When the month of December rolls around my kitchen and my mind go into Christmas Baking Gear! I love Christmas Baking.
There is no nicer gift you can give to a family member, friend or neighbour than something which you have baked just for them!
One thing I like to bake for Christmas are shortbread biscuits/cookies. In all truth they are probably my favourite of all the Christmas cookies.
I also adore Macadamia Nuts. I know they can be a bit pricey, but hey, it's Christmas! I found this recipe for Macadamia Shortbread Cookies in a Christmas book of mine, entitled Christmas Cheer from Leisure Arts. (I have had it for a very long time!)
Shortbread cookies? Macadamia Nuts??? You CAN'T lose!
I know that Macadamia nuts can be a bit pricey, but what the heck it's Christmas!
I think shortbread cookies are about the simplest Christmas Cookie you can make, so long as you are not having to roll them out. I have always made Whipped Shortbread Cookies every year, using a recipe I got many Christmas's ago from my friend Leona.
They are so easy to make, as easy as beating together your ingredients and dropping them onto baking sheets and baking. Simple and delicious.
These are also very simple. You just beat together butter and brown sugar, with some vanilla and then stir in a mixture of flour and finely ground macadamia nuts.
You then roll the dough into balls and place them onto your baking sheets . . .
pressing a whole Macadamia nut into the top of each ball of dough . . .
They bake for about fifteen minutes . . . spreading out a tiny bit as they do and getting gilded golden brown at the edges.
The nut decoration on top turns golden brown and all toasty. I love toasted nuts and I love shortbread cookies. These are winners all round. Short and buttery and oh so addictive!
Yield: 5 dozen
Macadamia Shortbread Cookies
prep time: 10 minscook time: 15 minstotal time: 25 mins
If you love Macadamia nuts and shortbread cookies, you will adore these Macadamia Short breads. A beautiful addition to your holiday cookie trays.
ingredients:
280g plain flour (2 cups all purpose)
395g whole macadamia nuts, divided (14 ounces)
1/4 tsp salt
240g butter, softened (1 cup)
100g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed brown sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extractinstructions:
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line several baking sheets with baking paper. Set aside.
Measure the flour, 170g of the nuts (1 cup) and salt into a blender or food processor. Blitz until finely ground. Set aside.
Cream
the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Stir in
the flour mixture to combine. Shape into 1 inch balls and place 2
inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press
the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Stir in
the flour mixture to combine. Shape into 1 inch balls and place 2
inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press
one of the remaining nuts into the top of each cookie.
Created using The Recipes Generator
The hardest part of making these is grinding the nuts. You don't want the ground nuts to be granular. You want them as fine as flour, which is really quite easy to do if you have a good blender, food processor or coffee/spice grinder.
This is what I used. My CookHouse 800W Multi-Blender, which also has a bonus Coffee/spice/nut grinder attachment. With three speeds and a pulse option it did a great job of grinding my nuts. I used the Coffee/Spice grinding attachment to do this.
This is what they looked like when I popped them into the grinder along with the flour and salt . . .
And this is what they looked like when they were done. It took about 20 pulses. Macadamia nuts are a lot harder than they look! But as you can see they were as powdery as the flour was. I am really in love with this machine and it has pride of place in my kitchen.
✔ BONUS COFFEE/SPICE GRINDER & FOOD CHOPPER - it comes with a chopper attachment that lets you coarsely chop nuts, spices, meat, frozen foods, and ice for all your recipes
✔ EASY TO CLEAN - The jar and blades are removable for easy and safe cleaning - the stainless steel base is easy to wipe and stays looking beautiful in your kitchen.
✔ 3 SPEEDS & PULSE FUNCTION - this blender has 3 different speed options plus a pulse setting let you perfect any recipe, no matter how thick or hard the ingredients.
✔ SAFETY LOCK SYSTEM & OVERHEAT PROTECTION - this blender has been designed to be safe and long lasting - the blender won't start unless locked securely in place, and no overheating or burnout will occur, guaranteed!
I used the blender part the other day to make a simple and quick Hollandaise sauce which I served with some Salmon. Blender Hollandaise is such a simple version of this classic sauce and is pretty much fail-proof and hard to mess up. The blender attachment is easy to use and cleans like a dream. Both options clean easily. I love this machine!
To make the Hollandaise you just put egg yolks, seasoning and lemon juice into the blender and run it for a few seconds and then you start drizzling in melted butter whilst keeping the motor running. It comes together like magic . . . thick, silky and rich.
Perfect for serving with Eggs Benedict . . . this is simply half an English Muffin, toasted with some sauteed spinach on top, some bacon and a perfectly poached egg . . .
Friday night we enjoyed this easy Hollandaise sauce with some grilled Salmon that I cooked on our grill along with some oven chips, asparagus and grilled tomatoes . . . it only looked complicated, but was a really delicious and simple supper to throw together. When you have high quality equipment to use, cooking becomes so much simpler.
Yield: Makes about 1 cup
Blender Hollandaise Sauce
Mmmm... deliciously buttery hollandaise sauce, made in just a few minutes, with all the ease of pushing a few buttons. Turns out perfect every time.
ingredients:
2 large free range organic egg yolks (Save the whites to make some meringues at a later date. They freeze very well)
2 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
125g butter (1/2 cup)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
125g butter (1/2 cup)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
instructions:
Heat
the vinegar and the lemon juice in a small measuring cup in the
microwave for about 30 seconds or so, just until the mixture starts to
bubble and simmer. In the meantime, place the egg yolks into your
blender and season with a smidgen of salt and a few grinds of black
pepper. Blend for one minute. Turning the blender on, add the lemon
juice/vinegar mixture to the egg yolks in a thin stream, very slowly.
(You can do this through the hole left in the lid after you remove the
little plastic cap) Turn the blender off and melt the butter in the same
measuring cup you used to heat the vinegar and lemon juice in until it
is slightly foaming. Turn the blender back on and very slowly add the
hot butter in a thin stream to the beaten egg yolks, once again through
the little hole in the top of the lid. The slower you add it, the
better. Turn the blender off and scrape down the sides with a rubber
spatula, then put the lid on and blend again for a few seconds. Set
aside.
the vinegar and the lemon juice in a small measuring cup in the
microwave for about 30 seconds or so, just until the mixture starts to
bubble and simmer. In the meantime, place the egg yolks into your
blender and season with a smidgen of salt and a few grinds of black
pepper. Blend for one minute. Turning the blender on, add the lemon
juice/vinegar mixture to the egg yolks in a thin stream, very slowly.
(You can do this through the hole left in the lid after you remove the
little plastic cap) Turn the blender off and melt the butter in the same
measuring cup you used to heat the vinegar and lemon juice in until it
is slightly foaming. Turn the blender back on and very slowly add the
hot butter in a thin stream to the beaten egg yolks, once again through
the little hole in the top of the lid. The slower you add it, the
better. Turn the blender off and scrape down the sides with a rubber
spatula, then put the lid on and blend again for a few seconds. Set
aside.
This simple Blender Hollandaise is also a must when making my Scrambled Eggs Benedict, which are probably even more delicious than the traditional option. I love these!
To see more photos and options for the CookHouse Blender check out the Amazon page for it. You can also see my review of this great machine there as well. I find that as I am getting older I am becoming a bit more discerning about what equipment I choose to have in my kitchen. I don't want objects taking up space that I am not going to use. I want them to be highly functional, attractive and things that I know I am going to use all the time. This machine falls within all of the parameters of my guidelines for equipment and appliances that belong in my kitchen. Bon appetit!
The recipe I am sharing with you today is one I adapted from a recipe I found on a site called From the Larder. It is called Bramley Apple & Mincemeat Pudding.
It is perfect for this time of year, and in fact would make a lovely holiday dessert for Christmas or Boxing day.
At its base is a layer of Bramley cooking apples which are chopped and mixed with some lemon juice, zest and brown sugar . . . .
I think in North America you could use any good cooking apple in the place of Bramley.
Bramley Apples are fabulous cooking apples. Large, flattish round apples with a green skin and red blush these are fabulously tart apples.
They have a beautiful white flesh that cooks down into a frothy pulp which makes them ideal for cooking with. They make beautiful applesauce and crumbles.
They are incredibly tart however . . . I cannot see anyone ever being able to eat one raw without any sugar.
I remember making an apple pie with them when I first moved over here and it was soooooo sour!
They make really great Baked Apples also because they hold up well when baking, but the insides bcome lovely and frothy.
A good North American substitute for them would be a Granny Smith or a Gravenstein.
In any case a layer of these apples, chopped, gets spread out in a baking dish and topped with a sweet cake batter . . .
Its a pretty basic vanilla sponge, with equal parts fat, sugar and flour, with some leavening agents added and spoonsful of prepared mincemeat.
Over here you can get many different varieties of mincemeat this time of year . . . the store shelves are bulging with choice.
I would choose a good basic mincemeat, unless you have made your own.
Homemade is always the better choice and generally speaking I make my own each year. My recipe makes about a pound of mincemeat which is about enough to make 3 dozen mince pies/tarts.
Yield: 1 pound
*Homemade Mincemeat*
A delicious blend of dried fruit, nuts, spices, brown sugar and brandy. (I use apple juice)
ingredients:
150g of currants(1 cup)
125g of raisins (3/4 cup packed)
25g of blanched almonds, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
1 knob of preserved stem ginger, finely chopped
1 eating apple, peeled and grated
50g of shredded beef or vegetable suet (1/2 cup)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
the finely grated zest and juice of one lemon
2 TBS brandy
1 TBS dark muscovado sugar
125g of raisins (3/4 cup packed)
25g of blanched almonds, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
1 knob of preserved stem ginger, finely chopped
1 eating apple, peeled and grated
50g of shredded beef or vegetable suet (1/2 cup)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
the finely grated zest and juice of one lemon
2 TBS brandy
1 TBS dark muscovado sugar
instructions:
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside for at least 12 hours to macerate. Transfer to glass jars, seal and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. This will keep a good long while.
Created using The Recipes Generator
Failing the desire to make your own, just use a good store brand. Six TBS of this gets stirred into the cake batter which is then spread over the chopped apple in the baking dish.
You pop it into the oven where it bakes until the apples are succulent and soft and the cake batter is all risen and golden brown.
Ready to be spooned out warm into bowls and topped with your favourite go-withs . . . warm custard (Todd's preference), pouring cream or scoops of a good Vanilla bean ice cream.
This is so very delicious. Pudding here is a name which is used to describe a dessert . . . and they come in many shapes and sizes and types from crumbles and bakes to cakes and stodgy steamed concoctions (Think Plum Pudding here) and everything in between.
Bread and Butter pudding is a real favourite here in this house as well as Sticky Toffee Pudding, and after today this pudding has become another favourite that I know I will be making often for my husband.
Its nothing short of delicious with that jammy apple on the bottom, that sweet spicy sponge on top and of course with the custard/cream or ice cream on top. Altogether, quite, quite delicious! You won't want to miss this!
Yield: Serves 6
Apple & Mincemeat Pudding
prep time: 15 minscook time: 45 minstotal time: 60 mins
If you are like me you have an abundance of mincemeat in your larder during the holidays. This is a very delicious way of using some of it. A light and fluffy spiced cake, studded with currants and raisins, baked atop sweetened chopped apple. Serve warm with custard, cream or ice cream.
ingredients:
2 large cooking apples, peeled and diced
the finely grated zest and juice from 1/2 lemon
2 TBS soft light brown sugar
150g butter, softened (2/3 cup)
150g caster sugar (fine granulated sugar, 3/4 cup)
3 large free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 TBS prepared mincemeat
150g plain flour (1 cup all purpose + 1 heaped TBS)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS whole milk
You will also need:
1 tsp caster sugar for sprinkling
warm custard, single cream or ice cream to serveinstructions:
Preheat the oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Butter a shallow baking dish. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Mix together the apple, lemon zest and juice and brown sugar. Pour into the prepped baking dish.
Cream
together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs
one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and mincemeat. Stir in the flour
mixture just to combine. Stir in the milk. Pour the batter over the
apples in the dish. Spread out evenly.
together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs
one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and mincemeat. Stir in the flour
mixture just to combine. Stir in the milk. Pour the batter over the
apples in the dish. Spread out evenly.
Bake
for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the
centre comes out clean. Sprinkle the caster sugar over top just prior
to serving. Serve spooned out into bowls with your desired
accompaniment.
for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the
centre comes out clean. Sprinkle the caster sugar over top just prior
to serving. Serve spooned out into bowls with your desired
accompaniment.
Created using The Recipes Generator
I will include my recipe for custard as well so you don't have to go hunting for it.
Yield: about 3 cups
Proper Custard
This is also known as creme anglaise. Be sure not to let the mixture boil once the eggs are added, or you will end up with a curdled mess. You only need to heat it up enough to cook the eggs. The custard is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
ingredients:
8 egg yolks
75g caster sugar (a generous 1/3 cup)
300ml whole milk (1 1/4 cup)
300ml double cream (1 1/4 cup)
1 vanilla pod, split
75g caster sugar (a generous 1/3 cup)
300ml whole milk (1 1/4 cup)
300ml double cream (1 1/4 cup)
1 vanilla pod, split
instructions:
Beat
the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until well blended. Place
the milk and cream in a saucepan with the vanilla. Scrape the insides
of the vanilla pod into the mixture before you add it. Bring the
mixture just to the boil.
Pour a little of this mixture into the
eggs to temper them, and beat it together well. Pour this back into the
pan and whisk together. Return to the heat and using a whisk, lightly
stir until it begins to thicken. DO NOT BOIL.
As the egg yolks
warm, the cream will get thicker and create a custard. Keep stirring
until it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and
pass through a fine sieve. Leave to cool a bit before using. Serve warm
or allow to cool completely,stirring occasionally.
the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until well blended. Place
the milk and cream in a saucepan with the vanilla. Scrape the insides
of the vanilla pod into the mixture before you add it. Bring the
mixture just to the boil.
Pour a little of this mixture into the
eggs to temper them, and beat it together well. Pour this back into the
pan and whisk together. Return to the heat and using a whisk, lightly
stir until it begins to thicken. DO NOT BOIL.
As the egg yolks
warm, the cream will get thicker and create a custard. Keep stirring
until it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and
pass through a fine sieve. Leave to cool a bit before using. Serve warm
or allow to cool completely,stirring occasionally.
Created using The Recipes Generator
I think this is a dessert for the holidays that your family is really going to love. It is not complicated in the least and is sumptuously delicious. Delicious enough to serve as a light alternative to a heavy Christmas Pudding on Christmas Day!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
We had company for dinner the other night. I did a Roasted Ham with a honey/mustard glaze, some Potatoes Dauphinoise and a variety of vegetables. I also made this delicious coleslaw. I love coleslaw and in my opinion, you gotta have coleslaw when you have ham!
Coleslaw is one of those salads that comes in very handy during the holiday season when we are doing a lot of entertaining. It is easy to make ahead and goes perfectly on any buffet table!
Perfect for Tree Trimming Parties and Pot Lucks!
My mother always made great coleslaw! I can remember watching her stand at the counter making it. She always shredded her cabbage by hand with a knife, and that is the way I like to do my cabbage also, with a knife. I do grate the other vegetables, with the exception of the onion. That I chop by hand as well.
This version is prettied up a bit for the holidays with the addition of chopped dried cranberries. Dried Cranberries are sweet without being overly so and add an almost jewel-like quality!
The dressing is a simple one with sour cream, mayo and Greek yogurt. I have never used the lower fat version in this, but I can't see why they wouldn't work.
There is also dry mustard powder for a bit of a punch, some lemon juice, white wine vinegar, seasoning and a bit of honey for some sweet. The vegetables used are white cabbage, carrots, celeriac and spring onions.
Its just a really, really nice salad!
Yield: Serves 4 to 5
Christmas Coleslaw
Delicious and colourful. A great addition to the holiday buffet table.
ingredients:
1/4 pound celeriac (celery root) peeled and coarsely grated
1/4 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
1/4 pound white cabbage, finely shredded by hand
3 spring onions, finely chopped
75g dried cranberries, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup
60g toasted chopped walnuts (1/2 cup)
poppy seeds to garnish
For the dressing:
40g sour cream (1/3 cup)
2 heaped TBS mayonnaise
2 heaped TBS plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp dried mustard powder
1 TBS white wine vinegar
1 TBS lemon juice
2 tsp liquid honey
salt and black pepper to tasteinstructions:
Prepare all of your vegetables. Put them into a bowl along with
the cranberries and walnuts. Whisk together all of the dressing
ingredients until smooth and well combined. Pour over the vegetables
and toss well together to coat evenly. Cover and chill. Stir in the
toasted nuts and sprinkle with the poppy seeds just prior to serving.
the cranberries and walnuts. Whisk together all of the dressing
ingredients until smooth and well combined. Pour over the vegetables
and toss well together to coat evenly. Cover and chill. Stir in the
toasted nuts and sprinkle with the poppy seeds just prior to serving.
Created using The Recipes Generator
You can store any leftovers in the refrigerator, covered, but I don't recommend keeping it for any longer than a day!
Have you seen these? They are called Fruit Savers and I got them from MyKtchn. They are the most fabulous fruit saver/covers. Easy to use and fabulous for all sorts!
Handy Fruit Savers is a 4 piece set of these flexible rubber lids that serve to help to prevent your favourite foods from spoiling. They are reusable covers and will work with almost any round fruit or vegetable, helping to keep them fresh for use the next day.
You can store sensitive foods safe from oxygen, reducing the risk of discolouration, which in turn helps me to reduce food waste and save me money. I just love them! I don't think I would be without them now. You can find out more about them here.
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