Holiday Recipes

[Marge_Innavera]

Let's start our own forum holiday "cookbook"!

This is a very rich cherry dessert that I entered in the Missouri State Fair last year.  The recipe calls for fresh tart pie cherries; but if those aren't available you can use canned cherries or canned cherry pie crust filling.  If you use canned pie filling, eliminate the 1-1/4 cup sugar and the tapioca.


Black Forest Pecan Pie

3 eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp pecan pieces
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups pitted sour cherries
1-1/4 cup sugar
5-1/2 tsp. tsp tapioca
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust or 2-crust piecrust recipe

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, melted butter and corn syrup together.  Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell.

Mix the cherries, sugar, tapioca and flavorings; heat to almost boiling, stirring occasionally.  Spoon the cherry filling over the top of the pie and sprinkle a few additional chocolate chips over the top.  Top with lattice crust or shapes cut with cookie cutter.

Bake until set, 40 to 50 minutes

[MaineWriter]

I love the idea of a recipe thread...and the holidays will be here before we know it (don't remind me, folks!).

At the Boston Brokie Get Together, I made this for the cherry cake bake off. For those of us who are not bakers, it couldn't be much easier. Enjoy!

THIRD PRIZE WINNER BOSTON BROKIES GET TOGETHER CHERRY CAKE

1 pkg yellow cake mix (pudding type)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

Place cake mix, sour cream, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Blend on low speed for one minute. Stop, scrape the sides and then blend on medium speed for 2 minutes more. Batter should look well blended.

Spread batter in a greased and floured 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan. Spoon cherry pie filling over the top, spreading evenly, then swirl in just enough to make a marbled effect.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes.

Cool and serve to a passel of hungry cowgirls and cowboys.

Enjoy!

[MaineWriter]

My family has certain foods that MUST appear on the holiday table, such as creamed onions. My mother's recipe is to take a jar of boiled onions, put them in a double boiler and pour a pint over cream over, then sprinkle with paprika. Yeah, right, mom. I found this recipe a few years ago and it has become the standard on MY table at Christmas (and various other holidays, too).

GOLDEN CREAMED ONIONS
Serves 8-10

3 lbs pearl onions, blanched in boiling water 2 minutes, drained, and peeled (To peel: blanch in boiling water for one minute, rinse under cool water. Cut off the root and then pop out the onion. While many people find this step tedious and dull, I actually think it is relaxing and therapeutic.)

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a skillet large enough to hold the onions in a single layer (or two if necessary), combine onions, sugar, salt, and enough water to cover the onions by a 1/2-inch and bring mixture to boil. Boil until the liquid is almost evaporated and continue cooking, swirling pan, until the onions are golden and they begin to brown. Add the cream and continue swirling pan until cream thickens and colors (about 2 minutes). Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper. This dish can be prepared a day or even more in advance and can be reheated in a microwave, a skillet over low heat, or in a slow oven.


Leslie

[Marge_Innavera]

FANCY POTATO LATKES

2 cups raw grated potatoes (about 4 small)
1 large or 2 medium eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons flour
1 small onion, grated
1 small or 1/2 medium apple, grated (OPTIONAL)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
cooking oil

Combine the grated potato and onion; drain the liquid out with a colander or squeeze out with cheesecloth or other thin fabric.  Combine with all the other ingredients and mix well.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased frying pan and saute at medium-high heat until brown and crisp on each side.

These are especially good eaten with applesauce.

[Penthesilea]

This is a great idea for a thread. I like the idea of sharing and trying receips from different countries, continents even.

I will choose one receipt and try it for Advent/Christmas time (Thanksgiving was in September and is not a popular holiday; it goes by almost unnoticed).
I'd prefer a receipt for something sweet, like a cake or cookies. So if any of you would like to share anything in that direction, please do 
But I'll sure have a look for the more hearty receipts, too.

I'm not big on cooking or baking. In fact, my husband is doing the cooking in our family. But sometimes, I like to try something new and/or special (as long as it is easy to prepare, that is  ). Maybe I'll try Barbs chicken receipt from another thread (I didn't forget it, Barb, but haven't tried yet).

Although I'm not big on cooking/baking, I can do some things. I'll share the receipts of my favourite Christmas cookies, the so-called "Ausstecherle". It's nothing special, really simple, but my favourite. My dictionary says they are similar to shortbread, but I've eaten shortbread in GB and it's different.
And I have a receipt for a meal that is traditional for Christmas Eve in my family.

I don't have the receips handy right now. I'll post them sometime next week.

[Marge_Innavera]

This isn't exactly a winter-type dish, but it's very festive anyway and can be either a dessert or a cold salad.


MANDARIN ORANGE SALAD

2 3-ounce packages orange Jello
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 pint orange sherbet
one 11-ounce can mandarin orange sections

Drain the liquid out of the mandarin oranges.

Dissolve the jello in boiling water; add lemon juice and sherbet and stir till dissolved and thoroughly mixed.  Chill till partially thickened, stirring frequently; then stir in oranges.  Chill until set in a bowl or jello mold.

[delalluvia]

I'm a neo-pagan.  I celebrate the holidays, it's just not Christmas.

This is one of my favorite sweets:

Honeyed dates (serves 10, cut down as needed):

1 lb dates (should not be sticky, skins should not come off easily)
walnuts, whole or chopped
salt as needed
honey as needed

Pit the dates by making a cut in one side.  Fill each cavity with walnuts.  Roll each date in the salt.

Put them in a frying pan and cover them with honey generously (enough to coat the dates and cover the bottom of the pan).  Cook them under medium heat until they are carmelized.  Remove to a lightly oiled plate to prevent sticking.

Variation:  instead of walnuts, use blanched almonds rolled in cinnamon.

I made this last year and ate every single one myself.  Rich and unbelievably good.  Yum.

[MaineWriter]

This isn't a holiday recipe, but we got talking about it in chat and I said I would post here. Easy and delicious and elegant enough to serve to company.

LESLIE'S SIGNATURE SCALLOPS AND ZUCCHINI ON CAPELLINI

to serve 4

3 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
2-3 zucchini, cut in matchstick juliene
1 lb scallops, cut into pieces if large
a generous amount of chopped fresh parsely
a few tablespoons of chopped fresh basil (dried is acceptable if fresh is not available)
a generous amount of grated cheese (I like Grana Padano, but Parmesan or Romano are also fine)

1 lb capellini (angel hair) - I like DeCecco. You can also use linguine or spaghetti--whatever you like, but the capellini is my favorite.

Have a large pot of boiling water ready for the pasta. Cook according to the package...DeCecco capellini takes 2 minutes. Spaghetti takes 12 minutes.

You need to time the pasta to the scallops/zucchini. If using spaghetti, put it in when you start to melt the butter. If using capellini, put it in when you add the parsely to the skillet.

In a large flat skillet, heat 2 tbsp. butter with 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for a second, then add the zucchini.  Cook for a minute or two and then add the scallops. Cook until until the scallops turn opaque (another minute or so). Add parsely, basil, and several grinds of fresh pepper. At the very last second, add cheese and stir. The cheese will melt and you need to get if off the heat fast so it doesn't get rubbery.

Drain pasta and place in serving bowl, cover with scallops and zucchini. Sprinkle with a bit more cheese and garnish with lemon wedges.

Serve immediately.

[southendmd]

I can vouch for Leslie's Cherry Cake:  it was fabulous!  Like a rich coffee cake.  There was stiff competition that day...

Here's a simple holiday side dish.  I never like cooked cranberries, and this couldn't be easier.  All you need is a food processor.  It's tart, sweet, bitter and zingy all at once.

CRANBERRY ORANGE RELISH

one bag fresh cranberries
one seedless orange, quartered with the peel on(could substitute two clementines)
one piece fresh ginger about 1"x2"
1/4 cup sugar

In a food processor, put the fresh ginger and process to chop finely. 
Add quartered orange (check for stray seeds), cranberries and sugar.
Process briefly until coarsely chopped.

That's it. 
Some may like more sugar.
Sometimes I'll add a finely chopped jalapeno for added kick.

[Front-Ranger]

Thanks for starting this thread, Marge! Great idea. I started preparing for Thanksgiving already by making peach chutney. While preparing it I fondly thought of Jack eating two cans of peaches one evening at supper and two of "Ennis's stone biscuits" by Ennis's fire.   

Peach Chutney

5 cloves garlic
1 white onion
1 tsp. olive oil
a 2-in piece of jalapeno pepper
1 T. fresh galangal, peeled
1 1/2 T. ginger

1/2 cup brown sugar
juice of one lemon
2 T. sake
1 T. black vinegar

5 large peaches
1 T. flour
1 lime

Chop the onion and saute in the olive oil over low/medium heat until soft. Cut the garlic into slivers and add near the end of cooking. With rubber gloves on, shop the jalapeno pepper finely and add. Also chop or grate the galagal and ginger and add. Cook a couple of minutes longer just until everything starts to soften. Set aside.

Bring a pot of water to boil and dunk the peaches one by one in just for 30 seconds each. Slip off the peels and chop the peaches into a large bowl, saving the juice and discarding the pits. Pour off the peach juice into a pot and bring to a boil with the brown sugar. Allow to boil until it is syrupy and thick. Remove from the burner and add lemon juice, sake, and vinegar.

Toss the peaches with the flour and add the onion mixture. Chop the lime (including peel) finely and add. Pour the syrup mixture over and combine well. Spoon the chutney into jars and store in the refrigerator, or process.