If you want gingerbread for Christmas Eve but don’t want the chore of rolling out gingerbread men, these easy gingerbread cupcakes from Pillsbury will also delight.

The frosting is made from Biscoff Spread,* ground spice (spéculoos) cookies in a creamy base. In Europe, it’s called spéculoos spread.

The all-natural, nut-free spread is made of 57% ground spéculoos cookies (the national cookie of Belgium). And it is luscious.

Unless you have some relationship to Belgium, France or Holland—or fly Delta Airlines, where they are served as a snack—you may not have heard of spéculoos (SPECK-you-loose; in Dutch, it’s speculaas, pronounced SPECK-e-lahs) cookies. In the U.S. they have been sold as Dutch Windmill cookies.

You can find Biscoff Spread in the peanut butter section. Trader Joe’s carries a private label version called Cookie Butter.

Ingredients

 
For The Frosting

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Place a paper baking cup in each of 10 regular-size muffin cups.

2. BRING refrigerated cookie dough to room temperature (let stand on counter for about 10 minutes). Then break up in a large bowl. Add eggs and beat with electric mixer on medium speed until well combined and smooth. Spoon into baking cups.

3. BAKE 14 to 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Remove muffin cups from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile…

4. MAKE the frosting. Beat the butter and cookie butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar, whipping cream and salt until fluffy. Place in decorating bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe frosting on top of cooled cupcakes.

5. GARNISH with a gingersnap cookie.

 
*The name is a truncation of “biscuits for coffee.”

Here’s a tasty first course in Christmas colors. It’s one of the many recipes on TheAmazingAvocado.com.

RECIPE: ROASTED BEET, AVOCADO & GRANNY SMITH APPLE TOWERS

Ingredients For 6 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 375°F. WASH and scrub the beets. Pat dry.

3. CUT the avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pit and skin. Place the flat side down on a cutting board. Slice horizontally. Squeeze lemon juice on to prevent browning. Cut Granny Smith apple the same way, but leave skin on. Squeeze lemon juice on to prevent browning.

4. COOL beets until you can handle them. Slip their peels off using your fingers or a paring knife. Slice crosswise. Stack on plate alternating beets, apples and avocados.

5. SPRINKLE crumbled goat cheese over top. Garnish with parsley and pine nuts if desired. Drizzle the used olive oil from roasting and the rest of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

But what about the health benefits* of the red wine in the sauce? Since the healthful compounds are in the grape concentrate, not in the alcohol itself, cooked wine without alcohol still appears to have some health benefits. Here’s the full article.

And that bit of news inspired today’s tip: Use red wine (or other liquid) to deglaze a pan. This is no 30-minute undertaking: You can do it in three minutes.
 
 
WHAT IS DEGLAZING?

Deglazing is the simple process of creating a pan sauces after you sauté a protein: fish, meat or poultry.

You simply add a cold liquid (beer, brandy, broth/stock, cooking water, fruit juice, vinegar, wine, etc.†) into the pan and scrape up the flavorful roasty bits of protein, called fond, that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Fond is the French word for bottom—in this case, the small, tasty bits on the bottom of the pan. Fond is concentrated flavor: Why scrub it away in the sink when you can turn it into something delicious? Deglazing is simply combining the fond with a liquid to create a sauce.

Note that fond comprises roasted brown bits. If you you have burned protein on the bottom of the pan, don’t use it: The sauce will taste burned.

“Fond” is also the French word for stock:

1. REMOVE the cooked fish, meat or poultry to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

2. POUR off most of the fat in the pan. Turn the heat up to high and add the cold liquid. (NOTE: If using alcohol, remove pan from heat when adding). The liquid will shortly begin to boil.

3. SCRAPE up the fond with a wood spoon or spatula, as the liquid boils. When all the fond is incorporated, turn down the heat. The sauce is ready.
  
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*Red wine, in moderation, provides antioxidants, including resveratrol, that may help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of “good” cholesterol and protecting against artery damage. Resveratrol is a polyphenol compound found in red wine and certain plants that has antioxidant properties with possible anticarcinogenic effects. Here’s the scoop from the Mayo Clinic.

†Don’t use cream or other dairy, which can curdle in the heat.

This beautiful craft is defined by spacious
comfort. Photo courtesy Holland America
Line.

Looking for a great family or couples gift? Explore the culinary world on a cruise, from March 9-16, 2014.

Designed by our friends at CruiseGourmet.com, this cruise was created for people who enjoy cooking demonstrations and relaxing at sea. The itinerary explores the Mexican Riviera, round-trip from San Diego, aboard Holland America’s beautiful M.S. Veendam.

Your group host is the personable and hospitable Arie Boris, editor-in-chief of CruiseGourmet.com. He’ll be joined by celebrity chef Hector Santiago, an alumnus of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” season six.

When you’re ready to take a break from Chef Hector’s cooking demonstrations or dining in the ship’s luxurious dining rooms and lounges, there are:

 
CHECK OUT THE DETAILS HERE.

A partial view of the culinary theatre on the M.S. Veendam. Photo courtesy Holland America Line.

Then, when you’re ready, call 1.800.828.4813 to reserve your stateroom.

Mention THE NIBBLE and receive $100 per person off the registration fee.
  

How do you make Oreo cookie even better?

Turn them into penguins!

These adorable Oreo penguins aren’t inexpensive: 12 cookies are $42.95 at MackenzieLtd.com.

But if you’re game to make your own, head to the store for the ingredients to make your own.

RECIPE: PENGUIN OREOS

Ingredients

1. MELT dark chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth. Dip Oreos completely in the chocolate and set on wax paper to harden, about 10 minutes. We used tweezers to hold an edge of the cookie. Then, after we set the cookie on the wax paper, we added a dab of chocolate to the small “naked” spot.

2. HARDEN and when the chocolate has set, melt the white chocolate in the same manner. Transfer into the plastic storage baggie. Cut a small corner off the bag and draw the “vest” on each cookie. Don’t worry if your lines aren’t as perfect as the professional version—they used specialty tools to achieve perfection.

3. CREATE the beaks and feet. After the white chocolate has set, melt another batch of white chocolate and use food color to make it orange. Transfer to the other plastic storage bag to pipe the beaks and feet. (Unless you’ve got a great hand, it’s best to omit the bow tie.)

4. CREATE eyes by dabbing white and dark chocolate with a toothpick. Let harden and store in an airtight cookie tin between sheets of wax paper until ready to serve.