Category: Holiday Food

Baking · Dairy-free · Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Perfect Panforte

Belinda

We like to use raisins, dried cranberries, mixed peel and/or chopped dried apricots or figs for this decadent dessert, but you can play around with different types of fruit and nuts as long as you keep the quantities constant. You might want to wear a clean pair of dishwashing gloves to mix this dense Italian festive fruit cake as it’s too heavy to mix with a spoon and you need to work fast so the toffee mixture doesn’t set before it’s mixed through the fruit and nuts.
Panforte is very rich, so serve it in very thin slices. It also makes a lovely gift.

Serves 20

2 cups dried fruit, such as raisins, dried cranberries, candied orange or lemon peel and/or chopped dried apricots or figs
1 cup whole roasted almonds
1 cup whole roasted, skinned hazelnuts
1/2 cup plain flour
2 tbsp good-quality cocoa
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
60 g dark chocolate, chopped
icing sugar, to dust

Preheat oven to 325F/150°C
Thoroughly grease a 8″/20cm-diameter springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper.

Combine fruit and nuts in a large bowl
In a smaller bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, spices and salt.
Tip into the fruit and nut mixture and mix well
Combine honey and sugar in a pot and boil until a little mixture dropped into a glass of cold water forms a soft ball.
Remove from heat, add chocolate and stir until melted and the mixture is smooth.
Pour into dry ingredients and quickly mix with a very strong wooden spoon until combined.
Press into prepared tin, sprinkle with icing sugar and bake until set (about 35-40 minutes).
Remove from tin by running wet knife around the outside of the cake.
When cool, dust liberally with more icing sugar.
Stored in an airtight container it will keep for weeks.

Dessert · Holiday Food

5-Minute Pumpkin Parfait

Belinda

A quick, healthier alternative to pumpkin pie, this pumpkin parfait is velvety smooth and packed with comforting fall flavors including cinnamon, nutmeg, nuts, and even dark chocolate!
Recipe from “The Mediterranean Dish”

1 15oz can pumpkin puree or scant 2 cups homemade pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cup Greek full-fat plain yogurt
3-4 tbsp mascarpone cheese
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2-2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Parfait toppings
2 tbsp honey or molasses, more for garnish
Chocolate chips for garnish
Chopped roasted hazelnuts or walnuts for garnish

Place the pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt and the remaining ingredients, except the chocolate chips and nuts, in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand electric mixer or a whisk, mix together until you reach a smooth consistency.
Give it a taste and adjust flavor to your liking (add a bit of molasses or brown sugar to sweeten some more, for example. Or adjust the spices if you want more cinnamon or nutmeg.) Mix again to combine.
Transfer the pumpkin-yogurt mixture to small (3-oz) serving goblets or small mason jars. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.

When ready to serve, top each with a drizzle of molasses, chocolate chips and chopped hazelnuts or walnuts. Enjoy!

NOTES

Prepare-Ahead Tip: You can prepare this pumpkin parfait one night in advance. Refrigerate in a tightly closed container or individual mason jars (hold the chocolate chips and nuts for later). When ready to serve, stir the yogurt mixture and transfer it into the serving goblets or mini jars and add toppings.

To serve a larger crowd: Simply double the recipe to feed 12 or more (small 3-oz goblets or mason jars.)

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Soup

Slow-Cooker Curried Sweet Potato Soup With Coconut and Kale

Belinda

This creamy Thai-inspired soup is all about balance: When the contrasting flavors are in harmony, it is outrageously delicious. (It is also vegan if there’s no fish or shrimp in your curry paste.) Supermarket curry pastes are a great shortcut to flavor for weeknights, but salt and spice levels can vary greatly among brands. So taste at the end, and adjust: You may need to add curry paste, sugar or lime juice to your liking. Chile-lime flavored peanuts, available at some grocery stores, are particularly good for topping — snap them up if you happen to see them. Otherwise, roasted salted peanuts will work beautifully.
Recipe by Sarah DiGregorio for the New York Times

Serves 6

2 ½ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks
1 medium yellow or red onion, chopped
5 large garlic cloves
2 tbsp coconut oil, preferably unrefined virgin
2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 (4-oz) jar red curry paste (1/2 cup)
1 (13-oz) can full-fat coconut milk
1 cup smooth peanut butter
Juice of 1 lime, plus more to taste
5 oz/1 medium bunch baby kale or spinach, stemmed and chopped

Combine the sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, oil, sugar, turmeric and salt in a 5- to 8-qt slow cooker. Add more than half of the jar of curry paste (about 1/3 cup) and 1 cup of water or broth. Stir to combine all the ingredients and cook on low until the potatoes are quite tender, about 8 hours.
Add the coconut milk, peanut butter, remaining curry paste and 2 1/2 cups water to the slow cooker.
Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until it is uniformly creamy.
Add the lime juice and the kale, and stir to combine. Cook on low until the greens are wilted and tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in more warm water/broth if you would like a looser texture.
Taste and add more lime juice or salt if necessary.
Serve in bowls with peanuts on top.

Baking · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread

Belinda

“Sticky, spicy and full of cranberries, this gingerbread is perfect for the holidays. The recipe has been designed to make ahead, and will taste as good 2 days after baking as it does on the same day. (It will keep for 4 to 5 days.) To store it, wrap it well, stick it in the fridge and then bring to room temperature before serving. Whipped cream or crème fraîche, spiked with a little bourbon if you like, is nice on the side.”
Recipe by Melissa Clark for the New York Times

Serves 8-10

2 cups/8oz/266 grams fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup/200g granulated sugar
1 stick/4oz/113g unsalted butter
⅔ cup/133g dark brown sugar
½ cup/120 mls whole milk
½ cup/120 mls maple syrup
¼ cup/60 mls molasses
1 ½ cups/185g all-purpose flour
1 tbsp/5g ground ginger
½ tsp/1g ground cinnamon
½ tsp/3g baking powder
½ tsp/3g kosher salt
¼ tsp/1g baking soda
¼ tsp black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp/14g grated fresh ginger (from 1-inch piece)

Heat oven to 350 F and line a 9-inch square or round baking pan with parchment.

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together cranberries, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Stir the cranberries over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and cranberries form a sauce that is syrupy and bubbling thickly, about 10 minutes. Aim to have about half the cranberries broken down, with the remainder more or less whole.

In a separate saucepan, stir together the butter, brown sugar, milk, maple syrup and molasses over medium heat. Bring it to just barely a simmer and then remove it from the heat. Do not let it come to a boil, or the mixture may curdle.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda and black pepper. Beat in the butter-maple syrup mixture and then beat in the eggs. Stir in the ginger.

Scrape the batter into the pan. Drop fat dollops of cranberry sauce onto the surface of the cake batter. Drag a long, slender knife through the batter in a swirly design, as if you are marbling a cake.
Transfer the cake to the oven and bake it until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a wire baking rack and let the cake cool completely before eating it.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Stuffing biscuits (scones)

Belinda

All the herby and aromatic flavors of a classic Thanksgiving stuffing—sage, rosemary, fennel seed, oniony scallion–are packed into this tender biscuit. Stacking pieces of dough before rolling out ensures plenty of tall, buttery layers. If you have any extra biscuits after The Big Meal, store them in an airtight container at room temperature overnight and prepare to have the most festive biscuits and gravy (featuring leftover Thanksgiving gravy, of course!) for breakfast the next morning.
Recipe from Bon Appetite

Makes 12
1 tbsp. Diamond Crystal kosher or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt
1tbsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sugar
1½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
3 Tbsp. finely chopped sage
1 (heaping) Tbsp. fennel seeds
1½ cups chilled buttermilk, plus more for brushing

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425F.
Whisk the salt, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, pepper, and 4 cups flour in a large bowl.
Add the butter and, using your fingers, work into dry ingredients, smashing and flattening and tossing to coat with flour, until you have some flat quarter-size pieces and some smaller pea-size pieces. Add scallions, rosemary, sage and fennel seeds and toss to evenly distribute. Add 1½ cups buttermilk and stir mixture with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead once or twice to incorporate any loose pieces.

Pat dough into a 10 x 8″ rectangle. Using a large knife, cut in half crosswise, then stack 1 piece on top of the other. Turn rectangle so a long side is closest to you and cut dough in half crosswise again. Stack 1 piece on top of the other. (This process will build layers into your biscuits.) Turn dough and pat again into a 10×8″ rectangle. Cut into 12 even pieces (you should have a grid of 4 on the long sides and 3 on the short sides). Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing evenly, and freeze 10 minutes.

Brush top of each biscuit lightly with buttermilk and bake, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until golden brown, 22–26 minutes.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Egg based · Holiday Food

Cheese croissant bread and butter pudding

Belinda

This indulgent cheesy croissant bread and butter pudding makes the ideal lazy breakfast to share with friends. Prep the dish the night before and chill in the fridge, to buy yourself more time in bed in the morning.

Serves 4-6
Knob of soft butter for greasing the dish
6-8 croissants, depending on the size, ideally a day or two old
8oz (200g) gruyère cheese, grated
5oz (150g) ham hock, finely shredded
8.5 fl oz (250ml) whole milk
15 fl oz (450ml) double cream
3 medium free-range eggs and
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
5 tbsp finely chopped chives
2 tsp English mustard powder

Heat the oven to 350F/160°C fan/gas 4.
Halve the croissants horizontally and lay them on a baking sheet. Put them in the oven for 5 minutes, then remove them to cool – you can turn off the oven now as you won’t need it for a bit. This helps the croissants dry out so they’ll greedily soak up the custard.
Arrange half the halved croissants, cut-side up, in the baking dish. Scatter over half the cheese and all the ham, then arrange the rest of the halved croissants, cut-side down, on top.
Stir the milk and cream in a pan and warm until just steaming. Remove from the heat, whisk in the eggs, yolks, chives and mustard, then season with salt and pepper. Slowly pour the mixture evenly over the croissants, then cover and chill for an hour or overnight. If you can, tilt the dish from time to time and baste the croissants with the custard to make sure it’s absorbed.
Reheat the oven to 350F/160°C fan/gas 4.
Remove the dish from the fridge, scatter over the rest of the cheese, put the dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips, then bake until the custard is just set and the cheese is bubbling (30-35 minutes). Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving with whatever your heart desires (within reason).
delicious. tips

* It only takes 15 minutes to prep but it needs time in the fridge, so if you’re not the type to get up early, make it the night before to the point where it’s soaked in the custard, then cover it, put it in the fridge and cook it the next morning.

Egg based · Holiday Food · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Caramelized Onion and Butternut Squash Tart

Belinda


This decadent tart is packed with caramelized onions, roasted butternut squash, Gruyère and crème fraîche. It makes an excellent vegetarian main or a rich, savory side. recipe by Vanessa Larson

1 recipe pastry dough (see below)
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large yellow onions, halved and sliced
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 large eggs
8 oz crème fraîche
4 oz Gruyère, grated
2 oz Parmesan, grated
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs thyme

Pastry Dough
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter
4 tbsp ice water

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, thyme sprigs, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring to mix. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until dark golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove thyme stems.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450° F.
Toss butternut squash with olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and spread out on baking sheet. Bake until browned and very soft, stirring once, about 40 minutes.
Reduce oven heat to 350° F.
Roll dough out until thin and press into a well-greased 10-inch tart pan. Prick all over with a fork and bake in oven 10 minutes.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, crème fraîche, gruyère, Parmesan, and black pepper.
Spread caramelized onions in bottom of tart and top with butternut squash. Pour gruyère mixture over the squash, making sure to spread it evenly throughout the tart.
Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Pastry Dough

Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and freeze for 10 minutes.
Mix flour and salt in food processor or large bowl.
If using food processor, add butter and mix until mixture resembles small pea-sized balls. If mixing by hand, work quickly, mixing the butter in with your hands until it forms small pea-sized balls.
Add in ice water and mix just until dough forms and comes together. Form into disk, wrap in plastic, and place in fridge for 20 minutes.

Grains · Holiday Food · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Farro With Mushrooms

Belinda

Farro is chewier than Italian rice and doesn’t release starch when it’s cooked, so there’s no need to stir it the way you’d stir a risotto. This hearty dish has a rich, earthy flavor. Although it takes about twice as long as a risotto to cook, it doesn’t require tending.
Recipe by Martha Rose Shulman for the New York Times

Serves 6

½ oz (1/2 cup, approximately) dried porcini mushrooms
1 quart chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 ½ cups farro
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 lb cremini mushrooms or wild mushrooms (or a mixture of the two), cleaned, trimmed and sliced
Salt to taste
2 large garlic cloves, green shoots removed, minced
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup dry white wine
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Place the farro in a bowl, and pour on enough hot water to cover by an inch. Let soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Drain.
Place the dried mushrooms in a large Pyrex measuring cup or bowl, and pour in 2 cups boiling water. Let sit 30 minutes.
Drain the mushrooms through a strainer set over a bowl and lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer, then rinse in several changes of water to remove grit. Chop coarsely if the pieces are large and set aside. Add the broth from the mushrooms to the stock. You should have 6 cups (add water if necessary). Place in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt to taste.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften and sweat. Add salt to taste, the garlic and rosemary.
Continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender, about five minutes. Add the farro and reconstituted dried mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until the grains of farro are separate and beginning to crackle, about two minutes. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring until the wine has been absorbed. Add all but about 1 cup of the stock, and bring to a simmer.

Cover and simmer 50 minutes or until the farro is tender; some of the grains will be beginning to splay. Remove the lid, and stir vigorously from time to time. Taste and adjust seasoning. There should be some liquid remaining in the pot but not too much. If the farro is submerged in stock, raise the heat and cook until there is just enough to moisten the grains, like a sauce. If there is not, stir in the remaining stock.
If not serving right away, cover and let stand. Just before serving, bring back to a simmer, add the Parmesan, parsley and pepper, and stir together. Remove from the heat and serve.

Dessert · Fruit · Holiday Food

Amaretto baked figs

Belinda

Recipe by Adam Bush for Olive magazine

Unlike many others, I’m not a huge fig-fan unless they are coated in something interesting or topped with roasted prosciutto and blue cheese. On their own, I find them bland and pulpy.
HOWEVER, this is a really good recipe for upping their sweetness.
Jammy figs are roasted with amaretto for a nutty sweetness. Serve with creamy mascarpone and crumbled amaretti biscuits for an elegant autumnal dessert

**I am leaving this recipe in metric, as I’m finding the metric system is far more specific and I’m preferring it these days

Serves 4

12 figs, halved
150ml Amaretto liqueur
75 g Caster sugar (superfine/bakers)
1/2 tsp plus 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
200 g mascarpone
200 plain full fat Greek yogurt
1 tbsp icing sugar (powdered)
50 g Amaretti cookies

Heat the oven to 350F/180C/fan 160C/gas 4.

Put the figs, cut-side down, into a 20cm x 30cm (8″x 11″) baking dish. Whisk together the amaretto, caster sugar, ½ tsp vanilla and 50ml of water in a small pan and heat until the sugar dissolves, then pour over the figs. Cover the dish with foil and roast for 10 minutes, before removing the foil and roasting for another 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Mix together the mascarpone, greek yogurt, ½ tsp of vanilla paste and icing sugar.

Spoon some mascarpone yogurt onto plates, and spoon over the figs and their syrup. Crush over a few amaretti biscuits to serve.

Asian flavors · Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Triple ginger muffins

Belinda

A baked good for the true ginger fanatic, these muffins pack some serious spice thanks to the addition of grated fresh ginger, ground ginger and minced crystallized ginger. Molasses, a key ingredient in traditional gingerbread, gives the muffins a beautiful golden hue and helps keep them moist for days — if they last that long. (Any variety of molasses will work here, but there may be some color variation depending on the brand used.) For larger, bakery-style muffins, use a jumbo muffin pan and bake the muffins for a few extra minutes.
Recipe by Lidey Heuck for the New York Times

1 cup/201 grams granulated sugar
½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup whole milk
¼ cup molasses
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
2 cups/256 grams all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
¾ cup/108 grams, plus 3 tablespoons/27 grams minced crystallized ginger

Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, butter, eggs, milk, molasses and grated ginger, and whisk until smooth.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. (Be careful not to over-mix! The batter will be slightly lumpy.) Stir in 3/4 cup crystallized ginger, reserving the remaining 3 tablespoons for the topping.

Using an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the reserved crystallized ginger onto the tops of the muffins, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the muffins spring back when lightly pressed.

Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then carefully transfer muffins to a cooling rack and cool completely.