2011 Holiday Recipe Thread.............

[polkanut]

Percolator Punch

I've posted this recipe in past holiday recipe threads, and it's an excellent non-alcoholic drink with lots of great flavors.

 

1 qt. apple cider

1 pt. cranberry juice

1 pt. orange juice

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tbsp. whole cloves

1 tbsp. whole allspice

3 cinnamon sticks, broken up

 

Put first 3 ingredients in a 10 or 12 cup electric percolator.  Put remaining ingredients in the basket.  Perk as you would coffee.  Adds a nice aroma to your house, and tastes great too.

 

[polkanut]

Apple Pie with a kick!!!

This is not your mom's or grandma's apple pie recipe.

 

1 gal. apple cider

1/2 gal. apple juice

1 1/2 cups white sugar

8 whole cinnamon sticks

3 cups vodka (or Everclear)

 

Combine apple cider, apple juice, sugar, and cinnamon sticks in a kettle, and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Let cool.  Add 3 cups vodka (Everclear, if you like it stronger).  Put in clean, sterilized bottles, and store in refrigerator.  Drink in moderation.

 

[58limited]

Colonial Wassail

Great on a cold night, it is similar to German Gluhwein.

 

1-750ml bottle of Merlot

2 cups cranberry juice cocktail

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 cup brandy (I use 1 cup)

1/2 cup water

 

Put everything except brandy into a covered pot (to keep alcohol from evaporating) and heat thoroughly (do not boil), let set for 15-30 minutes to let cinnamon infuse. Add brandy and serve. You can add other spices such as orange/lemon slices, fresh ginger, or cloves if you wish.

 

[Ultramatic]

Orange Loaf Cake 1950

 

[Ultramatic]

Pie Crust 1950

 

[Ultramatic]

Coconut Pumpkin Chiffon Pie 1950

 

[whirlcool]

Let me contribute a few of our favorites here.

This is for Rum Pudding Pie. It's a favorite at parties. You can go lighter on the sugar as it's very sweet due to the rum.


Rum Pudding Pie

This recipe is prepared in TWO parts.

Part 1.

1 Box Betty Crocker Yellow Bundt Cake Mix ( The kind with pudding in it)
1 Stick Butter
1/2 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Light Bacardi Rum
1 Cup Chopped Pecans

Combine the Cake Mix, Rum and Water. Then, using a cake pan, grease and flour pan. Now,line with the pecans and add the cake mixture over this. Bake at 350 F. for 45 minutes. Let cool and then remove from the cake pan to a plate. Note: this is a single layer pie.

Part 2.

1 Stick Butter
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2-3/4 Cup Bacardi Light Rum

In a sauce pan combine the butter and the sugar. Remove from heat, cool only slightly, and then add the rum. Punch holes in the top of the cake prepared in part 1 of this recipe, and cover the top and sides the the cake with this glaze mixture. Cool in the refrigerator overnight.

 

[whirlcool]

And this is our families famous Schwartzwalder Kirschtorten. It's a family recipe that has been in our family for generations. If you want to make something that will REALLY impress people, this is it. I usually make it as a 3 layer cake. Made in this way it's VERY tall! P.S. please use a fine chocolate and Kirsch.

Oma’s Schwartzwalder Kirchtorten

This recipe is divided into three parts, the cake, the filling and the icing.

The Cake:

1-3/4 Cup Flour
1-3/4 Cup Sugar
1-1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder
2/3 Cup Butter, melted
1-1/4 Cup Water
1 Vanilla Bean, sliced and scraped out
4 – 1 oz Squares Unsweetened Chocolate, melted and cooled.
3 Eggs
1 can Cherries

Prepare the melted Chocolate by placing on a sheet of wax paper that has been placed on a plate. Melt in the microwave until melted. Let cool about 10 minutes.
Mix together all ingredients except for the chocolate and the eggs until smooth. Now add the Chocolate (you can use the wax paper as a funnel) and mix well for about 3 minutes.
Now add the eggs (1 egg at a time) and beat for 2 more minutes. Butter and flour (or use PAM cooking spray) two 8 inch cake pans. Pour the cake batter into the two pans. Bake in a 350 F. oven for 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. When done, let the cake cool for 1 hour.

The Filling

2 Bars Sweet Chocolate
¼ Cup Butter, melted
½ Cup Sliced and Toasted Almonds

Melt the chocolate using the method described above.
Toast the almonds by placing under the broiler on a sheet of aluminum foil until golden brown. Shake to flip almonds and toast the other side. Be very careful as these will do nothing for quite some time then all of a sudden will be brown and then start burning very quickly! Let these cool.

Mix together the melted chocolate, Butter and almonds.

The Topping

1-1/2 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

¼ Cup Shredded Cocoanut, toasted as described with the almonds.

Combine all except the cocoanut and beat until hard (forms peaks) but do not overbeat!

Assembly

Remove the cake from the pans. Pour Kirchwasser or Cherry Brandy on each layer until it is soaked. Spread the chocolate filling on top of the first layer. Place cherries on top. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to harden the chocolate and cherries.

On top of the cooled 1st layer of cake and chocolate put a layer of the Whipped Cream Topping. Place the second layer on top of this. Repeat with the melted chocolate and whipped cream. Place the cherries on top and then the toasted coconut. Repeat for as many layers as you have. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before serving.

When you serve it, it is a nice moist and rich chocolate cake. The chocolate with the cherries and the almonds between the layer solidify when chilled so it seems like this is a cake with chocolate candy bars separating the layers.

This cake is pretty easy to make. Anyone can do it. It's rather time consuming with a lot of hurry up and wait. If we need one for the evening we generally start making it around 8 am.

 

[whirlcool]

Here is one of our authentic German Christmas cookie recipes. My mother and my aunts used to get together before Christmas and have a cookie baking party. I just can't tell you how good the house smelled during all this activity!

German Christmas Cookies

5 2/3 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon allspice
3 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups castor sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
6 tablespoons milk (whole, please)
13 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1 cup candied lemon peel
1 tablespoon flour

Glaze:
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter

To Make:
Pour the 1 tablespoon flour over the candied lemon peel. Mix well and reserve. Mix together the flour, baking powder, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and place on the countertop. When done, sprinkle sugar and almonds over it.
Make a well in the dough and drop in eggs, almond extract and milk. Cut butter into slices over the dough and top this with the lemon peel reserved from earlier. Knead into a smooth dough. Roll out to ¼ inch thickness and bake in a preheated over at 350F for 12-14 minutes, or until brown. Mix the powdered sugar with milk and melted butter until if forms a glaze. Brush over the cookies while they are fresh from the oven and still hot. Final product should be chewy and not hard. This recipe should make about 70 cookies.

These are traditionally made December 15-17 and served to guests who may drop over during the Christmas season. These are excellent as a quick desert to be served with coffee or hot tea.

 

[whirlcool]

And for those cold winter evenings when you want something hot that will stick with you this is the first thing that comes to my mind. This really is a hot recipe! Make sure you serve it with nice fresh slices of French or Italian bread.
My mother used to make this when we were teens and we would come in from playing in the snow all day.

German Hot Pepper Pot


1-3/4 Lbs well marbled Beef, cut into 3/4-1"
cubes
3 Medium Onions, half thinly sliced, and the
other half finely chopped or grated.
1 Level teaspoon Salt
2-3 Tablespoons coarsely ground (or cracked)
Black Pepper
1/3 teaspoon Allspice
2 Bay leaves
3-4 Lemon Slices, rind included
2-3 Cups water or Beed stock
1 Tablespoon Bread Crumbs
2 Tablespoons Zwieback crumbs
Lemon Juice (Optional)

Place the beef cubes, onions, spices, and Lemon slices
in a large, heavy bottomed pot; the Pepper should be
as coursely ground as you can manage and applied very
liberally. Add the Water or Stock unti lthe Beef cubes
are well covered. Mix well and cook over low heat for
about 1 hour, stirring frequently and adding more liquid
if necessary.

Add the bread crumbs and Zweiback crumbs and cook fo an
additional 20 minutes. Remove the Bay leaves and lemon
slices. Taste for seasoning. The gravy should be thick
and veryspicy; add more Lemon, Salt, or Allspice if
so desired.

Variations:
Toss in capers, a modest amount.
Pre brown the Beef cubes in a skillet for a more robust
Beef taste.
Use flour instead of bread crumbs to thicken the gravy,
but this is not traditional, you may leave out the
Zweiback crumbs, and add more bread crumbs, plus a pinch
sugar.
Caraway may be added, but just the tiniest amount.

Serve with a good cold German Beer and fresh French Bread.
[this post was last edited: 11/6/2011-10:04]

 

[norgeway]

Saturday Evening Post Dec 7 1957

Watkins Holiday Clove Cake
1 cup shortning.."Part butter"
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp Watkins vanilla
5 eggs
3 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon Watkins ground cloves
1 Tablespoon Watkins cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sour milk or buttermilk
Grease and flour generously 2 9 inch pans or a 9 x 13
Preheat oven to 350
Cream shortening and sugar,vanilla and eggs at high speed for 5 minutes till light and fluffy,sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with buttermilk, pour into pans and bake about 40 to 50 minutes, when cool frost with a fluffy white icing or sweetened whip cream.

I have made this for years and it is spicy and good!!

 

[passatdoc]

Pecan pie (best version ever)

<span style="text-decoration: underline; color: #ff6600;"><span style="font-size: large;">Deer Valley Pecan Pie </span></span>

originally published in Sunset Magazine 11/1997; originated by Letty Flatt, pastry chef at Deer Valley Lodge, Park City, Utah

1 3/4 cups pecan halves or pieces
6 tbsp. butter or margarine
3 large eggs
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spread pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet or pan; bake at 350 until nuts are fragrant and slightly darkened, about 7-8 minutes

2. In saucepan, cook butter or margarine over high heat until it just begins to turn brown and have a nutty aroma, about 4-5 minutes; remove from heat

3. Finely grind 1/4 cup of the pecans in a food processor or blender. Place the remaining whole pecans (the ones not ground) in the prebaked pie crust.

4. Beat eggs until blended. Add ground pecans, butter, flour, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix well. Pour into prebaked crust over the whole pecans.

5. Bake at 350 until center is set when pan is gently shaken; about 25-35 minutes. Let stand until cool.


<span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: large; color: #ff6600;">Quick & Easy Pie Crust </span>

1 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp. cold milk
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and knead into a ball. The dough should be moist enough to hold itself into a ball without cracking; if it’s too dry, add a bit of oil and re-knead until it’s moist and holds itself together. Place in 9” pie pan and flatten the ball of dough. Work the dough, using your palms, up the sides of the pie. Pinch or fork pattern the crust to your preference.

The crust can be prebaked at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until light golden brown, for recipes that require a prebaked crust (as in the above recipe). For recipes that bake for an hour (e.g. apple pie), the crust can be filled and baked without prebaking. Whole wheat flour can be used and will taste almost like graham cracker crust; a bit more oil is needed to moisten the dough ball if whole wheat flour is used.

 

[passatdoc]

@whirlcool

Trader Joe's is an excellent source for bottled Morello cherries, imported from Germany and sold at a reasonable price. I've made Schwarzwald Torte using Trader Joe's cherries and they are great.

 

[passatdoc]

@whirlpolf

Remember what we (in USA) were told by our parents and grand-parents: "es gibt Kinder in Deutschland, die verhungern*..." (in 1968??). The relatives who said this nonsense were German-American, but most of them had never visited Germany, or at least they had not visited recently. However, because their ancestors came to USA in 1868, they were "experts" about Germany. Perhaps the starvation stories were true in 1868, but they were repeated into the 1970s.

 

*"there are children in Germany who are starving...."

 

[passatdoc]

@allen/whirlcool

Does the German Pepper Pot recipe call for "3 or 4" lemons, or 3/4 of one lemon?

 

[whirlcool]

Whoops, I did this early his morning before I was fully awake.

It's neither. It's 3 or 4 slices of lemon rind included. I have corrected the recipe above. And thanks for the tip about Trader Joe's. Those cherries are hard to come by here in Houston.

My relatives on my mother's side came from Germany in 1921. They were of German/Swiss heritage and my father's side of the family came from England in 1914 and they were of Irish-English heritage.

"es gibt Kinder in Deutschland, die verhungern", yes I heard that kind of stuff from my grandmother. When she left Germany is wasn't too long after WWI and the country was still pretty much a mess when they left. So she used to say things like that. I used to think she was putting a guilt trip on me! Also don't forget the "Seien Sie dankbar, für was Sie haben" (be thankful for what you have) too. My grandparents on my mother's side never went back to Germany after they left. Even with the advent of flights across the Atlantic they thought it would be too hard a trip for them to make even though they had relatives in "the father land". On my father's side they did make a few trips back to London.

That pecan pie with maple syrup instead of corn syrup would give the southern pecan pie a bit of the taste of the north! I'll try it later this season.
[this post was last edited: 11/6/2011-12:46]

 

[Ultramatic]

Christmas Cookies 1952

 

[Ultramatic]

Christmas Cookies 1952

 

[Ultramatic]

Christmas Cookies 1935

 

[passatdoc]

@allen/whirlcool

Most people who taste the pecan pie say it's the best they ever tasted. I use pecans shipped in from Powell, Texas, "of course", along with maple syrup from Trader Joe's. Also, uses brown sugar, not white. I generally use dark brown sugar if there is a choice.

The other major difference is that it uses only 1/2 cup of syrup rather than a full cup, but needs only 30-35 minutes to bake/set (crust must be pre-baked for 20-25 mins because the crust still needs a full hour in the oven).

Also, I find that the recipe makes more than enough batter for a full 10" pie, so often I make extra pie crust dough and make some tarts in a muffin pan, using leftover pecans and batter. I flatten the dough, work it up the sides of a muffin tin, then fill with pecans and batter. If you make a smaller pie, you'll have enough batter to make 6-8 tarts as well as the pie.

My relatives' attempt to use former privation in Germany is even more ludicrous because they immigrated in the 1860s and 1870s, so how would they know economic conditions in Germany a hundred years later. Answer: they didn't, they just repeated the same guilt trips in each generation, and friends my age in Germany think the whole thing is ridiculous in terms of veracity----but typically German in how the kids were manipulated by guilt. The two operative phrases for me were:

Seid froh, daß Du Speise hast (be grateful that you have food)

and of course

Du mußt ESSEN! (you must EAT).

 

(I know that "daß" is now "dass", and "mußt" is now "musst", but I learned it the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">OLD </span>way and so did my ancestors. The new way only became official a few years ago.

 

I used to think that my family was semi-Looney Tunes, but after my first trip to Germany at age 19, I began to connect the dots and understand that they were normal----for Germany.