christmas 2010

Here are some of the best things I ate over the break. When can it be Christmas again??

yummy Cranberry Walnut Pear Salad

 Sauteed Apple Cider Brussel Sprouts

buttery Butterhorns

the whole sha-bang

 

the miraculous and very secret Chocolate Pecan Torte

Pumpkin Bread cooling for the Pumpkin Bread Pudding

one of my very favorite things ever: Coconut Buns from Chinatown

homemade Liege Waffles

i know it's a bit late...

...but, i've been busy and out of town for work. and prepping for that and recovering have been... intense. anyway, i just wanted to share with you what i had the privilege of eating at my parent's house when i was home for the holidays. (sorry, i know it's unfair and sort of braggy, but wouldn't you do the same?)

this was for our Christmas eve dinner.

butterhorns

i made the brussel sprouts with some olive oil, apple cider vinegar and pine nuts. pretty good, if i do say so myself!

the largest twice baked potatoes of all time.

citrus salad. and we had some other foods, but those were my favorite.

also, this dessert. my mom only makes it for christmas. for a few reasons, one being it's the most delicious thing you'll ever eat in your life so it needs to stay special. and two, it's... not... healthy. in any way. at all. (but so worth it!)

we had hot chocolate and scones Christmas morning before we opened presents. oh and we used some homemade marshmallows i brought home for everyone to try in the hot chocolate. so dreamy!

other breakfast goodies:

don't worry about it. that's just overnight french toast with orange syrup and mixed berries. just another day at our house.

and one of my favorite breakfast goodies: raspberry cream cheese coffee cake.

again, i'm sorry.

who's hungry?

christmas food gifts: part 2

this is a fantastic food gift. it makes a lot, it's in bar form so it's not messy, and there aren't too many who would turn down two kinds of chocolate and peppermint on a cookie. also, everyone at work liked them so, that's proof, right?

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped red-and-white striped hard peppermint candies or candy canes (about 3 oz - i beat up 6 medium sized candy canes to get this amount)
2 oz. high-quality white chocolate (i used white chocolate chips, cause that's all they had at the grocery store)

preheat oven to 350. spray 13x9x2 inch baking pan with nonstick spray. line bottom of pan with long strip of 9 inch wide parchment paper, leaving overhang on both short sides of pan.

whisk flour and salt in medium bowl. using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamed, about 2 minutes. gradually beating sugar. continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bow, about 3 minutes. beat in vanilla, then egg yolk. gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just to blend.

drop dough by tablespoonfuls into prepared baking pan, spacing evenly. using moistened fingertips, press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan. pierce dough all over with fork.

bake cookie base until light golden brown and slightly puffed and edges begin to come away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. place pan on rack; immediately sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over. let stand until chocolate softens - about 3 minutes. using small offset spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate over top of cookie in thin even layer. immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candies over.

stir white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water - (with 2 tablespoons cream) - until melted and smooth. remove from over water. using fork, drizzle white chocolate all over cookies. chill until white chocolate is set - about 30 minutes. (make sure to make the white chocolate right before you use it or it will thicken up too much to drizzle)

using paper overhang as aid, lift cookie from pan and transfer to work surface. using large knife, cut cookie into irregular pieces (i just cut them in squares.)


**i got this recipe from my mom who got it from someone else, i'm not sure who the original source is, so i apologize.

christmas food gifts: part 1

with so many people to give to and the fact that i'm not rich, i'm giving almost everyone food gifts this year. i just hope everyone likes sugary foods as much as i do...

here is a foolproof food gift.

spritz cookies. easy, cute and perfect.

tomorrow: i'll share the chocolate peppermint bark cookies i made for work gifts.

egg nog punch

this is a perfect beverage for the christmas season. we used to have it every new years eve at my egg nog loving brother's request.

1 quart egg nog
2 cups milk
2 (24 oz.) bottles 7-up (don't use sprite or any of the other options, 7-up really is the best for this)
1 quart vanilla ice cream

combine. let ice cream dissolve in punch so that it looks light and fluffy.

the best ever sugar cookies

add veeda's request, an amazing sugar cookie recipe. i love, love, love these. they are not dry like most sugar cookies. they are light almost like a cookie muffin. they make a lot, too. these will be a great cookie to make for company for the holiday season. or just anytime at all.

cream:
1 c. butter
2 c. sugar

beat in:
4 eggs
2 T. milk
4 t. vanilla
1 T. lemon extract (this slight lemon flavor really sets these cookies apart. it's not enough that a citrus hater would be turned off)

add:
4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
5 cups flour

chill 30 minutes to an hour. form into balls then smash down with bottom of floured glass (about 1/4 inch thick, these cookies should be about the same thickness as those pink grandma sycamore's cookies and a little smaller in circumference.) bake at 375° for 6-8 minutes.

frosting:
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. shortening
1 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt
4 c. powdered sugar
2-4 T. milk

in large bowl, beat butter and shortening until light and fluffy. add vanilla and salt. beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl. add 2 T. milk; beat at high speed until light and fluffy. add enough additional milk for desired spreading consistency. **(this frosting may be made up to 2 weeks in advance and kept in and airtight container before serving. bring to room temperature before serving)**

christmas cookies: spritz

another christmas classic is the spritz cookie. little butter cookies formed with a cookie press like this. i love these little cookies and have OD'd on them more than once.

1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. butter, softened
1/2 t. vanilla
1 egg
2 1/3 c. flour
1/4 t. salt

heat oven to 400 degrees. in large bowl, beat sugar, butter, vanilla and egg until light and fluffy. stir in flour and salt; blend well. fill cookie press; press onto ungreased cookie sheets. sprinkle with desired candies and bake. cool completely. makes 5 dozen.

wassail party

so, i had a wassail party and made my mom's insanely good citrus wassail. i didn't get a chance to take a picture of it but i found something online that looks pretty close.

this recipe gets RAVE reviews and is very much one of my favorite things about the holiday season. my mom always keeps some on hand for me.

1 quart water
2 1/4 c. sugar
10 cloves
8 allspice berries
2 sticks cinnamon
1 piece of candied ginger
2 quarts apple cider or juice
1 quart orange juice (i like the extra pulp kind)
2 c. lemon juice

mix water and sugar; boil for 5 minutes. remove from heat. stir in cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon and ginger. let stand 1 hour or more. strain. stir in apple cider, orange juice, and lemon juice. serve warm. yield: 16 servings.