Christmas 2013

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas with their family and friends, and all the

Lords Blessings in 2014.

 

Links to my Christmas baking and appetizers:

Creamy Christmas Truffles
Candy Cane Cookies
Chocolate Filled Shortbread
Molasses-Spice Cookies
Cranberry Bliss Bars
Oatmeal Shortbread
Aunt Roses Fantastic Butter Toffee
Mixed Nut Bars

Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls
Mexican Spirals
Mushroom Turnovers

Mushroom Turnovers

This one is defiantly a bit more time-consuming, but they are delicious! I couldn't stop licking my fingers while I was filling them :) The process also went faster when Little A would put a spoonful of filling on each circle for me.

 

Mushroom Turnovers

1 - 250g. pkg. cream cheese
1/3 c. butter
1 c. flour
2 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb. mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch thyme
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 c. sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten

Cream together cream cheese and 1/3 c. butter, add 1 c. flour, mixing until smooth, cover and chill. Sauté onion and mushrooms in 2 tbsp. melted butter until tender. Stir in salt, thyme, 2 Tbsp. flour and sour cream. Cook until thickened, cool. Roll out 1/2 of the dough very thin (1/8 inch), and cut out 3-inch rounds with cookie cutter (or glass if you don't have a round cookie cutter). Drop 1 tsp. filling in each circle, brush edges with egg, fold dough over filling and press together with finger of fork to seal edges. Repeat with remaining dough, then brush tops with egg and prick with fork or cut small slits to vent air. Freeze unbaked. Bake on parchment lined baking sheet, 425 for 12-15 minutes, or until golden. Makes 3 1/2 dozen.

Dutch Apple Tart

Our families version of a Dutch classic...

 

Dutch Apple Tart

1 c. butter (or margarine)
2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 egg, beaten (saving a little to brush on top)
sliced apples
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine butter, flour, sugar, and egg (remembering to save a little for the top), mix till it just starts to come together. Save 1/4 for the lattice and press the rest into the bottom of a 9" springform pan going 1" up the sides. Fill with sliced apples, topping with remaining ingredients. Roll out remaining dough and make a lattice for the top (Cut long thin slices and lay in lattice pattern). Brush with extra egg. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes, turn off oven and let cool in oven (the secret to a softer crust, thanks mom:)).

Mexican Spirals

This was a new appie this year. But they are super easy to make and freeze great. The spicy flavor is also a nice way to offset all the sweets this time of year :)

 

Mexican Spirals

1 pkg. cream cheese
1 c. finely chopped cooked chicken
1 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese (I used cheddar)
1/3 c. finely chopped red pepper
1/4 c. chopped cilantro or parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh hot jalapeno pepper (I used cayenne, and adjusted it to our spice tastes)
2 tsp. cumin
4 - 10" tortillas

Combine all filling ingredients. Divide mixture between tortillas, spread evenly and roll up tightly. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Cut into 1/2 inch slices. (unbaked slices freeze well). Bake at 350 for 12-20 minutes, until you can see the cream cheese bubble slightly on top. Can serve with salsa or just by themselves.
When I took them out of the freezer I defrosted them and I baked them frozen, both ways turned out great :)

Mixed Nut Bars

This is a recipe I got from my mom, that I have been making every Christmas season since I got married.

 

Mixed Nut Bars

1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. margarine
11 1/2 ounces mixed nuts (sometimes I just use peanuts)
1 c. butterscotch chips
1/2 c. light corn syrup
2 Tbsp. margarine

Mix first 3 ingredients and 1/2 cup of margarine. Press into parchment paper lined (or well greased) 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with nuts. Melt remaining ingredients in a saucepan and pour over nuts. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting into bars. 

Aunt Rose's Fantastic Butter Toffee

This is my absolute favorite holiday candy! It is so addictive, I'll even go to the bottom of my freezer to have a piece. It's not hard to make, and people will be asking you for more (if you decide to share it :))

Aunt Rose's Fantastic Butter Toffee
adapted from taste of home

1 1/2 c. sliced almonds
200 g. milk chocolate (I get 2 bars of Co-op Fine Swiss Chocolate)
1 c. unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. cold water

Toast almonds in 350 oven for  5-10 minutes, shaking pan occasionally and watching closely till they just start to golden. Can give the nuts a rough chop if you like, I usually just leave them as is. Grind chocolate in a food processor until fine (I grate my chocolate bars, with my cheese grater). Sprinkle 1 c. nuts over the bottom of a well greased (or parchment-lined) jelly roll pan (large cookie sheet). Sprinkle 1 c. of ground chocolate over the nuts and set aside. In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, sugar and water, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches 280-290 (soft-crack stage), I stop at 280 otherwise I find it hard to pour. Very quickly pour mixture over nuts and chocolate. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate and the remaining nuts. Chill and break into pieces.

Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls



If I'm organized enough, I like to have ready-made appetizers in my freezer this time of year, so when we have company over they are ready to just pop into the oven. Here is a savory pastry that freezes well. 

 

Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls

2 eggs
250g. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/4 c. bread crumbs, toasted
1/4 c. fresh parsley, minced
1/4 c. onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 - 450g. pkg. frozen all-butter pastry, thawed and chilled
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Line baking sheet with wax paper. In a bowl, beat 1 egg until frothy, blend in next 5 ingredients. Unroll pastry; cut into 3- 10x31/2 inch strips (some frozen pastries will need to be rolled out with a rolling pin). Brush each strip with the mustard; spoon 1/3 of the filling down the centre of each strip. Fold the long sides over, press the edge to seal. Arrange seam side down on lined baking sheet and freeze ~15 min. Cut into 1-inch pieces (~8 per roll). In a bowl whisk second egg with 1 Tbsp water till frothy, brush over rolls and freeze until ready to use.
When ready to use put directly into pre-heated oven (no thawing). Bake at 425 for 30-35 min.

If wanting to use right away, after brushing with egg you can bake at 425 for 20 min.

Oatmeal Shortbread

These are a bit different than your traditional holiday shortbread, but are easy and quick to make. (I think they are just as addictive without the chocolate tips!)

 

Oatmeal Shortbread

1 1/3 c. flour
2/3 c. oatmeal
1 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. fine unsweetened coconut (I've used sweetened too)

Mix dry ingredients and then work in the butter until dough comes together. Roll out on a floured surface into a rectangle 1/4-inch thick. Cut into 1/2 x 2 inch rectangles, and transfer to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 275 for 20 minutes (until cookies are set). Let cool.

Chocolate tips: Slowly melt 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips with 3 Tbsp. milk or cream over low heat, stirring until smooth. Dip each cookie so about 1/4 of the cookie is chocolate covered, and let cool on waxed paper until chocolate is set (the fridge works best).

Cranberry Bliss Bar

This was a new recipe this year (I've seen some of you have pinned it too), that will definitely become a holiday tradition around here! I love the combination of warm ginger, cranberries and white chocolate, add some icing and how could you go wrong? Lyndon said, I have to save the whole batch for him, no sharing these bars ;)

 

Cranberry Bliss Bars

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. dried cranberries, diced
6 oz. white chocolate, cut into chunks (I used the wafers you find in the bulk section and put them through my food processor for a few seconds)

Cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, ginger and salt, beat well. Gradually mix in the flour until smooth. Stir in cranberries and chocolate. Spread evenly into a well-greased 9x13 and bake at 350 for 35 minutes (until lightly browned at the edges). Allow to cool then ice:

4 oz. cream cheese (half a brick)
3 c. icing sugar
4 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. dried cranberries, diced

Cream cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Frost cooled cake and sprinkle with cranberries. Then drizzle with glaze:

1/2 c. icing sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. shortening

Whisk together glaze ingredients and drizzle over cranberries. I found the easiest way to do this was to put the glaze in a sandwich bag and cut the corner off, then drizzle over the cranberries. Allow the bars to sit for several hours before cutting, they look really pretty when you cut them in triangles, enjoy :)

Molasses-Spice Cookies

No Christmas baking is complete without a spice cookie, and this is my favorite recipe that I have found so far. They always disappear fast from my freezer, I'll go to grab some and the pail will be empty??? (Didn't take the kids long to figure out where mom hides her treats :))

 

Molasses-Spice Cookies

2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
3/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar (plus some for rolling cookies in)
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. cooking molasses

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices, set aside. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and molasses, beat until combined. Make sure you scrape the bowl so everything gets evenly distributed. Add dry ingredients and beat on low until just combined. Roll about 2 tablespoons into a 1 3/4-inch ball and dip just the tops into sugar (I find it easier and it cuts down on the sugar in each cookie), then place onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 11-13 minutes, allowing to cool 3 minutes before removing from sheet.

Chocolate-Filled Shortbread

This is the one cookie in our home that gets made EVERY Christmas, no matter what! It's my husbands favorite and even the youngest kids can help make them (after those little hands are done with them they might look a little scary but they always look good after they come out of the oven :)) My mom has made these as long as I can remember and with only 5 ingredients they whip up in a snap and are a fun twist on traditional shortbread. 

 

Chocolate-Filled Shortbread

1 lb. butter (454g.)
1 c. icing sugar
3 c. flour
1/2 c. cornstarch
chocolate wafers (the kind you find in the bulk section for melting)

Cream the butter and sugar. Add flour and cornstarch, combine till stiff dough forms.
Place 2 chocolate wafers in the middle of each 1" ball. (I like to make them flatter than a ball.)

(Hope the pictures help)

 

Then bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 325 for 20 minutes. (Until they start to get very lightly golden at the edges). Easy Peezy, enjoy!