Christmas Eve Dinner?!
Answers: I love to cook...having a dinner party...looking for a new and interesting dish to create and share with friends that has a little bit of Christmas tradition to it...any ideas? It can be anything from dessert to a main course...
Below are some traditional Italian dessert recipes. Enjoy.
PANFORTE DI SIENA
Siena Fruit Cake
2 tsp. powdered cinnamon
6 oz. white flour
4 peppercorns
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 pinch of nutmeg
1/2 lb. candied melon rind
wafer to line mold
1 oz. candied orange rind
4 oz. walnut kernels
1/2 lb. almonds, roasted, shelled and skinned
8 oz. sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 oz. honey
Mix 1 tsp. of cinnamon with 1 oz. of flour (a mixture known as polverino). Set aside. Pound the peppercorns, cloves, and coriander seeds, and mix the resulting powder with the remaining cinnamon and nutmeg (this mixture is locally known as droghe).
Dice the candied fruit and mince the walnuts. Mix both with the whole almonds. Sift in 5 oz. flour with the cinammon and nutmeg and mix together. Set aside. Cook the sugar with 2 tbs. water in an unlined copper pan until browned and caramelized. Knead the previously set aside mixture into the cooked sugar until you get a smooth mixture.
Butter and dust with flour a 10-in. round cake mold. Cover the bottom with thin flat wafers and pour in the mixture, (it will probably be about 3/4-in. thick) sprinkling generously with polverino. Bake at 350oF for 30-40 mins. Let set and cool in its mold. Remove from mold and panforte is ready to serve. It may be kept for 2-3 weeks.
Note:
2 tbs. of water may be substituted with the juice of 1/2 lemon; its acidity will prevent the sugar from lumping.
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Chocolate Christmas Spice Cake
(Pampepato)
Makes 2 cakes, serves 6 to 8 each
Cake:
* 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) cake flour
* 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) all-purpose unbleached flour (organic, stone-ground preferred)
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 6 tablespoons (2.5 ounces) candied citron, cut into very fine dice
* 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) candied orange rind, cut into very fine dice
* 2 small dried figs, finely minced
* 1 3/4 cups (7 ounces) whole blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
* 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons water
* 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar
* 1/4 cup (13/4 ounces) ground sweet chocolate (see Note)
* 1 cup (2 1/2 ounces) cocoa (not Dutch process)
* Generous 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* Generous pinch freshly ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Icing:
* 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
Working Ahead: Pampepato must be made at least 12 hours in advance. Ideally it should ripen 3 to 4 days. Keep tightly wrapped at room temperature. It freezes very nicely (before cloaking in chocolate).
Making the Cakes: Butter and flour a cookie sheet. Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a large shallow bowl, thoroughly mix the flours, baking powder, baking soda, candied fruits, figs, and nuts. In a small saucepan set over medium heat blend the water, sugar, ground chocolate, and cocoa to a cream-like consistency. Do not let it boil. Cool about 15 minutes and stir in the spices.
Make a well in the dry ingredients, filling it with the chocolate mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine everything, taking care not to overmix. It will be a very sticky dough. Use a rubber spatula to make two round mounds of the dough on the cookie sheet, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Each should be no more than 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Smooth the mounds.
Baking, Mellowing, and Icing: Bake the cakes 1 hour and 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center of one comes out clean. Cool to room temperature on the sheet. Then wrap the two cakes in plastic wrap and let them ripen at room temperature 12 hours to 4 days.
Lay out a sheet paper towels under a cake rack. Set the cakes upside down on a rack and spread an almost transparent film of melted chocolate over the bottom of each. Once it has hardened, flip the cakes over and spread a slightly thicker film over the rest of the cakes. When the chocolate hardens, rewrap the cakes and store them at room temperature.
Serving: Slice the Pampepato not in wedges but like bread, across the width of the loaf, into long, thin slices. Arrange on a platter. Serve with a sweet wine or with after-dinner coffee.
Cook's Notes: Ground chocolate: Sold in boxes like cocoa, ground chocolate is sweetened and contains more cocoa butter than cocoa does.
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Cuccidati
(Sicilian Fig Cookies)
Ingredients:
Dough:
4 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons butter
4 eggs
Filling:
12 oz (340 gr) dried figs, finely diced
1/2 cup (50 gr) raisins
1/2 cup (30 gr) candied orange, diced
1/2 cup (50 gr) almonds, finely chopped
3 oz (85 gr) semi-sweet chocolate, cut into small dice
1/3 cup (100 gr) apricot preserve
3 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon cloves, ground
Egg Wash:
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
Multicolored nonpareil (optional)
Directions:
Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Run the blade a few times to mix.
Add the butter to the bowl and pulse to combine.
Add the eggs, and run the blade until forming a consistent dough.
Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and wrap in a plastic foil. Place in the refrigerator.
Place the figs in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Drain thoroughly and cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the figs, raisins, candied orange, almonds, chocolate, apricot preserve, rum, cinnamon and cloves. Pulse the blade until a smooth compound is obtained.
Transfer the fig paste to a bowl.
Preheat oven to 350? F (180? C).
Prepare the egg wash by beating the eggs with a pinch of salt.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap it on a floured work surface. Add a small quantity of flour. Knead the dough to make it soft and smooth.
Cut the dough into 10 - 12 pieces. With the help of a rolling pin, flatten each piece into a rectangle approximately 3 x 15 inch (7 x 35 cm).
Brush the egg wash on the dough.
Place approximately 1/3 cup of filling in the center of the rectangle lengthwise. Take one edge of the dough and bring it over the filling to form a roll.
With the palm of your hands roll the cylinder to make it even.
Cut the roll into 4-5 pieces approximately 3 - 4 inch (8 - 10 cm) long. Set them aside. Continue forming the rolls until all the dough and the filling are used.
Using a sharp knife, cut 4 - 5 diagonal incisions on the surface of the rolls. You can also cut straight incisions on the surface of the rolls, and curve the cookies in a "U" shape, or cut the extremities and give the cookies an "X" shape.
Transfer the rolls to 3 cookie pans lined with parchment paper.
Brush the surface of the buccellati with the remaining egg wash.
Optionally sprinkle with multicolored nonpareil.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Transfer onto racks to cool.
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Buccellato Di Lucca
* 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
* 2/3 cup milk
* 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
* 2/3 cup sugar
* zest of 1/2 lemon
* salt
* 2 eggs
* 4 tablespoons butter, softened
* ? cup dry Marsala
* 1 tablespoon instant yeast
* 1 egg white
Dissolve the baking soda in 1/2 teaspoon of the milk; set aside. Place the flour on the counter, add the sugar, the lemon zest, and the salt; mix the ingredients together and then make a well in the center. Break the eggs into the center, add the softened butter and the baking soda. Continue stirring in the flour until it is all incorporated and a dough is formed; stir in the remaining milk and the Marsala. Finally, knead in the yeast. Work the dough until it is smooth and elastic; add water if needed to maintain elasticity. Form a ring with the dough and place in a ring mold; cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm spot, letting it rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled. Brush the top with the egg white and place in a preheated 350° oven for about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven when done, let cool, and remove from the mold.
Umm.... ginder bread cookies, or make brownies and make them the shape as trees with m&ms on them.
Pork Crown Roast with Stuffing
Make some shish-kabobs out of lamb meat.Lamb is a good traditional food. Add slices of onion and green peppers and you'll have a fantastic meal.
ALOT of sweets lol that's what my family thinks everyone should serve but also include some healthy but good tasting food 2!
Paula Deen did a ham with a puff pastry crust that looked really good. Go to food.com.
Easy-Bake Cheddar Biscuits
PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 12 Min
READY IN 22 Min
INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup flour
* 2 teaspoons CALUMET Baking Powder
* 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 1/4 teaspoon sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup butter, cut up
* 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
* 1/3 cup milk
* 1/2 cup PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
DIRECTIONS
1. PREHEAT oven to 450 degrees F. Mix flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, sugar and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in Cheddar cheese. Add milk; stir until mixture forms soft dough.
2. PLACE on lightly floured surface; knead eight to 10 times or until smooth. Pat out dough into 6-inch square. Cut into nine squares. Place on ungreased baking sheet.
3. BAKE 10 to 12 min. or until golden brown. Spread each split warm biscuit with 2-1/2 tsp. of the cream cheese spread.
I think most folks will have had enough sweets by Christmas Eve, so I'm opting for something you can make as a tradition for Christmas Eve's to come (which is my birthday, by the way!) Here are some thoughts:
1. Hearty soups: bean with ham and escarole, lentil with smoked hamhock, vegetable beef, potato leek.
2. Artisan breads: potato rosemary, asiago cheese and olive, french bread with goat cheese and fresh basil.
3. Salads: baby spinach or baby lettuces with goat cheese, candied walnuts, peppered bacon and a light french dressing; chopped salad with romaine, iceburg, hard cooked egg, beans, garbanzos, tomato, blue cheese and balsamic vinagrette; butter lettuce with mandarin oranges, chopped cashews, feta cheese, balsamic vinagrette.
4. Cheeses: Spanish Manchenga, Portabella Jack, Brie, Havarti, Smoked Gouda, Irish Cheddar
5. Fruits: fresh, crisp fuji apples, dates, pineapple, oranges, blueberries
6. Drinks: Hot wassail, cider, good red and white wines, cocoa and liquore for later.
Baked Potato Soup and Clam Chowder. Bowls of shredded cheese, bacon and green onions to add to the individual soups. Some different types of bread to go with it. Soups can be made ahead and put in crockpots to serve. Easy and good! You can also do a Chicken Noodle, Veggie Soup and/or Beef Stew if you want or need more variety.
This is an interesting dessert my mom use to make these when I was younger and now I make for my own xmas dinner. A conversation piece too.
CHOW MEIN NOODLE COOKIE DROPS
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. chow mein noodles
Melt chips in microwave. Mix in nuts and chow mein noodles. Spoon out, drop on waxed paper, cool.
