Christmas review:

[hedgehog]

I made two quiches for Christmas Eve - one with and one without ham to suit the omnivores and vegetarians. I served a green salad alongside.

Delicious!

I made an eggnog pie that was great - custard pie with extra nutmeg and a dash of rum. It's only last night that I realized that I could have taken any eggnog recipe and cook it as a custard filling!

I made a cherry pie with almond crust and added rum to the filling. That pie got eaten, but I'm not really sure how it tasted - i have Sjogren's Syndrome and my taste buds are out of whack. I thought the rum was too much; my husband said he couldn't taste it!

For Christmas dinner I made a roast chicken and what I am now calling "Bean Glory" ( I called it bean glop when making my list, but spell check changed it and I'm sticking to it!). Bean Glory was a large pan of stuffing (bread, eggs, onions, garlic, butter, celery, mushrooms, sage savory, celery seed, salt and pepper) with a collar of Duchess Potatoes and Green bean casserole as a topping. That was just right for a leisurely day.

Plum pudding with Irish Mist for my daughter's celebration tasted better than plum pudding with rum for our New Year's - but that may have been my taste buds again!

Creamed onions - with frozen pearl onions! Why didn't I think of this before! I just didn't have the energy to peel a pound of tiny onions in previous years, so I ended up throwing out the spouted onions in February. It's the favorite of one of my daughters, so I'm glad I was able to make it.

[grasswire]

1. frozen pearl onions are one of the great staples.

I keep at least one pkg in the freezer all the time. I add them to soups, stews, peas at will. And yes, they make a very tasty and pretty dish on their own, with no peeling!!

[Freddie]

5. Frozen chopped onions too

And Birds-Eye Pepper Stir Fry, a great mix of sliced green, yellow and red peppers and onions. Great for omelettes, casseroles, burger toppings, etc., just sauté in a little olive oil.

[japple]

2. Gotta make a note to self: get frozen pearl onions

Your cherry pie with almond crust sounds like a match made in heaven. Will have to send a note to daughter who lives in Portland, OR for cherry season!

Thanks for the review!

Edit to add: My own review would be to make sure I have red wine on hand to add to the traditional Braised Red Cabbage and Apples recipe we make every year, courtesy of the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. This year it was boring and tasteless because the red wine vinegar/broth addition just wasn't an adequate substitute.

[The empressof all]

3. I made the most amazing Cannoli Cake

I had four layers of white cake with a filling of Ricotta Fresca mixed with a little whipped cream, vanilla and powdered sugar. I also had a thin layer of defrosted frozen raspberries mixed with raspberry preserves and left to co mingle overnight in the fridge.

I frosted all the layers with a mixture of Mascarapone, whipped cream, powdered sugar and vanilla.

Topped with chopped pistachio

Everyone said it was the best cake they ever had..... Even though it was rich it was light as a feather and not too sweet.

I can't wait till next Christmas to make it again....


I would love your Cherry Pie...I'm the only one here who loves Cherry Pie so I need to find a good excuse to make it...Maybe my birthday...

[hedgehog]

6. As I said - i had trouble tasting it -

I'm pretty sure the almond crust was good - but I'm not sure about the rum. Too much?

Anyone have a source for frozen sour cherries? I think they make a better pie than sweet cherries.

Also - I love your cake! Maybe next year is the year of the cake - if I can figure out a main dish cake!

[The empressof all]

8. Ah I have no source for the cherries.

I didn't even think about that, now that I'm dreaming of your pie. I'm thinking about gilding that lilly though and putting down a layer of frangipane before the cherries and making it a tart rather than a pie. I love the almond crust! I know that I can get bags of frozen cherries out here but must they be "sour".

[hedgehog]

9. Frangipane on the bottom, or as the upper crust/topping?

I've never made it, but it sounds like it would be fluffy and/or could be piped on.

[The empressof all]

10. It has egg in it

I always bake it on top of the crust. I've done it with apple tarts and with apple turnovers. Now I'm so going to steal your almond crust idea for my next apple tart and make an almond crumble to top it. I may even add a little marzipan decoration! Hubby loves the marzipan

Frangipane is kind of like the filling in an almond croissant. It's not light but not thick or sticky either. You don't want more than a thin layer

[grasswire]

11. you can order frozen sour cherries online if you must have them.

But first check the various grocers in your area. I have found them here and there in the freezer case, and used them when I was pie chef at coffee house.

Not only do they make a better pie if you want that tart cherry taste, but they are better for you nutritionally.

Sometimes they show up at farmers market in summer, but they are so so fragile and in demand that scoring is unlikely.

[The empressof all]

17. I'm in WA state so I know I can get them easily in the summer

But then I remembered my birthday is in the summer so I will just use fresh....Now I just need to master that cherry pitting with the paper clip technique.



http://www.chow.com/food-news/119291/how-to-pit-a-cherry-with-a-paperclip/

[pinto]

12. This sounds great. I'm "2nd chef" for a meal at family reunion / niece's wedding in Feb.

Might give this a trial at home and use it as an addition to our big meal. Love the idea of including frangipane...

[Freddie]

4. Tried a new kind of cookie

Every year I make the usual (chocolate chip, Snickerdoodles, soft molasses) and I always try one or two new ones that usually end up "meh". This year I tried a butter cut-out cookie that was awesome and we're still eating them a month later, a bit stale but still delicious. Will be added to the "permanent" list.

[hedgehog]

7. We demand a recipe!

[Freddie]

13. Butter cookies

2 sticks real butter, softened
3 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400
Cream together butter and sugar, beat in eggs and vanilla. Slowly blend on flour and salt. May need a little more flour so it's not too sticky to roll.
Roll out about 1/8" thick and cut with cookie cutters. Sprinkle with colored sugar if you want.
Use cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, bake at 400 for 8--10 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges. Cool on rack.

[hedgehog]

14. Thank -you!

[The empressof all]

15. I know this is sacrilidge to the butter cookie

For years my family has been making this exact recipe but my nieces cookies always tasted better than mine....She finally confessed she subbed out half the butter for Imperial Margerine.. (Do not substitute). I know...It's not "right" But they tasted better to all of us. Go figure

[Freddie]

16. Will try that next time!

Maybe the saltiness of the margarine enhances the flavor of the butter.