Rice Pudding

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If there’s one thing I can always find leftover in my refrigerator, it’s white rice. A few weeks ago I blogged one of my favorite ways to use it. Well, this, ladies and gents, is the other. Rice pudding is one of the best desserts out there in my book. Rich and filling, homey and comforting.

This version is made on the stove top, and it came together in no time flat. I usually have all the ingredients required on hand, so I can see myself  making this for the nights I want to have dessert – but, don’t want to put forth too much effort. I topped it with a dab of homemade whipped cream, and some fresh ground cinnamon. A perfect, easy dessert for Christmas Eve this year! For an extra kick, soak the raisins in a bit of rum before adding them to the pudding.

Also, tomorrow is the last day to enter the Red Pack giveaway! Leave a comment here to enter.

Rice Pudding

2 cups leftover cooked white rice
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup half & half
1/2 cup sugar
small pinch salt
1/2 cup raisins
1 vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
pinch nutmeg, optional

Combine cooked rice, milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add them, as well as the empty seed pod, to the milk mixture. Stir in the raisins. Cook until just about all of the milk is absorbed (30-45 minutes, depending on how absorbent your rice is). Stir in cinnamon and/or nutmeg, if using.

Divide rice pudding into individual serving dishes, and serve warm or chilled.

*Note: Sometimes I add an extra 1/2 cup of milk, if the rice seems unusually firm or dry, to make it creamier.

Source: adapted from Slashfood

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

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I’ve definitely been getting into the Christmas spirit the past couple of weeks. Lots of baking and decorating have been going on around here, Christmas music playing in the kitchen…it’s safe to say preparations are in full swing! I’d had these cookies bookmarked to try for a while, and they kept popping up all over the place with rave reviews. For my birthday, I received 2 different sets of AmeriColor food coloring. I knew I wanted to make these cookies to play with my new present.

They’re all they are cracked up to be! Big and thick, cakey, and delicious. They were so much fun to decorate too! I split the batch of frosting in two, and did one half red, and one half green. I thought they were very bright and cheery for the Holidays. These kicked the pants off of the store bought variety of these cookies. Here’s how to make them!

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

Yields about 2 dozen large cookies

For the cookies:
4½ cups all-purpose flour
4½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
3 large eggs
5 tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
7-8 tbsp. milk (plus more, as needed)
Food coloring (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)

To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350? F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and whisk together to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.  Blend in the vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients mixing just until incorporated and evenly mixed.  Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, scoop a scant quarter cup of dough and roll into a ball.  Flatten the ball slightly and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies at least 2-3 inches apart.  Bake about 10-12 minutes or just until set.  (Do not overbake!  The edges should be no more than very lightly browned if at all.)  Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To frost the cookies, place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl.  Add the melted butter, vanilla, and milk to the bowl and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in additional milk as necessary, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.  Tint with food coloring if desired.  Use an offset spatula or spoon to frost the cooled cookies.  (If the frosting begins to thicken as you decorate, just continue to whisk in small amounts of milk to keep it workable.)  Top with sprinkles if desired.  Store in an airtight container.

Source: adapted from Hostess with the Mostess; via Annie’s Eats.

Cherry Kolaches

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I love pastries of all kinds, and when I came across this recipe for cherry kolaches back in the summertime I knew I had to make them. I kept putting it off, weather was too hot to be baking, etc. One setback led to the other, and by the time I got around to actually making them I couldn’t find the magazine they were in. Finally found it in a stack upstairs yesterday, and made them. They were great!

My only experience with kolaches previous to this had been of the savory variety. When visiting my mother-in-law while she was living in Texas (they’re a favorite there), we got them for breakfast one day. A every-so-slightly sweet dough, filled with a meat of some kind, eggs, and cheese. Yum!

These are definitely much different. The yeasted dough is still slightly sweet, topped with a cherry topping, then baked. After cooling, a glaze is added to the top of the pastry. I wish I had waited a little longer to drizzle the glaze onto the kolaches. They were still warm, and the glaze got a bit runny. But, it was still delicious! They’d probably also be great with powdered sugar on top instead.

Cherry Kolaches

1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
3/4 cup warm 2% milk (110 to 115 degrees)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 vanilla bean pod, split and seeds scraped out (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1 tablespoon butter, melted
4 tablespoons 2% milk

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, shortening, salt, nutmeg, eggs, and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Divide in half; shape each half into 12 balls. Place 3 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Flatten each ball to a 3-inch circle. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Make a depression in the center of each roll; add a rounded tablespoon of filling. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over rolls.

Source: slightly adapted from Taste of Home, April/May 2011

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

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I had my first pumpkin cream cheese muffin at a very notorious coffee shop some years ago. They always looked gorgeous, but in the grand tradition of most store-bought baked goods…they were not anything to “write home about”.  I thought about trying my hand at making my own, figured that they were too complicated and forgot about them. When my friend Annie posted them last year, I knew I had to make them.  I did not get around to making them last year (pregnancy was in full swing at the time), but they were at the top of my list for this fall.  I finally got around to  making them last week, and let me tell you, they are wonderful!

I personally feel like they fall under the realm of cupcakes more than muffins. The pumpkin cake is so light and moist. Not that dense cake that a muffin usually calls it’s own. I’m not going to complain though, I can eat a “muffin” in the morning for breakfast and not feel the least bit guilty. Then again, I’ll eat a cupcake for breakfast and not feel the least bit guilty either. At least I’m honest. Whenever you choose to enjoy them, I’m sure that you (and whoever else you share them with) will love them, and love you for making them. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Yields 24 Muffins

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1¼ cups vegetable oil

For the topping:
½ cup sugar
5 tbsp. flour
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter.  Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil.  Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350? F.  Line muffin pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil.  Mix on medium-low speed until blended.  With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend.  Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.  Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons).  Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces.  Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well.  Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely.  Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

Source: Annie’s Eats