Christmas 2015

Ally Harper excited for presents and candy!

Ava Grace digging into presents!

Zachary James LOVED this gift from Aunt Jessica & Uncle Jesse!

Eli Matthew making gingerbread house and open his robotic dinosaur. Very Cool!

Pumpkin Roll

This recipe goes back many moons to when I first moved to Colorado and was the greenhouse manager for Fruehauf's in Boulder. Judy Smith was one of the floral designers I worked with and this is her recipe. Having no family in Colorado all my co-workers at Fruehauf's became our extended family. Judy lived up in Ward where she cooked us one Thanksgiving dinner solely on a wood cook stove!
This dessert has been made many a time for family holidays (boys would fight over the last piece) and gifts for our friends. Well worth the different steps the recipe calls for. You will not be disappointed!

Ingredients for Cake Batter:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar 
• 2/3 cup pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Grease a jelly roll pan generously with Crisco shortening and line the bottom with parchment paper and grease again. I buy my parchment paper in the bakery department of our local grocery store.

Cream eggs and sugar until fluffy. Fold in the pumpkin and lemon juice. Sift together the flour, spices, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix till well combined.

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minute. Sift powdered sugar on a cotton dish towel, covering most of the surface of the towel.

Note: Try just using parchment paper (non-greased) on baking sheet with overlapping edges. Moisten the pan first; which allows parchement to hold in place better. Once cake is done; using the edges of parchment paper, carefully remove from the pan. Roll up in the parchment paper and follow the original instructions. Place a piece of waxed paper underneath before unrolling cake to fill. This allows for easy clean-up.

Carefully flip the cake; guiding with free hand, onto the prepared towel. Remove the parchment paper by peeling off slowly.  Roll up jelly-roll fashion inside the towel and place on a wire rack to cool.

Ingredients for Filling:

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions for Filling:

Cream all the ingredients with an electric mixture till light and fluffy. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

When cake is completely cooled, carefully unroll and spread filling inside to an inch of the ends.

Roll up the pumpkin roll and cover snuggly in foil.
Do not dismay if roll cracks some, as once it is cut, will become unnoticeable.
Store in refrigerator or has Freezer Stamp of Approval!

Maple Pot de Creme'

This recipe was the dessert we were served at the Couple's Cooking Class at Sur la table. We were practically licking the glass bowl they were served in. The pot de creme' was not included in the hands on demonstration, just the end product. Similar to making Creme Brulee, I figured I could take this recipe on! Rob helped (a lot) and is now Maple Pot de Creme' expert...

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 6 tablespoons good quality maple syrup
• 5 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (found at Whole Foods)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325-degrees and position rack in the center. Place 6 ramekins in a large rectangular baking dish. In a large saucepan boil enough water to fill your baking dish halfway, set aside until needed. I heated a large glass measuring cup in the microwave.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk to combine the milk, cream and maple syrup; bring to a simmer.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, salt and vanilla bean paste. I have a hard time getting the almond paste to combine and think next time may gently heat this in the microwave to soften; 3-4 seconds on high?

Gradually whisk the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture. Do this slowly so as not to cook the egg, called tempering. Whisk the mixture until smooth.
Using a spoon, remove any foam or bubbles that may have accumulated on the top to ensure you have a smooth surface on your pot de creme'.

Divide custard between the ramekins, leaving a 1/4-inch space at the top. I made 7, just added less custard to each.  Carefully pour enough hot water into the baking dish to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Loosely cover the baking dish with a large piece of aluminum foil and carefully place into the oven. This is where it is very helpful to have a retired husband hanging out in the kitchen!

Cook the custard until set, but still wobbly when gently shaken, about 75 minutes. If the custard has not set, continue to bake, checking every 5 minutes until set. In my oven it took 85 minutes.

Remove the ramekins from the water bath and place on a wire rack to cool.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.

To serve: Top each pot de creme' with a teaspoon of maple syrup, served chilled.

Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary

Another yummy recipe from Sur la table cooking class. Even Rob likes this and he does not even care for sweet potatoes! The rosemary is spectacular combined with the sweet potatoes and recipe is not too time consuming.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large shallot, peeled and thinly slice
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
• 2 pounds (3-4 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine melted butter, oil, shallot and chopped rosemary in a a large bowl; stir to combine. Add the sliced potatoes and toss to coat; season generously with salt and pepper.

In a large baking dish, arrange potato slices vertically (like dominos) into loose rows. 

Cover baking dish with foil and roast in a 425-degree oven for 30-35 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove the foil and roast an additional 10 minutes, or until tops of potatoes are browned and crisp.

Poached Pear Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

This lovely salad was part of a cooking class at Sur la table. My good friends Rick & Catherine treated Rob and myself to the class in celebration of my 60th. We will certainly make every recipe that Chef Dina Paz offered in her Date Night: Cozy Fall Dinner class!

The poached pears can be made ahead and kept covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days. The poaching liquid, maybe used over and over, if placed in the freezer.

Ingredients for Poached Pears:

• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 2 firm-ripe pears, peeled, halved lengthwise and cored ( I used 4)

Directions for Poached Pears:

Place the wine, orange juice, sugar and cinnamon in a medium saucepan and place on the stove over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and add pears, cut side down; poach until pears are tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool in poaching liquid. Remove the pear halves from the poaching sauce, cover and refrigerate until ready to slice and serve. 

Ingredients for Vinaigrette:

• 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
• 1 medium shallot, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions for Vinaigrette:

In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the vinegar, shallot and mustard. While whisking vigorously, slowly drizzle the olive oil till emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Ingredients for Salad:

• 1 medium head Bibb or red leaf lettuce
• 3 ounces crumbled blue cheese
• toasted walnuts

To assemble salad:

Place the greens in a large bowl and toss with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To serve:

Divide the dressed greens among chilled plates, arrange sliced pears around the salad and sprinkle with blue cheese and nuts.

Serve immediately.