Another Edible Gift - Herbal Holiday Cookies

Check out the first post with Tarragon Mustard that also shows all the links for the Gift Card Giveaway.  You can enter the giveaway until Midnight on Wednesday November 22, 2017

This rosy cider simmers for just 10 minutes, making a great choice for drop-in visitors or last-minute parties. Great served with Christmas Cookies.

Rosie Christmas Cider

1 small orange, halved
1 teaspoon whole cloves
8 cups apple cider or apple juice
4 cups cranberry juice
1 tablespoon honey
6 inches stick cinnamon

Push tips of cloves into orange rinds.  In a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven, combine cider, cranberry juice and honey. Add clove-studded orange halves and stick cinnamon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Discard orange halves and cinnamon sticks before serving.

Holiday Spice Cookies

Cookies always take some planning and a bit of effort, but the recipients of these cookie gifts will be grinning all through the holiday.  And the spicy flavor makes them a perfect complement to the Cider recipe above.

Chewy Spice Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 

3 1/4 teaspoons Cinnfull Dessert Blend*

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 

3/4 cup vegetable shortening (preferably trans-fat-free) 

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar 

1 large egg 

1/2 cup molasses 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

1/4 cup granulated sugar 

Heat oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, Cinnful Dessert Blend, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Using an electric mixer, beat the shortening and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined (do not over mix).  Place the granulated sugar on a plate. Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls; roll in the sugar to coat. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Using a glass, press the balls to a ⅜-inch thickness and sprinkle with more granulated sugar.  Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the edges are firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

*Email me at Marcy@backyardpatch.com if you want a substitute spice blend for the Cinnful Desert Blend mentioned in the recipe.

Holiday Beverages to serve and give as gifts

Prepping for the Holiday Series

We sometimes forget that the best way to communicate the season is through beverages and scents and what better way than with hot beverages.  And these make great gifts too.  You can make seasoning blends for cider, herbal teas or seasoned hot chocolate.

Spiced Lemon Tea Mix

½ cup lemon herbs (lemon thyme, lemon balm, lemon verbena)

1 Tbls. lemon peel

1 Tbls. ginger

2 tsp. allspice

2 tsp. cloves

Blend all ingredients together. Store in a sealed jar.

To use: add 1 to 2 tsp. per cup of boiling water.

Hot Buttered Rum Mix

2 ½ cups brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cloves

½ tsp. salt

1 stick real butter (unsalted room temperature)

Mix brown sugar and spices in a large bowl.  Cut the butter into 4 pieces.  Mix into the sugar well with a spoon or electric mixer.  Place in a plastic container with a tight lid and store in the refrigerator.

To use: Place 1 to 2 tsp. mix in a mug. Add ½ to 1 jigger rum.  Fill mug with boiling water.  Serve with a cinnamon stick or a Tablespoon of ice cream.  Mix will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Alternative use: For mulled wine or hot apple cider place 1 tsp. mix in a mug.  Add 1 cup red wine or apple cider.  Heat in microwave for 1 minute.  (You can simmer larger quantities on the stove.)

Cheating Cider Simmer

¼ cup powdered (sugar-free) lemonade mix

¼ cup sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

You can layer the ingredients in a jar or mix together before placing in jar. (If layering you must include instructions to shake well before using.). 

For decoration tie a cinnamon stick to the package.

To use: stir 1 tsp. of mixture into 1 cup hot apple juice, hot cranberry juice or hot cider.

Lavender Hot Chocolate

You can give this one for the winter holidays or save it for Valentine’s Day.

2 tsp. dried lavender buds

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 Tbls. Dutch process cocoa powder

2 Tbls. sugar

1/8 tsp. Kosher salt

Blend cocoa powder, sugar and salt together.  Package the lavender and bittersweet chocolate separate.  Place all items in a decorative container. 

To use:

3 cups whole milk or half & half

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Pour milk into a medium saucepan and stir in lavender flower buds.  Set over medium heat and bring just to a boil.  Remove the mixture from heat and allow to steep for 3 to 5 minutes.  Strain the milk to remove lavender, then return milk to saucepan and whisk in the chopped bittersweet chocolate until melted and smooth.  Whisk in the cocoa powder mixture.  Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla.  Divide among coffee mugs and serve with a marshmallow or whipped cream.

If crafting these beverages is not your cup of tea, try ours:

Cinnamon Spice Tea

Silver and Gold Christmas Blend

Holly & Ivy Holiday Tea

Winter Remedy

Wassail  blend – in a cloth bag

Spiced Cider Blend - loose

Mulled Cider Blend – in tea bags

Mexican Spiced Cocoa

Sugar-free Hot Cocoa

Traditional Hot Cocoa

Spiced Cider Time

This month for the Featured Product on the website, I chose my Print Cookbooks which will soon be going digital, instead of my favorites for October – Spiced Cider Blends or Cinnful Dessert Blend. 

However, that did not stop me from thinking about what to do with these great blends, so I decided to send my musings out in a blog post.

Spiced Cider or Mulled Spice Blends

Spice Tea Latte

Do you enjoy Chai or spiced tea drinks in the fall?  Try this – Place about 1 Tbls. of Spiced Cider blend in a tea ball infuser and place it in 2 cups steamed milk for about 5 minutes. Add this spiced milk to cups of freshly brewed hot black or green tea for a quick chai-like seasonal flair.  To add decadence top with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

You can also make this for a group by placing a Mulled Cider Spice bag into 4 to 6 cups of milk and warm gently on the stove for 5 to 10 minutes.  Remove the bag and use the milk in coffee or tea.

Cinnful Dessert Blend

Grand Pumpkin Cookies

A Butter cookie is quick and easy to begin with.  Make it even more special with seasonal panache with Cinnful Dessert Blend.  Make a Cinnful  Spiced Sugar by combining ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar with 1 teaspoon of Cinnful Dessert Blend. Next, make your favorite butter cookie or sugar cookie recipe and lightly dust the top of the cookies with Cinnful Spiced Sugar before or after baking.

Butter Cookies

1/2 cup(s) butter

1 cup(s) sugar

1 egg(s)

1 1/2 cup(s) flour, all-purpose

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until combined. Add egg; beat until combined. Beat in flour, baking powder, and salt. Divide dough in half.  Shape each half of the dough into a 12-inch-long rope. Wrap and freeze about 4 hours or until firm.  Preheat oven to 325°F. Unwrap dough; carefully slice the frozen dough into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place the slices, cut sides up, on an ungreased cookie sheet. Use your Cinnful Spiced Sugar sprinkle here.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets; cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Pie French Toast or Pancakes

My husband is always looking to make breakfast a treat and when I showed him this idea we have been enjoying a bit of pumpkin-y goodness in the morning.  Stir ½ teaspoon of Cinnful Dessertblend into every 2 cups of French toast custard (egg-milk mixture) or 2 cups of pancake batter before cooking.  For great pumpkin taste add 2 Tbls of pumpkin puree to the batters as well. (You can also dust these with the Cinnful Spiced Sugar!)

Spiced Sweet Potatoes

Now candied Sweet Potatoes are a Thanksgiving staple, but this is faster and can make a perfect dinner addition.  Bake sweet potatoes until they’re nearly done; then slice halfway through each and add a sprinkling of Cinnful DessertBlend and a drizzle of honey or caramel sauce. Continue baking until the potatoes are done.

Winter Holiday Beverages - Weekend Recipes

I love the smell of Christmas! To me it smells like cinnamon, cloves, oranges, apple pie and evergreens! Two of my favorite things to make for the long winter months here are a mulling spice to be used in wine or cider and a simmer recipe ( I shared my simmer recipe earlier this week, check it out.)  I’ve shared items like this in the past, but I can create any number of combinations so these are just a bit different from those I have shared previously.

Mulling Spice

2 Tbls. Cinnamon chips

2 Tbls. Orange peel chunks

4 tsp.  whole allspice

4 tsp.  whole cloves

For mulled wine, use 2 T of the spices in a tea ball or muslin bag. Add to 1 ½ quarts Burgundy wine with 2/3 cup sugar or honey. Heat to almost boiling and simmer 20 minutes.

For mulled cider use 4 T in a tea ball or muslin bag and add to 2 quarts of cider. Simmer 15-20 minutes.

Cran-Apple Mulled Punch

This special recipe was shared with me by a customer.  She created it using the Backyard Patch Spiced Cider / Mulled Wine Blend, but you can use the blend I shared above.

12 cups apple juice

6 cups cranberry juice

½ cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 Tablespoons Mulling Spices

Simmer on low heat for 30-45 minutes.  Serve warm. Serves 20 to 25 (6 oz. cups)

Hot Spiced Pineapple Juice

I think my internet friend Mary Ellen Wilcox said that she uses this recipe at her Christmas Workshop.  I loved it because it was pineapple which is such a great juice to use at a holiday gathering.  It could also be a favorite of mine because of the rum??!

1 (48 oz.) can pineapple  juice
1 cup apple cider or juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup light rum or 2 tsp. rum  extract
Whole cloves
Lemon slices
 

Insert the wholes cloves into lemon slices and set aside.  Combine pineapple juice, apple cider, sugar and spices in a large saucepan.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in rum or extract.  Serve in tall mugs with the lemon/clove slices as garnish.  Makes 9 (6 oz.) servings.

Herbs on the Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas!

I hope your Holiday is filled with all that you desire, from family to food to peace and quiet!

This year with the herb business expanding and my role with organizing an office move time slipped through my fingers and I ended up not getting my decoration out.  We are also traveling to Wisconsin for the holiday so in the end since I would not be home to enjoy it, I decided against putting up the tree. 

So in celebration of Christmas Day I created this virtual selection of herb related ornaments that I could have put on my tree, if I’d actually gotten it out of storage!

I start with scent.  Here are the spice and applesauce balls I made at the Palos Park Library for my November program.  These smell heavenly and are so easy to make.

Not sure if I shared the recipe to make these here before but here it is:

Apple Spice Balls

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 ½ cups ground spices

  (1/2 cup each cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves)

2 tsp. orris root powder

Gradually stir the spices into cold applesauce until thick enough to roll into balls without being sticky.  If crumbly, add a bit of water.  Roll dough into small balls and lay on wax paper to air dry.  Allow to dry for 1 to 2 weeks.  Wrap in netting and tie with ribbon.  To create ornaments, push a skewer through the center, and when partly dry, remove skewer and thread with ribbon, then continue to dry.

I also crafted a scented ornament using mulling spices.  The warmth of the bulbs on the tree lifts the scent out of the ornament and it is pretty to look at too filled with cinnamon, star anise, orange and lemon peel, lemon balm and cloves. 

A friend said she dries Queen Anne’s Lace during the summer, spray paints it gold, sometimes add a bit of glitter, then sets them on the tree branches.  

In the past I have made popcorn and cranberry garlands, especially when I worked at Kline Creek Farm with the hubby.  I remember coming home with red fingers and it wasn’t only from the cranberries.

A pomander ball, made by pressing cloves into the skin of a fresh orange is always a seasonal scented delight.  They were very popular in the Victorian era and were something I remember my grandmother teaching me to make back when I was in first grade.

Pine cones are my favorite thing to use in decorations.  This year I started working on a ball ornament that incorporated many pine cones of various shapes and sizes.  I don't think it has the final look I want yet though??

I love the attractive natural look of them.  I have decorated them with just ribbon.

Dusted them with powdered sugar or glitter to give a snow effect and painted them gold and silver too. 

I like pine cones so much that 40% of the glass ornaments I have for my Christmas tree are shaped or colored like pine cones.

Hope you have enjoyed the vitual tree and however you decorate, I hope you have a blessed and peaceful holiday season.  Please enjoy your holiday and if you are traveling, be safe!

Making Herbal Gifts - Liquors and Spiced Wine

One of my favorite ‘quick presents’ is a bottle of wine, something that many people resort to buying for people they don’t know what to buy for, but I add an extra dimension to my gift.  Sometimes I add a couple of mulled wine glasses (the kind with a handle on) and pack the lot up in a basket with mulling spices.  You can pre-mix the seasoning, or add a little recipe scroll and a pretty organza bag full of spices contained in the recipe so that the recipient can make up batches of soothing, warming and delicious mulled wine

Mulling Spices for Wine or Cider

8 to 10 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
6 to 8 whole cardamom pods
3 star anise

Add spices to 1 750 ml bottle of dry red wine (like cabernet sauvignon or merlot) with a slice of lemon and orange.  If you like it sweet add 2/3 cup honey.



If you have in time and inclination, you can also make your own liquers.  I found these three receipes in my files and tried the first one with great success.

Many wonderful drinks had their beginnings in medieval monastic gardens and stillrooms. They're easy to make, but they do take time to age. If you start now, you'll be offering your liqueur New Years’ Eve guests and still have some to serve at spring events. To ensure that your liqueurs are worth the time it takes to make them, use the best ingredients, store in glass or ceramic containers, and age in a cool dark spot.

These recipes use vodka and white wine; brandy or white rum are also good. Berry Rosy Liqueur
2 pints blackberries or raspberries
1 cup fresh rose geranium leaves
4 cups vodka
½ cup white wine Syrup:
1 cup sugar
½ cup water Combine the berries, geranium leaves, vodka, and wine in a wide-mouth jar with a tight-fitting lid. Steep for one month in a cool, dark place. Open and crush the berries slightly with a potato masher and steep for another 4-5 days. Strain, pressing the juice from the berries, then filter through a coffee filter or double layer of cheesecloth. To make the syrup, bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan, add sugar, and stir until dissolved. Cool. Add half the syrup to the liqueur; taste, then continue to add and taste until it is as sweet as you like. Pour into a bottle, cap it, and age in a cool, dark place for three weeks to three months. Makes about 1½ quarts.

Spiced Pear Liqueur
8 ripe pears, juiced (about 4 cups pear juice)
2-inch piece ginger root, peeled, sliced
1 whole nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
4 cups vodka
½ cup white wine

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water

Combine the pears, ginger root, spices, vodka, and wine and proceed as above, steeping for 5 weeks. Strain, filter. Make the syrup and add as above. Bottle and age for at least 4 weeks—the longer the better.

Van Der Tum Liqueur

This is a slightly different liqueur from South Africa.  It was served on special occasions.  The spices in it make it perfect for this time of year.

6 whole Cloves
1 stick Cinnamon
1/2 Nutmeg, grated
3 cups Brandy
2 Tbls. sliced Mandarin Orange peel
3 cups Rum
1 cup white sugar
½ cup water

Bruise the cloves and cinnamon and tie, with the nutmeg, in a muslin bag. Place the muslin bag, brandy, orange peel and rum in a clean, sterilized jar and seal. Allow to infuse for one month, shaking the jar gently every day. Strain the liqueur through muslin. Boil the water and sugar until very thick, then combine with the liqueur. Decant into dry, sterilized bottles and seal.

As always you can find more recipes of a seasonal nature by visiting our Advent Calendar which adds a new holiday recipe or craft each day through December 25th.  It also has some hidden treasure int he form of discounts and free items from the Backyard Patch.

Wassail Blends and Recipes

Wassail~ the old English word waes haeil means “be ye well”  It is the centuries old tradition of welcoming the new year by offering warming drink to friends and family who came to call on New Years.

I first made a Wassail Blend in 2003 when my sister in law wanted something unique as her wedding favor.  I researched the traditional ingredients for wassail which include cinnamon and cloves, but also cardamom and ginger.  We then packaged it in a muslin bag with orange peel.  I have since found several ways to prepare wassail punch so here are several recipes to try.  The first is the recipe I include with the mixture. 

Traditional Wassail

1 Wassail Blend Bag

1 cup raisins

1 1/2 quarts grape juice (or quart of wine)

1 gallon cider

          (or 1 to 1 1/2 gallons cran-apple juice)

In a large pan, place Wassail spice bag, raisins, and grape juice (or wine).  Bring to the simmering point.  Simmer for one hour.  Remove spice bag (it can be reused one more time).  Add cider, and heat just long enough to bring the mixture to a simmer.  Pour into a preheated punch bowl and serve.  When punch is all gone, raisins can be eaten.  Wassail gets better with age, so make it ahead of time and reheat. 

Spiced Cider Wassail

2 quarts apple cider

1 quart orange juice

1 quart apricot nectar

½ cup fresh lemon juice

1 Wassail Blend Bag

In a non-reactive pan, bring to a boil the cider, juices, and the spice bag.  Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.  Transfer to a heat proof punch bowl.  You can add some clove studded orange and lemon slices and float them in the bowl of wassail.  Makes 4 quarts.

Hot Spice Punch

1 bottle of dry red wine

1/2 cup seedless raisins

1 bag of Wassail Blend 

Put wine and wassail bag in a large bowl and leave for about 8 hours.  Then add raisins and heat punch until the surface begins to shake, but does not come to a boil.  Serve warm.

GLOGG (a traditional holiday drink)

1 gallon cider

2 cup water

1 Wassail Blend Bag

1 cup red wine

1 miniature box raisins

6 whole almonds

Bourbon or apple cider

Simmer Wassail Bag in 2 cups water for 15 minutes, remove bag and add remaining ingredients.  Simmer for an additional 20 minutes.  Then add 1/2 liter of bourbon or 1/2 gallon of cider.

Cran-Apple Punch

This special recipe was shared with me by a customer.  She created it using the Spiced Cider / Mulled Wine Blend.

12 cups apple juice

6 cups cranberry juice

½ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 pkg. of Wassail Blend or Spiced Cider / Mulled Wine Blend

Simmer on low heat for 30-45 minutes.  Serve warm.

Our Wassail Blend as well as the other Spiced Cider mixtures from the Backyard Patch are available by visiting this link or our Esty Store. 

Enjoy your holiday safely and responsibly!

Cold Enough for Cider?

Autumn is without doubt my favorite season.  Being born in September and married in October it is also associated with my favorite celebrations. I love whent he leaves change and the colors become vibrant.  Living in mid US most of my life I have witnessed the seasonal changes with joy for decades.  Even though I wish my the growing season were just -- THAT MUCH longer, I also would not want to miss this season change.

This year, after a hot, wet summer is a nice change.  The weather has been 60s and 70s for about a month now with cool evenings.  I have been able to ride my bike without sweating and enjoy the flora and fauna. 

The cool evenings and changing leaves made me turn my mind to the warming joy of apple cider.  The Backyard Patch has been making cider seasonings for quite a long time.  My first blend Spiced Cider/Mulled Wine was served to volunteers from my husband's museum who would join us on Christmas Eve for refreshments and a visit to see if farm animals talked.  Then I put a blend into tea bags and called it Mulled Cider.  I also crafted a sugar-based blend to made Spiced Wine.  And more recently I designed a Wassail Blend for my sister-in-law's wedding favors.  Each of these blends combines the sweet and spicy aroma of the apple, cinnamon, cloves and other spices to warm the heart and home.

     

 

At the Backyard Patch, we make these available only during the winter season, so we have gotten out the listings, polished them up and blends a brand new batch of Cider Seasonings, so check out our listings at both Ebay and Etsy:  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400159820205 or http://www.backyardpatch.etsy.com/