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
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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
This is my year to attempt krumkakke. I loved it as a girl, so much so that my great-aunt gave me a box of it every year for my birthday. I always thought it was so thoughtful that she made it just for me, but now realize that it was probably left over from Christmas and just right for my mid-January birthday ;-). I need to purchase a krumkakke iron soon, if anyone knows of a good one that isn’t too pricey I’d love to hear about it!
Present. BUT EXHAUSTED. catch up manana
Dulces suenos!
My mother loves that
Stopped by for a cuppa java and snack. Your Wedding Cookies look so good. Local stores sell these in their packaged cookie section. Years ago bought a sack. Remember an unexpected surprise of a mini chocolate chip in the cookie dough. And of course the confectioners sugar. After eating a bag of them the lucky individual would resemble Casper the friendly ghost. Pecans make this delicious cookie. So good even they store bought ones are still eaten.
Always a fan of chicken, DH would love the frozen mousse. Chicken and Pistachios...he’d feel more than blessed. Thanks for sharing the pertinents. Will attempt to make this for his birthday this month.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Great Grandmother would just slather butter we churned together on warm home made bread and sprinkle sugar on it.
She called it Alfinique? I can find no reference to it.
Well, ‘alfenique’ seems to refer to the sugar paste that is used in the Day of the Dead sculptures, like calaveras. Maybe she just conflated the sugar paste idea with the sugar bread?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfeñique
I recently bought a Mirro in the original box at an antique store. I love it!
Lady Bender made a double batch of Russian Tea Cakes aka Snow Balls yesterday for our son’s business yesterday. She only makes them for the Christmas Holidays…
It works well, but unlike many of today’s more ‘automagic’ gadgets, you have to really work at getting the cookies consistent and right ;-)
Dunno, she was an old German woman and I loved her dearly
Well, I guess she wasn’t speaking Spanish, then - unless she lived down in Texas, and picked up a few things ;-)
Lots of cross culture in Europe
I spent tons of time in Mexico and am very familiar with Dia de los muertos.
Never heard anyone utter the word Alfenigue but her
Spain aint far from Germany
Things in the old days WERE built to last. I’ve still got a little sandwich toaster from the ‘70s that works fine.
I just wish I hadn’t gotten rid of my Grandmother’s waffle maker, which looked like ‘Art Deco’ style, and was still working in the 1980s. It probably just needed a new cord; but I was stupid about vintage stuff back then.
Those old waffle irons are collectors’ items, now!
You might like ‘Pati’s Mexican Table’, a show on PBS. She does many segments that explain the Spanish roots of much of current Mexican foods and cooking. She’s very charming and accomplished, and we’ve like watching the show. Haven’t seen it lately, but I think it’s still on:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pati_Jinich
I made snickerdoodles last night too! For the first time, I made them into sandwich cookies with cinnamon/vanilla buttercream frosting as the filling. Turned out REALLY well.
Here’s the recipe I used:
http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/recipes/snickerdoodle-sandwich-cookies/
I ordered Black Cocoa from King Arthur's this evening. I am looking forward to trying the Naughty Cookies with my granddaughters.
Ive seen it
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