Tembleque (Puerto Rican)

From: http://www.tastingpuertorico.com/tembleque

This is the Puerto Rican Christmas Cake. It has the consistency of Flan, but no eggs.  It is a completely vegan recipe. And it’s so yum. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans (13.5 oz. each) Coconut Milk (Goya Brand)
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup corn starch
• ¼ tsp. salt
• Toasted coconut (optional for garnish)
• Ground cinnamon (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1.5 cans of the coconut milk with sugar and salt, stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to boil
2. In a separate bowl dissolve the cornstarch with the remaining 0.5 can of Coconut milk, making sure that the cornstarch has no lumps
3. Add this cornstarch and coconut mixture to the pan and stir until the mixture starts to thicken (about 5 mins)
4. Next pour through a strainer(optional) into individual serving dishes or one large bowl then cover to prevent a thick skin from forming on the top as the dessert cools.Allow to cool and place into the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours or longer
5. If you are using individual serving dishes, sprinkle the top of the tembleque with ground cinnamon before serving
6. If you have used a large bowl, then run a thin knife around the edge of the pudding, carefully invert the bowl onto a serving plate. Sprinkle the top with ground cinnamon before serving

Swedish Kringle

From Chicago Tribune. Recipe by Sue Nordin.
Prep: 30 min
Bake: 45 min
Makes: 2 kringles

Pastry A:

1 c flour
1 pinch salt
1 stick (1/2 c) cold unsalted butter, cut up
2-3 tbsp ice cold water

Pastry B:

4 oz almond paste
1 c water
1 stick (1/2 c) unsalted butter, curt up
1 c flour
3 eggs
1 tsp almond extract

Icing:

1 1/2 c confectioners’ sugar
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2-4 tbsp milk or cream
2 tbsp toasted almond slices

DIRECTIONS:

1. PULSE: For Pastry A, drop flour, salt, and butter into food processor. Pulse until crumbly. Pour in 2-3 tbsp water. Pulse until clumpy.
2. FLATTEN: Tour out pastry clumps onto a sheet of parchment paper. Divide in half. Shape into 2 logs. Roll or pat each log into a thin rectangle, each about 14 in long and 4.5 in wide.Slide parchment onto baking sheet.
3. SOFTEN: For Pastry B, swirl almond paste in the food processor, about 1 min. Set aside.
4. BOIL: In medium saucepan, heat water and butter to a boil. Pull pan off heat. Immediately drop in flour. Use an electric mixer to beat smooth. Beat in almond paste, then eggs – one at a time! – then extract.
5. BAKE: Spread half of Pastry B over one rectangle of Pastry A, completely covering A. Repeat with second triangle. Bake at 350 F until puffed and golden, about 45 min. Cool completely.
6. ICE: For icing, beat confectioners’ sugar, butter and both extracts together. Add enough milk to achieve a spreadable icing. Spread half the icing over each cooled kringle. Sprinkle on almonds. Slice crosswise on the diagonal into 1 in thick strips.
7. ENJOY!!

NOTE: This tasted great, but don’t make again.

William Faulkner’s Hot Toddy

Baby, It’s Cold Outside.

When she asks, “What’s in this drink?” — She’s talking about this!! 😉

Ingredients:

Bourbon (I like Maker’s Mark)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 lemon, squeezed
Boiling water

Glass: Use a heavy bottomed glass tumbler

Directions:

1. Fill the tumbler half full with bourbon.
2. Add sugar.
3. Squeeze in the lemon juice.
4. Stir until sugar dissolves.
5. Top off with boiling water.
6. Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Fruit Cake (UK)

Nigella Lawson Recipe

INGREDIENTS
Makes: about 10 slices

350 grams prunes
250 grams raisins
125 grams currants
50 grams piece candied orange peel
175 grams soft unsalted butter
175 grams dark brown muscovado sugar
175 millilitres runny honey
125 millilitres tia maria or other coffee liqueur
2 – 3 oranges (juice and zest)
1 teaspoon mixed spice
4 tablespoons cocoa
3 large eggs (beaten)
150 grams plain flour
75 grams ground almonds
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

METHOD
Preheat the oven to gas mark 2/150°C/300°F. Line the sides and bottom of a 20cm / 8-inch round, 9cm / 3½ inch deep, loose-bottomed cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment. Before proceeding any further, read the following which explains how to do it if you need the encouragement. The paper should come up higher than the sides of the tin; think of a lining that’s twice as deep as the tin. Cut out two circles of paper, and two very long rectangles that will fit along the sides of the tin coming up from it like a top hat. Before you put the rectangular cut-out paper in, fold one long side in of both pieces, as if turning up a hem of about 2cm / 1 inch, and then take some scissors and snip into this hem, at intervals of about 2cm / 1 inch – as if you were making a rough frill. Grease the tin, lay one circle on the bottom and get one of your long pieces, then fit with the frilly edge along the bottom, which you press down to sit flat on the circle to hold it in place. Press the paper well into the sides, and repeat with the second piece. Now place the second circle of paper on the bottom of the tin, but on top of the two pressed-down frilly edges, which will also help to hold the pieces around the edge in place. Finally, wrap the tin with brown parcel paper, again making it higher than the sides, and tie it in place with kitchen twine.
Put the fruit, butter, sugar, runny honey, Tia Maria, orange juice and zests, spice and cocoa into a large wide saucepan and bring to the boil gently, stirring as the butter melts. Simmer for 10 minutes, and then take off the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
After the 30 minutes are up, it will have cooled a little (though you could leave it for longer if you wanted). Add the beaten eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula, however you like, to combine.
Pour the fruit cake mixture into the prepared cake tin. Place in the oven and bake for 1¾–2 hours, by which time the top of the cake should be firm but will have a shiny and sticky look. If you insert a cake tester into the centre of the cake it will still be a little gooey in the middle.
Put the cake on a cooling rack. It will hold its heat and take a while to cool, but once it has, unmould it from the tin and, if you don’t want to eat it immediately (and like any fruit cake it has a very long life), wrap it in baking parchment and then in foil and place in a tin.

Six Recipes in One

Published in Chicago Tribune on April 20, 1952.

BASIC SWEET YEAST DOUGH:
(makes 2 coffee cakes or 4 dozen rolls)

2 packages dry granular yeast
1/2 c lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
2 c flour
2 c milk, scalded and cooled
1/2 c butter
1/3 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
5 c flour, about

DIRECTIONS:

1. Dissolve yeast in water.
2. Sprinkle 1 tsp sugar on top.
3. Beat 2 c flour into 2 c milk until smooth.
4. Add softened yeast and let stand until light and bubbly, about 1 hour.
5. Cream butter and sugar together thoroughly with electric mixer.
6. Add unbeaten eggs and salt, blending well.
7. Then beat into the yeast mixture.
8. Work in more flour, enough to make a soft dough.
9. Knead until smooth and elastic on very lightly floured pastry cloth.
10. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in bulk in a warm place.
11. Shape as desired and let rise again until doubled.
12. Bake as directed for coffee cake or rolls.

VARIATIONS

PECAN ROLLS

1. Use half of basic dough for 2 dozen rolls.
2. Roll out to rectangle about 1/4 in thick.
3. Spread with 2 tbsp softened butter.
4. Sprinkle about 1/4 c brown sugar mixed with 1 tbsp cinnamon over dough.
5. Cream together 6 tbsp brown sugar and 1/4 c softened butter.
6. Place small amount of this in bottom and around sides of muffin pans.
7. Place a pecan half, or 2 tsp chopped pecans in each muffin pan.
8. Roll up as for jelly roll and cut in 1 in slices.
9. Place cut side down in prepared pans and let rise until doubled in bulk.
10. Bake in moderate oven, 375 F, about 15 min.

KOLACHIES

1. Use half of basic dough.
2. Roll to 1/2 in thickness.
3. Cut circles with 2.5 in biscuit cutter.
4. Make depressions in each circle with bottom of custard cup.
5. Place pieces on greased baking sheet and spoon filling in depressions (use apricot, cottage cheese, poppy seed, or a preserve) and let rise until doubled in bulk.
6. Bake in moderately hot oven, 400 F, for 12 to 15 min.
7. Makes 2 dozen rolls.

CHERRY BRAID COFFEE CAKE

1. Use half of basic dough.
2. Divide dough into two long rolls, one twice as long as the other.
3. Divide the longest roll into three pieces, and roll each piece into a thin roll about 18 inches long.
4. Divide the short piece into three strips of equal length.
5. Now braid the three 18 inch pieces and place on lightly greased baking sheet, after pinching the edges tightly.
6. Now braid the shorter strips, pinch ends tightly, and place on top of the first braid, pressing top braid lightly onto bottom one.
7. Let rise until doubled in bulk.
8. Bake in moderate oven, 375 F, for about 30 minutes.
9. When cool frost with vanilla confectioner’s sugar icing and decorate with candied cherries and pecan halves.
10. One cup raisins may be kneaded into dough if desired.

TEA RING

1. Use half of basic dough.
2. Roll dough on a floured pastry cloth to a rectangle about 12 by 14 inches and 1/2 inch thick.
3. Spread with 2 tbsp softened butter and sprinkle on 1 c chopped fruit (or 3/4 c chopped fruit and 1/4 c chopped nuts).
4. Place the filling as near the edge as possible, then roll as for jelly roll, moistening the edge with water to make the roll hold together.
5. Pull out dough to about 22 inches in length, place on greased baking sheet and shape into a ring.
6. Using scissors, cut 20 or more even gashes around the outer edge, cutting almost through dough.
7. Lift slices slightly upward and place on sides, turning every other one in opposite direction to form heart shaped sections. Press entire ring flat to make dough even in height.
8. Cover, let rise until doubled, then bake in moderate oven, 375 F, for about 30 minutes.
9. Before serving, trickle thin vanilla confectioner’s sugar icing around inside of ring.

CINNAMON ROLL COFFEE CAKE

1. Use one third of basic dough.
2. Roll to a rectangle about 1/4 in thick.
3. Spread with 2 tbsp softened butter.
4. Sprinkle with 1/3 c sugar blended with 1 tsp cinnamon.
5. Roll up like jelly roll.
6. Cut into 12 slices and place slices close together, in a well greased 9 in pie pan.
7. Let rise until doubled in bulk, then bake in a moderate oven, 375 F, for about 25 min.

FROSTED BOWKNOTS

1. Use half of basic dough.
2. Roll to 1/4 in in thickness.
3. Cut into strips 1/2 in wide and 6 in long.
4. Brush lightly with melted butter and tie each strip in a knot, leaving the ends free.
5. Brush lightly with diluted egg yolk.
6. Set aside to double in bulk, about 45 min.
7. Bake in hot oven, 425 F, 15 to 20 min.
8. When cool, frost with vanilla or orange confectioner’s sugar icing and sprinkle on chopped nuts.

 

Surprise Cookies

Martha Stewart Recipe

COOKIE INGREDIENTS:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally

COOKIE DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.

3. Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. (12 fit on a full sized sheet pan; the cookies don’t spread much). Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 9 minutes.

4. Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begin to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

5. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

FROSTING INGREDIENTS:

9 oz chocolate (bittersweet or semisweet, chopped)
1 c heavy cream
1 tsp dark rum (optional)

FROSTING DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. (Whip in kitchenaid for 5 min, let color turn from dark brown to light brown – if you don’t whip it, it will be more like a ganache than a frosting). Stir in the rum if desired.
2. TO USE AS GANACHE: Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward.
3. TO USE AS A FROSTING: For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.

BROWNIE COOKIES SHORTCUT:

Make your life simple, sub in a brownie mix. I use Ghirardelli brownie mix from Costco. It’s awesome. You’re welcome.

1 box brownie mix (18.4 oz)
1/2 c butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips
3 tbsp powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS FOR BROWNIE COOKIES:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Open box of brownie mix, and set chocolate pouch aside.
2. In large bowl, beat sifted brownie mix, melted butter and egg until batter is smooth. Stir in peppermint crunch baking chips and semisweet chocolate chips.
3. Shape dough into tablespoon-size balls. Place on cookie sheet.
4. FOR BROWNIE COOKIES: Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are puffed and cracked, but still appear a little shiny. Cool completely.
5. FOR SURPRISE COOKIES: Go back to the top of this post and follow on from Cookie Directions #3.

NO BUTTER BROWNIE MIX COOKIES INGREDIENTS:

1 box brownie mix
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tbsp water

NO BUTTER BROWNIE MIX COOKIES DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Mix all ingredients well and follow from Cookie Directions #3 above.

Jules Destrooper Almond Thins

Danish name: Brunkager

INGREDIENTS:

250 g butter
250 g brown sugar
125 g light syrup (made from cane sugar or palm sugar or golden syrup)
500 g all purpose flour
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
150 g whole almonds
25 g pistachios (unsalted)
2 tsp baker’s ammonia (this is what makes the cookies crunchy)(King Arthur Flour sells it)
1 tbsp cold water

DIRECTIONS:

1. In sauce pan over medium heat, add butter, syrup and brown sugar. Heat until 70 C (160 F). Set aside.
2. In large bowl, mix spices and flour. Add almonds and pistachios.
3. In small bowl, dissolve ammonia into cold water.
4. Pour butter mix and ammonia mix into bowl with flour mix.
5. Pour batter into 8 x 8 brownie pan (pyrex) lined with parchment paper.
6. Cover pan with parchment paper.
7. Leave the pan, with the batter, on your kitchen table for the next day. (Remember, Denmark is a cold country, so doing this in a hot or humid climate might not work so well – in that case, leave it in an unheated oven).
8. The batter should the next day be a solid dough. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 5-6 logs and then into thin slices.
9. Bake at 180 C (360 F) for 8 – 12 min.
10. Let cookies cool completely.
11. Store in airtight jar.
12. Enjoy!

French Puff Muffins

Betty Crocker Recipe (apparently, this was a recipe that they taught in home economics classes in the US in the 1970s).

YIELD: 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS

Muffin

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg OR allspice OR cinnamon OR cardamom
1/2 cup milk
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Topping

1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS

Muffins

Heat oven to 350ºF. Line a 12 muffin cup pan with paper cupcake liners.

Mix butter, sugar and the egg thoroughly in a large bowl.

Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and spice alternately with milk.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Topping

Mix sugar and the cinnamon and put in one bowl

Put melted butter in second bowl.

Roll hot muffins immediately in melted butter, then in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Serve hot.

FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS

Make muffins without topping. Freeze in tupperware or ziplock bags (key is to wrap well so freezer smells do not yuck up your muffins). To reuse, defrost at room temperature and warm in 350 oven for 5 minutes. Then follow directions for topping as above.

NOTES: These tasted like baked pancakes. Also very eggy. Did not like and do not recommend. 😦

Vintage Lebkuchen Recipe

Hilda Lebkuchen
This sounds great, but I must send on this recipe that is at least 100 years old — Lebküchen — Hilda ‘Hode’ Eiseman Hode made this every year for Christmas. She did the final mixing in a huge dishpan with a wooden spoon and her hands. I cut it in half and freeze some of the dough in well-sealed containers for two or three years. Freezing the dough seems to improve it as the flavors have more time to blend. Thaw the dough, then roll out as usual. May take extra flour.
Ingredients:
1 pound light brown sugar
1 quart light molasses
1 ½ cups shortening (original recipe called for lard)
1 tablespoon salt
1 pint sour cream
1pint sour milk (or buttermilk)
3 tablespoons baking soda dissolved in buttermilk
1 heaping tablespoon baking powder
½ tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
5 pounds flour (save out 1 – 2 cups for rolling out dough)
1 quart chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are good)
2 ½ pounds raisins
1 pound dates
1 pound mixed candied fruit
Directions:
1. Grind together the last four ingredients and mix with the flour and spices.
2. Cream sugar and shortening until light.
3. Add molasses, sour cream and milk with dissolved baking soda.
4. Add and thoroughly mix in the flour/spice/fruit mixture.
5. Chill dough.
6. Roll out on a floured board to about ¼ inch thick. Cut into rectangles.
7. Place on a greased baking sheet.
8. Glaze with a thin mixture of confectioner’s sugar and milk (or water) before baking. Can add half a candied cherry or nut to top of cookies.
9. sBake at 350° about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack. Store tightly covered in cool place.

Lebkuchen

Adapted from Martha Stewart Cookies p.192

Lebkuchen (German Christmas Cookies)

Lebkuchen

This is the authentic recipe. If you don’t like fruitcake mix, try King Arthur’s Lebkuchen recipe.

Makes 18 cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp ginger, ground
1/4 tsp cloves, ground
1/2 tsp mace or allspice or nutmeg
1/2 c almond flour
2/3 c candied fruitcake mix
4 Medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped
3 oz almond paste, broken into small pieces
1/3 c apricot jam (I used Smucker’s Simply Fruit)
3 eggs
3/4 packed light brown sugar

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients.

2. In second bowl, add fruitcake mix and dates. Mix.

3. Add almond paste. Mix.

4. Add jam. Mix.

5. Add eggs and brown sugar. Mix.

6. Fridge mix overnight or up to 3 days.

7. Preheat oven to 325 F. Prepare cookie sheet with silpat on top.

8. Make 2 in diameter rounds, place on silpat. Place 3 almonds close together on top of each cookie, decoratively. (Note: In Germany, they bake these on something called oblaten.)

9. Bake 12-14 minutes. You may need to rotate cookie sheet halfway through.

While baking, make glaze.

GLAZE:

1/2 c + 3 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
2 tbsp whole milk

Mix well.

10. When cookies are cooled all the way, brush glaze on top of the cookies and let set. Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. To store longer, put cookies in airtight box with half an orange or apple (to keep the moisture in).

Note: WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!! Divided batter into three parts, baked one, froze two. Love Germans. Love!