to cook to 165 degrees.

Slice and serve!

Broccoli Casserole

This is another recipe that's been a part of my family's Christmas and Thanksgiving celebrations for years.  There are a few versions of it but this one is my favorite!

What you'll need:

10 oz. package of frozen chopped broccoli

1 onion, small dice

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 stalk of celery, small dice

1 10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 stick of unsalted butter

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup crushed Ritz crackers

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup rice

1 cup chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil with a sprinkle of salt.  Add the rice, reduce the heat to low and cook covered for 15 minutes.

Place the pack of broccoli on a plate and microwave for 3 1/2 minutes.

In a skillet, melt the butter and saute the onion and celery with a sprinkle of salt on medium heat until soft.  Add the garlic and cook a minute more.  Add the broccoli, stir and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the soup, mayo, cooked rice, cheese and half the Ritz crackers.  Add in the broccoli mixture.

Pour into a 9x13 baking dish, sprinkle the rest of the crackers over the top and bake for 30 minutes.

Holiday Dressing

This dressing has been a staple for my family for years and years.  We make this every Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It wouldn't be the same if we left it out!

What you'll need:

1 lb. sausage with sage

1 onion, small dice

2 stalks of celery, small dice

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 stick of unsalted butter

8 oz. cornbread stuffing mix

8 oz. herb stuffing mix

2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a skillet over medium high heat, brown the sausage.  Set aside in a large bowl.

In the same skillet, melt the butter and saute the onion and celery with a sprinkle of salt.  When soft, add the garlic and cook a minute more.  Add to the bowl with the sausage.

To the sausage and veggies, add the stuffing mixes, chicken broth and a sprinkle of pepper.  Stir really well to combine.

Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

Sweet Potato Casserole

What you'll need:

3 large sweet potatoes, 1 1/2 inch chunks

1 onion, sliced very thin

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup grade A maple syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp unsalted butter

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1 1/2 inch chunks.  Toss in olive oil and salt, spread out on a sheet tray and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, until tender.

While the potatoes are roasting, cook the onion in a pan over medium heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt until it is caramelized.  When it's brown, add the syrup and garlic.  Cook for a few minutes more.

When the potatoes are ready and still hot, put in a large bowl with the onion, garlic and maple syrup.  Mash all together and add the butter and brown sugar.  You can puree everything in a food processor for a smoother consistency.

Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.

Scoop out into an 8x8 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Cranberry Sauce

What you'll need:


12 oz. fresh cranberries

1 - 1 1/2 cups sugar

1 orange, zest and juice

1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Water

**If you want a sweeter cranberry sauce use 1 1/2 cups of sugar.  I like mine more on the tart side so I only use 1 cup of sugar**

Rinse the cranberries well and drain.

In a medium pot combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and a splash of water.  Make sure you zest the orange before you juice it or it will be very hard to zest!  Turn the heat to medium.

When the sugar is dissolved and the cranberries start to pop (I love the sound of cranberries popping!), reduce the heat to low and add the orange zest, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. 

Let it simmer for about 15 minutes until most of the cranberries have popped and it has thickened. 

Let cool completely then store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Brown Rice Casserole

 Brown rice has always been a staple at our family get-togethers.  Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without brown rice.  Not the real "brown rice".  I'm talking about good old white rice cooked in Campbell's soups!  Some of my friends and family have this idea that all I cook is "fancy stuff".  Not true!  I usually cook what is in my pantry or what I have on hand.  I wanted to try a different spin on brown rice this time around.  It usually has a can of French Onion soup in it, but all I had in my pantry was Golden Mushroom.  So I thought I'd give it a try and see how it turned out!  I love cooking with canned soups.  It just take me home.  I can close my eyes and feel like I'm sitting at my Gam's table.  Here's what I came up with: