A Couple Grandkids!

Ok, I feel at liberty to show the world the next generation of bakers, "Holiday Style"... These are Amanda's girls, Faith and Lilly. 2 out of the 5 grandkids that will be helping Grandma Paulette in the kitchen. Faith is the oldest and has already done quite a bit and is pretty smart about cooking. Guess it runs in the family.

Recipe of the Week! No Roll Sugar Cookies

OK Folks! Here it is!

THE BEST Sugar Cookie recipe I have come across in ages. No offense to the many sugar cookie recipes handed down from Mom and Grandma, which are great also, but I really fell in love at first bite!

The recipe is from Betty Crocker, many of you may have heard of 'her'. I have two BC cook books and I believe the recipe is in both of them.. The 'Wedding Edition' and also the 'Holiday' edition. Love them both and HIGHLY recommended.

Back to the cookie. You'll find that the dough is very wet when you're done mixing the ingredients, which is exactly what it's supposed to be like. It also tells you to put the dough in the fridge for a couple hours to chill before handling. I whipped up my dough the night before and left it in the fridge for about a day and a half before I got to it. So, really, a couple days won't hurt.

I used a scoop and made balls of dough, which by the way, melt quickly in your hands if you handle it too much! and then dipped them in colored sugar before baking. No rolling out required! That happens to be my favorite part because aside from the kitchen already being a disaster when I'm baking... Having to roll out dough is just not for me.

So here's the recipe! Try it. You'll love the crispy outside and very tender inside and if nothing else, how easy they were to make!

1	cup granulated sugar
1	cup powdered sugar
1	cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4	cup vegetable oil
2	tablespoons milk
1	tablespoon vanilla
2	eggs
4 1/4	cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1	teaspoon baking soda
1	teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/4	cup granulated sugar

	Print these coupons...
	About Concordance™

1.	In large bowl, beat 1 cup granulated sugar, the powdered sugar, butter, oil, milk, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients except 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Cover; refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.
2.	Heat oven to 350°F. Place 1/4 cup granulated sugar in small bowl. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar. On ungreased cookie sheet, place balls about 3 inches apart. Flatten to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle cookies with a little additional sugar.
3.	Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until set and edges just begin to brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Ho Ho Ho!!!

There's still time left to call Paulette to get your Holiday Baking under control. Even though it's a tradition amongst the masses to bake, bake, BAKE!! during the Holidays... it also has a way of slipping by and not getting done {speaking from personal experience : remember this is Amanda talking!!!}

Call today. Time's a wastin'...


Cookies, Cakes, Breads, Desserts.... how about your WHOLE meal? Or even a couple sides or salads? Every little bit counts that will make your life easier, right?



218.346.2552

Recipe of the Week! Chicken Pot Pie {perham, mn catering}

Ok, REALLY. Don't those pot pies look AMAZING? Better than those that you get out of a package at the store. Bleh.

I'm highlighting this recipe from the Food Network website, specifically from Ina Garten... Honestly... when I first started watching her show, I wasn't impressed. However, I think as my cooking style changed and I matured some, I love watching her show, because as her tagline, "Back to Basics"... is sooo very true these when I'm looking for fast, fabulous and easy.

I think the key to this recipe is the food processor to make the dough in a snap. I DO NOT OWN ONE, but I really couldn't believe how quickly it came together watching it on TV. No fancy ingredients, just things you should already have in your pantry and freezer.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie? In the cold chilly nights of winter? A no brainer.

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

For the pastry:

nocoupons

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.