holidays | The Foodies' Kitchen

Easter Recipes

March is practically gone, and it seems like time keeps rushing by faster and faster. This year we didn’t even have time to whip up any new recipes for Easter! But we have gathered our best Easter posts from past years for you here so you can find inspiration for this Sunday’s festivities. Part of the reason for the lack of new posts is because we’re busy behind the scenes working on something new and special for our blog. You’ll see the surprise soon…

There! the secret is out now, so we have just created more pressure for ourselves to get things rolling! But going back to the time topic, the other day I was reading an article about why time seems to go by faster and faster as we get older. Remember how the school year seemed to last forever? How summer vacations seemed longer, and how vividly we remember Christmas from our childhood? Now, Christmas or other holidays seem to rush by without leaving a big impression. According to this article, the reason that best explains why we perceive time is going faster, is because our early years were filled with new experiences and first time events, so we tend to make more lasting and more detailed memories of these events. When we repeat the same event, year after year, it is less likely to leave such a unique or lasting impression.

In short, the message on the article I read was that to, at least psychologically, slow down the pace of life we should take advantage of new and unique experiences as much as possible. When we do the same things, we don’t make distinct memories and time seems to fly by. I’m sure there are many theories behind this question, but for now, the message that we should focus on positive past memories, live more in the present and try to have a positive outlook for the future and use our time wisely seems like sound advice.

Happy Easter!

Helga & Kitty

Easter Bunny Origins

Blog Love: Easter Treats

Egg Dyeing

Easter Chocolate Eggs

Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Easter Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Marshmallow Pops

Lemon Cake with Whipped Frosting

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Balls

Perfect Lemonade with Basil Syrup

Old Fashioned Pink Lavender Lemonade

Strawberry Milk

Perfect Iced Coffee

Image from: Contentinacottage

Honey Spritz Cookies

I really wasn’t planning on baking spritz cookies this year. I’ve made them several times already, and they aren’t exactly the most flavorful cookie around. A big plus for spritz cookies is that you get a ton of them from one recipe, which is handy if you’ve got plenty of cookie eaters around, and they are pretty which makes them a good choice for gift baskets.

I got Food Network’s December issue last month, and found this recipe. Honey Spritz Cookies sounded good to me, they were definitely going to taste better than the regular kind, I thought. I was right. The added honey makes them bake to a deeper caramel color than you would get from the regular kind, and you do taste and smell the honey in there. These would probably taste even better if you drizzle melted semi-sweet chocolate on top… if you have the time. I opted for a sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon.

Helga

Honey Spritz Cookies

Yield: About 60-70 cookies
Recipe from Food Network

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coarse sugar and/or nonpareils, for decorating (optional)

Procedure:

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add the egg, honey and vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated (the dough will be soft).
Fill a cookie press with the dough according to the manufacturer’s instructions; press out the cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart onto 2 ungreased baking sheets.
Decorate the cookies with coarse sugar and/or nonpareils. Bake, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until the cookies are just golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

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- Baking, christmas, cookies, holidays, honey, spritz
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Eggnog Cookies

Eggnog cookies. Of course I had to try them this year! This recipe was part of my cookie repertoir this year, which included Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies, German Chocolate Cookies, Honey Spritz Cookies and my classic Gingerbread Cookies. Both Kitty and I always prepare our cookie doughs days in advance and keep them in the freezer, that way the whole baking process is much easier. You bake when you’re ready and the dough is there waiting for you. I had my daughter Kristen help me out this year, as usual. But this year she really helped out and was with me in the kitchen on our entire day of baking…. which also included us building and decorating a gingerbread house we got from a kit. I’m really enjoying our time together in the kitchen!

These cookies have a delicate eggnog flavor, but it is still noticeable. My tip for this recipe is to leave room between the unbaked cookies as these do grow and expand quite a bit. When they cool off, they “de-puff” and the result is a thin, crispy round cookie. I put 10 on each cookie sheet and some of them did en up touching each other. Also, watch for the timing. The recipe says 20-23 minutes, but I kept mine in for as long as 28 minutes. Keep an eye on them and take them out when they start turning golden brown around the edges. And lastly, I did not sprinkle nutmeg on top but a mixture of sugar and cinnamon I have in a grinder. It’s a great tasting cookie, and a definite keeper.

Eggnog Cookies

Yield: About 30 cookies
Recipe from Social Couture

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Cream sugar and butter until light. Add eggnog, vanilla, and egg yolks; beat at medium speed with mixer until smooth.
Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.
Bake 20 to 23 minutes until bottoms turn light brown.