Speaking of Gingerbread

Martha Stewart thinks I'm a Gingerbread. What are you?

btw, I have her gingerbread stickers and stamp.

You're warm, spicy, and multifaceted.

But you knew that, didn't you...(smile) So what kind of cookie are you?? Answer the short quiz and find out. Some nice silly fun to help you relax and enjoy the holiday spirit.

Why Didn't I Think...

Power Cord Labels

from Martha of course.

"When you are crawling under a desk, all the power cords look the same. To save yourself some trouble when searching for the one you want to unplug, make labels from leftover bread-bag clips. Just write the name of each device on the unprinted side of a clip with a permanent marker, and attach the clip to the proper cord. First Published: Special Issue 2001"

Dulce How Sweet You Are

Dulce de Leche is one of my absolute favorites. Yes, I could happily eat it right from the can and often do. I make it myself, and boiling it up in the can WELL covered is so worth it. Do 2 or 3 cans at once. You won't regret it. (Dulce instructions are in the bottom of the recipe.)

Now what can you do with DdL? in addition to eating it with a spoon? Well I've had some Linzer torte cookie cutters for quite some time, and while they're not bat cut outs, I think Autumn Leaves will do quite nicely. I think this will be my Halloween treat for me. The recipe is from Martha of course.

Ingredients

Makes 18.

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dulce de leche

Directions

1. Whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg, yolk, chocolate, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 36 rounds with a 2-inch cutter, and space 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Using an aspic cutter set, cut a triangle, point side up, in the center of half the cookies, and then use the half-moon cutter to make one "wing" on each side of the triangle. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375. Bake until set, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool. Top each uncut cookie with 1 teaspoon dulce de leche and a cutout cookie.

LisaAW says about MAKING DULCE DE LECHE

Dulce de leche is basically caramel that is very simple to make. Take a can of sweetened condensed milk and place the CLOSED can into a pot of water - cover at least by 3 times. Bring the pot of water to simmer(tiny bubbles)simmer your can for 3 hours. Turn off the heat allow to cool, remove from from water and allow to completely cool - even over night...do not try to open the can before it has cooled.

*answer to Curlypops and other Australians. I gather you can buy spreadable caramel over there. Actually, if they are your cookies, use what you like as a spread... Dulce de Leche, caramel, Nutella, Fluffo (just thought of Fluffo last night) ...the point is spreadable and sweet.

12 Days of Halloween - Day 12

If you are still at a loss for ideas, there is always Martha with enough ideas to take you ahead several generations.

I do love this winner from the Great Pumpkin Contest. Could you have said no???


Finally, for those who ARE thinking ahead, how about next year's quilt?

The Quiltmaker is your source for this one.

I hope you have enjoyed reading these 12 days of Halloween as much as I have while making them. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays...even without the candy. Well, maybe not without ANY candy.... Spook on!