2018 Holiday Cooking and Baking

[Shelby]

1 hour ago, Darienne said:

Made my first Rum Balls ever today.  Not exactly a stretch...

Could you share your recipe?  Do they take a long time?  My Grammy used to make those.  I liked them.

[Darienne]

It's not 'my' recipe'.  It's from The Spruce Eats.  https://www.thespruceeats.com/rum-balls-521518  and I have no idea of whether it's a good recipe or not.  Sorry.  And no, they don't take any time or much skill as far as I can see.  Mostly they take rum.

 

[kayb]

Well. The treat baskets are all distributed, save one that'll go out tomorrow. The house is clean, the presents are wrapped (thanks to my favorite elf, my eldest daughter). The ham is baked and sliced, on a platter with the turkey, which was smoked. Two salads are made. Rolls are par-baked and just need to be browned tomorrow. There's a cake in the oven (caramel apple pound cake, which will get a caramel glaze tomorrow after it cools). Tomorrow I'll cook the sweet potatoes and mac and cheese and asparagus, and toss together the fruit bowl and make some dressing for it, and put together a cheese and charcuterie tray and a veggie tray for snacking until we get ready to eat, because I've  learned you need to let the littles open gifts before they eat (and then they may not, anyway!).

 

Oh, and there's a big pitcher of mimosas awaiting mixing and sipping. I have three bottles of Prosecco and lots of orange juice!

 

A very Merry Christmas and healthy, happy New Year to you all!

 

[Kim Shook]

Gluten free cookies for my niece:

These are made with a GF cake mix.  They have really improved the quality of the mix.  When I made these last year the dough was very difficult to work with and the cookies were dreadful.  They were sticky outside and left a powdery feeling in your mouth.  These were much better - good texture and decent taste.  

[MetsFan5]

I don’t bake (except the occasional banana bread) but I absolutely love peacans so I used the Chex mix method on just pecans. I did a half pound last night and they were all gone by mid afternoon today! My inlaws loved them. I have another half pound so I will make more. 

[kayb]

I went through four pounds of pecans in holiday baking/candymaking, not counting the nearly 1 pound I burned and had to throw away. I like the pecans with the Chex mix sauce, too, and this year I made a new one: Pickapeppa Pecans, from Garden and Gun magazine. There's also a spicy pecans recipe floating around on here that produces a sweet--hot pecan...don't recall who posted it, but I made some of those last year, and they're wonderful.

 

It was a good pecan crop year here, and I bought shelled pecans for $7 a pound. I bought LOTS.

 

[ElsieD]

On 12/22/2018 at 10:24 PM, kayb said:

Well. The treat baskets are all distributed, save one that'll go out tomorrow. The house is clean, the presents are wrapped (thanks to my favorite elf, my eldest daughter). The ham is baked and sliced, on a platter with the turkey, which was smoked. Two salads are made. Rolls are par-baked and just need to be browned tomorrow. There's a cake in the oven (caramel apple pound cake, which will get a caramel glaze tomorrow after it cools). Tomorrow I'll cook the sweet potatoes and mac and cheese and asparagus, and toss together the fruit bowl and make some dressing for it, and put together a cheese and charcuterie tray and a veggie tray for snacking until we get ready to eat, because I've  learned you need to let the littles open gifts before they eat (and then they may not, anyway!).

 

Oh, and there's a big pitcher of mimosas awaiting mixing and sipping. I have three bottles of Prosecco and lots of orange juice!

 

A very Merry Christmas and healthy, happy New Year to you all!

 

 

Whew! Tell us more about the caramel apple pound cake.

[kayb]

9 hours ago, ElsieD said:

 

Whew! Tell us more about the caramel apple pound cake.

 

It was pretty much a riff -- the base is the sour cream pound cake you make starting with a cake mix. 1 butter recipe cake mix, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 4 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, which really doesn't make the classic dense pound cake, but a more open-crumb version. I added to the batter two peeled, cored and chopped Granny Smith apples; a cup of caramel chips; and 3/4 cup of chopped pecans. Baked it for about 90 minutes in a Bundt pan at 325. Let it cool overnight, and glazed it this morning with a glaze made of a cup of brown sugar, a half-cup of half-and-half, a half-stick of butter and a pinch or two of salt, cooked over medium heat until it boils and thickens a bit, then let cool a little.

 

It's rich, and it's good!

 

[ElsieD]

On 12/23/2018 at 7:45 PM, kayb said:

 

It was pretty much a riff -- the base is the sour cream pound cake you make starting with a cake mix. 1 butter recipe cake mix, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 4 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, which really doesn't make the classic dense pound cake, but a more open-crumb version. I added to the batter two peeled, cored and chopped Granny Smith apples; a cup of caramel chips; and 3/4 cup of chopped pecans. Baked it for about 90 minutes in a Bundt pan at 325. Let it cool overnight, and glazed it this morning with a glaze made of a cup of brown sugar, a half-cup of half-and-half, a half-stick of butter and a pinch or two of salt, cooked over medium heat until it boils and thickens a bit, then let cool a little.

 

It's rich, and it's good!

 

 

Oh dear God that sounds good.  Thank you!

[Kim Shook]

A sample of our sugar cookies.  The dough is just Pillsbury sugar cooky dough with some flour added.  I have never found a sugar cooky recipe that gave me a cooky that you could cut and would stay the same while baking.  Every recipe I've tried got "blurred" in the oven.  These work fine.  

 

Happy Accident Candy:

Leftover crumbs and shards from my sponge candy mixed into melted (I won't say tempered) leftover chocolate.

 

Finally did the centerpiece for the dining room table:

From now until Christmas day, everyone eats on TV trays (it will be a buffet table tomorrow night).

 

I have never in my adult life been so late getting ready for Christmas.  Food, shopping, wrapping, etc.  Taking care of my mother is just the hardest thing I've ever done and lots of things had to go by the wayside.  

[Kim Shook]

@Shelby - Didja notice the shot reindeer in the sugar cookies?  Jessica makes them every year.  Show it to Ronnie and tell him it's an homage to hunters.  LOL

[Shelby]

22 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

@Shelby - Didja notice the shot reindeer in the sugar cookies?  Jessica makes them every year.  Show it to Ronnie and tell him it's an homage to hunters.  LOL

I can't wait to show him--he will get a kick out of that 🤣

[Shelby]

Had Ronnie's kids and grandkids over to do our Christmas.  Most years we do it Christmas Eve day with a brunch.

 

Cookies, snack mix, veggie dip in a bread bowl, cranberry jalapeño jelly over cream cheese, crock pot cheesy potatoes, french toast casserole and scrambled eggs.

[kayb]

I LOVE Christmas brunches! 

[heidih]

@Shelby  Crock pot cheesy potatoes need further facts

[Shelby]

1 minute ago, heidih said:

@Shelby  Crock pot cheesy potatoes need further facts

Not fancy at all, but good.  

 

Spray your slow cooker very very well with non-stick cooking spray.

 

30 oz bag of frozen shredded potatoes

24 oz container of sour cream

4 cups of shredded cheddar, divided

Salt and pepper

 

Mix potatoes, sour cream, s and p and 3 cups of cheddar.  Place in slow cooker on high for about 3 1/2 hours (mine took 4 and could've gone longer).  When done add remaining cup of cheese on top and let melt then serve.

[heidih]

Oh good grief I could eat a whole pot over the course of a day. Thanks!

Edited December 24, 2018 by heidih (log)

[Darienne]

41 minutes ago, Shelby said:

 

 

 

These look great.  What are they?  With puff pastry?

[Shelby]

41 minutes ago, Darienne said:

These look great.  What are they?  With puff pastry?

Thank you!  So easy and so great to have in the freezer.  Here is the thread discussing them .  I've taken quite a few short cuts and they are still wonderful.

 

Lay out puff pastry, make a log out of Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage.  Place at the bottom of the square of puff pastry, roll it up, slice into portions and freeze.  I place them on a cookie sheet and throw it in the freezer. Next day put them in a ziplock freezer bag.  To bake, take them out, place them on a cookie sheet (or I use the pan that came with my CSO) on a piece of parchment paper. 350F for about 20-25 mins.

[sartoric]

My contribution to Christmas lunch - the quintessential Aussie summer favourite pavlova with strawberries, blueberries and passion fruit. I will also be making mango daiquiris with rose syrup to order...it’s a perfect day here, 24 C at 10.30 in the morning. Let the feasting start soon. Merry Christmas to my online friends !

 

 

[Darienne]

On 12/22/2018 at 4:49 PM, Darienne said:

It's not 'my' recipe'.  It's from The Spruce Eats.  https://www.thespruceeats.com/rum-balls-521518  and I have no idea of whether it's a good recipe or not.  Sorry.  And no, they don't take any time or much skill as far as I can see.  Mostly they take rum.

 

OK.  Now it is 'my' recipe.  The first ones were not a winner: too dry.  But then I'd never made them before...in fact, I'd never eaten one or even seen one.  Dumped the finished product into the food processor, pulverized the mess...then added more chocolate and more rum.  A success.  And they're all gone.  Well, I did gift the neighbors also.  He has the flu.  Needed something like that. 

 

Just made a second batch.  No problem.  And this time took less time and less skill.  Mostly they take rum.  Delicious. 

[kayb]

2 hours ago, Shelby said:

Not fancy at all, but good.  

 

Spray your slow cooker very very well with non-stick cooking spray.

 

30 oz bag of frozen shredded potatoes

24 oz container of sour cream

4 cups of shredded cheddar, divided

Salt and pepper

 

Mix potatoes, sour cream, s and p and 3 cups of cheddar.  Place in slow cooker on high for about 3 1/2 hours (mine took 4 and could've gone longer).  When done add remaining cup of cheese on top and let melt then serve.

Thank you, Jesus, that I have good cholesterol. Else it would have gone up 100 points reading this. 

 

That said, damn, that sounds wonderful!

 

[IowaDee]

Boy  ain't that the truth!  Mt doctor told me last month that I have the highest good cholesterol that she has ever seen.  Go forth and eat cheese was her advice and I have taken it.  Shelby, your recipe is in the queue.  

[Porthos]

We finally put together a Christmas Dinner Menu. It will be for five adults and one child.  Dessert has not been decided on.

 

Rib Eye Roast
Bouillon Gravy
Scottsdale Potatoes
Green Salad
Corn Pudding
Pearl Onions in Cheese Sauce
Devilled Eggs
Hawaiian Rolls
Butter
Olives

[Ann_T]

16 hours ago, sartoric said:

My contribution to Christmas lunch - the quintessential Aussie summer favourite pavlova with strawberries, blueberries and passion fruit. I will also be making mango daiquiris with rose syrup to order...it’s a perfect day here, 24 C at 10.30 in the morning. Let the feasting start soon. Merry Christmas to my online friends !

 

 

@sartoric, love your plate.