Hostesses: Stephanie Mehner, Carma Barnett and Hillary Sorenson
White-Grape Raspberry Punch ~ Carma
One frozen white, grape, raspberry frozen concentrate
One liter sprite
Ice
Sprinkle fresh raspberries, strawberries, blueberries on top
Chicken Brochettes ~ Stephanie & Carma
1 lb boneless skinless chicken
1 pkg bacon
40 oz artichoke hearts
freshly ground pepper
toothpicks
Cut chicken and artichoke hearts into bite sizes. On a half strip of bacon place one piece of chicken and one piece of artichoke side by side and roll bacon up. Sprinkle with pepper. Place on broiling pan or cookie sheet with rack so drippings fall away from brochettes. Cook at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Once cooked, insert toothpicks and enjoy.
Roasted Pumpkin Soup ~ Hillary
2 ¾ lbs. Pumpkin, Butternut Squash or combination, halved and seeded
1 onion, peeled and quartered through the stem
2-3 shiitake mushroom, stemmed, caps wiped clean
1 garlic clove, peeled
½ c. olive oil
Coarse Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 c. homemade or store-bought low-sodium vegetable stock
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut pumpkin/squash into 2-inch pieces. Combine pumpkin, onion, mushrooms, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Add oil and 2 teaspoons salt; toss to coat, then spread in a single layer. Roast until pumpkin is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 30-45 minutes, rotating pan and tossing vegetables halfway through. Let cool, then remove skins.
Transfer vegetables to a medium saucepan; heat over medium. Pour in 2 cups stock; puree with an immersion blender until smooth. With the blender running, slowly add remaining 3 cups stock and puree until smooth. Bring soup just to a simmer. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
**Note: to make extra smooth I also passed soup through a fine sieve. We garnished with a spoonful of Mascarpone cheese and a sprinkling of candied walnuts
Gorgonzola Pear Salad ~ Hillary
Romaine and Red-leaf lettuces, washed and chopped
Roasted Pecans (350 degrees for 10 minutes), lightly chopped
1 lb. cooked bacon, crumbled
3-4 ripe pears, quartered, seeded and sliced
Gorgonzola Cheese
Pomegranate, seeded OR Craisins if not Pom. Season
Dressing: (can halve this, it makes A LOT)
1 ¼ c. vegetable oil
2 t. salt
2 c. sugar
3 – 4 shallots, finely minced
2 t. dry mustard
1 c. red-wine vinegar
2 t. poppy seeds
Toss lettuces with enough dressing to lightly coat and layer other ingredients over top.
Sweetened Pork Loin with Apples and Pears ~ Carma
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1-3 lb. boneless pork loin roast
1/3 cup molasses
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 apples, 2 pears (cut in halves, wedges, or slices)
2 Tbsp. sugar
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line shallow roasting pan with heavy foil. Place meat rack in pan, set aside. In bowl combine pepper, salt, garlic powder. Brush pork with olive oil, rub with pepper mixture. Place pork on rack. Roast 35 minutes. For glaze, in skillet combine molasses, vinegar, and soy sauce. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer one minute. Remove to bowl. Set glaze and skillet aside. Brush pork with some glaze (reserve 2 Tbsp. for fruit). Continue roasting 20 minutes, brushing with more glaze halfway through. Roast 10 minutes more or until thermometer reads 150 degrees. Cover with foil. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, in glaze skillet heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Toss fruit with sugar. Add fruit to skillet, cover and cook 2 minutes, uncover and cook 3 minutes more until crisp and tender. Add reserved glaze; heat through. Serve pork with fruit and drizzle with pan juices. Serves 8.
White Cheddar Sweet Potatoes ~ Carma
3 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 7 medium)
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. salt
3 ounces aged white cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large red onion, cut in thin wedges
2 tsp. snipped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scrub potatoes, prick with fork, and place on foil lined baking sheet. Bake 40-60 minutes or until tender. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees. When potatoes are cool, scrape pulp from skin. Transfer to bowl. Mash with 2 Tbsp. butter and 3/4 tsp. salt. Stir in cheese, juice, cream, 2 Tbsp. brown sugar. Transfer to buttered casserole dish, cover, bake 30 minutes or until heated. Meanwhile, in microwave combine remaining butter, brown sugar, salt. Add onion, cook 3-4 minutes or until onion is crisp and tender. Add to potatoes, garnish with fresh thyme.
Winter Wassail ~ Stephanie
1 quart apple cider
1 quart apple juice
8 oranges
4 lemons
6 cinnamon sticks
8 whole cloves
6 whole allspice berries
1/4 tsp mace
In a large pot, combine apple juice and cider. Wash and slice oranges and lemons. Throw them in. Create a spice bouquet by wrapping 6 cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, and mace in a piece of cheesecloth or muslin. Add to juice. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Decadent Chocolate Fudge Cake ~ Stephanie
1 pkg. two layer devil's food cake mix
1-1/3 cups water
1/2 cup safflower or peanut oil
3 eggs
16 oz. good quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
1-1/3 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter
Prepare cake mix as directed on package, using water, oil and egg measurements above. Bake in two greased and floured 8" round pans at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
Melt chocolate in medium saucepan over low heat. Heat cream and butter together in a large saucepan until it boils. Pour cream over chocolate and beat with wire whisk until smooth. Cool 20 minutes.
Line 9" spring-form pan with waxed paper. Cut cooled cake into cubes. Place cake cubes in large mixer bowl. Pour 1-1/3 cups ganache over the cake cubes and mix on low speed with an electric mixture until texture is like thick fudge. Spread evenly in prepared pan, smoothing top. Freeze for one hour. Un-mold cake, place on serving plate, remove waxed paper, and coat cake on the top and sides with remaining chocolate ganache. Store in refrigerator. 16-20 servings
Caramel Pots de Crème ~ Hillary
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 vanilla bean, split
5 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place six 4-ounce ovenproof ramekins or pots de crème in a 13-by-9-by-2-inch roasting pan; set aside.
Place 1/2 cup sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, without stirring, until sugar has caramelized and is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Swirl pan, dissolving un-melted sugar; reduce heat to low.
Slowly and carefully whisk in the milk and 1 cup cream. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pan and add the pod. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil; remove the pan from heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and salt; continue whisking until pale yellow in color. Slowly add the hot cream mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour this new mixture through a fine sieve set over a large liquid measuring cup; discard vanilla pod.
Using a tablespoon or a small ladle, skim the surface to remove any visible air bubbles. Pour approximately 1/2 cup liquid into each ramekin. Fill roasting pan with hot water to within 1 inch of ramekin tops. Cover roasting pan with foil, and poke small holes in two opposite corners for vents.
In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and salt; continue whisking until pale yellow in color. Slowly add the hot cream mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour this new mixture through a fine sieve set over a large liquid measuring cup; discard vanilla pod.
Using a tablespoon or a small ladle, skim the surface to remove any visible air bubbles. Pour approximately 1/2 cup liquid into each ramekin. Fill roasting pan with hot water to within 1 inch of ramekin tops. Cover roasting pan with foil, and poke small holes in two opposite corners for vents.
Carefully place pan on center oven rack; bake until just set, about 35 minutes. Remove foil; transfer ramekins to a wire rack to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
When ready to serve, place the remaining 1/2 cup cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip cream until soft peaks form. Add a dollop of whipped cream to each serving.
**NOTE: I used about 16 mini ramekins, about 1 oz. each, available at Sur la Table for $1 each.
Walnut Cookies ~ Hillary
Makes 25 sandwich cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon walnut liqueur
Confectioners' sugar, for mold
Chocolate-Walnut Filling, recipe follows
Whisk flour, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium bowl. Beat butter, cream cheese, and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in yolk and walnut liqueur, then add flour mixture, beating until just combined. Form dough into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Using a dry pastry brush, generously dust a walnut springerle mold with confectioners' sugar. Cut a piece of dough about the size of the mold (available from House on the Hill). Press dough into mold with fingers, working from center. Gently coax dough out of mold with fingertips and onto a baking sheet, and trim edges with a knife. Repeat, spacing cookies 1 inch apart on sheets and cleaning mold often. Freeze for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake cookies until set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Pipe or spread 1 teaspoon chocolate-walnut filling on flat side of 1 cookie. Press flat side of another cookie onto filling to sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 2 days.
***NOTE: The Walnut Mold for the cookies can be purchased at this website:
www.houseonthehill.net -- Type “walnut” in the search box and the mold will come up.
I found walnut liqueur at a regular liquor store. The brand I have is called Nocello, but I am sure any brand is fine. It has a really nice aroma and contributes to the main flavor of the cookie. It is a little pricey, around $25, but worth it to me. Liquor has a long shelf life so, stored properly (capped tightly in a dark pantry is good), you would be able to use it for years. I have never tried the recipe without it but I am sure if you wanted to you could omit it and use a small amount of another flavoring.
These cookies are REALLY good and fun to make, but they do take awhile and are a little too difficult for young kids to do. Here are some things I have learned making them several times… Keep the dough REALLY cold while you are molding it. After chilling the disks, like it says in the recipe, cut them into about 1” pieces and put them in the freezer only taking out a few at a time and then forming them right away. It is easiest if you sugar the mold, as directed and press the dough into the mold with your fingers (not handling too much, the dough thaws quickly). But then to get it out (this is the hard part), press the mold - dough side down onto a cutting board very firmly. When you lift the mold up, the molded walnut should stick to the cutting board, making removal much easier.
If this way doesn’t work for you, another way I have gotten them out is by sticking the point of a knife in the edge of the dough and carefully prying it out. Either way you do it, after the walnut is formed, there is usually some extra dough that you have to trim off the sides with a sharp knife. There is also a video on www.marthastewart.com under “Walnut Cookies” that gives you the basic gist of the recipe. Happy cookie making!!***
Chocolate-Walnut Filling ~ Hillary
Makes 1 1/4 cups, enough for 25 cookies
When ready to serve, place the remaining 1/2 cup cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip cream until soft peaks form. Add a dollop of whipped cream to each serving.
**NOTE: I used about 16 mini ramekins, about 1 oz. each, available at Sur la Table for $1 each.
Walnut Cookies ~ Hillary
Makes 25 sandwich cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon walnut liqueur
Confectioners' sugar, for mold
Chocolate-Walnut Filling, recipe follows
Whisk flour, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium bowl. Beat butter, cream cheese, and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in yolk and walnut liqueur, then add flour mixture, beating until just combined. Form dough into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Using a dry pastry brush, generously dust a walnut springerle mold with confectioners' sugar. Cut a piece of dough about the size of the mold (available from House on the Hill). Press dough into mold with fingers, working from center. Gently coax dough out of mold with fingertips and onto a baking sheet, and trim edges with a knife. Repeat, spacing cookies 1 inch apart on sheets and cleaning mold often. Freeze for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake cookies until set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Pipe or spread 1 teaspoon chocolate-walnut filling on flat side of 1 cookie. Press flat side of another cookie onto filling to sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 2 days.
***NOTE: The Walnut Mold for the cookies can be purchased at this website:
www.houseonthehill.net -- Type “walnut” in the search box and the mold will come up.
I found walnut liqueur at a regular liquor store. The brand I have is called Nocello, but I am sure any brand is fine. It has a really nice aroma and contributes to the main flavor of the cookie. It is a little pricey, around $25, but worth it to me. Liquor has a long shelf life so, stored properly (capped tightly in a dark pantry is good), you would be able to use it for years. I have never tried the recipe without it but I am sure if you wanted to you could omit it and use a small amount of another flavoring.
These cookies are REALLY good and fun to make, but they do take awhile and are a little too difficult for young kids to do. Here are some things I have learned making them several times… Keep the dough REALLY cold while you are molding it. After chilling the disks, like it says in the recipe, cut them into about 1” pieces and put them in the freezer only taking out a few at a time and then forming them right away. It is easiest if you sugar the mold, as directed and press the dough into the mold with your fingers (not handling too much, the dough thaws quickly). But then to get it out (this is the hard part), press the mold - dough side down onto a cutting board very firmly. When you lift the mold up, the molded walnut should stick to the cutting board, making removal much easier.
If this way doesn’t work for you, another way I have gotten them out is by sticking the point of a knife in the edge of the dough and carefully prying it out. Either way you do it, after the walnut is formed, there is usually some extra dough that you have to trim off the sides with a sharp knife. There is also a video on www.marthastewart.com under “Walnut Cookies” that gives you the basic gist of the recipe. Happy cookie making!!***
Chocolate-Walnut Filling ~ Hillary
Makes 1 1/4 cups, enough for 25 cookies
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
Pinch of salt
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar and salt until smooth and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add chocolate until just combined. Stir in walnuts until incorporated. Use immediately.
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
Pinch of salt
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar and salt until smooth and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add chocolate until just combined. Stir in walnuts until incorporated. Use immediately.
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