The Silly Season

The lead up to Christmas and New Year is always a busy time and here in Australia it coincides with the summer vacation season. This year saw a major change with my Christmas arrangements. With a couple of  our family too frail to manage the stairs into our house we swapped the venue to my son and daughter-in-law’s house. For the first time in thirty two years I did not host Christmas. Not one to bring in too many changes I opted to to have our usual menu made cold, except for the pudding. It was a meal cooked and plated at my home and transported four kilometres (two and half miles) across town.  It was a great success and perfect for the hot day.

Setting up the Christmas feast. 

Pavlova, a staple for Christmas in Australia. This year individual serves rather than the big one that usually graces the dessert table.

The Christmas production. This was a late run as I had been considering ending this aspect of my Christmas making.

A simple Santa hanging decoration. I have called them the Nordic Santas.

And Holly, a little angel, for a special friend.

This got my mojo back. A fun activity to do with my textile art group. I wanted them  to make something ‘Christmassy’ with them and these little tassel Santas were a relatively quick make and had the bonus of using up all the oddments a bits of balls of white yarn that have been in my stash for years. They were the inspiration for my Nordic hanging Santa production.

There has been a lot of catching up with friends and dining. So much dining! This white chocolate cheesecake was a great hit, recipe to come. In between times there has been some knitting and crafting  including this bracelet for my grandson. Made with the discarded chocolate wrappers from Lindor/Lindt balls that seemed to accumulate. He is an enthusiastic recycler for his arts and crafts and we have a lot of fun together.

I decided to just take each day as it came. I guess it is called the ‘Silly Season’ for a reason. 

Christmas Cookies - Maple, Cinnamon and Almond Burnt Butter Cookies

This is a biscuit that I used to make a lot but not for a long time. My husband is not fond of nuts in biscuits and cookies so they have sort of fallen from my repertoire. A chance remark from a long standing friend prompted me to make a batch. Cinnamon is a spice that I associate with Christmas baking. Maple extract is a great addition if you can get it but they fine without it. I like to use the natural almonds with the skin on, however, blanched almonds can be substituted. These were one of my go to recipes for Christmas gifts, less fragile than shortbreads and easy to pack into a cellophane bag.

The combination of burnt butter, maple syrup and chopped whole almonds is delicious and the cookies are not overly sweet. They keep well in an airtight jar.

Maple,Cinnamon, and Almond 

Burnt Butter Cookies

125 g butter ¼ cup maple syrup 1 tablespoon maple syrup extract  (optional) 1/2 cup caster sugar

1 egg 1 1/2 cups SR flour, plus a little more 1 1/2 cups natural almonds 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Method

Put butter into a saucepan and melt over low heat. Increase heat and allow the butter to brown.

Add sugar and maple syrup, stir well and allow to cool.

Add egg and mix well

Add SR flour, cinnamon, chopped almonds and maple syrup extract

Check mixture, it needs to be firm enough to roll into balls.  If mixture is too wet add a little more flour.

Roll mixture into small balls and place onto greased tray or use baking paper. Press or flatten with your fingers. 

Allow a little room for the biscuits to spread.

Bake 160 deg C for approx 15 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool biscuits on a rack until completely cold and store in an airtight jar.

Christmas Fruit Mince Slice

Christmas catch ups often need a plate to share, rarely am I asked to bring something savoury and more often specifically asked to bring something sweet or baked. This slice has a 'Christmassy' feel, is not chocolate and can be made in advance. Ideal for those who love mince pies but do not want the bother of making individual pies or tarts or when you want something that can be cut into smaller portions. Cut into larger pieces and serve as a dessert.

The base is tender and buttery and unlike pastry does not need to be rolled out. Commercial fruit mince filling works well or make your own using this recipe. The topping is light and full of ground almonds.  

Christmas Fruit Mince Slice

Ingredients

Base 125gm butter, melted 1 cup SR flour 1 cup Plain flour ½ cup caster sugar 1 egg Fruit Mince Topping  1 1/2 cups fruit mince* commercial or homemade

Almond Topping 1 cup almond meal / ground almonds 2/3 cup castor sugar 90 g soft butter 1 egg

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line deep slice tray.

Combine all the ingredients for the base, mix well into a dough.

Press the dough evenly into the prepared tin. Smooth/gently roll a glass across the top Bake the base for 15 minutes or until the edges are starting to colour and top is pale golden.

Meanwhile, make the almond topping.

Cream or beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the egg and ground almonds and mix well.

When the base is ready, remove from the oven. Spread fruit mince over the base and then carefully spread the almond topping over the fruit mince.

Return to oven and bake for 20 minutes until topping has set and is golden brown. Leave slice to cool in the tin on a wire rack.

Cut slice up when completely cold.

Chocolate Christmas Tree

This is a very simple chocolate tree. The tree can make a centrepiece to decorate the table and is also a good gift. The cone may be solid chocolate or chocolate combined with nuts, dried fruits, rocky road or other sweets. If it is a gift personalise it by choosing fillings that the recipient likes. I have made rocky road, licorice, coconut rough and nut trees for adults, however, lolly 'snakes' chopped into small pieces were a popular filling with young people.

Very easy to make as a single tree or for a production line for those who need several. They are a good activity for older children, I made these every year with secondary school students as a fun activity at the end of the school year and found that each year students were expecting to make them. I recall one student telling me that "you need presents under the tree"  and he had come prepared with ' licorice allsorts' to decorate the base of his tree.

To make the tree you need to first create a cone from Contact book covering film.

Cut a square of the contact in half to form two triangles. This square was approximately 45 cm and makes a large cone. You can create a variety of sizes by altering the size of the square.

Roll each triangle around your hand to make a cone shape and carefully slide the edges to form a point. Secure with a staple at the top and a piece of tape. The shiny side on the inside as this will create a non stick surface for the chocolate.

Stand the contact cone in a vase or jar. It needs to be tall enough to support the cone when it is full of melted chocolate.

Melt 400g of dark chocolate. I use the microwave. Add 150g chopped snakes or whatever filling you like, making sure that the pieces are about the size of peanut and mix well.

Pour chocolate mixture into the cone and tap or jiggle to make sure that it has gone to the bottom of the cone. Refrigerate until set.

When set carefully unwrap the cone. The contact can be wiped over and reused.

Trim the bottom if necessary, just enough to make it sit flat.

Stand the cone on a piece of cooking parchment. Pipe melted chocolate over the outside of the cone to create bark and allow to set.

Repeat the process with white chocolate to create snow Add a star if you can find one. These are from a strand of Christmas garland that I purchased in the christmas sales. 

Decorate with some silver ball cake decorations. The chocolate bark needs to be just setting. 

Stand the cone on a piece of silver foil covered cardboard. I attachttach the cone to a board covered with foil with some melted chocolate so that it doesn't slide off the board. When set the tree can be wrapped in cellophane. Store in the fridge. The cone needs to come to room temperature to be cut up.

Cut the cone into slices and then small pieces, use a large/heavy cooks knife.

Gingerbread Houses

The last time I made these was with a Year 11 Food Technology class in 2012. The gingerbread house was a special end of year treat and each year I would get the chorus of 'are we making the gingerbread houses or I want to do the houses that you made with year 11 last year' - the school magazine had a lot to answer for. I thought that in retirement I would never make another but I was obviously mistaken.

These cannot be whipped up in a hurry and are not something for the time poor. The gingerbread mixture needs to be made and allowed to stand for several hours or overnight, then the dough needs to rolled out and cut out. The pieces need to be baked and completely cold before assembling the house and then the fun part - the decoration. It also takes quite some time to fully decorate a house, however, simpler decorations will reduce the amount of time needed.

Each house needs a front/back, two walls and two roof pieces. Doors and doorways can be cut out, however for this one I used white chocolate to make the door and window panels.

Note that a few baking mishaps can be corrected with some royal icing.

Royal icing is used to 'glue' the house together. I also smooth a thin layer on the edges of the roof to represent some snow.










I use an assortment of lollies and chocolates to decorate. All of these are attached with a little royal icing, and the finished house is a complete sugar overload. The inside can also be filled with sweets prior to attaching the last roof section.

The roof has freckles as shingles, alternate the sides that show for a more interesting roof. The chimneys are raspberry licorice.

Arrange the smarties in any pattern that you like, I seem to always make a circular wreath for the front and then cover the back and sides with alternating rows of smarties and freckles.

The doors and windows are made from a piece of white chocolate, shaved to reduce the thickness but also to create the illusion of a panelled door.



Spread a thin layer of icing in clumps onto the board to make the snow on the ground. Create a garden with mint leaves pushed onto bullets, trim the bottomof the bullet so that it is Licorice allsorts make good planter pots.


The final step is to sift some icing sugar over the house and garden so that it looks like fresh snow.

If it is to be a gift wrap in cellophane a tie up with a big bow.











The gingerbread can also be baked into smaller and more manageable cookies, then iced and decorated.

 Try cutting out the dough with a Christmas tree cutter or hearts and stars.

Once again the trees can be heavily decorated

or a little less

I also like my cat biscuit cutter.

Gingerbread

for gingerbread men, houses, sleighs etc

Ingredients

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup Golden Syrup

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 egg

5 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons Bicarbonate of Soda

Method

Heat butter, syrup, sugar and vinegar until dissolved. Stir occasionally.

Remove from heat and allow to stand and cool (approx 10 -20) mins

Add egg and beat with a wooden spoon.

Add remaining dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Allow the dough to cool/chill for a couple of hours. I usually do this overnight and leave it wrapped in clingfilm in a container on the bench.

Roll dough onto Gladbake, approx 6mm thick

Cut out shapes. Leave shapes on Gladbake and reuse dough that has been cut away.

Place Glad bake with shapes on greased trays

Bake 180 C for approx 15 mins

Trim shapes if desired. This needs to be done as soon as the pieces are removed from the oven.

Cool and decorate.

sufficient dough to make 2 houses and some cookies

Kerrie Christmas 13 - Christmas Roast Pork

We have  a lot of people to lunch and for some of them Christmas is just not Christmas without roast pork. This is my festive version, filled with a red, white and green stuffing and crispy crackling. Loin of pork is usually more expensive, has paler meat and is easily overcooked. Leg of pork works just as well. I like to carve it into thick slices as the stuffing holds in better and thick slices can be cut in half so that they are easily picked up as people serve themselves.

Here's How

 Stuffing packed into pork.

 Tied to secure

Rind draped over the meat and ready to cook.

The skin/rind removed  and ready for carving.

Christmas Roast Pork

Pork 1 loin of pork or 1 leg of pork, boned Small amount of oil 2 teaspoons salt

Festive Stuffing 2 cups breadcrumbs ½ cup cranberries ½ cup shelled pistachios 1 cup spring onions, chopped 2 eggs ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Method

Make stuffing by combining all ingredients, add a little water if necessary.

Remove the rind/skin from the pork. Use a sharp knife and try to keep it in as big a piece as possible.

Optional, pour boiling water over the rind/skin of the pork and then dry with paper towel.

If using a loin of pork create a tunnel through the middle of the loin. The boned leg of pork will be open and allow you to stuff the pork.

Push or pack the stuffing into the pork. The boned leg will need to be tied with kitchen string.

Drape pork rind/skin over the stuffed meat.

Pour a small amount of oil over the pork and rub it into the rind and sprinkle with the salt.

Place in hot oven, 200 Deg C for thirty minutes and then reduce heat until pork is cooked. The size of the piece of pork will influence the cooking time and the loin will need less cooking time.

When cooked remove the pork from the oven, keep warm and allow the meat to rest for twenty to thirty minutes before carving.

Optional -If the rind/skin is not as crispy and crackling as you like

Remove the rind/skin from the pork and place on a tray. I like to cover the tray with kitchen parchment or foil. Return to a very hot oven and cook a further ten minutes or longer until as crisp as you like.

Kerrie Christmas 12 - Turkey for Christmas in July

It was a traditional Christmas roast with all the trimmings. Combining the return of our son and daughter in law from an overseas trip with a chance to celebrate, a Christmas pudding in the freezer was a deciding factor. A small affair so I couldn't justify a big turkey which would be more traditional. Instead I opted for  a turkey breast and two small turkey drumsticks which would hopefully give the the right combination of light and dark meat - products not previously purchased and in the meat section of the supermarket. Unlike the big bird of my previous turkey cooking, this roast was easily prepared, much easier to store in the fridge and relatively quick to cook.  Another good thing was the fresh and in season brussel sprouts, a favourite vegetable of mine, traditionally served at a British Christmas.   

The stuffing was made with breadcrumbs and this lemon chutney. It was easy to cut a pocket into the breast and then tie up the roast with string. The drumsticks were boned and then placed on top of each to form a flat mini roast. I wrapped the turkey breast up as a parcel which kept it moist and was very pleased with the outcome. The finished roast would serve six generously and with the ham and vegetables at least eight, we had lots to have as leftover in some sandwiches the next day.

Lemon Chutney Stuffing

2 cups coarse breadcrumbs* 1 red onion, finely chopped 1 lemon, juice and finely grated zest *preferably sour dough, I used half of a large loaf

1 egg* ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons lemon chutney, homemade or commercial such as lemon, date or mango *May need a little more egg

Method

Place breadcrumbs in bowl and cover with water. Soak for a few minutes and then squeeze out. 

Combine breadcrumbs with remaining ingredients and mix well. The mixture needs to hold together, if necessary and another egg yolk.

 The Process 

The turkey breast, stuffed and tied with a little seasoning smeared over the top.

The turkey breast wrapped in cooking parcment and tied with string. an oven bag could also be used.

Unwrapped and resting, ready to carve.

.

The carved turkey breast and the darker leg meat.

and finally

no Christmas dinner would not be complete without one of these.

served with a generous blob of some brandy cream 

More Leftover Magic

Leftovers need to be consumed quickly and if any sort of poultry within three or four days. Here are a some more ideas if you are tired of cold meat and salad or sandwiches. Freezing is always a good option, dice up leftover meat and ham, put it a freezer bag and use it for pasta sauces or pasta bakes.

Chinese Crepes
This dish is very loosely based on the Chinese dish of Peking Duck. Any leftover poultry will work, these are made with the leftover duck and chicken and I have also made them with turkey and pork. A platter of these are a nice finger food, cut the assembled crepes in half and stack on a serving plate. For a more substantial and casual meal have people assemble their own at the table.

All you need are some crepes, some Hoisin or Chinese Plum Sauce and thinly sliced spring onions. I like to add some shredded lettuce and fine strips of cucumber. Crepes are simple to make, follow this tutorial for the recipe and technique.

This is how to assemble the crepes

Smear some hoisin or plum sauce over the crepe.











Add the chopped leftover duck/turkey/chicken.

Top with some spring onion, lettuce and cucumber

Roll up firmly.









Leftover baked pumpkin and carrots can be made into soup. Simmered with a clove of garlic, green ginger and fresh tumeric and chicken stock and then pureed. Add some shredded leftover duck/turkey/ chicken, thinly sliced spring onions and a few drops of sesame oil. This can be frozen, make with less stock so that it takes up less space in the freezer.

The slow roasted tomatoes have been stewed up and frozen, ready to be added to a casserole or a quick tomato sauce for pasta.

This dessert used up the last of the fresh berries and the Brandy Cream leftover from the pudding. Topped with a shortbread biscuit and dusted with icing sugar.

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