Holiday Baking

The holidays are upon us, or at least the sales at the supermarket for holiday baking are. So it's time to plan out holiday treats. I have five recipes that I will be using: Butter Cookies, Pizzelles, Biscotti, Cream Cheese Spritzers, and Fudge. The first recipe is my own, not sure where it is from. The second is from one of my mom's old customers, who always made her pizzelles when she would drop off the woman's hearing aid. The woman was from Italy and was 94 years old when she gave it to my mom, they are the best I've ever had. The last two are recipes are from my mother-in-law's recipe collection, and my husband's favorites. Everyone loves the fudge, it is the best I have had outside of Douglas Fudge in Wildwood, NJ. Get out your Fat Pants my friends, it's time for holiday goodness!

Fudge

4 ½ cups sugar

½ lb butter or margarine

1 1/3 can evaporated milk

1 ½ teaspoons cocoa

4 6-oz pkg chocolate chips

1 12oz jar marshmallow crème

1 ½ cup nuts (optional)

Combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk and bring to a hard boil, stirring often. Reduce to low heat and boil for 9 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat; take ¼ cup of mixture out. Stir cocoa into removed mixture; add the chocolate chips and cocoa mixture to the boiled ingredients and stir well. When chips are melted, add the marshmallow crème (and nuts, if using). Stir well and pour into two 9x12-inch pans; let cool for 2 hours. Score and cut; put into covered containers. Yield: 5 pound fudge.

Butter Cookies

2 ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. orange juice

1 tsp. vanilla

colored sugar/sprinkles for decoration

Combine ingredients. Beat at low speed, 1-2 minutes. Cover, refrigerate 2 hours. Roll out dough with rolling pin, cut with cookie cutter, decorate with sprinkles and/or colored sugar. Preheat oven to 400F, bake 6-10 minutes.

Pizzelles

3 ½ cups flour – sift 3 times

1 ½ cups sugar

6 Jumbo eggs

2 Tablespoons vanilla

2 Tablespoons anisette (the alcohol)

4 Tablespoons baking powder

2 Sticks Marjorine, melted (NOT BUTTER)

Preheat pizzelle iron. Mix well together. Drop approximately 1 tablespoon mixture on iron. Bake approximately 30 seconds. Makes approximately 6 dozen.

Cream Cheese Spritzes

1 package (8oz) cream cheese cut in chunks, at room temperature

1 cup butter or margarine, cut in chunks, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

for decoration: red/green candied cherries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F, have cookie sheets ready. In a medium-sized bowl or in food processor beat or process cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually mix in flour until well blended. Spoon 1 cup dough at a time into cookie press or pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Press dough in 2-inch wreath shapes 1 ½ inches apart on cookie sheet. (Optional: Gently press a cherry in center of each wreath.) Bake 8-10 minutes until edges and bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to racks to cool. Makes 54.

Italian Biscotti

6 eggs

1 ¾ cups sugar

1 tsp lemon or vanilla or anise

5 to 6 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease cookie sheet, set aside. Mix all ingredients – will be very sticky. Take about 1 cup of mixture and mold into oval shape. You should be able to place two loaves on a cookie sheet. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Remove, cut into slices and put back in oven to toast on each side.

Golden-Crusted Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are my weak spot and my weakness. I cannot say that I am very good at making these. However, this recipe, I nailed! It is also from Real Simple Celebrations, and it was a welcome addition to our Christmas Eve dinner last year.

4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup heavy cream

2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup whole milk (optional)

Heat oven to 400 F. Place the potatoes in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes; return them to the pot and mash. Add 8 tablespoons of the butter, the cream, salt, and pepper and combine. If a thinner consistency is desired, add the milk a few tablespoons at a time. Transfer the potato mixture to a casserole dish and dot with the remaining butter. Bake, uncovered, until the top is crisp and golden, about 30 minutes.

Very basic and simple turkey

Fortunately before cooking my first turkey last year, I stopped at the library and checked out this book on a whim, Real Simple Celebrations. This book is a must-have, and I later purchased it. This was a simple and tasty recipe from that book, with a modification of adding the apple.

Also, prior to cooking this turkey, I purchased a Mauviel Aluminum Roaster from Williams-Sonoma, on the recommendation of Real Simple Magazine. I also purchase the world's most useful roasting rack, which doubles as a turkey lifter, Cuisipro Roast & Serve Roasting Rack. I purchased a carving set from Bed, Bath and Beyond, which has been very useful as well. Finally, I already owned a digital meat thermometer, which has forever changed how I cook meat (I cook by temperature). Sometimes it is all in the tools, and for this occasion, I agree!

In summary, in addition to the ingredients below, you should have: a roasting pan, a roasting rack, a carving set, and a meat thermometer.

1 10-12 pound turkey

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

¾ teaspoon black pepper

1 apple

Heat oven to 425 F. Remove the turkey giblets. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cool running water, and then pat dry with paper towels. Insert the apple into the cavity where the the giblets were. Place the turkey on a wire rack in a metal roasting pan. Spread the oil evenly over the turkey and season with salt and pepper. Roast the turkey until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Add about 1 cup of water to the pan and cover the turkey loosely with a large sheet of foil. Reduce heat to 375 F. Continue to roast until a thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 180 F, about 1 ¾ hours more, depending on the size of the turkey. Leave the foil in place and let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.

Mac & Cheeses

My mother-in-law made the best mac & cheese ever! While dating my husband, I would wait for him to bring it home after Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinners (before we spent holidays together). She did not measure it nor follow a specific recipe. This is what we were able to put together, and it is pretty close to hers. Of all of her great recipes, how could she not write this one down? The family loves it, and waits for holidays for it. In honor of a great woman, a great food!

Mac & Cheeses

1 box elbow noodles, cooked

butter (several pieces of it)

small amount of milk

a block of Velveeta cheese

a block of cheddar cheese

some mozzarella (i think about a handful)

Preheat oven to 375. Place several pieces of butter in baking dish. Add a small amount of milk. Add cut up pieces of Velveeta, cut up cheddar and mozzarella to the baking dish. Pour hot noodles over the cheese mixture and stir up to mix a little. Cover and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. If cheese is melted, return to oven without the cover. If it is not melted, cover and return to oven until melted.

Ham with Pineapple

Thanksgiving and Christmas both require ham in this family! I discovered this recipe on allrecipes.com, and it has served us all well. People talk about it until they have it again. It is very easy to make, and even more fun to eat! Although I have not (yet) posted a picture, it is very photogenic!
I love to serve this with Potato Roesti (see previous post for the amazing recipe) and Mac and Cheese (see next post). Enjoy!

1 (12 pound) bone-in ham

½ cup whole cloves

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple rings in heavy syrup

1 (4 ounce) jar chopped maraschino cherries

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).
2. Place ham in roasting pan. Score the rind of the ham with a diamond pattern. Press a clove into the center of each diamond. Drain the juice from the pineapple rings into a medium bowl, and stir in the brown sugar and lemon-lime soda. Coat the ham with this mixture. Arrange the pineapple rings over the outside of the ham. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring, and secure with a toothpick.
3. Bake uncovered 4 to 5 hours, basting frequently with the juices, until the internal temperature of the ham is 160 degrees F (72 degrees C). Be sure the meat thermometer is not touching the bone. Remove toothpicks before serving.