Typical Christmas tray for the office including Russian Tea Cakes, Canadian Oatmeal Shortbread, Viennese Shortbread buttons, Candy Cookie shapes, Baklava, Chrissies, and Jan Hagel.
Typical Christmas party dessert bar including Mince Pies, Russian Tea Cakes, Stuffed Dates, Candy Cookie shapes, Bourbon balls, Rum balls, Chocolate Truffles, Coconut tartlets, Scotch Shortbread, Pecan Tassies, Viennese Shortbread and Gingerbread house center piece.
APPETIZERS
Asparagus Potato Soup
Very creamy and warm, great for opening a Thanksgiving dinner.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs fresh asparagus rinsed
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 4 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup shallots minced
- 1 med onion chopped
- 1 cup leeks minced, whites only, well rinsed (2 Large)
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 2 Lg Potatoes peeled and cubed in 1 inch pieces
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp white pepper ground
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup Parmesan finely grated for garnish
- 1/4 cup green onion finely chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Trim the attractive top tips from the asparagus, about 1 to 1 ½ inches in length. Cut the woody stem ends from each spear and reserve. Cut the remaining tender stalks into 1/2-inch pieces.
- In a medium pot, bring the stock to a boil. Add the tough woody stems, lower the heat and simmer to infuse with asparagus flavor, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and discard, reserving the stock.
- Add the decorative tips to the stock and blanch until tender, 1 to 1 ½ minutes. Remove with a strainer and refresh in an ice water bath. Drain on paper towels and reserve for the garnish. Reserve the stock.
- In a medium stockpot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. When foamy, add the shallots, onions, celery and leeks and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped asparagus stalks, potatoes, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the reserved broth and simmer until the asparagus and potatoes are very tender, 15 to 20minutes. Remove from the heat.
- With a hand-immersion blender or in batches in a food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. If serving right away, return to medium heat and add the cream and reserved asparagus tips. Cook, stirring, until the soup is warmed through, about 3 minutes.
- Alternatively, if serving the soup later do not add the cream and let cool at room temperature (or in an ice water bath). Cover and refrigerate. Before serving, add the cream and asparagus tips, and warm the soup gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- To serve, place the soup in a soup tureen and sprinkle with cheese and green onions. Ladle into demitasse cups or small coffee or tea cups, and serve.
Caviar Supreme
from Bon Appetit November 1979
Ingredients
- 1 pkg unflavored gelatin
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 4 eggs hard cooked, chopped, for Egg Layer
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (recipe in notes), for Egg Layer
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves minced, for Egg Layer
- 1 Large green onion minced, for Egg Layer
- dash of hot pepper sauce for Egg Layer
- dash of freshly ground white pepper for Egg Layer
- 1 medium avocado pureed just before adding, for Avocado Layer
- 1 medium avocado diced just before adding, for Avocado Layer
- 1 large shallot, minced, for Avocado Layer
- 2 Tbsp Lemon juice for Avocado Layer
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise for Avocado Layer
- 1/2 tsp salt for Avocado Layer
- dash of hot pepper sauce for Avocado Layer
- dash of freshly ground white pepper for Avocado Layer
- 1 cup sour cream for Sour Cream Layer
- 1/4 cup onion minced, for Sour Cream Layer
- 1 3 – 4 oz jar black or red caviar
- fresh lemon juice
- fresh lemon sliced thin
- thin sliced pumpernickel bread
Instructions
- Line bottom of 1-quart soufflé dish with foil extending 4 inches beyond rim of dish on 2 sides. Oil slightly.
- Soften gelatin in cold water in measuring cup. Liquefy gelatin by setting cup in pan of hot water, or in microwave oven for about 20 seconds at lowest setting. This gelatin will be divided among the 3 layers.
- FOR EGG LAYER: Combine all ingredients for egg layer with 1 Tbsp of gelatin. Taste and adjust seasoning. Neatly spread egg mixture into prepared dish with spatula, smoothing top. Wipe any egg mixture from foil with paper towel.
- FOR AVOCADO LAYER: Combine all ingredients for avocado layer with 1 Tbsp of gelatin. Taste and adjust seasoning. Gently spread mixture evenly over egg making sure to wipe any avocado mixture from foil with paper towel.
- FOR SOUR CREAM LAYER: Mix sour cream, onion and remaining 2 Tspns of gelatin. Spread carefully over avocado layer. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Just before serving, place caviar in fine sieve and rinse gently under cold running water. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Drain. Lift mold our of dish using foil extensions as "handles." Transfer mold to serving dish using wide spatula. Spread caviar over top. Cut a thin slice of lemon to the center and twist it to add to the top center of the caviar. Serve with thin slices of dark pumpernickel bread.
Notes
The gelatin is not detectable, yet it maintains the stunning layering.
Homemade Mayonnaise: (makes 1 1/4 cups)
1 egg; 1 tsp lemon juice; 1 tsp white wine vinegar; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp salt; white pepper; 1 1/2 cup oil (preferably safflower oil with 3 Tbsp olive oil)
In food processor or blender, combine egg, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and 3 tablespoons oil and mix for 5 seconds. With machine running, begin adding oil in thin steady stream through top opening until mayonnaise thickens. Add remaining oil more quickly. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Ginger Sausage Balls
Served hot, these sausage balls were a Christmas party favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs pure pork sausage meat
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1 Tbsp ginger fresh grated ginger or slightly more candied ginger
- 3 eggs separated
Instructions
- Mix sausage with garlic, ginger, and egg yolks.
- Beat egg whites and fold into mixture.
- Chill mixture for 24 hours. Form into 1 inch balls the size of a filbert or hazelnut.
- Place on a baking pan 1 inch apart
- Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or lightly browned.
Notes
These sausage balls can be made ahead, wrapped and frozen either baked or unbaked until ready to use. They should be served hot.
Additional notes gave list of ingredients without measurements. Ground turkey, fresh ginger, water chestnuts, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, Worcestershire sauce, allspice, black pepper, sage, salt, ground cumin, brandy, garlic.
DESSERTS
Baklava
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter melted (might need more)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 lb Phyllo pastry sheets thawed
- 4 cups walnuts finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 2 cups sugar for syrup
- 1 cup water for syrup
- 1/2 cup honey for syrup
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice for syrup
- 1 stick cinnamon for syrup
- 4 whole cloves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF.
- Lightly coat 15 x 10 jelly roll pan with melted butter.
- Mix nuts, sugar, and spices, set aside.
- Unroll phyllo sheets. Place 1 sheet in pan, brush with butter. Repeat with 10 sheets.
- Sprinkle 1/3 of walnut mixture evenly over top. Repeat layers of phyllo and nuts.
- Cut top of baklava into diamonds careful not to go all the way through.
- Bake 50 minutes. Meanwhile prepare syrup.
- In saucepan simmer syrup ingredients for 10 minutes. Set aside, remove cloves and stick.
- Cool Baklava 10 minutes then spoon syrup over the top. Let stand several hours or overnight.
Notes
For a crunchier and less syrupy pastry, use half the syrup. Traditionally it uses Pistachio nuts but I prefer the taste of the walnuts. Another version uses macadamia nuts and Mango syrup. Another tradition is to poke a single clove into each diamond of baklava prior to cooking. However I have found this problematic with people unfamiliar with cloves mistakenly biting into them instead of removing them before eating.
Bourbon Balls
Ingredients
- 8 1 ounce squares semi-sweet chocolate coarsely chopped
- 60 vanilla wafers pulverized, about 3 cups
- 1 cup pecans finely chopped
- 1 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
Instructions
- Melt chocolate and cool to lukewarm.
- Combine wafers, pecans, 2/3 cup sugar in deep bowl.
- Pour in chocolate, bourbon and corn syrup, stir vigorously with wooden spoon.
- Scoop by 1 Tbsp ball about 1 inch diameter.
- Roll in remaining sugar and place in wide mouth jar. Moisten paper rounds cut to fit lid with bourbon.
- Tightly closed, good for 3-4 weeks. Makes about 100.
English Christmas Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup butter softened, 1/4 cup is for pan
- 2 cups mixed peel finely chopped about 12 oz
- 2 cups white raisins about 12 oz
- 1 1/2 cups dried currants about 8 oz
- 1 cup seedless raisins about 5 oz
- 1/2 cup candied cherries halved, about 4 oz or 24
- 1/2 cup candied angelica finely chopped, about 4 oz
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup almonds shelled and pulverized, about 6 oz
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup pale dry sherry, rum or brandy
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Using pastry brush, coat the bottom and sides of 12" x 3" springform cake pan with 2 Tbsp of the softened butter.
- Coat one side of a 20" strip of wax paper with 2 Tspn softened butter and fit the paper greased side up inside the pan.
- In a large bowl combine the fruit peel, white raisins, currants, seedless raisins, cherries and angelica. Sprinkle the fruit with 1/2 cup flour, tossing about with a spoon to coat the pieces evenly. Set aside.
- Sift the remaining flour with baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, cream the remaining cup of butter with the brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the pulverized almonds then beat in eggs one at a time.
- Add the flour mixture a half cup at a time then beat the fruit mixture into the the batter.
- Finally add the sherry and pour the batter into prepared pan. It should come to no more than 1 inch from the top. If necessary, remove and discard any excess.
- Bake in the middle of the oven 1 hour 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for 30 minutes before removing sides of the springform pan, then slip it off the bottom of the pan onto a cake rack to cool completely. Once cool, carefully peel off paper.
Notes
This cake can be made months ahead of time and kept thoroughly wrapped in the freezer.
Favourite Brandy Plum Pudding
Recipe was made starting in 1966 according to notes on the recipe from Womans Day November 1966.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup butter
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp Brandy
- 1/2 cup dried currants
- 1/2 cup raisins chopped
- 1/2 cup dates chopped
- 1/3 cup candied pineapple chopped
- 1/3 cup candied cherries chopped
- 1/3 cup candied citron chopped
- 1/3 cup nuts chopped
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- granulated sugar to sprinkle in pan
- 1/2 cup butter softened, for hard sauce
- 1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar for hard sauce
- 3 Tbsp Brandy for hard sauce
Instructions
- Cream butter and brown sugar until light.
- Beat in brandy and egg.
- Stir in fruits and nuts.
- Sift in flour, soda, salt and spices.
- Butter 5 cup mold and sprinkle with sugar.
- Spoon mixture into mold and press with spoon.
- Cover, and put on rack in kettle.
- Add Boiling water to com halfway up sides of mold.
- Cover kettle and steam about 3 hours.
- Serve hot with Brandy Hard Sauce.
- For Brandy Hard Sauce, beat softened butter until light. Beat in sugar then add the brandy. Chill until served.
Notes
I remember a small amount of brandy poured on the top or around the bottom and then lit aflame at time of serving.
Jan Hagel
Scandinavian Shortbread, from Betty Crocker Cooky Book
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg separated
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1/2 cup walnuts finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly grease jelly roll pan 15 1/2: x 10 1/2" x 1"
- Mix butter , sugar and egg yolk.
- Measure flour by dipping or sifting, blend in cinnamon.
- Stir into butter mixture and pat into pan.
- Beat water and egg white till frothy, brush over dough. Sprinkle nuts on top of egg white.
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until very lightly brown.
- Cut immediately into 3" by 1" bars. Cool. Makes about 50.
Notes
from Abella kitchen: I like a thicker cookie so I make 1 1/2 batch in a stone jelly roll pan, pricking the dough before putting the froth from one egg on top. Increasing the time to 35 minutes and increasing the nuts to 3/4 cup.
Rum Balls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs about 50 cookies
- 1/4 cup Bacardi dark rum
- 1/4 cup honey
- 8 oz ground walnuts about 2 cups
- confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except sugar and blend thoroughly.
- Shape into small balls, about 1 inch diameter.
- Roll in sugar, and store in tightly closed container.
- Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.
Russian Tea Cakes
Sometimes called Mexican Wedding Cookies, they are a shortbread with nuts wrapped in sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup Confectioners Sugar sifted
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 2 1/4 cup Flour
- 1/4 cup Salt
- 3/4 cup walnuts very finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix butter, sugar, and vanilla thoroughly.
- Measure flour by dipping method or by sifting. Stir flour and salt together; blend in butter mixture. Mix in nuts. Chill dough.
- Roll dough in 1” balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet. (Cookies do not spread.)
- Bake 10 to 12 min., or until set but not brown.
- Cool at least 5 minutes, while still warm, roll in confectioners’ sugar. Cool completely. Roll in sugar again or use a decorator sugar like Red or Green.
Notes
(NOTES FROM THE ABELLA KITCHEN: I use Walnuts normally but Pecans make a good cookie as well. I do not chill batter unless I want to take a break before forming the cookies. I use a cookie scoop to make round balls. I do roll them all in sugar when they are still warm using tongs but when the cookies are cooled I roll 1/3 of the cookies in sugar again but then another third of the cookies in green sugar sprinkles and the last third in red sugar sprinkles. I also usually double this recipe, put it in the fridge, then make another double recipe etc. When I’m done making dough I start forming the cookies from the dough in the fridge.)
Scotch Shortbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sweet Butter
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar 2 1/4 oz
- 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted, 9 oz
Instructions
- Cream butter and beat in sugar gradually.
- Mix in flour well.
- Turn dough out on a baking sheet and pat into a circle about 3/4 inch thick and 7 inches in diameter.
- Pinch the edge of cake all the way around and prick all over with a fork.
- Chill at least 1/2 hour. Bake shortbread in moderate oven 375 degrees 5 minutes then reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake about 45 minutes longer.
- Shortbread should be pale gold, not brown, when done.
- While still warm, cut in wedges. Small ones. This is rich and disappears fast, makes 16 wedges.
Notes
Never, never, NEVER use any shortening but butter in this recipe if you would master the art of Scottish baking.
MAIN DISHES
Brined and Roasted Turkey with Gravy
Recipe from Emeril Lagasse, 2001 on Food Network
Ingredients
- 1 cup salt for brine
- 1 cup brown sugar for brine
- 2 oranges, quartered for brine
- 2 lemons, quartered for brine
- 6 sprigs of Thyme for brine
- 4 sprigs of Rosemary for brine
- 10 lb Turkey
- 4 Tbsp butter at room temp for Turkey
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into 8ths for Turkey
- 1 large carrot, cut into 1 inch pieces for Turkey
- 1 large orange, cut into 8ths for Turkey
- 1 stalk celery cut into 1 inch pieces for Turkey
- 2 bay leaves for Turkey
- 2 sprigs of Thyme for Turkey
- 2 cups Chicken broth for Turkey basting (if not using turkey bag)
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil for broth
- 1 set of reserved turkey neck and giblets for broth
- 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped for broth
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped for broth
- 1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped for broth
- 1 bay leaf for broth
- 3 cups turkey stock or low salt chicken broth for broth
- 3 cups water for broth
- 4 cups turkey broth from above for gravy
- 1 cup dry white wine for gravy
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter for gravy
- salt and freshly ground black pepper for gravy
- 1/4 cup flour for gravy
Instructions
- Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water. Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to24 hours.
- To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary.
- Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water then pat dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place breast side down in a large, heavy roasting pan, and rub on all sides with the butter. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and thyme. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.
- For the turkey broth: Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and sauté until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
- Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.
- Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock. (NOTE: can use a turkey bag for this step)
- Remove from the oven and place on a platter then tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
- For the pan gravy: Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat. Place the roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 3 cup of broth and bring to a simmer, then transfer to a measuring cup.
- In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.
BREADS
Banana Nut Loaf
from Better Homes and Gardens Bread Cook Book
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana
- 1/2 cup broken California walnuts (course chopped)
Instructions
- Cream together shortening and sugar; add eggs and beat well.
- Sift together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with banana, beating well after each addition.
- Stir in walnuts and pour into a well greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan.
- Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) about 1 hour or till done. Remove from pan; cool on rack.
Cinnamon Swirl Orange Bread
From the Better Homes and Gardens Bread Cook Book
Ingredients
- 1 pkg active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup water warm but not hot
- 1 cup milk scalded
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp grated orange peel
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 7 cups flour sifted
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 2 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1 cup Confectioners sugar for icing
- 1 tsp grated orange peel for icing
- 4 tsp orange juice for icing
Instructions
- Soften yeast in 1/4 warm water.
- Mix scalded milk with 1/2 cup sugar, shortening, salt, 1 Tbsp orange peel, and 3/4 cup orange juice; cool to lukewarm.
- Stir in 2 cups of flour; beat smooth.
- Stir in yeast and egg; beat well.
- Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
- Turn out on lightly floured surface; kneed until smooth about 10 minutes.
- Place in a greased bowl, turning dough once. Cover and let rise till double (1 1/4 hours).
- Punch down; divide in half. Cover, and let rest 10 minutes.
- Roll each half in 15×7 inch rectangles, 1/2 inch thick.
- Combine 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon. Spread each rectangle with half the sugar mixture.
- Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon water; smooth with spatula.
- Roll. Seal edge; place sealed edge down in greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise until double (1 hour).
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool; frost with icing made of confectioners sugar, orange peel and orange juice. Drizzle icing from a spoon, moving it back and forth like "push-and-pulls" in penmanship.