Category Archives: CHRISTMAS RECIPES

HERB ROASTED HALF TURKEY BREAST WITH PAN GRAVY

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Sometimes roasting a whole turkey just seems like way too much work, especially if you are not feeding the masses. Or if all you really want is a nice simple turkey dinner with a bit of leftover turkey for sandwiches the next day. Or when you go to your local grocery store and half turkey breasts are on sale. Which is what happened for me a couple days ago. And since I had not hosted Thanksgiving this year, leaving us without any leftover turkey to call our own, I jumped at the chance to rectify this situation. So armed with 2 packages of half turkey breasts in my grocery shopping bag, one for the freezer and one for our oven, I went about developing this recipe.

I had dry rubbed a turkey breast a few years ago, but the herb/salt rub recipe I used at the time left a lot to be desired. So I started over using a variation of the dry rub I use when preparing a whole turkey and went from there.  And it turned out just swell. And really easy. And provided us with just the perfect little turkey dinner with leftover meat for turkey sandwiches. Just according to plan. Even the gravy for our mashed potatoes was delish. Rounded out the meal with some steamed broccoli and we enjoyed a wonderful turkey dinner with very little prep time involved. And we have leftover turkey for sandwiches. (Can’t mention the leftover turkey too often because at our house, turkey sandwiches are tantamount to heaven in sandwich form!) White bread, lots of mayonnaise, freshly ground black pepper, lots of thinly sliced turkey, and a little more mayonnaise for good measure. If that ain’t heaven, I don’t have a clue what is! Anyway……….

If you want an easy way to prepare a turkey breast, give this recipe a try. Dry rubbing is really the way to go. And if you are the lucky cook who gets to host the next holiday meal and are looking for a great recipe for roasting a whole turkey, give my Herb Salted Turkey with Cognac Gravy on this site a try. It too is easy to prepare and the results are perfect every time. And the gravy you will get from roasting your turkey this way. Suffice it to say, it simply could not be more delicious. Of course the wee bit of cognac stirred in just before serving certainly doesn’t hurt. But you must have a great flavor base to start with, or you might as well drink the cognac straight out of the bottle and throw the rest away! Not going to happen if you take your time and pay attention while your gravy is simmering away to perfection.

So whether you choose to roast just a turkey breast or a whole turkey, I’ve got you covered. So enjoy your time in the kitchen. And remember. Turkey is not just for Thanksgiving. It can be enjoyed any old time of year. Gobble gobble!

½ tsp. dried rosemary leaves

½ tsp. dried sage leaves

½ tsp. dried thyme leaves

8 black peppercorns

1 small bay leaf

1 T. kosher salt

2 tsp. brown sugar

½ tsp. lemon zest

1 (about 3-3½ lb.) half turkey breast (not boneless)

1 T. butter, melted

chicken stock

flour

1 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet

freshly ground black pepper

1-2 tsp. cognac, opt.

Grind the rosemary, sage, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf together and place in a small bowl. (I use my mortar and pestle.) Stir in the kosher salt, brown sugar, and lemon zest.

Place turkey, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Pat herb and spice mixture under the skin and all over both sides of turkey breast.

Chill, uncovered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days. Remove turkey breast from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature 2–3 hours. Slather the top side with the melted butter. Pour 1 cup chicken stock into baking sheet.

Place the turkey breast on the middle rack in preheated 450 degree oven.  

Roast turkey breast until skin is mostly dark golden brown all over, about 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and continue to roast turkey breast, adding another cup of stock as needed to maintain some liquid in baking sheet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 150 degrees (don’t worry; the temperature will continue to climb while the turkey breast rests), 30-40 minutes longer. Skin should be deep golden brown and crisp.

Transfer turkey breast to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before slicing. Retain the liquid and brown bits in the bottom of the pan for gravy.

Place the roasting pan on the stove after the turkey has been removed. Turn the heat to very low and begin making your gravy immediately. (Good gravy flavor and consistency require time to develop.) Do not remove any fat from the pan, do not strain the liquid, do not do any of the things most cook book writers tell you to do to make good gravy (except me, that is!)

Whisk in enough flour to absorb the fat. Let burble for a couple of minutes. (This process takes time, so be patient.) Slowly whisk in turkey or chicken stock until you reach the desired thickness you like. Add the Kitchen Bouquet (gives the gravy great color) and some freshly ground black pepper. Taste the gravy. Add a bit of salt if needed.

Turn heat as low as possible and let the gravy simmer away for the next 30 minutes or so, whisking periodically. (You will probably need to add more stock during this time.) Also, after the turkey is sliced and plated, don’t forget to add the juices that have accumulated to the gravy.

Just before serving (and gravy should be the last item plated), taste the gravy and make any final adjustments to the seasoning. Stir in the cognac and serve piping hot.

Note: This recipe doubles nicely if you want to roast a whole turkey breast. Just double all the ingredients.

GINGER CAKE WITH BOURBON CARAMEL SAUCE AND BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM

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Sometimes I get nostalgic for no better reason than beautifully colored deciduous leaves in the fall. And every fall as the leaves start to turn color, I immediately want to hunker down in my kitchen and make soup. Or in the case of this past weekend, I wanted to re-create a classic fall and winter dessert I enjoyed as a child and made for my children when they were young. But I didn’t want the gingerbread of my youth, and not even the one I fed to my children. I wanted a modern take on this old standard that would appeal to more sophisticated palates.  

What I envisioned was a gingerbread that had the consistency and moistness I associate with a truly delicious cake. Plus I wanted to make my ginger cake include a background flavor that set it apart from others. And I think I found that special something. It’s called bourbon.

And yes I know, I use bourbon in a lot in my recipes. Bourbon just pairs so well with all kinds of dishes. But what it did for this dessert was beyond compare.

I used the basic recipe for gingerbread from one of my favorite bloggers – Jenn Segal (Once Upon a Chef). She is truly one of my favorites. Please visit her site, because she is the real deal!

I did however make one small change. I substituted a wee bit of bourbon for some of the boiling water in her recipe. (I just had to do it.) Then I went completely bourbon crazy, and created a bourbon caramel sauce, then went further off the deep end (it’s called gilding the lily) by adding a bit of bourbon to the whipped cream topping.

Now something you should know. There isn’t enough money to get me to drink bourbon straight. I don’t like the taste of any whiskey, so why would I want to sip on something that makes me scrunch up my face? (Mother Nature is already having her way with my face. I don’t need any more help in that arena thank you very much!) But, as a subtle (or in some cases not-so-subtle) background flavor, bourbon is a perfect ingredient. For many, the flavor of bourbon hints of vanilla, caramel, honey, butterscotch, apple, pear, figs, raisins, dates, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. So when you analyze the flavors associated with bourbon, really what’s not to like? (I still can’t get straight bourbon past my lips!) But what bourbon does for ginger cake is nothing short of miraculous.

So if you too haven’t enjoyed or even thought about gingerbread for years, now is the time. And as a dessert to serve for either Thanksgiving or Christmas, I think it would be absolutely perfect.

To find other recipes on this site that use bourbon as an ingredient, just type “bourbon” in the search box – hit search, and a new world of boozy recipes will appear on the screen. Some of the recipes are even for delicious adult beverages. Imagine that!

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour  

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground cloves

4 T. unsalted butter, melted

2/3 c. packed brown sugar

2/3 c. molasses (not Robust or Blackstrap)

2/3 c. boiling water minus 4 tsp. (I’ve replaced 4 tsp. of boiling water with bourbon)

4 tsp. bourbon

1 lg. egg, beaten

chopped candied ginger, opt. garnish

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, and boiling water. When the mixture is room temperature, whisk in the bourbon and the egg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until no lumps remain.

Pour the batter into a lightly greased and floured 9-inch square pan (glass preferably). Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven (or 350 degree oven if using a metal pan) for about 25 minutes, or until the edges look dark and the middle feels firm to the touch.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Or allow to cool slightly, then cut into squares and serve with a bit of warm Bourbon Caramel Sauce, dolloped with Bourbon Whipped Cream, and garnished with a tiny bit of chopped candied ginger. Ginger cake is wonderful served at room temperature, warm out of the oven, or reheated.

The cake can be baked up to 3 days ahead. Cover and store at room temperature. If you prefer, warm before serving.  

To warm cake: Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

BOURBON CARAMEL SAUCE

1 c. packed brown sugar

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

pinch sea salt

½ c. heavy cream

¼ c. bourbon

Whisk butter, brown sugar, and salt together over medium heat in a small heavy saucepan until brown sugar has dissolved completely. (This happens after the mixture comes to a boil and is allowed to burble for a couple of minutes or until it turns kind of shiny. Continue whisking the whole time the mixture is on the heat.) Remove from heat and gently whisk in the heavy cream and bourbon. Serve warm over this ginger cake, bread pudding, ice cream, or any old thing you want! (Great in coffee too!)

Can be made ahead and refrigerated. Best to warm slightly before serving.

BOURBAN WHIPPED CREAM

2 c. heavy cream

¼ c. powdered sugar

2 T. bourbon

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat cream until stiff peaks form. Beat in the powdered sugar, bourbon, and vanilla until well blended. Cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE

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Now, there are two kinds of people when it comes to fruitcake. Those who love it, and those who have never had good fruitcake. And I was definitely in the second camp until I tasted the real thing. Oh don’t get me wrong. I grew up having fruitcake at Christmas, but it was truly terrible. But God bless my maternal grandmother, she tried her best to make it special. The main problem with her fruitcake was the lack of booze, an assortment of dried and candied fruits, spices, and nuts. What it did contain was an abundance of raisins, most of which were burned. And if you have ever tasted a burned raisin, you will know that it is not a pleasant experience.

So you can imagine my horror when as a 21 year old college student, I was given a fruitcake from a new neighbor in student housing. Little did I know at that time that my new neighbor was a home economics teacher. (She and her husband were also living in student housing while her husband was working on his masters and money was tight for them too.) Anyway, I was now the proud owner of this small loaf nicely wrapped in tin foil. Of course I said thank-you, while thinking to myself – what in the heck do I do with this “thing”!?!? Well, I took a chance and served it that evening for dessert. That was the beginning of my love affair with fruitcakes, and not coincidentally, the beginning of a very lovely friendship.

Over the next year or so, I learned a lot from this charming and talented woman. Not the least of which, a love for cooking and entertaining. She came into my life at the perfect time. We had very little money (both my former husband and I were in school), but I learned from her that soups and casseroles could feed us very well for several days and that they didn’t cost an arm and a leg to prepare. In fact, almost anything I could build myself was sure to save us money. I also learned that sharing food with others was about as good a way as any to show people how much they were valued. Her simple gift of a small fruitcake and her subsequent friendship helped me become a more caring and productive human being, not to mention a better cook.

So do I like fruitcake? You bet I do! For another great fruitcake recipe on this site, look up my Caribbean Black Fruitcake recipe.

1 lb. dried fruit combination (peaches, pears, apricots, apples, golden raisins, currents, etc.)

½ lb. dried Bing cherries

1 lb. chopped dates

1 lb. candied/glazed pineapple, coarsely chopped

21-oz. container red candied/glazed cherries, coarsely chopped

3 c. spiced rum

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

2 c. brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1½ tsp. ground allspice

1½ tsp. ground nutmeg

5 lg. eggs

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 lb. coarsely chopped pecans

Combine dried fruit, dried Bing cherries, chopped dates, candied pineapple, candied cherries, and rum in a covered glass container for 3 to 7 days. 7 days is best.

Cream butter, sugar, and spices until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Stir into butter mixture just until combined.    Stir in the macerated fruit, including any remaining liquid, and the pecans. 

Place a large shallow pan of water on the bottom rack of your oven to prevent the cakes from baking too dry. Pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees.

Line 3 (9×5-inch) loaf pans or 1 (9×5-inch) and 5 (7×4-inch) loaf pans with parchment paper and grease paper lightly. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake in the middle of the oven for 2-2½ hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool on racks for one hour. Remove cakes from pans, and carefully peel off the parchment paper. When completely cool, wrap in plastic wrap and foil. Store for at least 1 month before serving.

HOLIDAY AUSTRIAN KIPFERL COOKIES

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I found this recipe on the Taste of Home site while I was searching for a cookie that featured dried cranberries and pecans. I truly love the combination and wanted to make a cookie with these two amazing ingredients for members of the Seabreeze Jazz Band with Mr. C. on piano. (Always want to keep the boys happy so they’ll keep coming back and filling our home with live music as they practice.) After reading this recipe, I knew I had found the perfect holiday cookie for the guys and for us. So I made a batch and the rest is history.

There isn’t much more to say except to thank Brooke Maynard for the recipe and to recommend that you bake some of these easy to prepare and delicious cookies at your earliest convenience. Christmas may be over, but winter is really just getting started. So a couple of these darlings and a hot cup of tea or coffee on a cold rainy evening is just the ticket to ward off winter woes.

2/3 c. whole almonds

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

½ c. granulated sugar

½ tsp. salt

¾ c. (1½ sticks) plus 2 T. cold unsalted butter, cubed

3 lg. egg yolks

2 T. cold water

½ c. chopped toasted pecans

½ c. chopped dried cranberries

powdered sugar

Pulse almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add flour, granulated sugar and salt; pulse until combined. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and water together. Add to the almond butter mixture, and pulse until dough forms. Shape dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for about an hour.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Divide into fourths.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into an 8-inch circle. Sprinkle with pecans and cranberries; lightly press into dough. Cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll up from the wide end. Place the point side down on lightly buttered baking sheets about 1-inch apart.  

Bake until lightly browned, 15 – 18 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Immediately sprinkle with powdered sugar. (I use a fine mesh strainer to sprinkle on the powdered sugar. Just place a small amount of powdered sugar in the strainer and shake over the cookies.) Let cookies sit until completely cool. Store in an airtight container.

    

COGNAC GLAZED EGGNOG BREAD

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Every year at Christmas time, there are a few of us who live in the same neighborhood that exchange a little something sweet with each other. We dearly treasure these people, so of course I treat them like I would if they were family members. That means I experiment on them just like I would if we were related.  

Now sometimes my “experiments” turn out better than I expected. Other times, not so much. This year, I gifted these dear friends with a version of an eggnog bread that I read about on the On Sutton Place food site. I changed a couple of things here and there, but the essence of the recipe remained true to the original. And I am very pleased to announce, that in my humble estimation, this bread recipe is a winner.

The bread is ever so tender, moist, and the flavor is absolutely lovely. So even though Christmas has come and gone, or as they say in the common vernacular ‘so yesterday’, I’m providing you with this recipe as an early Christmas present for next year! This bread is simply that delicious. It is definitely gift worthy, even if the one gifted is just you!

So before eggnog no longer appears in your local grocery store dairy case, bake a batch, freeze 2 of the loaves, and every 4 months or so, take one out of the freezer and make an otherwise  uneventful weekend breakfast a special occasion. Cheers!

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1½ c. eggnog (not the low fat variety)   

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. VS cognac*

1 tsp. dark rum*

2¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 small pkg. (3.4-oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix  

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Butter and flour 3 small loaf pans. Set aside until needed.   

In the bowl of your stand mixer, whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until combined. In a glass measuring bowl, whisk the eggnog, vanilla, cognac, and dark rum together.

In another bowl, whisk the flour, pudding mix, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon together.

Add the dry ingredients and eggnog mixture to the butter mixture in 3 batches, mixing well after each addition. The batter will be thick. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of each loaf comes out clean. Do not overbake. 

Remove from oven and cool in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto racks to cool completely. Or, if you are giving the loaves as gifts, and have used disposable aluminum pans, they can remain in their pans.

Cognac Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar, or more as needed

1 T. eggnog, or more as needed

1 tsp. cognac, dark rum, or bourbon (whichever you use in the bread batter)

freshly grated nutmeg, opt.

Whisk the powdered sugar, eggnog, and cognac together to form a pourable, but not runny mixture. If your glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add a tiny bit more milk.  Drizzle glaze over cooled loaves. Sprinkle lightly with freshly grated nutmeg. Let set completely before wrapping each loaf in wax paper and aluminum foil. Store at room temperature.

*Or you can use all cognac, dark rum, or bourbon. All work well in this recipe.

STICKY BUNS OR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING TOPPED CINNAMON ROLLS

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Sticky Buns

It has been a tradition in our family since my children were very young, to enjoy cinnamon rolls with our Christmas morning breakfast. (And it’s a fine tradition I have to say!) Of course it’s one more thing for Mrs. Santa to do on Christmas Eve. But I’ve been making these rolls for so long, they practically throw themselves together. And never being one of those people who has a favorite cinnamon roll topping, I sometimes make sticky buns and other times it’s frosted rolls. I love them both ways, so it’s a dozen of one or a dozen of the other. (I think that’s how the saying goes!) Anyway, this year I decided to make Sticky Buns. And for the life of me, I have no idea why I haven’t previously posted this recipe. Perhaps it has something to do with PCSD – Post Christmas Sleeping Disorder (my need for at least a solid 12 hours of sleep each night between Christmas night and New Year’s Eve). But regardless of the reason, I am not going to let any more time pass without providing you with my recipe for these yummy cinnamon rolls.

I believe the original recipe came out of my Betty Crocker cookbook. I would verify that belief, but I’m pretty sure the cookbook pages would self-destruct if I tried to pry them apart. I am certain however that I made a couple of ingredient changes a while back. I substituted butter for shortening, and bread flour for all-purpose flour. (Got to stay up to date with the ever changing world of nutrition. BTW – it’s once again OK to eat up to 3 eggs and 70g of beef daily! Well, that is, until “they” change “their” minds again!) But back to cinnamon rolls.

So do yourself a favor, and bake a batch of these rolls for your family or friends. And no, you do not have to wait until next Christmas! These babies are delightful any old day of the year. But beware. They are addicting. And yes, if you are a lot more organized than I am, which isn’t difficult I might add, you can make these rolls ahead and freeze them until needed. Happy New Year.

STICKY BUNS

Dough recipe:

¾ c. scalded, room temperature whole milk (see how to scald milk below)

1 pkg. or 1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast

¼ c. room temperature water

¼ c. granulated sugar  

¾ tsp. salt

1 egg

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temp.

3½ c. bread flour

veggie oil

2 T. unsalted butter, melted

½ c. packed brown sugar  

2-3 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ c. golden raisins

In the bowl of your stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the room temperature water. Add the sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes. (The yeast should foam up a bit during this time.) Add the cooled milk to the yeast mixture along with the salt, egg, butter, and half of the flour. Mix until smooth. Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft, but not sticky ball. Knead for about 5 minutes.

Pour a small amount of oil over the dough and roll into a ball with your hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes. Punch down and let rise again for 30 minutes.  While the dough is rising, make the sticky part.

When the dough is ready, roll into a 15 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with the melted butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter, then sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon and golden raisins. Roll up tightly, beginning at one of the wide ends. Slice into 12 rolls (about 1-inch slices.) Place slices in the baking pan over the “sticky part”. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately turn upside down over a tray or aluminum foil. Let pan stay over the rolls a minute or so to allow the “sticky stuff” to run down over the rolls. Anything remaining in the pan can be removed and spread over the rolls. Serve warm.

If you make ahead, allow to cool completely and cover with foil and store on your counter. When you are ready to serve, heat the rolls gently in your oven or microwave. Don’t expect any leftovers!     

Sticky Topping:

1/3 c. unsalted butter

½ c. packed brown sugar

1 T. corn syrup

½ c. chopped pecans or walnuts

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and corn syrup. Pour in to a buttered 9 x 13-inch pan (glass preferred). Sprinkle with pecan pieces. Set aside.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING TOPPED CINNAMON ROLLS

Dough recipe:

¾ c. scalded, room temperature whole milk (see how to scald milk below)

1 pkg. or 1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast

¼ c. room temperature water

¼ c. granulated sugar  

¾ tsp. salt

1 egg

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temp.

3½ c. bread flour

veggie oil

2 T. unsalted butter, melted

½ c. packed brown sugar  

2-3 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ c. golden raisins

½ c. chopped pecans or walnuts

In the bowl of your stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the room temperature water. Add the sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes. (The yeast should foam up a bit during this time.) Add the cooled milk to the yeast mixture along with the salt, egg, butter, and half of the flour. Mix until smooth. Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft, but not sticky ball. Knead for about 5 minutes.

Pour a small amount of oil over the dough and roll into a ball with your hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes. Punch down and let rise again for 30 minutes. 

When the dough is ready, roll into a 15 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with the melted butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter, then sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon and golden raisins. Roll up tightly, beginning at one of the wide ends. Slice into 12 pieces (about 1-inch slices). Place in a buttered 9 x 13-inch pan (glass preferred).  Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, place on a cooling rack, and allow to cool completely before slathering with the frosting. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the frosting. 

Cover with foil and store on your counter. When you are ready to serve, heat the rolls gently in your oven or microwave. (You don’t want to warm them too much or too fast. You don’t want the frosting to melt completely. It may melt a little. Not such a bad thing!) As with the Sticky Buns, don’t expect any leftovers!     

Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

2 T. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch salt

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

3½ c. powdered sugar or more if needed

Cream butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and enough powdered sugar to make a firm but not stiff consistency. Beat until smooth and easy to spread.  

*How to and why is it necessary to scald milk:

In a small pan, heat the milk to just below the boiling point (180 degrees). (Milk will have just begun to simmer at this point, and will give off steam while small bubbles form at the edge of the pan.) Remove from heat. The temperature of the milk at this point is actually higher than the temperature at which milk is pasteurized (161 degrees). Milk actually needs to be scalded for this recipe to help the dough rise up better and produce a firmer, lighter textured roll. For the scientific reasons behind scalding milk, consult the internet.  

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT (NOCCIOLE) FUDGE

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This Christmas I decided to try out some new candy and cookie recipes. (Like I don’t do the same thing every holiday season!) But this year I actually over-achieved my own expectations. (I love it when that happens!) Previously I posted Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Balls, Fleur de Sel Chocolate Nut Bark, and Chocolate and Mint Chip Shortbread Cookies. Today I offer up this recipe for a heavenly hazelnut flavored fudge.

Now I know that it is really close to Christmas and time is of the essence. But if you still have someone on your list who deserves a little “something special”, I recommend a Christmas tin of this fudge as a quick and easy answer to your predicament.

The preparation is simple, the presentation delightful, and who do you know that doesn’t enjoy receiving a gift of homemade candy?

So I will make this preface quick so that you can get to work in your kitchen. Don’t have Frangelico on hand, leave it out. Don’t have Nutella, hazelnuts, or marshmallows in your pantry, you are going to have to make a trip to your local grocery store. But I’m telling you true, you’ll thank me in the end. BTW, not all of the fudge has to be shared. Tuck some away in the back of your fridge. You are more than worthy of a special Christmas treat yourself! Happy Christmas everyone.

¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter  

¾ c. evaporated milk

3 c. granulated sugar

pinch kosher salt

2 c. (12-oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

12 oz. bag marshmallows

1 c. Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 T. Frangelico (hazelnut flavored liqueur)

1 c. chopped toasted hazelnuts

Combine butter and evaporated milk in a large pot over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, stir in the sugar and salt. Stir frequently. Once the mixture reaches a rolling boil, stir constantly for 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Stir until completely combined and smooth. Add the Nutella, vanilla, Frangelico, and hazelnuts. Stir until well combined.

Pour into the buttered 9×13-inch pan and smooth to distribute evenly. Allow to cool before cutting. Store in your refrigerator.






     

CHOCOLATE PECAN BOURBON BALLS

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Bourbon balls are an easy and delightful gift to give to those special people in your life who truly love bourbon. My recipe calls for shortbread cookie crumbs. But if you are pressed for time, you can always use vanilla wafer crumbs. (Nabisco Nilla Wafers) But be warned, using shortbread cookie crumbs should always be your first choice.

Now a word to the wise. These bourbon balls are not for sissies! You can’t just kinda sorta like bourbon to enjoy these delicacies. You’ve got to full on love bourbon for these round balls of spendiferousness to put a smile on your face and send your taste buds to their happy place. If you’re a take it or leave it bourbon person, don’t even take one out of the container. Leave the candy for a true bourbon aficionada.

So in our home, Mr. C. loves these balls, while I could have nothing left in the house to eat, and I still wouldn’t give them a taste! But the leftover shortbread cookies – now that’s a totally different story. They are my idea of the perfect not-too-sweet cookie. So actually, this recipe provides both of us with a special treat for the holidays. I call that a win/win situation. Happy Ho Ho Ho to you and yours.

Shortbread Recipe:

1½ c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1½ c. powdered sugar

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

¾ tsp. salt  

3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

With an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth.  With your mixer on low speed, add flour, mixing just until dough forms. Place dough on a long piece of plastic wrap. Using your hands, wrap the dough into the plastic wrap gently shaping it into a round log about 1½ inches wide.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Un-wrap log and using a sharp knife, slice dough 3/8-inch thick. (If dough feels really hard, leave at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes).

Arrange slices, about 1-inch apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Prick each cookie about 3 times with a fork.

Bake until lightly golden around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. (Do not under-bake.) Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Crush enough cookies* to make 4 cups. (I place several cookies into a gallon Zip lock freezer bag, then crush them with my rolling pin.) Set aside. Store the remaining cookies in an airtight container.

*You can use vanilla wafers in this recipe if you don’t have time to make the shortbread.  

Bourbon Ball Recipe:

½ c. good bourbon whiskey  

3 T. light corn syrup

2 T. cocoa powder (I use Ghirardelli Premium Cocoa Powder)

1 c. powdered sugar 

4 c. shortbread cookie crumbs  

1 c. finely ground toasted pecans

additional powdered sugar

Whisk the bourbon and corn syrup together in a medium sized bowl. Add the cocoa and powdered sugar. Mix until completely blended. Stir in the shortbread crumbs and the pecans. Shape into ¾-inch balls, roll in powdered sugar, and store in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

(Theoretically these little babies will last for months in your refrigerator, but don’t count on that happening. Not if you have a bourbon lover around like I do!)

 

CHOCOLATE AND MINT CHIP SHORTBREAD COOKIES

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I decided this year to replace a small amount of the flour in my regular shortbread cookie recipe with a small amount of cocoa and add some rough chopped mint flavored baking chips for one of the cookies I included in my Christmas goodie packages for the kids. And the result was very favorably received. And to think that a cookie so very easy to prepare could end up so amazingly mouthwatering. Absolutely boggles my mind! Crunchy, buttery, chocolaty, and full of that delicious minty goodness that we all crave especially at Christmas time. In other words – YUM!

So if you are looking for the perfect cookie to include in packages for your family and friends, this is the recipe for you. Even if you have no intention of sharing your cookies with anyone else, these are still the cookies for you! These little darlings are easy to pack and stay fresh and crunchy for days. What more could you ask from 7 little ingredients? Merry Christmas to all, and to all – happy baking!

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. salt  

1¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ c. cocoa powder (I use Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa Powder that I get at Cash &Carry)

1 c. chopped mint flavored baking chips (I use Guittard)

With an electric mixer, beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt together until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, and chopped mint chips. With your mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing just until dough is combined.

Using your smallest ice cream scoop, drop small balls of dough about 1-inch apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets. (If you don’t have a small ice cream scoop, roll the dough with your hands into 1-inch balls.)

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven until small cracks appear on the surface of each cookie, 15 to 18 minutes. (Do not under-bake.)

Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

FLEUR DE SEL CHOCOLATE NUT BARK

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This has got to be the easiest, most delicious, and forgiving candy I have ever made. No boiling, no candy thermometer, no pouring a hot mixture in a hot heavy pan into another pan.

Just melt some good quality chocolate chips, stir in some espresso powder, vanilla extract, and assorted nuts. Then scoop the whole shebang into a pan. Sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel and refrigerate for a short time, then cut into desired sized pieces. Final product doesn’t even need to be refrigerated. Totally easy to prepare and even easier to eat.

So if you need a quick and easy candy to give as a gift to your neighbors, kid’s teacher, dog walker, butcher, baker, or candlestick maker, this is the recipe for you. And let’s be honest here. If you or someone in your family is a chocolate nut candy bar fanatic, this is the way to go from an economic standpoint. This recipe makes a lot of candy bark. Make a batch, cut it into reasonably sized pieces and store in your freezer. Then anytime you, or one of your family members requires a chocolate nut candy bar fix, you need only visit your local freezer rather than running to your local grocery store.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.  

3 c. (18 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Guittard chocolate chips that I find at Bartell’s Drug Store or Ghirardelli)

2 c. (12 oz.) milk chocolate chips (Ghirardelli or Guittard here too)

rounded ¼ tsp. espresso powder (I use Medaglia D’Oro Instant Espresso Coffee)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 c. toasted, roughly chopped mixed nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, etc. – any combination – salted or unsalted)

fleur de sel or course sea salt

Line a 10×16-inch rimmed baking pan with foil. (Take care to avoid wrinkles.) Spray very lightly with PAM.

Melt the semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips in your microwave. Remove from microwave and quickly stir in the espresso powder and vanilla. Stir in the nuts and scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.

Level the top with an offset spatula. Lightly sprinkle with fleur de sel. Place the pan on a wire rack in your refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and transfer the bark and foil to a cutting board. Remove the candy from the foil. Using a long, heavy, sharp knife, cut the bark into desired sized pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, or in your refrigerator or freezer.