Bake and Booze Christmas Treats

Pluto, Pepper and Briar are dressed and ready for Christmas!

Once again our team of "walkers" assembled for cocktails and nibbles and spent an evening baking Christmas cookies to exchange with each other, and to give to a local organization.  This year we delivered our goodies to Anselma House, a women's shelter in Kitchener.  

Bake and booze is very informal and a lot of fun. Everyone brings dough from one of their favorite cookbooks, or their mothers secret recipe. SSSHhhhh - don't tell Terry's mom, but the secret is out. And Lynns uncles 100 year old recipe must be 110 years old by now!

Bev’s Whoopie Machine Sangria

Bev’s wicked Sangria is whipped up in an amazing kitchen appliance called a Thermomix, but could probably be replicated in a food processor.

 

1 orange

1 lemon

½ cup sugar

1 bottle red wine

1 can carbonated lemonade

¼ cup vermouth

¼ cup cognac

¼ cup gin

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Cut off the peel from the orange and lemon. Toss the entire lemon and orange in the bowl of the whoopee machine. Add sugar. Mix 1 minute/speed 10 to pulverize the fruit (seeds and all)

add remaining ingredients and mix 1 minute/speed 2

pour over ice.

Soy glazed turkey and pineapple kebobs

With Christmas appraoching, we were thinking healthy when we put this recipe together. , we were also thinking: TURKEY - SIMPLE - QUICK - FRESH

1½ lb boneless turkey breast

1 fresh pineapple, cored

1 green pepper

1 red onion

1 cup cherry tomatoes

Marinade:

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp lime juice

1½ tsp asian chili sauce

1½ tsp sesame oil

1 tsp Thai Seasoning

Glaze:

1 cup soy sauce

4 tbsp honey

1 tbsp lime juice

½ tsp Thai Seasoning

30 Bamboo skewers

Cut turkey breast and pineapple into 1X 1 X 2 inch pieces. Cut green pepper and red onion into ¾ inch square pieces.  Combine marinade ingredients in a large glass bowl. Toss turkey pieces in the marinade and add pineapple, green peppers, onion and tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.   Meanwhile, soak bamboo skewers in a tray of water for at least 30 minutes to prevent charring. Prepare glaze by combining soy sauce, honey, lime juice and Thai seasoning in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over medium until reduced by half.

Preheat barbecue on HIGH for 5 minutes, then reduce to MEDIUM. Meanwhile, thread pineapple, vegetables and turkey pieces on skewers. Place diagonally on the grids and grill for 4 minutes per side. Brush with glaze while they are cooking

Andrea’s Honey Garlic Ribs

2 racks pork ribs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

garlic powder

1/2 cup honey

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

Peel the membrane from the back of the ribs and cut them into single rib portions.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder, and wrap tightly in 2 foil packages.  Place on the top rack of a barbecue on very low heat, turning off the centre burners if necessary, to keep the temperature at about 300°F, for 2 hours. 

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by combining the honey, cider vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and five-spice powder in a small saucepan.  Heat on medium low until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Unwrap the ribs and lay them out on the baking sheet.  Pour the sauce over top of the ribs, and place on the top rack of the barbecue for about 15 minutes or until glazed and hot.

Nancy’s Ginger Snaps     

Bake at 375⁰ for 12 min

 

Mix  (wet):

¾ cup butter softened

½ cup molasses

2 eggs

2 cups sugar

Mix (dry):

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients into wet.  Drop by tablespoon 2” apart on greased cookie sheet.  (take out as soon as they fall flat)

Sandy Morrice’s 100 year-old recipe for Oatmeal Cookies

1 lb of butter

1 ½ c white sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

½ c boiling water

5 ½ c oatmeal (5 min)

2 ½ c flour

Cream butter.  Add sugar and cream.  Combine and mix all dry ingredients and add to above.  When thoroughly mixed add boiling water.  Knead into a dough.  Divide dough into four or take a handful.  Make a ball.  Roll thin on a floured surface.  Cut and place on cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 F.

Date filling

2 c dates (best quality)

¾ c corn syrup

½ tsp vanilla

2 tsp lemon juice

½ c water

Heat until dates melt.  When slightly cooled, spread a thin layer of filling on bottom of one cookie and place another cookie on top. 

Deb’s Nut Crescents

1 cup margarine
2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup icing sugar

1Tbsp water

2 cups flour

1 cup ground almonds or walnuts

 

      

                                                                                                 Cream margarine with vanilla, sugar and water. Add flour. You may need to add a bit more flour to make the dough easier to handle. Mix thoroughly. I let sit in the fridge for about an hour. Form crescents two inches long. Bake on parchment lined cookie sheet at 300 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until delicately browned. While hot, roll in icing sugar. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Barb’s Double Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Barb's cookies disappeared so fast this was the last remaining one!

Ingredients

10 Tbsp. butter, softened

¾ cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg

½ tsp. baking soda

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ cup sweetened dried cranberries

¾ cup white chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until creamy. Add vanilla and egg, and beat until well-combined.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together baking soda, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to butter mixture, beating with electric mixer.
4. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips.
5. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets approx. 2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Bev’s Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter, at room temperature

½ cup corn starch

½ cup icing sugar

1 cup unbleached white flour

Pinch salt

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.   Mix with a pastry blender to combine, adding more flour by the spoonful if necessary.  Do not overwork the dough. 

Roll a spoonful of dough in the palms of your hands to form a ball.  Slightly flatten the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Decorate with candied cherries or sprinkles if desired. 

Bake at 300°F for 25 minutes, or until slightly browned on the edges.

Date Balls (Traditional Milne Christmas dessert)

 

1 lb pitted dates cut fine (you can buy them this way at Bulk barn) – 1 – 1 ¾ cup

1 cup Granulated Sugar

2 tablespoon Butter

2 Eggs beaten

Vanilla and salt

3 cups Rice Krispies

Optional – chopped nuts

Coconut

Mix all these together in a heavy fry pan or Dutch over.  Stir constantly over LOW heat until the mixture leaves the pan (5 to 8 minutes).

 

Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Stir in:

3 cups Rice Krispies

If desired – chopped nuts

Mix well

Form into balls from teaspoon on wax paper that has coconut scattered on it.

Aunt Maggies Jam Thumbprint Cookies

After a failed attempt using a different recipe, this Martha Stewart recipe filled the bill for easy, delicious jam thumbprint cookies

Ingredients

• • 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 3/4 cup jam (any type)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg, and beat until completely combined. With mixer on low, add flour, and mix just until incorporated.
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons each). Place on baking sheets, at least 3 inches apart.
3. Moisten thumb with water, and gently press the center of each ball, making an indentation about 1/2 inch wide and inch deep. In microwave or on stove, heat jam until liquefied; spoon about 1/2 teaspoon into each indentation. Bake until cookies are golden brown around edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. If storing, place in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.