Food

The Best Gingersnaps Recipe These are my must make holiday cookies, and keep really well in a closed container for a few weeks (or so they say, I seldom have them last that long.) The dough freezes well, too, and they make great gifts or treats with coffee or tea. Gingersnaps 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup molasses 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour 3 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg Additional sugar. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and nutmeg. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle. Roll into 1 inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and flatten slightly with a glass. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Cool for one minute before removing to wire racks. Yield: 11 dozen

Did you know that in my "former life," I owned a restaurant/cafe/catering business in Carytown named Gourmet Delights? One of the things we were known for were our carryout catering items. This was waaaay before supermarkets had the plethora of ready made items they do now, so being able to stock your freezer with delicious pasta dishes, soups, and and side dishes was a big deal. And one of the top sellers, especially around the holidays, was this one. Party Potatoes. Easy to make ahead, easy to travel, and always a hit. Did I mention make ahead? (Around the holidays, that certainly deserves a second mention!) Party Potatoes Ingredients 8 cups mashed potatoes (about 8 - 10 russet potatoes) 8 tbsp butter 8 oz cream cheese 8 oz sour cream 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives 1 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper Instructions Grease a 9x13 baking dish with one tablespoon of butter. In a large bowl, mix together the prepared mashed potatoes (I highly recommend using a ricer for these!) with six tablespoons of the butter, cream cheese, sour cream, salt,  and pepper. Fold in the chopped chives. Transfer the party potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Dot the top with the remaining one tablespoon of butter. At this point you can cover the dish with plastic wrap and store overnight in the refrigerator.       When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and remove the plastic wrap. Bake the potatoes for 50 - 60 minutes. *This dish also freezes well, just make sure you thaw completely before baking. What a way to make Thanksgiving just a little easier!