The Week Before Christmas Goodie List...

So. Ya know how it goes right? I've been planning on doing a lot of things. In my mind.  Then today it really hit me that this is the week before Christmas and what do I have left to do. There's some serious details that need to be covered.

 

Well first of all...there's the edible ornaments.  We do these every year. It's tradition.

So. I made these today.

 

In my mind I looked like this...all peeeeerty and glamorous.

 I'm pretty sure it wasn't that elegant.

Confession...I never really did get to making the gingerbread houses this year.

 Though last year we did this one...and it is still in a glass cookie jar the size of a 5 gallon fish tank in my kitchen...so that counts as still having the goods, right? It isn't even dusty. Bonus. Year-old candy. Woop. Seriously. We're not eating it. Don't worry.

 

This week, we also usually make some kind of goodie for Christmas Eve.  I'm thinking chocolate cupcakes.

However, I think it will end up being pumpkin chocolate chip tamales from the Pumpkin Tamale Tutorial. I know a really good tamale guy if I run short on time.

 

This week, just like every week, I still will make several dozen of these for the Farmer's Market...Yes. I'm at the Central Farmer's Market in Phoenix every Saturday Morning now!

Plus some of these...for the Cinnamon Roll...with toffee and White Chocolate truffle egg-nog frosting...

 Free Class on Thursday, Dec. 19th 10am
Things are going to get a little crazy when Tess does her cinnamon rolls at this free class. Just in time for your holiday!!!

















If my kids are lucky we'll make the chocolate mounds balls. I don't think I'm going to be that ambitious. We did get some killer amaaaaazing chocolate into the store and the Almond Joy Balls and Chocolate Dipping Tips are calling my name.  Evil. Evil. Evil.

 









Guess what? We did get to these today.
 From my class today on  Edible "Stained Glass" Gingerbread ornaments

We also did these using gingerbread circles...and a lot of candy.

 

Here's the deeeeeal. What if the list of "must do" was just shorter this year. What if the list became more of "optional as long as the kids know I love them".

 I know. That sounds pretty cliché, but this chef is working harder than ever.

  The kids are craving my time and attention...and I really am starting to realize that the "must do (to keep face)" is not as important as the "must do to kiss their faces". I never thought I'd admit that I can't do it all. However, I've been feeling my own mortality...and that's probably a good thing.

 

So there it is. What's on my list. Really?

 

1. Snuggle the kids.

2. Make cookies while snuggling the kids.

3. Make a few more ornaments and stuff for the tree with the kids and snuggle the kids.

4. Make sweet memories. Have something to look back-on when I'm old...er...

 

Somewhere in there this week there will be work and more work. However, what I do for work, is not what makes my life's work. It is those people closest to me and my Faith that will ultimately be what I become in the end. So there it is. The week before Christmas "must do".  Must...make time for Life. So sing loud my darlings. It is time.

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

 

 

Homemade "Thin Mint" Cookies and Chocolate Dipping in the ETT

Today I visited Evil Tara and had some much needed girlie time in the Evil Think Tank-o-glory dipping chocolate for the holidays. I talked about the secrets for good chocolate dipping this week Here.  Tara had a heap of these dipped cookies to do. I am a friend. I'll dip chocolate out of the goodness of my heart. Bwhahaha! Well...I may have had other motivations. Case in point. These...

 I adore Tara's thin mint cookies. Even more, I love how simple they are to make! It's just six drops of LorAnn Peppermint Oil to a half pound of melted  dark chocolate...

 Oh...and a few sleeves of Ritz crackers. 

 I kid you not when I say they are pure genius! The light salt and the crisp and the chocolate...I get so excited I almost pop!

We also dipped a hundred of these...

 I know that Oreo makes chocolate covered Oreos now in  nice packages, but there's nothing like putting really nice chocolate on a chocolate cookie and drizzling it with more chocolate. You know...for artistic purposes. Purely artistic purposes.

Our friend Kayola was there and said I needed to do "like a red tree" on them. So...this one's for Kayola! Thanks for the how did you say?  "The Bass Ackward" way of doing the trees! Hillllllllarious my friend! Grin. 

Raspberry Clusters. Prepare to be dazzled! Insert Chef Tess and her lame cool-self making cheesy Jazz hands!   Last but not least on the list of Evil amazing...the chocolate dipped Freeze Dried Raspberry. Just a few in a little good quality chocolate.

 They come out in these little clusters that look like peanut clusters. However, this is big, they taste like a piece of heaven. The fruit is tart and the chocolate sweet. It's perfection. I loved that the fruit just stayed crispy like a raspberry rice-crisp{ almost}.  Picture me just rolling my eyes back in my head and passing out when I say, "A-freakin-mazing". If you want my humble (yet accurate) opinion...everyone should make them. 

There you go.

Another trip to the Evil Think Tank...totally worth it. Yes. I am going jogging in the morning! Xoxo!

We're having a great Giveaway this week too. So pop over and see what you could win! 

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

Today's Fox 10 Segment with Chef Tess

Special thanks once again to Fox 10 Phoenix for having me and my children on yet again. It was like Christmas day going down to the studio this morning. I hope it's a tradition that never ends! Happy Holidays to everyone. All my love.

Making Ornaments With Chef Tess: MyFoxPHOENIX.com

The Mixer...

Look what Ace got me for Christmas. A new Kitchen Aid Professional. I cried. Really. Tears of joy, for the record. Then I giggled like a new culinary school grad. Then I cried again. If anyone read about our water heater fiasco (Oh Fudge On a Sheetpan! ), then I have to say it is true, I was not expecting ANYTHING for Christmas. Which was fine, it's about the kiddos anyway. I don't know how he did it, but I am sooo happy! Hmmm. I wonder what the cookie jar is doing there?

I Live in Aceland...

Random thoughts. If it looks enough like Christmas 1975 at my house can Elvis come back? Please!! My husband Ace is a huge fan! Yes. I live in Ace Land. I have a sequin suit and some seriously wicked decent deep fried peanut butter and pickle sandwiches. Of course I am plum out of ham hocks and guitar strings. Hmm. What to do...

I just finished my rendition of "Here Comes Santa Clause" in my soggy pink slippers and polk-a-dot jammies instead of the good blue suede. I have to say I love the parent side of this Santa tradition. Ace says Santa is much smarter than he remembers (since he now gets everything he really wants). Back to the Santa thing. I reserve some of the fun cookies for the tree. Yes we hang gobs and gobs of sugar cookies from our tree...what's not to love about that? It's the funky sugar high that makes me do ninja kicks that really is worth seeing. No you cannot borrow my rhinestone pink sunglasses. Yes, you can be creative and hang cookies from your tree too...well maybe next year, it is the wee of the morning. So technically...Merry Christmas.

Bob Ross Painted Bread...but edible!

Happy Little Trees.

Well, if dough was a canvas, this would be the Bob Ross Christmas Wreath.

I just kept painting until I felt like Bob would be happy. Just so turns out his bread order is for a guy named Bob! Just not THE Bob. Merry Christmas Bob. Wherever you may be...

Peppermint Patty Cookies...

It's a Charlie Brown Christmas, complete with Peppermint Patty! These remind me of a retro-cookbook from the 60's. I loved the picture almost as much as the cookies! Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

12 peppermint patties, unwrapped

Make dough:Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in egg and vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches just until a dough forms. Scoop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet and flatten with your palm to 1/2 inch thickness. Bake at 350 degrees 10-12 minutes. When slightly cool, top with peppermint patties.

Wreath of Dough...still no snow!

The Holiday Cheer of a bread wreath also doubles as easily separably rolls! What a great addition to any party of family dinner! Plus they look really cool out by my river rocks...that get rained on 5 days a year and never see snow. Ahhh. The blessing and curse of living in the desert. Great morning sunlight even in December. No snow. I don't want to scare anyone, but it was warm enough I didn't even have shoes on to take the picture! Now that is a warm holiday greeting. I even had to put down a white cloth to simulate snow. Don't hate me. You know you want my life!

Finally Snow in Arizona!!

OH BABY! It finally happened! We got snow. Apparently we need to make our own. When I was growing up it was traditional to have Mexican Wedding Cakes for Christmas. It just doesn't feel the same without these little white snow balls around. Last night my son pulled a chair up to the kitchen counter, strapped on his apron and helped me roll cookies. The magic moment froze. A frozen moment isn't cold like snow if it's a good moment... (Not like the moment when I got my first bra...now that is a frozen memory I could go without remembering.) Naaah. This is a good one. Cooking with my kiddo. So, before the magic moment melted away and the cookies were gone forever, I took a picture. Why not on the cactus? That way you really get my point. This is my mother's recipe, with a few additions of my own. I like lemon and a tsp of crushed anise seed in mine.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

2 cups flour

3/4 cup butter

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp crushed anise seed

1/2 cup fine chopped walnuts or almonds
1/4 cup cold water

powdered sugar (for rolling cookies)

Cream butter, powdered sugar. Add salt, vanilla, lemon zest and anise seed. Add the flour and nuts and mix add water 1/4 cup a tablespoon at a time just until it stinks together. You will need to squeeze them together. Roll in 1 inch balls and place on heavy sheet pan, 1 inch apart (they don't spread at all). Bake 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Roll in powdered sugar while still warm. Cool on rack. Roll in powdered sugar again if needed. The cake absorbs the sugar very quickly. Yield 5 dozen small cookies.