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CHRISTMAS

Chocolate Cheesecake Candy Cane Bars
From Food Network Kitchens

Crust:
20 chocolate wafer cookies
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground coffee beans
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Filling:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, room temperature

Glaze:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon light or dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons sour cream, room temperature
1/2 cup crushed candy canes (see Cooks Note)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil.

For the crust: Process the chocolate wafers in a food processor with the butter, sugar, coffee, and salt until fine. Evenly press the crust into the prepared dish covering the bottom completely. Bake until the crust sets, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl; heat at 75 percent power until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir, and continue to microwave until completely melted, up to 2 minutes more. (Alternatively put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water, and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.)

Blend the cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream together in the food processor until smooth. Scrape down the sides, as needed. Add the eggs and pulse until just incorporated. With the food processor running, pour the chocolate into the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

Pour the filling evenly over the crust. Bake until filling puffs slightly around the edges, but is still a bit wobbly in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack.

For the Glaze: Put the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in microwave safe bowl. Heat glaze in the microwave at 75 percent power until melted, about 2 minutes. Stir the ingredients together until smooth; add the sour cream. Spread glaze evenly over the warm cake and scatter the crushed candy canes over top. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.

Cut into small bars or squares. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Store cookies covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Cook's Note: To crush the candy canes, remove wrappers and place in a resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to roll and break the candy up into small pieces, about 1/4 inch or so.

White Chocolate Holiday Bark
From Food Network Kitchens

1 pound finely chopped white chocolate
1 1/2 teaspoons nut or plain oil
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 1/4 cups shelled pistachio nuts, toasted and papery coating peeled
Equipment: Chocolate thermometer

Tempering the chocolate for the bark requires a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, improvise one by using a saucepan and a stainless steel bowl: Nestle the bowl into the saucepan, allowing a few inches of space to remain between the bottom of the bowl and the bottom of the saucepan. Keep an extra bowl of a similar size on hand to transfer the chocolate for cooling. Rest the chocolate thermometer on a towel. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Pour a couple inches of water into the bottom half of the double boiler and heat over medium-low to just below a simmer. Put the chocolate in the top half of the double boiler and set over the hot water. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring with a heat-resistant rubber spatula. As the chocolate melts, check the temperature periodically to make sure it stays between 82 and 86 degrees F. If it starts to rise above this temperature, quickly transfer the chocolate to the bowl on reserve and stir briskly to reduce heat. Return bowl to double boiler to maintain heat between 82 and 86 degrees F.

Remove bowl from over the hot water just before all the chocolate melts. Stir vigorously until the chocolate melts completely. Check temperature again. Stir in the oil until evenly blended. Chocolate is now tempered and ready to use. Keep within the 82 to 86 degree F range, returning bowl briefly to the double boiler if necessary.

Quickly stir the fruit and nuts into the chocolate. Spread chocolate mixture out on the prepared baking sheet so it's about 1/2-inch thick and the fruit and nuts are coated. Set bark aside at room temperature to harden. Break into angled pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Creme De Menthe Brownies
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

1 cups (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 (10-ounce) package Creme de Menthe baking chips (recommended: Andes)
Shaved Creme de Menthe thins (recommended: Andes)
Chocolate frosting

Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/3 cup cocoa
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

Using an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, mixing well.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Gradually stir into butter mixture. Fold in mint chips. Spoon into greased pan. Bake for 35 minutes.

While brownies are baking, prepare frosting. Combine butter, cocoa, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and milk in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until dry ingredients are moistened. Beat at high speed until spreading consistency.

Remove pan from the oven and allow brownies to cool in pan on wire rack. Spread with chocolate frosting. Top with shaved mint thins.

Iced Citrus Crackle Cookie
From Food Network Kitchens

Dough:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated citrus zest (Meyer or regular lemon, tangerine or lime)
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon lemon extract (or use all orange extract for tangerine cookies)
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Icing:
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons colored sanding sugar (yellow, orange or green, depending on the flavor of the cookie)
1 tablespoon finely grated citrus zest (the same flavor of the cookie)
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed citrus juice (the same flavor of the cookie)

Evenly space the oven racks in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. on the convection setting, if available. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Beat the butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high heat until smooth. Add the sugar and citrus zest and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. (The creaming is important to get a great texture so don't skimp here.) Add the yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the extracts.

Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing at low speed to make a soft dough.

Scoop the dough into rounded heaping tablespoons with a cookie scoop or measuring spoon. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart on the prepared pans. Freeze for at least 30 minutes. (The cookies can be frozen for up to 1 month.)

Bake the cookies, straight from the freezer, until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

For icing: Mix the confectioners' sugar, colored sugar and appropriate flavored zest in a medium bowl. Add the citrus juice and mix with an electric mixer to make a firm but pourable icing. (If needed, add up to 1 teaspoon more juice, but keep in mind that if the icing is too loose it won't set.) Dip the rounded side of the cooled cookies into the icing; then let the excess icing fall back into the bowl. Dry cookies icing side up on a rack. Serve.

Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Sweet Pear and Gorgonzola Salad with Rocket, Watercress, Walnuts, and Orange Flower Honey

Recipe courtesy Jeremiah Tower, Jeremiah Tower Cooks, Stewart Tabori and Chang, 2002

This salad first appeared in Robin Leach's Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (1986) cookbook and became an instant hit in my restaurants because the intense flavor of pears is concentrated by long and slow heating. Whenever a recipe calls for fruit to accompany meat, game or poultry (as in duck with pears), this is the best way I know to bring out the flavors of the fruit, giving a commercial product a new lease on life, as if it were ripe fruit fresh from a farm in Oregon or Long Island. The process is oven drying, slowly evaporating all that Colorado River irrigation water from the fruit without cooking it. Do the same thing with halved apples, peeled slice pineapple, quinces, plums, apricots (especially, since they tend to be the most ruined by growers), peaches and figs. If you can find Zante or Champagne grapes, they are the perfect garnish for this dish, but Concords would not be bad either. I also like to make this salad with ripe white peach and rose peppercorns sprinkled over the peaches and cheese.

4 ripe Comice pears
1 tablespoon salt, plus pinch
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup walnut oil
1 bunch watercress, washed, spin dried, stemmed
1 bunch rocket, washed, spin dried, stemmed
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 pound Gorgonzola, rind removed, crumbled
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons orange flower honey
1/2 cup edible flowers, such as sage, rocket blossoms, rose petals, or nasturtiums
Champagne grapes, as needed for garnish

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Slice the pears in half lengthwise. Rub each half with a pinch of salt. Put parchment paper on a tray just large enough to hold the pears, and spread the sugar on the paper. There should be a 1/8-inch layer. Put the pear halves cut side down on the sugar and bake for 1 hour. When the pears are cool enough to handle, remove the cores and slice them crosswise into 1/8-inch sections.

Put the lemon juice in a salad bowl with salt and pepper and mix to dissolve the salt, then whisk in the oil. Arrange the slices of pear 1 pear per plate, in 1 layer in the center of the plate, leaving a 3-inch gap in the center for the watercress and the rocket. Scatter the cheese and then the walnuts over the pears, and then drizzle the honey on top of the walnuts and cheese.

Put the watercress, rocket, and basil in the salad bowl and toss together. Then place the salad in the center of the pears.

Garnish with the flowers.

Sausage and Apple Stuffing
Recipe courtesy Food Network Kitchens

2 sticks plus 3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cups water
2 large bags of your favorite dried cornbread stuffing mix
1 pound pork sausage (not links)
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 medium apples, cored, sliced

2 to 3 cups homemade giblet stock or low sodium canned chicken broth

In a large pot melt 2 sticks butter in water. When melted add dry cornbread stuffing stirring to incorporate liquid, set aside.

In a large saute pan set over medium-high heat melt 1 tablespoon butter and add sausage. With a wooden spoon break up sausage and saute until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer sausage to paper towels to drain. In the same pan melt remaining butter and saute onions with the garlic, celery, thyme, and sage until onions are translucent and celery is crisp tender. Add walnuts and saute for 1 minute. Add apples and saute for one minute more. Remove from heat. Combine cornbread stuffing with sauteed ingredients and stuff turkey. Roast turkey as usual.

Alternatively: fill a 10 by 15 by 2 inch pan with the stuffing, moisten with the giblet stock, and bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven, covered with foil for 1/2 hour. Remove foil and bake until top is lightly browned, about 15 minutes more.

Winter Fruit Compote with Selection of Cheese
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello

1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup sweet Marsala wine
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup dried apricots, quartered
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries
Dash gray sea salt
1 cup Granny Smith apples, diced 1/4-inch thick cubes
1 cup pears, 1/4-inch slices
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 wedge sharp Cheddar
1 wedge Gorgonzola

In a 4-quart saucepan or pot bring the first 6 ingredients to a simmer Stir slowly to dissolve the sugar in the liquid. Add the remaining ingredients except the lemon juice and the cheese. When the liquid comes to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes to marry the flavors and soften the fruit. Turn off the heat then stir in the lemon juice. With a slotted spoon remove the fruit to a bowl. Bring the remaining syrup to a simmer and reduce until lightly thickened or when the bubbles formed on the top become small. Remove the syrup for the heat and when it is cool pour it over the fruit. The compote can be held in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Serve the compote at room temperature with the cheese.

Sugarcane Baked Ham with Spiced Apples and Pears
Recipe adapted from Emeril's Creole Christmas Cookbook, by Emeril Lagasse, published by William Morrow, 1997

12 sugarcane swizzle sticks, each cut into about 3 inch pieces
1 hickory smoked ham, spiral sliced, 8 to 10 pounds (no bone, water added, cooked)
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup pure cane syrup (recommended: Steen's)
1/2 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 pounds (about 4) Granny Smith apples
1 1/2 pounds (about 4) Bartlett pears
2 dozen medium buttermilk biscuits

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a shallow baking pan with parchment or waxed paper. Insert the sugarcane sticks into the ham at 3 to 4-inch intervals. Tie the ham, using kitchen twine, horizontally and vertically to keep it together, like wrapping a gift. Place on a wire rack in the baking pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients together except for the mustard and water. Mix well. In a small bowl, dissolve the mustard in the water, then add to the spice mixture. Blend well. Brush the entire ham with the glaze, coating it evenly.

Wash, core, and halve the fruit. Place all around the ham. Baste the ham a second time and baste the fruit with the glaze. Bake for 45 minutes. Baste the ham and fruit again. Bake another 45 minutes.

Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the string and swizzle sticks.

Serve the apples and pears on a platter with the ham. Serve everything warm or at room temperature. Serve the biscuits on the side.

Broccoli, Parmesan and Lemon
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

3 heads broccoli (about 3 pounds)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 lemon, juiced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Trim about 1 inch off the ends of the broccoli stalks and cut the broccoli lengthwise into spears. Arrange the broccoli on a nonstick cookie sheet, drizzle with some olive oil and season with a little bit of salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top and bake until the cheese melt and forms a crisp shell over the broccoli, about 10 minutes. Lift the broccoli out onto a platter with a spatula and drizzle with fresh lemon.

Plum Pudding
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon each salt, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 cup chopped suet
1 cup prune pulp
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup uncooked chopped prunes
1/4 cup candied lemon peel, finely chopped
1/4 cup molasses
3 eggs, separated
Hard Sauce, recipe follows

Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Mix together the rest of the ingredients, except the egg whites, adding just the yolks. Whip the egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Grease a pudding mold dredged with sugar and pour in batter. Cover the mold with its lid or cover tightly with foil. Steam for 3 to 4 hours, depending on the size of your mold. Serve hot with hard sauce. If you are not serving the pudding immediately, store in the refrigerator soaking in 1 ounce of brandy. Add 1 ounce each week.
Serve with warmed Hard Sauce.

Hard sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

CANTALOUPES

CANTALOUPE SMOOTHIE
Tasty, refreshing, and fat-free!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1 cup skim milk
1 cup vanilla fat-free yogurt
1 cup crushed ice
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Makes about 4 cups.
Shared by Vandygirl
 

CANTALOUPE-STRAWBERRY SHAKE
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup whole strawberries, hulled and washed
1 cup diced cantaloupe
2 to 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup skim milk or low fat milk

PREPARATION:
Place all ingredients in food processor or blender and process until frothy; serve immediately. Makes 2 cantaloupe strawberry shakes.
Shared by Dottie

CANTALOUPE PRESERVES
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 medium cantaloupe
3/4 pound granulated sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

PREPARATION:
Cut cantaloupe into sections. Remove seeds. Remove rind. Cut firm portion of pulp into uniform pieces (should have about 1 pound). In a non-reactive saucepan, add sugar to melon in alternate layers of melon and sugar.
Let stand 24 hours. Add the juice of one lemon. Bring to boil and boil quickly until the fruit is clear and tender. Remove fruit to shallow dishes or trays with slotted spoon. If syrup is too thin, continue cooking until thicker. Pour hot syrup over fruit and allow to stand overnight so fruit will absorb some of the syrup. Next day, boil jars, seals, and rings to sterilize, following manufacturer's directions. Pack cantaloupe cold in sterilized jars. Seal and process at simmering for 30 minutes.
Makes about 3 8-ounce jars.

Peach Cobbler with Cinnamon-Swirl Biscuits

Recipe By : Stay for Supper (Country Home)
Serving Size : 8

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter -- melted
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
6 cups sliced, peeled peaches or 6 cups frozen unsweetened peach slices
Sour Cream Topping or ice cream

For Biscuit Topping, in a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, the 1 Tbsp brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt. Cut in the 1/4 cup butter till the mixture is crumbly. Make a well in the center. Add milk all at once. Using a fork, stir just till dough clings together. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently for 10 to 12 strokes. Roll or pat dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Combine walnuts, the 3 Tbsp brown sugar, and cinnamon; brush dough with the 1 Tbsp melted butter and sprinkle with nut mixture. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting from one of the short sides. Seal edge. With a sharp knife, cut into eight 1-inch-thick slices. Set aside. For filling, in a large saucepan stir together the 2/3 cup brown sugar, cornstarch and lemon peel. Add peaches and 2/3 cup water. Cook and stir till bubbly. Transfer to a 12x7 1/2x2-inch baking dish. Arrange biscuit slices, cut side down, on HOT filling. Bake, in a 400F oven about 25 minutes or till biscuit slices are golden. Serve warm with Sour Cream Topping or ice cream.

YIELD: 8 servings
 

SOUR CREAM TOPPING:

Combine 1/2 cup dairy sour cream, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, and 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon.

YIELD: 1/2 cup

Variations:

Apple Cobbler: Substitute 6 cups sliced, peeled cooking apples for the peaches and add 1 tsp apple pie spice to the filling.

Rhubarb Cobbler: Substitute 6 cups sliced rhubarb for the peaches and use 1 1/4 cups brown sugar in the filling.

Peach Jam

A bite of summer on toast.

Makes:  8 half pints 
Time to make:  1 hour 15 min prep

5 lbs. peaches
3 teaspoons lemon juice
5 cups sugan

Bottom of Form 2Wash, peel, pit and chop peaches-you want 10 cups.
Place all ingredients in a large glass bowl and let stand for 1 hour.
Transfer to a large stainless or enamel pot.
Bring to a full boil.
Boil for 25 minutes to reach the jell point-stir often and then constantly as the mixture nears the jell point.
Remove and skim off foam.
Ladle into clean hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.
Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Fruit Salad

Fruit salad recipe with instant pudding and a variety of fruits.

INGREDIENTS:

·1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained

·1 can (approx. 16 ounces) peach slices, drained

·1 can (11 ounces) mandarin orange sections, drained

·2 apples, cored and chopped

·1 package (approx. 3 3/4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix

·1 1/2 cups cold milk

·1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

· 3/4 cup sour cream

PREPARATION:

Combine fruits in a large bowl; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine pudding mix, milk, and orange juice concentrate. Beat with
an electric hand-held mixer for about 2 minutes. Beat in sour cream.

Peach Upside-down Cake

Preheat oven to 375

For topping:
1 1/2 pounds firm just-ripe yellow peaches (about 3-4)
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar

For cake batter:
Stir together and set aside:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

Beat together:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated (on a ginger grater)

Add one at a time:
2 large eggs

Stir in:
1/2 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)
Gradually add flour mixture until just combined.  
1/2 a peach, peeled and chopped fine (try to include the juice)

To prepare the topping, peel and quarter the peaches. In an ovenproof 10" skillet, melt the butter over low heat and stir in the sugar till dissolved. Place the peach quarters on their tummies in the butter and sugar, and let the mixture cook over very low heat until the sugar darkens and the peaches are soft, about 30 minutes.

While the topping cooks, prepare the cake. When the peaches are ready and the cake batter is mixed, take the skillet off the heat and spoon the batter over the peaches, leaving a half-inch border uncovered around the edges (the cake will expand to cover the whole top).

Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes or until the cake tests done.

Cool 10 minutes, run a knife around the rim to loosen, then carefully invert onto a plate. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.