Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookie Recipe from Woo-Woo

Woo-Woo's Sugar Cookie Recipe | Hannah & Husband

When I was little, baking with Woo-Woo (my grandmother) was one of my very favorite activities. Last year around this time, I shared the story of winning 1st place at the church baking competition with her pumpkin pie on my personal blog. This year, as we get closer to the season of family and houseguests, I wanted to tell you about her sugar cookies.

 Woo-Woo baked a few dozen sugar cookies for every holiday. They were huge cookies that were bunny shapes and Christmas tree shapes and snowmen shapes–all with a layer of pale pastel buttercream frosting. I used to think the recipes was her mothers. Then, when I finally got her to show me the recipe, she pulled out a newspaper clipping  that I believe she got from my Aunt Judy. It read: “Mom’s Soft Sugar Cookies”–so it was someone’s mom just not her’s! Regardless, each year when Fall arrives, I feel the urge to bake these cookies. They take a little time, so it’s worth it to make a couple batches at once and share with friends just like she did.

Woo-Woo's Sugar Cookie Recipe | Hannah & Husband

Cookie Ingredients:

3 14 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. soda
12 tsp. salt
12 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg unbeaten
1 12 tsp. vanilla
12 cup thick sour cream

grandmas-sugar-cookies-hannahandhusband-4

Woo-Woo's Sugar Cookie Recipe | Hannah & Husband

Sift together flour, soda, and salt.

Combine butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla.

Beat together and add sour cream and flour mixture gradually.

Wrap up the dough in plastic and stick it in the fridge for about an hour.

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Preheat over to 375°F.

Roll out on a floured board until 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. (These stay pretty thick. The trick is to make sure that they’re all around the same size so that they cook evenly.)

Sprinkle with sugar, roll in lightly.

Cut into shapes and place on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool completely.

grandmas-sugar-cookies-hannahandhusband-11

Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/8 tsp. salt
1 lb. confectioners’ sugar
2 egg yolks or 1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. milk

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Cream butter until soft and add salt.

Gradually add part of sugar to the butter.

Blend in egg and vanilla.

Add remaining sugar alternately with milk until it is of spreading consistency.

Add food coloring. I have recently fallen in love with Wilton Gel Coloring. Start with an 18 tsp. because it adds a lot of bold color very quickly.

Ice your cookies.

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Click here to print the recipe, and please let us know if you bake any for the holidays!

 

 

Sweet & Savory Fig Pizza

A few nights ago, my friend Cindy suggested we come over for a pizza night. Immediately my mind went to a laid back evening complete with plastic checkered table cloths and arcade games. However, when we got there she’d laid out a full antipasti spread fit for an Italian family much larger than our group of 4. (I’m both happy and ashamed to report this did not stop us from cleaning our plates.) Then, she prepared two pizzas: one a more traditional fare with tomato sauce and buffalo mozzerella, the other the sweet and savory pizza I want to share with you today. I added a few additions to the recipe Cindy used (no arugula or prosciutto were on the original rendition), but rest assured any variation will be absolutely delicious!

Sweet & Savory Fig Pizza | Secrets of a Belle

Sweet & Savory Fig Pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza Dough (We love Ree Drummond’s crust recipe.)

Trader Joe’s Fig Butter

Figs

Goat Cheese

Red Onion

Prosciutto

Arugula

Sweet & Savory Fig Pizza | Secrets of a Belle

We like to spread the dough out on our pizza stone, which is best when started in a cold oven and warmed up with the preheating process. Leave it in for 8-10 minutes–just until it loses that doughy look. However, if you don’t have a stone, you can skip this step.

Preheat your oven to 500°F

Spread a thin layer of fig butter on the dough and then dress your pizza with figs, goat cheese, red onion, and prosciutto.

Cook until your crust gets crispy.

Finish by throwing on a bit of arugula before serving. I think the peppery green is a nice complement to the sweet pizza. Although, my mother in law would pick it off and ask why I put “weeds” on her pizza.

 

Hello, Gorgeous!

If you’re a new reader, “Hello, Gorgeous!” posts are a round-up of beautiful, random links that are making me smile this week. Enjoy!

I have tried very hard to reign in the fact that I am a Disney fanatic for the purposes of this blog. But this little short had me at hello, and I just couldn’t resist sharing. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the modern feminist movement and the tension that still seems to exist over ‘having it all,’ the definition of beauty, etc. etc. I’ll probably write about that at some point when my thoughts are a bit more organized.

In the meantime, I *love* the message of this video. I love how Disney is redefining & evolving a franchise so near and dear to my own heart, and helping little girls put value on things that really matter: bravery, loyalty, family, kindness… Enjoy!

 

myplate-first-lady-favs

This week in honor of MyPlate’s 2nd anniversary, the First Lady shared some of her favorite recipes on Pinterest! I’ve printed off a few to try and you should too!

I'd love to know who did this painting I found on Pinterest. Any ideas?

I’d love to know who did this painting I found on Pinterest. Any ideas?

:// Update on the paining above: A reader with a keen eye let me know that the above painting is actually a card from Black Olive Studio’s Hothouse collection! Isn’t that lovely? //:

Scientists in Great Britain have actually proven that a bit of bubbly really can boost your brain power. (Read all about on Forbes.com) You’re welcome, America!

illustration by Golden Cosmos for the NYTimes Book Review

illustration by Golden Cosmos for the NYTimes Book Review 

Looking for some summer reading ideas? I really enjoyed reading “What I Read That Summer” in the New York Times Book Review last Sunday. It’s a collection of short essays by famous authors about literary memories, and it is really beautiful.

Finally, were you sucked into Arrested Development’s Season 4 on Netflix for the past couple of weeks? Check out these 2 clips…

 

*Happy Sunday!*

 

 

Caring for Your Iron Skillet (& a Southern cornbread recipe with Rebecca Gordon!)

iron-skillet

In the South, there are few items that can hold a candle to a belle’s iron skillet. When making out her will, a grandmother may pass down her iron skillet with as much intention as the family china. Why? An iron skillet isn’t just a cooking vessel–it’s an investment of time, a reminder of the care put into it, and a history of everything that the vessel has held before.

A good iron skillet is well-seasoned. That is, over time a surface of lard has built up making the pan non-stick as well as adding a very distinct flavor. Yes, I know your skillet says it’s pre-seasoned but, trust me honey, it’s not. Here’s how to do it right!

To season your iron skillet…

  • Preheat your oven to 300°F.
  • Thinly coat the inside of your pan with Crisco or canola oil. These are my favorites because they don’t add any particular flavor, and they won’t go rancid on the pan.
  • Leave your skillet in the 300° oven for 3 hours, then let cool completely.
  • If this is your first seasoning, repeat this process 3 times.
  • After the initial seasoning, do this about once every month or two.
  • It’ll really start to feel like yours after the first few batches of bacon. I always make these first after seasoning because it adds another layer of flavor.

iron-skillet-salt

Cleaning your iron skillet…

Here’s the key: Don’t let it sit. I am one of the worst when it comes to fixing a big meal, and then going straight to bed without cleaning up. This is no way to treat your iron skillet. First of all, the longer you let things sit, the harder they’ll be to clean off. Second, the fat on the bottom of your skillet can begin to pick up flavors you don’t want as it sits.

The other key: Never. EVER. use soap. NEVER! As I said before, the iron skillet is all about the surface. That’s what gives your food flavor and, in turn, that’s what makes your skillet so valuable. So don’t wash it off! Instead…

After you cook, assess your pan.

Is there anything stuck to the bottom?

  • Fill your skillet halfway with water, and bring it to a boil for a few minutes.
  • Then, empty the water and use a rubber scraper to remove anything that is stuck to the surface.

Everything out, and it just needs to be cleaned?

  • When your pan is cool to the touch, throw in a handful of kosher salt.
  • Gently rub it in with a rag. (You can use paper towels, but I prefer a rag because paper towels crumble with the salt scrubbing.)
  • You’ll see the remnants of dinner being soaked up by the salt.
  • Rinse out the salt with water. Dry your skillet. And coat with a thin layer of canola oil or Crisco.
  • Store in a dry place. I actually keep mine in the oven.

And now, Iron Skillet Rehab

When a friend brought me a rusty iron skillet a couple of weeks ago, I decided that I’d give it a little rehab and then do a blog post. Little did I know, the rusty surface was thick and flaky so ‘a little rehab’ turned into a Sunday afternoon.

In retrospect, I do not endorse trying to save an iron skillet from the grave. When iron turns to rust, it makes terrible pock marks that can totally ruin the even cooking surface you get with a good skillet. However, if there’s a smaller amount of rust you should be able to use one of the items below, in order of lightest to most abrasive…*

  • kosher salt
  • steel wool
  • a paste of baking soda and water (I rotated this with boiling water and the rust just lifted out.)
  • fine grain sand paper

*Note: Using any of these will ruin any seasoning already existing on your skillet.

I think it must be in a belle’s blood to not let an iron skillet die. In the words of a co-worker, “Can’t you buy a new skillet for like $11?” Yes. Yes you can, but that’s not the point. Southern allegiance to your skillet is very real so when you get a skillet of your own take care of it. Cherish it. If you’re good to the skillet, the skillet will be good to you.

Now… what to make in the skillet?

My friend Rebecca Gordon is the most fabulous of cooks! You may remember that I met her in September when we visited with Southern Living in Charleston. We’ll chat a little more with Rebecca later today but, for now, hop on over to Rebecca’s blog Buttermilk Lipstick to get her recipe for the perfect Southern cornbread!

mark-twain-cornbread

 

 

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Huzzah! Strawberry season is here! Every year, I look forward to The Market in Maryville getting the first shipments of strawberries in from South Carolina, and last week it finally happened. Over the past 5 days, I have eaten more strawberry shortcake than most Americans will eat all year long. No regrets. So today, I thought I’d share with you one of my very favorite recipes: strawberry jam.

strawberry jam

Strawberry Jam

Ingredients:

2 lbs strawberries (it’s usually 2 containers)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 of a peeled green apple (a natural pectin… i.e. the stuff that helps it turn to jelly)
1 tsp orange rind
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:

  1. Top & hull the strawberries.
  2. Use a food processor to chop berries into smaller pieces or just squish them up with your hands.
  3. Throw the green apple into the food processor as well or finely chop.
  4. Stir in sugar, orange rind, & cinnamon.
  5. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the entire mixture to a boil.
  6. Turn down and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, stirring every 5-10 minutes.*
  7. Once your jam reaches the consistency you desire, place in jars and let cool completely. Once it’s completely cool, store it in the fridge.

*For the first 20 minutes or so, you’ll need to remove the foam that accumulates on the top. The foam is really just a result of the boiling jam. It won’t really affect the taste, but it will prevent your jam from reaching the right consistency.

 

The best thing about strawberry jam is that it will make your house smell like the perfect Spring evening. It’s equally as yummy on toast as it is on shortbread, and while I’d suggest canning it, I can almost guarantee your batch won’t last that long. So turn on some Nat King Cole, curl up on the couch with your honey, and enjoy the natural aphrodisiac of Strawberry Jam. You can thank me later.

Is making jam just not enough for you? Consider heading to Dayton, Tennessee this weekend for the annual Strawberry Festival. Just looking for a new dessert? Might I recommend Alton Brown’s shortcake recipe? It is delish!

Ready for the Weekend?

I know. I know! It’s only Thursday. But I have to tell you, I am sooo ready for the weekend! Tomorrow afternoon, Husband & I will be heading up to the mountains with some of our dearest friends to spend the weekend relaxing by the river. So tonight, I’m putting together a few little goodies for our trip. This, of course, turned into “Why not plan a cute little brunch & post it on the blog?” You’re welcome.

simple-spring-brunch

Find a Le Creuset French Press (which I am currently coveting) here.  //  Cute pic of Strawberry-Lemonade muffins from Southern Living. I’ll be the first to admit, I am a sucker for good food-styling! (I don’t even like lemon in my baked goods; I just can’t seem to get enough of that summery pic.)

So tell me… what is your favorite brunch indulgence?
Is there anything we simply must try?

Momma’s Fantasy Fudge

Thanks to Pinterest, I have been finding so many great recipes lately, and this afternoon I plan on sharing a few of my favorites on Twitter & Facebook. But first, I thought I’d share one of our favorite family recipes. This time of year, we keep the ingredients on hand for easy access on a rainy Friday night or a snowed-in school day. I prefer peanut butter fudge as you can tell from the pic below, but the recipe can be for both chocolate and peanut butter fudge… it all depends on what chips you use!

fantasy-fudge-secretsofabelle

Momma’s Easy Fantasy Fudge

Prepare a 13×9 or 9 inch square pan by lightly greasing it before starting your recipe. You will need a 4 quart microwavable bowl for this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks butter

3 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 package (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips (or peanut butter chips, plus 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter)

1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

1.) Microwave butter one minute or until melted.

2.) Add sugar and evaporated milk; mix well.

3.) Microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Mix well; scrape bowl. Then microwave on HIGH for another 5 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. It’ll be boiling like crazy.

4.) Gradually stir in chips until melted. Add remaining ingredients, in order listed; mix well.
Pour into prepared pan. Cool at room temperature before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container. Makes 3 pounds.

Tips & Tricks from Momma:

If you are making this recipe with peanut butter, the reason for the 1/2 cup peanut butter addition is that the peanut butter chips come in a smaller weight than the chocolate. 

One word of warning: I’ve always made several batches of fudge in a row. I learned the hard way that your spoon needs to be completely dry when you add and stir in the chips and marshmallow creme. I used to stir with my favorite wooden spoon and would wash it in between batches of fudge. The wooden spoon tended to not be completely dry when I’d work with it on the second batch. What happened is that the fudge would suddenly turn grainy and harden much too fast to work with. I learned my lesson…and in the process, realized that an introduction of another liquid such as vanilla flavoring should always be added right at the end of the recipe!

P.S. Don’t forget to check Twitter & Facebook this afternoon to see some of my favorite Pinterest recipes! #BellesPinterestFinds

 

Charlie Brown’s Feast

Still worried about the holiday tomorrow? Have all your friends decided to congregate at your casa despite the fact that your family is going to Grandma’s house for dinner? Well, I’ve got you covered! *wink*

Charlie Brown:
I can’t cook a Thanksgiving dinner. All I can make is cold cereal and maybe toast.

Linus:
That’s right. I’ve seen you make toast. You can’t butter it, but maybe we can help you.

 

charlie brown thanksgiving essentials

It’s Officially Cranberry Season

This week the time change hit the Slaughter house like a cannonball. With the days getting shorter it seems all we want to do is cook, sleep, put on Netflix, and make pretty things. So as promised, I’ll be sharing some recipes that will help us all hunker down for winter, starting with the Cranberry Orange Relish that I mentioned earlier in the week. It’s perfect for all those turkey sandwiches I’m sure we’ll all be eating during the holidays. It’s even pretty tasty to have on the side of your Thanksgiving plate as a tart little something between savory bites. Enjoy!

cranberry-orange-relish

Cranberry Orange Relish

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh cranberries
rind of 1 clementine
fruit of 2 clementines
1/4 cup golden raisins
2T Patron Citronge (or other orange liqueur)
a little bit of sugar

– – – – – – – – – –

1.) Add fruit to a food processor/blender and chop fine. You can serve it on your table like this or…

2.) For more of a condiment, for sandwiches and stuff, add the mixture to a heavy-bottomed saucepan with the liqueur and cook until it turns bright red. Add sugar if it needs a little sweetening up.

Store in a jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Hello, Gorgeous! : Random Links to Start Your Week

Read:

When I first started reading blogs several years ago, Alicia Paulson’s “Posie Gets Cozy” was one of the first ones I read. Not only does she make incredibly beautiful things, she is a beautifully poetic writer. She’s also the type of writer that makes you feel like an old friend after reading just a couple of posts. Needless to say, when she announced that she and her husband recently had the privilege of adopting a precious baby girl, I couldn’t help but cheer.

In case you are unaware, November is National Adoption month, and this is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart. There are so many children out there who need a family or, more accurately, a safe place to be loved. So go  read Alicia (and Amelia)’s story and then pray about maybe donating time or funds to those kids who haven’t been lucky enough to find their place yet.

Eat: 

Last week I posted this photo on Instagram. (How did we eat lunch before camera phones?) I couldn’t resist. This is my favorite time of year to grocery shop! Fresh cranberries and cider are on display in every bodega while baking powder and Swanson broth are sold in bulk at the market. I am a firm believer that making your own food leads to a more beautiful life so if you’ve never been much of a cook, this is definitely the time to start! I’m going to be posting lots of basic recipes over the next few months to help us all learn some skills while we hunker down for winter starting later this week with this basic cranberry relish. It’s the perfect condiment for turkey sandwiches or tart taste to have on the side of your Thanksgiving plate.

Wear:

This week, I couldn’t help but laugh when I came across these LIFE magazine images from 1945. Animal sweater are *everywhere* these days, and I must admit that seeing how adorable these girls look in them, I may actually have to give in to the trend. Although, I think this saxophone sweater may be a bit more my style.

** BTW, SUPER FUN ANNOUNCEMENT COMING
YOUR WAY AT NOON! **