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Traditional Dinner (for 8)
Mulled Cider (8 servings)
Note: For a nonalcoholic version of this punch, substitute one additional
cup of cider for the applejack.
4 cups apple cider
¼ cup sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
1 cup applejack
Orange slices
1) Combine the cider, sugar, cimmamon sticks and cloves in a large
saucepan.
2) bring to boiling over low heat, stirring several times.
3) Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the applejack; add
the orange slices. Return to the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
4) Transfer the mixture to a heatproof punch bowl.
Serve in demitasse cups.
Make-ahead Note: A few hours ahead, simmer 1 cup of the cider with
the sugar and the cinnamon sticks. Heat until the sugar until it
dissolves; reserve. At serving time, add the remaining cider and
complete the recipe from Step 2.
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Butternut Squash Bisque (8 servings)
2 pounds butternut squash, pared, halved, seeded and cubed
4 tart apples, pared, cored, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
4 slices white bread, trimmed and cubed
2 quarts chicken broth
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon ground rosemary
½ teaspoon ground marjoram
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
½ cup heavy cream
Salt, if necessary
Apple slices and fresh rosemary sprig for garnish (optional)
1) Combine the squash, apples, onion, bread, chicken broth, pepper,
rosemary and marjoram in a saucepan. Bring to boiling. Lower the
heat; simmer, uncovered, for 35 minutes, or until the squash and
apples are tender. Remove from the heat. Cool to lukewarm.
2) Working batches, spoon the soup into the container of an electric
blender or food processor. Cover; whirl until pureed. Return the
soup to the saucepan. Reheat the soup gently over very low heat.
3) Mix together the egg yolks and the cream in a small bowl. Beat
in a little of the hot soup; return the yolk mixture to the saucepan,
stirring. Heat gently to serve. Do not boil, or the eggs will curdle.
Taste and add salt, if necessary. Transfer to a soup tureen. Garnish
wih thin unpeeled apple slices and a fresh rosemary sprig, if you
wish.
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Maple-Glazed Ham
Maple syrup combined with cranberry jelly gives ham a delicious
flavor and an attractive color.
Roast at 350 degrees for 3 hours, 30 minutes.
Makes 8 servings, plus leftovers.
1 whole, fully cooked, bone-in ham (about 14 pounds)
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 can (12 ounces) ginger ale
1 can (1 pound) cranberry jelly
½ cup maple OR: pancake syrup
1 can (1 pound) fruits for salad, drained
Green grapes
Pineapple Doughnuts (recipe follows)
Salt and pepper
1 cup raisins
2 tablespoons white Port wine
1) Preheat the oven to moderate (350 degrees)
2) Trim the excess fat from the ham and score the remaining fat
in a diamond pattern. Rub the ham with the ground cloves. Place,
fat-side up, in a shallow roasting pan; pour the ginger ale over.
3) Roast in the preheated moderate oven (350 degrees) for 3 hours,
basting often with the ginger ale.
4) Heat the cranberry jelly in a small saucepan; stir in the maple
or pancake syrup and heat to bubbling. Brush the glaze on the ham.
5) Roast 20 minutes, basting the ham several times. Arrange the
fruits for salad and the green grapes in a decorative pattern on
the ham, then brush with the remaining glaze. Roast for 10 minutes
longer or until richly glazed.
6) Place the ham on a heated platter and garnish the platter with
the Pineapple Doughnuts (recipe follows).
7) Pour the fat from the roasting pan. Stir 1 cup of water into
the pan. Bring to boiling. Lower the heat, simmer, stirring up all
baked-on juices, until thickened. Taste and season with salt and
pepper. Add the raisins and the wine. Pour the sauce into a heated
sauceboat.
Tip: After baking the Maple-Glazed Ham, reheat the Lemon-Caraway
Muffins, then raise the oven temperature to hot (425 degrees) and
bake the doughnuts.
Notes About Ham
1) Do not freeze ham. Instead, keep it refrigerated, whether cooked
or uncooked. Be sure to use it within a week.
2) Fully cooked ham is completely cooked and ready to eat without
further cooking. If desired, it may be reheated.
3) Ready to eat ham improves in texture and flavor if you cook it
before serving.
4) Cook before eating ham must be cooked before serving.
5) Canned ham is ready to use, cold or reheated. Slice it before
heating to reduce the cooking time.
6) Do not glaze a ham until 30 minutes before the end of the baking
time. Otherwise, the glaze may burn.
Pineapple Doughnuts
Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. (Makes 8 servings)
1 can (20 ounces) sliced pineapple in heavy syrup, drained
1 package (17 ounces) frozen puff pastry
Granulated sugar
Pumpkin pie spice
1 egg, lightly beaten
1) Three to 4 hours before serving time, place 8 of the pineapple
slices on paper towels and let drain for 30 minutes (Reserve the
remaining 2 slices for another use.)
2) Thaw the puff pastry, following the package directions. Cut each
sheet into 4 squares; roll out each square 1 inch longer and 1 inch
wider on a lightly floured pastry cloth or board.
3) Sprinkle the pineapple with sugar and pumpkin pie spice; place
each slice on a pastry square. Wrap the pastry around the pineapple,
pinching the ends to seal and trimming the excess dough from the
bottom. Turn right-side up and shape the pastry around the pineapple
to form a circle. Carefully cut an “X” in the middle with a sharp
paring knife; enlarge to neaten the hold with your finger.
4) Place the doughnuts on a medium-size ungreased cookie sheet.
Freeze until 30 minutes before serving.
5) Preheat the oven to very hot (425 degrees).
6) Brush the doughnuts with the beaten egg.
7) Bake in the preheated very hot oven (425) for 30 minutes, or
until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm as a garnish around the
ham.
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Yankee Succotash
Bacon and chunks of tomatoes turn everyday succotash into a holiday
vegetable dish.
Makes 8 servings.
4 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 bag (1 pound) frozen whole-kernel corn
1 bag (1 pound) frozen lima beans
1 can (1 pound) whole tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon leaf thyme, crumbled
¼ teaspoon pepper
1) Fry the bacon until crisp. Remove with a lotted spoon and drain
on paper towels.
2) Saute the onion until soft in the bacon drippings. Stir in the
frozen corn and lima beans. Drain the tomato liquid into the saucepan.
Add the salt, thyme and pepper; cover the saucepan.
3) Bring to boiling. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Cut
the tomatoes into chunks and add along with the bacon to the saucepan.
Simmer for 5 minutes longer. Spoon into a heated serving dish, just
before serving. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
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Fluffy Mashed Potatoes
An electric hand mixer makes quick work of mashed potatoes.
Makes 8 servings
8 large boiling potatoes (about 5 pounds)
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Butter or margarine
Paprika
1) Pare and quarter the potatoes. Cover with salted water in a large
kettle; bring to boiling.
2) Lower the heat; simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes
ar3 tender when pierced with a two-tined fork. Drain.
3) Return the potatoes to the kettle and toss over low heat until
potatoes fluff up. Add the ¼ cup of butter or margarine and the
milk. Heat slowly until the butter melts.
4) Mash the potatoes, first with a potato masher, then with an electric
hand mixer, until light and fluffy. Season with the salt and pepper
and spoon into a heated serving bowl. Top with a few slices of butter
and sprinkle with the paprika. Keep warm in the oven until serving
time.
Tip: The cooking water from potatoes and other vegetables is vitamin-rich
and flavorful, so don’t throw it out. Strain it into a large bowl;
when cool, pour it into glass or plastic jars and refrigerate. Use
in soups, sauces and stews.
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Buttered Brussels Sprouts
Chestnuts add seasonal flair to a favorite winter vegetable.
Makes 8 servings
1 container (1 pint) Brussel sprouts or: 2 packages (9 ounces each)
frozen Brussel sprouts
1 cup chicken broth
Salt, if desired
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon ground mace
1 can (15 ounces) whole chestnuts, drained ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter
or margarine
1) Remove only the bruised leaves from the fresh Brussels sprouts;
cut an “X” in the stem-end of each sprout. Wash in salted warm water.
2) Bring the chicken broth to boiling in a large saucepan; add the
fresh or frozen sprouts, salt, pepper and mace. Bring to boiling.
Lower the heat to simmering and break apart the frozen sprouts with
2 forks. Stir in the drained chestnuts and cover the pan.
3) Cook the frozen sprouts for 5 minutes, the fresh sprouts for
15 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Remove with a slotted spoon to
a heated vegetable bowl, reserving the cooking liquid for soup making.
Add butter or margarine to the bowl; toss.
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Creamed Beans And Onions
Makes 8 servings
1 pound small white onions
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cups light cream
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 bag (1 pound) frozen cut green beans, cooked and drained
1) Pour boiling water over the onions in a small bowl; allow to
stand for 2 minutes; drain the water and peel the onions. Cut an
“X” in the root-end of each onion.
2) Cook in salted boiling water in a large saucepan for 15 minutes,
or until the onions are tender when pierced with a two-tined fork;
drain. (This can be done the day before. Place in a bowl and cover
with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
3) Melt the butter or margarine in a large saucepan. Stir in the
flour and cook until the mixture bubbles. Stir in the cream, salt,
pepper and nutmeg. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens
and bubbles for 2 minutes.
4) Add the boiled onions and cooked green beans, and heat for 5
minutes, or until bubbly hot. Spoon onto a heated serving dish.
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Lemon-Caraway Muffins
The old-fashioned taste of caraway complements these lemon-glazed
muffins.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 1 dozen muffins.
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Grated rind of 1 lemon
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
Lemon Glaze (recipe follows)
1) Preheat the oven to hot (400 degrees).
2) Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium-size
bowl. Stir in the grated lemon rind.
3) Melt the butter or margarine with the caraway seeds in a small
saucepan over low heat; cool slightly, then add the milk and beaten
egg.
4) Add the liquid all at once to the flour mixture, stirring only
until just moistened – the batter will be lumpy.
5) Spoon the batter into 12 greased muffin-pan cups, filling 2/3
full.
6) Bake in the preheated hot oven (400 degrees) for 20 minutes,
or until golden. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan on a wire rack; invert
onto the rack. Brush with the Lemon Glaze and serve warm.
Lemon Glaze: Makes enough to top 1 dozen muffins. Mix 1 teaspoon
of lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of 10X (confectioners’ powdered)
sugar in a 1-cup measure until blended; brush onto the warm muffins.
Note: The Perfect Muffin: 1) Always sift the dry ingredients together;
2) Cool the melted shortening slightly before you use it, to prevent
cooking the egg when you mix the batter together; 3) Stir liquid
into the dry ingredients just until mixed (batter should be lumpy.)
Overmixing causes tough, coarse-textured results; 4) Fill greased
muffin-pan cups only two-thirds full.
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Colonial Cranberry Pie
Applejack adds extra zest to a rich cranberry-raisin crisscross
pie.
Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.
Makes one 10-inch pie.
2 cans (1 pound each) whole cranberry sauce
1 cup raisins
¼ cup applejack
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground mace
1 cup chopped pecans
Rich Pastry (recipe follows)
1) Preheat the oven to hot (400 degrees).
2) Combine the cranberry sauce, raisins and applejack in a large
saucepan; bring to boiling; simmer for 5 minutes. Combine the flour,
sugar and mace in a small bowl and stir into the cranberry mixture.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and
cool completely; stir in the nuts.
3) Prepare the Rich Pastry and roll out half to a 13-inch round
on a lightly floured pastry cloth or board. Fit into a 10-inch pie
plate.
4) Pour the cooled cranberry mixture over the pastry.
5) Roll out the remaining pastry into twelve ½-inch-wide strips.
6) To weave the lattice top: Lay the first cross strip near the
center of the pie. Bring the folded strips bak over it; continue,
alternating folded-back strips each time a cross strip is added.
7) Trim the edges to ½ inch; turn under and flute.
8) Bake in the preheated hot oven (400 degrees) for 35 minutes,
or until the filling bubbles up and the pastry turns golden brown.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Rich Pastry
Makes one 10-inch double crust.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup very cold water
Combine the flour and salt in a medium-size bowl. Cut in the shortening
with a pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle the
water over, one tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until
pastry holds together. Wrap in wax paper.
Perfect Piecrusts
1) Avoid overhandling the dough.
2) Only use as much flour as is needed to prevent sticking.
3) Never pull or stretch the dough. East it into the pan.
4) To minimize shrinking, chill the pastry shell before baking.
5) To prevent soggy bottom crusts, pour your filling into the crust
just before baking. Or, partially bake the empty crust and line
it with aluminum foil. Fill it with raw beans or rice to weigh down
the dough. Bake until partially set but not colored, then carefully
remove the foil and beans. Fill and finish baking.
6) If crust browns too fast, lightly cover it with aluminum foil,
shiny-side up. Continue baking until the filling is set.
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Pumpkin Steamed Pudding
A different way to enjoy one’s holiday pumpkin.
Steam for 2 hours.
Makes 8 servings.
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup instant mashed potato powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
¼ cup orange juice
1 cup pumpkin (from an about 1 pound can)
½ cup chopped walnuts
Packaged unseasoned bread crumbs
Rich Butterscotch Sauce (recipe follows)
Flaked coconut and chopped walnuts for garnish (optional)
1) Combine the flour, instant mashed potato powder, baking soda,
salt and pumpkin pie spice in a medium-size bowl.
2) Beat the butter or margarine with the brown sugar in a large
bowl with an electric mixer at high speed; beat in the eggs, vanilla
and orange rind.
3) Add the dry ingredients, alternately with the orange juice, beating
well after each addition. Fold in the pumpkin and the walnuts with
a rubber scraper.
4) Grease an 8-cup tube mold. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs; tap
out the excess. Pour the batter into the prepared mold. Cover with
a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fasten with string
to hold tightly.
5) Place on rack or trivet in a kettle or steamer. Pour in boiling
water to half the depth of the pudding in the mold; cover the kettle
tightly.
6) Steam for 2 hours, or until a long, thin skewer inserted near
the center comes out clean. (Keep the water boiling gently during
the entire time, adding more boiling water, if needed.)
7) Cool the mold for 5 minutes. Loosen the pudding around the edge
with a knife; unmold onto a serving plate; cool slightly. Spoon
about ¼ cup hot Rich Butterscotch Sauce over the pudding. Top with
flaked coconut and chopped walnuts, if you wish. Cut in wedges and
serve with the remaining sauce.
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Rich Butterscotch Sauce: Makes
1 ½ cups. Combine 1 ¼ cups of firmly packed light brown sugar, ¼
cup of heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup and ¼ cup
(1/2 stick) of butter or margarine in a small saucepan. Heat to
boiling, then cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat; stir in 1
teaspoon of vanilla. Serve hot.
Tip: Steamed puddings make wonderful gifts to give to special friends.
The above recipe can be made in two 4-cup molds and steamed for
1 ½ hours.
Make-ahead Note: After unmolding the pudding, cool completely. Wrap
in heavy-duty aluminum foil, label, date and freeze. To reheat,
bake the thawed pudding in a preheated slow oven (300 degrees) for
20 to 30 minutes.
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