Holiday Desserts
Since Thanksgiving is this week (at least in the U.S.), here are six Holiday Desserts to help you through the day, including Fantasy Fudge and Gingerbread Cutouts. Enjoy!
PANETTONE BREAD PUDDING
This is from Tejal Rao in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Tejal wrote, “If you’ve bought a loaf of truly fantastic panettone, made in the Italian tradition from a natural starter, the kind that’s airy and melting, we hope you don’t have any leftovers. But if you find yourself with an excess of mass-produced panettone, or simply very old panettone that’s past its prime, here’s how to transform it into something special. Cut it into thick slices, as the pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt does with brioche, when she makes her bread pudding at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. Toast them. Now layer the bread in a wide dish, and pour over a whisked custard of milk and eggs. It will look like too much liquid, but as it bakes, the panettone will soak it all up, becoming moist and tender and impossibly rich. It’s close enough to a casserole of French toast to make it ideal for a special holiday breakfast, but sweet enough to step in as dessert on a cold night. Vanilla would be a classic way to flavor the custard, but panettone tends to be quite sweet and perfumed already, so taste the bread first before adding extras.”
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 10 minutes plus 1 hour baking
This was featured in “Panettone Has Become an Obsession for American Bakers,” and can be viewed here.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 to 8 slices panettone
6 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups whole milk
Confectioners' sugar, to garnish
Preparation
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a deep baking dish that will fit all the bread slices in a single layer, overlapping slightly, about 9 by 5 inches. Place the sliced panettone on a sheet pan and lightly toast it in the oven so that it’s still flexible, but dry to the touch, about 10 minutes. Arrange toast in the baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt, then add the milk and whisk until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer over the panettone, allowing the excess mixture to fill up the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the bread has soaked up all the custard and puffed up, and the custard is no longer runny. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before serving, then use a fine-mesh sieve to dust all over with confectioners' sugar and serve.
LAURIE COLWIN'S GINGERBREAD
This is from Laurie Colwin, and adapted by The New York Times on their The New York Times cooking site. It begins, "The writer Laurie Colwin had an obsession with gingerbread, publishing a few different essays and recipes exploring its charms. In the essay that precedes this moist, cakelike rendition, from her book “Home Cooking,” she writes that it is “home food” — not fancy restaurant food, that is, but soothing cold-weather food that is simple to make, ideal for an afternoon spent holed up indoors. The essay is also a paean to Steen’s cane syrup, from Louisiana, which comes in cheerful yellow cans. Steen’s is easy to find online, if not at your local supermarket, but the recipe does not suffer if you use another brand of light molasses instead. Serve the cake plain with whipped cream, or with fruit and a dollop of crème fraîche, or glazed with lemon icing, as Ms. Colwin often did."
Yield: One 9-inch cake; Time: 45 minutes
This was featured in "Laurie Colwin: A Confidante in the Kitchen", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016198-laurie-colwins-gingerbread.
Ingredients
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, additional for buttering pan
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup light molasses
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 tablespoons ground ginger, or to taste
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons lemon brandy or vanilla extract (see note)
1/2 cup buttermilk (or milk with a little plain yogurt beaten into it)
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch cake pan and set aside. Cream remaining 4 ounces butter with the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy, add molasses, then beat in eggs.
Add flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and allspice.
Add lemon brandy or vanilla extract and buttermilk and turn batter into pan.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes (check after 20 minutes). Cool on a rack.
Tip
Lemon brandy is hard to find, but recipes for homemade lemon brandy can be found online and in cookbooks. Do not use lemon extract.
GINGERBREAD CUTOUTS
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "'Can we eat them yet?' is the first question you’ll hear every time you bake these spicy gingerbread cookies."
Prep Time: 2 hours 15 minutes; Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes; Makes 108 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cookies
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups dark molasses
2/3 cup cold water
7 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Easy Creamy Frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
About 5 tablespoons half-and-half
Directions
In large bowl, stir together brown sugar, shortening, molasses and water. Stir in remaining cookie ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. On floured surface, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut with floured gingerbread cutter or other favorite shaped cutter. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched (for a softer, chewier cookie, bake 8 to 10 minutes). Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
In large bowl, stir together all frosting ingredients until smooth and spreadable. Decorate cookies with frosting.
Expert Tips
Using a tub of Betty Crocker® ready-to-spread frosting instead of making the frosting can save you a few precious moments during the busy holiday season.
Store unbaked cookie dough tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
DULCE DE LECHE BANANA PIE
This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "A flaky homemade pie crust complements a caramel and banana cream filling." If that doesn't sound absolutely yummy, I don't know what does!
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Makes 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/dulce-de-leche-banana-pie.
Ingredients
1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche
3 ripe medium bananas
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Preparation
Heat oven to 450°F. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and dough almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
On lightly floured surface, shape dough into a ball. Flatten ball to 1/2-inch thickness, rounding and smoothing edges. With floured rolling pin, roll dough into 11-inch round, rolling from center to edge. Fold dough in half; place in 9-inch glass pie plate. Unfold; gently press in bottom and up side of plate, being careful not to stretch dough.
Fold and roll edge of dough under, even with plate; flute edge. Prick bottom and side of dough generously with fork. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Spoon contents of can of dulce de leche into center of cooled crust; gently spread to edge. Thinly slice bananas; arrange over dulce de leche.
In medium bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread over bananas.
In small resealable freezer plastic bag, place chocolate chips and oil; seal bag. Microwave on High 30 seconds; knead bag to mix melted chips and unmelted chips. Microwave 15 to 30 seconds longer or until all chips are melted and smooth. Snip off tiny corner of bag. Pipe melted chocolate mixture over whipped cream. Store pie in refrigerator.
FANTASY FUDGE
This recipe, from My Food and Family, begins, "Delight your taste buds with this amazing Fantasy Fudge. This Fantasy Fudge is a classic marshmallow fudge that gets its chocolatey, nutty goodness from BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate and walnuts."
Prep Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes
To view this online, go to https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/051833/fantasy-fudge.
Ingredients
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 small can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup) (Do not use sweetened condensed milk.)
3 pkg. (4 oz. each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
1 jar (7 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla
Directions
Line 9-inch square pan with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Bring sugar, butter and evaporated milk to full rolling boil in 3-qt. saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 4 min. or until candy thermometer reaches 234°F, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Add chocolate and marshmallow creme; stir until melted. Add nuts and vanilla; mix well.
Pour into prepared pan; spread to cover bottom of pan. Cool completely. Use foil handles to lift fudge from pan before cutting into 1-inch squares.
Kitchen Tips
Tip 1
Size Wise
A serving of this sweet treat is 2 squares. You'll find that a small portion goes a long way on chocolate flavor.
GUMDROP COOKIE MIX IN A JAR
Long since forgotten email list.
Ingredients
1-3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups (10 oz.) spiced gumdrops, cut into pieces
Directions
Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda, and add to the jar. Add the brown sugar, and press down gently to form a layer. Combine the granulated sugar and the gum drops to coat the cut pieces of the candy with sugar, to prevent the candy from clumping together. Add them to the jar.
Put lid on the jar and attach the following instructions to a gift tag:
GUMDROP COOKIES
Ingredients
1 jar Gumdrop Cookie Mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
Directions
Remove the gumdrops from the jar and set aside. Empty the remaining cookie mix into a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Add butter or margarine, egg and vanilla. Mix until completely blended. Add the gum drops, and mix gently. shape into walnut-size balls, and place 2 inches apart on sprayed or parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes 2-1/2 dozen cookies.
PANETTONE BREAD PUDDING
This is from Tejal Rao in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Tejal wrote, “If you’ve bought a loaf of truly fantastic panettone, made in the Italian tradition from a natural starter, the kind that’s airy and melting, we hope you don’t have any leftovers. But if you find yourself with an excess of mass-produced panettone, or simply very old panettone that’s past its prime, here’s how to transform it into something special. Cut it into thick slices, as the pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt does with brioche, when she makes her bread pudding at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. Toast them. Now layer the bread in a wide dish, and pour over a whisked custard of milk and eggs. It will look like too much liquid, but as it bakes, the panettone will soak it all up, becoming moist and tender and impossibly rich. It’s close enough to a casserole of French toast to make it ideal for a special holiday breakfast, but sweet enough to step in as dessert on a cold night. Vanilla would be a classic way to flavor the custard, but panettone tends to be quite sweet and perfumed already, so taste the bread first before adding extras.”
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 10 minutes plus 1 hour baking
This was featured in “Panettone Has Become an Obsession for American Bakers,” and can be viewed here.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 to 8 slices panettone
6 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups whole milk
Confectioners' sugar, to garnish
Preparation
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a deep baking dish that will fit all the bread slices in a single layer, overlapping slightly, about 9 by 5 inches. Place the sliced panettone on a sheet pan and lightly toast it in the oven so that it’s still flexible, but dry to the touch, about 10 minutes. Arrange toast in the baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt, then add the milk and whisk until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer over the panettone, allowing the excess mixture to fill up the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the bread has soaked up all the custard and puffed up, and the custard is no longer runny. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before serving, then use a fine-mesh sieve to dust all over with confectioners' sugar and serve.
LAURIE COLWIN'S GINGERBREAD
This is from Laurie Colwin, and adapted by The New York Times on their The New York Times cooking site. It begins, "The writer Laurie Colwin had an obsession with gingerbread, publishing a few different essays and recipes exploring its charms. In the essay that precedes this moist, cakelike rendition, from her book “Home Cooking,” she writes that it is “home food” — not fancy restaurant food, that is, but soothing cold-weather food that is simple to make, ideal for an afternoon spent holed up indoors. The essay is also a paean to Steen’s cane syrup, from Louisiana, which comes in cheerful yellow cans. Steen’s is easy to find online, if not at your local supermarket, but the recipe does not suffer if you use another brand of light molasses instead. Serve the cake plain with whipped cream, or with fruit and a dollop of crème fraîche, or glazed with lemon icing, as Ms. Colwin often did."
Yield: One 9-inch cake; Time: 45 minutes
This was featured in "Laurie Colwin: A Confidante in the Kitchen", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016198-laurie-colwins-gingerbread.
Ingredients
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, additional for buttering pan
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup light molasses
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 tablespoons ground ginger, or to taste
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons lemon brandy or vanilla extract (see note)
1/2 cup buttermilk (or milk with a little plain yogurt beaten into it)
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch cake pan and set aside. Cream remaining 4 ounces butter with the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy, add molasses, then beat in eggs.
Add flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and allspice.
Add lemon brandy or vanilla extract and buttermilk and turn batter into pan.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes (check after 20 minutes). Cool on a rack.
Tip
Lemon brandy is hard to find, but recipes for homemade lemon brandy can be found online and in cookbooks. Do not use lemon extract.
GINGERBREAD CUTOUTS
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "'Can we eat them yet?' is the first question you’ll hear every time you bake these spicy gingerbread cookies."
Prep Time: 2 hours 15 minutes; Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes; Makes 108 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cookies
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups dark molasses
2/3 cup cold water
7 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Easy Creamy Frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
About 5 tablespoons half-and-half
Directions
In large bowl, stir together brown sugar, shortening, molasses and water. Stir in remaining cookie ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. On floured surface, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut with floured gingerbread cutter or other favorite shaped cutter. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched (for a softer, chewier cookie, bake 8 to 10 minutes). Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
In large bowl, stir together all frosting ingredients until smooth and spreadable. Decorate cookies with frosting.
Expert Tips
Using a tub of Betty Crocker® ready-to-spread frosting instead of making the frosting can save you a few precious moments during the busy holiday season.
Store unbaked cookie dough tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
DULCE DE LECHE BANANA PIE
This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "A flaky homemade pie crust complements a caramel and banana cream filling." If that doesn't sound absolutely yummy, I don't know what does!
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Makes 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/dulce-de-leche-banana-pie.
Ingredients
1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche
3 ripe medium bananas
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Preparation
Heat oven to 450°F. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and dough almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
On lightly floured surface, shape dough into a ball. Flatten ball to 1/2-inch thickness, rounding and smoothing edges. With floured rolling pin, roll dough into 11-inch round, rolling from center to edge. Fold dough in half; place in 9-inch glass pie plate. Unfold; gently press in bottom and up side of plate, being careful not to stretch dough.
Fold and roll edge of dough under, even with plate; flute edge. Prick bottom and side of dough generously with fork. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Spoon contents of can of dulce de leche into center of cooled crust; gently spread to edge. Thinly slice bananas; arrange over dulce de leche.
In medium bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread over bananas.
In small resealable freezer plastic bag, place chocolate chips and oil; seal bag. Microwave on High 30 seconds; knead bag to mix melted chips and unmelted chips. Microwave 15 to 30 seconds longer or until all chips are melted and smooth. Snip off tiny corner of bag. Pipe melted chocolate mixture over whipped cream. Store pie in refrigerator.
FANTASY FUDGE
This recipe, from My Food and Family, begins, "Delight your taste buds with this amazing Fantasy Fudge. This Fantasy Fudge is a classic marshmallow fudge that gets its chocolatey, nutty goodness from BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate and walnuts."
Prep Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes
To view this online, go to https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/051833/fantasy-fudge.
Ingredients
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 small can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup) (Do not use sweetened condensed milk.)
3 pkg. (4 oz. each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
1 jar (7 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla
Directions
Line 9-inch square pan with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Bring sugar, butter and evaporated milk to full rolling boil in 3-qt. saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 4 min. or until candy thermometer reaches 234°F, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Add chocolate and marshmallow creme; stir until melted. Add nuts and vanilla; mix well.
Pour into prepared pan; spread to cover bottom of pan. Cool completely. Use foil handles to lift fudge from pan before cutting into 1-inch squares.
Kitchen Tips
Tip 1
Size Wise
A serving of this sweet treat is 2 squares. You'll find that a small portion goes a long way on chocolate flavor.
GUMDROP COOKIE MIX IN A JAR
Long since forgotten email list.
Ingredients
1-3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups (10 oz.) spiced gumdrops, cut into pieces
Directions
Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda, and add to the jar. Add the brown sugar, and press down gently to form a layer. Combine the granulated sugar and the gum drops to coat the cut pieces of the candy with sugar, to prevent the candy from clumping together. Add them to the jar.
Put lid on the jar and attach the following instructions to a gift tag:
GUMDROP COOKIES
Ingredients
1 jar Gumdrop Cookie Mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
Directions
Remove the gumdrops from the jar and set aside. Empty the remaining cookie mix into a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Add butter or margarine, egg and vanilla. Mix until completely blended. Add the gum drops, and mix gently. shape into walnut-size balls, and place 2 inches apart on sprayed or parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes 2-1/2 dozen cookies.
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