We love the movie, and our kids do, too. And, while we know that King Cake, in the context of Umbrellas…, is not much of a celebration cake, per se, the kids still like the notion of finding the king in the cake, and in consequence, having the ability to make choices because of that lucky find. Of course, none of the ladies at the table are going to want to be forced to choose a king [despite our love for the fellas in the room]. We will want to be royal in our own right, and without having to ask anyone’s permission, first. So, this year, we decided to make a King Cake in which everyone who has a slice is King, and in which the joy of the experience is the treasure hunt of finding the king [or, in our case, the coin, itself].

King Cake aficionados will know that the recipe below looks and tastes nothing like a fine brioche or the traditional Louisiana King Cake derived from it. For a more traditional confection, check out last year’s post on King Cake Two Ways. There, we made a traditional King Cake, but with a fabulous Lemon Ginger Cream as well as a Chocolate King Cake with a Chocolate Cream. This year, since Mardi Gras falls just two days before Valentine’s and three days before my birthday, we thought we’d go ahead and make something that had a king cake “feel” [ie a hidden toy or trinket in the cake] but with a non-yeasted, cake base. So, we came up with loaded version of Carrot Cake. It is not only filed with spices, nuts, and pineapple chunks, but also with coconut and several large, clean coins. This fullness makes it an odyssey or adventure to find the hidden gems within. The fix is in! Each member of our dinner party will find that they, in fact, are king. We’ll also be making paper crowns for each of the family members to wear when they find their hidden treat(s).

This Carrot King Cake can be as easy or as difficult to bake as you choose to make it. Want to use canned pineapple? Be our guest. Don’t want to lightly roast your nuts or your coconut before baking? Fine, don’t. The only thing we suggest you do is to take good care of your coins if you choose to bake them directly in your cake! Count how many coins you’ve put into your cake several times before baking. [Or, if you are nervous or just want to take it easy, slice the cake, and place coins in each slice before you serve]. And, have each guest do a thorough search of their cake with a fork before they really dig in. We have gone with Canadian Loonies & Toonies [1 and 2 dollar coins] as opposed to loose change. [Quarters are the smallest we would ever think to go.] U.S. Silver Dollars are likely the best choice if you can get them in the States. We’ve put our coins into the closed utensil box in the dishwasher and run them on sanitize before baking. A good soak in strong vinegar [think "pickling" strength] would also do the trick. Same goes for the coins when they’ve been picked out of the cake. Wash them off best as you can, and then soak them in vinegar overnight.

Carrot King Cake
inspired by The Joy of Cooking
Makes a 9-inch round 2-layer cake

INGREDIENTS

3 large eggs
.5 c granulated sugar
.5 c brown sugar
1.5 c finely grated carrots, about 3-4 whole
2-3 tsp lemon or lime zest
.66 c finely diced fresh or canned crushed pineapple, for a measuring guide, see Hints below
1 tsp vanilla
.66 c vegetable oil
1.5 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp baking soda
.5 tsp salt
1 tbs ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
.75 c flaked coconut [sweetened or unsweetened], lightly toasted if desired, see Hints below
1 (generous) cup chopped pecan pieces, roasted if desired, see Hints below
[optional] 8-10 Several Large Coins, Cleaned, see Hints below
2 9-inch round circular pans

for the icing (can be halved)
2 c [2 80z packages] light cream cheese
.5 c butter
2 tsp vanilla
4+ c icing sugar

[optional] Coloured Icing sugars or additional chopped nuts or toasted coconut for decoration.

HINTS

How to Prepare the Coins
Soak dollar or two dollar coins in strong [pickling] vinegar overnight and/or place in utensil holder and run through the sterilize setting of your dishwasher.
You can also wrap them in pieces of parchment paper before inserting into the cake.

How to Roast the Nuts
Place nuts evenly on a baking pan and roast at 350 for 6-8 minutes, until pecans begin to darken slightly.

How to Barely Toast the Coconut
Place coconut evenly on a baking sheet and roast at 350 for 3-4 minutes

How to Measure out the Pineapple
If you are using fresh pineapple, finely dice pineapple until you have .66 cup. Try to scrape at least a tbs of the juice from your cutting board into your measuring cup as you go. If you are using canned, strain crushed pineapple, reserving juice. Add .66 c of pineapple and about 1 tbs of the juice to the recipe.

METHOD

Heat oven to 350.
Line each pan with a circle of parchment cut to size.
Grease and flour lined baking pans or coat with baking spray.
Place eggs, carrots, pineapple, zest, sugars, oil, and vanilla into a large bowl and stir until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom.
With a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture until just combined.
Fold in roasted nuts and coconut.
Pour evenly into 2 9-inch circular pans.
Drop your coins evenly around the circumference of one layer of your cake. [We used the 8 traditional points on a compass as our guide.]
Bake layers 25-30 minutes or until a skewer or thin knife inserted into the cake comes out almost clean.
Cool cakes completely.
Prepare the icing by blending the cream cheese and the butter in a mixer.
Add vanilla and sugar by the .5 c until you have the consistency you desire.
Ice and layer the cakes.
Decorate with traditional Louisiana Mardi Gras coloured sanding sugars or with chopped nuts or coconut.
Enjoy!!

Here’s a link to last year’s recipes for King Cake Two Ways: Auntie Robin’s King Cake with Lemon Ginger Cream & Uncle Rock’s Chocolate King Cake with Chocolate Cream.

______________________

Quick Links for Mobile Users
Summer of Funner : The Lunchbox Season : In Defense of Burning

Each year, for Christmas, I make a Bûche de Noël. For the past decade, I have been making my mom’s classic, 1970′s recipe with an easy chocolate cake, a lovely mocha whipped cream filling, and a heavenly chocolate icing: Click Here for that Classic Bûche de Noël Recipe. This year, I thought I’d take it to another level, and, sustaining my obsession with the New Jersey cannoli, the Patterson/Passiac italian bakery cannoli to be precise, I came up with a recipe for a good Cannoli Bûche de Noël. The test results have been superb, but I’m still undecided as to whether I’m going to use chocolate cake or white cake, a rum glaze or no glaze, and chocolate mascarpone icing or a vanilla mascarpone for the acutal feast day. So, I’ve provided you with not one but three cake recipes, a “Boozy” Glaze option for those who like a little “punch” in their holiday treats, a classic ricotta Cannoli Filling, and a Mascarpone Icing with a Chocolate Option. Some assembly is required. So, of course, te instructions follow. Enjoy!

Cannoli Bûche de Noël

STEP ONE: Choose from and bake any one of these three roll cakes:

I. Easy Chocolate Cake

Easy Chocolate Cake Ingredients

1 cup sifted cake flour or 1 cup minus 2 tbs sifted all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
icing sugar & a clean kitchen towel for rolling the cake

Easy Chocolate Cake Method

Heat oven to 375f.
Grease a 15x10x1 baking or jelly roll pan.
Line it with a waxed paper rectangle cut 1/2 inch smaller than the pan (14×9).
Grease the paper.
Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a bowl or onto another sheet of waxed paper.
Beat eggs until thick and creamy.
Beat in sugar, 1 tbsp a time until mixture is thick.
Stir in water and vanilla.
Fold in flour mixture.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
Bake 12-15 minutes until center spring back when pressed lightly with a fingertip.
Cut around warm cake 1/4 in from the edges of the pan with a sharp knife.
Invert pan onto a clean towel dusted generously with icing sugar.
Peel off waxed paper.
Gently roll wider length of cake jelly roll style in towel.
Cool rolled and wrapped cake completely on a wire rack.

II. & III. Slightly More Complicated White [Or Chocolate] Cake

Slightly More Complicated White [or Chocolate] Cake Ingredients

.5 c all purpose flour [reduce TO .3 for a Chocolate version]
1 tsp baking powder [omit this ingredient for a Chocolate version]
[add .25 c cocoa powder for the Chocolate version]
[add .25 tsp baking soda for the Chocolate version]
4 room temperature eggs, separated
.3 c sugar to be added to the beaten egg yolks.
.5 c sugar to be added to the soft peaked egg whites.
1 tsp vanilla
icing sugar and clean towel for rolling the cake

Slightly More Complicated White [or Chocolate] Cake Method

In a mixer, beat eggs yolks and vanilla until thick and yellow.
Add the sugar and beat on high until dissolved.
Set the mixture aside in the refrigerator.
Wash the mixer bowl and beater, dry it, and place the mixer bowl and egg beater/whip in the fridge or freezer for a moment.
Heat oven to 375f.
Grease a 15x10x1 baking or jelly roll pan or spray it with baking spray.
Line it with a waxed paper rectangle cut 1/2 inch smaller than the pan (14×9).
Grease the paper or spray it with baking spray.
Sift flour, [cocoa powder], and baking powder [or soda] into a bowl or onto another sheet of waxed paper.
In your cold mixing bowl, using cold beaters, beat the egg whites on medium until soft peaks form.
Add the .5 sugar slowly and beat until stiff peaks form.
Fold the egg yolk mixture from the fridge into the beaten egg white mixture with a spatula.
By hand, fold in the flour[/cocoa] mixture.
Spread batter into the pan.
Bake 12-15 minutes until center spring back when pressed lightly with a fingertip.
[Optional] Cut around warm cake 1/4 in from the edges of the pan with a sharp knife. [This cake is more springy than the easy version.]
Invert pan onto a clean towel dusted generously with icing sugar.
Peel off waxed paper.
Gently roll wider length of cake jelly roll style in towel.
Cool rolled and wrapped cake completely on a wire rack.

STEP TWO: Make the [Optional] Syrup, the Cannoli Filling, and the Mascarpone Icing

Boozy Syrup [Optional]
Makes about .5 c
Recipe May Be Doubled

Boozy Syrup Ingredients
.5 c sugar
.3 c water
.25 c rum, brandy, or other fantastical (non-creamed) spirit of choice!

Boozy Syrup Method
Place the sugar and water in a small pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.
You do not need to boil this.
Remove from heat.
Add alcohol.

Cannoli Filling

Cannoli Filling Ingredients
1 15-16 oz container of Ricotta Cheese, strained if runny
[we used light ricotta and strained it for only an hour over a fine mesh sieve/bowl]
.75 c icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
.25 tsp organic lemon or orange extract [optional]
up to 1 c semi-sweet mini chocolate chips OR 1 c shaved or finely diced semi-sweet chocolate
[we used .5 c of bits from a dark chocolate bar we pulsed like crazy in the food processor; you can save the rest for garnish]

Cannoli Filling Method
Beat the sugar and ricotta until smooth.
Incorporate the vanilla and optional citrus extract.
Incorporate up to 1 c chocolate or chips to taste.

[Chocolate] Mascarpone Icing Ingredients
~16 oz Cold Mascarpone Cheese [2 of the small tubs]
.75+ c icing sugar
.25 c milk or cream
1 tbs vanilla
[4 oz unsweeted chocolate, melted and cooled! for the Chocolate version]

[Chocolate] Mascarpone Icing Method
Beat the cheese, sugar, and vanilla on high until incorporated.
[For the Chocolate version, incorporate the cooled melted chocolate.]
Gradually, add the milk or cream 1 tbs at a time until the icing becomes as spreadable as you would like.
You may also add additional icing sugar if desired.
[We added an additional.25 c icing sugar to our batch this time to balance out the bitterness of the chocolate].
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Ice exterior or rolled, filled cake.

STEP THREE: Assemble & Decorate the Bûche de Noël
[see pics below]

Cannoli Bûche de Noël Assembly
Unroll your cake from the towel.
[Optional] Using a pastry or basting-style brush, spread syrup gnerously onto the [inside] surface of the roll cake.
[We only used about 1/16 of a cup of our syrup]
Spread the inside/top surface of the unrolled cake with the Cannoli Filling.
Gently re-roll the cake.
Place the filled cake on a serving plate.
Cut a 1/2in-or-thicker slice(s) from the ends of the cake roll to use as knot(s) or trimmed limb(s) of cake.
Use the Mascarpone Icing to attach these knots and limbs to the cake roll.
[Optional] Take a small bit of the Mascarpone Icing and “dirty” ice the exposed/cut cake edges with a thin coating of Icing.
Frost the cake roll with the remaining Mascarpone Icing.

If desired, use the tines of a fork or an icing spatula to make the icing look like realistic “bark.”
If desired, sprinkle the ends of the roll and/or the knots/limbs with mini chips, shaved or diced chocolate, icing sugar or chopped pistachios.
[This time, we used icing sugar shaken onto the cake via a tea-ball and shaved chocolate]
If desired, decorate with Make-Ahead Meringue Mushrooms.
Chill until 10-20 minutes before serving time.
                               
______________________
Quick Links for Mobile Users
Summer of Funner : The Lunchbox Season : In Defense of Burning

Kid Friendly Thumbprint Cookies
adapted from my mom’s old Betty Crocker Cookbook recipe
makes about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients
.5 c packed brown sugar
.5 c shortening [preferably organic, spectrum] OR up to .25 c butter & .25 c shortening
.5 c unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon or ginger [optional]
2 eggs, separated
2 c all purpose flour
.5 tsp salt
1 c finely chopped nuts [we use pecans or walnuts] or shredded coconut
Jam or Jelly

Method
Heat oven to 350.
Mix sugar, shortening, butter, vanilla, and egg YOLK.
Gradually stir in flour until dough holds together.
Shape into 1-in balls.
Whisk egg-whites in a small bowl and spread nuts [or coconut] on a small plate.
Dip each ball into egg whites and then roll in nuts.
Place each ball 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Press thumb hard into the center of each ball.
Bake 10-12 minutes, until light brown.
Remove from oven and cool.
Fill thumbprints with jam or jelly.

Carrot Cake Jam
adapted from a Better Homes & Gardens special interest publication: Canning
makes 13-14 quarter-pints

Ingredients
2 c finely shredded carrots (5 medium)
1 c finely chopped peeled apple
1 15 oz can crushed pineapple in juice
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon
.5 tsp nutmeg
1 1.75oz powdered pectin
4 c brown sugar
2 c white sugar
.5-1 c flaked coconut
2 tsp vanilla

Method
In a large pot, combine carrots, apple, pineapple in juice, lemon juice, and spices.
Boil and stir constantly.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring often.
Remove the pot from the burner.
Add pectin and stir until dissolved.
Place the pot back on the stove.
Bring the pot back to a boil and add the sugars.
Bring the sugared mixture to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove the pot from the heat.
Skim the foam.
Stir in coconut and vanilla.
Ladle jam into hot, sterilized .25-quart jars, leaving .25 in headspace.
Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

We made our Whisky Fig Cranberry Sauce in October. It was such a big hit, we’ll be canning up a batch in smaller decorative jars to ship to family and friends near and far. Click Here for the Recipe.

______________________
Quick Links for Mobile Users
Summer of Funner : The Lunchbox Season : In Defense of Burning

Pumpkin Courvoisier Pie with Cream Cheese Crust

Cream Cheese Crust
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
.25 tsp salt
.5 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed
5 oz light cream cheese (1/2 a package), cold, cubed

Method
Heat your oven to 425 F.
Whisk the flour and salt together.
Cut in the butter and cream cheese until well blended.
Form dough into a flat disk, cover in cling wrap, and refrigerate for 8-12 hours.
Roll dough into a circle [I do this between sheets of waxed paper].
Fit the dough into a pie dish, crimping the edges as you see fit.
Cover the entire top of the crust in foil and weigh the foil down with dried beans or pie weights.
Blind bake the crust [cover top of crust in foil and weigh the foil down with beans or pie weights] for 15 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven.
Remove the foil and pie weights.
Turn the oven down to 375 F.

Pumpkin Courvoisier Pie Filling / Baking

Ingredients
2 eggs
400 ml pumpkin
2-3 tbs Courvoisier [Cognac]
1 c brown sugar
.75 c evaporated milk
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
.5 tsp nutmeg
.5 tsp cloves
.5 tsp salt

Method
Heat your oven to 375.
Place eggs in a medium sized bowl and whisk.
Add pumpkin, cognac, and sugar and whisk some more.
Add evaporated milk and spices and whisk to incorporate.
Pour the pie filling into the hot crust.
Cover the edges of the crust with foil or a pie rim if so desired.
Bake 35-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the custard comes out clean.
Cool completely on a wire rack.

_________________________
Quick Links for Mobile Users
Summer of Funner : The Lunchbox Season : In Defense of Burning

The Cortland apples we picked made for fantastic Thanksgiving Day pies!
Here’s our recipe….with pictures of our apple-picking adventures below.

Apple Pickin’ Pie with Disappearing Vodka Crust

Disappearing Vodka Crust
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients
2.5 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
4 tbs sugar
2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1.5 sticks/12 tbs cold unsalted butter, cubed
.5 c cold vegetable shortening, cubed
.25 c vodka
.25 c ice-cold water

Method
In a food processor, pulse 1.5 c flour, salt and sugar until combined.
Add the butter and shortening and process until the dough becomes clumpy.
Add the other 1 c flour and pulse until mixture is combined but still clumpy.
Add the vodka 1 tbs at a time, pulsing sparingly.
Add the ice-cold water 1 tbs at a time, pulsing sparingly, until the dough just sticks together.
Divide the dough in half.
Flatten each half into a disk.
Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling and baking.

Apple Pickin’ Pie Filling

Ingredients
4-5 c peeled, cored, thick sliced apples – we used about 5-6 very large cortlands
brown and/or white sugar
cinnamon
We don’t use flour or starch or other thickeners – but, then, it’s your pie! Feel free to add what you like.

Method
As you slice your apples, add sugar by the tablespoon and cinnamon by the 1/4 teaspoon to taste.
Stir this mixture as you go so that the apples are coated in a lovely sweet syrup.

Apple Pickin’ Pie Assembly and Baking

Ingredients
Disappearing Vodka Crust
Apple Pickin’ Pie Filling
3 tbs butter, cubed
[Optional] 1 egg yolk, beaten

Method
Heat your oven to 400 degrees.
Roll each crust into a flat round circle.
[I find that rolling the dough between two pieces of gently floured waxed paper works most effectively.]
Place one crust in the pie plate, leaving the edges of the disc hanging about 1 inch over the edges.
[Optional] Place a ceramic pie vent (bird) in the center of the pie.
Fill the pie with the apple mixture as high as you like. [Just don't cover the top of your pie vent]
Scatter the cubes of butter over the top of the apple mixture.
[Optional] Slice an “x” or a small circle in the center of the top crust if you are using a pie vent.
Place the crust over the top of your pile of apples [accomodating the tip of your pie vent if you are using one].
Pinch the edges of the crust together, trim them, and crimp them to your taste [i.e. fork, fingers freestyle].
[Optional] Brush the crust with a beaten egg yolk.
[Optional] Cover the edges of the pie with a metal pie rim or with tin foil if you so choose.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350 F.
Bake for an additional 20-40 minutes, until the apples look baked/you can slice through them fairly easily.
It’s pie, people. Eat it as soon as you can bite into it without burning your tongue. And then eat the rest for breakfast.

                
_________________________
Quick Links for Mobile Users
Summer of Funner : The Lunchbox Season : In Defense of Burning

The kids wanted an Easter-Bunny friendly treat to leave out on a plate on Holy Saturday to attract the Easter Bunny.
After we made these special treats, they told me they’d be more than happy to gobble up the extras themselves at our Easter Sunday Brunch.

Carrot Orange Poppyseed Mini-Muffins with Cardamom Cream Cheese Glaze
Makes 24

Ingredients

Mini-Muffins
1 c milk, room temperature
1/3 c butter, melted
2/3 c brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbs orange juice
1-2 tsp  orange zest
1/2 c finely grated carrot, packed
2 cups flour
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs poppy seeds
1 tbs ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Glaze
1 c icing sugar
1/4 c cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp orange zest (optional) 
1-2 tbs orange juice or milk

Method

Mini-Muffins

Heat oven to 400.
Spray mini-muffin tin with baking spray (or grease and flour pan).
In a medium bowl, mix milk, melted butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla.
In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, spices, and poppy seeds.
Add carrots, juice and zest to the wet mixture and stir quickly to incorporate.
Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir to incorporate.
Let batter sit for 1 minute.
Use a tablespoon to fill the mini-muffin tin.
Bake 9-11 minutes.
Cool muffins completely on a wire rack.

Glaze

While the mini-muffins are cooling, prepare the glaze.
Stir together the sugar, cream cheese and cardamom.
Add juice or milk by the teaspon until you have a rather thick glaze (or thin icing).
Use an icing spreader or butter knife to coat the mini-muffin tops with the glaze.
Let the glazed mini-muffins sit for a minute or two to set glaze before serving.

Enjoy! Enjoy!
_________
Quick Links for Mobile Users
The Lunchbox Season : Summer of Funner : In Defense of Burning

Every year, I make a Bûche de Noël.  This is my mom’s recipe, drawn from some kind of glossy 70′s cookbook that came in a series along with her set of World Book Encyclopedias.  Don’t be scared off by the multiple lists of ingredients & instructions! It’s relatively easy to make this cake, especially if you skip the meringue mushrooms or make them ahead of time. We ate all of the 2010 mushrooms before they got to the plate.  I’ll be making this again for Christmas Eve.

Bûche de Noël 2010

Faster than Lightning Chocolate Jelly Roll Cake 
& Bûche de Noël Assembly

1 cup sifted cake flour or 1 cup minus 2 tbs sifted all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
icing sugar & a clean kitchen towel for rolling the cake
Quick Coffee Cream Filling
Easy Chocolate Butter Frosting
Make-Ahead Meringue Mushrooms (Optional)

Heat oven to 375f.
Grease a 15x10x1 baking or jelly roll pan.
Line it with a waxed paper rectangle cut 1/2 inch smaller than the pan (14×9).
Grease the paper.
Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a bowl or onto another sheet of waxed paper.
Beat eggs until thick and creamy.
Beat in sugar, 1 tbsp a time until mixture is thick.
Stir in water and vanilla.
Fold in flour mixture.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
Bake 12-15 minutes until center spring back when pressed lightly with a fingertip.

Cut around warm cake 1/4 in from the edges of the pan with a sharp knife.
Invert pan onto a clean towel dusted generously with icing sugar.
Peel off waxed paper.
Gently roll wider length of cake jelly roll style in towel.
Cool rolled and wrapped cake completely on a wire rack.

Make Quick Coffee Cream Filling and Easy Chocolate Butter Frosting.

Unroll cake. 
Spread with Quick Coffee Cream Filling
Reroll cake.
Place on serving plate.
Cut a 1/2in-or-thicker slice(s) from the ends of the cake roll to use as knot(s) or trimmed limb(s) of cake.
Use Easy Chocolate Butter Frosting to attach these knots and limbs to the cake roll.
Frost cake roll with remaining Easy Chocolate Butter Frosting.

If desired, use the tines of a fork or an icing spatula to make the icing look like realistic “bark.” 
If desired, sprinkle the ends of the roll and/or the knots/limbs with chopped pistachios, or flaked (or toasted) coconut.  
If desired, dust with icing sugar.
If desired, decorate with Make-Ahead Meringue Mushrooms.

Chill until 10-20 minutes before serving time.
_______

Quick Coffee Cream Filling

1 cup whipping cream
1-3 tbs espresso or strong coffee (made from ~2tsp instant crystals)
1/2 cup sifted icing sugar

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl and beat until stiff.
_______

Easy Chocolate Butter Frosting

4 tbs butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sifted icing sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler and cool slightly.
Combine icing sugar, milk and vanilla in a separate bowl. 
Slowly beat in chocolate mixture until frosting is smooth and spreadable.
_______

Make-Ahead Meringue Mushrooms

2 egg whites
1/3 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
Cocoa for dusting (optional)

Line two large cookie sheets with parchment.
Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and extract until foamy white and double in volume.
Sprinkle in sugar, 1 tbs at a time, until sugar dissolves and meringue forms stiff peaks.
Attach a plain icing tip to a pastry bag or ziploc bag. Spoon meringue into bag.
For mushroom caps: press meringue into 1.5in rounds. Smooth top of each with a knife but don’t flatten.
For stems: hold pastry bag upright and press out meringue, pulling straight up about 1.5 inches.
Bake at 250f for 30 minutes until firm but not brown. Let stand a while on cookie sheets.
Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Melt chocolate in a cup over hot water or in the microwave.
Carefully make a small indentation in the underside of each cap with a teaspoon or with the handle of a wooden spoon.
Fill hollow with melted chocolate.
Press stem into hollow.
Let sit until chocolate is firm.
Dust with cocoa if desired.
Store in a dry, air-tight container.

___________
Quick Links for Mobile Users
The Lunchbox Season : Summer of Funner : In Defense of Burning

Lure Santa’s Reindeer and Keep the Dog Quiet Once They Get Here…

Elvis Dog & Reindeer Cookies

Ingredients
1/3-1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup mashed banana
1 egg
2 teaspoons honey
1 cup whole wheat flour (or pulverized oats)
1/2 cup oats
egg whites (optional)

Method
Preheat oven to 325f and line cookie sheets with parchment.
Combine wet ingredients. Add flour and oats.
Place dough between two sheets of waxed paper and roll to ½ to ¼-in thickness.
Cut with festive cookie cutters.
OR
If dough is soft, drop by teaspoons onto parchment and flatten slightly.
Brush with egg whites. (Optional)
Bake 20-30 minutes until brown and no longer moist.
Cool completely.

[For Dogs and Reindeer Only? Well, actually, they taste pretty good!]
__________

Here’s Today’s Advent Shadowbox Insert:

And here’s the Advent Shadowbox from afar:

___________
Update: We ended up making drop style cookies rather than using cutters because our dough was so soft tonight!
Elvis has tried them and approved!

Here’s the finished product:

Quick Links for Mobile Users
The Lunchbox Season : Summer of Funner : In Defense of Burning

It’s a Short Week at School.
Let’s Celebrate in Style.
This Afternoon, We’ll Gather
Christmas Candies in a Pile,
And We’ll Chop them, 
and We’ll Drop Them 
into Buckets of Ice Cream
With Marshmallows, Chocolate Sauce, 
Cherries, Sprinkles, Candy Floss.  
You Can Build, Dears, Whatever You Dream….

_______________________

This morning, I downloaded the only picture of Santa eating ice cream that I could find on the internet. I used the “doodle” and “text” features on http://www.picnik.com to blot out the existing text on the image and to add my own writing. 

 Here’s how today’s insert looks:

And here’s how the Advent Shadowbox looks from afar:

It’s going to be a sweet afternoon!
I’m looking forward to chopped oreo-style peppermint-cream-filled cookies and bits of peppermint bark piled on top of vanilla and chocolate swirl ice cream!  

____________________________________
Quick Links for Mobile Users
The Lunchbox Season : Summer of Funner : In Defense of Burning

One of my favourite childhood Christmas traditions was my mother’s Advent Chain. On the first day of Advent, a simple chain of interconnected red and green construction paper loops would appear in the kitchen doorway.  Each day, my brother and I would tear a loop off of the bottom of the chain to reveal a new family activity. Among our favourites were “Baking Cookies” and “Taking Pictures with Santa.”  Over the Advent season, our chain would grow smaller and smaller, until a single loop was left on Christmas Eve. It usually read, ”Leave Cookies for Santa.  {And, try to have a good sleep!}” 

A few years ago, I renewed this tradition with my kids, creating a re-usable chain of scrapbook paper loops with numbered fasteners (pictured above) into which I inserted smaller slips of paper listing a daily family activity (pictured at left).  The chain was a hit. And we’ll use it to decorate the house for the holidays.  This year, however, we wanted to try something new.

Here’s what we came up with:

At a local “Home Sense”-style store,  we purchased a clearance-aisle shadowbox frame .  The front glass door operates on hinges and is secured to the box by a magnet, so that you can open and close the shadowbox like a book. Beneath this glass door, the box has a soft “pin board” style backing. The frame came with the pearl pins you see securing the red paper to the backing. 

Advent begins tomorrow, November 27, 2011.  Each day, on The Lunchbox Season, we will post our family “thing to do.” And each day, we’ll try to use our shadow-box in an entirely different manner, sometimes writing our intentions on the glass with dry-erase markers, sometimes dangling a message from a hook on the interior pinboard, sometimes creating a “snow globe” or “jingle bell” filled backdrop for the daily imperative.

We hope you’ll follow along and enjoy celebrating Advent with us!!!

_____________________________________

 Quick Links for Mobile Users
The Lunchbox Season : Summer of Funner : In Defense of Burning