December 22, 2022 at 2:16 p.m.
Merry Christmas to all!
I hope everyone is ready for their Christmas, and if there’s any last minute recipes you need, there’s a couple fast ones in here, as well as some lengthy, delicious ones, and a little bite of side dish, main course and sweets, as well!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
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What’s Christmas without some kind of eggnog concoction??
I don’t particularily like the drink, but when combined into cinnamon rolls, I’m all for it!
EGGNOG
CINNAMON ROLLS
DOUGH
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 (1/4 oz.) package quick-rising yeast
2 tsp. kosher salt
4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, divided, or more as needed
1/2 c. eggnog
1/2 c. sour cream
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, lightly beaten
cooking spray
FILLING
1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
GLAZE
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
4 tbsp. eggnog
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Combine sugar, yeast, salt, and 4 cups of the flour in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until just combined, about 15 seconds. With mixer running on low speed, add eggnog, sour cream, butter, and egg. Continue beating until dough forms, 1 to 2 minutes. Switch to a dough hook attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until dough is smooth and elastic, 6 to 9 minutes; gradually add remaining 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon at a time, if necessary.
Place dough in a large bowl greased with cooking spray and turn to coat. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm draft-free place until dough has doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours.
Spray a 13- x 9-inch pan with cooking spray. Lightly punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into an 18- x 10-inch rectangle.
For the filling spread 1/2 cup of butter over the dough. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle evenly over butter. Starting with one long side, roll dough into a log; pinch seam to seal. Slice into 12 rolls. Place rolls in the prepared pan. Cover, and let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in size, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes.
Add cream cheese and 4 tablespoons butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, eggnog, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
Drizzle glaze over warm rolls. Serve with freshly grated nutmeg sprinkled on top and any extra glaze, if desired.
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Prime rib is a slamming main event for a Christmas dinner. Here’s an easy recipe to absolutely nail it this season.
PERFECT PRIME RIB
1 (4 lb.) prime rib roast
1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. herbes de Provence
kosher salt to taste
Place prime rib roast on a plate and bring to room temperature, 2 to 4 hours.
Preheat an oven to 500 degrees.
Combine butter, pepper, and herbes de Provence in a bowl; mix until well blended. Spread butter mixture evenly over entire roast. Season roast generously with kosher salt.
Roast the 4-pound roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Turn oven off and, leaving the roast in the oven with the door closed, let the roast sit in the oven for ywo hours.
Ideally, you’d use a temp guage and pull it at a perfect 130 degree medium rare, but this should get you where you need to be.
Remove roast from the oven, slice and serve.
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SWEET POTATO
CASSEROLE
SWEET POTATOES
4 c. peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. milk
4 tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
PECAN TOPPING
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 c. chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Prepare sweet potatoes: Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Cook over medium-high heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Mash drained sweet potatoes with a fork. Add eggs; mix until well combined. Add sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, and salt; mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Make topping: Mix brown sugar and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until mixture is coarse and looks like peas; don't overmix. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle topping over sweet potato mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven until topping is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
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STICKY TOFFEE
PUDDING
PUDDING
2 c. pitted dates
3/4 c. dark spiced rum
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
2 c. brown sugar
1 stick butter, at room temperature, plus extra for baking dish
3 eggs, separated
TOFFEE SAUCE
3 sticks butter
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. brandy
Heavy cream, whipped, for topping, optional
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
For the pudding: In a small saucepan, combine the dates, rum and 3/4 cup water. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Let the liquid cool, and then puree the dates with their liquid in a food processor. Reserve.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Combine the brown sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed. Beat the butter and sugar together until they are a homogeneous mixture. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Gently mix in the flour mixture in thirds over a low speed. Stir in the date puree.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
For the toffee sauce: Make this while the pudding is baking. Combine the butter, sugar, brandy and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking frequently. Cook the sauce until it thickens to a sauce consistency, about 15 minutes.
To finish the pudding: Remove the pudding from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Using a skewer or chopstick, poke holes in the pudding about every inch or so.
Pour half the toffee sauce over the cake and let it soak in for at least 20 minutes.
Serve the pudding in a warm pool of the remaining sauce. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.
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EASY SPINACH DIP WREATH
1 round uncut loaf (about 9 inches in diameter) Hawaiian or sourdough bread
1 1/2 cups store-bought spinach dip
Rosemary sprig, if desired
Miniature yellow cherry tomatoes, if desired
Cranberries, if desired
Red bell pepper pieces, if desired
This recipe is for when you’re in a pinch and need a quick appetizer for a Christmas party.
Cut and hollow out 3-inch-wide ring on top of bread loaf to within 1/2 inch of bottom, leaving center of loaf intact. Reserve scooped-out bread.
Spoon spinach dip into hollowed-out ring. Arrange rosemary sprigs around outer edge of wreath. Decorate with cherry tomatoes and cranberries. Cut bow shape from bell pepper; place on wreath. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Tear remaining loaf of bread into bite-size pieces. Use torn bread and reserved scooped-out bread for dipping.
TFD: Merry Christmas to all of our readers! It’s been a blast doing this column this year, and I LOVE feedback everyone gives me on them. If you even make one recipe from my column over the year, it was worth it! Or if I can even entertain you for a couple minutes each week, that’s also well worth it!\
I appreciate you all and wish you the Merriest Christmas and to enjoy the special time with your loved ones this week!
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