It is Christmas Cookie Time again!

Christmas cookie baking at Rhonda's means Christmas is near!! This year we had tried and true recipes along with a couple new. Enjoy the new recipes! (The oldies but goodies can be found under cookies!)

The Bakers

Cookies Galore

Jennifer's Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese, room temp.
• 1/2 cup butter, room temp.
• 1 egg
• 1 cup white or semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
• 15 oz. box strawberry cake mix
• 1/3 cup powder sugar

1. Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth
2. Mix in egg
3. Add dry cake max stir until combined
4. Stir in chips and nuts
5. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in powdered sugar.
6. Place cookies on a cookie sheet and refrigerate (1 hr) or freeze (15 minutes).
7. Place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees.
8. Bake 8 - 10 minutes.
9. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes then move to cooling rack.
10. Sprinkles may be added prior to baking if desired.

Rhonda's Orange- Cranberry Pinwheels (bottom)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons orange zest 
• 3 cups all purpose flour

1. In a food processor blend cranberries, pecans and brown sugar until pieces are small. Chill.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream butter and sugar. Add  baking powder, salt, eggs and zest. Beat on medium low for 1 minute or until lumpy. Slowly add flour while beating at a medium speed until mixed well. Chill at least an hour.
3. Divide dough in half. Place one section between two piece of wax paper. Roll into a rectangle approximately 1/4  thick. remove top piece of wax paper and spreed cranberry mixture over evenly but allowing a 1/2 inch border on all sides.
4. Begin rolling rectangle from short  to seal ends. Place roll on a clean piece of wax paper and shut. (To avoid a flat bottom place between two large drinking glasses).
5. Repeat with remaining dough.
6. Chill at least 24 hours. (After a few hours roll gently to avoid flat spots.)
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice into 1/4 " thick slices. Space 1 - 2" apart on a cookie sheet and bake 8- 10 minutes. Leave cookies on sheet a couple minutes then move to cooling rack.

Rhonda's Chess Cake

There is no limit to Rhonda's talent!

She will make a cake to meet any occasion or interest!

... and her cakes are delicious too!

Baby Shower Cake Pops for Baby Harper

Cake Pops to Welcome Our First Grandchild

by 

Rhonda

Rattle Cake Pops 

Grandma and Great Great Grandma to be 

More shower cake pops!

Rhonda's talent with cake is endless! Here she out does herself again!

Moist Banana Bread

Thoroughly mix the following:

3-4 ripe bananas - well mashed
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk

In a separate bowl sift together the following:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and mix with electric mixers for two minutes.

Add the following to your batter and beat for one minute:

2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk

Transfer batter to loaf pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick when inserted comes out clean.

Rhonda had a busy Fall ... more cakes!!

Rhonda's cakes never disappoint!
I think you will agree the impossible has happened ,,, Rhonda's cakes keep getting better!

Gender Reveal Cake - Ricky and Erin -Before!

Gender Reveal Cake - After - It's a Girl!

Blair's Bridal Shower Cake

Rhond'as Halloween Party Cake

Don't be fooled!
Cheese ball cake for Blair's Bridal Shower!

Cake Balls for Blair's Bridal Shower!

John's Groom Cakes!

Jello Groom's Cake

Mary Jane's Potato Chip Cookies

Mary Jane's Potato Chip Cookies

Mary Jane is the mother of a dear friend. She contributed a new cookie idea to our annual Christmas cookie baking day. The new cookie was "Potato Chip Cookies". I could attempt to describe the unique flavor of this cookie but you would be better served cooking up a batch for your own test. The end result is a new favorite was born. 

Potato Chip Cookies are the first cookie right of the cooling rack!

• 2 sticks butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup potato chips, crushed
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar.
Gradually add flour and mix well.
Add vanilla and potato chips ... mix well.
Add pecans and mix well.

Drop by tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet (a small scoop was used to derive uniform results). Flatten dough with the bottom of a drinking glass dusted with powder sugar,

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet.

Move cookies to a cooling rack and allow cookies to cool completely.

Artichoke Chicken Bake

A friend pinned a recipe recently. I made a few adaptions and came up with this version. We really like the ease and flavor of the dish. With minimal preparation time and an hour in the oven you will have a "new way to cook chicken".

• 4 pounds of chicken pieces (I used legs and thighs)
• 1  bag of frozen artichoke chunks (Trader Joe's)
• 1/2 bag frozen diced onions (Publix)
• 1/2 bag frozen sliced mushrooms (Publix)
• 2 tablespoons brown mustard
• 2 - 3 cloves minced garlic (as usual, I use the jarred)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar (I'm sure red wine or cider vinegar would work too.)
• 1/4 cup white wine (apple juice or chicken broth would work)
• 3/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper (just a shake or two depending on your personal taste.)

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place frozen artichokes, onion, and mushrooms in the bottom of a baking dish that was sprayed with Pam, cooking spray.
Place chicken piece on top of the veggie layer.
In a separate bowl thoroughly combine mustard and the remaining ingredients.
Pour the mustard mixture evenly oven the chicken.
Bake 1 hour, until the chicken starts to crisp (baste several times during the hour).

Red Hot Jelly

Do you like the candy Red Hots? I love the flavor cinnamon and love Red Hots! 
At a recent party at Lorrie Ramsey's house she served Red Hot Jelly. I instantly fell in love with it. I immediately searched for a recipe on line and found the following on Food.com supplied by gingerkitten D. It is wonderful!!

• 4 cups apple juice or cider
• 1 pkg. dry pectin
• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup red hot candies

1. Combine the apple juice and pectin in a large microwave safe bowl.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and bring to a boil in the microwave (on high setting for 12- 14 minutes).
3. Stir twice during the cooking.
4. Remove from microwave: add sugar and red hots, stirring well.
5. Return to microwave and cook until mixture returns to a boil (about 10 -12 minutes) stir occasionally.
6. Boil hard for 1 minute.
7. Remove from microwave and skim any foam.
8. Pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space.
9. Cap and seal.
10. Process 5 minutes in boiling water.  

Delicious Easy Ice Cream Cake

This cake was served for my son's birthday. It was a BIG hit! You can make with any flavor of ice cream but I used Publix Moose Tracks and can't imagine anything better!!

• 1/2 gallon ice cream (softened at room temperature)
• butter
• Oreos (about 2 rows)
• magic shell ice cream topping
• caramel ice cream topping

Generously butter a spring form pan.
Chop the oreos in a food processor.
Mix with magic shell.
Once ice cream is softened to a spreadable consistency spread approximately half of the ice cream into a bottom layer of the cake pan.
Top this layer with the layer of cookie crumb mixture.
Top cookie crumbs with another layer of ice cream.
Drizzle top of cake with some magic shell and caramel topping.
Freeze until ready to serve.
(Remember to make at least the night before to allow to freeze solid.)
Loosen the pan sides, remove and serve!

Pitcher of Mai Tai

Mai Tai

32 oz. Orange Juice (with no pulp)

32 oz. Pineapple Juice

24 oz. Sour Mix

8 oz. grenadine

24 oz. rum (original recipe split this 16 oz dark and 8 oz light)

8 oz. triple sec

Mix and serve. 

Also can freeze until slushy.

You can eliminate last two ingredients for a non-alcoholic version.

Rhonda Roger's Cakes

Rhonda's "Cake Corner"

Rhonda's cakes have been featured on this blog over the years. She has provided a selection of photos of the cakes she has made through out her career. The cakes will be featured here. If you have ever had a "Cake by Rhonda" you may find it here! Enjoy your tour.
To view all of Rhonda's cakes on this blog select the label "Rhonda's Cakes".

Halloween

Lucky Kindergartners -2006 !

1997 Inspiration!

2005 

Niece Holly's 6th birthday 2002

1998

Rob's Birthday!!

Tom's 8th Birthday 1998

1981 Strawberry Festival Entry

Mee Mee's Birthday 1996

1980

Rob's Birthday 1996

1980

1979

1981

Robby's 8th Birthday 1996

Pee Paw's Birthday 1996

Nephew Corey's 5th Birthday!

Robby's 2nd Birthday 1990

Rob's Birthday 1989

Robby's 7th Birthday 1995

Robby's 3rd Birthday 1991

Mother's Day 1990

Jim & Christy Smith 1980