Bolitas (Sweet Christmas Tamales - Latin America)
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds hojas (corn husks)
2 pounds masa
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup warm water, as needed
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup dry raisins
4 teaspoons aniseed
INSTRUCTIONS:
Soak corn husks in hot water for 20 or 30 minutes until pliable. Stand in a pan to let them drain. Mix masa with shortening, then add sugar, kneading and adding a little warm water at a time to make a smooth dough. Then add cinnamon, raisins and aniseed, blending into dough. Lay softened husks on a large table. Put 4 tablespoons of mixture on bottom half of each husk. Fold as for regular tamales. Stand assembled tamales in a small roaster pan half filled with water. Cover with lid, bring water to a boil, and cook over medium heat for one hour. Masa will separate from husks when cooked.
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Christmas English Gingerbread
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. flour
1 tablespoon ginger
1/2 lb. butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar Molasses
INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix flour, sugar, ginger, and salt. Work in butter, using tips of fingers, and add just enough molasses to hold ingredients together. Let stand over night to get thoroughly chilled. Roll very thin, shape, and bake in a moderate oven.
Christmas Mincemeat - for English Mince Pies
Use this for making English Mince Pies.
INGREDIENTS:
3 large red dessert apples, cored and chopped
8 ounces raisins
8 ounces currants
8 ounces sultanas
4 ounces fresh dates, stoned and chopped
2 ounces blanched almonds, chopped
1/4 pint brandy or sherry
INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix apples, raisins, sultanas, currants and chop finely in a food processor. Pour into a large bowl. Liquidize dates, nuts and brandy or sherry. Mix into apple mixture. Pour into clean glass jars, cover, and leave for 3 weeks before using. To make mince pies, use your favorite pastry recipe. Yields 2 pounds.
Christmas Swiss Roll
INGREDIENTS:
125 g (4 oz) caster sugar
75 g (3 oz) flour
3 eggs
30 ml (2 tablespoons) cocoa powder
can of sweetened chestnut paste 440 g (15.5 oz)
icing sugar decoration,
holly sprigs
oil for greasing
INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare a Swiss roll cake tin, about 13 x 9 inch, inserting greaseproof paper into the greased tin and then greasing the paper itself. Shake a small amount of caster sugar around the tin, then do the same with some flour, finally shaking out the extra.
Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl placed over steam from water at just at boiling point. Be careful not to over heat the mixture. It should be just thick enough to make strands as you lift the whisk out of the ingredients.
Take the mixture away from the heat and continue whisking as it cools, (about 5 minutes). Blend in the cocoa powder and flour followed by hot water (1 tablespoon).
Take the tin from step one and pour in the mixture. Bake at 200°C (400°F) until the cake has come away from the sides of the tin a bit (about 10 minutes). Remove the cake from the tin and place on greaseproof paper, previously coated then shaken with caster sugar. Trim the hard edges off the cake, then bake the rolled up cake (with paper inside) for an additional 20 minutes.
Melt the chocolate with water (1 tablespoon) in a bowl placed over water just at boiling point. Mix icing sugar into some softened butter and then add the melted chocolate.
Take the cold Swiss roll, unroll it and add the chestnut paste, spreading over the complete surface. Remove the paper, roll up again and put on a plate.
Attach a slice of the roll to the side of the log with butter cream. Preferably a diagonal slice.
Complete the presentation by using a piping bag with star shaped nozzle to run lines of butter cream along the Swiss roll log. Finally, sprinkle with icing sugar and decorate with sprigs of holly.
Creole Christmas Fruitcake
INGREDIENTS: FOR THE SIMPLE SYRUP:
2 Cup Sugar
2 Cup Water
1 Strips zest of 2 lemons; (abt 3 tbspns)
Juice of 2 lemons; (abt 1/4 cup)
FOR THE CAKE:
1 Pound Combination of dried fruits (such as blueberries; cranberries,
Cherries; raisins, and chopped apricots)
1 Pound Unsalted butter; room temperature
2 Cup Sugar
4 Ounce Almond paste
8 Large Eggs
1 Cup Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored Liqueur
4 Cup Flour
2 Teaspoon Baking powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon Fresh grated nutmeg
1 Cup Silvered blanched almonds
1 Cup Pecans pieces
1 Cup Walnut pieces
1/2 Cup Bourbon
INSTRUCTIONS:
Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar and water in a medium-size heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the lemon zest and juice and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil for 2 minutes and remove from the heat.
Combine the dried fruits together in a large mixing bowl. Pour the simple syrup over them, toss to coat, and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain and reserve the syrup. Cream the butter, sugar, and almond paste together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle at low speed, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat until the mixture is fluffy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between each addition on low speed and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Add 1/2 cup of the Grand Marnier and mix to incorporate. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium-size mixing bowl and blend well. Add this mixture 1/2 cup at a time to the butter mixture with the mixer on low speed, each time mixing until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. The batter will be thick. Add the warm fruit and all the nuts a little at a time, mixing well.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease twelve 1-pound loaf pans. Spoon about 1 cup of the batter into each pan. Bake until golden and the tops spring back when touched, about 45 minutes (rearranging them after 25 minutes if necessary to brown evenly). Cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Remove cakes from the pans and cool completely on wire racks. Wrap each cake in a layer of cheesecloth. Store in plastic storage bags until they are slightly stale, 3 to 4 days.
Combine the reserved simple syrup with the remaining 1/2 cup Grand Marnier and the bourbon. Without removing the cheesecloth, make tiny holes with a toothpick randomly on the top of each cake. Pour 2 tablespoons of the syrup over the top of each cake once every 2 to 3 days until all of the syrup is used. Let the cakes age for up to 3 weeks before eating. Yields 12 cakes.
English Plum Pudding #1
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb. stale bread crumbs
2 oz. finely cut citron
1 cup scalded milk
1/2 lb. suet 1/4 lb. sugar
1/4 cup wine and brandy mixed
4 eggs
1/2 grated nutmeg
1/2 lb. raisins, seeded, cut in pieces, and floured
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon clove
1/4 lb. currants
1/3 teaspoon mace
1/4 lb. finely chopped figs
1½ teaspoons salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
Soak bread crumbs in milk. Let stand until cool. Add sugar, beaten yolks of eggs, raisins, currants, figs, and citron. Chop suet, and cream by using the hand. Combine mixtures, then add wine, brandy, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, mace, and whites of eggs beaten stiff. Turn into buttered mould, cover, and steam six hours.
English Plum Pudding #2
INGREDIENTS:
6 oz. flour
1 cup molasses
6 oz. stale bread crumbs
3 oz. candied orange peel, finely cut
3/4 lb. raisins, seeded and cut in pieces
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 lb. currants
1 teaspoon mace
3/4 lb. suet, finely chopped
6 eggs,
well beaten 10 oz. sugar
2 teaspoons salt Hard Sauce (see recipe) Liquid Sauce (see recipe)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix ingredients in order given, turn into a thickly floured square of unbleached cotton cloth. Tie securely, leaving some space to allow the pudding to swell, and plunge into a kettle of boiling water. Cook five hours, allowing pudding to be immersed in water during the entire cooking. Serve with Hard and Liquid Sauce.
Ensalada de Noche Buena (Christmas Eve Salad)
INGREDIENTS:
2 medium oranges, pared and sectioned
2 medium bananas, sliced
1 (8¼ ounce) can sliced beets, drained (reserve liquid)
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained (reserve juice)
1/2 jicama, pared and sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups shredded lettuce
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds or sliced radishes
1 tablespoon aniseed
1 tablespoon sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
Place oranges, bananas, beets, pineapple and jicama in bowl. Mix reserved beet liquid, pineapple juice, the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons sugar and the salt; pour over fruit. Let stand 10 minutes; drain. Arrange fruit on shredded lettuce. Garnish with lime, peanuts and pomegranate seeds. Mix aniseed and 1 tablespoon sugar; sprinkle over salad. Yields 8 to 10 servings.
German Christmas Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup shortening, half butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
INSTRUCTIONS:
Blend shortening and sugar together. Add grated lemon rind. Add eggs, reserving 1 white, and beat mixture until light. Sift flour, Measure and add salt. Sift again. Slowly add sifted dry ingredients and work to a smooth, stiff dough. Shape into rolls 2 inches in diameter and chill for several hours in refrigerator. Slice 1/8-inch thick and roll on a board with flat part of the hand into fingerlike sticks. Shape like an “S.” Chill again. Dip in slightly beaten egg white and then into granulated sugar. Bake at 325°F until golden brown. Makes 6 dozen.
Greek Christmas Dessert - Diples
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups honey
1 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
6 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2¾ cups flour
cups vegetable oil, divided cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts or almonds)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Boil first 3 ingredients for 10 to 15 minutes. 2.Keep on low burner until ready to use. Combine eggs and vanilla. Add flour slowly, kneading lightly. Add 1/3 cup oil and mix well. 3.Separate dough into five sections. Keep unused portion covered to keep from drying. Roll out each section like rolling a pie, thin.
4.With pastry wheel, or paring knife, cut into strips 2 inches wide and the length of pastry. Roll on a fork to form circle*. 5.Heat oil in fryer. Drop into hot oil. Remove when dough is light brown and puffed. Drain on paper towels. Dip in reserved hot syrup; sprinkle with cinnamon and nuts. 6.The dough strips are sometimes formed into circles with 2 forks after they are put in the hot oil. Yield: 4 servings Source: “Foodista.com – The Cooking Encyclopedia Everyone Can Edit”.
Honey Cookies (Traditional Greek Christmas Cookies)
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/4 cups light olive oil
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup orange juice
3 to 4 cups flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ cups semolina
1 grated lemon rind
1 grated orange rind
1 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
cup honey Topping
1 cup walnuts, coarsely ground
2 teaspoons ground cloves
INSTRUCTIONS:
Beat olive oil with sugar. Add orange juice. Mix 2 cups of flower with baking powder and add to oil and orange mixture. Beat in brandy, semolina, orange and lemon peel, cloves, and cinnamon. Knead dough on floured surface, adding more flour as needed for strong elastic dough. Let stand covered for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into oval cookies about 2½ inches long. Bake on oiled cookie sheet for 25 minutes. Let cool. In saucepan bring sugar, honey and water to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes and remove from heat. Mix walnuts with cloves and sprinkle over cookies. Cool before serving.
Irish Christmas Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Irish whiskey
1/4 cup candied citron, chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
1/4 cup almonds, blanched and chopped
INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease two cookie sheets. Set aside. In a small mixing bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar. Beat in the eggs until well blended. Add the flour and the Irish whiskey, and beat the dough until smooth. Add the fruit and nuts, and mix well. Drop cookie dough from a tablespoon onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake each sheet of cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula while still warm. Place on wire rack to partially cool. Store the cookies in an airtight container with a slice of white bread to maintain their soft, fruity texture.
