Chicken in Tarragon Cream Sauce and Bad Children

We are less than one week for Christmas...are you ready?!?!  We are a little late to the party and just got our tree this week.  Not much of a selection, but it's done, decorated, and gifts placed under, thanks to my two girls.  Now if I can just keep Princess Brinkley to stop taking ornaments off tree and shredding them!)

Last week (again late to the party), we did our family photo for this year's Christmas card.  I went with a "Leave It To Beaver", June Cleaver(esque) theme this year, which will be posted next week.

We finished our photo, went out for a quick dinner with the girls, and sent them on their way back home.  After they left, I went into our home office to upload the family photos so I could select which one came out as best as possible...given it was late, and we were all getting very "hangry"!

The last photo that loaded was this "little gem" from my practical joker daughters! While I was changing clothes, they sneaked in their own portrait together to surprise me.  I'm thinking definitely more coal in their stockings this year!

While I was cleaning my kitchen for the family photo, I was also reorganizing and straightening my cookbooks.  I came across this chicken dish from March 2006!! I had completely forgotten about this one and it is so very good!!!  You know it's good because there is sauce all over the recipe page...right?!  It comes together so fast (if you're also busy cleaning up shredded ornaments), and has incredible depth in richness and flavor.  

Chicken in Tarragon Cream Sauce, White and Wild Rice with Walnuts

Courtesy of Rachel Ray

1 package, 5 to 7 ounces, white and wild rice, cooked to package directions - either chicken or herb flavors are fine.

2 Tbl extra virgin olive oil, 2 turns of pan

Salt and pepper

4 pieces, 8 ounces each, bonelss, skinless chicken breast

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 Tbl tomato paste

1 Tbl chopped fresh tarragon leaves, plus extra for garnish

1/2 cup heavy cream, half-and-half, or sour cream

1/4 cup package chopped walnuts, toasted (I'm allergic to walnuts, so substituted with slivered almonds)

2 Tbl chopped fresh parsley leaves

Cook rice according to package directions.

Preheat extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Brown and cook chicken, 5 minutes on each side.  Remove chicken to a plate and cover.  Reduce heat a bit.  Add vinegar and water, scrape up pan drippings.  Stir in tomato paste, cream, half-and-half or sour cream and tarragon.  Remove from heat.

Toss nuts and parsley with cooked rice.  Slice chicken on an angle and arrange on a bed of rice.  Top with sauce, garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Two Years Ago:  Whipped Shortbread Cookies

Three Years Ago: Holly Jolly Bark

Four Years Ago: A Taste of Alaska Bacon Jam

Five Years Ago: Steak Marsala

Eggnog Tea Cookies

Last night was our firm's holiday party.  One of the partners hosted it at her home, complete with full bar, appetizers and a lovely dinner for everyone.  Knowing how much I love to bake, she asked if I would bring a plate of cookies for dessert....true to my personality (and how could anyone really decide on just one flavor of cookie)...I made 7 different dessert platters!

I knew she was going to be serving eggnog, 2 versions with and without alcohol.  I have never tasted eggnog, due to my intermittent lactose issues.  However, I stumbled on these eggnog cookies in my 2010 Cuisine At Home Holiday Baking issue.  I knew there was a reason I hang on to these back issues!

Since we are not rum drinkers, I had to sprint to our local liquor store for the cutest little bottle of rum.  Captain Jack Sparrow would be so proud of me!

I made "my" famous Starbuck's Cranberry Bliss Bars.  I also made Chocolate Caramel Toffee Bites (post coming soon), Shortbread Lemon Bars, Strawberry Tiramisu Bites (post also coming soon).

As we have a few gluten free staff, I stepped out of my comfort zone box and transformed a couple of my go to holiday dishes to gluten free.  For my Holiday Cake Cookies, I substituted the white/vanilla cake mix with Pillsbury's Gluten Free Yellow cake mix.  I then also substuted the M&M candies with mint chocolate chips...these were awesome!!!

The other dish was my Holiday Bark.  I subsituted the Oreos with gluten free chocolate cream wafers and also went to gluten free pretzel sticks.  Since I was channeling my inner Burl Ives, we had a "silver and gold" theme...which by the way I cannot get that song out of my head now!  Anyway I digress, I did silver and gold M&M candies and sprinkles for the bark.

After two days of baking and taste testing everything, and an unsettled stomach, I'm not going to lie....I can do without desserts for a long time.

Since I don't know what eggnog tastes like, everyone said they loved these cookies!

Eggnog Tea Cookies with Butter Rum Icing

Adapted from Cuisine At Home

For The Cookies

2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. grated or ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. table slat

2 stick unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)

3/4 granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

For The Icing

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 Tbl unsalted butter, melted

2 Tbl milk

1/4 tsp rum flavoring or light rum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Stir flour, nutmeg and salt together for the cookies in a bowl; set aside.  

Cream 2 sticks butter and granulated sugar together in another bowl with a mixer until smooth.  Add egg and vanilla; beat until incorporated, then mix in the flour mixture just until blended.  cover and chill dough for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Roll dough into 1-1/2 " balls.  Arrange in prepared baking sheets spacing 2 inches apart.  Bake 10 minutes, or until firm to the touch and light brown on the edges.  Transfer to a rack to cool.

Blend powdered sugar, 2 Tbl butter, milk, and rum together for icing, using a hand mixer.  Frost cooled cookies, then sprinkle with gold sugar.

Two Years Ago: Mediterranean Flatbread

Three Years Ago: Holly Jolly Bark

Four Years Ago: A Taste of Alaska Bacon Jam

Five Years Ago: Almond Joy Cookies