Yum, yum! Holiday baking! This is one time during the year when we take more time, spend more money, use more complicated recipes and fancier ingredients to make some of the most delicious baked goods ever. “Holiday Baking: New and Traditional Recipes for Wintertime Holidays,” by Sara Perry, goes the limit with ideas and instructions for all the holidays, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. Want to know what to bake for Hanukkah? It’s there. How about Boxing Day? No problem. Here are some ideas for your holiday table, whatever special day you celebrate. Sofia’s Snow Pillows (Christmas)
1 cup cake flour 1 cup finely ground pecans (use a blender but don’t make a paste) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 cups powdered sugar, divided 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease lightly. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, ground pecans and salt until well blended and set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and one-third cup powdered sugar until fluffy. Stir in the vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until the dough clings together. Chill the dough for 20 minutes. Shape the dough into one-inch balls. Place the cookies about two inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake until firm and light brown, about 12 minutes. In a shallow dish, spread about one-half cup of the remaining powdered sugar. As the tender cookies finish baking, gently transfer 3 or 4 to the sugar-lined dish. Sift or sieve some of the remaining powdered sugar over the warm cookies. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the rest of the cookies. Makes about two and one-half dozen. The Amazing Leftover Eggnog and Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding (Boxing Day)
4-6 large cinnamon rolls or other sweet yeast rolls, preferably a day or two old 3 eggs 1 1/4 cups purchased regular eggnog, not light 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream Powdered sugar for dusting Warm maple syrup for serving (optional) Cut the cinnamon rolls into one-inch cubes to equal 8 cups. You can do this several days ahead and leave the cubes out to dry further. The night before you want the pudding, butter a shallow, two and one-half quart baking dish. Distribute the cubes evenly in the dish. Parts of the cubes may be higher than the dish. In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Whisk in the cream and eggnog until blended and no yolk shows. Carefully pour three-quarters of this mixture over the cinnamon roll cubes. Use the back of a spoon or your fingers to press the cubes into the liquid. Let rest for 10 minutes to allow the cubes to soak up the liquid, then pour in the remaining egg mixture. Make sure every cube is saturated. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. About an hour before serving, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and place the uncovered dish in a large roasting pan. Fill the pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake in the center of the oven until the cubes are toasted and the pudding is set around the edges, about 50 minutes. Remove the dish from the water as soon as you take it from the oven. Transfer to a rack for 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar. To serve, scoop portions into dishes and serve plain or with warm maple syrup. Serves 6 to 8. Apricot Jam and Coconut Squares (Kwanzaa)
1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into pieces, at room temperature 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons apricot preserves Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8 inch metal baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving a few inches hanging over the edges, to insure easy removal of cookies. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and pecans. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour mixture until crumbly. Transfer one-half cup of this mixture to a small bowl, stir in the coconut and set aside to use as topping. Transfer the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and press evenly across the bottom of the pan. Bake until the crust begins to brown, about 20 minutes. Spread the hot crust with the apricot preserves. Lightly press the reserved topping mixture onto the preserves, return to the oven and bake until the coconut is well toasted, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool and set, about one and one-half hours. Gently remove from the pan and cut into 32 bars, 1x2 inches each. Everyone is aware that calories don’t count during the holidays, so
bake ‘til your heart’s content. This is the time to visit friends and
neighbors, carrying treats and making merry. Ho, ho, ho!
And...that’s all she wrote.
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