It wouldn’t be a New Years Eve party without an assortment of cocktails, and we have a few favorites to share that will make New Years Eve even more festive. We hope you’ll share some of your favorites in the comments, too.

The caipirinha is a new favorite for us, one that Michael discovered on a trip to Brazil this year. We like it both traditional style and with a pomegranate twist.

The Vaina is a luxurious chocolate cocktail from Chile made with ruby port, cognac, crème de cacao, egg yolk, and a touch of cinnamon. This one is so good it almost qualifies as dessert.

The poinsettia cocktail is a classic sparkling drink perfect for the holidays, with cranberry juice, Grand Marnier, and champagne.

I love this cocktail for a private New Years Eve celebration, the Pure Passion Cocktail, with passion fruit juice, lime, triple sec, and brut cava, and a sweet and spicy sugar and chili powder rimmer.

And for a cocktail without the alcohol, this sparkling pomegranate nojito is very refreshing. It’s made with pomegranate juice, a ginger-habanero syrup, mint leaves, and club soda. And of course, you can use as much or little habanero as you like.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Breakfast is one of our favorite things about Christmas day. We sit down together later in the morning after all the presents have been unwrapped but before Michael and the boys begin work on assembling toys, and enjoy a hot breakfast of homemade cinnamon rolls, scones, pancakes, cranberry apple French toast, panettone, or waffles. These eggnog waffles are a Christmas morning favorite we savor with butter and warm maple syrup, and small glasses of eggnog on the side with a sprinkling of nutmeg. These waffles energize the boys for a full day of play, including time outside in the snow when we’re lucky enough to have some during the holidays.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

EGGNOG WAFFLES

Makes 6 or 7 Belgian waffles.

Equipment

large mixing bowl
Belgian-style waffle machine

Ingredients

3 (360 g) cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2-1/4 cups (540 ml) light eggnog (Rich eggnog may cause the batter to be too thick.)
1/4 cup (60 ml) sunflower or canola oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in the mixing bowl. Add the eggnog, oil, and eggs. Stir well, until all the dry ingredients are coated, but don’t over mix.

2. For each waffle, pour 3/4 cup of batter onto the hot waffle iron, spreading it around lightly to even it out a bit, then cook according to the manufacturers directions. Keep finished waffles warm in the oven at 150° F until ready to serve.

More Christmas Morning Breakfast Recipes

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Pinch My Salt – Spiked Egg Nog French Toast

Brown Eyed Baker – Eggnog Fudge

Eclectic Recipes – Panettone Eggnog Bread Pudding

FatFree Vegan Kitchen – Vegan Eggnog Cheesecakeg

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Making cakes for Christmas is a tradition that goes almost as far back as the holiday itself, and every family has their own favorite for celebrating. Here are some of our favorite types of Christmas cakes, and we hope you’ll share your favorites in the comments, too.

Michael’s family makes prune cake, a moist, dense cake that keeps well for several days and also freezes well. You can make smaller cakes for giving or a larger Bundt cake for family celebrations.

My family makes coconut cake for almost all of our family celebrations any time of the year. The recipe has been in our family for almost 100 years and is still a favorite.

For an easy and festive Christmas cake, eggnog pound cake is as simple as it gets. Dust with a little powdered sugar and you are ready for a holiday party.

Ready to tackle something a little more challenging? The classic buche de noel, yule log cake, is a beautiful cake for Christmas with marzipan mushrooms.

More Holiday Cakes From Around the Blogs

Food Blogga – My Favorite Holiday Cake: A Spiced Sweet Potato, Cranberry, and Pecan Cake with Orange-Cinnamon Glaze

Gluten-Free Goddess – Apple Cake with Cranberries

David Lebovitz – Chocolate-Cherry Fruitcake

Savour Fare – It’s Fruitcake Weather, Buddy (Traditional Fruitcake)

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

With so many parties and gatherings during the holidays, it’s nice to bring a homemade hostess gift or a little something to share with everyone or something unique to take to the neighborhood cookie swap. These are some of my favorite homemade gifts for the holidays, and I hope you’ll share your favorite homemade Christmas gifts, too. Two of these are very easy, and the other two only require a little practice to become a pro. Trust me, they are worth it.

My mother has been making this peanut brittle for as long as I can remember. It’s crackly, buttery, nutty, and the first thing my dad asks for every Christmas. Look for raw Spanish peanuts to make peanut brittle, or substitute raw cashews for a little something different.

Pralines are one of my very favorite candies, and once you get the technique down, they are easy to make at home. I make mine with cream and a touch of bourbon. You can make small ones like above or the larger size like you see in the shops in New Orleans, either way they make delicious gifts.

I like to give maple cranberry butter in addition to the traditional pepper jelly, which also makes nice gifts. It’s very easy to make, which is great if you are pressed for time, and the flavor is memorable.

And for a different kind of sweet treat, how about jars of homemade dulce de leche? Just open a can of sweetened condensed milk and pour it into a pie dish and bake in the oven, then give it in decorative jars. The caramel lovers will be thrilled.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

The week after Thanksgiving, Monkey Boy asked me, “Mommy, is Thanksgiving over?” “Yes,” I answered. He jumped up and down and shouted, “That means it’s Cookie Season!”

A boy after my own heart.

In the spirit of Cookie, ahem, Christmas Season, we’re sharing our top five favorite Christmas cookies (with input from the whole family), and we hope you will share yours, too. Here they are in no particular order just because it would be very hard to choose the top favorite.

Making gingerbread cookies goes back to Michael’s family, and we began making gingerbread houses with our boys when they were very young. Then we tried making a gingerbread Christmas tree one year because it was a little more stable—no toppling walls—and the boys adored it. A new tradition was born. We like to make the tree on Christmas Eve and use it as a centerpiece for Christmas Day.

These traditional almond cookies from Italy, called florentines, have a light, lacy texture and a hint of orange flavor. The drizzle of chocolate makes them particularly festive and one of my favorite cookies.

Pizzelles are one of Michael’s favorite cookies and now are a family favorite. These are a nod to his Italian heritage, a chocolate version that we started making a few years ago.

Spritz cookies are an old-fashioned favorite, one that kind of fell out of fashion for a while, probably due to a reputation as a dry, flavorless cookie meant just for the kids. My version is made with cream cheese and a bit of citrus zest to brighten the flavor. Our boys enjoy helping press and decorate the cookies every year.

And finally, these mocha toffee bars are a rather recent favorite, one that we started making a couple years ago. It’s a super easy cookie that is a crowd pleaser, a simple espresso-flavored shortbread crust with a layer of melted chocolate chips and topped with chopped roasted cashews. I often catch Michael with his hands in this cookie tin.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

When it comes to big holiday feasts, one oven just isn’t enough, and I always find myself trying to sort out the intricate timing of turkey, stuffing, rolls, and any roasted or baked vegetables. I sit down with recipes and a schedule and plan it all out. If the turkey is done too early, it sits and gets cold and loses that wonderful fresh-from-the-oven juiciness while waiting for the rest of the dishes to finish.

Of course my grandmothers only had one oven, and even with so many of us to feed at Thanksgiving or Christmas, they somehow managed it. My mom’s mother eventually bought one of those roaster ovens that will cook a whole turkey, ham, or other large piece of meat on the countertop, leaving the other oven free for the rest of the dishes. Their kitchen was small, so the turkey roasted in the basement while she and Mom worked on the rest of the meal.

Grandma gave up cooking big meals several years ago and I was the fortunate recipient of her big roaster oven. We’ve tried turkeys and hams in it and have cooked with it just about everywhere, including the front and back porch when I just need the extra room in the kitchen. One thing I’ve learned about cooking turkeys in the roaster oven is that the skin doesn’t brown the way I like if I cook at the recommended 325° F. Last year my sister sent me a note about cooking at 500° F for the first 30 minutes then cooking at 325° F until done, and I thought that was a flash of brilliance. The skin browns and crisps and seals in the juices, and that extra blast of heat shaves a little off the overall cooking time.

I highly recommend doing this with a thermometer, the digital kind with a probe connected. This allows you to monitor the internal temperature and remove the turkey at precisely the right time. We’ve tested with both the thermometer and the little popup timers that some turkeys come with, and the digital thermometer always signals ready about 5 to 10 minutes before the popup timer. Since the residual heat will continue to cook the bird for a little while longer, this can mean the difference between moist and juicy or dry meat.

And of course feel free to rub and season with whatever you like, this is just how we like it.

ROAST TURKEY IN A ROASTER OVEN

Makes 1 whole turkey.

Equipment

18 or 22-quart roaster oven with rack
digital thermometer/timer

Ingredients

whole turkey, 10 pounds or larger (up to 18 pounds for an 18-quart roaster oven, and up to 24 pounds for a 22-quart roaster oven)
6 large sage leaves
1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
1/2 lemon
handful of fresh thyme
handful of fresh parsley leaves
4-inch sprig rosemary
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Place the roaster oven on a large wooden cutting board or other heat-safe surface. It’s going to get hot, so leave plenty of room around it. Remove the rack and the inner liner and put the lid back on. Preheat the roaster oven to the hottest temperature, usually 450° to 500° F.

2. While the oven heats, prepare the turkey. Remove the neck and giblets and use the neck to make turkey broth for the gravy. Loosen the skin around the turkey breast and tuck one large sage leaf under the skin on each side. Pat the skin back down. Rub the turkey all over with the olive oil. Tuck the lemon half into the rib cavity and stuff in the thyme, parsley, and rosemary. Place the turkey on the rack in the roaster oven liner. Sprinkle the kosher salt and black pepper all over the bird. Insert the thermometer probe deep into the thigh muscle, but not touching the bone. Leave the probe cable hanging outside the liner.

3. Place the liner and turkey in the preheated roaster oven and cover. Connect the probe cable to the digital thermometer and set the temperature alarm for 165° F, the minimum safe internal temperature recommended by the USDA. You can set it higher according to your personal preference.

4. When the internal temperature reaches 165° F or your preferred temperature, turn off the oven and lift the bird onto a cutting board or platter. Leave the temperature probe in and cover the bird with foil. Allow to rest for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the juices to soak back into the meat, then remove the herbs and lemon, and carve.

More Turkey Recipes

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What We’re Eating – Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

Sass & Veracity – Turkey: Tips on Brining

CBSoP – The Ultimate Roast Turkey Recipe

Food Wishes – How to Cook a Turkey: Part 1 – A No-Fail Method for People that Would Rather Watch Football than Wash Dishes

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

We’re doing a special Thanksgiving edition of The Kids Cook Monday, because what better time to get the whole family in the kitchen than for one of the most festive meals of the year? There are several parts of the traditional Thanksgiving meal that the kids can help with, and one of our boys’ favorites is the cranberry sauce. It’s also a great make-ahead dish, so you can have it ready in the refrigerator up to three days before.

This cranberry sauce includes golden raisins and is sweetened slightly with maple syrup and flavored with orange juice and zest, cinnamon, and cloves. It makes a good size batch that will serve 6 to 8 people, and it’s easy enough that a 9-year-old can make it.

Make sure to visit The Kids Cook Monday for more recipes to cook with your kids.

How Adults Can Help the Kids

• Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new: zesting, measuring, pouring, stirring.
• Assign the simpler tasks, such as washing the cranberries and pouring in the ingredients, to the younger kids, and save the more challenging tasks for the older kids and adults.
  

  Safety Tips

• Make sure an adult is present at all times.
• Young children should not handle zesters, as they are extremely sharp. Make sure an adult or older child or teenager does the zesting.

MAPLE ORANGE CRANBERRY SAUCE

Serves 6 to 8.

Equipment

4-quart heavy bottom saucepan with lid

Ingredients

2 (12-ounce/340 g bags) fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1 cup (160 g) golden raisins
1 cup (240 ml) maple syrup
1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh orange juice
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
zest of 1 orange, plus extra for garnish

Preparation

1. In the 4 quart saucepan, stir together the cranberries, raisins, maple syrup, water, and orange juice. Bring to a boil and cook while stirring, until the cranberries begin to pop, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest and bring back to a simmer. Continue cooking for another 3 to 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely before serving. Garnish with strips of orange zest.

More Kids Cook Monday Recipes

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Gluten-Free Goddess – Red Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Cranberries, and Pecans

What We’re Eating – Baked Camembert with Cranberry Orange Relish

Inspired Taste – Roasted Acorn Squash with Walnuts and Cranberries

Leite’s Culinaria – Wild Rice with Roasted Chestnuts and Cranberries

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

For years Michael has been telling me about the Easter bread his mother made, and for years I’ve been trying to obtain the recipe. I finally succeeded in getting two recipes: one from his mother, a scan of a page taken from an unknown cook book over 50 years ago; and the other from his brother Chip which originally came from Uncle Tom. His mother began making braided bread for Christmas and Easter during the first year they were married, a departure from her family’s Easter babka. She didn’t have her mother’s babka recipe, so she started her own family tradition. For several months there were email discussions back and forth on which recipe was better than the other and why, and I wanted to make sure I honored this family favorite.

I thought about using dried cherries instead of raisins, and Michael was fine with that. Then I had to figure out the glaze recipe, which was not on the original scanned page, and after racking Michael’s brain on ingredients and thickness, we called his mom again. Her glaze is actually more like a buttercream frosting, and I just made a simple milk and sugar glaze, but thick enough to hold the colorful jelly beans. I must admit I felt a little intimidated about taking on this family tradition, but thankfully Michael liked the bread I made and the boys love the jelly beans on top.

So a new tradition is born for our family.

Recipe Notes

The dough is flavored with mace and lemon zest and studded with almonds and cherries or raisins, and at Christmas you can flavor it with orange zest and nutmeg and add dried cranberries. It’s a versatile sweet dough that you can use for many different shapes. You can decorated with the glaze and some jelly beans or mini malted Easter eggs, or you can skip them if you prefer.

(Print this recipe)

BRAIDED EASTER BREAD

Adapted from a recipe from Ann Meyers.

Total Preparation Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Makes 2 large loaves.

Equipment

stand mixer with paddle attachment and dough hook
large mixing bowl, lightly greased
2 baking sheets lined with parchment

Ingredients

7 cups (840 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (88 g) granulated sugar
4 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons/113 g) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups (360 ml) warm milk
1/2 cup (120 ml) warm water
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon mace
1 cup (120 g) dried cherries or raisins
1 cup (112 g) chopped almonds
1 egg + 2 teaspoons cold water

GLAZE

2-1/2 cups (200 g) confectioners sugar, sifted
4 to 5 tablespoons lowfat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

OPTIONAL DECORATIONS

jelly beans
mini malted eggs

Preparation

1. In the bowl of the stand mixer, mix 4 cups of the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt, then add the softened butter and the eggs and mix until the butter is evenly distributed. Add the warm milk and water and continue mixing until it resembles a slurry. Switch to the dough hook and add the lemon zest, mace, cherries, almonds, and another cup of flour, mixing until the flour is fully incorporated. Continue adding flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl. Knead with the dough hook until it is smooth and elastic, about 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Transfer the dough to the greased mixing bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 90 minutes. Punch down the dough and let it rise again until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.

3. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 2 equal pieces. Set one piece aside, then divide the other into 4 equal pieces. Roll 3 of the pieces into 14-inch strands. Place them side-by-side on one of the parchment-lined baking sheets, then gently braid them, tucking the ends under. Divide the remaining piece into 3 equal pieces and braid them, then place the braid on top of the larger braid. Make another double braid with the remaining dough.

4. Cover both braids with tea towels and allow to rise until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes.

5. Place the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, allow plenty of room for the breads to rise. Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C.

6. Brush the braids with the egg and water mixture, then place in the preheated oven. After 20 minutes, move the bottom baking sheet to the top and the top baking sheet to the bottom. Continue baking until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on wire racks.

7. GLAZE: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. The glaze should be slightly thickened, not runny. Drizzle it over the cooled bread, then place a few jelly beans (optional) in the crevices of the bread, tucking them into the glaze to hold in place.

More Sweet Easter Recipes

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Food Blogga – Traditional Italian Easter Rice Pie

Baking Bites – Easter Egg Shortbread Cookies

From Argentina With Love – Rosca de Pascua, Easter Bread Ring

Culinary Concoctions by Peabody – Milk Chocolate Marshmallow Peep Ice Cream

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

I grew up on pork, as did both my parents, though by the time my parents met and got married their families were no longer raising pigs. Dad’s family raised pigs when he was younger and did the butchering at Thanksgiving. They would salt the meat down for six weeks and then hang it for up to nine months. They continued raising pigs until the early 1950s when Grandma made Grandpa quit after a new church when up behind them and she didn’t want the pigs in front of their church.

Ham is still important to our family and integral to our Easter celebration. Mom always glazed it with a brown sugar and mustard sauce and served with green beans, country-style mashed potatoes, a relish tray with pickles, olives, pickled beets, and deviled eggs, and some rolls or biscuits. It was a simple meal that we always looked forward to, and one that I still enjoy.

I developed this recipe using maple syrup, brown sugar, whiskey, and brown mustard for a bone-in ham portion. The ham came with part of the skin still on, and you can leave it on for roasting or remove it, that’s a matter of preference. I like to roast with it on because the layer of fat and skin keeps the meat moist, but not wet. It also lends a little bit of smokiness to the flavor. Whether you leave it on or remove it, score the fat or the meat so that the basting juices can run over the meat.

If you prefer to have a spiral sliced ham, you can still use the glaze, just follow the directions for reheating the meat, toss the sauce packet that comes with it, and use the maple whiskey glaze instead.

(Print this recipe)

ROASTED HAM WITH MAPLE WHISKEY GLAZE

Serves 12 or more.

Equipment

roasting pan with a rack
oven proof meat thermometer
aluminum foil
small saucepan

Ingredients

10 to 12 pound ham portion with bone, with skin on or off depending on your preference
olive oil
black peppercorns
3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup
1/2 (55 g) cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) whiskey
1/4 cup (60 g) brown mustard

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C.

2. Place the ham on the rack in the roasting pan and rub it down with the olive oil. Score the surface in a diamond pattern about 1/2 to 3/4-inches (1.25 to 1.9 cm) deep. Place the peppercorns at the corners of the diamonds.

3. Insert the meat thermometer into the deepest part of the ham, not touching the bone. Cover the top of the ham with foil.

4. Roast in the preheated oven, and baste the ham with some of the glaze when the temperature reaches 120° F/49° C and place the foil back on top. Continue cooking the ham until the temperatures reaches 148° F/64° C, about 3-4 hours total. Remove it from the oven and allow it to rest, covered, for 10 minutes. If roasted with the skin on, remove it and the top layer of fat before slicing. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

5. GLAZE: While the ham cooks, stir the maple syrup, brown sugar, whiskey, and mustard and cook in the small saucepan over medium heat until it starts to boil. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until the glaze reduces by one-third. Remove from heat and set aside

More Easter Recipes

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Dine and Dish – Pepper-Crusted Pork Loin with Sour Cream and Onion Sauce

Kalofagas – Magheritsa

Kitchen Parade – Twice-Smoked Ham

Amanda’s Cookin’ – Tie Dye Easter Eggs

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Last summer we went on a milkshake kick and Michael and I spent lots of time in the evenings after the boys went to bed testing new flavor combinations. I can’t say it was a healthy thing for us to do, but all that time spent playing in the kitchen was worth it. We laughed and enjoyed creating together, sharing ideas and tasting each other’s concoctions. Good memories.

Life throws curve balls and we never know what is coming, how big or small, and though we try to plan carefully and make sure home life is safe and comfortable for our family, there are days that sometimes stretch into weeks when I think we can’t take another curve ball, whether it’s another special needs diagnosis for one of our children or unexpected bills or an illness for someone else in our family. Then unimaginable events in other places in the world jolt us, remind us to be thankful and celebrate every single day that we have together, because we don’t know how long we have.

So we are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day today, tomorrow, and probably into the weekend because we are just happy to be together. And we’re sharing with you one of our favorite milkshakes from last summer, a shake we dubbed Luck of the Irish because it’s made with some of our favorite Irish exports. The other favorite is featured in the Spring 2011 issue of Where Women Cook, a milkshake with bananas foster and praline pecans. We hope you’ll celebrate with us.

(Print this recipe)

LUCK OF THE IRISH MILKSHAKE

Makes 1 (12-ounce) milkshake.

Equipment

immersion blender
cocktail shaker
tall milkshake glass, frosted

Ingredients

3 ounces (89 ml) Guinness Stout beer
1 ounce (30 ml) Carolans Irish cream
1 teaspoon chocolate syrup
2 teaspoons malted milk powder
4 scoops chocolate ice cream, slightly softened
7 chocolate covered espresso beans
whipped cream
1/4 teaspoon cocoa powder, sifted

Preparation

In the cocktail shaker, mix the Guinness Stout, Irish cream, chocolate syrup, and malted milk powder with the immersion blender. Add the chocolate ice cream and blend well. Finely chop 6 of the espresso beans and blend them in with the shake. Pour into the chilled glass. Top the shake with whipped cream, a sprinkle of cocoa powder, and a whole espresso bean.

More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

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Gluten-Free Goddess – Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread

Dine & Dish – St. Patrick’s Day Grasshopper Cocktails

Cupcake Project – Homemade Bailey’s Irish Cream

Seriously Good – Irish Bread Pudding

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.