“Way back in the 80’s, a colleague introduced me to chocolate shortbread. A little twist on a holiday favourite! I tried the recipe and got rave reviews from all who tried it. Enjoy!!”
½ cup corn starch
2/3 cup icing sugar
1 cup flour
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 cup softened butter
Blend the above ensuring not to overwork the dough.
Roll in balls and flatten with a fork.
Bake in a 300 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
“I’ve tried a lot (and I mean a lot) of mulled wine and this is one of my faves. I like that it isn’t super sweet and doesn’t have any refined sugar but still tastes like the classic holiday drink we all know and love”
Recipe yields about 5 servings. Multiply as desired.
1 large orange
1 bottle of affordable red wine (I use Merlot or Zinfandel)
¼ cup brandy
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey, to taste
2 whole cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
4 whole cloves
Slice the orange in half through the round middle, then slice one of the halves into rounds. Place the rounds into a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Squeeze the juice from the remaining orange half into the pot.
Pour the wine into the pot, followed by the brandy. Add 1 tablespoon of the sweetener for now. Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves.
Warm the mixture over medium heat until steaming (about 5 minutes), and keep an eye on it. When you start seeing the tiniest of bubbles at the surface, reduce the heat to the lowest of low. Don’t let it boil or the alcohol will burn off, and that just defeats the purpose!
Taste, and add another tablespoon of sweetener if desired.
Serve in mugs with your desired garnishes!
“This dip is a show stopper and has become my go-to when I need to bring an appetizer to an event. It also keeps well in the fridge so you can enjoy it over a couple days… IF there are any leftovers”
2 packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of cooked chicken breast, diced.
1 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
½ cup of Ranch Salad Dressing
2 cups of shredded cheese (I use a Tex Mex blend)
Preheat oven to 350°.
Using hand mixer, whip the cream cheese, add hot sauce and ranch dressing. Stir in chicken and 1 ½ cups of cheese.
Pour into baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese
Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with baguette slices or chips.
This also is great to make in a slow cooker, in which case mix in all 2 cups of cheese from the start, allow the dip to heat through, and serve.
If you like your dip with a bit more spice add extra hot sauce to taste. For a milder flavor, do a 1 cup to 1 cup ratio of ranch and hot sauce.
“Despite its name (Greek-style) and presumed of foreign origin, this dish has long been a staple on the Polish Wigilia table, and it is very good indeed. In some families it is served hot”
Cut 1.5 lb fillets (cod or pike) at an angle into 2” pieces; rinse, pat dry and fry in a little oil to a nice golden brown on both sides. Arrange portions on a serving platter.
Separately, peel, wash, trim and slice into “matchsticks” 2 carrots, a ½ inch slice celeriac (or 1 stalk celery), 1 parsley root (or small parsnip), and 3 onions. Brown lightly in several tablespoons of oil, stirring constantly. Add ¼ cup canned or frozen green peas (optional). Stir in 3 tablespoons of water and simmer on low until fully cooked. Stir in 3-4 tablespoons tomato paste and season to taste with salt, pepper, a small dash of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add several dashes of paprika and 1-2 teaspoons of mustard (optional). Mix well and let cook on medium heat until hot (5-10 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to cool. The sauce should have a nice, sweet, sour and tangy taste.
Decorate fish platter with parsley or lettuce and pour cold sauce over fish. Refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving.
*adapted from Polish Holiday Cookery by Robert Strybel
“My weird little cookies are oddly delicious and provide a nice break from all the sweets at Christmastime. This recipe averages 48 small cookies”
Dry Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp clove
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
Sugar Cookie Base:
1 cup soft butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups white or raw sugar (not brown or golden)
Wet Ingredients:
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Cookie Coating:
1/4 cup white or raw sugar (not brown or golden)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
In a small bowl, mix dry ingredients and set aside. If you want to adjust the spices, go for it. This recipe is very flexible and if you want to add more or less it should not be a problem. Truthfully, I do not measure the spices when I add them, and the above measurements are a conservative estimate.
In a large bowl, cream together the sugar cookie base until smooth. Next, beat in wet ingredients. Once blended, gradually mix in the dry ingredients.
In a low flat container, stir together cookie coating.
Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and lightly roll through cookie coating and place on ungreased cookie tray.
Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375*f
“This recipe is special for me because it used to be something my sister and I would bake together. Everyone always loves this brownie, especially the added white chocolate chips”
10 tablespoons salted butter melted
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a metal 9×9 pan with parchment paper.
Pour melted butter into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar by hand until smooth, 30 seconds.
Add in eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk 1 minute.
Whisk in melted chocolate until combined and smooth.
Use a rubber spatula to stir in flour, cocoa powder, and salt until just combined. Stir in whole chocolate chips.
Pour into prepared pan and smooth out.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes before slicing.
“These not quite cookies – not quite cakes – not quite scones are a favourite in my family and are great on a cookie tray or served with some butter and jam as part of a festive breakfast”
225g All Purpose flour
85g caster sugar (I often just use granulated but never use icing sugar)
½ tsp of your favourite Christmas spices, (I recommend a mix of mace, cinnamon, and nutmeg)
½ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt (just a pinch)
50g butter, cut into small pieces
50g lard, cut into small pieces, plus extra for frying
50g currant
1 beaten egg
A splash of milk
Put the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Using your fingers rub in the butter and lard until crumbly. Alternatively, you can use a pastry blender or even food processor. Stir in the currants. Work the egg into the mixture until you have soft dough, adding a splash of milk if it seems a little dry –if it looks and feels like shortcrust pastry then you are good.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to the thickness of your little finger. Cut out rounds using a 6cm cutter, re-rolling any trimmings.
Grease a cast iron or other heavy frying pan with lard, and place over medium heat. Cook the Welsh cakes in batches, for about 3 mins each side, until golden – lightly brown, crisp. They are good as is or sprinkled with more sugar. They stay fresh in a tin for about a week and freeze well. My dad and I may be guilty of eating them directly from the freezer when no-ones looking.