Posted on 12/06/2016 3:21:02 PM PST by Jamestown1630
One of the prettiest of the holiday specials for television done by Jacques Pepin is his Hanukkah Celebration video. Everything he made for the meal was visually beautiful and different. I especially liked the Frozen Souffle, and the Chicken-Pistachio Mousse covered in aspic above, which is a lot easier to do than it appears:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWzfqc5rf5E
__________________________________________________
A great tool for making holiday treats are these irons; the flower shaped ones make cookies, but the shell-like ones are great for making little cases to stuff with savory or sweet fillings. The shapes are made by dipping the iron in batter, and then into hot fat for a few seconds. Like crepes, your first one might be lacking, but you get the knack very quickly, and they're fun to make. The cases can be made in advance and kept crisp in an airtight container. I like using a shrimp or crab salad inside; you should fill them just before serving. If for some reason they didn't remain crisp, a quick tour in a low oven or dehydrator should bring them back. The iron sets come with recipes, and I usually use an adapted beer batter for savory cases. (The ones pictured are available at World Market, but you can find them in many places.)
Among my favorite cookies to make for Christmas are 'polvorones', or Mexican Wedding Cookies; they're very easy and special. (Practically the same cookie is also called a Russian Tea Cake):
I usually make these with Pecans.
-JT
My granddaughters are going to be coming over during Christmas break to make Christmas cookies! I’ve printed out both recipes. I love Mexican Wedding Cookies! I’ve never seen Naughty Coal Cookies! It would be fun to put a few in a little gift bag and add to each of the gift boxes for their friends!
I’m wondering where I can purchase Black Cocoa Powder?
Thank you!
OOOh! I may have to stay up late one night, and surprise the Husband Unit on Xmas day ;-)
Necessity: The Mother of Invention :-)
Maybe this is it? Doing a search, it just seems to be super dark chocolate:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/black-cocoa-12-oz
The effort will be well-rewarded, I’m sure.
Oh my! These cookies look wonderful! Probably too difficult for my granddaughters, but I’d definitely like to make them! Thank you!
Classic Christmas fare for my family, slathered with butter and eaten with coffee.
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/nut-roll-recipe/
There are Apricot, Poppyseed versions and one with cottage cheese and crushed pineapple
I’ll look for the recipe!
Those would be wonderful for Christmas Morning.
Thank you! I’m going to order it tonight. The Naughty Cookies will be fun for the girls. My list for their Cookie Day is probably to long, I keep adding! Last year we made six different cookies. I’m thinking of making the sugar cookies ahead and freezing them, then they can decorate. My mother always made Spritz Cookies. I’m thinking they will enjoy using the cookie press.
I give one of my coworkers Spritz cookies every year. The cookie press is a lot of fun for kids; my first one was an aluminum ‘Mirro’ one, when I was a young teen. It worked with a screw mechanism; I still have it, and it still works fine.
But they make much easier ‘gun’ type ones, now, which give more consistent results. There’s one that I’ve been coveting from an Italian company, Marcato; but I haven’t bought it yet because the plastic ones I get at the thrift store seem to work very well. (They crack after awhile, and then I buy another for about three bucks ;-)
If you want to splurge, here’s one of the Marcato models:
Having just finished a (rare) piece of apple pie with a scoup of vanilla ice cream, it reminds me of dinners my Mom always completed with a desert course. Christmas was a special time for Mom and all sorts of deserts including russian tea cakes, fudge, cakes, pies and candies.
Those were fun years. But as someone here suggested ... T-Rex times. Don't look at wrinkled skin, look at the beautiful memories. We've all been blessed.
Merry Christmas.
We’re as young as we Think! and Christmas brings back the ‘kid’ in all of us.
By the way: I want to buy for someone a ‘beginner-drone’ for Xmas, a quad-copter. It’s just the kind of thing he liked when we were kids, something exciting to play with on Christmas day.
Does anyone know a good one that has a camera?
The Marcato is an impressive cookie press! It would be very nice. I have an OLD electric cookie press that still works fine. When I looked at your link it showed all sorts of different discs available on the bottom of the page. If my electric press decides to “retire” I will seriously consider the Marcato.
I’ve never used an electric one. What kind do you have?
They are tradition in my family.
Cinnamon rolls too
This is the way to cook! Family
We would have sometimes have Cinnamon Toast in the morning, and especially on snowy days.
Slather white bread with butter, sprinkle on a good layer of brown sugar, and then sprinkle with cinnamon.
Toast in the oven until the bread is toasty around the edges and the brown sugar and cinnamon are all melty and almost caramelized.
It was wonderful when you bit into a place where the butter made the bread all gooey, and maybe you got a chunky bit of brown sugar at the same time ;-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
