Tea Mail (Dec 30)

Hot Cranberry Cider

 

Ingredients 

3 quarts unsweetened apple juice or cider
1 quart cranberry juice
2 to 3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon sticks (3-1/2 inches)

Directions

1.  Combine all ingredients in a large kettle; bring to a boil.

2.  Boil for 5 minutes.

3.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

4.  Remove cloves and cinnamon stick.

5.  Serve warm.

Yield: 25-30 servings (1 gallon) 

Grandma's Christmas Cake

 

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 25 min. Bake: 45 min. + cooling
MAKES: 12 servings

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
2 cups raisins
2 cups water
1 cup butter, cubed
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and cloves
1 cup chopped pecans

BRANDY BUTTER SAUCE

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup butter, cubed
1 cup sugar
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 cup brandy

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, raisins, water and butter. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat; cool.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add raisin mixture; beat until blended. Fold in pecans.

3. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. For sauce, in a large saucepan, bring cream to a boil; stir in butter and sugar until smooth. Reduce heat; stir a small amount of hot liquid into egg yolks. Return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Cook until sauce is slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon (do not boil). Remove from the heat; stir in brandy. Serve warm with cake. Yield: 12 servings.

White Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints

 

Ingredients 

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1-1/4 cups finely chopped pecans or walnuts

FILLING 

4 squares (1 ounce each) white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Directions

1.  In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks.

2.  Combine flour and cocoa; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

3.  Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until easy to handle.

4.  In a shallow bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy.

5.  Place nuts in another shallow bowl. Shape dough into 1-in. balls.

6.  Dip in egg whites, then roll in nuts.

7.  Using a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in center of each cookie.

8.  Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets.

9.  Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes.

10.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

11.  In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate and butter at 70% power; stir until smooth.

12. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon into each cookie.

13. Top each with about 1/4 teaspoon jam.

14. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: about 3 dozen

Glazed Ham

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 5 min. Bake: 1-1/4 hour
MAKES: 16 servings

Ingredients 

1 boneless fully cooked ham (about 5 pounds)
3/4 cup honey mustard
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch allspice

Directions

Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon about 1/3 cup over ham. Bake 15 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 140° and ham is heated through. Heat remaining glaze to serve with sliced ham.

Yield: about 16 servings (1 cup sauce).

Note: As a substitute for honey mustard, combine 1/3 cup each honey and Dijon mustard.

Tea Mail (Dec 16)

With plenty of one-pot meals, dinners ready in under half an hour, and innovative flavor combinations to spice up your go-to proteins, Everyday Dinner Ideas author Addie Gundry has the answers. This third book from the RecipeLion collection is poised to become a go-to resource for singles, couples, and families. Driven by the recipes homecooks search for most on the web like lasagna, salmon, pork chops, and ground beef, this book presents 103 great everyday dinner ideas that real people are searching for daily.

In Easy Cookie Recipes Addie Gundry adds elegance to no-frills baking with delicious results. From Apple Pie Bars to Red Velvet Thumbprints, No-Bake Coconut Graham Cracker Cookie Bars, and the best chocolate chip cookies ever, 103 Easy Cookie Recipes shows you how to use expert tips and shortcuts to make over a hundred types of cookies, plus plenty of customizations to make these recipes your own. Once you have your baking basics down, you can explore fun inventive types of cookies. This book is a collection of 103 playful recipes that add to, change up, and make old recipes new and exciting, while maintaining what makes cookies classic. Each recipe is paired with a gorgeous, full-color photo.

Mulled Cranberry Cider

 

Ingredients 

1 quart apple juice
2 cups cranberry juice
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks (2 inches)

Directions

Pour juices into a large saucepan; stir in sugar. Tie spices in a cheesecloth bag; add to juice mixture (Or place loose spices in saucepan and strain before serving.) Cover and simmer for 1 hour; remove spice bag.

Yield: 15 (1/2-cup) servings

Cranberry Glogg

TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 30 min.
MAKES: 7 servings

Ingredients

4 cups cranberry juice
2 cups ruby port wine or grape juice
1 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
4 cardamom pods, crushed
6 whole cloves
Additional cinnamon sticks, optional

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the cranberry juice, wine, raisins and sugar. Place the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with string to form a bag. Add to the pan.

2. Bring just to a simmer (do not boil). Reduce heat; simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until flavors are blended. Discard spice bag. Serve warm in mugs with additional cinnamon if desired.

Yield: 7 servings.

Brilliant Christmas Sunset

TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 5 min.
MAKES: 4 servings

Ingredients

Crushed ice
4 tablespoons pomegranate juice or grenadine syrup
4 cups orange juice

Directions

1. Add ice to four glasses.

2. Pour 1 tablespoon pomegranate juice or grenadine syrup over ice in each glass.

3. Slowly add 1 cup orange juice.

4. Stir if desired.

Yield: 4 servings.

Special Fruit Cake

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 25 min. Bake: 1 hour + cooling
MAKES: 24 servings

Ingredients 

2 packages (8 ounces each) pitted dates, chopped
1 pound chopped candied pineapple
1 pound red candied cherries
1/2 pound walnut halves
1/2 pound Brazil nuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
Dash salt
4 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 300°. Grease well and flour two 8x4-in. loaf pans. In a large bowl, combine dates, pineapple, cherries and nuts. In a small bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir into fruit mixture until well coated.

2. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks until slightly thickened. In another bowl, beat egg whites and vanilla until stiff peaks form. With a spatula, stir a fourth of the egg whites into egg yolk mixture until no white streaks remain. Fold in remaining egg whites until combined. Add to fruit mixture; gently fold until blended. Pour into prepared pans.

3. Bake 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 20 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in a cool dry place. Using a serrated knife, cut into slices.

Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each).

Overnight Blueberry French Toast

 

Ingredients

French Toast

10 - 12 slices Texas Toast or thickly sliced bread, cut into 1 inch cubes, divided
2 (8 ounces) block cream cheese, cubed
2 cups fresh blueberries, divided
12 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping

1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Prepare a 19 by 13 inch baking dish with a light coating of cooking spray. Line the bottom half of the baking dish with half of the bread cubes. Layer with cream cheese cubes and blueberries. Top with remaining bread cubes; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together, eggs, milk, vanilla, syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour evenly over bread mixture making sure to coat all of the bread with egg mixture. Cover tightly with foil and in refrigerate overnight.

3. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep dish covered with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes or until center is firm to the touch.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan stir together sugar, cornstarch and water and bring to a boil; stirring constantly. Reduce heat and stir in remaining cup of blueberries and simmer for approximately 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in butter until melted and pour in mixture of baked French toast. Serve while warm.

Breakfast Enchiladas

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups milk
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chilies, undrained and divided
3/4 teaspoon salt

Enchiladas

1 pound spicy ground pork sausage
12 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped, divided
remaining chopped green chilies, drained
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
cheese sauce (recipe to follow)
8 (8 inch) flour tortilla
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
garnish with tomatoes, green onions and fresh cilantro

Directions

Cheese Sauce

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour and continuing stirring while cooking for one minute. Increase heat to medium and gradually whisk into milk, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, half of chilies and salt.

Enchiladas

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

2. Crumble sausage into a large skillet. Cook over medium high heat, stirring often until meat is no longer pink. Remove from pan. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until well combined. Whisk in green onion, cilantro, of half of tomatoes, remaining chopped green chilies, salt and pepper.

4. Return skillet to stove and melt butter over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into skillet and cook without stirring until eggs began to set on bottom. Draw a spatula across the bottom of the pan to form large curds. Continue to cook and draw spatula across bottom of the pan until the eggs are thickened and cooked through but still moist. Remove from heat and fold into 1 1/2 cups cheese sauce and sausage.

5. Spoon about 1/3 cup egg mixture down the center of a flour tortilla, roll up, and place steam-side down in prepared baking dish. Repeat for remaining tortillas. Pour remaining cheese sauce evenly over top of rolled tortillas. Sprinkle with 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese and remaining tomatoes.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve while warm.

Tea Mail (Dec 2)