Celery Soup with Sourdogh Croutons and a Tarragon Swirl

This recipe sounds hard, but it's actually one of the most easy and delicious soups I've ever made! I found this on epicurious when I was searching for a recipe that would use up all of our leftover celery after Thanksgiving. I think it's my new post-Thanksgiving favourite, after leftover turkey, of course!

Bon Appétit recipe on epicurious

notes
The only change I made was that I used dried tarragon instead of fresh and it was still delicious. 1T fresh herbs = 1 t dry herbs, so use between 1/4 and 1/2 t of dried tarragon. This would be a great appetizer, but we ate more generous servings for dinner and it was quite filling.

Cookie Jar Ginger Snaps

These are some of my absolute favourite christmas cookies! They are really flavourful and a little crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.

ingredients
2 C white, all-purpose flour
1 T ground ginger
2 t baking soda
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground cloves
3/4 C softened butter
1 C dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1/3 C molasses
granulated or coarse sugar for rolling the cookies in; you can also use coloured sugar

instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F. Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses, mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes away from the sides and the flour is completely mixed in. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll into 3/4 inch balls and roll in a sugar. Cook on an ungreased, unlined cookie sheet for 8-9 minutes. Transfer immediately to a cooling rack.

notes
The dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days before baking, although I prefer to use it within a day of making it. These cookies store well in an air-tight container, and also freeze well. You can adjust the baking time to make them softer or crunchier without ruining them.

Scones

ingredients

2 C all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 C unsalted butter, cold
2/3 C milk

instructions
Sift flour, backing powder and salt together. Cut butter into small pieces and rub into flour mixture until it's a sandy texture. Cut in milk with a knife until it forms a sticky dough. Either roll out the dough to 1/2" thick and cut with a scone or cookie cutter, or drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet to make 4 large or 6 small scones. Bake at 450F for 12 minutes. Serve hot or transfer immediately to a cooling rack; cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

variations

• Brush the top of the unbaked scones with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
• Mix in fresh or dried herbs (oregano, basil, thyme...), grated cheddar cheese (or other hard cheese), and paprika (to taste) before you add the milk to make savoury scones.
• Mix in chopped apples and cinnamon before you add the milk.

notes

I love my scones fresh from the oven with butter and jam. If I'm eating them at room temperature, I prefer them with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.