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.

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.

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.

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

I started my Christmas cookie baking the other night.  Sadly, I had a bit of a mishap and lost a tray of them to the floor, right out of the oven. My dog was happy! These cookies are the bomb if I do say so.  I was inspired by one of my fellow Betty Crocker bloggers, Sugar, from Cooking With Sugar‘s, Browned Butter Pecan Balls.

We have a family recipe that was similar so I thought I would try our recipe with browned butter and added the dried cherries.  The results were a nutty buttery cookie.  The powdered sugar provides a melt in your mouth texture.

Alicia McKeown is the winner of the cookbook.  Please email me with your address and the cookbook you would like.

The holidays are here – Cyber Monday craziness has started.  I wanted to kick off our holiday cooking with a easy recipe using Pillsbury’s new Peppermint Sugar Cookie Dough.  I like to make most of cookies from scratch but this cookie dough is really good and I have already thought of many ways to cook up some treats.

These are Peppermint Creme Sandwiches that are rolled in peppermint candies, making them super cute too!  They would be cute packaged up for hostess or teacher gifts.

There are some great deals out there today – I found this great new site called Pick Your Plum with a deal everyday.  I just discovered How Does She thanks to Rebekah, a creative gal I met at a craft fair.  What deals are you finding today?

Well, I am off to shop, um work! Happy Cyber Monday.

In full disclosure, I was not paid to develop this recipe but was sent product by General Mills for another project.  My opinions as always, are 100% mine!

It is time to start thinking about holiday baking.  I have been pulling new recipes to try and experimenting a little bit.  Last week I recreated a favorite using Pillsbury refrigerated cookie dough.  The Pillsbury® Refrigerate cookie dough made baking these White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies so easy.

A group of bloggers were invited by General Mills to share recipes using their Pillsbury refrigerated cookie dough.  We were paid for our recipes but my opinion is completely mine!

A few years ago I added White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies to my yearly favorites.  I love the sweetness of the cranberries and the flecks of red peeking out of the sugar dough looks so pretty.

Working with General Mills I have started discovering how many other ways you can use their cookie dough.  For most of my life, I just cut and sliced like the directions said but I have discovered a whole other world of baking with their dough.  When I have a few rolls of their dough in the refrigerator it’s easy to make cookies with my niece and nephews when they are over.

Another time saver I use for the holidays is to make a batch of these cookies and form the dough into a log. I wrap them and refrigerate. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for several days, after that I throw it in the freezer.  When I am going to a party I can slice and cook while I am getting ready.  I box them in a cute box, wrap with a ribbon and I have a homemade gift to bring to the party.

This is a recipe that the children can easily help out with.

Let them crumble up the dough in the mixing bowl.  They can help roll it into a log.

Cut out your slices and place a baking sheet. I like to line mine with a silpat but you could spray or line with parchment paper too.

If you want to be fancy roll out the dough and cut out shapes. This is where the kids love to jump in and help.

Bake them until they are just starting to turn brown and then remove from the oven.

Once they are cooled melt white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is smooth.  Be careful – it is better to under cook.  If you over cook the chocolate will brown and granulated.

Let the kids dip the cookies in the white chocolate and then place on wax paper or parchment paper to dry.

For more tips and to see what my fellow bloggers have baked for you go over to Pillsbury.com.  What have you made with Pillsbury dough?  Please share in the comments below.

White Chocolate Cranberry Sugar Cookies

1 Pillsbury® refrigerated Sugar Cookie Dough
1 1/2 cups white chocolate  3/4 cup reserved
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Break up the cookie dough in a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle.  Add cranberries and white chocolate to the dough and mix.

Form into a roll and slice into 1/4 “ rounds.  Place the rounds on a lined baking sheet and place in oven.  Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are turning just slightly brown.  Remove from the oven and cool.

Melt the remaining white chocolate chips in the microwave or in a bowl over simmering water.  Dip the cookies half way into the white chocolate and place on parchment paper to harden.

This week we are talking about friends and holiday traditions.  My sister- in-law Joy Liefeld and her friend Deanna White are joining me on Adventures In The Kitchen radio on KKLA 99.5

As newlyweds they started a day of baking Christmas cookies together each December and along the way they created a fun Christmas Christmas cookie decorating and exchange party.  But the party is so much more than the cookies; it is about two friends walking through the ups and downs of life together. They have seen babies born, children adopted, heartbreak, illness and lot’s of laughter.

Friendships are a precious part of a woman’s life and we are celebrating those this week.  Tune in at 4 pm on KKLA 99.5 or listen in on your computer at www.kkla.com.

It’s November, how crazy is that.  The year is zooming towards the end.  I have been feeling very arts and crafty lately making a Thankful Tree and Grateful Frame.  I started making a set of party printable and had to bake some fall goodies to go with it.  I came across these Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes on Annie Eats.

Let’s just say oh, my they are good!  Bless someone with a delivery of these this month.  You won’t regret it and they will be very happy.

My weekend holds birthday celebrations, my Friday with the kids and drinks with a friend tomorrow.  Sunday I am working on a fun new project.  Too early to share but soon.

If you want the Thanksgiving Set, it will be available for download early next week.  I’ll have more pictures and I am working on the final touches. Don’t forget to enter the contest for a Food For Thought Card set.  Share what you are thankful for this year.  I’ll pick a winner next week.

With the holiday’s just around the corner we are talking about Difficult Family Dynamics with marriage and family therapist Karla Downing.  She deals with difficult relationships and has tips for us to navigate the holidays.  Let’s face it everyone at one time or another has that awkward family gathering so listen in and get some new tools to tuck away should you need them.  That’s Sunday at 4 pm on KKLA 99.5.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
by Annie Eats

Yield: about 2 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. espresso powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 large eggs
½ cup coffee or espresso, for brushing
For the whipped cream:
2¼ cups heavy cream, chilled
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

For garnish:
Caramel colored sprinkles
Caramel sauce

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.  Stir together and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  With the mixture on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing just until incorporated.
Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full.  Bake until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.  Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pans.  While the cupcakes are still warm, brush them two or three times with the coffee or espresso, allowing the first coat to soak in before repeating.  Let cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-low speed at first, gradually increasing to high speed.  Blend in the confectioners’ sugar gradually.  Whip until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over-beat.  Use a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip to frost the cooled cupcakes.  Drizzle with caramel sauce and top with sprinkles.  Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Tomorrow I’ll be back with Chile Rellenos featuring those amazing Hatch chilies I got from Melissa’s Produce.  Today I have a fun little recipe, really not even that, you can do with kids.  For the last nine years I have been cooking with my niece and nephews.  As soon as they could pull up a stool they joined me at the kitchen counter.

A few weeks ago my niece was over and I was working on this recipe for Pizza Pot Pie for Pillsbury.  Have I shared with you that I recently became a blogger for Betty Crocker and Pillsbury?  Really a dream job.  I grew up on The Betty Crocker Cooking for Kids cookbook.  The top is made from Pillsbury pie crust. You can also make this pizza with their thin crust pizza. It is a delicious combination of fresh and dried figs, creating a easy fall appetizer or serve with a salad for a meal.

I had scraps left over so we rolled it out and cut hearts with a cookie cutter.  She sprinkled the pink sugar over and we popped the pan in the oven.  Ten minutes later she had a cute little heart cookies.

She is becoming quite the little chef.  Another one of her favorites are the Lasagna Rollups we made at her cooking party.  The girls loved spreading the ricotta cheese, sprinkling the meat and rolling up the lasagna.

My favorite thing about cooking with the kids?  Talking, dreaming and just having fun together.  I have learned so much talking and stirring.  What about you – what do you learn while cooking with your kids?

Pie Crust Cookies

Pillsbury Pie Crust
Colored Sugars

Pre heat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the dough.

Cut out cookies with the cookie cutters.

Bake 5-7 minutes or until the edges are just starting brown.