2019 Holiday Cooking and Baking

[lindag]

There wa a restaurant chain in Portland that offered Dungeness Crab  Benedict during the season.  It was wonderful.

Elmer’s Restaurants.

[David Ross]

1 hour ago, lindag said:

There wa a restaurant chain in Portland that offered Dungeness Crab  Benedict during the season.  It was wonderful.

Elmer’s Restaurants.

Yes I remember Elmer's.  My folks lived in Salem and Elmer's was their favorite breakfast spot.  In fact, I remember Elmer's had a Dungeness Crab Eggs Benedict dish on their menu.  Pretty amazing to see that on their menu.

 

[Tri2Cook]

I'm not sure what Christmas dinner is going to be in it's entirety. I knew it wasn't going to be turkey, was leaning towards ham. Until today when I found out we were getting turkeys as a gift at work. They're supposedly some fancy turkeys with all the buzzwords attached that means they're much better and more ethical than the average grocery store turkey. I don't say that to be flippant, I realize how our food is produced is important, I'm just not the world's #1 turkey fan so my excitement level isn't as high as those birds probably deserve. But be that as it may, I do appreciate the thought and it looks like I'm cooking a turkey for Christmas because I don't really have freezer space to give up for it right now.

[Shelby]

On 12/16/2019 at 5:44 PM, kayb said:

This is the best, and easiest, thing in the world.

 

1 box yellow cake mix 

1 box instant chocolate pudding

3 eggs

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

8 oz sour cream

12 oz mini chocolate chips

 

Mix the wet ingredients together, then add the cake mix and pudding. Fold in the sour cream (I used Greek yogurt, because I had it) and chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes if you're baking in a bundt pan. I baked this in one of those four mini-loaf pans, and it was too much; they had big muffin tops. Next batch, I'll make those four, and a couple of my mini-bundt.

 

Hi Kay!

 

Hey, have you ever frozen these?  

[kayb]

2 hours ago, Shelby said:

Hi Kay!

 

Hey, have you ever frozen these?  

No, they've never stayed around long enough. I don't see why they shouldn't freeze, though. Maybe wait about glazing/frosting until after the thaw?

[gfweb]

We’ll have two as well.

First one for our son who’s working Xmas. Flat iron steak...augratin potatoes...sprouts...bread pudding. 
Real Xmas...beef tenderloin with braised onions,...smoked yam purée...augratin pots...sprout slaw...sticky toffee pudding

[David Ross]

15 hours ago, gfweb said:

We’ll have two as well.

First one for our son who’s working Xmas. Flat iron steak...augratin potatoes...sprouts...bread pudding. 
Real Xmas...beef tenderloin with braised onions,...smoked yam purée...augratin pots...sprout slaw...sticky toffee pudding

i'm also making my sticky toffee pudding.  I usually serve it with rum raisin sauce but this year it's either brandy raisin sauce, or hard sauce.

[Shelby]

22 hours ago, kayb said:

No, they've never stayed around long enough. I don't see why they shouldn't freeze, though. Maybe wait about glazing/frosting until after the thaw?

Ok thanks.

 

What do you glaze yours with?

[Katie Meadow]

Unless my houseguests (my nephew and his wife on the Meadow side) decide on another idea for xmas dinner I think I will make potstickers. I've eaten a lot of Chinese meals on xmas day over the years. Because xmas eve is spent with my husband's family for which there is cooking and traveling, my  xmas dinner has always been simple, unless we get invited out, and then it's even simpler! If I'm lucky, my adored millennial guests will do some baking and there will be dessert of some kind.  For xmas morning lox and bagels is about all I can muster, but that is never disappointing. So, xmas day is a some nice Jewish food, and that includes the potstickers with pork.

[kayb]

4 hours ago, Shelby said:

Ok thanks.

 

What do you glaze yours with?

I cheat. I get canned chocolate frosting, and nuke it until it's runny. After all, it is a cake mix-based cake. 

[MetsFan5]

It’s a really stupidly easy concept but for some reason, people go nuts for them, pun intended. 
   I take a half pound of pecan halves, about 1/4 cup of butter melted. I mix the melted butter with lawrys seasoning salt and Worcester sauce, which I eye.  I roast (?) the nuts mixed with the melted butter mixture in an oven at 250 for about 1.5-2 hours. I do it in a disposable lasagna aluminum tin pan. 
  Last year in less than a week of being here, my inlaws ate 3lbs alone. My parents probably 2 and my husband at least one. I also have brought them to collegiate tail gates with great success. 
  Strange but true. 

[heidih]

Lawrys is under recognized. LA is the home of it.I used to have an outdoor table set from their downtown resto. The seasoning of my chidhood. Gonna start a topiuc on it! 

 

[David Ross]

10 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

It’s a really stupidly easy concept but for some reason, people go nuts for them, pun intended. 
   I take a half pound of pecan halves, about 1/4 cup of butter melted. I mix the melted butter with lawrys seasoning salt and Worcester sauce, which I eye.  I roast (?) the nuts mixed with the melted butter mixture in an oven at 250 for about 1.5-2 hours. I do it in a disposable lasagna aluminum tin pan. 
  Last year in less than a week of being here, my inlaws ate 3lbs alone. My parents probably 2 and my husband at least one. I also have brought them to collegiate tail gates with great success. 
  Strange but true. 

I love those and I think I'll make them.  Mother made them every Holiday season but until you reminded me, I forgot about the recipe.  Thanks for posting!

[David Ross]

9 hours ago, heidih said:

Lawrys is under recognized. LA is the home of it.I used to have an outdoor table set from their downtown resto. The seasoning of my chidhood. Gonna start a topiuc on it! 

 

I've always loved their seasoning.  Very good on beef roast.

[kayb]

10 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

It’s a really stupidly easy concept but for some reason, people go nuts for them, pun intended. 
   I take a half pound of pecan halves, about 1/4 cup of butter melted. I mix the melted butter with lawrys seasoning salt and Worcester sauce, which I eye.  I roast (?) the nuts mixed with the melted butter mixture in an oven at 250 for about 1.5-2 hours. I do it in a disposable lasagna aluminum tin pan. 
  Last year in less than a week of being here, my inlaws ate 3lbs alone. My parents probably 2 and my husband at least one. I also have brought them to collegiate tail gates with great success. 
  Strange but true. 

 

I do essentially the same thing -- with the addition of some garlic powder, some onion powder and Tabasco. Same sauce I use on my Chex mix, but Child C begs every year for just pecans done with it. When I can find raw cashews, I do them as well.

 

@David Ross -- I made your sticky buns yesterday and put them in the freezer. Will report on how they work.

 

Edited December 22, 2019 by kayb (log)

[David Ross]

15 minutes ago, kayb said:

 

I do essentially the same thing -- with the addition of some garlic powder, some onion powder and Tabasco. Same sauce I use on my Chex mix, but Child C begs every year for just pecans done with it. When I can find raw cashews, I do them as well.

 

@David Ross -- I made your sticky buns yesterday and put them in the freezer. Will report on how they work.

 

 

Thanks!  Later today I'm also posting another Holiday morning bread, Pecan-Praline Coffecake Wreath.  It's really easy, using Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix to make the sweet dough, then rolling out like cinnamon roll dough.  The filling is brown sugar, butter, pecans and coconut with lots of spices.  You cut the dough log in half horizontally, then wrap those two logs together like a wreath.  Man is it good, but I'm giving most of it away to friends.

[David Ross]

What got into me this season?  I normally don't bake much, just do a few candy recipes every year and maybe a tart or two, the regular mince pie always.  Today I pulled out a favorite recipe from one of the old cook "booklets" that comes out during the Holidays and catches your eye at the supermarket checkout.  I think this was a Betty Crocker booklet about 1990 vintage.  

 

My family and friends like to cook for the Holidays, and they don't mind experimenting, but they aren't really the types of cooks who would go to the trouble of making their own sweet dough.  So this recipe starts with Pillsbury boxed Hot Roll Mix.  It's actually very good and rises really well every time.  I use it for dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls.  So now they can make something that would surprise them at how easy it is, and hopefully find it's every bit as good as the expensive  coffee cake from the bakery.

 

Pecan-Praline Coffee Cake Braid-

Ingredients

1 box Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix substitute with fresh sweet roll dough

3 tbsp. sugar

1 cup hot water

1 egg, room temperature

3 tbsp. softened butter

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 tbsp. milk

8 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

4 tbsp. butter, melted

 

Instructions

Prepare the sweet dough roll using the recipe on the side of the Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix. Place the dough mix, yeast packet, and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and mix to combine. Stir in the hot water, butter, and egg and beat the dough at low speed until it forms a dough ball. Turn the dough onto a floured counter and cover and let rest 5 minutes. In a bowl combine the coconut, pecans, brown sugar, milk and melted butter and stir to combine.

 

Flour a counter and start to spread the dough out into a rectangle. Use a pie dough roller and roll the dough out to about 1/4" thickness and a rectangle about 14 x 10 inches. Spread the coconut and pecan mixture in an even layer on top of the dough.

 

Roll the dough up starting on the long end, into a log. Use your hands to form the dough log into an even shape. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest 5 minutes.

 

Cut the dough down the center lengthwise, giving you two braids of dough. Place the dough braids on the parchment on the baking sheet with the filling sides up. Now gently braid the two pieces of dough together to form one dough braid. Cover the dough again with a towel and let it rise for one hour. At this stage, you can let the dough rise overnight. Don't worry, it won't over-rise.

 

 

Heat the oven to 350. Bake the Pecan-Praline Coffee Cake Braid for 30-35 minutes until it's golden brown and you can see the praline bubbling. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and move the parchment and coffee bake on a rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Cut the coffee cake into thick slices and serve warm.

 

Recipe Notes

We like Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix in the box because it's easy to use and rises perfectly every time.  Just add sugar, softened butter, egg and hot water to make a sweet dough, then roll out and follow our instructions.  The Pillsbury mix makes enough dough for this recipe.  You can use a fresh sweet dough out of the can, but it won't be enough for this recipe.

 

Use any type of nut you prefer-walnuts, hazelnuts, even cashews will all work deliciously in this recipe. 

[kayb]

I have used, roughly, 15 pounds of sugar, six pounds of butter, five pounds of pecans, assorted other nuts, a a whole heap of chocolate, caramel, white chocolate and peanut butter chips in the past two weeks. I'll finish up tomorrow with one more batch of fudge, another batch of Chex mix and a couple of batches of brittle, and I'll be done until after Christmas. Then I'll do macaroons, stove-top oatmeal fudge cookies, GF brownies and yet more Chex mix for when the kids descend Saturday. Need to get out and take some candy to the neighbors tomorrow, as well.

 

The American Dental Association should put me on retainer. No, not that kind of retainer.  Never mind. I'm tired.

 

Merry Christmas, all.

[Kim Shook]

I have no business being here.  It is 1:38am and in approximately 15 hours anywhere from 28 (number I've heard from) to 41 (that + number I have heard from) people will be descending on us.  I will come back after the holidays and tell all.  But I wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Festivus, etc., etc.  Enjoy yourselves and I hope you find some joy and peace in the next few days!

[Tri2Cook]

Christmas grub decided. That beautiful free-range, farm raised, etc. etc. turkey I received at work weighs just a few ounces short of 22 lbs. It's just me and the kid so I foresee a whole lot of turkey-based leftovers in my future. I'm going to spatchcock the bird today, blanch the skin with boiling water, salt it at 1% and toss it in the fridge uncovered for 24 hours or so. My number one rule of poultry... thou shalt not eat skin that is not extra crispy. It's my problem with chicken wings. I hate soggy skin but if you pull it off, you also pull off whatever seasoning or sauce was used. Anyway, to accompany said bird will be gravy (of course), stuffing that will include a healthy dose of my homemade breakfast sausage (I made a batch a little heavier than usual on the sage for this purpose), jalapeno mac & cheese (I make a big batch of the nacho cheese sauce from chefsteps, mix it with the pasta, a little butter and some additional grated cheese, top it with crushed Ritz crackers that have been fried a bit in butter, then bake), collard greens sautéed in bacon grease with onion, cranberry sauce (the jellied kind, straight out of the can) and, non-traditional with turkey but by request of the kid, Yorkshire puddings. She likes to dip them in gravy, something she's done since she was a small child. Dessert is going to be a honey vanilla cheesecake. I'm making lots of everything. I'm actually getting a few days off work and I don't intend to do a whole lot of cooking during that time after tomorrow's big meal so I scaled everything to provide adequate leftovers to allow for my planned laziness. 

[David Ross]

It's a tradition on Christmas Eve to make my Mother's shrimp casserole and serve it with hot rolls.  The recipe is typical of the 50's and 60's, cooked rice blended with a cream sauce, then shrimp and water chestnuts added.  I think cooks back then had it right, canned water chestnuts add both flavor and that unique crisp texture.  Then she topped it with grated cheddar, which was my Father's favorite part of the dish.  Served piping hot.  I may add fresh buttered breadcrumbs on top, but that's the only variation.  Oh, I just remembered, a good amount of Worcestershire in the rice.  That was another sauce used in cooking a lot back then.

 

Christmas morning was usually a breakfast casserole of eggs with sausage.  I was planning on that, then I thought, what would be my favorite breakfast this year.  So I'm making waffles based on the Carbon's Malted Waffle Mix.  That's the mix that's been made for decades.  You can make a similar batter at home by adding egg whites that are beaten to soft peaks and some malted milk powder.  So waffles it is.

[David Ross]

20 minutes ago, David Ross said:

It's a tradition on Christmas Eve to make my Mother's shrimp casserole and serve it with hot rolls.  The recipe is typical of the 50's and 60's, cooked rice blended with a cream sauce, then shrimp and water chestnuts added.  I think cooks back then had it right, canned water chestnuts add both flavor and that unique crisp texture.  Then she topped it with grated cheddar, which was my Father's favorite part of the dish.  Served piping hot.  I may add fresh buttered breadcrumbs on top, but that's the only variation.  Oh, I just remembered, a good amount of Worcestershire in the rice.  That was another sauce used in cooking a lot back then.

 

Christmas morning was usually a breakfast casserole of eggs with sausage.  I was planning on that, then I thought, what would be my favorite breakfast this year.  So I'm making waffles based on the Carbon's Malted Waffle Mix.  That's the mix that's been made for decades.  You can make a similar batter at home by adding egg whites that are beaten to soft peaks and some malted milk powder.  So waffles it is.

This is my Mother's recipe.  I forgot she also included crab, usually fresh Dungeness if it was available.  The season in the NW usually starts by the Holidays.  I also forgot that she used margarine, another ingredient that a lot of housewives used back in those day.  I'll use butter.  It's also interesting that she sauteed the green onions in the margarine first.  I usually just add the green onions, but I'll try this and see if it makes a difference.

 

1/4 c margarine

1/3 c sliced green onions

1/4 c flour

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

1 c half and half

1 c milk

2 TBSP lemon juice

2 TBSP pimento

1 c shredded cheese

1 c water chestnuts

1 c shrimp

6 oz crab

(I take out crab and add another 1/2 c shrimp) Makes enough for 6/8 people depending upon What else you serve

 

Sauté green onions in margerine until tender Blend in flour, salt, pepper Add half and half and milk Cook while stirring constantly until thick and Smooth Stir in lemon juice, seafood, water chestnuts, Rice and pimento and 1/2 cheese Spoon into casserole dish If like to sprinkle cheese on top

 

Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 min

 

[liamsaunt]

Some of my holiday bakes.  Kolaches

 

 

Cinnamon bun Christmas tree

 

 

Bagels for the ones without a sweet tooth (me)

 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Christmas Eve dinner.    Son and brood came over to build the croquembouche

 

Standing rib was okay, as was Yorkshire and several veg.   

 

But the croquembouche was worth the wait.  

 

 

 

[heidih]

3 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Christmas Eve dinner.    Son and brood came over to build the croquembouche

 

Standing rib was okay, as was Yorkshire and several veg.   

 

But the croquembouche was worth the wait.  

 

Lovely!

Pulled or netted sugar fascinated me long ago. Oh the first sugar flowers I made (not gumpaste)  - cool.And when you cut the whip to make a sugar cap/nest- like science and art had a young-un