Category: Holiday Fare

Just adding this new category and will be posting seasonal recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas

Cakes · Desserts · Holiday Fare

Carrot Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

The thought of going a full day without posting something sweet just makes me crazy. When I found this in the same old Tea Time  Magazine that the Bittersweet brownie recipe came from, I saved it for when I had the energy to shred 2 cups of carrots, but now that you can buy them in the store already shredded, I love to make any type of carrot cake. This one combines the flavor of cream cheese in the cake. So…when you are thinking, “I need to eat more veggies” hiding them with cream cheese is a great way to eat healthy. At least in my world.

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

1 ( 8oz) cream cheese, softened

3 cups sugar

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teas ground cinnamon

6 large eggs

1 teas vanilla

1/2 teas lemon extract (or orange extract) (I used the orange because I added orange zest to the batter)

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325. (I added orange zest along with orange extract) Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Using mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed 5-7 minutes.

In small bowl, combine flour and cinnamon. Add 1 cup flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Add 2 eggs, beating just until yellow disappears. Repeat procedure with remaining flour and eggs.

Stir in vanilla and lemon (or orange) extract, carrots and pecans. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour and 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Glaze

2/3 cup powdered sugar

4 tablespoon orange juice

Add enough powdered sugar to make glaze spreading consistency.

In small bowl, combine sugar and orange juice, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Casseroles · Holiday Fare · Starches · Vegetables

Caramelized Onion & Gorgonzola Mashed Potatoes (or Cauliflower)

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

As I was writing that title, I’m thinking to myself, if you are not eating potatoes, why not substitute cauliflower. Taken from a November 2001 Southern Living, this is a favorite side to all meats.

Since getting quite a few emails telling me that I needed to post something besides desserts 95% of the time. I listened. So for the remainder of this week, I will post great holiday sides, meats or salads. (I know I can’t stand to not post a few desserts, so might have to post a couple of times a day to get in my 95% desserts, plus the other foods I have promised. So here it is; the first of the commitments:

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (or cauliflower)

1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided

2 tables butter

1 tables olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teas chopped fresh or 1/2 teas dried rosemary

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup half & half

3/4 cup Gorgonzola or blue cheese

3/4 teas pepper

Garnish: fresh rosemary springs

Bring potato or cauliflower to a boil with 1 teas salt with enough water to cover in a Dutch oven; cook 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain and keep warm.

Melt 2 tables butter with oil in a skillet over medium heat; add onion and cook, stirring often, 12-15 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook 3 minutes. Stir in rosemary, remove from heat.

Mash potato or cauliflower with a potato masher, stir in 1/2 cup butter, half & half and cheese until blended. Stir in onion mixture unto a lightly greased baking dish.

Broil 3″ from heat 5 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Garnish, if desired. You can just sprinkle paprika and dried parsley if you don’t have fresh rosemary sprigs.

Serves 6-8 people

Now can I post the new carrot pound cake recipe that I found?

Breads · Breakfast · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare

Pumpkin Poppers

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

Yesterday Peter & Penelope Pumpkin wandered around the Americana, stopping to have lunch and then to the movies to see Gravity. Afterward, we wanted just to sit outside with Starbucks and people watch, which is free and we enjoyed that much more than Gravity. Guess we aren’t sci-fi people, we are more people watching people. We are sitting there just enjoying the cool Fall air, watching all the people walking by when I look over to see a bakery called Deluca’s. I immediately grabbed my Saturday allowance out of hubbies wallet and headed over. When I entered, the nice little boy of 12 asked if he could help me. I told him that I wanted the lemon meringue bars that I fell in love with in New York. He informed me that they were not even associated with Dean & Duluca’s in NY but told me to follow him over to their dessert section and proceeded to show me their great desserts. One was a Whoopie Pie with a Nutella Whip filling. He actually gave me a sample of the filling and whoa, it was really good. Am going to have to make those. Then he showed me their Pumpkin Poppers.   Only 99cents each and I could have eaten a dozen.  There were miniature pumpkin muffins rolled in a heavy coating of cinnamon sugar mixture.  All I had taken with me was $2, so I got two. Bringing them back to Peter, I told him what I had got, hoping that he would say, “oh that’s ok, you eat them both, that doesn’t sound very good to me.” But the opposite happened. He grabbed the last one and scarfed it down, like he hadn’t had sugar in a week. He looked at me and said, “these are amazing”, when are you going to make us some?” So guess what I am doing today? Making mini pumpkin muffins and rolling them in cinnamon sugar.

What a great little coffee break goodie.   Wanted to give you a fresh idea of how to take your favorite pumpkin muffins to a new level. A sugar level.  Easy to pop in your mouth with one hand, as you are playing Candy Crush. An really, how fattening can a little popper be?

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare

Pumpkin, Caramel & Pecan Cheesecake

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

What better way to celebrate Fri than with a new recipe! It has been a very stressful morning. Decisions, decisions. We are going to some friends home for dinner and guess who volunteered to bring dessert? Knowing that I wanted to make something “fallish” two different recipes came to mind. This new recipe from Philadelphia Cream Cheese or one of my fall favs, fresh apple cake with brown sugar frosting.

Peter Pumpkin and I seem to load up on apples each and every week, thinking that what better time to begin eating healthy? Each time we come back from the grocery determined to load up our bodies with fresh fruit; thus the apples and bananas that we take out of the reusable bags. The only problem with this new resolution (actually it isn’t new, it’s something we’ve resolved to do since January, 1996, but never find the right time to begin) is that as the week goes by with the fruit still sitting there, staring back at us, it becomes apparent that it is no longer “fresh fruit” and is begging to be used in some delicious baked good that thrives on over ripe fruit to make it moisturie (I know I know, but it just seems to be the right word). So since I had apples laying out looking ever so “please use me, please use me” I decided to make a fresh apple cake tonight. But because that recipe is already on the post, I wanted to give you the other dessert that was the 2nd option for tonight. Will make it when I have used up all our over ripe fruit. Will start again on Mon with new fresh fruit. Who knows, maybe by next Fri, I will have found new recipes that use really ripe apples and bananas? In the meantime…..

Makes 16 Servings

Prep Time: 15 min (now that should catch your eye)

1/2 cup chopped pecans, divided

18 Nabisco Ginger Snaps, finely crushed

1/4 cup butter, melted

4 packages ( 8 oz ea) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teas vanilla

1 teas vanilla

 4 eggs

25 caramels

1/4 cup milk

Heat oven t0 325. Chop 1/4 cup of the pecans very fine in a bowl. Add ginger snap crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of a 13×9″ pan. Set aside.  Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl. With hand mixer, beat until blended. Add pumpkin, spice and vanilla, mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 45 min or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Microwave caramels and milk in microwavable bowl for 1 1/2 min or until caramels are completely melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Add the other 1/4 cup chopped pecans and spoon over individual servings of cheesecake. Top with whipping cream if desired.

 

Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare

Cranberry Cobbler With Walnut Creme

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

My Sister-in-law is always looking for new recipes that have cranberries in them. When I came across this one in Southern Lady, I quickly tore it out to post so Janece could spend her week playing mah jong instead of combing through magazines. Janece, this one is for you. BTW, just got back from Trader Jo’s. If you have not tried their pumpkin butter, do so, it is so good. Also bought their frozen pumpkin bread pudding. If we have unexpected company I can quickly bake it and add cream sauce and wa-la….instant Autumn dessert.

4 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

2/3 cup sugar

1 tables four

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

2 teas cinnamon

1 teas nutmeg

For the filling, combine the cranberries, sugar, flour, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and mix lightly. Spoon into a 1 1/2 qt greased baking dish.

Topping

1 1/2 cups flour

3 tables sugar

2 1/4 baking powder

2 teas finely grated orange zest

2 teas cinnamon

1/2 teas salt

6 tables unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2″ pieces

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tables sugar

Mix the flour, 3 tables sugar, baking powder, orange zest, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs .Use 2 forks or a pastry blender. Add the cream and mix just until mixture forms a soft dough.

Shape into biscuits with biscuit cutter or using the top of a drinking glass (dipping the glass in flour helps release the dough onto the baking sheet). 2″ in diameter and 1/2″ thick. Arrange over the cranberries. Sprinkle with 1 tables sugar.

Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve with walnut cream or ice cream.

Walnut Cream

1 cup whipping cream

1 tables sugar

1 teas vanilla

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

For the walnut cream, beat the whipping cream in a bowl with mixer until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla gradually, beating until  the peaks hold their shape. Fold in the walnuts. Chill until serving time.

 

Casseroles · Holiday Fare · Vegetables

Baked Zucchini In Sour Cream

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

Well, here it is folks, another (and I might add, probably the last veggie recipe this week, as I’m dying to post several new desserts) veggie recipe and since yesterday I said I would post a squash recipe, I thought that this one would be well received. It is from a cookbook that my aunt gave me back in the 60’s and each book of the set specializes in one of the following: salads, meats, vegetables and of course, desserts. The first cake I ever made came from the dessert book and I still make it today. A one bowl…oops, I always go back to desserts, don’t I? Back to the squash (did Adam name it that? and if so, how did he come up with that name? Squash) Was there a vegetable in the Garden of Eden that he accidentally sat or stepped on or did he taste something he didn’t like and wished that it would “squash away?” in the flood? Anyhow, this recipe is a great one for fall and is easy and really rich and flavorful. BTW, do not email me that the flood was years after Adam, I was just trying to be funny.

6 zucchini

2/3 cup sour cream

1 c grated Cheddar cheese

1 tables butter

1/2 teas salt

3 tables fresh bread crumbs

2 tables grated cheese

Cut squash into 1/2″ slices; simmer in water for 10 minutes.  Drain water from squash well.  Place in 8″ casserole dish that has been lightly greased. In a medium size bowl, combine sour cream, Cheddar cheese, butter and salt. Pour sauce over squash. Combine bread crumbs and remaining cheese; sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves: 6

appetizers · Fruit · Holiday Fare

Pumpkin Fruit Dip

Chocolate Castles9 Comments

Peter Pumpkin and Penelope were in charge of treats at church today. Knowing that I wanted to take a tray of green/red sliced apples on a platter around a bowl of fruit dip, I went in search of a new dip. When I came across this one, I decided that it was the one that would sit in the middle of the apples. This one  sounded intriguing, combining a can of pumpkin puree with just a couple of other ingredients. The crowd went wild…I saw several of the hubbies going back and getting a huge spoonful on their plates, several even came up to me and ask me what was in it. Simple put, it was a success. It looked so pretty, with it’s light creamy pumpkin color, very complimentary to the apples which surrounded it. I think you will agree, this one makes a great Fall dip. As I was sitting in class, watching several going back to get more, my mind started racing. If the dip was this good with sliced apples, what else would it go with? I began to imagine it spread between thin slices of pumpkin bread, making pretty tea sandwiches. Or between sliced date-nut bread. Celery stuffed with it or stuffed dates. The possibilities are endless. But before I really get carried away, I think I will just post the recipe and let you come up with how you would like to use it.

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree

1 (16 oz) container Cool Whip

1 package (3 oz size) of French vanilla instant pudding

8 oz softened cream cheese

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 teas pumpkin pie spice

Mix all ingredient, except Cool Whip together. After ingredients are well bended, add the Cool Whip and stir just until it is well blended with other ingredients; keep covered in the refrigerator at least 8 hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.  

Breads · Breakfast · Desserts · Holiday Fare

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

Windows are open, the Tunnel of Fudge cake I made yesterday is long gone (no I didn’t eat it by myself, I had a little help from my friends, which reminds me of a little song..although if they were truly my friends, they wouldn’t have eaten so much and left more for me.) so today am trying this new recipe. Was just a little blurb inserted at the bottom of a page in my new SL, advertising Domino Sugar. Will make it and let you know how good it is. Sounds really delish and fallish!

Serves 8 to 10, depending on serving size

4 cups white bread, cut into cubes

4 eggs (FYI, unless a recipe specifies differently, use large eggs in recipes, as the recipes are written with that size in mind)

3 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teas salt

1 tables rum or brandy or vanilla

1/4 teas nutmeg

1 teas cinnamon

1/4 teas cloves, ground

2 tables butter; cold, cut into pieces ( I can tell you right now, that I will be using probably 4-5 tables)

1/2 cup nuts, if desired

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13x9x2 baking pan. Dry bread cubes on cookie sheet in oven 10-15 minutes. Place bread cubes in pan; in large mixing bowl, whisk together all pudding ingredients except butter. Pour mixture over bread cubes. Let sit 10 minutes until bread is fully soaked. Dab butter over top. Bake 40-50 minutes. Pudding should be set in center by not dry. Serve with warm Crème Anglaise sauce. Recipe for that below.

Crème Anglaise

Whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, 2 large egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in a 2 qt saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly so mixture doesn’t scorch or scramble, 8 to 10 minutes or until mixture thinly coats back of a wooden spoon. Add 1 teas vanilla and  1 cinnamon stick, if desired. Pour mixture into a bowl. Fill a large bowl with ice. Place bowl containing cream mixture over ice and let stand. Stirring constantly. 30 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. Cover and chill 1 hour to 3 days.

Chicken · Holiday Fare · Meats

Dressed Up Chicken

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

In an old SLM, Oct 2003, there was a recipe that has caught my eye, 10 years later. Using canned biscuits as the bread bowl that holds the chicken mixture that makes a very simple dinner, the individual little bowls make dinner personal and elegant. Substitute turkey for the chicken to use leftover turkey in November.
To make the bread bowls:
1 (16.3 oz) can refrigerated jumbo flaky biscuits
Vegetable cooking spray
Roll each biscuit to a 5″ circle.
Invert 8 custard cups or ramekins, several inches apart on a lightly greased baking dish. Coat the outside of the cups/ramekins with cooking spray.
Mold flattened biscuits around outside of custard cups and bake at 350 for 14 minutes, until golden brown.
Cool slightly and remove biscuits bowls from the ramekins/cups.
Note: frozen biscuits may be substituted. Let thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes or overnight in fridge.
Biscuits may be slightly sticky; lightly flour before rolling out. Bake at 350 for 16-19 minutes.

Fill with Dressy Chicken
2 tables butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teas dried tarragon
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 package (16 oz package) frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1 (2 oz) jar diced pimiento, drained
1/4 teas salt
1/2 teas pepper

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and mushrooms. Saute 2-3 minutes or until tender.
Whisk soup, 1/2 cup milk, sour cream, and tarragon together. Cook over medium heat 3-5 minutes. Add 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, stirring constantly until cheese melts. Stir in cooked chicken, carrots and peas, pimiento, salt and pepper.
Cook over low heat, stirring often for about 10 minutes.
Spoon hot mixture into biscuit bowls. Serve immediately.

Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare

Paula Deen’s Tunnel Of Love Fudge Cake

Chocolate Castles4 Comments

During the dinosaur age, known as the 70’s and 80’s, there was a cake that became so popular that you couldn’t go to any social gathering without being served a piece of Tunnel of Fudge cake. It was all the rave and people just couldn’t get enough of this gooey and yummy cake. I like to think that it was this cake’s fault that contributed to my “baby fat” look, that I still am so proud to sport even today, in my “golden years”. When Duncan Hines did away with the frosting mix that you added to one of their cake mixes, that made this cake possible, America cried. What would we do without our Tunnel of Fudge cake? What would we serve for company, holidays and birthday’s? What was happening to the world? Why would Duncan Hines do this to us when we were just getting over having to wear tie dyed shirts, clogs and bell bottom jeans?

In came Paula Deen with her version of our most beloved cake. Once again, we can get those pretty cake plates out and proudly serve America’s Cake.  Thanks to Paula, we can go back to the kitchen and whip up this miracle of a cake. Who knew that Paula would be our cake hero? Not only do we love her for her southern fried everything, her southern drawl, her recipe for bread pudding made with Krispy Kreme donuts, but now, the Tunnel of Fudge Cake. Gather your friends, family, your Bible study group, your bridge and bunco groups and present them with this wonderful treasure from days gone by….

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Serves 16

3/4 pound (3 sticks) butter

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 (12 1/2 oz) can creamy double Dutch frosting

2 cups all -purpose flour

2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts (the nuts really are necessary in this recipe to give it the right texture)

Preheat oven to 350. Cream room temperature butter in a large bowl on high speed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Add sugar gradually, creaming at high speed until light and fluffy (goodbye light and fluffy rear end, hello saggy and droopy butt)

Gradually add flour. By hand, stir in frosting mix and nuts until well blended. Pour batter in well-greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes. Cool 2 hours before removing from pan. Cake will have a dry brownie-type crust and a most center with a tunnel of fudge running through it.