German Pepper Cookies or Pfeffernüesse

This cookies are wonderful with coffee. Don't be afraid of the list of spices, they taste surprisingly good.

Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup ground hazelnuts or any other nut

Method

• Mix flour and next 6 ingredients.
• Beat butter with brown and white sugar at medium speed for 4 minutes. Add egg and mix well. Add flour and nuts and mix on low.
• Spoon batter evenly into 15 mounds on a cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Cream Puffs

You can use these for either savory or sweet fillings.

Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup flour
4 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method

• Heat water and butter in a saucepan to a rolling boil
• Add flour, reduce heat to low, stir in vigorously for 1 minute or until mix forms a ball. Remove from heat.
• Beat in eggs, all at once with a wooden spoon. Continue beating until smooth.
• Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 3 inches apart. Bake at 400 for 35 to 40 minutes.
  

Sugar-Free Strawberry Jam

I left this one chunky, and it was rather like a chunky strawberry sauce. I love it on top of cottage cheese for breakfast, it also freezes well.

Ingredients
1 lb strawberries, cleaned and cut
1 cup cold water
1 (3 oz) package sugar-free strawberry flavored gelatin

Method

• Crush the strawberries in a food processor. Add the water, and gelatin and mix well.
• Over medium heat, bring the mix to boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Pour into jars and allow to cool before you cover.

Moroccan Chicken Pizza

I love interesting pizza!

Ingredients
1 can pizza dough
4 cups of fresh organic baby spinach
2 Tb slivered almonds
1 Tb pine nuts
2 Tb extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped grilled chicken (6 oz)
1/4 cup orange apricot jam
3 Tb chopped dates
1/2 tsp ground fennel
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

Method

• Heat oven to 400F, spread dough on cookie sheet as thin as you like your crust to be. Bake for 5 minutes, get out of the oven.
• Chop the spinach, almonds, pine nuts and olive oil in a food processor until a paste forms.
• Mix the chicken, jam, dates, fennel and cardamom.
• Spread the spinach mix on the crust, top with the chicken mix and crumbled goat cheese.
• Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Jam Cookies

This is my first attempt at rolling cookie dough and using a cookie cutter to create shapes. I am happy to report, it was a success :).

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vodka

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

6 Tb jam (I used black currant jam and coconut jam)

Method

• In a mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
• Add the eggs one at a time, the vodka and vanilla.
• Mix well.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Add the flour and mix well.
• Dump the dough on waxed paper, roll it and refrigerate at least 3 hours
• Roll cookies out. Cut using a cookie cutter, then using a smaller cookie cutter, remove the center of half of them.
• Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
• Cook on wire rack. Put 1 tsp of jam in the middle of full cookies, spread the jam, then top with the holed cookies.

Viennese Coffee Balls

Who doesn't love a no-bake chocolatey cookie!

Ingredients

2 cups crushed shortbread cookies (about 8 cookies), crushed

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped

3 TB cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp instant coffee

3/4 tsp cinnamon

4 Tb strong coffee or espresso

Method

• Combine cookie crumbs, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, nuts, cocoa powder, coffe crystals and cinnamon.
• Stir in coffee just enough to moisten.
• Shape into 1/2-inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar. Place on waxed paper and let stand for 1 hour (or until dry). Roll again lightly in powdered sugar.