Chocolate Bailey's Butter Cookies

A little chocolate and a hint of Bailey's makes this smooth, buttery cookie even harder to resist. Drizzle a little green icing (flavored with Bailey's of course) to make it a wee bit of a St. Patrick's Day celebration.


1 c. unsalted butter
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream

pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and Bailey's. Mix in dry ingredients.

Drop rounded tablespoons onto a lightly-greased baking sheet. Bake until cookie looks "dry" -- about 10-12 minutes.

Yields about 3 dozen cookies.

Hot Crossed Buns

Nothing says spring and Easter to a Catholic like Hot Crossed Buns. I think these sweet, airy, fruity buns are great year round and are a perfect accompaniment to a hot cup of tea in the afternoon. This is a traditional recipe and does require a bit of time to let things rise, but the finished product is delicious. The hardest part is finding the citron!

Hot Crossed Buns

1/4 Cup Lukewarm water
1 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp yeast
1 1/2 cup scaled milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
4 1/3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup currants
1/3 cup citron, finely diced

Glaze
Melted Butter
Honey


Icing
2 tbsp hot milk
icing sugar, to thicken
zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400degrees F

1. Add lukewarm water to a small bowl and dissolve 1 tbsp of light brown sugar. sprinkle with yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes, until frothy and be sure to keep away from drafts

2. Scald the milk and add the butter, sugar and salt.

3. beat the eggs until they are light and combine slowly with the milk mixture and the yeast.

4. Sift 3 cups of flour and combine with spices in a mixing bowl.

5. Add the yeast mixture and beat for 4 minutes to form a sponge.

6. toss the currants and citron with 1/2 cup of flour and mix it with the sponge. If necessary, add more flour to make a firm dough. Beat well.

7. Set the dough in a pan of warm water to rise, covered with a towel.

8. When dough is light, push it down and form into 2 dozen balls. Place them in a well greased pan, loosely covered with a towel, to rise again. This will take about 45 minutes.

9. bake in over for about 20 minutes. Remove and brush with mixture of melted butter and honey.

10. mix hot milk with powdered sugar and lemon zest to make a thick icing. fill pastry bag and when buns are cool, form crosses on the top of the buns with the icing.

Holiday Scotch Shortbreads

Both my father's Scotch-South African mother and my mum's Irish-Canadian mother used to make shortbread cookies every Christmas. There is no hand-me-down recipe that we can find among the worn and grease-stained note cards my grannies assembled. Instead, here is the recipe my mother has been using since the 1960s which produces the loveliest, butteryest shortbread cookies this side of the Atlantic.

Holiday Scotch Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups sifted flour

chopped candied cherries

Cream butter and sugar together and work in flour. Chill. Roll out about 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured board. Cut into circles using a cutter or a sherry glass and place piece of cherry in center. Bake in slow oven, 325degrees F, until golden.

Makes approx 60 cookies.

Traditional Cranberry Relish

It's holiday cooking season which means there are a few staple dishes we all need recipes for. Cranberry relish for that turkey is one of them. This recipe includes orange juice and a dash of ginger for a little spice. It's a great compliment for that turkey meat.


TRADITIONAL CRANBERRY RELISH

16 ounces fresh cranberries, picked over removing squished and overripe berries
1 ½ cup granulated sugar, or to taste
¼ cup water or cranberry juice
½ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons orange zest
½ teaspoon ginger (optional)


First, combine sugar and liquid in a saucepan, stirring over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries, zest and (optional) ginger and continue to cook over medium heat until the berries pop open (about 10 minutes). Be careful not to overcook. Skim the foam off the surface with a metal spoon and discard. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered. The relish tastes best when served the next day. Serves approximately 10.