Baking Up a Holiday Storm

1. 1½ cups butter, softened

2. 2 cups white sugar

3. 4 eggs

4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5. 5 cups all-purpose flour

6. 2 teaspoons baking powder

7. 1 teaspoon salt

8. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.

9. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.

10. Cover and chill dough for at least one hour(or overnight)

11. Preheat oven to 400°F.

12. Roll out dough on floured surface ¼ to ½ inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter.

13. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

14. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely. Gingerbread Cookies (Kamryn Ebling)

15. ½ cup sugar

16. ½ cup shortening

17. 1½ teaspoons soda

18. 1 teaspoon cinnamon

19. 1 teaspoon ginger

20. 1 egg

21. 1 cup molasses

22. 2½ cups sifted flour

23. ½ teaspoon cloves

24. ½ teaspoons salt

25. 1 cup hot water

26. Cream shortening and sugar.

27. Add beaten egg and molasses.

28. Sift dry ingredients.

29. Add hot water.

30. Beat until batter is smooth.

31. Bake in shallow pan for 35 minutes in oven at 325°F-350° Cream Puffs (Lisa Kim) Choux Batter

32. 100 milliliters water

33. 60 grams unsalted grams unsalted butter

34. 1 pinch salt

35. 60 grams flour

36. 3-4 eggsCream

37. ½ cup heavy cream

38. ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

39. 3 tablespoon sugar

40. 35 grams melted chocolate

41. In a pot, combine the water, butter, and a pinch of salt; turn on the burner. Bring it to a boil on medium heat. When the butter is completely melted and it reaches a rolling boil turn off the burner.

42. Add the sieved flour to the pot. Quickly stir the mixture. When the flour has absorbed the water evenly and the mixture begins to turn gooey, turn on the burner again. Continue to stir the mixture on medium heat until a thin film forms on the bottom of the pot.

43. Place the mixture into a bowl. Flatten it with a spatula and slightly cool to avoid cooking the egg. When the egg is completely absorbed, begin adding another portion.

44. To prevent the batter from getting too thin, drop the batter from the spatula as shown to check the consistency. When the choux batter left hanging forms a “V” shape, it is the perfect consistency.

45. Dust the edge of a 5 centimeter cup with any type of flour or starch. Then, as a rough guide, make 12 circles where the choux batter will be placed on the parchment. Pipe up the batter to the parchment paper.

46. Dampen your finger with water and press each peak of the batter, adjusting the shape.

47. Place the baking sheet into the oven (preheated to 390°F and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the baking sheet. Place the choux pastries on to a cooling rack and cool completely.

48. Add heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract into a bowl. Mix it with a hand mixer for 5-10 minutes.

49. Add chocolate. Mix for 3 minutes.

50. Cool it in the refrigerator.