Homemade goodies make the best holiday gifts. They are reasonably priced, fun to make and most of all - they are from the heart, sending a message that you took the time to create something from scratch, often a rarity these days. This year in addition to Chocolate Truffles, I decided to make Cranberry Curd and Gingered Cranberry Relish. Cranberries are a perfect holiday food - bright red, tangy and tart, they pair well with poultry, such as the traditional Christmas turkey or goose. Growing up in South Jersey not far from the thriving cranberry bogs of the Pine Barrens, luscious jelly and juicy whole-berry compote made from the tiny, yet assertive fruit was always abundant on our holiday table. I had made lemon curd before, but I found a recipe that used cranberries in addition to lemon, giving the curd a lovely deep pink color, yet kept the sweet-tart flavor. This curd would make a much-appreciated hostess gift for an overnight stay with friends or family to be served at breakfast the next morning - it is delicious spread on toast,  spooned over pancakes, stirred into Greek yogurt, or as a filling for crepes.

Cranberry Curd

Makes about 2 1/2 cups, but you can easily double it. Simply allow more time for the curd to thicken.

Cooking Light DECEMBER 2012

• Yield: Serves 20 (serving size: 2 tablespoons)
• Hands-on:35 Minutes
• Total:1 Hour, 35 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Preparation
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until cranberries pop. Place cranberry mixture in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Strain cranberry mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids.
2. Combine sugars and butter in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined. Add egg yolks and egg, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in cranberry mixture, cornstarch, and salt. Place mixture in the top of a double boiler. Cook over simmering water until a thermometer registers 160° and mixture thickens (about 10 minutes), stirring frequently. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in liqueur. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 week.

I also made Gingered Cranberry Relish to give to my mom and mother-in-law, both whom love cranberries. So easy - just three ingredients, gotta love that. And was very yummy - spicy, thick, and jelly-like, but with a nice texture. it reminded me of my Aunt Joan's Spiced Cranberries recipe. It would be great on a sandwich paired with leftover turkey or mixed into chicken salad.

Gingered Cranberry Relish

1 12-oz package fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger

In a large saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the juices have thickened and a few berries have started to pop, about 10-15 min. Stir in the ginger and remove from heat.
When cool, spoon into jars or sturdy air-tight plastic containers.
Can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.


Adapted from Georgeanne Brennan's Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen

I'm excited to give these decadent treats as Christmas gifts to friends and family! For a festive touch, I added a variety of holiday-themed decorating sugars and sprinkles. Fun to make and very yummy - who doesn't like a special gift of chocolate?

Ingredients: 

2 cups heavy cream
1 lb. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used a combination of Ghirardelli, SunSpire and Bakers)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup Cognac, Grand Marnier, or other liqueur (I used Cointreau)
Mini cupcake liners
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting (optional
Semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (optional)
Sea salt, for sprinkling 
Holiday-themed decorating sugar and/or sprinkles (optional)

 Instructions:

• Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate  and stir until it is melted, smooth and shiny. Beat in the butter until smooth. Pour into a bowl and stir in the liqueur  Refrigerate until set, about one hour.
  
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a melon baller, scoop out 1-in rounds and place on the baking sheet.* Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 min. 
  
• To shape the truffles, roll each ball in between your palms until round. (I needed to clean my hands several times as mixture kept sticking). Dust with cocoa powder (or roll the ball into a small dish of it) if using.
  
• If using a chocolate coating, melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and using a fork or large spoon, dip the truffles one at a time in the chocolate, turning to coat, and the place on a parchment-lined tray or baking sheet. Add a pinch of sea salt, or one or more of the holiday sprinkles, if using, and let stand or refrigerate until chocolate is set.
  
• To package them up for gift giving, place each truffle in a mini cupcake liner and carefully layer them into a small airtight plastic container separated by wax paper. Will keep in the fridge for up to a week. 
• Makes about 3 dozen truffles

* After I made these, I read someone's recommendation to clean the melon baller with warm water as you go for easy formation. I will try this next time!

Adapted from Georgeanne Brennan's Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen. 

A blast from the past - it seems like these candy-cane cookies have been around forever. Many of us recall them from our youth - made lovingly by a mother or grandmother or simply included as part of the display of  cookies served at Christmas dinner or at a party. They were featured in my Mom's Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, in good company alongside our other favorites such as Snickerdoodles and Molasses Crinkles. One special memory I have of them:  Back when I was in 8th grade, a friend made them for all of us in our circle as her contribution to our gift exchange - a fantastic idea! 
Now my kids love to make (and eat!) them. My daughter isn't crazy about the crushed peppermint candy on top, so I make some without  for her. Crunchy outside, chewy inside, not overly sweet, and with just a hint of peppermint, they are delicious, as well as fun to make. The dough can get a little sticky, so make sure to chill it for at least a few hours, as the recipe recommends.

Candy Cane Cookies

PREP TIME: 40 Min
TOTAL TIME: 6 Hr
SERVINGS: 54

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 egg
3 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red food color
2 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint candies
2 tablespoons sugar
Stir together 1 cup sugar, the butter, milk, vanilla, peppermint extract and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Divide dough in half. Stir food color into 1 half. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Heat oven to 375ºF.
Stir together peppermint candy and 2 tablespoon sugar; set aside.
For each candy cane, shape 1 rounded teaspoon dough from each half into 4-inch rope by rolling back and forth on floured surface. Place 1 red and white rope side by side; press together lightly and twist. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; curve top of cookie down to form handle of cane.
Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until set and very light brown. Immediately sprinkle candy mixture over cookies. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Makes 4 1/2 dozen cookies

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving (1 Serving)Calories 85 (Calories from Fat 35 ),Total Fat 4 g(Saturated Fat 2 g,),Cholesterol 15 mg;Sodium 45 mg;Total Carbohydrate 11 g(Dietary Fiber 0g,Protein 1 g;Percent Daily Value*:Exchanges:1 Fruit;1/2 Fat;*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker - www.bettycrocker.com

The kids and I tried something new with our cookie decorating tonight - a rosewater glaze.  We are very familiar with the aromatic flavoring since it shows up often in the 19th century recipes I have been re-creating, courtesy of Mrs. Goodfellow. I got the idea from one of the jumbles recipes now part of my collection, and changed it up a bit to make it festive for the holidays, swapping red and green colored sugar  for regular granulated sugar. 

My daughter and I made some holiday wreath-shaped cookies yesterday using our new favorite jumbles recipe. After rolling out the dough, instead of cutting it into strips and shaping into rings, we used a round flower-shaped cookie cutter and small bottle lid to hollow out the center. Then we iced them with green-tinted frosting and sprinkled on some holiday-themed cookie decorations. Based on the recipe Mrs. Goodfellow taught in her cooking school in the 19th century, I have now made jumbles many times (see my blog post from this summer) but this was a new and festive presentation. 


Holiday Jumbles

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon rose water
3 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Cream butter and sugar until very light. Add egg and rose-water, blending thoroughly. (May substitute lemon  extract to taste for rose-water.
2. Sift flour with spices. Add all at once to creamed mixture, blending well. 
3. Wrap dough and chill at least 2 hours.
4. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4" thickness. 
5. Cut out shapes with a plain round or round scalloped-shaped (like a flower) cookie cutter, use a small bottle cap to hollow out the center
6. Bake cookies on ungreased sheets in preheated 375 degree oven 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Remove to rack. When cool, frost and decorate as per the following:
7.  For  the frosting,  stir together 1 1/2 cups sifted powered sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons water until smooth and well blended. You can add a little lemon juice or more water if it seems too stiff. Add enough green food coloring to yield an evergreen shade. Spread a little on a cookie and then sprinkle on red, green and/or white cookie decorations. Tip: pour whatever decorations you are using onto a low dish and just dip the icing side of each cookie into it (like ice cream places often do with cones). If you want to get more fancy, spoon icing into a pastry bag (you may need to thin a little more with water), and pipe frosting around each cookie to simulate wreath greens. You can also tint a little bit of icing red and pipe a bow on each wreath. 
Just be as creative as you want and have fun! 

Based on Nancy Carter Crump's jumbles recipe from Hearthside Cooking

If you have never heard of King Ranch Chicken, it might evoke images of chicken served with a tangy buttermilk sauce. However, ranch dressing does not factor in it at all. 
The dish is actually a pretty simple casserole which includes chicken, creamy soups, cheese, corn tortillas and most importantly, Ro-Tel tomatoes. I was first introduced to this Texan classic when I met my husband - he grew up in Fort Worth and this was a popular dinner in his household (and apparently the go-to recipe for many Texas Moms). He always requests it for his birthday, so I made it this week to celebrate his special day. As a kid he was told that the name comes from the massive King Ranch in Texas. (A little bit of trivia: The King Ranch is SO big, it's total acreage is greater than the state of Rhode Island). The legend as my husband knew it is that this filling one-dish meal was an easy way to feed many hungry ranch hands at one time, and was likely created by a King Ranch cook. However, I did some searching around and the King Ranch actually does not take ownership of the recipe, which kind of makes sense since it features chicken, and the King Ranch (and the rest of Texas for that matter) is known for and loves its home-grown beef. Although it indeed may have been "created" there at the ranch, no proof exists of its true origins. No matter, now that Ro-Tel tomatoes are widely available throughout the Northeast, I can re-create bit of nostalgia from his past every year!

If you Google King Ranch Chicken, you will find any number of different versions. I like to use the recipe found on the Ro-Tel website as my guide:

KING RANCH CHICKEN

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
Serves: 8 servings (about 1 cup each)

A signature Ro*Tel recipe--a creamy, cheesy and easy casserole with that special 'kick' coming from Ro*Tel tomatoes and green chilies

INGREDIENTS

PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
1/4 cup Fleischmann's® Original-stick
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 can (10-3/4 oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can (10-3/4 oz each) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can (10 oz each) Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
12 corn tortillas (6 inch), torn into bite-size pieces
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (2 cups = 8 oz)
DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
Melt Fleischmann's in large saucepan over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in both soups, undrained tomatoes and chicken.
Layer one-third each of tortillas, chicken mixture and cheese evenly in dish. Repeat layers twice more. Bake uncovered 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Recipe courtesy of Ro-Tel website

I was in the mood for some soup, so I gathered the following vegetables from my larder:  one turnip, one sweet potato, one acorn squash, half a red onion and two cloves of garlic. I also selected one large cooking apple. After peeling and chopping them all up, I tossed the mixture with a little olive oil, Jane's crazy salt and fresh thyme and placed it in a large foil-lined roasting pan coated lightly with cooking spray, then baked it at 425 for about 40 min. I then put the veg in my crock pot along with some veg broth, a little bit of apple cider and some freshly grated ginger. I cooked this on high for a few hours and then pureed it right in the crock pot using my stick blender. I then put the crock pot on low for a couple more hours. To serve I sprinkled some freshly grated nutmeg over the top. The meal was complemented by Whole Foods' Seeduction bread and a salad of arugula, pink grapefruit, tangerine, celery and goat cheese. 
Verdict: The bitter spiciness of the turnip proved to be a nice foil for the sweeter vegetables - a combination I will try again!

I saw this recipe in the Nov 2012 issue of Cooking Light and had been itching to try it. The idea of the Brussels sprouts-pasta combination was very intriguing. Last night I finally got a chance, tweaking it just a bit by swapping red onion for yellow and adding some chopped smoked sun-dried tomato. I also sprinkled a few shakes of lemon pepper on top. It was divine! The flavors all melded together perfectly and the buttery breadcrumbs were an interesting (and delicious) addition - one I wouldn't have thought of. And the festive colors would enliven a holiday table perfectly.


Here's the recipe:
Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked cavatappi pasta
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
4 teaspoons olive oil
12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2/3 cup organic vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, shaved (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and transfer to a large bowl; keep warm.
2. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat; swirl to coat. Add panko to pan; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add Brussels sprouts to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onion and garlic; cook 3 minutes or until onion is tender and the Brussels sprouts are lightly browned. Add broth and next 5 ingredients (through pepper). Cover and cook 2 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are crisp-tender. Add Brussels sprouts mixture to pasta; toss well. Sprinkle with cheese, pine nuts, and panko. Serve immediately.
Wine Match: A yeasty sparkling wine like the Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut ($20) is a refreshing foil for the earthiness of the onions and sprouts and the nutty, salty cheese in this pasta dish. --Gretchen Roberts
Jackie Mills, Cooking Light 
NOVEMBER 2012