Holiday Recipes

by meadow77 9 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  meadow77

  My grandma was the best cook I've ever known. I miss her holiday treats soo much. This year I decided to step up to the plate, and takeover by producing some of my own. I have never been that great in the kitchen, so it will be a learning process, but I'm willing to try. I thought we could share some of our favorite holiday recipes. For those non-cookers like me, share a recipe of something you enjoy eating. This is a recipe for the best holiday cookie ever, the Snickerdoodle. This is also for my friends in chat, so they will know that the Snickerdoodle does truly exist.

  Recipe in category Cookies

  Snickerdoodles

  Servings: 36 cookies

  Ingredients: 3 3/4 Cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. CREAM OF TARTAR 2 tsp. CINNAMON 1 Cup butter (2 sticks), softened 2 Cups sugar 2 eggs 1/4 Cup milk 1 tsp. VANILLA EXTRACT 3 TB. CINNAMON SUGAR

  Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour, baking powder, CREAM OF TARTAR, and CINNAMON in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy, add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with an electric. Add eggs, milk and VANILLA, beat slowly at first until the liquid starts to become incorporated, then beat well until combined, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add flour mixture, gradually beating until combined. Scrape the bowl to make sure that all of the flour is incorporated. The dough may be refrigerated at this time to make it easier to work with because it is a soft dough, but this step is not necessary. Form dough into golf ball sized balls, roll in CINNAMON SUGAR, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the cookies with the bottom of a glass to about 1/4" thickness. Bake for 11-14 minutes at 375 degrees F until golden. Remove from pans and cool. Preparation Time: 10 minutes plus chilling time. Baking Time: 11-14 minutes per pan at 375 degrees F.

  Source: Diana Baker Woodall

  Date: December 2001
• 

  Kenneson

  This one is from my sister.

  Bouillie (Cajun Vanilla Pudding)

  2/3 cup of sugar

  6 tablespoons of flour

  1/4 teaspoon of salt

  2 eggs beaten

  2 cups of milk

  2 teaspoons of vanilla

  1. Mix sugar, flour & salt; add eggs and beat well.

  2. Bring milk to boil; add egg mixture and cook over medium heat until cooked.

  3. Cool and add vanilla.
• 

  Celia

  These Snickerdoodles sound yummy. I printed the recipe and will try to make them, maybe tomorrow. Have you made them before, Meadow77 ?
• 

  meadow77

  I have never made this particular recipe, but my grandmother used to make them every year. They are yummyyyy!!!!! My grandmother has alzheimers, so basically she can't cook anymore, and can't share any of the recipes which she kept in her head. So, I will be using this recipe myself to recreate her goodies. I wish you luck on your batch. Tell me what you think of them.
• 

  Trauma_Hound

  Well this Santa likes things with curry, in them. :)
• 

  Shytears

  Yummmm
• 

  meadow77

  here ya go TH er I mean Santa

  Though curry powder is available in most supermarkets, we recommend toasting and grinding your own spices to add depth and complexity to curries. This particular combination of spices, which includes cardamon and cinnamon, gives a mild heat and rich fragrance to the dish. You can adjust the spices to suit your taste. Serves: 4 Ingredients: 2 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1/8 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger Pinch of ground cloves 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons peanut oil 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced 1 large clove garlic, minced 3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced 2 whole cinnamon sticks, about 3-inches long 1 bay leaf 3 cardamom pods 4 cups whole canned tomatoes, peeled and seeded with juices 1 1/2 cups homemade or canned low-sodium chicken stock 1/4 cup plain yogurt 3/4 cup golden raisins, roughly chopped 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro Pappadams, for serving Cooked basmati rice, for serving Chopped cashews, for garnish Prepared mango chutney, for garnish 1. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to spice grinder, add crushed red-pepper flakes, and grind to a powder. Place in a small bowl, and add turmeric, ginger, cloves, salt, and black pepper. Add chicken, and toss to coat. 2. Heat peanut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken, cooking until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove chicken. Set aside. 3. Reduce heat, and add ginger, garlic, and onions. Cook until softened and deep-brown in color, 8 to 10 minutes. Add cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, and cardamom pods; cook for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, chicken stock, and cooked chicken. Raise heat to medium high, and cook until liquid is reduced, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, toast pappadams. Reduce heat to low, and stir in yogurt and raisins. Cook until warmed throughout; add cilantro. Serve with basmati rice, and garnish with cashews. Accompany curry with pappadams and chutney.	Culinary Store Book Store Bulletin Boards Channel Chat Conversions Dictionary Hints and Tips Kitchen Necessities Magazine Rack Product Reviews Spices & Herbs Substitutions Techniques Buy Ads Now Awards Gallery Best of the Web Feedback Guest Book Privacy Policy
• 

  xenawarrior

  Our traditional Christmas day dinner is Prime Rib and Yorkshire Pudding. We also add other dishes like mashed potatoes and gravy and some vegetable dishes. The picture is of the traditional way to cook Yorkshire Pudding. When I make it I put the batter into muffin tins making individual servings. Tear them into smaller pieces and pour gravy over them- YUM. I can't wait!!!

  Prime Rib

  Serves 6 to 8

  To ensure even cooking, roast must first be left at room temperature for about two hours before being placed in the oven. Do not use a non-stick pan for this recipe; it will yield fewer cooked-on bits of flavorful juices. Serve the meat with its traditional side dish, Yorkshire Pudding.

  1 three-rib prime roast, first cut, trimmed and tied 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons salt 3 short ribs, tied 1 1/2 cups dry red wine 1. Place oven rack on lower level. Preheat oven to 450. Rub roast all over with salt and pepper. Transfer to heavy 13-by-16-inch metal roasting pan. Arrange fat-side up. Place short ribs in pan. 2. Cook 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325, and continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thick end of roast (not touching a bone) reaches 115 about 1 hour and 25 minutes. If it hasn't, return it to oven; check temperature at 10-minute intervals. 3. Transfer roast to platter; set aside in warm spot for juices to collect. (As roast rests, temperature will increase about 10.) Do not tent, or crust will get soggy. The short ribs can be eaten as a snack, or reserved to make flavorful soups. 4. Pour fat and all dark drippings out of pan into a fat separator; set aside. 5. Place roasting pan over medium-high heat. Pour red wine into pan; scrape bottom with wooden spoon, scooping up crispy bits to deglaze pan. Add the drippings that have settled to the bottom of the fat separator, making sure not to add the fat. Cook until reduced by half, 5 to 8 minutes. Place a fine sieve in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour juices into strainer. Using a wooden spoon, press down on solids to extract juices. Discard solids. Serve the juices warm with the prime rib.

  Yorkshire Pudding

  Serves 8

  Yorkshire-pudding batter must be very cold before baking. Make it a day ahead, and refrigerate.

  2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 6 large eggs 2 1/2 cups milk Pan drippings from Prime Rib 1. Sift together flour and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Add flour mixture, and whisk until combined. Cover with plastic; chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight. 2. When prime rib has finished cooking, raise oven temperature to 425. After roasting pan has been deglazed, pour 1/4 cup reserved pan drippings back into pan. Heat pan and drippings on top of the stove until very hot, about 5 minutes. Remove batter from refrigerator, and shake or whisk well; quickly pour into hot roasting pan. 3. Bake until crisp and golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with prime rib.

  Happy Holidays Everyone!!!

  XW of the "cooking" class
• 

  Celia

  I made a batch of the snickerdoodles, and they are very good. Particularly fresh out of the oven.

  Yum...
• 

  meadow77

  I am starting on my snickerdoodles today, I'm glad you liked em Celia. They are the best! XW-mmmmmm-that Prime rib and yorkshire pudding looked too yummy.

  here's another one for your sweet tooths.

  1 (1 pound) bag of pretzels

  1 teaspoon vegetable shortening or 1 tablespoon heavy cream, plus more, if needed

  2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

  1.Melt chocolate and vegetable shortening in a double boiler over low heat. Stir constantly until JUST melted. Add more shortening, a teaspoon at a time if the chocolate is too thick; it should pour a little faster than maple syrup. When it reaches the right consistency, remove from heat.

  2. Dip pretzels one at a time quickly to coat while mixture is still very warm. If mixture starts to harden, stir over a double boiler for about 30 seconds to a 1 minute until melted. Place pretzels on wax paper to set and cool. Immediately dress them up with sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, etc.

  3. Let harden in a cool place. The refrigerator speeds the process. Take them out as soon as the chocolate is hard. Store in as cool place or else they will soften.

  NOTE: Chocolate will not set well if heated too hot or is too thick. To test, put a thin smear of chocolate on a paper plate or wax paper and refrigerate. See if it hardens (about 5- 10 minutes at the most).

  Chocolate Covered Pretzel Recipe

  Makes 24

  They are fun to make to give as presents. I find that using melted chocolate chips makes the job foolproof. Chocolate chips are already tempered , so you don't have to worry as much about making mistakes during melting.

  1 (1 pound) bag of pretzels

  1 teaspoon vegetable shortening or 1 tablespoon heavy cream, plus more, if needed

  2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

  1.Melt chocolate and vegetable shortening in a double boiler over low heat. Stir constantly until JUST melted. Add more shortening, a teaspoon at a time if the chocolate is too thick; it should pour a little faster than maple syrup. When it reaches the right consistency, remove from heat.

  2. Dip pretzels one at a time quickly to coat while mixture is still very warm. If mixture starts to harden, stir over a double boiler for about 30 seconds to a 1 minute until melted. Place pretzels on wax paper to set and cool. Immediately dress them up with sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, etc.

  3. Let harden in a cool place. The refrigerator speeds the process. Take them out as soon as the chocolate is hard. Store in as cool place or else they will soften.

  NOTE: Chocolate will not set well if heated too hot or is too thick. To test, put a thin smear of chocolate on a paper plate or wax paper and refrigerate. See if it hardens (about 5- 10 minutes at the most).

  Edited by - meadow77 on 23 December 2002 13:29:28