December 6, 2012

Strawberry Santas

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Strawberry Santas

Strawberry Santas

December 6: Feast Day of St. Nicholas

Make Strawberry Santas

for the Feast of St. Nick!

They’re healthy and cute

and can be made quick!

Strawberry Santas are a great last-minute idea for a seasonal snack and creative Christmas cuisine. Our friend Lisa L. had sent us an Internet image this past weekend suggesting we try these tiny treats. And then while at Whole Foods Market the other day, we even saw them being sold in the gourmet dessert display case! We just couldn’t resist preparing our own Strawberry Santas at home for a ho-ho-ho-holiday blog post and for a fast, fun and festive food on the Feast Day of St. Nicholas.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • Strawberries
  • Whipped cream (we recommend Cool Whip brand frosting)
  • Mini chocolate chips, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, chocolate or black tube frosting or dark nonpareils (for the eyes)
  • Red pearl nonpareils (we used a round 4 millimeter nonpareil) (for the nose)

Directions

Wash and dry the strawberries. Slice the leaves off and let the strawberry sit on the flat end. Slice a bit off the pointy end of the strawberry.

Strawberry Santas

Fill a pastry or plastic bag with whipped cream. Use a star tip to form the head/face. Top with the strawberry piece for the hat. Use a small round tip to pipe the buttons and a little ball on top.

Strawberry Santas

Finish the face with eyes by putting in two mini chocolate chips. Add the red pearl nonpareil nose. Arrange on a serving platter and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Strawberry Santas

Notes

  • Regular whipped cream is soft and can melt easily so we recommend a stronger and more stabilized whipped cream product, like the new Cool Whip Frosting, or even sweetened whipped cream cheese.
  • Strawberry Santas can be prepared as pops by putting a stick in the bottom of the fruit. Or they can sit atop cupcakes or cookies as a base.
  • Santa hats can be made out of strawberries, too. Simply slice the leaves off and pipe whipped cream around the bottom and a ball on the top tip.
  • See our other Santa Claus confections: St. Nick Nutter Butters and St. Nikolaas Koekjes.
 

December 6, 2012

St. Nick Nutter Butter Cookies

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St. Nick Nutter Butter Cookies

St. Nick Nutter Butter Cookies 
December 6: Feast Day of St. Nicholas

Islander participates in some cookie exchanges during this time of the year. She enjoys getting new ideas and potential blog recipes at these unique holiday gatherings. One cute cookie that caught her eye was the Santa Claus creation made out of peanut butter sandwich cookies, melted white chocolate, red candies and coconut flakes. Although they are a little time consuming to assemble, they are a fun project to do with the help from little elves/kids! Make St. Nick Nutter Butters for Christmas cookie exchanges, seasonal parties and especially for the Feast Day of St. Nicholas.

Recipe

(Inspired by Internet Images)

Ingredients

  • 1 package of Nutter Butter cookies
  • white chocolate chips or white confectioner’s candy melts
  • red confectioner’s candy melts
  • red sugar crystals (optional)
  • coconut flakes (for the beard)
  • white tube frosting
  • red tube frosting
  • mini chocolate chips (for the eyes)
  • red round candy (M&Ms or Red Hots) (for the nose)

Directions

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Melt the white chocolate according to the package directions (microwave or double boiler). Dip one end of the Nutter Butter cookie into the melted white chocolate. Lay on the prepared cookie sheet. Before the chocolate hardens, sprinkle some coconut flakes to make the beard. Continue dipping the rest of the cookies and making the beards. Allow the chocolate to cool and harden.

St. Nick Nutter Butter Cookies

Melt the red candy according to the package directions (microwave or double boiler). Dip the other end of the Nutter Butter cookie into the melted red candy, being careful not to get coconut flakes into the dipping bowl. Lay on the prepared cookie sheet. Before the candy hardens, sprinkle some red sugar to give texture to the hat (optional). Continue dipping the rest of the cookies and making the hats. Allow the candy to cool and harden.

St. Nick Nutter Butter Cookies

Use red frosting to adhere a red round candy as the nose. Use a star tip on the white tube frosting to add the “snowball” and a small round tip to draw the white fur detail on the hat. Use a little bit of frosting to adhere the mini chocolate chips for the eyes. Allow the frosting to set before arranging the finished cookies on a decorative platter.

St. Nick Nutter Butter Cookies

Notes

  • A variation in the process of making the Santa hat is by dipping the other end of the Nutter Butter cookie in white instead of red candy melts and sprinkling the red sugar crystals halfway on top of it to have the white fur border.
  • Others attach a mini-marshmallow or white chocolate chip for the Santa hat “snowball” instead of using white frosting and a star tip.
  • Try the traditional St. Nikolaas Koekjes recipe for the Feast Day of St. Nicholas.
  • Search our blog for other Santa Claus/St. Nicholas and Christmas-inspired recipes.
 

December 4, 2012

Aloha Cookies

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Aloha Cookies

Aloha Cookies

December 4: National Cookie Day

At a neighborhood cookie exchange on the mainland, Islander wanted to share a taste of the tropics and brought Aloha Cookies. The ingredients are truly tropical with pineapple pieces and coconut flakes mixed in the dough.

Along with the extra Aloha Cookies she baked, she collected a variety of other cookies from neighbors at the cookie exchange and then sent them overseas to U.S. Air Force personnel to enjoy for the holidays. The recipient is Airman Darby F. and his flight serving in the Azores. Not only does she wish Mele Kalikimaka to mainland friends, she sends aloha abroad with these tropical treats for the troops.

Kick off National Cookie Day and the holiday baking season with Aloha Cookies.

Recipe

(Adapted from C&H Sugar)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup vegetable shortening
  • ¾ cup  sugar, granulated white
  • ¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup instant mashed potato flakes
  • 2 ½ cups flour (not self raising)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups dried pineapple, chopped
  • 1 1/3 cups coconut, flaked

Directions

In a mixer or large mixing bowl, cream the butter and shortening with both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs.

Aloha Cookies

Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Stir in the mashed potato flakes. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.

Aloha Cookies

Gradually add this to the butter mixture and combine until a dough is formed. Fold in the chopped pineapple pieces and flaked coconut. Roll into a large, smooth ball. Cover the dough and chill for at least an hour.

Aloha Cookies

Scoop out one-inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet about two inches apart. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven. Cool for about five minutes on the cookie sheet until transferring to a wire rack. Yield: 6 dozen (enough to feed a flight of airmen or share at a cookie exchange)

Aloha Cookies

Notes

  • Airman Darby F. is the son of our often-mentioned friend, Lisa L., who herself is in the U.S. Naval Reserves. We used to send her some treats for the troops when she served overseas as well.
  • Aloha Cookies are not traditionally Hawaiian but the recipe is from California and Hawaii (C&H) Sugar company.
  • Search our blog for more cookie recipes.
 

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