Delicious Christmas Desserts | Holiday Guide 2019

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North Pole Cupcakes

Course:

Dessert, Cake, Cupcakes

Cuisine:

American

Seasonal Event:

Holiday , Christmas

YIELD: 12 cupcakes

CUPCAKES:

1. Heat oven to 350˚. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside.
3. In medium bowl, beat eggs with sugar until thick, pale yellow, and slightly frothy.
4. Continue beating eggs with sugar and pour in vegetable oil, beat until combined. Add the sour cream, milk, and scraped seeds from vanilla pods, whisk to combine.
5. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in small batches, being careful not to overmix the batter.
6. Pour batter evenly into 12 cups of muffin tin (about ¼ cup batter per muffin cup).
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out cleanly. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING:

1. Beat cream cheese and butter together in stand mixer until smooth and light. Turn off stand mixer.
2. Add powdered sugar, turn mixer on low until incorporated, then beat on high for 1-2 minutes. Add vanilla bean paste and salt, and beat until combined.
3. Refrigerate until ready to use.

ASSEMBLY:

1. Using an offset spatula, pile frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Scrape around the sides and flatten the top to create a straight-edged cylinder of frosting on top of each cupcake.
2. Holding the cupcake over a bowl, sprinkle white crystal sugar onto frosting, letting excess fall into bowl.
3. Cut bottom off chocolate truffle with paring knife and core it slightly so there is space for the wafer cookie. Insert the wafer tube into the cut end of the truffle.
4. Press wafer tube cookie into the center of each cupcake, through the frosting, with the truffle-topped end sticking up.
5. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready for use.

Makes 3 6” rounds or 2 8” rounds

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and prep cake pans. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, eggnog, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg until uniform throughout. Sift in cake mix, then whisk until just combined. Don't overmix, but make sure all the dry ingredient is incorporated. 
2. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the center does not move, do not overbake. Remove from oven, let cool in pans for 2 minutes, then carefully flip out onto a wire rack to cool to almost room temperature. 

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add in butter, and whip around until it's light and fluffy. 
2. Add in vanilla, nutmeg/cinnamon, and mix until combined. Add in eggnog, then the powdered sugar about a half cup at a time, on low speed, until your desired consistency has been reached. (You may not use all the powdered sugar, but at least 4 cups. Add in heavy cream a tablespoon at a time to make it more of a thin consistency). 
3. Then let the mixer go on full speed for about 2-3 minutes to add volume and air. Turn off mixer, then mix by hand with a wooden spoon to smash out all the air bubbles.

1. On a cake turntable, add on a cardboard cake round the side of your cake taped to one size bigger (6” round taped to a 8” round, for example). 
2. Add a little bit of the buttercream in the center of the cardboard round to act as “glue” for that bottom cake layer. Place the first cake layer down, add on a layer of buttercream, then repeat step 2 again for the next buttercream layer, and then add on the top cake round.
3. Crumb coat the entire cake, then place in the freezer for 10 minutes. 
4. Add the final buttercream coat to the cake, using a cake knife and cake scraper for clean edges. Add on piped buttercream decor, fondant circles, and cinnamon sticks. 

*For the buttercream leaves, tint the eggnog buttercream three different soft shades of green. Using a leaf tip, pipe different leaves onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Freeze until firm. Then carefully place onto the cake. 

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DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°f and spray a half sheet pan with vegetable oil and then line with parchment paper.

2. Place eggs sugar and salt in a mixer bowl over simmering water, whisking constantly until mixture reaches 110 degrees.

3. Quickly move bowl to stand mixer and whip at high speed until egg mixture is lightened, fluffy and cool.

4. Sift flour, cornstarch, cocoa together into one bowl. Stir to combine and then fold dry ingredients into egg mixture carefully trying not to deflate the air. Finally, fold in the melted butter until combined.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan and, using an offset spatula, gently spread the mixture into the sides of the pan to form an even layer.

6. Place pan in preheated oven immediately and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cake is dry to the touch.

7. In the meantime, prepare a clean dish towel by sifting a thin layer of powdered sugar and cocoa onto it. Turn out the cake from the pan onto the dishtowel and very carefully remove the parchment paper from the top. Starting from the shorter end of the cake, begin rolling the cake up onto itself, bringing the dish towel with it, until the cake is completely rolled up. Allow to cool completely.

8. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a stand mixer, whip together cream, mascarpone, vanilla, spices and vanilla until thickened.

9. Once cake is cool, unroll it and use an offset spatula to spread the whipped cream all over the surface, leaving a very small border around the edges of the cake unfrosted. Gently roll the cake back up just like before (minus the towel), with the seam side facing down.

10. Take a large serrated knife and cut a small piece off from each end of the cake to create a clean looking edge. Then on one end, cut off a 2-inch slice, cutting at an angle so the larger side is 2 inches and the shorter side is 1 inch. Take this slice and place the straight side of it against the main cake to create a log effect.

11. Finally, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and salt on medium speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, melted chocolate and cinnamon and beat until just incorporated, being careful not to incorporate too much air into the frosting. Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time to achieve a spreadable consistency.

12. Use an offset spatula to frost the cake log and its side stump. Frost in large, rough swaths to achieve texture. Or if desired, use a fork to rake through the frosting for extra texture. Adorn the cake with cranberries and rosemary for a festive look.

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Yield: Makes 2 - 18x13 Sheet Trays

CAKE DIRECTIONS:

1. Sift Flour, Sugar, and Salt together in a large mixing bowl

2. In a small kettle, put margarine, water and cocoa. Bring to a boil. Pour over flour mixture. Blend with mixer paddle until blended.

3. In another bowl, mix eggs, soda, buttermilk and vanilla.

4. Add this to flour/chocolate mixture. Blend with paddle until well mixed.

5. Put ½ heaping gallon of batter into each sheet pan (18x13). Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

6. While cake is baking, mix up frosting because cake needs to be iced when it comes out of the oven.

ICING DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat margarine, milk, and cocoa in small kettle. Do not boil, but bring to that point.

2. Put powdered sugar in mixing bowl with paddle attached.

3. Add chocolate mixture to bowl. Mix until all lumps are gone. Add vanilla and nuts.

4. Immediately put icing on the cakes.

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Makes Four 4-inch Tarts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place a rack in the lowest position of the oven and preheat the oven to 375˚f. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Roll out the Linzer dough into a 9-inch square, ¼ inch thick. Cut into four 4-inch round disks with a cookie cutter and place on the baking sheet.

3. Bake the disks for 12 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet from front to back and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly or completely. (the disks can be baked up to 2 days ahead.)

4. To assemble the tarts, spread each tart crust with a layer of banana schmutz or apple compote. Place a banana on a cutting board so that it is smiling at you. Cut thin slices on the bias. Fan the banana over the schmutz or compote like the petals of a flower, overlapping the slices. Repeat with the remaining bananas and tarts.

5. Place a rack over a 12-x-17-inch half sheet pan and place 2 tarts on the rack. Sprinkle each tart with a heaping teaspoon of sugar, making sure to dust the bananas evenly. Using a propane or butane kitchen torch, following the manufacturer’s directions, set on a medium flame and holding it 1 inch from the bananas, begin the caramelize the sugar, moving the torch in a circular motion. When the sugar has melted, add another teaspoon of sugar and lightly caramelize with the torch. Repeat with the other 2 tarts. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

6. Place a scoop of ice cream in the middle of each tart, sprinkle with croquante, and serve immediately. Top with spun sugar if desired.

SPUN SUGAR DIRECTIONS:

Makes Enough for 30 to 40 Nests

1. Wash and dry your hands thoroughly. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and corn syrup. Stir them together with very clean fingers, making sure no lumps of dry sugar remain. Brush down the inside of the pan with a little water, using your fingers to feel for stray granules of sugar.

2. Cover the saucepan and place it over medium heat for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, remove the lid, increase heat, and bring to a boil. Do not stir from this point on. Keep an eye on the pan. It will be very bubbly. When stray sugar crystals appear on the sides of the pan, brush them down with a wet pastry brush.

3. As the sugar cooks, the bubbles will get larger and the sugar will turn golden brown. Insert a candy thermometer. When the temperature reaches 300˚f, lower the heat to medium, which will slow the cooking. Continue to cook until it reaches 320˚f, about 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the caramel to cool for about 8 minutes, until it drops to 300˚f. It should be thick but still liquid, like honey.

4. Cover your work surface and floor with tablecloths or parchment paper. Place three saucepans on the edge of the work surface with the handles facing out. Now you are ready to spin.

5. Scoop up a forkful of the caramel and let it fall back into the pot. It should flow in a smooth, steady stream. If the sugar drips as it falls. It is still too hot. If it’s thick and unwieldy, reheat until it is the consistency of honey. Dip your fork into the warm caramel and pull it out, hold it above the saucepan handles, and begin to move the fork back and forth, fanning it over the handles and waving the strands carefully back and forth. After two or three forkfuls, stop and gather up the spun sugar with your hands, then repeat again. If the caramel becomes too cool, reheat it over medium heat for 5 minutes, without stirring. Do not let the temperature exceed 310˚.

6. Wrap the spun sugar around a cake, fashion it into a nest, or loosely gather it into balls. Or store in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment paper, with a small cheesecloth sachet of moisture-absorbent silica gel or limestone. Spun sugar can be stored for only a few hours, less if the environment is humid.

BANANA SCHMUTZ DIRECTIONS:

Makes 2 Cups

1. In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat until the milk solids separate, sink to the bottom, and begin to brown and the butter is a dark golden color, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar and brown sugar and stir until dissolved.

2. Add the bananas and sauté, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, until soft-ened and caramelized. Remove from the heat and carefully add the rum and salt. Stir to combine, place the pan back over low heat, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more, or until most of the liquid is gone. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

3. Immediately, working in 2 batches, puree the bananas in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Be very careful, as the mixture will be extremely hot. Use at once, or allow to cool, then transfer to an airtight container. (the schmutz can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)

THE LINZER DOUGH DIRECTIONS:

Makes Two 10-inch Tart Shells or 36 Linzer Cookies

1. Sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt. Stir in the ground hazelnuts and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until lemony yellow, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and five-spice powder and continue creaming the mixture on medium speed until it is smooth and lump-free, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.

3. Add the honey, egg, and orange zest and beat on low speed for 15 seconds, or until they are fully incorporated. Do not overbeat. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle. On low speed, add the flour and hazelnut mixture. Beat slowly until the dough comes together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix for 15 seconds, until an even-textured dough is formed.

4. Remove the dough from the bowl. Divide into 2 equal pieces. Wwrap in plastic wrap, pressing the dough into a square, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (the dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

5. See directions for pate sucree to roll out and prebake.

THE CROQUANTE DIRECTIONS:

Makes 1 ½ Cups

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Coat the parchment with a very thin film of butter or pan spray.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and corn syrup and stir to dissolve the sugar. Dip your clean fingers in water, then wipe down the sides of the pan to make sure there are no stray sugar crystals. Place over high heat and boil until the mixture turns amber brown and the temperature reaches 325˚f on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and wait until the bubbles have dispersed, then stir in the warm toasted almonds. Immediately pour the croquante out onto the lined baking sheet. Using an oiled metal offset spatula or an oiled rolling pin, flatter the croquante to ¼ inch thick. If it hardens and is too thick, reliquefy by placing it in a 350˚f oven for 1 to 2 minutes. The heat will cause the croquante to melt and spread.

4. Quickly, while the croquante is still hot and pliable, score it into 2-inch squares with an oiled chef’s knife. When the croquante cools, the square will snap apart easily. (the croquante can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container).

Note: to pulverize croquante, break apart the squares and place, a few at a time, in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse gently until pulverized.

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DIRECTIONS:

For the Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside. 

2. In a medium bowl, combined the cake flour, baking powder, salt and all of the seasonings. Whisk to combine the ingredients evenly. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for another minute.

4. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time. Make sure to mix well between each addition. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.

5. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the sugar mixture. Stir for about 20 seconds and then add 1/2 of the buttermilk. Repeat the additions with another 1/3 of the flour mixture, the second half of the buttermilk and then the final 1/3 of the flour mixture. It's important to alternate adding these ingredients so they mix evenly, which will help your cake to rise more evenly. Only mix until the ingredients are incorporated. Over mixing your batter will cause it to be dense and/or sink in the oven.

6. Pour about 16 ounces of batter into each of the three 6-inch cake pans. Bake the cake layers on the middle rack in your oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Watch this cake closely at the end. Over baking your cakes will cause them to taste dry. When you insert a toothpick in the center of this cake, it should come out with a few moist crumbs on it. 

7. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, before inverting them onto cooling racks to cool completely. Once cooled completely, you can level the cakes and then wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them until you're ready to stack and decorate the cake.

For the Buttercream

1. Heat your cream in a microwave safe bowl for about 1 minute. Pour the cream over the white chocolate chips and stir until all of the chips are melted. Set aside.

2. In the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed for a couple minutes on its own. The butter will get lighter in color and texture.

3. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar until combined. Add the vanilla and salt.

4. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add the cream and white chocolate mixture. Once added, turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for about 3 minutes. The frosting should be silky smooth.

Assembly

1. Place your first cake layer, top side up, on a cake board or cake plate. Cover the cake layer with about 3/4 cup buttercream and spread evenly, making sure to get eye level with the cake to ensure it's even. 

2. Place your raspberries on the buttercream and press into place with your fingers.

3. Follow the above steps for the second cake layer, buttercream and raspberries.

4. Place the final cake layer, top side down, on the raspberries and buttercream. Apply a thin coat of frosting around the entire cake to lock in the crumbs. Freeze your cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set the crumb coat and lock in your crumbs.

5. After the crumb coat is set, use the remaining frosting to decorate your cake. Garnish with the remaining fresh raspberries and serve the cake at room temperature.

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COCONUT SNOW BALLS

You can use your favorite coconut cake recipe or this simple recipe, the goal is to create a thin cake layer that you will cut out small rounds for your mousse to sit upon.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Combine all ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix at low speed for 2 minutes. Making sure all ingredients are mixed thoroughly together.

3. Pour into a 1/2 sheet jelly roll pan that has been prepared with parchment paper and sprayed with pan spray.

4. Bake for 18 minutes or until completely baked and golden on top. Remove from oven and let cool completely then cut out circles that match the size of your scoop, these cake discs will act as a support/ base for the coconut mousse.

COCONUT MOCK MOUSSE:

DIRECTIONS:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer add heavy cream and coconut pudding mix

2. Using a whisk attachment, whip on low for about one minute or until it is incorporated,

3. Turn on to medium high speed until well whipped.

4. Piped directly onto coconut cake bases or place into fridge to set up and then scoop onto cake bases with an ice cream/cookie scoop.

ASSEMBLY:

Prep your unsweetened shredded coconut, place 16 oz into bowl, set aside until ready to use

1. Place a small amount of raspberry preserve onto the center of each coconut cake base.

2. Scoop or pipe your coconut mock mousse on to the coconut cake base, making sure to cover up the raspberry preserve.

3. Using a small offset spatula or small knife, make sure to bring the mouse down the edge of the cake base so that the shredded coconut has something to stick to.

4. Scoop the unsweetened shredded coconut with your clean or gloved hand and cover the coconut mock mousse.

5. Form the rounded top coconut snowball.

Decorate with edible glitter, “Diamond Dust”, you can go the extra step and decorate with pre-made sugar decoration, available at the local crafts store or bakery shop.

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Print Recipe

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Course:

Dessert, Snack

Cuisine:

American

Seasonal Event:

Fall

Yield:

2 Loaves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 2 loaf pans with non-stick baking spray.
2. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a mixer combine the pumpkin, oil, eggs, water and spices on medium speed. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low until everything is just combined. Lastly, add the chocolate chips and fold in with a spatula.
4. Transfer batter to 2 sprayed loaf pans. Top with extra chocolate chips if desired and bake for about 55-60 minutes, until a knife is inserted in the middle and comes out clean. Remove the loaf pans from the oven and let the chocolate chip pumpkin bread cool for at least 30 minutes before removing and slicing.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease a 9x13-inch metal baking pan and line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper.

2. Make the pecan blondies: in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes at room temperature.

4. Whisk the eggs and vanilla into the butter mixture.

5. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the butter mixture. Stir just until no dry streaks of flour remain (do not overmix).

6. Fold in the ground pecans.

7. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Cover the top with the pecans.

8. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes.

9. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature.

10. Make the maple glaze: in a bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and powdered sugar until smooth.

11. Cut the blondies into 36 squares and drizzle with glaze.

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DIRECTIONS FOR DOUGH:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir together milk, warm water, yeast, and maple sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

2. To the yeast mixture, add the butter, salt, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix on low-speed until the ingredients begin to come together.

3. Still on low-speed, add 1 cup of the remaining flour and mix for 1 minute more.

4. Add the remaining 1 cup flour. Mix on low-speed until the final addition of flour is fully incorporated into the dough. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (It should make a slapping sound against the sides of the bowl.)

5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover it with a dish towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.

6. While dough rises, prepare the filling and egg wash. In one small bowl, combine ½ cup of maple sugar with the cardamom. In another small bowl, melt butter. In a third small bowl, whisk the egg.

7. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

DIRECTIONS FOR SHAPE:

1. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Divide dough into three even pieces.

2. Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll out into a 12-inch circle (no need to be super precise - it's okay if it looks messy!). Transfer dough circle to prepared sheet pan. Brush with melted butter. Top with half of the cardamom-maple sugar mixture.

3. Roll out a second circle the same size as the first. Place it on top of the filling-covered circle. Repeat the process by adding butter and then the remaining half of the cardamom-maple sugar. Top with the final dough circle.

4. Place a 3-inch small bowl or round biscuit cutter in the center of the dough.

5. Use a knife to cut 16 strips from the center bowl to the outside of the dough, slicing through all of the layers.

6. Using both hands, take two adjacent strips and twist them outwards, revealing the layers inside. Pinch the ends of the strips together and tuck them under slightly. Repeat with all remaining dough strips to form 8 spokes on the star.

7. Remove the bowl from the center of the dough. Allow dough to rise for 20 minutes.

8. Heat oven to 400˚F.

9. Just before baking, brush bread with whisked egg.

10. Bake until light golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes.

DIRECTIONS FOR GLAZE (OPTIONAL):

1. Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and 1 Tbsp maple syrup. Add more syrup a bit at a time until glaze is smooth and pours easily. Drizzle over bread.

2. Serve immediately.

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Wrap each kabocha squash half tightly in aluminum foil and bake until you can easily stick a fork into the squash, about 40 minutes. Unwrap the kabocha squash and let it cool completely. Scrape the orange flesh from the squash and discard the peel. Leave the oven on.

2. Remove the pie dough from fridge and remove the plastic wrap. If your dough has been chilled overnight, it will need to sit at room temperature for a bit before rolling—this will take 10 to 15 minutes. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the pie dough out to a 13-inch round that is 8 inches thick. Transfer to a 91⁄2-inch pie dish and use your fingertips to relax the dough into the shape of the pie dish, leaving a 2-inch overhang around the edge of the dish. Fold the extra dough under itself. Use your thumb and forefinger to crimp the edge of the dough, pressing the dough into the pie dish and making sure the dough extends to the outer edge of the dish. This anchors the crust inside the dish, which results in a proud crown of crust after baking. Freeze the crimped crust for about 20 minutes, until the dough is very cold.

3. Line the crust with heavy-duty foil, leaving an 11⁄2-inch overhang. Trace your fingertips over the foil overhang and gently press it into the crimp. Fill the foil-lined crust with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and lift out the foil and pie weights. Cool the crust completely.

4. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

5. Put the maple syrup into a medium saucepan and bring it to a rolling boil over medium heat. Cook the maple syrup until a candy thermometer registers 235°F, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the heavy cream and salt. Place the pan back on the stove over medium heat and bring it to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes.

6. Combine the kabocha squash, eggs, cinnamon, and nutmeg in the carafe of a blender. Blend on high until very smooth. Reduce speed to low and slowly stream in the maple caramel. Blend until combined.

7. Pour the filling into prepared crust and bake the pie until the center of the custard wobbles a bit when the pie is gently jiggled, about 40 minutes. Cool the pie on a wire rack for 1 hour before serving. Serve the pie dolloped with whipped cream if you desire. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 week.

FLAKY BUTTER CRUST

Makes two 9½-inch single crusts or 1 double crust with some dough left over for lattice work or other decoration.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a measuring cup, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, and salt with ¾ cup (107ml) of hot water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Chill the liquid in the freezer until it is very cold (this should take about 20 minutes) and leave it in the fridge until you are ready to start the rest of the dough.

2. Combine the flour and half of the butter in a large mixing bowl. Pinch and smear the butter between your fingers. Processing the butter like this creates small leaves of butter that layer in the dough, resulting in flakes later. Once all the butter chunks have been pinched, grab small handfuls of flour and butter and rub the two together between the palms of your hands until mixture resembles uneven pebbles on a sandy beach.

3. Dump the crumbly mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface. Scatter the remaining half of the cold butter over the dough. Use the palm of your hand to smear the butter as if you were sliding a secret message across a table. Use a bench scraper to gather the shaggy dough and repeat the smearing process until you have a pile of striated rubble. The larger pieces of butter will create a marbled dough and will melt during baking, causing the water in the butter to evaporate (this will result in flaky pastry pockets).

4. Gather the buttery mixture up in a mound and form a well in the center. Remove the cold liquid from the fridge and pour half of it into the well. Using your fingertips, slowly bring the flour and butter into the center and combine it with the liquid, until the liquid has been incorporated. Gather the moistened dough into a pile.

5. Slowly pour the remaining liquid onto the shaggy mess. Lift the dough from the bottom and squeeze just until it comes together into one mass. Divide the ball in half and shape each half into a disc. Wrap each in plastic and chill for 2 hours before using.

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Serves 12 to 15

These days, when people hear about this cake, they’re familiar with the cake mix version involving all manner of instant puddings and what not, found on so many websites. I’ve always found that version cloying and more gloppy than gooey, and not really my style. Turns out, this popular version of “Gooey Butter Cake” is just a shadow of what this midwestern classic was truly meant to be. Then again, gooey butter cake was never really meant to be at all. It was a happy accident when a baker in st. Louis, intending to make one of his bakery’s traditional german yeasted coffeecakes, made a ratio-swapping mistake and way too much butter was added to the coffeecake topping. That mistake proved profitable, and people in st. Louis and beyond have loved the concept ever since. When you make it from scratch, it becomes more balanced in flavor and texture, and even more lovable. Some folks serve it as a coffeecake, some as a special occasion cake. I’ll eat it whenever, especially with a few modern ingredient tweaks to improve levels of sweetness, richness, and crave-worthy chew.

PREPARE THE DOUGH: Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 325°f.  Spray a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

After the dough has finished its first rise, flour your hands and pat the dough into an even layer into the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise a second time for 20 minutes.

MEANWHILE, PREPARE THE TOPPING: in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated and brown sugars, vanilla, and salt, and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the corn syrup and egg and beat until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually stir in the flour. Fold the batter by hand a few times with a large flexible spatula until well blended.

When the dough has finished its second rise, dollop the topping over the dough. Use a small offset spatula to spread it evenly.

Bake until puffed and golden, but still quite loose in the center, about 40 minutes (it will appear almost liquid under the surface in spots, but will quickly set upon cooling. Have a peek at the bottom of the cake through the glass dish; if it’s deeply golden, you’re in good shape). Let cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before slicing and serving.

BUTTERY, YEAST-RAISED COFFEECAKE DOUGH:

Makes enough for one 9 x 13-inch cake, or two 8-inch rounds

This dough is an awesome building bloc recipe for so many bakery classics. Although many yeast doughs can be made unplugged, with just a wooden spoon and your hands, this recipe calls specifically for an electric stand mixer and a paddle attachment. The reason is that the precise amount of flour in this recipe is the key to its light, cakelike texture, and the dough itself is meant to be very loose. To knead it by hand, you’d need to way too much flour on your work surface to make it workable, making for a dry finished product. Using a mixer ensures a soft, pillowy, buttery dough.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the yeast and milk. Set aside for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the flour and salt. Fit the bowl onto the mixer along with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until shiny. It will be a very loose dough-batter hybrid. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl well about halfway through the mixing time.

Spray a medium bowl with nonstick cooking spray or oil it lightly. Scrape the dough into the bowl and dust the surface of the dough with a couple of teaspoons of flour. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Use as directed in the recipes that call for this dough.

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Serves 12

1. Bring cider to boil in 12-inch skillet over high heat; cook until reduced to 1 cup, 20 to 25 minutes. While cider is reducing, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with baking spray with flour. Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice in large bowl until combined. Place confectioners' sugar in small bowl.
2. Add 2 tablespoons cider reduction to confectioners' sugar and whisk to form smooth icing. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Set aside 6 tablespoons cider reduction.
3. Pour remaining ½ cup cider reduction into large bowl; add melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Pour cider mixture over flour mixture and stir with rubber spatula until almost fully combined (some streaks of flour will remain). Stir in apples and any accumulated juice until evenly distributed. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
4. Transfer pan to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Brush exposed surface of cake lightly with 1 tablespoon reserved cider reduction. Let cake cool for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack, remove pan, and brush top and sides of cake with remaining 5 tablespoons reserved cider reduction. Let cake cool for 20 minutes. Stir icing to loosen, then drizzle evenly over cake. Let cake cool completely, at least 2 hours, before serving. (Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

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Makes 1 2 1⁄2 Pound Loaf

SERVING SIZE: 1 2 1⁄2 Pound Loaf

PREPARATION:

STEP 1

In a the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, egg and butter . Add the dry ingredients and yeast and mix with the dough hook for 1-2 minutes until fully hydrated. Scrape the sides of the bowl down and continue mixing on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl but still be slightly sticky. Using a bowl scraper, round the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic and a towel and set in a warm place to double in size. This should take about 1 hour.

STEP 2

While your dough is rising, make the cream cheese filling. Put the cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg yolk and vanilla in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Put in the fridge until ready to use.

STEP 3

Once the dough has risen to double its size, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently flatten and de-gas the dough with your hands, pushing it into a rectangular shape about 1/2 “ thick and about 1” short of the length your loaf pan. Spread the apple butter on the entire rectangle of dough, leaving just the top 1⁄2” bare. Top the apple butter with your cream cheese filling, still leaving the top 1⁄2” bare. Very carefully roll the rectangle up like a jelly roll, trying not to let the filling squeeze out. When you get to the end, gently stretch the last half inch up and pinch it into the dough log to create a tightly sealed jelly roll log of dough. Tuck the ends in a little bit to seal them and gently transfer the loaf, seam down, into a greased loaf pan. Cover loosely with plastic and a towel and set aside in a warm spot to proof, about 1 hour. The loaf should almost double in size, coming up over the top of the loaf pan by a couple inches.

STEP 4

Preheat the oven to 350f. When the loaf is fully proofed, gently egg wash the entire top and use scissors to cut a pattern of “v”s into the top of the loaf. Sprinkle to top liberally with cinnamon sugar and put in the preheated oven. Bake until the internal temperature reads 200 with an instant-read thermometer and the top of the loaf is deep brown.

STEP 5

Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes, and while it is still pretty hot gently remove it from the pan (you want to do this while the loaf is hot so that the sugars in the apple butter are still warm and pliable. Wait too long and you might have hard caramelized apple butter sticking your loaf to the inside of the pan.). Drizzle with icing while still warm, or if you want more coverage, brush the icing on with a pastry brush. (to make the icing, whisk together the ingredients until smooth.)

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

Course:

Breakfast, Dessert

Seasonal Event:

Fall

1. Heat oven to 400˚
2. Cut top off pumpkin and scoop out flesh and seeds
3. Cut pumpkin in half from top to bottom
4. Rub cut side of pumpkin with grapeseed oil
5. Place pumpkin on baking sheet, cut-side-down, and roast for 30-45 minutes, or until fork tender
6. Allow pumpkin to cool, then scoop flesh out of shell and add to food processor or blender
7. Blend or pulse until puree is smooth
8. Chill and refrigerate until needed for recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray 10 x 15 x 1- inch jelly roll pan with non-stick spray, then line with parchment paper and spray the paper, set aside.
2. To make pumpkin bars first whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices, set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl beat 4 eggs and sugar. Add oil, pumpkin and vanilla and mix to combine.
4. Mix in dry ingredients and pour in prepared pan, then smooth the top.
5. Mix softened cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs and mix just to combine. Transfer the mixture in piping bag or zip-lock bag and cut off the corner. Draw the lines of cream cheese mixture diagonally on top of pumpkin pie mixture.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes, until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool completely before serving.

DIRECTIONS

1. Use a large flat rectangle cake dish to put the candy in.  I use butter to grease the pan so the candy comes out of the pan easier.

2. Grind the almonds and the hershey bar into small pieces.  You can chop them with a knife.  mix the two together in a bowl.  Sprinkle half of the mixture on the bottom of the cake dish.  I have used my small food processor to grind the hershey and almonds also.

3. Combine the sugar and butter in a large pot and cook, stirring constantly, to 300 degrees.  It is nearly ready to burn at that temp.  Don’t overcook.  It will be a rolling boil for about 5 to 8 minutes.

4. Pour the sugar/butter mixture gently over the top of the almond/hershey mix.

5. Quickly sprinkle the remainder of the almond/hershey mix on top the sugar/butter. It will all melt together.

6. Cool in the fridge until hard/cut with a sharp knife.  Put the knife point down into the almond roca and tap lightly to break into chunks. 

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Chocolate Bread Pudding

Seasonal Event:

Christmas, Valentine's Day

MAKE THE BREAD PUDDING CUSTARD:

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut bread into cubes and allow to sit out for 30–45 minutes to dry out slightly (or place in oven at 250 degrees for approximately 15 minutes).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, sugars, cocoa, vanilla, and instant coffee.

3. Place bread cubes in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, sprinkling chocolate chips throughout.

4. Pour the custard mixture over the bread cubes and chocolate chips. Allow custard to soak into the bread cubes for at least 30 minutes before baking. This ensures that all of the cubes are moistened with the custard. When nearly ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. Bake bread pudding in preheated oven for 35–45 minutes, until a knife comes out clean.

MAKE THE IRISH WHISKEY CARAMEL CREAM:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and then stir in brown sugar. Once combined, slowly add the Irish crème and whiskey. Combine well.

2. Keep to a steady boil for 10–15 minutes to allow the alcohol and the liquid to reduce.

3. Stir in heavy whipping cream.

ASSEMBLE THE DESSERT:

1. When bread pudding comes out of oven, immediately pour hot cream caramel sauce over pudding so it can absorb sauce.

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Mexican Hot Chocolate Bavarian Pie

Course:

Dessert

Seasonal Event:

Christmas, Valentine's Day

Makes one 9-in [23-cm] deep-dish pie

NOTE: Piled high with billowy whipped cream or toasted meringue, nothing says 1950s diner dessert quite like chocolate pie. But even 50 years earlier, at the turn of the 20th century, Chocolate Bavarian Cream, essentially chocolate pie filling with the addition of gelatin, was very popular. Here, I have modified a recipe from Knox Gelatin Dessert, Salads, Candies and Frozen Dishes (1936), adding Mexican hot chocolate spices to the filling and topping it with an ancho chili powder-and-black pepper toasted meringue. Marrying spicy and sweet flavors is a decidedly modern trend, and this pie is a perfect example of how well they pair.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C]. Grease a 9-in [23-cm] deep-dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray or softened butter.
2. For the crust: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the wafers, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until combined. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined. Scrape down the bowl of the processor as needed.
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pie plate and, using your hands, press the mixture into the bottom of the plate and up the sides, creating a uniformly thick crust. Place the pie plate in the freezer for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days, covered in plastic wrap.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating at the halfway point, until the crust is lightly browned, fragrant and dry to the touch. Let cool completely.
5. For the filling: Place the chocolate in a large bowl. Pour the milk into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let it bloom until the gelatin has been absorbed.
6. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the heavy cream, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Once bubbles form on the surface, remove from the heat, and add the bloomed gelatin and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate melts. Whisk in the vanilla and pour the filling into the cooled pie shell until it is about 1/2 in [12 mm] below the edge of the crust. If you have extra filling, transfer it to a small bowl and refrigerate along with the pie—it is delicious on its own. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the filling to stop a skin from forming, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until set, or overnight.
7. For the meringue: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment add the whites, salt, vanilla, cream of tartar, black pepper, and chili powder and whisk together on medium speed until frothy. Add the sugar in a slow and steady stream and continue to whisk on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, at least 5 to 7 minutes.
8. If you do not have a kitchen torch, preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C].
9. Spoon the meringue over the chilled pie, making sure the meringue touches the crust’s edges.
10. Use the back of a spoon to make gentle swirls all over the top. Using a kitchen torch, toast the meringue topping. If you do not have a kitchen torch, toast the meringue in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, lightly covered in plastic wrap, and serve.
11. The pie is best served the day it is made, but will keep in the refrigerator, lightly covered in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.

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DIRECTIONS:

1. Stir together sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a heavy, 2-quart saucepan; attach a candy thermometer to side of pan. Place pan over medium-high, and cook, gently stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Once sugar syrup is clear and thickened, cook, undisturbed, until thermometer reaches 255°F (hard-ball stage), about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Place egg whites in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to high, and beat until egg whites are thick and stiff and able to hold a soft peak.

3. With mixer running on low speed, carefully pour hot syrup down side of bowl into beaten egg whites, pouring slowly and steadily. Use only the syrup that pours easily out of pan into bowl (no need to scrape pan). (Expect steam and the aroma of egg whites cooking in the syrup’s heat.)

4. Increase speed to high, and continue beating until syrup is well incorporated into egg whites. Stop just long enough to scrape down sides of bowl, and add vanilla. Continue beating on high speed until the mixture begins to lose its gloss and shine and is thick enough to hold its shape rather than pool into a puddle, 6 to 10 minutes.

5. Add 1⁄2 cup chopped peppermint candy, and beat on medium speed just until evenly combined. Remove bowl from mixer, and use 2 spoons to quickly scoop out small balls of candy (about 1 tablespoon each), placing them on prepared baking sheets; don’t allow candies to touch.

6. Garnish candies quickly with remaining 1⁄4 cup chopped peppermint. Let divinity cool, undisturbed, until set with a matte finish, 1 to 2 hours.

7. Carefully transfer candies to an airtight container or candy tin, placing parchment paper or wax paper between layers and handling candies gently.

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DIRECTIONS:

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat butter with a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed until light and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. With mixer on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar, and beat until mixture forms a stiff, crumbly dough, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add evaporated milk, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt. (If using peppermint oil, start with 6 drops, and taste the dough to see if a stronger peppermint flavor is desired before adding more oil.) Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth and soft and has the consistency of modeling clay, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Remove dough from mixer bowl, and shape into a smooth ball. Cut ball in half; wrap 1 dough ball half in plastic wrap, and set aside. To color the remaining dough ball half, use a wooden pick to deposit a little of the red food coloring gel onto dough; massage in with your fingers until evenly blended. Keep adding food coloring gel, a little at a time, until it reaches the desired shade of red.

3. Divide red dough portion and reserved white dough portion into 4 equal portions each to make 8 equal portions (4 red and 4 white). On a flat work surface sprinkled with some powdered sugar, gently knead together 2 red portions of dough with 2 white portions of dough until the mixture looks marbled. (Do not overmix.) Roll into a long, smooth, 1⁄2-inch-thick log with visible swirls of both red and white color showing. Using a sharp knife, cut log into 60 (1⁄2-inch-thick) pieces. Repeat process with remaining 2 red dough portions and 2 white dough portions. Transfer buttermints to prepared baking sheet.

4. Let buttermints dry at room temperature, uncovered, 24 hours. (They’ll develop a crisp outer shell with a sweet, creamy, minty middle.) At this point, buttermints can be bagged up for giving as gifts, spooned into a candy dish, or stored in an airtight container or ziplock plastic bag for up to 2 weeks.

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DIRECTIONS:

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. (If using paper baking cups, place 16 cups on baking sheet or on a tray.)

2. Stir together sugars, buttermilk, cream, corn syrup, and salt in a heavy, 2-quart saucepan; attach a candy thermometer to side of pan. Place pan over low; cook, stirring constantly, until sugars are melted and mixture is smooth, 5 to 8 minutes.

3. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring mixture to a boil. Boil gently until the thermometer reaches 230˚F to 235˚F (soft-ball stage), 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool to 220°F, 6 to 8 minutes.

4. Using a wooden spoon, vigorously stir in butter and vanilla, stirring until mixture turns creamy and opaque. Stir in pecans and bourbon, and quickly spoon out 1⁄4-cup portions onto prepared baking sheets or into paper baking cups.

5. Let pralines stand until completely cool, about 1 hour. Serve immediately, or wrap each praline individually in wax paper or plastic wrap, and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Coarsely break walnuts into a bowl. Carefully lift out the nuts leaving behind any skins that have broken off.

2. Place 2/3 of the dark or milk chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl with 1 tablespoon shortening. Microwave on 50% power stirring every 30 seconds. When the chips are mostly melted, slowly add the remaining dark chocolate chips, stirring vigorously. If chips aren’t fully melting, place back in the microwave for 5 seconds intervals. Stir again to help cool chocolate quickly.

3. Repeat melting steps with white chocolate chips and remaining shortening.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper use a spatula to make 1/4-inch thick layer. Option to make marbled bark by dropping spoonfuls of dark and white chocolate alternately onto baking sheet.

5. Sprinkle with walnuts, pomegranate arils and sea salt and lightly press into the surface. Refrigerate until firm.

6. Carefully break into pieces and store between pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Store in the refrigerator.

TIPS

1. Make sure to melt chocolate slowly at a lower power, stirring frequently. Melting too fast may cause the chocolate to discolor.

2. Melting 2/3 of the chocolate, then add the remaining chips will give you the best bark texture. Stirring well to cool the melted chocolate will also help give the bark the best texture.

3. Don’t overmix when swirling or you’ll lose the pretty marbled look. Swirl back and forth, or swirl in circles to get the look you prefer.

4. Don’t spread too thin or the toppings may fall off.

5. Store and serve from the refrigerator or the bark may become soft.

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Holiday Tiramisu

Course:

Dessert

Cuisine:

Italian

Seasonal Event:

Christmas

Yield:

1 9 x 13 Inch Pan

Time:

Active Time: 20 Minutes Inactive Time: 6-24 Hours

Best made a day in advance.

1. Prepare the coffee soak in a wide and shallow bowl. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, cream the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
3. Slowly stream the whipping cream into the mixture.
4. Add the bourbon, vanilla, cinnamon & salt. Beat on medium speed until the whipping cream begins to thicken leaving you with medium peaks. Do not overmix. Set aside.
5. Prepare your station. The coffee soak, a plate of cookies. The cream, the warm fudge and a 9 by 13 pan.
6. Dunk the lady fingers into the coffee and count to 2, flip, and count to 1. Lay the soaked cookie quickly into the bottom of the 9 by 13 pan. Cover the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/2 of the cream over top of the soaked cookies. Drizzle 1/2 fudge over the top of the cream and add a light dusting of cocoa.
7. Repeat this process once again and finish the dish with a dusting of cocoa powder. Refrigerate for 6 hours. Overnight is my fav. Enjoy!

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PREP: 30 min. + | RISING BAKE: 25 min. | YIELD: 3 loaves (12 slices each)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in warm water; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the milk, butter, salt, cardamom, eggs, egg yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in the raisins, citron, cherries and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/4 hours.

3. Punch down; divide into thirds. Roll each piece on a floured surface into a 10x6-in. Oval. Brush with melted butter. Fold 1 long side over to within 1 in. Of the opposite side. Press edges to seal. Place on greased baking sheets. Brush with melted butter. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

4. Bake at 375° until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. For icing, combine confectioners' sugar and milk; spread over cooled bread. Decorate with almonds and fruit.

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MAKES 6 SERVINGS

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)
2. On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to about ¼ inch thick. With a knife, cut out a 10-inch circle of pastry. Transfer the pastry to a cookie sheet, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
3. Place a 10-inch skillet over medium heat and add the butter and brown sugar. Cook, stirring until the sugar has melted. Place the bananas around the skillet, cut side down. Pack them in tight for the prettiest presentation. Let the bananas cook, undisturbed, for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Top the bananas with the circle of puff pastry. With a knife, pierce some holes in the pastry to allow steam to escape.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown, and the filling is bubbling. Transfer the skillet to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
6. While the tarte tatin is still warm (don’t let it cool too much, or the caramel will set in and it will be difficult to turn out), carefully cover the top of the skillet with a serving platter. Holding them together, invert the pan and the platter to turn your tarte tatin out onto the platter.
7. Serve warm, with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Store leftovers in the fridge, covered up for 1 day.

FOOLPROOF PUFF PASTRY DIRECTIONS:

1. In a measuring cup, mix together the water and lemon juice; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt.
3. On the large holes of a box grater, grate the frozen butter directly into the flour. Mix the butter through the flour until combined.
4. Add the liquid, using your hand to bring the dough together until it forms a ball (you may not need all the liquid—hold some back just in case you don’t need it all).  If the dough is too wet, it will not be flaky.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 4 weeks.

NOTE: Frozen butter is the secret ingredient here. The colder the butter, the flakier the pastry.

LUMP OF COAL TREATS DIRECTIONS:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat

2. Add marshmallows and stir until almost completely melted

3. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and salt

4. Stir in the rice cereal and mix until well coated.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

6. While the mixture is still warm, scoop out a small handful and create an irregular shape to make it look like coal

7. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler

8. Once melted, dip each of the rice cereal rounds into the chocolate and use a fork to roll around until completely coated and place it back onto the parchment paper to cool

9. Repeat with all of the little mounds of cereal

10. Place the chocolate cookies in a food processor and process until they are finely ground

11. Place the crumbs into a separate bowl and roll the cooled chocolate covered cereal into the Oreo mixture

12. To create a darker and more “powder-y” look, add a couple tablespoons of dark Dutch-processed cocoa powder

13. Place on a clean sheet of parchment paper and repeat with the rest

PRESENT TREATS DIRECTIONS:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat

2. Add marshmallows and stir until almost completely melted

3. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and salt

4. Stir in the rice cereal and mix until well coated.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

6. While the mixture is still warm, press it into a greased 8x8 baking dish

7. Allow treats to cool to room temperature, then slice into squares

8. Melt the candy melt in microwave

9. Place squares of cereal treat on wire rack over sheet tray. Pour candy melt over squares to completely coat.

10. Allow candy melt to completely set (place in fridge to speed up this process)

11. Pipe bow and ribbon on top of “presents” with yellow frosting in piping bag.

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Layered Peppermint Party Pudding

Course:

Dessert, Pudding

Cuisine:

American

Recipe Courtesy Charles Phoenix, From His Book “Holiday Jubilee”

Prep the Pudding:

1. Divide pudding into two bowls. Add mint extract to taste. Generously add red food coloring to one and green to the other.

Smashing Candy:

1. Put some peppermint candies into a double zip-lock bag and tap lightly with a hammer until they are broken into small pieces. Sift to get rid of the really teeny broken bits.

Layering:

1. Cover bottom of punch bowl with 1 inch of red pudding. Place a ring of twinkies around the bowl so the bottom sides of twinkies face outward. Fill in the middle with broken twinkies. Cover with cool whip and sprinkle with crushed peppermints. Layer with half of green pudding, half of ho hos, and crushed peppermints. Repeat each layer. Finish with layer of cool whip and decorate with a colorful kaleidoscope of christmas candy and cherries. If you have leftover twinkies or ho hos, eat them before someone else does.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the animal cookie butter: place the cookies in a food processor. Pulse until you achieve uniform crumbs. You may need to remove the lid and stir a few times to make sure the cookies crumble evenly. Turn the processor on low and slowly add the oil until the mixture has a spreadable consistency, like peanut butter. Pulse a few additional times. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the cookie butter from the food processor into an airtight container. Set aside.

2. Heat-treat the flour: place the flour in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval. Stir well to make sure none of the flour burns (microwaves have those tricky hot spots). Use an instant-read thermometer to test the flour in several places to make sure it has reached 165°f throughout. If you get a lower reading in one area, just stir and heat for an additional 30 seconds until it’s all ready! If some flour sticks to the sides of the bowl just leave it there. Break up any chunks and let cool completely. (insiders hint: do sells their own heat-treated flour so you can buy from them and skip this step! Visit cookiedonyc.com to order.)

3. Make the dough: in a medium bowl, whisk together the heat-treated flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and mix on medium until light and fluffy; about 4 minutes will do the trick. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl. Add the egg whites and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes.

5. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low just until the powdery texture of the flour disappears, about 15 seconds. Immediately add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and mix a final 15 seconds.

6. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in the white chips. Drop the animal cookie butter in tablespoon-size scoops in four different locations in the bowl. Use the rubber spatula to gently swirl until you see thick ribbons of animal cookie butter. Don’t overmix—you’re finished!

7. Your dough is forking ready! But if you’re craving cookies, keep reading!

TO BAKE:

1. first, transfer your cookie dough to an airtight container or press a piece of plastic wrap onto the top of the cookie dough. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 24 hours. If you can’t stand to wait, place in the freezer for at least 2 hours. (this step helps your cookies hold their shape and gives you that nice gooey cookie center, so don’t skip it!)

2. Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350°f. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Use a cookie scoop to portion cold dough onto the baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between scoops.

3. For soft-baked, gooey cookies, bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are just set. Check halfway through baking to ensure your cookies are cooking evenly. Rotate the baking sheet if needed. For crispier cookies, keep them in the oven for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.

4. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.

5. Enjoy warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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DIRECTIONS:

CRANBERRY CROSTATA

ACTIVE TIME: 40 Minutes TOTAL TIME: 2¾ Hours SERVES: 6-8

1. Make crust: in a food processor, combine flours, flaxseed meal, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pulse once to blend. Add butter and pulse until butter pieces are pea-size, about 3 times. Pour water over mixture and pulse until dough starts to come together, about 3 times. (dough will by dry and clumpy.) Dump dough onto a clean, unfloured work surface. Firmly press dough with the heel of your palm and squeeze together to blend wet and dry patches. Repeat until dough holds together, but do not overwork. (you should still see bits of butter running through dough.)

2. Press dough into a ¾-inch-thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or freeze 1 month. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator overnight before using.

3. Make cranberry filling: toss everything together in a nonreactive pot. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture starts to bubble. Reduce heat to medium and cook until cranberries pop and juices thicken, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.

4. Assemble pie: remove dough from refrigerator and let warm until it’s malleable but not too soft, about 15 minutes at room temperature. On a lightly-floured surface, roll dough to a 14-inch circle.

5. Transfer to a greased 9-inch springform pan and allow edges to drape over sides. Add cranberry filling. Whisk together egg yolk, cream and pinch of salt. Brush overhanging dough with egg wash and fold over filling. Brush top of crust with egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Freeze 20-25 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake from semi-frozen until filling bubbles and crust is a deep golden brown, 50 minutes.

7. Cool 15 minutes before releasing springform. Run a knife around the edge and then gently release pan. If you feel any resistance, close springform and run knife around edge again. Remove springform collar and let crostata cool on springform base.

8. Crostata is best the day it’s made but will keep 2 days, well-wrapped, at room temperature.

EGGNOG ICE CREAM

ACTIVE TIME: 5 Minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 Minutes
SERVES: 6-8

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl or pitcher and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. You can eat immediately like soft serve or pack into a bread pan or other container with a nice lid. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream to prevent freezer burn and put into the freezer for at least 4 hours to firm up.

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Orange Chocolate Icebox Pie

Course:

Dessert

Cuisine:

Southern

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the sweetened condensed milk, and the orange juice, lemon juice, zest and extract. Stir until smooth, then pour into the pre-made crust.
3. Bake on the lowest rack until the center of the pie is just set, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate for another hour until chilled.
4. Meanwhile make the whipped cream. to a stand mixed fitted with the whisk attachment add the cream and sugar. Mix on medium until thick and you see the edges of the whisk as it moves though the cream, about 3-5 minutes. stir in the extract. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

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