Category: Holiday

Almond Crescent Cookies
Baking · Holiday

Almond Crescent Cookies

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These are the classic Christmas cookie that I grew up with and this is my great-grandmother’s recipe. The recipe itself could possibly go further back.

While many families get nostalgic about sugar cookies or their specific treats, these were the cookies that we prized the most in my family. My mother was the master at this, and always made them well in advance of her mother’s Christmas Eve party. It was difficult work hiding them from us, and I remember scouring cupboards, sewing tins, and the deep freezer in a vain attempt to find them. In truth, they symbolize a lot for me – the work my mother put in, my grandmother’s amazing Christmas Eve family party where our extended relatives rolled up in car after car. We were so happy to see each other and be around our cousins, aunts and uncles. This was a time when video cameras were not an economic reality for most. A few pictures exist, but what remains is mostly in my mind. I don’t remember a lot of the food that was served (although I am certain there was a massive amount), because I was focused only one thing – my utter excitement at seeing those cookies on the plate and finally being allowed to eat them. We never ran out, despite all of those people – no doubt due to my mother’s insanely good hiding skills.

Supposedly the crescent shape is to symbolize victory over the Turks, but who knows? What I do know is that I miss the bygone era of dressing your best, and celebrating your whole extended family without the distraction of phones and television. I didn’t know it at the time, but we were so very fortunate to have one another.

I’ve seen many iterations of this cookie, and even ones where you dip the ends in chocolate. I hope you pardon my insistence that the old way is the best way – at least for me. Sometimes simplicity is the best way, because it connects me to a time and place that lives only in my heart and memories. It’s also really delicious.

Ingredients:

  1. 2 cups cake flour or soft flour (White Lily)
  2. 1 pinch salt
  3. 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  4. 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  5. 3/4 cup almond flour
  6. 2 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla pod, seeds scraped into the dough

Steps:

  1. Cream butter and sugar together. Mix in the rest of ingredients util a crumbly dough forms. If the dough is too crumbly, add 1-2 tbs water
  2. Use your hands and press the dough together and wrap in plastic wrap.
  3. Chill the dough for an hour.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silpats.
  5. Break off the dough in to the size of a small walnut and roll into small cylinders and taper the ends into dull points. Each should be the length and thickness of your pinkie finger. Bend into a crescent shape and place on baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
  6. Bake for 14 -17 minutes until edges are golden. They should not brown. Dust with vanilla powdered sugar while slightly warm. When cool, dust again or roll them around in sugar.

*Pro tip -if you find it tricky to roll between your hands, cover a board with plastic wrap and roll the pieces against the plastic, using the heel of your hand

*Pro tip – Place two vanilla pods in your container for powdered sugar to infuse it with more flavor.

Amaretti (Gluten Free)
Baking · Holiday

Amaretti (Gluten Free)

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Amaretti are classic Italian cookies. There are many iterations – this one is soft, light and airy with a slightly crunchy outer layer. You can forgo the powdered sugar at the end for a more traditional biscotti to have with your coffee in the morning. This version is powdered and decadent for the holidays. It is also gluten-free, so it is a great alternative to other holiday cookies out there.

Ingredients:

  1. 5 egg whites
  2. one pinch of salt
  3. 5 cups almond flour
  4. 2 cups sugar, divided
  5. 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  6. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  7. 1 tsp almond extract
  8. 2 tsp lemon zest* (optional)

Steps:

  1. Separate 5 egg whites into a bowl, then add a pinch of salt. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
  2. Sift 5 cups of almond flour with 1 and 1/2 cups of granulated sugar into a bowl.
  3. Add about 1/3 of the almond flour mixture into the egg whites and fold it in gently with a spatula. Do this very gently so you do not knock the air out.
  4. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp of almond extract to the mixture and then quickly fold it in.
  5. Add the second third of the almond flour mixture to the egg whites and gently fold it in.
  6. Add in the remaining third of the almond flour mixture and fold it in one last time. At this point, the cookie dough should have a thick paste like texture.
  7. Scoop out mounds of the cookie dough and place them onto a plate of the remaining granulated sugar. Roll the scoop of cookie dough into the sugar, then take it into your hands and round it out to a ball.
  8. Drop the ball into a bowl of powdered sugar and evenly coat it.
  9. Place the cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly press each cookie with your hand. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.

Holiday

Rompope (Costa Rican Style)

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After experimenting with several styles of Rompope over the years, we have settled on this version, which calls for generous amounts of orange and cinnamon.

Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Around 2 pints

You will need:

  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3-5 orange peels
  • 8 yolks
  • 1 cup cream
  • 1 cup condensed milk
  • 4-5 cinnamon sticks

Step one:

Blend milk, sugar, vanilla, orange peels and cinnamon in a medium sized-sauce pan and bring to a low boil for 25 minutes.

Step two:

Add the egg yolks and condensed milk. Stir. Add the cream, do not allow it to boil.

Step three:

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably 24. It will be thick when it is chilled, but will become more liquid as it warms from room temperature. However, if you would prefer a thinner consistency, add a bit more milk until it is the desired thickness.

 

Garnish with grated cinnamon, if desired.

Appetizer · Holiday · Recipes

Holiday Treat: White chocolate peppermint popcorn

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This is another great holiday treat that is very simple to make. This does not seem like much, but it is irresistible. Whenever I set this out, people cannot stop eating it:)

All you need:

  • Air popped popcorn (ten cups)
  • 12 oz white chocolate, melted
  • crushed peppermints, a few handfuls

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Step one: Pop the popcorn in a very large bowl. Crush peppermints in a ziploc bag.

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Step two: melt the white chocolate. Melting white chocolate can be very problematic, especially in the microwave. If that is your only option, Sally’s Baking Addiction has good advice on how to do it.I recommend a double boiler, or you can rig one with a sauce pan and a pyrex bowl, like this:

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Step three: Drizzle the melted white chocolate and blend with the popcorn. It will be a gooey mess. Toss in the crushed mint.  Store in an airtight container.

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Delicious and addicting

Dessert · Holiday

Buckeyes

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Recipe source: my sister in law

When I lived in Ohio, I discovered the magic of buckeyes. They are a bit labor intensive, but sooooo worth it.

You will need:       

  • 16 oz confectioner’s sugar (4 cups)
  • 1 18 oz jar of creamy peanut butter (2 cups)
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  •  1 12oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • toothpicks & wax paper

Step one: In a bowl, combine sugar, and peanut butter.

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Once blended, add the butter.

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Step two: Roll the mixture into little chestnut sized balls and place on wax paper. Refrigerate.

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Step three: With a double boiler or microwave, melt the chocolate chips. Remove the peanut butter balls and put them in freezer for five minutes- they stay on the toothpick better and the chocolate hardens quicker.

Step four: Dip the peanut butter ball into the chocolate with a toothpick and slowly coat on all sides with the chocolate. Leave a circle around the toothpick chocolate free. Freeze them until you are ready to serve.

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A delicious tradition:)

Dessert · Holiday · Recipes

Sugar Cut-out cookies

vanva1 Comment

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My fondest holiday memories involve rolling out sugar cookies with my mom and grandmother. We would begin baking on December 23, and it was an all day/all night affair in order to be ready for our dinner and family Christmas party. We always set out a few cookies and a carrot for Santa, and of course, in the morning all that would be left would be some crumbs.

This cookie recipe makes a very soft, thick sugar cookie and is ideal for making with the kids. My holiday stress secret is to make a huge batch a couple weeks ahead for Christmas and then freeze it. I pull it out whenever kids want to bake. When I became a parent, I learned the hard way that it is WAYYYY more easy to make the dough ahead of time. In truth, the kids enjoy the rolling, baking and decorating, not the assembly and chilling part. What sets this one apart is how easy it is for kids to work with, and how consistent the dough is for working with the rolling pin.

I had used my mom’s recipe for a long time, but I experimented with this one from thekitchn.com  and have never looked back.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for 1 hour
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Step one:

Mix flour, salt, baking powder in a large bowl.

IMG_2446 Big Fat Batch = Big Fat Bowl

Step two:

Cream the butter and add sugar in a large bowl.

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Add the egg and blend until golden yellow. Add the cream cheese, lemon zest, vanilla and almond extract.

Step three:

Add the flour mixture in gradual increments to the butter/sugar blend until well-blended.

IMG_2450 Buttery, crumbly goodness

Step four:

Refrigerate the dough for two hours.

To Bake:

After chilling the dough, and rolling it/cutting it out into desired shapes, bake for 9-12 minutes. The bottom of the cookies most likely will not brown.

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Notes:

The dough will keep in the freezer for up to a month, if you are planning to mix it ahead.

Decorating ideas:

  • Spread a thin layer of cream cheese frosting after cookies cool and add sprinkles.
  • Drizzle with melted chocolate
  • You could cut out thin cookies and layer with nutella or jam
Dessert · Holiday

Classic NY Cheesecake with Cranberry Cointreau sace

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This recipe is a hybrid/tweak from several sources. This cheesecake is very rich and excellent as a stand-alone. It also makes an excellent base for toppings if you choose to remove the citrus notes.

Classic New York Cheesecake: (supposedly the original recipe from Lindy’s)

  • 5 packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 and 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tbs all purpose flour
  • 1 tbs grated orange peel *optional
  • 1 tbs grated lemon peel *optional
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Crust:

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk

Step one: (crust)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease springform pan, with shortening. Remove pan. Mix all ingredients with a fork until the dough forms. Gather it up into three balls. Press one ball into the the bottom of the pan. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until light golden brown.

Assemble the sides of the pan and secure. Press remaining dough 2 inches up the side of the pan.

It doesn’t seem like it, but the dough will press up nicely and fill the pan.

Step two: (cake)

Heat oven to 475 degrees. Beat cream cheese, flour, orange peel, lemon peel and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.

Beat in eggs, egg yolks and whipping cream on low speed until well-blended. Pour into crust.

Step three: Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees. Bake one hour and 15 minutes longer. Do not insert a knife to test – this will cause cracks. The center may not seem done, but will set eventually. Turn off the oven, but leave the cheesecake in there for 30 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for another 30 minutes.

Step four: Don’t release the pan, but run a spatula along the side to loosen the crust. Chill for at least three hours in the refrigerator, uncovered; preferably, overnight.

Serving suggestions – If you don’t want to top it with fruit, Beat 3/4 cup of heavy cream until it is stiff. Top with slivered almonds.

Cranberry-cointreau sauce (source finecooking.com)

  • 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 12-oz. package fresh cranberries, rinsed, dried, and picked over
  • 2 Tbs. Cointreau or Grand Marnier (I have used Grand Marnier in the past because I can more easily find the travel sizes at our liquor store

Note – I have used Grand Marnier in the past because I can more easily find the travel sizes at our liquor store, and it is cheaper. Both have the smoky orange tones you are looking for.

In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar, honey, and 3/4 cup water to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the cranberries.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the foam has turned fuchsia and many of the berries have popped, about 5 min.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the Cointreau. Pour into a heatproof bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours, but preferably overnight. The sauce can be made two days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Dessert · Holiday · Recipes

Homeade Apple Pie

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Homemade apple pies are easy; It’s the crust that is always tricky for me. If I have time, I make the dough from scratch, but I often cop out and by the ready-made variety. Homemade dough gives you that ethereal, light quality but it can be time-consuming and easy to make it too tough.

One note though, avoid the shells you find in the freezer – I feel like they always break and no matter how hard you try, the taste of a rolled-out dough baked in the oven is impossible to replicate. I tend to by the rolled-dough you see pictured above. For my dough recipe, scroll down to the end of the post. What follows is my tried and true apple pie recipe.

Serves: 8 people

Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

You will need:

  • 7 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples. This will be about 7 small apples. (I like granny smith, gala or empire or a combo)
  • 1/2 cup white sugar; 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbs all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbs butter
  • For the crust, you will need enough for 2. One for the top; one for the bottom

Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Step 2: Combine apples, sugar, flour, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix around until the apples are coated and there is no loose powder.

Step 3. Place the mixture in a dough lined 9 inch pie plate. Dot with slices of butter.

Step 4: Assemble the top crust and press edges with your fingers in whatever pattern you wish.

Vent the top of the pie.

Step 5: Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. After the ten minutes, reduce the temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 50-60 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender. Cool upon a rack and serve. If the crust gets too dark, cover it gently in foil.

Extras:

  • I like to coat the crust with melted butter and sprinkle it with brown sugar and an extra dash of cinnamon.
  • Serve it with some vanilla bean ice cream.

Homemade dough recipe:

This recipe makes enough for 2 or a double crust pie.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup cold water.

Step 1: Combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter. Mix (use a hand mixer or processor) until the mixture resembles a crumbly meal ( a few pea size pieces of butter is ok)

Step 2: Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cold water. Mix until the dough is crumbly, but holds together when squeezed with your fingers. If necessary, add a tiny bit of water at a time until you get the right consistency. To do not overdo it, or your crust will get tough, not flaky. ‘

Step 3: Transfer half of the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form the dough into a circle roughly 3/4 inch thick. Wrap tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour until firm. It will hold up for 3 days and can be frozen for 3 months. Repeat with the second half.

When I am top of holiday game, I will pre-make a few batches and freeze them until Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Holiday · Recipes · Side dish

Cranberries with Dried Cherries

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My father has an obsession with cranberries during the holidays. Rather than have him resort to cranberries out of the can, I decided to experiment with a new recipe a few years; this was such a big hit at the table that it is now an essential during the holidays. Even if you are not the biggest cranberry fan, I guarantee this will change your mind.

Serves: 6-8 people

Time: 30 minutes (cooking), 1 hour, 30 min (total, with chilling).

You will need:

  • 1 package fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup dried cherries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups water

Step one: In a large sauce pan, combine the ingredients and bring to a boil.

Step two: Simmer for 20-25 minutes until most of the berries have burst and the liquid is syrupy.

Step three: Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Pecan Pie
Dessert · Holiday · Recipes

Pecan Pie

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Pecan pie is always a hit with my family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here is a very simple recipe that I have had a lot of success with over the years. The recipe for the dough is at the bottom of the post.

Serves: 8 people

Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes.

You will need:

  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup dark corn syrup
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup pecan halves or broken pecans
  • 2 tbs bourbon

Step one: Heat oven to 375 degrees

Step two: Beat sugar, butter, corn syrup, bourbon, salt and eggs in a large bowl with a wire whisk. Once blended, stir in pecans.

Pour into a dough lined pie plate.

Step three: Bake for 40-50 degrees until the center is set.

Ready for coffee and ice cream:)

Homemade dough recipe:

This recipe makes enough for 2 or a double crust pie.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup cold water.

Step 1: Combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter. Mix (use a hand mixer or processor) until the mixture resembles a crumbly meal ( a few pea size pieces of butter is ok)

Step 2: Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cold water. Mix until the dough is crumbly, but holds together when squeezed with your fingers. If necessary, add a tiny bit of water at a time until you get the right consistency. To do not overdo it, or your crust will get tough, not flaky. ‘

Step 3: Transfer half of the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form the dough into a circle roughly 3/4 inch thick. Wrap tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour until firm. It will hold up for 3 days and can be frozen for 3 months. Repeat with the second half.

When I am top of holiday game, I will pre-make a few batches and freeze them until Thanksgiving and Christmas.