Prologue Foods & Drinks Crafts Activities Home & Garden Holidays
Winter Foods Chestnuts
Carrots
Brussels Sprouts Beet Root
Shallots
Pomegranates Pecans
Walnuts
Turnips
Grapefruits
Rutabagas
Kale
Oranges
Leeks
Radicchio
Lemons
Radishes
Cauliflower
Mussels
Duck Goose
½ pound firm, medium to large sized chestnuts
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Carve an “X” on the side of each chestnut with a knife and then arrange them on a baking sheet. Roast them for 25 minutes, or until they are tender. Remove the nuts from the oven and let them cool just long enough so that the skins can be peeled before eating.
Spiced Nuts
½ cup water
1 cup packed brown sugar 1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white pepper
1 pound toasted walnuts
Toast the walnuts in a 300 degree oven for 5-10 minutes. In a saucepan, boil the water and sugar to 260 degrees Fahrenheit (hard ball stage). The syrup has reached hard ball stage when a drop of syrup turns hard after dropping it into a glass of cold water. Quickly add the nuts and stir them until they’re coated. Transfer the nuts to a sheet of wax paper to cool.
Caramel Popcorn
1 large pot of popped popcorn
2 cups roasted peanuts
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks of butter
½ tsp. baking soda
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease one or two cookie sheets. Combine the peanuts with the popcorn in the pot and then pour the mixture onto the cookie sheets. Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat while stirring. Once the mixture boils, stir it for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the baking soda. The mixture will become foamy. Immediately pour the mixture over the popcorn and peanut mixture and stir everything around. Bake the mixture for an hour, making sure to stir the popcorn around every 20 minutes. Remove the popcorn from the oven and allow it to cool before storing in containers.
Buttered Rum
2 cups brown sugar
1 stick of butter ½ tsp. salt
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups rum
whipped cream
Add all the ingredients in a slow cooker (except the rum and whipped cream) and cook on low, covered, for 2-3 hours (or until heated). Before serving, add the rum and spoon the mixture into mugs, then top the drinks with whipped cream.
Holiday Eggnog
1 dozen eggs
1 ¼ cups sugar
½ tsp. salt
2 quarts whole milk
1 cup dark rum
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream, whipped In a soup pot, whisk the eggs, sugar and salt. Slowly add 1 quart of milk and heat the mixture on low, making sure to stir the custard for 20 minutes or until it is a thick syrup consistency. The custard should be hot but not boiling, or it will curdle. Pour the custard into a large bowl and mix in the rum, vanilla extract, nutmeg and the rest of the milk. Refrigerate the eggnog until ready to serve. Before serving, fold the whipped cream into the eggnog for a fluffy festive drink.
Almond Cookies
2 hard boiled eggs
1 raw egg
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. sliced or crushed almonds
1 cup flour plus more for dusting
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the yolks of the boiled eggs and mash them with the butter until creamy. Add the sugar, the raw egg yolk, milk and flour. Mix the ingredients until the dough is stiff enough to roll out on a floured surface. Cut shapes with cookies cutters and arrange them on a buttered cookie sheet. Brush the cookies with the raw egg white, and sprinkle them with sliced almonds. Bake them until golden, about 10 minutes.
Caraway Cookies
3 cups all purpose flour ¾ cup sugar
1 stick of butter
¼ cup of milk
2 Tbsp. caraway seeds
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large boil, mix the flour and sugar and caraway seeds. In a small bowl, melt the butter and then mix in the milk. Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Knead the dough and then roll it out on a floured surface. Cut out diamond shapes and arrange the cookies on a buttered cookie sheet. Bake the cookies until golden but still soft in the middle, about 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven to cool.
Gingerbread Cookies
1 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. nutmeg
1 Tbsp. allspice
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 stick of butter, softened ¾ cup molasses
1 cup packed brown sugar ½ cup water
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Decorative frosting
Mix the butter, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, until they are completely absorbed. Divide the dough into 3 balls and flatten them until they’re about an inch thick. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate them overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough until it is only ¼ inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookies cutters and place the until it is only ¼ inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookies cutters and place the 12 minutes. When they’re done, they will still be soft. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and place them on a wire rack. Once cool, the cookies can be decorated with frosting.
Pfeffernusse
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. grated orange peel
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. lemon extract ½ tsp. ground cloves
In a large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat sugar and eggs until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour, grated orange peel, cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, lemon extract, cloves and beat the mixture, occasionally scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula, until well combined. With lightly floured hands, shape dough into 4 balls; flatten each slightly. Wrap each in plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour or refrigerate overnight. Dough will be very sticky even after chilling. Preheat oven to 400. Grease a large cookie sheet. On well floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll out 1 piece of dough into a 10 inches by 6 inches rectangle, keeping remaining dough in refrigerator. With floured pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut dough lengthwise into 6 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 10 pieces. Place cookies, about ½ inch apart, on cookie sheet. Bake cookies 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned. With wide spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
DessertsMincemeat Pies
1 ¼ pounds of roast beef
¼ pound suet
Apples, peeled, cored and minced (3 cups) 1 cup currants or dried cranberries, finely chopped ½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. allspice
¼ cup brandy
2 cups apple cider
Pastry dough
Melted butter for brushing
Slow cook the roast beef for 2 and a half hours. Add the suet and cook for another ½ hour, or until the meat can be shredded and minced. Transfer the meat to a large bowl, add with it the minced apples, chopped currants, white and brown sugar, brandy, apple, cider, salt and spices. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut out small squares of pastry dough and place a spoonful of the mincemeat mixture on one side of each. Fold the pastry dough over the mixture and pinch the edges shut to form small pies. Pierce a fork through the side of each pastry pie for steam to escape. Brush each pastry with butter. Arrange the pies on a cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
Christmas Fudge
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 ounce sweet chocolate
1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow crème
4 ½ cups sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
12 ounces evaporated milk
¼ tsp. salt
2 cups chopped roasted walnuts
Combine the chocolate chips, sweet chocolate and marshmallow crème in a large bowl. Add the sugar, butter, evaporated milk and salt in a skillet, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Cook the syrup for 4 and a half minutes exactly, stirring constantly. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate mixture, and stir them together along with the roasted walnuts. Spread the fudge into a buttered serving dish and let it cool before cutting it into squares.
Cinnamon Fudge
3 cups confectioner’s sugar ½ cup coca powder
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ cup butter
¼ cup milk
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped roasted walnuts Butter the serving dish that the fudge will be poured into. In a bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa and cinnamon. Heat the butter and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter melts, stir in the vanilla. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar and walnuts. Pour the fudge into the serving dish and refrigerate for an hour before cutting it into squares.
Peanut Brittle
1 cup white sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup water
1 cup peanuts
2 Tbsp. butter, room temperature 1 tsp. baking soda
Butter a cookie sheet and place it in a warm oven. In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the sugar, corn syrup, salt and water to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the peanuts. Place a candy thermometer into the mixture so that it does not touch the sides of the pan. Keep stirring until the temperature reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the mixture from the heat and immediately stir in the butter and baking soda. Quickly pour the mixture onto the warm cookie sheet and tip the cookie sheet all around until the brittle covers it in a thin and even layer. Let the brittle cool before breaking it into pieces.
Ginger Bread Cake
½ cup white sugar
1 stick of butter
1 egg
1 cup molasses
½ cup orange juice
½ cup sour cream
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger 1 Tbsp. cloves ½ tsp. salt
1 cup hot water
Frosting:
8 ounces (2 packages) cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick of butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. orange liqueur
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a baking pan and dust it with flour. In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg and add the molasses. In another bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. One cup at a time, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir in the hot water and pour the batter into the baking pan. Bake the bread for 1 hour or until a fork comes out clean when inserted into the middle. Once cool, prepare the frosting by creaming the cheese, butter, vanilla, orange liqueur and sugar with a mixer. Frost the top of the ginger bread cake.
Frumenty (Figgy pudding)
½ cup butter
½ cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp. rum
2 apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped 2 pounds dried figs, ground or finely chopped 1 lemon peel, grated
1 cup chopped nuts
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground ginger
1 ½ cups dried bread crumbs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 large egg whites, stiffly beaten
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a baking dish or pudding mold. Cream the butter and sugar and add the egg yolks, milk, rum, apple, figs, and grated lemon peel. Add the nuts, spices and bread crumbs and mix thoroughly. With a mixer, beat the egg whites until they are stiff and then fold them into the pudding mixture. Pour the pudding into the baking dish or pudding mold. Place the baking dish or pudding mold in a baking pan on the middle oven rack. Fill the baking pan with boiling water to steam the pudding for 4 hours, replacing the boiling water every hour.
Candied Orange Peel
Peels from 5 large naval oranges, sliced 2 1/2 cups sugar
1 ½ cup water
¼ tsp salt
Candy thermometer
Bring the orange slices in a saucepan of water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer them for 10 minutes. Boil 1 and a half cups of water with 2 and ½ cups of sugar until the syrup reaches 230 to 234 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the orange strips to the syrup for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer the orange peels for and hour, or until the syrup has been absorbed. Remove the slices and let them cool. Roll them in sugar with a dash of salt and dry them on a layer of waxed paper overnight. The candy pieces should be dry on the outside but moist and chewy on the inside.
MeatsApple-Ginger Glazed Ham
1 fully cooked smoked whole ham (14 pounds) ½ cup apple jelly
¼ tsp. ground ginger
fresh herbs for garnish
Preheat oven to 325. Remove skin and trim some fat from ham, leaving about ¼ inch fat. Place ham on rack in large roasting pan. Bake ham 2 hours 30 minutes. After ham has baked 2 hours 30 minutes, prepare glaze: in small saucepan, combine apple jelly and ginger and heat to boiling over mediumhigh heat; boil 2 minutes. Brush ham with some glaze. Bake ham 30 minutes to 1 hour longer, brushing occasionally with remaining glaze, until meat thermometer inserted into center of ham registers 140 degrees (15 to 18 minutes per pound total cooking time). When ham is done, transfer to a warm large platter; let stand 20 minutes to set juices for easier slicing. Garnish with herbs.
Beef Rib Roast with Creamy Horseradish Sauce
1 3-rib beef rib roast, small end (about 7 pounds), chine bone removed
3 Tbsp. whole tricolor peppercorns
1 tsp salt
Creamy horseradish sauce.
Preheat oven to 325. In medium roasting pan, place beef roast, fat side up. In a mortar with pestle, crush peppercorns with salt. Rub peppercorn mixture over roast. Roast beef until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 140. About 20 minutes per pound. Internal temperature will rise to 145 upon standing. Or, roast to desired doneness. When beef is done, transfer to warm large platter and let stand 15 minutes to set juices for easier slicing. Meanwhile, prepare creamy horseradish sauce. Sauce: in small bowl, mix 1 jar prepared white horseradish, drained, ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 tsp. sugar, and ½ tsp. salt. Whip ½ cup heavy or whipping cream; fold into horseradish mixture. Makes about 1 2/3 cups.
VegetablesGinger and Carrot Soup
½ stick butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
12 large carrots, peeled and sliced
Two 6-inch ginger roots, peeled and minced (about ¼ cup) 2 large garlic cloves, minced
6 cups vegetable stock
1 cup cream
Fresh rosemary, marjoram, and lavender
Cheesecloth and string
Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and the ginger for a minute and then add the stock and carrots. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Slowly stir in the cream. Contain the fresh herbs in a bag of cheesecloth tied with string, and then put the bag in the soup. Simmer the soup for about a half an hour, and then remove the herb bag before blending the soup in a food processor. Transfer the soup back to the pot on the stove to reheat before serving.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Beets with Blue Cheese Dressing
10-15 small Brussels sprouts with firm outer leaves
2 medium sized beets, trimmed of leaves, peeled, and chopped
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
Ground salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the Brussels sprouts in half and arrange them on a baking sheet with the peeled and chopped beets. Drizzle the veggies with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and then roast them for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until they are tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. Remove the veggies from the oven to cool. In a small bowl, add the crumbled blue cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper, and minced garlic. Mix the ingredients together and then add a little water until it reaches a desired consistency. Serve the veggies warm and drizzled with the blue cheese dressing.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Rutabagas
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 pounds rutabagas, peeled and chopped ¼ stick butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Add the peeled and chopped vegetables to a saucepot of water and then bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer the contents for about a half an hour or until the roots are very tender. Drain them and then return them to the pot. Add the butter and salt and pepper before mashing.
Leek, Potato and Chive Soup
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced
5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup cream
¼ cup minced chives
Salt and white pepper to taste
Add the sliced leeks and the chopped potatoes into soup pot and cover them
Add the sliced leeks and the chopped potatoes into soup pot and cover them 45 minutes, or until the veggies are very tender. Add the chives and then puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Return the soup to the pot on the stove. Slowly add the cream and spices while reheating it before serving.
Sautéed Radishes
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
10 small red radishes, stems removed, rinsed and sliced
1 Tbsp. white sugar
½ Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh, chopped dill
Salt and pepper
Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium. Sauté the radishes until they are cooked to a desired tenderness. Add the sugar, vinegar and salt and pepper to the pan and then stir the radish slices to coat them before serving.
Cauliflower Soup
2 Tbsp. butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
2 cups cream or milk
4 cups chicken broth
1 head cauliflower (2 ½ pounds), leaves removed and chopped 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour and salt for 2 minutes, and then add the broth. Add the cauliflower and heat the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer the soup for about 30 minutes. Blend the soup in a food processor or blender, and then return it to the pot. Slowly add the cream or milk while reheating the soup, as well as the mustard and cheese. Keep stirring until the cheese has melted and the soup is smooth.
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