When I first started this blog I joined Tuesdays with Dorie, a weekly baking group.  I participated for while but then my day job made it hard to do on a weekly basis.  I loved Dorie’s book and trying recipes I never would have tried.  Recently I saw that they were know starting Baking with Julia: Savor the Joys of Baking with America’s Best Bakers.  It is a cookbook I have owned since my work as a personal chef.  The book is really a course in baking with recipes and learning techniques.

I have fond memories of my first experience with the group and the community they built.  So here I am again, four years later joining to get to  know others in this community and expand my baking skills.  The recipes are much more challenging so it will be interesting. The book features many well-known chefs and the recipes they made on Julia’s show.  It will be fun to share them with you.

So here is my first entry, Chocolate Truffle Tarts.  This week is being hosted by A Whisk and a Spoon, Spike Bakes, Good Eats and Sweet Treats and Cookbookhabit. I quickly photographed before heading off to work.  I have been using this chocolate tart dough for awhile and find it easy to make, especially using a food processor.  The filling came together quickly too, I cheated and melted the butter and chocolate in a microwave.  The whole thing was in the oven baking within about 10 minutes (after the tart shells had baked).

It is reminiscent of a brownie in a chocolate tart.  These make great finger treats at a party, though I might top them with raspberries next time.

You can get the recipe here or better yet, buy the book and add it to your library.

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What happens when you marry two food favorites?  In my case you get Red Velvet Popovers.  My love affair with popovers started as a child at Buffum’s department store.  I was inspired by Joy’s Hot Chocolate popovers and thought why not Red Velvet? These could make someone swoon on Valentine’s Day.

Hot out of the oven they are stuffed with Hershey’s Mini Kisses and topped with a marshmallow.  Served with the Marshmallow Cream Spread schmeered (is that a word) over the warm popover puts it over the top.  The spread is a mixture of mascarpone cheese and marshmallow fluff.  My favorite little taste tasters gave it two thumbs up.

The popovers are super easy to make because you whip it all up in a blender and pour into the pan.  The hardest part is letting them bake in the oven without opening the door.  Thankfully I have a window with a light so I could peek in and see them rising up in the pan and creating beautiful red puffs.

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Last weekend Olivia, my dear niece, celebrated her 8th birthday in Cowgirl Style.  Her grandpa has horses, chickens and bees at house.  What more do you need to celebrate?

These cute hats became the starting point for colors. I created party printable using green checked paper with pink and black accents.

The girls descended on Pa’s ready for adventure.

He gave the girls safety instructions and they carefully listened.

Olivia took the first ride with her grandpa.

Her friends waited patiently for their turn.

The girls decorated horseshoes with rhinestones and bows.

My sister-in-law Joy created these adorable table settings.

I created straw flags for the lemonade.

For dessert we had Chocolate Fudge Cake Push Ups with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.

One of the highlights of the party was seeing how honey is made.  Fernando, the resident beekeeper, gave us a demonstration.  I’ll share that tomorrow.

These beautiful pictures were provided by Joy’s sister, Leanna Creel of Creel Films.  Taking better photos is one of my goals this year so I got to ask her a few questions.  It is always fun to have a professional photographer shoot my work and not myself!  She has worked on photos and film for The 12 Days of Christmas at Meadowood in Napa Valley.  She has also worked for Food Network.  Yes, I am envious!  Go check out her work! This is her adorable son Levi.  He had a bee stuck in his hair at the party! My brother saved the day.

Cake Push Ups are easy to make and the kids love them.  You can order the plastic containers here. They are reusable and you can customize with a sticker or a bow.

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Saturday afternoon my niece and I set out for a cooking adventures with my Aunt Ginny.  We were going to learn how to make Fattigman cookies, a norwegian cookie that my Nana Thorsen used to make every Christmas.

My great grandmother came through Ellis Island when on her way from Norway to America in the early 1900′s.  I feel fortunate that I was able to spend the time I did with my great grandparents.  Nana Thorsen lived to almost 101 years old.  I wish I had taken the time ask more questions but I was in elementary school and too young to know I would love to know their stories as the years went by.

Fattigman cookies are known as “poor man cookies”.  It seems every scandanavian country has a version of it.  They are ribbons of dough fried and covered with powdered sugar.

So my niece, who is becoming a good little cook, pulled up her stool and learned from my aunt how to mix and roll the cookies out.

They measured, rolled and cut using this cool cutter I am on a hunt to find. She would have kept going but we insisted my aunt had to fry.  The dough is slid into hot oil and turned to allow the cookies to turn a golden color.

Once they have been taken out of the oil and placed on a paper towel the cookies are finished off with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Then comes the important job of tasting the cookies.

What are your family Christmas cookie traditions?  Please share below in the comments.  I would love to hear.

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Paging through colorful cookie cookbooks is a December ritual that motivates my boys for the holiday baking season.

We do not bake often, so this is a very special treat in our house. After paging through the recipes and photos one always rises to the top. It’s not in the photo-heavy cookbook—in fact, it’s not in any cookbook. It’s etched in their memories from holidays past. Memories of baking for hours and eating crumbs they carefully trim to make the crisp cookies perfectly round. It’s an involved process we all love.

My grandmother and mom made pizzelles and handed the pizzelle maker to me several years ago. It was supposed to be a one-year commitment and then I’d pass it on to my sisters, but I can’t give it up. Each December, we dust off the pizzelle iron and carefully pull out the yellowed directions from 1967.

We start by mixing the batter and letting it rest in the refrigerator overnight. A full batch includes a dozen eggs, sugar and oil. The biggest decision whether to stick with tradition or be adventurous. We tried chocolate once, but we decided we need to honor tradition. Anise and lemon it is.

Part of the appeal of the cookies is counting how many we make. Italians are always cooking for an army and these cookies reflect that: over 100 cookies per batch, even subtracting the broken ones. When my boys were little I was always up until 10pm making the cookies once they were tucked into bed. I love that now we work together. Each one takes a job assignment- one pours the batter into the pizzelle maker, checks for doneness and removes them from the maker. The other carefully trims the edges to make each cookie a circle. Once cooled, the cookies are counted and moved to a plastic container for storage. A separate container stores the crumbs, which is magically emptied by the end of the night.

Making cookies together, along with regular balanced meals, is a great way to pass along family traditions and Eat Better, Eat Together. Following the link takes you to a pledge to focus on regular family meals. It’s a great way to keep a focus on eating well together during the busy holiday season and to start the new year off right. What are your family’s favorite cookies to make during the holidays?

Trina Robertson, Registered Dietitian at Dairy Council of California

Follow me @TrinaR_RD

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