Day Two Hundred Ninety-Four: Eggnog Cheesecake Bars

Merry (belated) Christmas!

I didn't host Christmas dinner at my home this year, so I was responsible for only a small part of Christmas dinner.  I was assigned a couple side dishes, namely this recipe for Savory Spinach and Artichoke Stuffing.  (It's an Emeril Lagasse recipe, but thought I would share it anyway.  It's amazing.)  But, since you can never have too many desserts, I also brought Martha's Eggnog Cheesecake Bars.  This is an eggnog-flavored cheesecake with a graham cracker crust cut into little bars.

I really like cheesecake but the eggnog takes it to another level.  To be honest, I didn't cook this quite long enough and the middle section of bars oozed cheesecake.

But the outside bars were perfectly delicious.

Just the thing to complete your holiday season...assuming you haven't already overdosed on eggnog.

Day Two Hundred Ninety Three: Irresistible Mini Quiche

As I mentioned before, I love quiche.  On Christmas Eve I made Martha's Mini Quiche because Martha says you can make them in advance and reheat before serving.  I made some for my family to eat on Christmas morning and some to give away.

These are just like a regular quiche except they are made in a mini-muffin tin. They measure about two inches across and are compulsively edible.

As in:  you-won't-be-able-to-keep-your-paws-off good.

You'll be popping these babies in your mouth all day, warm or not.

Day Two Hundred Ninety-Two: Easy Asparagus Quiche

I love quiche.  It's great for breakfast.  It's chic for lunch. It can be served at room temperature and makes a gorgeous presentation. And (if you aren't convinced), it's ridiculously easy to make.

Really, how many dishes can say that?

If I'm expecting a holiday drop-in from a friend, I like to have a quiche handy.  Sunday I made Martha's Asparagus, Leek, and Gruyere Quiche.  If you use a frozen pie crust (I promise I won't tell), all you have to do is cook the veggies, spread them onto the pie crust, then top with a mixture of egg and half-and-half. Cook for about an hour and you have this:

I served mine with a spinach salad for lunch:

I told my kids this was pie and they totally bought it...until they grew suspicious:  why is mommy serving "dessert" first?

Day Two Hundred Ninety One: Chocolate-Pistachio Cookies

On the Saturday before Christmas I found Martha's recipe for Chocolate-Pistachio Cookies.  They are such a pretty cookie I couldn't resist.   I rushed out an bought the ingredients.  Unfortunately I was unable to rush home as everyone in town was also at the grocery store.

What I didn't realize is that these are very labor-intensive cookies.  To start, I made the cookie from a pistachio paste that I made by grinding pistachios in my handy food processor. After I baked the cookies, I made a chocolate filling and piped it onto half the cookies.  I topped the filling with the remaining cookies to make little chocolate-pistachio sandwiches.  After that chilled, I spooned a chocolate glaze over the top of each sandwich and garnished it with a pistachio nut.

Completed cookies:

Cooke sandwich:

I truly meant to give these away as a hostess gift, but my husband liked them so much he threatened to cut off my hand if I took them out of the house.

This blog would be rather difficult to type with only one hand. 

Day Two Hundred Ninety: Chocolate-Espresso Snowcaps

Christmas is my favorite time of the year.  I love all the decorations and goodwill;  but, most of all, I love the parties.  I love that everyone takes time to celebrate.  We attended several parties leading up to Christmas and I brought sweets to them all.  Friday I made Martha's Chocolate-Espresso Snowcaps.  These goodies are a chocolate cookie rolled into a ball and dropped in powdered sugar.  As the cookie bakes, the sugar-covered balls crack and show their chocolate interiors.   

These were delicious and made a gorgeous hostess gift.  In fact, they were so good they landed a Facebook mention from the hostess.

And if that's not a measure of cookie-goodness, then what is?

Day Two Hundred Eighty-Nine: Candy Cane Mice

My kids are out of school for the holidays.  This means that for the next few weeks I am the Entertainment Director for my household.  On Thursday, I decided to make Martha's Candy Cane Mice with the kids.  Martha made hers with felt, but we used paper and a glue stick. I printed out the template and helped the kids trace it onto the paper.  They cut out the pieces and assembled with my help.  

Aren't they cute?  We cut out so many Cinderella would have been jealous.

In the end, there were small pieces of paper everywhere.  My daughter had a piece glued to her face.  But, they had more fun playing with these little mice than should be legal.  And they ate the candy canes.  A toy that's also a sweet treat?  Santa was listening.  

Day Two Hundred Eighty-Eight: Make Toffee, Not War

(To the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas):

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, I made for my kids' teachers:  Martha's Chocolate Toffee....


Hmmm...I don't think that one will catch on.

Nevertheless, because the Chocolate-Hazelnut Toffee was so yummy, I made another batch of a similar toffee with pecans.  (Confession:  much of the Chocolate-Hazelnut Toffee was eaten by myself and my kids, and never made it into any teacher gift.  Thus the real reason for the second batch of toffee....)

I don't know why more people don't make toffee for Christmas gifts.  Forget the cookie exchange.  Make toffee.  This toffee is like those miniature candy bars you get at Halloween, only better and without a wrapper.

After it cooled, I put it directly into the teacher gifts and hid it from my kids.  I had a few pieces.  Just for quality control.

Day Two Hundred Eighty-Seven: Easy Hazelnut Toffee

It's my third day of making Teacher Christmas Gifts.  It's like my own personal Twelve Days of Christmas, except everything is edible.  And there will be no Lords of Leaping anywhere in the vicinity.

I wanted something that wouldn't quickly dry out, so I made Martha's Chocolate Hazelnut Toffee.  I've never made toffee before, so I was happy to discover that it's easier than making a box cake.  (Way easier than applying false eyelashes, if we are working on a scale.)

If you can read a candy thermometer, you can make this toffee.  It's a crisp brittle on the bottom and a nutty candy bar on top.

This is the reason fitting into your high school jeans is hard.

Day Two Hundred Eighty-Six: Sinful Truffle Brownies

As part of our Christmas teacher gifts, (which are really a thinly veiled thank-you-for-being-so-lovely-to-my-less-than-angelic-children) I made Martha's Truffle Brownies.  Calling them brownies, however, is a bit of a misnomer.  These are really a like a fudgey, rich cake.   Thankfully I made them to give away.  If I had made them for myself I would have eaten the entire pan straight from the oven.  They are that sinfully good.

Fair warning to you and your daily caloric intake.

Day Two Hundred Eighty-Five: Christmas Pumpkin Gifts

It's Christmas time.  If you have school-age children this means it's the time of year to show your appreciation to the people who teach your little devils angels everyday.  I'm making some sweets for each of my kids' teachers, starting with Martha's Pumpkin Spice Cake.  I have to admit mine came out less of a pumpkin cake...and more of a pumpkin bar.  Maybe I didn't put in enough baking soda.

Either way, they were still delicious.  I put them in a little tin filled with other goodies.

Pumpkin-flavored appreciation.

Day Two Hundred Eighty-Four: Tasty Tuna Tartare

The day of our cocktail party I made Martha's Tuna Tartare.  It's sushi-grade tuna simply mixed with mayonnaise, Asian chili sauce, soy sauce and chives.  I've made this dish before and it's quickly become one of my favorite recipes.  If you can use a knife, you can make this recipe.  Add enough chili sauce and it's de-vine.  The only problem with this appetizer is how quickly it's eaten.

 
This photo was taken about ten minutes after the tuna was put out...and it's almost gone.  Thankfully I doubled the recipe.

It lasted less than an hour.

Day Two Hundred Eighty-Three: Easy Salmon Mousse

While I was preparing things for our cocktail party, I decided to make Martha's Salmon Mousse.  This recipe combines two of my favorite things:  fancy and easy.  And it can be made a day ahead.  What's not to love?

All it takes is this:  mix smoked salmon and sour cream in a food processor with unflavored gelatin. Pour the mixture into a bowl and allow to chill until firm.

 
And it's done.

I would have tried this ages ago had I known it was so dang easy.

Day Two Hundred Eighty-Two: Raising the Bar

We hosted a cocktail party on Saturday night.  This means setting up a full bar.  Luckily, Martha has some advice on Setting Up a Bar. 

According to Martha you just need a few items:  base liquors including bourbon, vodka, white rum, gin, and tequila; base mixers like vermouth, cointreau, tonic, club soda, orange juice, and grapefruit juice; red wine, white wine and champagne; garnishes including olives, cranberries, lemon and lime wedges, an ice bucket, ice, a wine cooler, seven-piece bar set including a cocktail shaker, two-sided jigger, bottle opener, bar knife, strainer, tool stand and serving tray. And you'll want something to put all those drinks in: martini glasses, highball glasses, double old fashion glasses, white wine glasses,  and red wine glasses.

Oh, and don't forget the beer.

Make sure you have a very large table.

Day Two Hundred Eighty-One: Grilled Mozzarella

I served dinner for my Book Club on Wednesday.  I made tomato soup with Martha's Grilled Mozzarella Sandwiches. I've never used mozzarella for grilled cheese before, but these were delicious. They are assembled then dipped in an egg/cream mixture before being cooked.  It's sort of like a really large, flat, fried mozzarella stick.  

It's delicious.  Martha says it's her favorite way to make grilled cheese sandwiches and I am totally on board.    

Day Two Hundred Eighty: Triple-Chocolate Cheesecake

I hosted the December meeting of my Wine Book Club on Wednesday, so Tuesday I made dessert for them:  Martha's Triple-Choclate Cheesecake.   Crushed chocolate wafers make up the crust.  The filling is a chocolate-flavored cheesecake that is topped with chocolate ganache.  I'll give you a moment to think about that.  


:momentary pause:


Yes, it tastes as good as it sounds.

Cheesecake is sort of a special-occassion dessert in my book. It is so rich and fattening, it's not a craving you should frequently indulge...unless you are training for a marathon.

Add chocolate to the mix and things just get downright crazy.  Let's just say this:  no one turned down dessert.

Day Two Hundred Seventy-Nine: You Say Tomato...

Monday night I tried a new pasta dish with my kids in mind:  Martha's Shells with Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella.  I figured it would be a hit.  They like pasta.  They like chicken.  They like mozzarella.

They do not, however, like cherry tomatoes...a fact I wish I had known before making this dish.  Because once the pasta had been infected with the tomatoes, there was nothing I could do to make the rest of the dish palatable to them.  The tomatoes had to be removed.  Now.  And, even after they removed the offending tomatoes (with the speed and thoroughness of a Haz-Mat team), they still were suspicious.

I'm suddenly a shady character trying to push colorful vegetables on them.

Day Two Hundred Seventy-Eight: Blackberry Crumb Bars for Breakfast

As a hostess gift, I tried Martha's Blackberry Crumb Bars.  It's sort of like a blackberry crumble cake, that you can cut into little bars.   The cake is sweet and tender and the blackberries are tart.  It's all topped off with a crunchy, brown-sugar topping.  

Since it's filled with fruit, it seems almost healthy.  Wholesome.  Some people might even eat these for breakfast.

After a very late party.

:looking at you Ginnie:

Day Two Hundred Seventy-Seven: Caramel-Nut Bars

Last Saturday my husband and I took our kids to street festival in our neighborhood.  Our final destination is always a friend's house, where we partake in food and libations.  To add to the fun, I brought Martha's Caramel-Nut Bars.  These bars have a buttery crust with a caramel and nut layer on top.

I wish I could say that mine turned out perfectly. While a small part of the pan turned out quite nicely, the other 90% was something like the inside of a snicker bar:  all nuts and gooey caramel.

Not that nuts and gooey caramel is a bad thing, necessarily...it's just that I'm pretty sure these bars are not meant to ooze once they've been cut.

So I showed up to the party with about seven nut bars.  What a contribution.  Party on.

Day Two Hundred Seventy-Six: Pasta with Magic Sauce

Last Friday I tried Martha's Pasta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Asparagus.  It's like macaroni and cheese, but with goat cheese instead of cheddar.  Mac' and cheese for adults.

If you like goat cheese, you'll love this pasta.  It's feels quite decadent without being too rich.  The goat cheese sauce is super easy to make:  just whisk the goat cheese with hot water and you have a silky, tasty sauce.  Who knew?

I felt like some sort of Sauce Magician.

Abracadabra, people.

Day Two Hundred Seventy-Five: Chocolate Chip Redux

Contrary to what you may be thinking, I'm still here.  Please excuse my absence. I've been unbelievably busy.  Who do I petition to get another hour or two added to the day?

A few weeks ago I made Martha's favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe: Jacques Torres's Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Despite two pounds of chocolate chips, mine were dry.  I think I cooked them too long.  So last Thursday I decided to give the recipe a second chance.  Anything stuffed this full with chocolate chips really should be good.

On my second try I baked these cookies for only ten minutes. They looked a little uncooked, but by the time they cooled a little....

Oh my.

They are amazing.

And I don't italicize lightly.

Two Hundred Seventy-Four: Hush-a-Bye Bellini

I've made a few champagne cocktails in the past week and I'm rather enjoying them.  

Maybe a bit too much.  

I had some peaches and decided to make Martha's Hush-a-Bye Bellinis.  In case you were wondering, a Bellini is a mimosa made with peaches instead of orange juice.  It was invented at the famous Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy and named after a 15th-century artist.  

I'm not sure how Martha named this "Hush-a-Bye" Bellini.  Maybe it's inspired by the addition of elderflower liqueur.  

Maybe it's because if you add a little too much elderflower liqueur, you'll hush right up.

As in zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

Whatever the reason, these Bellini's are delicious.  Nap-time or not.

Day Two Hundred Seventy Three: Cooked-in-a-Flash-Pan-Seared Steak

As my faithful readers know, my hubby loves a good steak.  He eats steak a lot.  In hopes of balancing out the health benefits, I often serve his steaks with a nice salad.  Tuesday night I decided to mix it up and serve Martha's Pan-Seared Steak with Spinach, Grapes and Almonds.  It's pretty simple and pretty good:  sear the steak, remove it from the pan, then wilt the spinach and grapes in the steak juices.  Toss in the almonds with some balsamic vinegar and you end up with a tasty twist on our usual salad and steak.

Give it a try.  It only took 15 minutes.

(Yes, it really did.)

Day Two-Hundred Seventy-Two: Mandarin Cocktail

I enjoyed Sunday's champagne cocktail so much I decided to try Martha's Mandarin Cocktail on Monday.  If you like mimosas, this is the same taste...only quite a bit stronger.

In other words, you probably aren't sipping these over Sunday brunch since the orange flavor comes from an orange liqueur, not orange juice.

Or maybe you are.  I'm not judging.  

At any time of day, these are amazing...

Day Two Hundred Seventy-One: Red (and Green) Champagne Cocktails

There was an opened bottle of champagne left over from my party on Saturday.  My motto is waste not, want not...and who doesn't want a glass of champagne?

And I'll recycle the bottle.

I decided to use the leftovers to make Martha's Red Currant Champagne Cocktails.  You can use frozen red currants to make the puree and have some left over for later.

Saving the Earth has never been so delicious.

Day Two Hundred Seventy: Oh So Chic Mushroom Tart

I held a Sip and See for a friend and her new baby on Saturday.  Since my friend is vegetarian, I offered only meatless dishes, including Martha's Mushroom Tart.  Since it's made with puff pastry, all you do is saute the veggies and toss on top of the cooked pastry.  Sprinkle the goat cheese on top and throw in the oven.

Ridiculously simple...and gorgeous.

:pats self on back:

Day Two Hundred and Sixty-Nine: Evergreen Centerpiece

It's a truth universally acknowledged that a lady in possession of a table must be in want of a centerpiece.

(Or something like that.  Jane Austen said.)

I was in need of a centerpiece for my party on Saturday so Friday I went to the nursery to choose some evergreen boughs to make Martha's Evergreen Centerpiece.  After I paid $4 for a bundle, I realized that these were just the boughs cut from the Christmas trees.  :sucker:

Martha says the trick is to keep the branches hidden and accentuate the needles. I had a few holes so I tucked in a couple ornaments to keep it full:

I know.  It looks terrible.

I was pretty proud of it until I saw this photo.  It really looks better in person.  :cross my heart:

Day Two Hundred Sixty-Eight: Adorable Photo Garland

I'm hosting a Sip and See for a friend and her baby on Saturday.  My house is decorated for Christmas, but I wanted to do something special for the baby.  I decided to take some photos of my friend and her little angel and create Martha's Photo Garland.  It's such a cute idea, I'm sure I'll use it again in the future.  After printing the photos, I just clipped them to some ribbon using miniature clothes-pins.

So.  Stinking.  Cute.

Day Two Hundred Sixty-Seven: Rosy Bows

I put up outside decorations every year, but this year I had to update the 1990s ribbon and bows I had used in past years.  :so last decade:

I found some pretty ribbon and Wednesday I spent part of the morning making nineteen 15-inch bows for the outside of my house.  I used Martha's Rosette Bow, which is easy but each bow takes about five yards of ribbon.

I only had to return to the store for more ribbon once, which I consider a small victory.

Day Two Hundred Sixty-Six: String Me Along

If you are like most people, you string lights on your Christmas tree by wrapping the lights toilet-paper style. You might be extra crafty and attempt to hide the green wire among the branches.  Martha suggests Stringing Lights by running the lights along the underside of each branch.  When you get near the end, loop the lights around the top of the branch and work back to the trunk.  This technique plays up the depth of the tree and also conceals the wires.

It also takes ages.

I've used this technique for years, but every year I'm surprised at how long it takes.  Don't try it if you are in a rush.  Start on a small tree.  In my actual job as a designer, I decorate at least twenty Christmas trees every December.  Last year, I strung lights using this technique on a fifteen-foot tree.

It took eight hours.

Tuesday I had my six-year old son help with one of our trees.  With my assistance, he strung the lights on the lower branches.  He was pretty persistent, but after a while he sighed and said he was "retiring" from stringing lights.

Where do they hear these things?