It’s time to begin making my list of Christmas cookie recipes. These are the ones that I’m planning on making this year:

Childhood Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate Crackles
Eggnog Cookies
Peanut Blossoms
Soft Molasses Cookies
Holiday Spritz Cookies

Forgotten Cookies

2 egg whites
pinch of salt
2/3 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 c. mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat egg whites until foamy. Add salt and continue beating until they stand in soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating thoroughly until mixture form stiff peaks.

Sprinkle vanilla and chocolate chips over the top; fold in.

Drop by small teaspoons onto lightly buttered cookie sheet (or cover cookie sheet with parchment). The cookies may be close together since they will not spread.

Place in hot oven and turn the oven off immediately. Let the cookies dry overnight in the oven.

Forgotten cookies ready to go into the oven. You can place them closely together because you don’t have to worry about them spreading while baking.

This list is subject to change (and maybe a couple of additions) before I begin my annual cookie baking marathon.

Bon Appétit - Thanksgiving Dish by Dish

Food Network - Thanksgiving 2007

Butterball - Guide for First-Timers

Crisco - Fried Turkey and All the Fixings

Kraft Foods - Holiday How-To Center

The second best thing about the dessert is the moment when your spoon first breaks the crispy sugar topping. The best thing is, of course, eating it.

Creme Brulee

8 egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
2 cups cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup granulated sugar (for topping)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yolks and 1/3 cup sugar until well-mixed. Add cream and vanilla and continue to whisk until well blended.

Divide into ramekins or custard cups. (I used eight 1/2 cup ramekins and had mixture left over.) Place ramekins in a large baking pan filled with 1″ to 2″ of water. Bake at 300 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes - until set around the edges but still loose in the center.

Remove from oven and let cool in the pan with water. Put the ramekins in the refrigerator to cool further for at least 2 hours (may be kept there for up to two days).

When ready to serve, sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of sugar across the top of each custard. Knock off the extra - a thin, light coat works best. Use a hand-held kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar or place the ramekins under the broiler until the sugar melts. (The torch works best - it’s easier to control how the sugar melts, avoid burning, and it’s fun.)

Rechill the custards for a few minutes and then serve.

If you want, you can garnish each creme brulee with fresh berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberry slices). It adds a touch of color and the sweet creaminess of the custard is complimented perfectly by the tartness of the berries.

Check out the interactive holiday cookie jar for an assortment of cookie and candy recipes.

Fruit Rugelach

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups apricot preserves
1 cup chopped almonds, toasted
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Pulse first 4 ingredients in a food processor until dough leaves sides of bowl. Divide dough into 8 portions, shaping each portion into a ball. Wrap separately in plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour.
Remove 1 dough portion, and roll into an 8-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Spread with 1/4 cup apricot preserves, leaving a 2-inch circle of uncovered dough in center. Sprinkle preserves with 2 tablespoons almonds. Cut circle into 8 wedges, and roll up wedges, starting at a wide end.

Place, point side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet, curving into a crescent shape. Repeat procedure with remaining dough portions, preserves, and almonds.

Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over each crescent.

Bake at 375° for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Apple Rugelach: Melt 1/4 cup butter or margarine in a large skillet; add 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely chopped, and 1 cup sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, 5 to 7 minutes or until mixture is thick and golden. Cool. Substitute for apricot preserves. Substitute 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted, for almonds.

Makes about 5 dozen.

Cake Mix Cookies

1 (18.25-ounce) package devil’s food cake mix
1 large egg
1/2 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring well (dough will be sticky). Stir in chopped pecans, if desired. Dust hands with powdered sugar, and shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Coat balls with powdered sugar, and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until done; remove to wire racks to cool.

Yield: about 5 dozen

Soy-Orange Sauce Pork Chops

3/4 c freshly squeezed orange juice
2 T soy sauce
1 t sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
8 sprigs fresh thyme
8 lean loin pork chops
2 T butter
2 T safflower oil

Combine orange juice with soy sauce, sugar, garlic, pepper and thyme sprigs. Set aside.

With a sharp knife, score the pork chops 1/8-inch deep in a crisscross pattern on each side. Place in a glass or stainless steel dish in a single layer. Pour the marinade over chops and let sit at least 30 minutes. Drain and reserve the marinade.

Heat the butter and oil in a large, heavy skillet until hot. Pat the chops dry and saute them over high heat for 3 minutes on each side, browning them well. Reduce heat to low and pour reserved marinade over chops. Cook until done, about 8 to 10 minutes longer. Remove chops to a heated platter. Reduce the marinade in the skillet to 1/3 cup. Pour over the cooked chops and serve immediately.

Sweet and Spicy Football Cookies

1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2¾ cups buttermilk biscuit and baking mix
1 cup (6 ounces) white “chocolate” chips
2 teaspoons shortening

In large mixer bowl, beat brown sugar and butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, ginger, cinnamon and cloves; beat until light and fluffy. Add biscuit and baking mix, beating on low speed to combine. Chill dough for at least 1 hour.

On surface dusted with additional biscuit and baking mix, roll out half of dough to 1/8-inch thickness. With cookie cutter, cut out football shapes (or other shapes as desired). Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are no longer moist. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

To decorate, place white chocolate chips and shortening in heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; microwave on medium for 3 to 4 minutes, massaging bag every minute, or until chips are melted. Cut off tip of one corner of bag. Pipe melted white chocolate onto cookies to resemble laces on footballs. Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies, depending on size of cutter.

Note: To make sandwich cookies, spread additional melted white chocolate on top of cookie. Top with another cookie. Decorate as directed above.

On our first full day at Disney World we had lunch with an Imagineer at the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant in the Disney-MGM Studios park. This is a special dining experience where a small group of people have a meal with a Disney Imagineer and have the opportunity to ask some “behind the scenes” questions.

The lunch lasted about three hours and while we didn’t learn any Disney secrets it was still very interesting and the lunch was delicious. I took photos of a couple of the individual Cobb salads but forgot to take photos of any of the other courses - the good food and conversation was too distracting.

At the end of the meal we received personalized menus and glass plates that our Imagineer personalized. We had received badges engraved with our names and “Dining with an Imagineer” on them before our lunch.

My oldest son and I had lunch here on the day we arrived in Orlando. The younger kids were went to the pool and picked up lunch later at Hurricane Hanna’s Grill.

I had the cheeseburger with fries and a root beer float. The burger was typical for what you get at most Disney locations in the parks…not bad but nothing special either. My son ordered the roast beef sub and thought it was very tasty.

This is a small restaurant and there can be a wait for seating unless you go during the mid-afternoon.

We returned later in the week to the take-out side of the restaurant and got some sundaes and malts. (Only the ice cream creations are available for carry out.)

Sweet potato casserole recipe from the Chicago Sun-Times.

3 pounds canned sweet potatoes
3/4 cup orange juice
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Topping:

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons golden brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8-inch baking dish.

Mash sweet potatoes. Add orange juice, eggs, butter, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into dish.

For the topping, combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter. Mix in pecans. Sprinkle topping over potatoes.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Every time we had passed Morocco in the World Showcase we had been tempted by the smells coming from the nearby kiosk for the Food and Wine Festival. Since the offerings there were similar to what was available in the restaurant, I was really hoping that our dinner there would be something special.

I wasn’t impressed. The Beef Brewat Rolls that I ordered as an appetizer were served at room temperature and the powdered sugar sprinkled on them overwhelmed any seasoning the meat had. My main dish was Shish Kabobs of beef tenderloin and vegetables. The beef was overcooked, not just well-done but dried out and tough. The kabobs were sitting in a sauce that reminded me of a bland, watery spaghetti sauce.

According to Disney’s site, “One of the many delights of this exotic treat of a restaurant is the traditional belly dancers that entertain throughout the day.” I had used this as a major selling point when talking my teenage sons into trying this restaurant but unfortunately neither the belly dancer nor the musicians were preforming while we were there.

The service was adequate, not quite neglectful but also not as attentive as most of the other table service restaurants that we tried.

This was probably the most disappointing meal of our trip.