Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Ladies, Please Remember to Remove Your Hats

My good friend and the host of that monthly food gathering Blog Party, Stephanie tagged me for a movie quiz. I'm a movie nut. No, let me rephrase that I'm an OLD movie nut. The movies that I love the most are almost all in black and white and star actors like Bette Davis, Cary Grant, Jeff Chandler, Joan Crawford, et al. Heck, my fellow Bakeanistas all know me by my alter-ego Norma (after Norma Shearer).

So, when Stephanie asked me to participate in the little movie quiz thingy she has on her website, I had to go take a gander. She and I have similar tastes in movies but I only got three of the quotes.

Since turn about is fair play and I'm stuck snowed in in Northern Michigan with nothing to do but watch DVDs and bake for Christmas dinner, I'm going to go ahead and test all your knowledge of movies. And, there will be a special shout out in my next post for the first person who can leave me a comment with the significance of title of this post!

At the end, I'm going to toss in a recipe for some Christmas cookies, because it isn't too late to bake up a batch or two to share with friends and family. These are a special request from Christina over at She Runs, She Eats. If you don't know Christina, you should take a gander at her blog. I admire anyone who can run a half marathon and then stop off at the local bakery to sample the wares!

Finally speaking of Christmas and the Holidays, it isn't too late to participate in Menu for Hope V. The Sour Dough has two offerings this year, LA Burdick Chocolate Mice (UE05) and a Day of Bread Making with me (UE06). As of this post, we have raised over $25,000 for the World Food Programme's School Lunches in Lesotho. To bid on my prizes or any other prize, go to First Giving. You have until tomorrow to place your bid!

So, without further adieu, here is our feature presentation:

Rules:
1. Leave a comment for me when you think you know the movie the quote came from
2.
NO GOOGLING/using IMDb search or other search functions.
3. If your answer is correct, I'll cross out the quote and put who guessed correctly.

If you want to come up with your own list here is how:
1. Pick 15 of your favorite movies.

2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.

1. There's a name for you ladies but it isn't used in polite society outside of a kennel

2. I'm really in the junk business - an occupation for which many people feel I'm well-qualified by temperament and training.

3. Well, I can't yell "Oh butler!" can I? Maybe somebody's name is Butler.

4. Does my inner child need a spanking?

5. You are the only man I know who can say 'malignant' the way other people say 'Bingo!'

6. Lawyers should never marry other lawyers. This is called in-breeding; from this comes idiot children... and other lawyers.

7. Yeah, I just stare at my desk; but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work. (Office Space) Jo

8. My dear, since Eve picked the apple, no woman has ever been taken entirely unawares.

9. Here's to men. Bless their clean-cut faces and dirty little minds!

10. You used to be fun. You used to be warped and twisted and hilarious... and I mean that in the best way - I mean it as a compliment!

11. We met at Starbucks. Not at the same Starbucks but we saw each other at different Starbucks across the street from each other. (Best in Show) DebinHawaii

12. Well, I don't really think that the end can be assessed as of itself as being the end because what does the end feel like? It's like saying when you try to extrapolate the end of the universe, you say, if the universe is indeed infinite, then how - what does that mean? How far is all the way, and then if it stops, what's stopping it, and what's behind what's stopping it? So, what's the end, you know, is my question to you.

13. Well, you should of come to the first party. We didn't get home 'til around four in the morning. I was blind for three days!

14. Madam, I'm not in the habit of substituting for spurious Santa Clauses

15. Zuzu's Petals! Zuzu's Petals! (It's A Wonderful Life) Natashya


This Christmas cookie is based upon the Vanilla Nut Icebox Cookies from the McCall's Cooke Collection that was part of a set of cookbooks from 1965. I was given some Mexican chocolate as part of a Christmas care package and have been playing around using peppers and other types of savory with sweet in my baking.

Aztec Chocolate Cookies

2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp sea salt (don't substitute this!)
2/3 cup soft butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup finely chopped Mexican chocolate (This is what I used and I've got some of this on order to try)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine flour, baking powder, and sea salt together in medium bowl and set aside. Cream together butter and sugars until fluffy. Add in melted unsweetened baking chocolate, egg and vanilla and stir until loose dough is formed.

Stir in Mexican chocolate and 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper. Taste dough. If it is just right from a "spicy" standpoint, don't add rest of cayenne pepper. If you like it with a little more kick, add in rest of cayenne pepper.

Divide dough into half and roll each half into a log about 2" in diameter. Wrap each log in wax paper and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. (Rolls can be stored in fridge for up to 10 days or frozen until ready to use).

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. With sharp knife, cut each cookie at about 1/8" thickness. Only cut as many slices as your cookie tray(s) will hold. Re-wrap the logs and place back in fridge between batches.

Place each slice on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 - 10 minutes until dough turns light brown and set up. Check cookies at 8 minutes and bake longer if needed. Let cookie rest on cookie sheet for 2 - 3 minutes and move to cooling rack to cool completely. Let cookie sheet(s) cool completely before slicing more cookies.

Makes about 5 dozen