Christmas recipes

[AdamSmith]

Anyone have favorite Christmas recipes to share?

This is one of mine, an old-fashioned English recipe that makes a dense yellow fruited pound cake. Great holiday alternative if you don't like the dark batter and funny green things in traditional fruitcake. Gets better if you have the willpower to let it sit and age for at least a week.

English Pound Cake

3 sticks butter

2+1/2 cups sugar

6 beaten eggs

1 tsp grated orange rind

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups plain flour

1+1/2 tsp baking powder

1+1/2 tsp mace

1 lb currants (macerated in brandy optional)

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, rind, juice, vanilla. Mix.

Sift flour with baking powder and mace. Fold into batter (reserve 1 Tbsp. to dredge currants).

Dredge currants in 1 Tbsp flour mixture, fold into batter.

Grease large tube pan, line with wax paper, grease paper.

Spoon batter into pan; batter will be very stiff.

Bake at 325 deg. 1+1/4 hours or a little longer, until tester comes out clean.

Cool. Store in cool place without removing wax paper. Keeps indefinitely.

[RA1]

As most fruitcakes are aged years at least, this sounds interesting and one should be able to resist for a week. If not, make two at once.

Sounds delicious.

Best regards,

RA1

PS---Is the mace the stick variety or pepper spray or what?

[RA1]

Light fruit salad

I can pineapple chunks

1 can tropical fruit

coconut flakes to taste---several tablespoonsful

Maraschino cherries

3/4 cup nuts of your choice

1 container of Cool Whip lite or similar

Thaw Cool Whip, gently incorporate other ingredients and serve.

Nothing fancy but a nice exception to "heavy" desserts like pies, cakes, etc.

Best regards,

RA1

[AdamSmith]

PS Make that 12 ounces currants, not 1 lb.

[TampaYankee]

Anyone have favorite Christmas recipes to share?

This is one of mine, an old-fashioned English recipe that makes a dense yellow fruited pound cake. Great holiday alternative if you don't like the dark batter and funny green things in traditional fruitcake. Gets better if you have the willpower to let it sit and age for at least a week.

English Pound Cake

3 sticks butter

2+1/2 cups sugar

6 beaten eggs

1 tsp grated orange rind

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups plain flour

1+1/2 tsp baking powder

1+1/2 tsp mace

1 lb currants (macerated in brandy optional)

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, rind, juice, vanilla. Mix.

Sift flour with baking powder and mace. Fold into batter (reserve 1 Tbsp. to dredge currants).

Dredge currants in 1 Tbsp flour mixture, fold into batter.

Grease large tube pan, line with wax paper, grease paper.

Spoon batter into pan; batter will be very stiff.

Bake at 325 deg. 1+1/4 hours or a little longer, until tester comes out clean.

Cool. Store in cool place without removing wax paper. Keeps indefinitely.

This sounds pretty tasty. I wonder how it compares to the old 'pound of butter, pound of sugar, pound of flour, pound eggs...' old fashion recipe?

I love the classic fruit cakes if made right -- with glace cherries, pineapple and pecans. No citron or raisins (well maybe a few golden) or walnuts. It must have brandy or bourbon by the purveyors hand or mine.

A good fruitcake is very expensive. I've made a few in my day -- very hard prep with hours of cooking (7) and weeks of aging in your liquor of choice. I have some good ones made for me -- few and far between.

Every year I go online to find the perfect fruitcake, throwing my Scotch purse to the wind, or threatening to. Money is no object I say. It takes much searching to find a cake to my specs and then it is just close. First disappointment. Then I read the reviews: dry, too crumbly, too this, not enough that, etc. I rethink sending fifty dollars for that gamble.

I end up with a tried and true but unfortunately adulterated Claxton Fruitcake. Not the one of the Days of Old -- walnuts instead of pecans, raisins and citron too. However the cherries and pineapple remain. It always comes a bit dry but that suits my need as I always serve a slice doused in good brandy. The cakes may not be as good as in the old day but the brandy is far better. And the combination focuses my recollection of the fine cakes of the past.

[RA1]

I did not at first notice the macerated in brandy which could likely refer to me during the holidays.

I hope we will receive several other recipes. I cannot imagine Christmas without many, many recipes important to various families.

Best regards,

RA1

[AdamSmith]

A good fruitcake is very expensive. I've made a few in my day -- very hard prep with hours of cooking (7) and weeks of aging in your liquor of choice.

I would love to see a recipe that you used and liked.

An aunt of mine made an unbelievably good fruitcake each Christmas but we could never pry the recipe out of her. Alas, it went with her to the great beyond.

She also made the only ambrosia I've ever really enjoyed. If anybody has a good recipe for that, the check will be in the mail.

[Suckrates]

Light fruit salad

I can pineapple chunks

1 can tropical fruit

coconut flakes to taste---several tablespoonsful

Maraschino cherries

3/4 cup nuts of your choice

1 container of Cool Whip lite or similar

Thaw Cool Whip, gently incorporate other ingredients and serve.

Nothing fancy but a nice exception to "heavy" desserts like pies, cakes, etc.

Best regards,

RA1

RA, isnt your recipe more commonly known as "Ambrosia" ???? Love it ALL year round.

[RA1]

Yes, it is. The only common difference is the addition of Mandarin oranges.

Thanks for your observation.

Best regards,

RA1

[MsGuy]

Anyone have favorite Christmas recipes to share?

1+1/2 tsp mace

At first glance, you wouldn't think that mace would work in a sweet cake like this but I bet it works magic. Mace and orange extract are my secret ingredients in sweet potato casserole.

AS, I think I'll try your pound cake recipe this year. My mother had a good one but somehow it got lost in the house cleaning after her death.

PS. What are those rubbery green things they put in store bought fruitcakes?

I always wondered. You never see them anywhere else. Nasty little buggers, whatever they are.

[wayout]

PS. What are those rubbery green things they put in store bought fruitcakes?

I always wondered. You never see them anywhere else. Nasty little buggers, whatever they are.

Quoted from the site referenced below:

What is that green stuff in fruitcakes anyway?

There are two things that are green in fruitcakes.

One is the bright green maraschino cherries that are often used, especially as decorations on top. I don't blame you for being leery of those - they are a color seriously not found in nature.

The other is citron, which is a paler green (and is seen in the Society logo at the bottom of the page). This is a naturally occuring fruit which has been candied as a means of preserving it. Citron is a family of fruit which includes the Etrog used in Jewish Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles.

Ref: http://mbgoodman.tripod.com/sppf_faq.html

[Suckrates]

I hate Holiday Fruitcake, PERIOD !

[Guest zipperzone]

Anyone got a good recipe for Mince Tarts, and Plum Pudding?

[AdamSmith]

At first glance, you wouldn't think that mace would work in a sweet cake like this but I bet it works magic. Mace and orange extract are my secret ingredients in sweet potato casserole.

Do try the recipe! It is an entirely different animal than American-style very sweet, tender-crumb pound cakes. Physically it is a robust thing that you can imagine coming out well in 19th-century ovens with very dubious heat control (however ovens actually worked back then). And the flavor pattern is different too -- the marrying of the mace, those fruit zests, and the currant flavor as it ages is the magic.

As for the sweet potato hint, thankee. Never thought to use mace there, though I have found several other places (can't recall them right now) where replacing nutmeg with mace makes a big improvement in subtlety. Which makes sense with the two being related, mace being the covering of the seed which is nutmeg.

My sweet potato innovation is to serve it as a savory side vegetable: Peel, quarter, boil, then mash with butter and thyme. This genius idea found on the back of the McCormick bottle of dried thyme of course! Delish.

[MsGuy]

"...replacing nutmeg with mace makes a big improvement in subtlety."

Exactly. It's not so much you notice the mace as the rest of the flavors just taste better.

"Which makes sense with the two being related, mace being the covering of the seed which is nutmeg."

Learned something new. Guess my day wasn't totally wasted.

----

Oh, and shout out to Wayout. It was the citron I was thinking of, I guess.

[TampaYankee]

I would love to see a recipe that you used and liked.

An aunt of mine made an unbelievably good fruitcake each Christmas but we could never pry the recipe out of her. Alas, it went with her to the great beyond.

She also made the only ambrosia I've ever really enjoyed. If anybody has a good recipe for that, the check will be in the mail.

l'll search the family archives. Who knows what might turn up.

[TampaYankee]

I would love to see a recipe that you used and liked.

An aunt of mine made an unbelievably good fruitcake each Christmas but we could never pry the recipe out of her. Alas, it went with her to the great beyond.

She also made the only ambrosia I've ever really enjoyed. If anybody has a good recipe for that, the check will be in the mail.

Your holiday wish is fulfilled. Not only did I manage to unearth the recipes in the family archives (with a little help from family) I also found it online.

Printed in the Tampa Tribune sometime in the mid sixties some weeks before Thanksgiving. The following prologue was followed by the recipe reprinted from Cooks.com and given below it. The recipe is exactly the same as it appeared in the Tribune, word for word.

Mrs Harvey's White Fruit Cake Is Also Mailable

One of the most mailable holiday sweets is Mrs. Harvey's White Fruit cake

In case you are a newcomer to these parts, that's Mrs P.J. Harvey's white Fruit Cake, a recipe that has been repeated -- by popular demand -- in the Tribune every holiday season since it won a contest sponsored by this newspaper in 1951.

Be sure to clip and save this recipe for it will not be repeated this year.

This cake starts out in a cold oven and the baking temperature is 250 degrees instead of the usual 300 or 325 degrees. Baking time given in the recipe is merely a guide; time required will vary with the oven. But do make certain that you do not overcook this cake. Like any other fruit cake, it will be dry if baked too long.

The cake may be eaten the day after it is baked. But it is even more flavorful if allowed to mellow for a few weeks. It could mellow while in route to Viet Nam, or Germany or wherever your loved one is stationed. And one of the cakes made this week will be ready for Thanksgiving -- and Christmas, if there is any left for that holiday.

Wrapped in layers of foils, this cake can be stored in the refrigerator for a year. It can be frozen indefinitely. But do allow some mellowing time if you plan to freeze it for the cake will not mellow in the frozen state.

MRS. HARVEY'S WHITE FRUITCAKE

Printed from COOKS.COM

4 c. shelled pecans

1 lb. candied cherries

1 lb. candied pineapple

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 lb. butter

1 c. granulated sugar

5 lg. eggs

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1-2 oz. vanilla extract

1-2 oz. lemon extract

Chop nuts and fruits into medium-sized pieces; dredge with 1/4 cup of flour. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add well-beaten eggs and blend well. Sift remaining flour and baking powder together; fold into egg and butter mixture. Add vanilla and lemon extracts; mix well. Add fruits and nuts, blending well.

Grease a 10-inch tube pan. Line with foil, parchment, or waxed paper. (Do not use grocery bags.) Grease again. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place in cold oven and bake at 250 degrees for 3 hours.

Or line 2 (9 x 5 x 3) foil loaf pans, greasing both pans and liners well. Place in cold oven and bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours.

Cool in pan on cake rack. Makes 5 pounds of fruitcake.

--------------------------------------

A few hints based on my recollection wrestling with this recipe.

To beat the batter you will need a very heavy duty mixer or a strong wooden spoon (think boat oar) and a strong arm to go with it.

Start early in the day as the bake time may go considerably longer than suggested by the recipe, according to the clean tooth pick rule.

Let the cake thoroughly cool for a day, cover with paper towels in a cool dry spot.

If you are so inclined, the next day wrap the cake in several layers of cheese cloth and place in a plastic food storage bag. Moisten the cheese cloth on all sides with a jigger or two of your favorite brandy, rum or bourbon and doused all over the cake. Store in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight. Repeat dousing twice a week for as long as you can manage to leave the cake alone. Six to eight weeks ought to be ideal for those who can wait. It won't spoil if kept in a cool and dry place and eaten before the end of the millennium.

[AdamSmith]

TY, thank you beyond saying! This looks like it will come out very similar to my departed auntie's sublime Christmas cake. Being a Southern preacher's wife, she did not make with the booze bath, but otherwise -- ach! Umm!

I do have a KitchenAid stand mixer to attack this with -- can't imagine doing it with any sub-Caterpillar-grade implement.

Will report!

[TampaYankee]

TY, thank you beyond saying! This looks like it will come out very similar to my departed auntie's sublime Christmas cake. Being a Southern preacher's wife, she did not make with the booze bath, but otherwise -- ach! Umm!

I do have a KitchenAid stand mixer to attack this with -- can't imagine doing it with any sub-Caterpillar-grade implement.

Will report!

Merry Christmas!! Least I could do.

On reflection, I suggest six to eight weeks for mellowing. You might want to hold back on the spirits after two or maybe three weeks depending on your druthers.

[AdamSmith]

Two variants on a delicate cookie recipe.

Crescents

1-1/2 sticks margarine

5 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 tsp ice water

1 cup chopped nuts (pecans good; black walnuts heavenly)

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

Cream margarine. Add sugar, vanilla, ice water; mix well. Fold in flour and nuts.

Roll by hand into crescent shapes, 2 inches long. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 deg 15 minutes.

After cool, roll in powdered sugar.

Orange Pecan Snowballs

1-1/2 sticks margarine

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons grated orange rind

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans

Cream margarine with sugar. Add rind and vanilla. Fold in flour and nuts.

Shape into balls, 1 inch diameter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees 15 minutes.

After cool, roll in powdered sugar.

[AdamSmith]

Shortbread

2 sticks unsalted butter, cold

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

Sift dry ingredients together. Cut into butter. Press into 9-inch pie pan or shortbread mold. Bake at 325 deg 45 minutes. Top should be light golden brown and still slightly springy to the touch.

If the preacher is coming add chopped nuts or stem ginger (yum) or candied citrus peel (yuck).

[TampaYankee]

Shortbread

2 sticks unsalted butter, cold

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

Sift dry ingredients together. Cut into butter. Press into 9-inch pie pan or shortbread mold. Bake at 325 deg 45 minutes. Top should be light golden brown and still slightly springy to the touch.

If the preacher is coming add chopped nuts or stem ginger (yum) or candied citrus peel (yuck).

Definitely not for Suckrates.

[TampaYankee]

Quoted from the site referenced below:

What is that green stuff in fruitcakes anyway?

There are two things that are green in fruitcakes.

One is the bright green maraschino cherries that are often used, especially as decorations on top. I don't blame you for being leery of those - they are a color seriously not found in nature.

The other is citron, which is a paler green (and is seen in the Society logo at the bottom of the page). This is a naturally occuring fruit which has been candied as a means of preserving it. Citron is a family of fruit which includes the Etrog used in Jewish Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles.

Ref: http://mbgoodman.tripod.com/sppf_faq.html

The problem with citron, a citrus or citrus-like fruit, in fruitcakes is that it is made from the bitter peel of the citron. No amount of preserving with sugar - the glace process which candies it -- can take away that bitter note. That is why most people hate fruitcakes IMO. I certainly do not like it and I love fruit cake. I always avoid cakes with citron. It is a cheap filler used in place of more expensive fruit.

[AdamSmith]

Definitely not for Suckrates.

ROFL

[TampaYankee]

At first glance, you wouldn't think that mace would work in a sweet cake like this but I bet it works magic. Mace and orange extract are my secret ingredients in sweet potato casserole.

AS, I think I'll try your pound cake recipe this year. My mother had a good one but somehow it got lost in the house cleaning after her death.

PS. What are those rubbery green things they put in store bought fruitcakes?

I always wondered. You never see them anywhere else. Nasty little buggers, whatever they are.

Mace is wonderful in cakes and cookies too. It is a key ingredient in any good spice cake, one of my very favorite kinds of cake.