Merry Christmas!

Bake and Booze Christmas Treats

Pluto, Pepper and Briar are dressed and ready for Christmas!

Once again our team of "walkers" assembled for cocktails and nibbles and spent an evening baking Christmas cookies to exchange with each other, and to give to a local organization.  This year we delivered our goodies to Anselma House, a women's shelter in Kitchener.  

Bake and booze is very informal and a lot of fun. Everyone brings dough from one of their favorite cookbooks, or their mothers secret recipe. SSSHhhhh - don't tell Terry's mom, but the secret is out. And Lynns uncles 100 year old recipe must be 110 years old by now!

Bev’s Whoopie Machine Sangria

Bev’s wicked Sangria is whipped up in an amazing kitchen appliance called a Thermomix, but could probably be replicated in a food processor.

 

1 orange

1 lemon

½ cup sugar

1 bottle red wine

1 can carbonated lemonade

¼ cup vermouth

¼ cup cognac

¼ cup gin

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Cut off the peel from the orange and lemon. Toss the entire lemon and orange in the bowl of the whoopee machine. Add sugar. Mix 1 minute/speed 10 to pulverize the fruit (seeds and all)

add remaining ingredients and mix 1 minute/speed 2

pour over ice.

Soy glazed turkey and pineapple kebobs

With Christmas appraoching, we were thinking healthy when we put this recipe together. , we were also thinking: TURKEY - SIMPLE - QUICK - FRESH

1½ lb boneless turkey breast

1 fresh pineapple, cored

1 green pepper

1 red onion

1 cup cherry tomatoes

Marinade:

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp lime juice

1½ tsp asian chili sauce

1½ tsp sesame oil

1 tsp Thai Seasoning

Glaze:

1 cup soy sauce

4 tbsp honey

1 tbsp lime juice

½ tsp Thai Seasoning

30 Bamboo skewers

Cut turkey breast and pineapple into 1X 1 X 2 inch pieces. Cut green pepper and red onion into ¾ inch square pieces.  Combine marinade ingredients in a large glass bowl. Toss turkey pieces in the marinade and add pineapple, green peppers, onion and tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.   Meanwhile, soak bamboo skewers in a tray of water for at least 30 minutes to prevent charring. Prepare glaze by combining soy sauce, honey, lime juice and Thai seasoning in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over medium until reduced by half.

Preheat barbecue on HIGH for 5 minutes, then reduce to MEDIUM. Meanwhile, thread pineapple, vegetables and turkey pieces on skewers. Place diagonally on the grids and grill for 4 minutes per side. Brush with glaze while they are cooking

Andrea’s Honey Garlic Ribs

2 racks pork ribs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

garlic powder

1/2 cup honey

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

Peel the membrane from the back of the ribs and cut them into single rib portions.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder, and wrap tightly in 2 foil packages.  Place on the top rack of a barbecue on very low heat, turning off the centre burners if necessary, to keep the temperature at about 300°F, for 2 hours. 

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by combining the honey, cider vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and five-spice powder in a small saucepan.  Heat on medium low until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Unwrap the ribs and lay them out on the baking sheet.  Pour the sauce over top of the ribs, and place on the top rack of the barbecue for about 15 minutes or until glazed and hot.

Nancy’s Ginger Snaps     

Bake at 375⁰ for 12 min

 

Mix  (wet):

¾ cup butter softened

½ cup molasses

2 eggs

2 cups sugar

Mix (dry):

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients into wet.  Drop by tablespoon 2” apart on greased cookie sheet.  (take out as soon as they fall flat)

Sandy Morrice’s 100 year-old recipe for Oatmeal Cookies

1 lb of butter

1 ½ c white sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

½ c boiling water

5 ½ c oatmeal (5 min)

2 ½ c flour

Cream butter.  Add sugar and cream.  Combine and mix all dry ingredients and add to above.  When thoroughly mixed add boiling water.  Knead into a dough.  Divide dough into four or take a handful.  Make a ball.  Roll thin on a floured surface.  Cut and place on cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 F.

Date filling

2 c dates (best quality)

¾ c corn syrup

½ tsp vanilla

2 tsp lemon juice

½ c water

Heat until dates melt.  When slightly cooled, spread a thin layer of filling on bottom of one cookie and place another cookie on top. 

Deb’s Nut Crescents

1 cup margarine
2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup icing sugar

1Tbsp water

2 cups flour

1 cup ground almonds or walnuts

 

      

                                                                                                 Cream margarine with vanilla, sugar and water. Add flour. You may need to add a bit more flour to make the dough easier to handle. Mix thoroughly. I let sit in the fridge for about an hour. Form crescents two inches long. Bake on parchment lined cookie sheet at 300 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until delicately browned. While hot, roll in icing sugar. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Barb’s Double Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Barb's cookies disappeared so fast this was the last remaining one!

Ingredients

10 Tbsp. butter, softened

¾ cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg

½ tsp. baking soda

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ cup sweetened dried cranberries

¾ cup white chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until creamy. Add vanilla and egg, and beat until well-combined.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together baking soda, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to butter mixture, beating with electric mixer.
4. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips.
5. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets approx. 2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Bev’s Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter, at room temperature

½ cup corn starch

½ cup icing sugar

1 cup unbleached white flour

Pinch salt

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.   Mix with a pastry blender to combine, adding more flour by the spoonful if necessary.  Do not overwork the dough. 

Roll a spoonful of dough in the palms of your hands to form a ball.  Slightly flatten the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Decorate with candied cherries or sprinkles if desired. 

Bake at 300°F for 25 minutes, or until slightly browned on the edges.

Date Balls (Traditional Milne Christmas dessert)

 

1 lb pitted dates cut fine (you can buy them this way at Bulk barn) – 1 – 1 ¾ cup

1 cup Granulated Sugar

2 tablespoon Butter

2 Eggs beaten

Vanilla and salt

3 cups Rice Krispies

Optional – chopped nuts

Coconut

Mix all these together in a heavy fry pan or Dutch over.  Stir constantly over LOW heat until the mixture leaves the pan (5 to 8 minutes).

 

Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Stir in:

3 cups Rice Krispies

If desired – chopped nuts

Mix well

Form into balls from teaspoon on wax paper that has coconut scattered on it.

Aunt Maggies Jam Thumbprint Cookies

After a failed attempt using a different recipe, this Martha Stewart recipe filled the bill for easy, delicious jam thumbprint cookies

Ingredients

• • 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 3/4 cup jam (any type)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg, and beat until completely combined. With mixer on low, add flour, and mix just until incorporated.
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons each). Place on baking sheets, at least 3 inches apart.
3. Moisten thumb with water, and gently press the center of each ball, making an indentation about 1/2 inch wide and inch deep. In microwave or on stove, heat jam until liquefied; spoon about 1/2 teaspoon into each indentation. Bake until cookies are golden brown around edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. If storing, place in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.

 

Grilled Korean Beef Short Ribs A great plan ahead dinner.

Kris' mother Jackie(is she really 80 years old?) and niece, Abby, loading the tree.

There is no doubt about it. This is a busy time of year!! We have been working hard to fit our last minute baking (and knitting –sshh, we don’t want to spoil any Christmas surprises), into the little free time that we find ourselves with. 

One of the highlights of the weekend was the much anticipated Christmas tree cutting excursion that is an important Mattson/Schumacher tradition.  Mark, Grandma and one or two grandchildren have been doing it for the past 25 years.  This year, Abby took a break from studying and Hanukkah present shopping  to supervise – of course Pepper enjoyed the outing more than anyone.

With all of this busyness, it’s hard to find time for meal planning and prep., but we were inspired by some delicious looking beef short ribs to create this recipe for Grilled Korean Beef Ribs. Prepare the marinade and let the ribs sit in the marinade in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, when dinner time rolls around, prepare a simple green salad and some mashed potatoes and you have a delicious winter dinner that the whole family will love.

Grilled Korean Beef Short Ribs

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 3/4 pineapple juice
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/4 cup garlic, minced
• 1/2 large onion, minced
• 3 pounds beef short ribs (cut 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick across  the bones)

Directions

1. Pour soy sauce, pineapple juice, and vinegar into a large, non-metallic bowl. Whisk in brown sugar, white sugar, pepper, sesame oil, garlic, and onion until the sugars have dissolved. Submerge the ribs in this marinade, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 7 to 12 hours; the longer, the better.
2. Preheat the grill on MEDIUM-HIGH for 5 minutes.
3. Remove ribs from the marinade, shake off excess, and set the marinade in a small saucepan on the side burner. Reduce the heat to MEDIUM and grill the ribs for 5 to 7 minutes per side. Meanwhile, reduce marinade by boiling for 5-10 minutes and serve as a sauce for ribs and mashed potatoes.

  

Another little bit of fun that we had this weekend was that we dropped by our friends’, Chris and Cathy Corrigans new restaurant, The Lancaster Smokehouse    They just opened this new spot  and it is sure to be a hit! We had a sample platter, piled high with pork ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork and smoked chicken wings. Along with the corn bread, we also sampled baked beans, onion rings, French fries and mac & cheese.  Nothing green on our plates!!  We did see fresh vegetables at the next table, if anyone is interested.  Great for families, dates, and generally hungry people like us who don’t want to cook on Friday night. There was a line-up, but we were able to relax at the bar with a beer and listen to the live blues music.

Smoked Lamb Shanks and Polenta with Grilled Vegetable Ragout

It’s hard to change gears from cooking for eight to cooking for two.....so with a kitchen full of food on Saturday we found ourselves looking out the window to see if any neighbour’s lights were on so we could invite them to join us!  Fortunately, after a full day of hiking in the hills and forest with Pluto we had worked up an appetite. 

It’s hunting season in Ellicottville, so we had to protect our dog with his orange super-hero cape to make him look less like a deer.

Blue Cheese Crackers with Walnuts

These savoury biscuits are delicious served simply as a nibbly, or arranged on a platter with apple or pear slices, soft cheeses, nuts and fruit chutneys or antipasto.

½ cup unsalted butter

½ cup (8oz) gorgonzola cheese

1 cup flour

½ tsp salt

5 ml black pepper, freshly ground

5 ml dry mustard

¼  tsp cayenne pepper

1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water for egg wash

¼ cup walnuts, chopped finely

1. Cream the butter and gorgonzola cheese together for 1 minute in a large bowl. Add flour, salt, pepper, dry mustard and cayenne pepper and mix on low until the dough comes together in large pieces.  Add 1 tbsp water and mix until combined.

2. Dump the dough onto a floured board and knead lightly. Divide into 2 balls and roll into logs. Brush logs with egg wash and roll in finely chopped walnuts. Wrap in plastic or waxed paper and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 375⁰F(190⁰C). Meanwhile, carefully slice logs into thin coins and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn and bake for another 8 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Smoked Lamb Shanks

4 lamb shanks

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground pepper

Red wine

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Brush the shanks with the mustard, and sprinkle with the seasoning and salt and pepper.

Prepare the smoker as outlined in Techniques.  Fill the drip pan with red wine, water and 2 sprigs of rosemary.

Keeping the temperature at 250°, smoke the lamb for about 5 hours, or until very tender.  Be sure to top up the water pan with hot water when necessary. 

Polenta with Gorgonzola

(click on the link for our recipe from April 18, 2011)

When mixing polenta, you know it is ready to turn out when a wooden spoon stands up straight.

Grilled Vegetable Ragout

2 tablespoons olive oil, or more

1 Vidalia onion, coarsely chopped

1 large clove garlic, minced

6 plum tomatoes, halved

1 each yellow and green zucchini, sliced lengthwise

1 each orange and red pepper, cut in large chunks

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 bunch fresh basil, cut into chiffonade

Preheat barbecue and set to LOW.  Meanwhile, sauté onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan until caramelized, about 30 minutes.  Add the garlic, and stir until fragrant, then remove from heat.

Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place them, cut side down, on the upper rack for 15 minutes, then turn and continue to cook until very tender, about another 15 minutes.  Let cool slightly, then slip off the skins and chop roughly.

Grill the zuchinni and peppers and let cool slightly before chopping roughly.

Add all the grilled vegetables to the sauté pan with the onions and heat through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, place a handful of basil chiffonade on the plate.  Top with the polenta and then the grilled vegetable ragout.