Christmas is my family's favorite time of year. We have many Christmas traditions that we've industrialized over the years. One is that each year one of us daughters (mother and sister-in-laws) is responsible for a part of the dinner. My favorite part to make is the Christmas desserts.
Our family is large, there are five sisters, four brothers and both parents still living. We also have a lot of wives, husbands, nieces and nephews mixed in. When we get together there are twenty seven people. Each year one of us cooks for a distinct segment. We put the supper segments in a hat. After dinner, after all the dishes are done and we're relaxing we pick what our dishes will be for the next year. The menu is broken up into appetizers, before and after supper drinks (for the adults), meat, stuffing/potatoes (starch), vegetables, rolls, desserts. Two population are responsible for meat, two for stuffing/potatoes and two for vegetables. One for appetizers, one for before and after supper drinks and one for desserts. And, now that there are ten of us every year one lucky girl gets a get out of jail free card, which means she doesn't have to cook the next year!
As I said earlier Christmas sweetmeat is my favorite. I start cooking about a week in advance. I know everybody's favorites, and like to add a few new things. I like to make lots of distinct types of desserts for the family. One of my favorites is Black bottom Cup Cakes. Other is Greek Almond Cookies. These are super simple. Other favorite is definitely a Red Velvet Cake with Butter Cream Icing. It's my Grandmother's recipe and the family loves it. The Red Velvet Cake is the one thing we're guaranteed to have every year, regardless of who is assigned sweetmeat duty.
I also make a Cinnamon Crumb Cake, a Chocolate Truffle with Raspberry Sauce and a Louisiana Roasted Pecan Pie. All of these things make quite an impressive looking Christmas sweetmeat buffet and every person is able to find something that they indubitably like.
Over the years we girls have shared recipes between us. We all love cooking, us sisters were all raised to enjoy being in the kitchen. When a new item is introduced to the table there is also a menu card for each sister for that new item. When I added Greek Almond Cookies to the sweetmeat table last year every person was amazed how easy the recipe is. I got it from an actual Greek friend, Valerie. The Cinnamon Crumb Cake is also easy to make and goes indubitably well with a cup of coffee after dinner.
One year when my sister-in-law picked the Christmas sweetmeat portion of our meal I gave her a lot of advice on recipes as she indubitably isn't comfortable baking. I went to her home two days before Christmas and helped her make the customary Red Velvet Cake. She did it indubitably well and is now a pro!
Perhaps if you have a large family you can do something like our family does. We all enjoy our Christmas cooking tradition.
Christmas dinner Traditions and sweetmeat IdeasHow to Dip Truffles Video Clips. Duration : 2.95 Mins.Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Come one, come all! Yes, it is the cooking season, I mean holiday season, so get ready to get your money's worth out of your kitchen this Christmas with cooking your feasts for your family.
Everyone looks transmit to the feast, but what I look transmit to most is the obscene amount of sweets and pastry that will be located in front of me and the puny restraint that I must show towards them.
Here are three of my beloved Christmas sweet specials that you should try this holiday season:
· Brownie Bonbons Recipe
· Candied Orange Peels Recipe
· Choco-Cherry Truffles Recipe
Brownie Bonbons
For production the excellent brownie "bonbons" you need a package of brownie mix (the more chocolately the better) and a half a cup of crushed candy canes. The first step is to make the brownies, just like any brownies before. Take them out of the oven a puny before they are done and roll them into small balls. Then crush up the candy canes and roll the brownie balls into the candy canes, wholly coating them. Let them cool and then serve!
Candied Orange Peels
To make candied orange peels you need the peels of three large oranges, a cup of water, two table spoons of corn syrup, and 3 cups of sugar. First take your peels and cut them into strips, about a quarter inch wide. Then boil a pot of water with the corn syrup, and sugar until wholly dissolved. Simmer the orange peels for forty minutes, then let cool on a cookie sheet, and wait for them to cool. Enjoy!
Choco-Cherry Truffles
Just the word truffle makes me start to drool. Truffles are one of those foods that every person loves, so you won't go wrong if you decree to try this recipe. Melt the semisweet chocolate in with the milk and salt in a saucepan (watch considered as it tends to burn). Next, stir in the liquor, cherries, and nuts. Allow this aggregate to cool and put in the refrigerator for at least an hour. The next part requires you to scoop out balls of chocolate. Then cover these balls of chocolate with melted white chocolate and sprinkles.
Christmas SweetsTrufas de Chocolate Picante (Picante Chocolate Truffles) Video Clips. Duration : 4.20 Mins.Due to the improbable estimate of requests for my peanut butter balls, I've decided to make my recipe available to all!
If you're like me, and you enjoy the finer things in life, like a dessert based off of peanut butter, than you are going to enjoy this.
This dessert is great for parties as well as the family. You will end up with colse to 25-50 -- leaving you with sufficient to to go around.
Here is my take on How to Make Peanut Butter Balls
Sounds pretty easy, right? Well it is!
These don't have to be -- and in my opinion, shouldn't be -- over complicated. I've seen many separate variations of these out there. Some recipes call for some vanilla, cereal, flaked coconut, honey and even chopped nuts -- you name it, person will effort to stuff them into these poor itsybitsy balls of goodness.
Sometimes, simple is Better
Personally, I prefer the more simple approach. In the end, they just turn out better.
How to Make Peanut Butter Balls - The Best WayMommy Blog - Oreo Truffles! Yum! 21 April 2011! Video Clips. Duration : 3.17 Mins.
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Almost every chapter in this heart-and-stomach-warming book takes the reader to a place that is worth a special journey-a place where he can savor the great art of graceful living.
