Christmas Brunch

It's Christmas morning. The tiny tots wake up before dawn excited and you all meet around the tree to see what Santa brought. Then it's time to open the gifts to each other. You've spent time carefully considering what to buy your loved ones. You've wrapped packages, decorated them with gift tags and bows, and now it's time to tear in. Wait, no, not so fast! Let's savor this time. Let's see the joy and excitement on each face. Yeah, that's better.

OK, so not every family is like mine. We patiently take turns opening presents, one at a time please, we can't be greedy. We see what each person receives and we know from whom it was given. There's eight of us, so uh, yeah, it's gonna take a while. After all the presents are opened and the excitement has died down, our stomachs start rumbling. It's time for brunch.


Christmas morning is not the time to be in the kitchen when you can be enjoying your family and maybe some new gadgets. Here's a recipe given to me by my friend Wanda. It's the most requested item this Holiday season, and it's so easy to make. What's better is that you could make these the night before Christmas and serve them without doing anything more than warming them in the oven for a few minutes.

Bacon and Cheese Puffs
Makes 24 puffs


Ingredients:
1 block of cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup Parmesan cheese (shredded),
2-3 ounces bacon bits (You can use more if you must)
1 can of flaky biscuits (8 count)


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, milk, Parmesan cheese, and bacon bits until well blended. Divide each biscuit into thirds by separating the layers evenly. Place each biscuit third into mini muffin cups and press into the cup to make a shell. Fill each shell with about a teaspoon of the mixture. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature.

Click here for the printable recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

Hot Potatoes!

 

When I want a special side dish for a special occasion, it must be roasted potatoes. They are so yummy and easy to make, there is no reason to pass on making these babies!

I've had potatoes mashed, baked, boiled, fried, scalloped, au gratin and hashed. I've had tater tots, French fries, potato dumplings, potato soup, potato bread, potato chips, and probably other preparations of potatoes that I can't think of right now. Yet there is something special about roasted potatoes.

I learned to make roasted potatoes while staying with some friends in England. Roast Potatoes are a staple in British cuisine. You'll find them most often in the Sunday Lunch and as a part of the Christmas spread as well. I guarantee they will be on my table this Christmas!

Roasted Potatoes

6 large potatoes, peeled and quartered

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

Kosher salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water, adding a little salt to season the water. Bring the water to a boil and boil potatoes for 5 minutes. Drain the water and return the potatoes to the pot. Cover the pot with its lid and holding the lid in place shake the pot to "rough up" the potatoes.

Place the potatoes in a roasting pan and drizzle with the oil and toss the potatoes to coat well. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Place pan in the oven and roast for about 50 minutes. Turn potatoes at least once halfway through cooking to allow for even browning. Once the potatoes have browned as you like them, remove from oven and place on a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Serve warm, but be careful that you don't eat them strait from the oven or you may burn your mouth!

Once you have learned to make roast potatoes, you can modify the recipe to create different versions. For example, changing the oil to a goose fat or the drippings from a roast will change the flavor. Try adding different herbs or spices. Roast the potatoes in olive oil and add fresh rosemary. I like using vegetable oil, salt and pepper and adding carrots that have been cut into large chunks. The possibilities are endless!

Click here for the Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

Sinister Santas

If you haven't been following Cake Wrecks, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Cake Wrecks is only the funniest blog on the planet, with pictures of insane cakes to laugh at each day, (well, actually Sundays are for nice cakes so we know how bad the others are.)

If you haven't seen today's post, then hop on over and check it out, and then I'm sure you'll want this card for all your friends!

Santa is Watching by cakewrecks
Shop for a greeting card at zazzle

And of course, if you've been a fan of Cake Wrecks for any length of time, this little guy is near and dear to your heart...

Marry Christmas by cakewrecks
Browse more Carrot jockey Cards

See more Wreckwear at the cakewrecks Zazzle Store!

Oh, and you HAVE to get the Cake Wrecks book! It's like the blog, but in book form, with more stories and new cakes! I was trying to look at it over Thanksgiving, and it took me about two days because everyone kept taking it from me to look at it themselves. {You can find links to the book on the Cake Wrecks blog.}

Drenched in Custard

It's December and the most glorious time to be in the kitchen if you ask me. There are so many delicious treats to be made and meals to be prepared! When it comes to Christmas and food, I like to try new things, but I also like to prepare traditional dishes as well.

As I was thinking about what I wanted to prepare this year, I remembered a Christmas a while back when we visited some friends and had boiled custard. It was delicious! I don't know the exact history of boiled custard, although this type of custard seems to be traditional in the Southern United States. Custard in general has a long history of creating and complimenting dishes both sweet and savory.

My friend Pam has generously shared her recipe with me and now I'm passing it on to you! Enjoy this custard hot or cold, in a glass, or drenching your dessert!

Pam's Boiled Custard

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup plain flour
1 gallon whole milk
6 eggs, separated
Vanilla to taste (about 2 large "cook spoons")

Put milk in a double boiler (or if you don't have one, set your pan in a skillet of water). Mix together sugar and flour and slowly stir into milk. Add egg yolks (be sure you do this before the milk gets too hot so your eggs don't cook too fast). Stir until milk comes to a boil. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add vanilla." Allow to cool slightly. Beat egg whites and fold in. Serve in a pitcher.

Cyber Monday

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!

It's Cyber Monday which means it's time to do all your internet shopping. Here's a look at some delicious designs by Tricia-Rennea to get you in the holiday mood!

Swirly Christmas by trennea
View more Christmas Invitations

Elegant Christmas Bobble by trennea
See more personalized binders at Zazzle.com

Best Friends and Cupcakes and Christmas! by trennea
See all the posters on zazzle

Swell-Looking Ornamants by trennea
View more Ornaments Aprons

Peppermint and Snowflake Swirly Works by trennea
View other Perpermint T-Shirts

Sweet Holiday Set by candystore
More Ornaments Stickers

Christmas Bunny by candystore
Browse other Bunny Postcards

Penguin with Hot Cocoa by candystore
View more stamps available on zazzle.com

Christmas Cupcakes Mailable Recipe Card by candystore
More Recipe Postcards

Check out more great Christmas designs at Tricia-Rennea's Zazzle Stores:
tricia-rennea art
The Candy Store!

Visit Tricia-Rennea's blog for free printables and an overdose of cute! For custom illustrations go to Trillustrations.com.

Iron Cupcake: Earth--Apple

It's the last Iron Cupcake Challenge of the year. This month's ingredient is Apple, and there are lots of delicious ways to incorporate apples into a cupcake. I chose to combine caramel with apple to make a moist and sweet cupcake. Caramel buttercream tops this cuppy with the perfect amount of sweetness.

Other than the basic pantry items, this is all you need to buy from the grocery store. I'm not at all ashamed to use a box mix. According to Alton Brown, it is better to use a box mix and make your own icing. Besides, we are making it our own.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes
with Caramel Apple Buttercream*

Cake Ingredients:
1 box Yellow Cake Mix + necessary ingredients
2 Granny Smith Apples: peeled, cored and sliced
8-12 ounces Caramel

Icing Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Follow the directions on the box to blend the ingredients for the cake batter and set aside. Using the shredding blade on a food processor, shred the apples and add to the batter. In a heatproof bowl, melt the caramel in the microwave for about 20 seconds increments, stirring after each until completely melted. Using a stand mixer, drizzle in the caramel in thin ribbons. If the caramel begins to cool, warm it a little and begin again. Avoid large clumps of caramel from entering the batter as it will clog the beaters. Pour batter into cupcake liners, filling almost to the top. Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Let cool before icing.

Bring 1/2 cup of sugar and apple juice to a boil in a saucepan. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Cook, undisturbed, until caramel is dark amber. Remove from heat, and slowly add cream, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Let cool.

Place whites and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a heatproof mixer bowl and set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and attach bowl to a mixer. Whisk on medium speed for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add butter a tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add caramel and beat until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Use immediately, or cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)

Click here for the Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen.


*Icing recipe adapted from Caramel Buttercream in Martha Stewart Living February 2009.

Iron Cupcake: Earth Voting and Prizes

Voting will begin no later than Friday, November 27th at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com and will be open through Thursday, December 3 at 12 noon. Winner will be posted the night of December 3rd, before 11:59 p.m.

Our Generous IronCupcake:Earth Prize Providers:

•The Demy™ by Key Ingredient
•Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
•Bella Cupcake Couture
•Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
•The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne
•Beautiful Baking Liners by Vestli House
•Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Bakery & Cupcakey Supply

Pumpkin Hearts Chocolate

 

I can't help myself!! I can't stop making this Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread. It is amazing! I could remind you how much I love Pumpkin and Chocolate together, or you could just go here. Make this a few days ahead of Thanksgiving and wrap in cling wrap until ready to eat. I think it is best served a little warm so the chocolate is a little soft. Mmmmm, I'm salivating just thinking about it.

Just look at it! It's calling out to you!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Original Recipe Found

Here at Make It Do

 

Ingredients:

3-1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Cinnamon

2 teaspoons Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1-1/2 teaspoon Salt

2-2/3 cups Sugar

2/3 cup Softened Butter

4 Eggs

1 pound Mashed Pumpkin

2/3 cups Water

1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (I actually used a whole 11.5 ounce bag of chips)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Cream sugar and butter until well incorporated. Add eggs one at a time and then add the mashed pumpkin. Alternate adding dry ingredients with water. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour into two large greased bread pans and bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.