Most Popular Recipe of 2019- Countdown to 2020

And for today, we have the most popular recipe of the year, AKA as the Reader's Fave.

Guess what? It happened to be a recipe from my Danish background.

A Christmas cookie in fact, although it is an easy cookie to make year round as well.  If you're a fan of shortbread and nuts, this is the perfect cookie.

It's called Finsk Brød and it was the reader favorite for the year, and I only published it in December.  Goes to show, you can guess as much as you like, but it's impossible to see just what catches the public's notice.

 
But I also want to give an honorable mention to a couple more Reader Faves, and one of them was a bit of a shocker. 
It wasn't Danish.

Nope it was a Hungarian dish. Rakott Teszta  or Rakott Metelt, which basically means Layered Noodles.  I actually, wait for it, made my own noodles for this dish.
You weren't surprised by that? 
All I know is, when I brought it to a gathering, it was gobbled up, fast.

The runner up for most views, which translates to Viewer Faves was Toad in a Hole. 
I had to share this one as well, especially since I've since made it several times, so it's a fave with me.

I try to do this every year, it's fun to see what was made and shared and just get a great overview of how the year went.   This is hosted by Fantastical Sharing.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

All recipes and their respective images are either original or adapted and credited, and are all the sole property of Sid's Sea Palm Cooking © 2011-2020, with all rights reserved thereof.

Check out my cookbooks on Amazon.  All are available as paperbacks or as e-book. 
 Simple Shrimp Recipes - 25 + Appetizer, Entree and Dipping Sauces.
 Nibbles and Bites - A Compilation of Appetizers, Canapes and Finger Foods. 
  Hygge - Danish Food and Recipes

Best Dessert of 2019 - Countdown to 2020

And now to the main attraction? No?
OK, up next is the Favorite Dessert portion of our Countdown to 2020.   I know it said Best Dessert, but I couldn't pick just one.

 
I make, decorate and donate a cake every couple of weeks to our local American Legion.  It's my small way of giving back to the community, because they take the cake, raffle it off and use the proceeds from the raffle to help fund various community endeavors.  I included a couple of my favorite cakes from this year as well.

And it's my little secret that not only do I get to enjoy baking cakes, but I don't have to eat the whole thing.
Not that it's a problem eating cake, but my waistline (what used to be my waistline) doesn't appreciate all those extra calories.
So I pass it on.
Where am I going with this long ramble?
Here, I couldn't pick just one dessert from this year, I had four desserts picked out.
And all of them were equally good.  Really.

If you're into Chocolate and Caramel, this Chocolate Cake with Caramel on top and in between the layers was AMAZING!  I know I just yelled it out. I'm not so fond of chocolate cake but with CARAMEL, OMG it was good.  

Spice Bundt Cake with Lemon Cream and Peanut Brittle on top.   I loved the combo of flavors on this as well.

 another fun one was this Rakott Teszta- a layered noodle dish, similar to a kugel.

And if you still have some Cranberry Sauce, that needs to be used, or just because, try out some of my Cranberry Cheesecake Tarts. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

All recipes and their respective images are either original or adapted and credited, and are all the sole property of Sid's Sea Palm Cooking © 2011-2019, with all rights reserved thereof.


Check out my cookbooks on Amazon.  All are available as paperbacks or as e-book. 
 Simple Shrimp Recipes - 25 + Appetizer, Entree and Dipping Sauces.
 Nibbles and Bites - A Compilation of Appetizers, Canapes and Finger Foods. Available in both book form and as an ebook.
My cookbook Hygge - Danish Food and Recipes would be a great gift for any foodies in your life. 

Best Main Dish of 2019- Countdown to 2020

 We're doing a Countdown for our favorite recipes of the year and today, Main Dishes are being featured. 

Here are a few of my favorite Main Dishes from this past year.

And it was a toss up.  Between these Mango Chutney Glazed Ribs,

and these Schlotzkey Style Sourdough Buns which made for a really good Schlotzky sandwich.

  I've made the sandwiches several times now, and we love them.  It may be time for them again this coming month, in fact, I know it will.  We like them, that much.

I'd also like to mention these, Cape Cod Sliders, which I made for a contest from Healthy Solutions, and I tied for third place in the contest.

  Which kinda made my week, especially since the chef I tied with is a real life chef.

I try to do this every year, it's fun to see what was made and shared and just get a great overview of how the year went.   This is hosted by Fantastical Sharing.  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

All recipes and their respective images are either original or adapted and credited, and are all the sole property of Sid's Sea Palm Cooking © 2011-2019, with all rights reserved thereof.

Check out my cookbooks on Amazon.  All are available as paperbacks or as e-book. 
 Simple Shrimp Recipes - 25 + Appetizer, Entree and Dipping Sauces.
 Nibbles and Bites - A Compilation of Appetizers, Canapes and Finger Foods. 
  Hygge - Danish Food and Recipes

Best Breakfasts of 2019- Countdown to 2020

It's time for not only my favorite Breakfast of 2019, but there might be a few more ideas for you to follow.

We're doing a Countdown to 2020, featuring a few of our favorite recipes from 2019.

I have to admit, I kinda concentrated on just a few things this year and only did a few things that could be considered Breakfast items.

I had three that were neck and neck favorites.  And they couldn't be more different if they tried.

I made something from my Danish cultural heritage, which I actually don't remember my mother making, but dang, was it good.  This is a cross between a soup and a porridge and needs to be made with good dense rye bread.  The heavy European style bread that is.  It's called Øllebrød, which translates to Beerbread.   I know, Beer and bread together, in a bowl?,  but WOW was it good, and the recipe made enough for several breakfasts.  

And I've also been trying, not always successfully, to eat a healthier diet, which is hard when you love pancakes, but I found a great pancake that was diet friendly, mostly, and also, most importantly, tasted amazing.  These Keto Friendly Pancakes were so good, I ended up making them for myself, several times.  Did I mention that they're gluten free as well?

I also made these, called Mini Toad in a hole.  I'm almost embarrassed at how many times I made them.     They were that good, and so easy, almost too easy to make in my little toaster oven.

 I try to do this every year, it's fun to see what was made and shared and just get a great overview of how the year went.   This is hosted by Fantastical Sharing.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

All recipes and their respective images are either original or adapted and credited, and are all the sole property of Sid's Sea Palm Cooking © 2011-2019, with all rights reserved thereof.


Check out my cookbooks on Amazon.  All are available as paperbacks or as e-book. 
 Simple Shrimp Recipes - 25 + Appetizer, Entree and Dipping Sauces.
 Nibbles and Bites - A Compilation of Appetizers, Canapes and Finger Foods. 
  Hygge - Danish Food and Recipes

Best Appetizers and Snacks of 2019

It's that time of year again.

Yup, time to share what I thought were the best Appetizers and Snacks of 2019.

I try to do this every year, it's fun to see what was made and shared and just get a great overview of how the year went.   This is hosted by Fantastical Sharing.


Since it's Boxing Day and also Julefrokost time it seemed apt for me to share a few of my favorite Apps from 2019.

First off, my all time favorite for the year was this:  A Butternut and Apple Galette.    
I liked it so much, I made several, including a couple for Thanksgiving.

 Now for the snack portion.   These Home Made Potato Chips made the cut.

How could they not?
They were perfect.
And this was also a standout, at least in my eyes.  A Roasted Radish Tart.   
I know, roasting a radish? But roasted they become so sweet and it totally transforms them.

And there you have it, three of my favorite Appetizers and Snacks from this year.   
Now, check here for some great ideas from other bloggers. or click on the link just below.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Check back tomorrow for my favorite Breakfast of the year.

All recipes and their respective images are either original or adapted and credited, and are all the sole property of Sid's Sea Palm Cooking © 2011-2019, with all rights reserved thereof.


Check out my cookbooks on Amazon.  All are available as paperbacks or as e-book. 
 Simple Shrimp Recipes - 25 + Appetizer, Entree and Dipping Sauces.
 Nibbles and Bites - A Compilation of Appetizers, Canapes and Finger Foods. Available in both book form and as an ebook.
My cookbook Hygge - Danish Food and Recipes would be a great gift for any foodies in your life. 

Hot Cocoa Bombs- Mini size

Have you ever heard of Mini Hot Cocoa Bombs?
Yeah, neither had I until I picked up a copy of Woman's World and saw them in there and thought
WOW, what a fantastic idea and a great thing to share at Christmas.

I've been buying and reading this magazine for most of my adult life and have gotten some great recipe ideas from them, but I think this is my favorite.
I had to make some, I had to. 

So I made some and twiggled the recipe a touch, but just a bit.
Here are the mini cupcake liners ready to go.

 After filling them with the chocolate mixture

 I had fun piping the little meringue/marshmallow tops and sprinkling them with a little Christmas

 They were just so pretty, I had to keep taking pictures of them.

 See what I mean, and even better, they tasted amazing.

Hot Cocoa Bombs

Yield: 18 servings (makes 2 cups per serving)

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking adapted from Women's World

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 40 Mtotal time: 50 M

These are not only fun to make, delicious to drink, but also make a fun little homemade gift.

ingredients:

• 2 cups 60-percent bittersweet chocolate chips, melted ( I used Ghirardelli brand)
• 3 packets instant hot cocoa mix, without marshmallows
• 1/8 tsp almond extract

Meringue Topping

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp. meringue powder
• 3-4 tbsp. Water + more if needed
• Christmas theme sprinkles

instructions:

How to make Hot Cocoa Bombs

1. Place some mini cupcake liners into a mini cupcake pan.  I used 18 mini paper cupcake liners. 
2. Melt the chocolate in double boiler over heat.  Whisk in the cocoa powder and almond extract.    Using a mini scoop, put the melted chocolate evenly into the cupcake liners.    Place in the refrigerator until set. 

Meringue topping

1. Sift the confectioner sugar into a bowl and whisk in the meringue powder, as evenly as possible. 
2. Add the water and using a hand mixer, mix at low to medium speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks, this will take a few minutes.  If the mixture seems to dry to mix properly, add an additional tablespoon of water, a teaspoon at a time. 

Assembly

1. Retrieve the set chocolate mixture out of the fridge and place on counter.
2. Place the meringue topping mixture into a piping bag with a large star tip used for piping on cupcakes, like a 1M Wilton. Pipe a rosette on top of each little mini chocolate cupcake.   Sprinkle with the Christmas Sprinkles and set aside for the topping to dry out and set.   Keep in a sealed container until ready to use.

Making the hot chocolate

1. Each mini bomb makes up to 2 cups of delicious hot cocoa.   Simply heat milk to just below boiling.  Remove the wrapper, and place the 'cupcake' into the hot milk and whisk through until the chocolate is totally melted and incorporated into the milk.  Serve immediately.  

NOTE:  I found this very rich.  I did cut down the Almond extract by half, as I thought it would overtake the chocolate.
I also ended up with extra topping, however, your piping methods may vary.  I thought the extra could also be used for topping some other cocoa?  

Created using The Recipes Generator

All recipes and their respective images are either original or adapted and credited, and are all the sole property of Sid's Sea Palm Cooking © 2011-2020, with all rights reserved thereof.

 Looking for ideas for Christmas gifts?   Check out my cookbooks on Amazon.  All are available as paperbacks or as e-book. 
 Simple Shrimp Recipes - 25 + Appetizer, Entree and Dipping Sauces.
 Nibbles and Bites - A Compilation of Appetizers, Canapes and Finger Foods. Available in both book form and as an ebook.
My cookbook Hygge - Danish Food and Recipes would be a great gift for any foodies in your life. Available as a Kindle e book or in paperback.

Havremakroner- Oatmeal Macaroons for #FantasticalFoodFight

It's time for another Fantastical Food Fight hosted by Sara from Fantastical Sharing. 

This time round we're making Cookies.  

I know, it's that time of the year when you make dozens and dozens of cookies. And hand them out as gifts while trying your best not to eat them all.   

I've cut back on my cookie making this year and decided I'd only make one or two kinds but then...

Sara came up with this challenge, and I had to participate. 

First off, we love Oatmeal Cookies in this house, and I usually play with my basic recipe a little.  I take half the recipe, add chocolate chips for the hubs, and then add coconut, nuts, dried fruit, and other good things to the other half, I call them Kitchen Sink Cookies.  

But there is a Danish cookie called Havremakroner, which are a light, crisp oatmeal cookie that tends to get overlooked at this time of year, but is totally delicious, and it's dead easy to make as well.

So for the cookie challenge I present to you these cookies.   I did play with the basic recipe, just a touch, using self-rising flour.  I also 'skinned' the almonds, it softens them somewhat and makes it easier to chop them up.

These cookies also lend themselves to being baked on parchment paper, it's  much easier to 'peel' them off the paper than try to use a spatula to release them from greased cookie sheets.

Havremakroner- Oatmeal Macaroons

Yield: Approx. 5 dozen

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking adapted from Karen Berg Danish Home Baking

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 15 Mtotal time:45M

These light, crisp oatmeal cookies are delight to eat.

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups oatmeal
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup  self rising flour
• 1/2 teaspoon  baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup finely chopped almonds- if you remove the skin by pouring boiling water over them, and taking the skin off, they are easier to chop. 

instructions:

How to cook Havremakroner- Oatmeal Macaroons

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Mix sugar and oatmeal in a bowl.
3. Melt the butter, cool, then pour over of oatmeal sugar mixture.
4. Stir well, then sift in flour and baking powder. Add the eggs and almonds.
5. Drop by small teaspoonfuls onto a parchment covered baking sheet.
6.  Leave lots of space in between the cookies, they spread out a lot.
7. Bake about 15 minutes, or until a golden brown.  Remove from pan, let cool and store in an airtight container. 

NOTE:  These cookies are a very thin, crisp or chewy cookie, depending on the humidity level outside.  They should be crisp and light.  If you let them sit for a couple of minutes after they come out of the oven and removing them from the cookie sheet, they will peel right off of the parchment. 

Created using The Recipes Generator

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

All recipes and their respective images are either original or adapted and credited, and are all the sole property of Sid's Sea Palm Cooking © 2011-2019, with all rights reserved thereof.

Looking for ideas for Christmas gifts? Check out my cookbooks on Amazon. All are available as paperbacks or as e-book.
 Simple Shrimp Recipes - 25 + Appetizer, Entree and Dipping Sauces. Nibbles and Bites - A Compilation of Appetizers, Canapes and Finger Foods. Available in both book form and as an ebook.

My cookbook Hygge - Danish Food and Recipes would be a great gift for any foodies in your life. Available as a Kindle e book or in paperback.

Community Potluck for December 2019

One of the best parts of living in our little part of the world is the potlucks, cause we have so many great cooks who love to show off their signature dishes and make some great food.
Best of all, they bring them to our gatherings and share.

It doesn't hurt that we live in a gorgeous part of the country either.
I had to stop and take a picture on the way in the other night.   The sun was going down and flooded the area with this pale pink and lavender light.

We had some lovely stuffed croissants

Yummy Shrimp and Scallops

A veggie plate with an interesting curry dip

Corn pudding, at least that's what I call it.

Some smoked Turkey

Chicken breaded with Corn flakes, really good

Deviled Eggs, always a popular item, and look how pretty.

Sliders with some pulled pork

We also had a lot of dessert options this time round.
Take a look.  
Fruit Salad and in the back a Coconut pie

This dessert which was a mystery

until... Brownie and cherry and whipped topping

We had some Sangria-which was lovely and festive

Pineapple upside down cake

A bourbon cake

Date walnut bread with orange cream cheese

A layered Jello salad

I made some Cake Balls

And officially became a member of the clean plate club.

That's it for this month's potluck. 
As usual, good food, friends and lots of laughter.