Christmas Feast

Old Fashion Steamed Carrot Pudding & Brandy-Vanilla Sauc
Old Fashion Steamed Carrot Pudding & Brandy-Vanilla Sauce
By BumbleBeeBoogie

This is my favorite food holiday gift that I often made for friends when I was younger, if I didn't eat it all myself first. It's great any time of the year when you want a comfort food that reminds you of childhood good times.

My mother didn't like to steam the pudding. She tripled the recipe, adding extra liquid, and baked it in a 350 degree oven in an uncovered, dark blue-speckled enamel turkey roasting pan. She stirred it two or three times, then let it bake until it became thick and dark golden brown. My baking time memory is uncertain; the pudding probably baked at least 1 to 1-1/2 hours because of the large amount of ingredients. The pudding had a firmer texture than steamed pudding.

My job was to grate the carrots, potatoes and apples for the carrot pudding, a contribution any child can make to a wonderful food memory.

This smaller recipe is for steaming the pudding in metal pudding molds. It has a dense, wonderful texture.

1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated potatoes
1 cup Granny Smith apples, peeled
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins (dark or golden)
1/2 finely chopped candied fruit (optional - I prefer it without)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the carrots, potatoes, apples, nuts, raisins (and optional candied fruit). Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and blend.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter add sugar; add the egg, and then beat in the carrot mixture. Add the remaining flour and stir until just blended.

Pour into a buttered and sugared 2-quart lidded pudding mold, or two 1-quart molds (or a coffee can).

To steam: Set the molds on a rack in a large, deep kettle (I use my tall pasta pot with its steamer rack), add water to come halfway up the sides of the mold. Bring the water to a gentle boil, cover the kettle, lower the heat, and steam for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

Serves 10 to 12 warm or cold.

OPTIONAL BRANDY-VANILLA SAUCE:
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 pound butter, cut into bits
1/2 cup light cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brandy (optional)

Combine the sugar, butter, cream and optional brandy in a saucepan; bring to a boil, and cook and stir until slightly thickened; remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.

This pudding can be frozen (if properly wrapped) and stored in the freezer.

Christmas! Oy, I'm still digesting thanksgiving's turkey. I don't think that anyone in my family will know what we're cooking until around the 22nd of december. Maybe I can get some ideas here.....

Burnt Sugar Caramel Cake
This cake was one of my favorites.

Recipe for Burnt Sugar Caramel Cake
By BumbleBeeBoogie

A wonderful update of the traditional burnt sugar cake.

1 cup water, divided
4 cups granulated white sugar, divided
4-1/2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 cups (sticks) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
8 large egg whites (or the equivalent in reconstituted egg white powder)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line with rounds of greased and floured wax paper three 9-inch non-stick cake pans.

In a small saucepan, combine the 1 cup of water with 2 cups of the granulated white sugar. Heat over low heat until the sugar syrup has turned to a dark golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes (to create the "burnt sugar" syrup.) Remove from heat, cool, and reserve 1/2 half of the burnt sugar syrup for making the cake's frosting..

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 2 cups of sugar in a mixer bowl and mix on low speed to combine. Add the butter and 1 cup of heavy cream and beat for 1-1/2 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream, 4 eggs whites, the cooled burnt sugar syrup, and vanilla; add this mixture to the mixer bowl in 3 stages, beating for 20 seconds after each addition.

In another thoroughly clean mixing bowl (preferable copper), beat the 4 remaining egg whites to soft peaks. Carefully fold them into the batter; pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when pressed in the center. Cool on wire racks.

BURNT SUGAR CARAMEL FROSTING

3/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk, cream or half-and-half
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Reheat the remaining 1/2 portion of the Brunt Sugar syrup (above). Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients, except the vanilla. Return to the heat and bring slowly to the boiling point, stirring constantly; boil for 1 minute. Cool to lukewarm, add the vanilla, and beat until thick enough to spread.

Spread the frosting between the cake layers, then frost the top and sides. If the frosting becomes to thick to spread, briefly reheat it in the microwave oven---or whisk in a little milk a teaspoon at a time. You may wish to garnish the frosted cake with pecan halves.

Ceylon Ruby Mine Pie (Crustless Cranberry Pie)
Ceylon Ruby Mine Pie (Crustless Cranberry Pie)
By An original recipe by BumbleBeeBoogie

This is one of my family's favorite desserts. My children still asked me to make it before I moved away from them to New Mexico.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
Butter the insides of two 10-inch pie pans.

FILLING:
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup of white granulated sugar
1-2 to 1 cup of chopped walnuts

Optional: You may lightly toast the walnuts if desired.

In a large bowl, combine the cranberries, sugar and walnuts. Spoon the mixture into the two pie pans.

TOPPING:
2 large whole eggs
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cups white all-purpose flour

In an electric mixer, beat the eggs until they are lemon colored. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is creamy.

Gradually add the flour to the mixture, alternating with the melted butter, and beat until the mixture is smooth.

Spread the topping over the cranberry mixture in the two pie pans.

Place the two pie pans on a cookie sheet or spread foil under the pan to catch any drippings.

Bake for 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

The pie may be served at room temperature or cold.

Recipe for Herb-Sauteed Mushrooms
Herb-Sauteed Mushrooms
By BumbleBeeBoogie

My friends always asked me to make my herb-sauteed mushrooms when inviting me to Holiday Season dinners. Maybe that's why I was invited to so many dinner parties when I lived in California.

1/3 cup combined extra virgin olive oil and melted butter
1 or 2 green onions (scallions), finely chopped white part; reserve green tops, refrigerated
1/4 cup dry sherry or Marsala wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Herbs of choice (fresh, if possible): Thyme, Marjoram, Rosemary, Tarragon, flat Italian parsley
1 pound fresh small button mushrooms

When buying mushrooms, look for very fresh tightly closed caps. Place the mushrooms in a strainer and run water over them to clean any clinging dirt; quickly drain (to avoid absorbing water) and place on paper towels and pat them thoroughly with paper towels to dry.

In a large saute pan (with a cover) over low heat, warm the olive oil, add the butter, sherry or Marsala, vinegar, onions and mushrooms. Saute, uncovered, over medium about 2 minutes. Add the herbs, salt and pepper; saute, covered, for an additional 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, leaving the pan covered, and let the mushroom marinate until they cool.

The mushrooms may be stored in a jar or bowl covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Reheat in a microwave oven for 20 to 30 seconds. When ready to serve, garnish with the finely chopped reserved green part of the onions.

This has become a family tradition for me, whenever we have Christmas dinner at home; I prepare a pork rib roast covered with salt and fresh garlic, and served with different variations of bread stuffing, a fancy salad, and baked apples with cinnamon.

This year I want Prime Rib.
Won't get it.
But I want it!

Our Christmas feast is a champagne breakfast with pancakes and fresh fruit and candy... Last year my friend came and brought quiche...

wow, here are so many excellent recipes, that I might
reconsider cooking venison.

BumbleBeeBoogie, I wish I had you for a neighbor,
I'd stop by every day to sample your goodies.

littlek, isn't the 22nd too late? Out here in crazy California
all good things are taken by that time, or at least need
to be preordered.

colorbook, your pork rib roast sounds good. Somehow
it seems that pork has gone out of style. It's very rarly
offered, although I do make pork chops a lot.

Lady J, why don't you get Prime Rib if it's your choice?

princesspurple,
on that count, I did buy some champagne today as well,
even though I probably won't drink anything during the
day time, otherwise I'll fall by the way side.

Now where is Piffka? Probably still sorting through her
cook books

No Prime Rib? Easy....everything I own will be packed in boxes ready to move. I have set for myself a deadline of December 24 for it all to be finished I won't be cooking, I don't know of anyone else wo would be cooking, so I'll just postpone my Christmas until after my move. Not a bad thing, but god, I can even taste it now!

Calamity Jane -- Ah-ha... sorting through my cook-books! I didn't realize you'd started the thread. I tend to get stuck in the topics I've already posted in, but I'm glad I saw your thread finally.

And nothing written since November?

As it happens, I've been busy putting together the menu for our Christmas Eve Open House... it's a tradition here for eighteen years. Christmas Day is with the family, but Christmas Eve is spent entertaining the friends who like to go out on that night. Who knew there'd be such a crew?

I became inspired by Mexican Christmas celebrations and that's been our theme. It is so colorful and the food is good old comfort food for us. When the kids were young, we'd even have real piñatas that they'd received from their grandpa (who lived half the year in Sonora). However, one year we made one and it was so strong that nobody could break it. Well, no piñatas this year.

Christmas Eve Open House 2004

Salmon Spread with Crackers
Raw Vegetable Tray
Chips-Salsa-Guacamole

Beef & Green Chili Tamales
Little Smokies in Jack Daniels Sauce
Chicken Hot (chicken enchilada)
Chili Rellaños

Dried Fruit & Nuts
Mexican Wedding Cakes aka Snow Balls
Lemon Bars
Toffee Bars
Ginger Dogs
Fudge

Gluehwein (Red wine with sugar & spices)*
Muscato de Asti, Red Wine
CocaCola, Cider, Beer


*new this year -- I'll tell you how it goes

It is daunting looking at all those kinds of cookies to make this year. Good thing I have a daughter who likes to cook.

Christmas Day is mostly a recovery day -- though I do make sure we have a nice breakfast while we open presents. For dinner, I'm not in the mood to cook. We often have leftovers from the night before, sometimes we have dinner with friends. Frankly, our favorite thing to do is spend the day lazing about.

Wow, I'm impressed Piffka.
You have everything lined out already and your food
selection sounds devine. What is a Mexican Wedding Cake
like? I've never heard of it.

Nice tradition to have people over for Christmas Eve
in an open house setting.

Christmas Eve traditionally is for us the most important
day and we exchange presents and have a feast afterwards.
With child I had to somehow adopt to the american way
of christmas. Christmas Eve is spent with our american
grandmother and she'll cook for us. Unfortunately, she's
not much of a cook so we get every year the same meal.
After the years we've gotten used to it and now it's part
of our traditon to have tuna casserole at Grandma's.

Christmas day will be fairly relaxed with gift exchange and
breakfast. Around 3 or 4 pm. my jewish friends will arrive
celebrating christmas with us - as we celebrate the jewish
holidays with them. We've been doing this for the past
10 years and we all enjoy this religious mix in tradition.

Tuna casserole tradition? I like tuna casserole, but ... hmmm.

It's good to celebrate with the same folks when you can. We used to play something called "The Game." Everyone would bring some wrapped presents of many kinds (silly, useful, weird) and then we'd roll dice in turn. Doubles, you get to take a present from someone else. If that is the first roll, you're out of luck -- this is a cut-throat game! Sevens or elevens, you get to choose from the stack of wrapped presents. We continue one round past the last present taken from the stack. Always one present that is passed around a lot. Rules like no hiding the good presents may need to be made. <grin> Fun game.

Mexican Wedding Cakes
(aka Russian Tea Cakes and Swedish Snow Balls)


Note, these are easy, but tend to crumble and need a gentle touch. (Of course, the cooks get to eat all the mistakes. The smaller the better as they are much less messy as single bite cookies.

1 cup soft butter
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c. sifted flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c. finely chopped walnuts
powdered sugar

Cream b,s,v. Sift f & salt. Stir in. Add nuts. Chill dough. Roll in 1" balls, place 2" apart on ung. baking sheet. Bake 400F - 1-12 minu. --set but not brown. Roll in sugar while still warm. Then roll again and store in tins with the left-over powdered sugar. These are best fairly fresh. We'll make them the day before. (should make 4 dozen)

I know, tuna casserole isn't my favorite either, but
her cooking skills are just not there. She always said: "If it does have more than 4 ingredients, forget it"

Well, it's all about tradition anyway, regardless what it
is as long as it is repetitive. Just like us going every year
to the Old Globe Theater in Balboa Park and see "How
the Grinch stole Christmas" from Dr. Seuss.

We in fact, went today to see it, and no matter how often
we go, it's always interesting and a joy.

We're getting closer to christmas day. Have you all
bought the food for the feast yet?

I'll go tomorrow and buy the venison and marinate
it in red wine and some spices (have to call my mother
for the exact marinade). I hope to get chanterelle mushrooms, which is one of the side dishes I'll make.

I already bought the redwine (Mondavi, Pinot Noir) and
some Calvados.

My very old german china is cleaned and ready to be
used, and the silverware as well.

I'm getting there.......

We'll both be drinking that Mondavi Pinot Noir and I'll hoist a glass to you for the good advice.

Do you put a little bit of brandy on the chanterelles at the last minute? That's how I cook mine after sautéing them in butter.

I've been washing dishes that only get used at this time of year. I decided I would make a Christmas dinner -- but just a ham with some easy trimmings. I hope your venison is delicious, CJ.

We made fudge yesterday and toffee bars and I put together the gingerbread dough. I'll bake several trays of cookies today so they'll be nice & fresh. Everything is poised to be ready for Christmas Eve... the chicken enchiladas, two kinds of tamales, the salmon spread. We still need to buy a few things: a head of lettuce and some fresh celery, but the tomatoes, the peppers, the cocktail onions, the olives... all that stuff is here. Yay!

Too bad I've got a crummy head cold. Otherwise, this would feel like a nearly perfect Christmas.

One of the fringes of Mr. Noddy's family has a 40 year tradition of buying an enormous tub of fried chicken from KFC, serving it hot on Christmas Eve and cold on Christmas Day.

Desert is store-bought pastry.

I'm taking the standing rib roast out of the freezer as we speak.
It's gonna be an Uncle Scrooge spread this year.

Rib roast with Yorkshire Pudding and Roasted Potatos..
Anybody have any more suggestions for a Dickens Christmas feast?

Very staid and traditional at our house...nothing fancy that makes you go oooooo how clever....I'm afraid, but it does it for us perfectly...

Turkey
Ham
Sweet Potato Casserole
Green Bean Casserole
Turnip Potatoes ( That's just what my family has always called it...it's actually Rutabaga and Potatoes
and it's the food of the Gods)
Regular Potatoes
Cranberry Sauce
Stuffing
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie


Then some real high potency hydroponic weed (ou back where squinney and the cubs don't know.....