3/4 c. unsalted butter, room temp.
1 lb. sliced Italian Fontina or Provolone
1 c. good quality pesto
12 sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained
1/2 c. pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 lb. sliced Italian Fontina or Provolone
1 c. good quality pesto
12 sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained
1/2 c. pine nuts, lightly toasted
1. One day before serving, line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with a double thickness of slightly dampened cheesecloth.
2. Beat the cream cheese, butter and goat cheese until very smooth.
3. To assemble the torte, arrange a layer of the sliced cheese on the bottom of the lined loaf pan. Trim the edges of the cheese to fit if necessary. Top with a thin layer of cheese mixture evenly on top with a rubber spatula. Top with a thin layer of pesto and top pesto with layer of sliced cheese. Spread a layer of the cheese mixture on top of sliced cheese. Top with a layer of sun-dried tomatoes and a sprinkling of pine nuts. Continue to layer, alternating pesto and sun-dried tomatoes.
4. Cover top with layer of slightly dampened cheesecloth and press gently with the palm of your hand to compress the layers. Refrigerate overnight.
5. To serve, remove cheesecloth from top and unmold onto serving platter. Remove cheesecloth liner. Arrange crackers or French bread slices around the torte. Serves 25-30.
Joann's "Barney Cut-out Sugar Cookies"
2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
5 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
Cream together Crisco and sugar. Add milk, vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients and then mix into dough a little at a time. Form in ball and chill for 30 minutes. Divide into 2 or 3 pieces and roll out onto floured surface to about 1/8-1/4 inch thickness and cut. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 375*. Makes about 4 dozen large cookies.
Butter Cream Frosting
2 lbs powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
A few splashes vanilla
Add milk to desired consistency
Erin and the Ultimate Sugar Cookie Recipe
Erin must have been 1 1/2 yrs old.
Erin's favorite "Thumbprint Cookies"
1/4 cup packed brown sugar1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup Crisco
1 egg, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
Frosting or jelly
Mix brown sugar, butter, shortening, egg yolks and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Beat egg white slightly. Dip balls into egg white; roll in nuts. Place 1-inch apart on greased cookie sheet; press thumb deeply in center of each. Bake until light brown, about 10 minutes, 350*. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Fill thumbprints with frosting or jelly. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Erin's Absolute Favorite Christmas Recipe
1 part tropical island
Combined with
1 part Ryan (aka the hubs)
1 part adult beverage
Whisk together and repeat for 7-10 days
Attila's Christmas Day Hungarian Fish Soup
This superb bright-red soup is made with freshwater fish--reflective of landlocked Hungary, which is blessed with Lake Balaton and many rivers. And it's traditionally cooked in a narrow-bottomed black kettle hung on a tripod over an open fire. The soul of it is big chunks of fresh fish in a savory broth absolutely larded with paprika. Serve hot to 6-8 people as a meal, with white bread, pickled salads, and a fine Hungarian wine.
Bring the stock to a boil and stir in the paprika. Let simmer for a minute. Add pieces of fish, , the chopped tomato and peppers, and cook over fairly high heat for about 20 minutes. Don't stir the soup or you will break up the fish--just tilt the pan from side to side to keep the fish from sticking. When ready to serve, season to taste, garnish with sliced green peppers, and bring the pot to the table for ladling. Serve soup over cooked egg noodles if you like.
Attila's Christmas Day Hungarian Fish Soup
This superb bright-red soup is made with freshwater fish--reflective of landlocked Hungary, which is blessed with Lake Balaton and many rivers. And it's traditionally cooked in a narrow-bottomed black kettle hung on a tripod over an open fire. The soul of it is big chunks of fresh fish in a savory broth absolutely larded with paprika. Serve hot to 6-8 people as a meal, with white bread, pickled salads, and a fine Hungarian wine.
- 12 cups fish stock (ideally made with the remains of the fish fillets and sliced onions)
- 2 Tablespoon paprika
- 3 pounds fresh water fish fillets (perch, catfish, carp, etc.), leave the filets whole and seasoned with salt, 3 Hungarian peppers chopped (green/yellow--the pointy ones are hot, the blunt ones are mild--mix them as you please; if you can't find Hungarian, use a green bell pepper and jalapenos)
- 1tomato, skinned and chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Bring the stock to a boil and stir in the paprika. Let simmer for a minute. Add pieces of fish, , the chopped tomato and peppers, and cook over fairly high heat for about 20 minutes. Don't stir the soup or you will break up the fish--just tilt the pan from side to side to keep the fish from sticking. When ready to serve, season to taste, garnish with sliced green peppers, and bring the pot to the table for ladling. Serve soup over cooked egg noodles if you like.
Carlos and Isabella's "Christmas Cornflake Wreath" Cookies
1 (10 ounce) package regular marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 teaspoon green food coloring
6 cups corn flakes
red cinnamon candies
In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in food coloring. Add corn flakes cereal. Stir until well coated.
Using 1/4 cup dry measure coated with cooking spray, evenly portion warm cereal mixture. Using buttered fingers, quickly shape into individual wreaths. Dot with cinnamon candies.
Christina's "Austrian Cheese and Shrimp Strudel"
1/2 of 17 1/4 ounce Package of Frozen Puff Pastry (1 sheet), thawed 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Swiss Cheese (6 oz)
1/2 Cup Dairy Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Thinly Sliced Green Onion
4 oz Cooked Shrimp (1 Cup), Chopped, or 4 1/2 ounce can shrimp , rinsed
1 Egg
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the thawed puff pastry to an 18 X 10 inch rectangle. Stir together Swiss Cheese, Sour Cream, Green Onion, Shrimp and half of the beaten egg(about 2 Tbs). Spread the mixture length wise down half of the rectangle. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the pastry with some of the remaining beaten egg. Carefully fold the dough over the filling and seal the edges with the tine of a fork. **Transfer the strudel to an extra large baking sheet. Brush the top and sides of the strudel with the remaining beaten egg. Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven. Cool the strudel for 20 minutes before slicing.
** I used parchment paper which made it easy to transfer to baking sheet.
Sophia's "Apple Pie"
5 cups apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup white sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 tblsp butter
Preheat oven to 400*. Arrange apple slices in unbaked pie shell. Mix 1/2 cup white sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over apples.
Mix 1/3 cup white sugar with flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Spoon mixture over apples. Bake in preheated oven until apples are soft and tip is lightly browned, about 40 minutes.
Aunt Joan's Puff Pastry Coffee Cake
1 cup flour
1 stick butter, softened
2 tbsp cold water
Cut butter into flour. Add cold water. Divide in half and pat out two ovals on a cookie sheet.
Puff Pastry:
1 cup water
1 stick butter
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup flour
3 eggs
Bring water and butter to boil. Remove from heat and add almond extract. Stir in flour. Then add eggs one at a time. Divide in half and spoon onto crust strips. Mixture will be thick but can be spread with a knife. Bake 350* for 45-60 minutes. Frost with Butter Cream Frosting or drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze. Top with your favorite nuts: walnuts, pecans or almonds.