Welcome to my Kitchen

Visions of sugar plums dancing in your head? Probably not, but a list of Christmas baking may be formulating in your mind. Most present day cookie and candy makers would not want to spend the time involved in making the many layered confections known as sugarplums. Easy to prepare, bake and store cookies are what most cooks are looking for in recipes.

A Spokane reader called requesting a drop sugar cookie recipe printed in this column a few years back. I believe Sour Cream Sugar Cookies, shared by Shelly Hauge and Sandi Smith may be the one she is looking for. Sprinkle with seasonal colored sugar before baking and you will have the easiest, yummy sugar cookies.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine butter, sugar and eggs in mixer bowl and beat at medium speed until blended and creamy. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

With mixer on low, add flour mixture alternately with the sour cream, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Chill one hour.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Grease cookie press or bottom of a drinking glass and dip in colored sugar, then press lightly onto cookie dough. Bake eight minutes, cool two minutes on baking sheet then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: dough may look and feel soft, but do not add additional flour.

A young fellow, maybe age six or seven, asked me if I knew what reindeer ate. He wanted to leave a treat for the reindeer, along with Santa’s cookies and milk. I told him they probably eat what our local deer eat, everything in my garden.

Some research into the diet of reindeer, proved interesting. Though Rudolf and his nine companions would be happy with alfalfa hay, some rolled oats or a carrot, a real treat for reindeer comes in August when the tundra areas produce some lichens and mushrooms they love to eat. Maybe the reindeer would like a treat of fresh mushrooms.

Brown Sugar Shortbread is a rolled dough cookie that mixes up quick and may be refrigerated until ready to bake. It holds it’s shape well, so it works well with fussy, detailed cookie cutters, or could be hand molded into special shapes like mushrooms, for a reindeer sweet treat.

Brown Sugar Shortbread

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in flour until smooth and well combined. Dough will be stiff.

Refrigerate dough, covered, several hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Divide dough into two equal parts; refrigerate until ready to roll out.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-1/3 inch thick. Using 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes. Place 1 inch apart on un-greased cookie sheets. Bake cookies 25 minutes, or until light golden. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 4-5 dozen, depending on size.

Turkey Soup

Now, about that turkey carcass you stuck in the freezer last week to make room in your refrigerator after the Thanksgiving meal. Make use of your slow cooker to turn this into a savory soup. Thaw just enough so you can cut or break into pieces to fit in your slow-cooker crock. Add 8-10 cups water and 2-3 bay leaves. Turn on low or simmer and cook overnight, eight to 12 hours.

Next day, cool enough to handle, then separate turkey meat from the bones and broth. Reserve broth and discard bones, skin and fat, and the bay leaves. Most turkey carcasses will yield about 4 cups turkey meat.

Return meat and broth to slow-cooker crock. Add any of the following ingredients in approximate amounts from the list below.

1 onion, peeled and diced

2-3 stalks celery, trimmed and sliced thin

2-3 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

3-4 small potatoes, peeled and diced

1 can (15 ounces) green beans, drained

1 can (15 ounces) kernel corn or package frozen corn

1/3 cup barley

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp salt

12 ounces wide noodles may be added about 30 minutes before serving

Cook on high for up to two hours, then reduce to low for six to eight hours. Yield: about six quarts soup.

Note: there are many more vegetable and seasoning selections you may add to this soup. Serve with a crusty bread or rolls and crackers for a hearty winter meal.

Bay leaves are beneficial in adding flavor as well as preventing the “boney” taste some object to in poultry based soups.

Once in awhile in my travels, I come across a restaurant worth mentioning. My rule for inclusion is it must be over 200 miles from Odessa. Trails End Taphouse & Restaurant, is newly opened in Snohomish, Wash. You can find their information at http://www.trailsendcatering.com. The food was outstanding, the service was friendly, helpful and attentive without being obtrusive, lighting pleasant and a low noise level. The menu has all the traditional items you would expect in a fine restaurant as well as some unique menu choices.

December 18 will be the last column before Christmas, and will include some last minute baking and meal ideas. Then we will be on to the new year and cleaning out the pantry time.

Share your favorite last minute gift or company coming recipes, and your pantry organization tips by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA, 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Use a hanging bird feeder for sharing bird seed with your feathered friends. It will keep them safe from felines and reduce the amount for thievery by cats, dogs, raccoons, skunks and deer.