Holiday Cookies!

The internet is full of link-rot, so if you haven't noticed, this gets to be my own personal archive of recipes, esp those where I'm worried about the original going away (or, in this case, the original has been recovered via the Wayback Machine). And where I've made modifications to the original so I have a chance on bad brain days of remembering what I was thinking.

In this case, I have two where finding them later is going to be an issue. 

These Eggnog Cutout Cookies (originally from Stop & Shop's grocery flier) have a couple of points in their favor: 1) They don't spread. Pretty much at all. Which means you can use the really elaborate cookie cutters and have all the details come through. 2) They're actually nice to eat, which is not something one can usually say of cutout cookies. However - a reasonably sized roll of parchment paper  is a must for any rolled GF cookie

Eggnog Cuttout Cookies

For the cookies;

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• ¼ store-bought eggnog
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the glaze;

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• ¼ cup store-bought eggnog, plus more as needed
• Food coloring, sprinkles, colored sugar, etc, as needed

1) In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar 2–3 min., until light and fluffy, scraping bowl as necessary. Beat in the egg, then the eggnog and vanilla until combined, reducing speed as necessary to prevent splashing. In batches, on low speed, slowly add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Put dough into a plastic bag and refrigerate for at least an hour, or until firm.

2) Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll out your dough between sheets of parchment paper, and then transfer the cookies over to the baking sheets. Bake for 9-12 min (depending on the size of the cookie), and they should just start to have color on the edges. Pull out and let cool completely before attempting to decorate

3) Make the royal icing/glaze. Add a couple of drops of appropriate food coloring and ice to your heart's content. Add sprinkles and colored sugar to the wet icing. 

Goat Cheese Pasta Sauce, with Chicken, Rosemary (and Spinach)

 I had asked Pinterest for recipes involving goat cheese, as I had a spare 10oz log in the cheese drawer after a Fancy Cheese Party last month*. It showed me this one from My Baking Addiction, and as I've never gotten a fail from them...

As per usual before I put things up here for archiving, we've made it a couple of times and have now made some...modifications to the recipe, based on hyperlocal availability of ingredients (aka, what's in my fridge, pantry, or freezer) and household tastes.

Goat Cheese Pasta with Chicken, Rosemary (and maybe Spinach)

1 pound dried pasta

1 quart half and half

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon of crushed garlic

10 ounces goat cheese

2 cups shredded roasted chicken

10 oz frozen spinach (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1) Pour half and half into a large saucepan over medium heat, and add the garlic and the rosemary, stirring frequently (dairy wants to burn). Don't let it boil over. 

2) Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Add in the pasta and cook according to the directions on the box

3) By this point, your dairy should be close to scalded (with the ring of foam around the edge) to slow boil. If it's not yet, wait until you get there, then add the goat cheese and stir until it melts and incorporates. 

4) Turn heat on the sauce down to medium low, then add the chicken and, if using, the spinach. Once everything is back up to "hot", turn off and serve over pasta. 

*Fancy Cheese Party involves going to Aldi, seeing what interesting cheeses are available, and putting them out on the counter with charcuterie, crackers, and bags of dried fruit when I need to have a grazing lunch for a couple of people.