Copyright: Copyright 1997 Cosmi Corporation


Contents

Christmas and Thanksgiving cooking

Sweets

Dinners

Turkey leftovers

Contributors

Tradenames


Sweets

Deutscher Weinachtskuchen

Serious fudge

Traditional Apple Dumpling Christmas Treat

Creme Brulee a la Sylvia

Steamed Persimmon Pudding

Trifle Pudding

Steamed Pumpkin Pudding


Deutscher Weinachtskuchen

(German Christmas Cake)

1 1/3 cup of sugar

2 sticks of butter or margarine (Land O Lakes country morning brand preferred)

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond

1 Package Vanilla pudding (NOT instant; Jello Brand recommended)

½ cup light raisins

½ cup dark raisins ("Valley Pride" all natural brand preferred)

½ cup craisins (Ocean Spray Crasins brand preferred)

½ cup nonfat unflavored yogurt (Dannon brand preferred)

1 teaspoon baking soda (Arm & Hammer brand preferred)

4 teaspoon baking powder (Calumet brand preferred)

½ cup of milk

3 cups, plus a separate tablespoon of flour

Chocolate, Vanilla frosting or sprinkles

Note: This recipe is best made a day in advance, with the cake refrigerated, covered, till serving time.

Grease and flour lightly a 9" x 3" tube, or Bundt brand pan

Preheat oven to 375o

In a large mixing bowl mix butter, margarine and sugar until smooth, using electric hand mixer. Then add eggs and continue to mix.

Add vanilla and almond extract, continue to mix.

Start adding flour one cup at a time alternating with yogurt. Mix until smooth.

Add the milk to achieve a proper consistency (firm, not loose.)

Switch to wooden cooking spoon for mixing.

Put all raisins and craisins into a small bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon flour so raisins will not collect on the bottom of the cake mix.

Mix together ½ tablespoon of baking soda and baking powder. Stir mixture into dough.

Pour dough into the baking form.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. If cake is brown prior to 50 minutes, cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Cool for 45 minutes in the form, covered with a clean dish towel.

Turn onto cake plate. If the cake sticks, reheat for a few moments.

Dust with powered sugar, or vanilla or chocolate frosting or sprinkles before serving.

Note: cake will still be moist and tasty after a few days if refrigerated.


Serious fudge

This fudge is a favorite wherever served. PLEASE note that the alcohol used in the cooking process is NOT all removed, and those who must avoid or limit liquor consumption should not eat this fudge.

This recipe is one that you should feel quite free to change.

Melt 18 ounces of real semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave proof bowl on high, stirring occasionally. Watch closely. Okay, you can also melt them other ways besides the microwave.

Add a pinch of salt.

1 can of Sweetened Condensed milk (that's about 14 ounces)

Stir until smooth, returning to microwave if necessary.

Stir in 1/4 cup of dark rum, and 1/4 cup of coffee liqueur, again, stir until smooth, return to microwave if necessary.

After liquor is incorporated, continue to add more rum or liqueur, a tablespoons at a time until mixture is the

consistency of brownie batter.

Line a 13 by 9 inch pan with plastic wrap. Pour fudge mixture into pan, chill overnight in refrigerator.

When firmly set, lift out of pan, cut  into 1 inch squares, using a pizza wheel.

Store tightly wrapped into refrigerator.

WARNING: If you add nuts they WILL absorb the liquor. You've been warned.

How it got this name.

In response to a request for one of the first persons who tried this fudge to describe it, they said: "this is one Serious fudge." Really.


Traditional Apple Dumpling Christmas Treat

This recipe goes back to at least 1899, and according to sources, was a very

popular recipe for Christmas.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

9 inch pie crust

6 pared apples, cored (about 3 to 4 inches diameter)

1/4 teaspoon of round cinnamon

3 tablespoons of chopped nuts

1/2 cup sugar or brown sugar

3/4 cup of corn syrup (more or less to taste)

3 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons of butter

3/4 cup of water

Roll 2/3 of the pastry into a 14 inch square. Cut this into 4 squares. Roll the other

1/3 to  a rectangle, 14 by 17. Cut that rectangle into 2 squares. Place one apple on each of the 6 squares.

Mix raisins and nuts, fill apple.  Moisten corners of each of the squares.

Bring the opposite corners of the squares together and pinch close. Repeat to completely seal.

Place all the squares into a large baking dish.

Then mix the cinnamon, butter, water and sugar. Boil for 4 minutes in a saucepan.

Then pour between the squares.

Bake 40 minutes. Baste the dumplings with the syrup 3-4 times. Can be served warm or cooled.


Creme Brulee a la Sylvia

3 cups heavy cream

1 cup half and half

¼ cup sugar

3 egg yolks

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon vanilla

Approximately ½-3/4 cup of brown sugar

Make this mixture 1 or 2 days in advance. Put cream in double broiler and heat. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Beat egg yolks well until they are extremely thick. Add salt and vanilla. Sir hot cream into egg mixture.

On the day that you will serve:

Pour mixture into a 8 inch Pyrex brand baking dish or round ceramic tart pan. Pour in mixture until half the pan is filled. Bake at 325o for about 1 hour, or until set but still moist.

Remove, cool and refrigerate four hours. Remove any moisture with paper towels. Sprinkle with an even layer of brown sugar. Put on middle rack in oven and broiler, and melt brown sugar. WATCH CLOSELY. Return to refrigerator until ready to serve.


Steamed Persimmon Pudding

1 cup persimmon pulp

1 cup sugar

1 egg

½ cup milk

1 cup flour

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 table spoon melted margarine

1 cup chopped walnuts

Hard sauce (described below)

Mix the pup, sugar, egg and milk. Sift together flour, salt, soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter and nuts. Then combine both mixtures. Grease a mold of the desired size. Cover with fold. Place on a rack in a kettle. Fill kettle with water half way up the mold. Cover and steam for 2 hours. Unmold on serving platter. This may be served flambeau using brandy or rum.

Hard sauce

¼ pound butter or margarine

2 cups of powered sugar

Dash of  nutmeg and cinnamon

¼ cup Light rum (Optional)

Melt butter and stir in sugar. Add rum until the mixture can be stirred, add nutmeg and cinnamon, whip with a fork and serve over the pudding.


Trifle Pudding

¼ pound of almond macaroons

Maraschino cherries

Sweetened whipped cream

Maraschino cherries

1 package of ladyfingers

¼ cup sherry

¼ cup brandy

Custard sauce (described below)

Note: This must be made a day in advance.

Break the macaroons and ladyfingers in half. Line a glass bowl with part of the jam. Cover with macaroons and ladyfinger halves. Blend wine and brandy into Custard sauce. Alternate layers of cakes, jam, and custard until ingredients are exhausted. Chill overnight. Garnish with whipped cream and cherries.

Custard sauce:

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons sugar

3 egg yolks

3 tablespoons eater

Heat milk in double boiler and stir in cornstarch. Beat together sugar, egg yolks and water, and add to the heated milk. Cook from 5 to 10 minutes until custard is thin. Cool.


Steamed Pumpkin Pudding

½ cup butter or margarine

¾ cup brown sugar, packed

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 cups sifted flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice

¾ cup mashed cooked pumpkin

¼ cup molasses

½ cup finely chopped pecans

Eggnog rum sauce (described below)

Eggnog rum sauce ingredients:

1 cup eggnog

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon of rum

Pudding:

Mix together butter, brown and granulated sugars until creamy. Add eggs and beat 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, soda and pumpkin pie spice. Add pecans. Pour into grated 1 ½ quart mold. Cover tightly with foil. Place in deep kettle with boiling water halfway up the mold. Cover kettle and simmer for 2 ½ hours. Remove mold from water and allow to cool 10 minutes before turning out onto serving dish. Serve warmed with Eggnog rum sauce.

Yield: 8 servings

Eggnog rum sauce:

1 cup eggnog

1 teaspoon corn starch

1 tablespoon dark rum

Combine eggnog and cornstarch in saucepan over low heat, stir until slightly thickened. Cool. Shortly before serving, whip cream with sugar and rum until stiff. Fold mixture into eggnog.


Dinners

Christmas roast goose

Lobster Newburg

Rockefeller style oysters

Bragging Bird (Gas BBQ Grill Turkey)


Christmas roast goose

Turkey now prevails over goose at Christmas. However, for traditionalists, a nice roast goose is a great main course on Christmas or perhaps as a change for Christmas.

Stuffed goose:

4 medium potatoes

4 tablespoons butter

2 onions, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

¼ cup of heavy cream

8-10 pound goose

3-4 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons flour

1 ½ cups of goose broth

salt

pepper

Dash of milk (optional)

1/8 teaspoon of Hungarian Hot Paprika (optional)

Dash of red pepper (optional)

1/8 cup cornmeal (optional)

Gravy:

Goose fat

flour

Preheat oven to 325o.

Peel and quarter the potatoes. Melt butter in a skillet, and cook chopped onions until tender. Mash the potatoes add cream to make a smooth mixture. Add milk to the potatoes if desired. Add onions, salt, pepper, paprika (optional) to potatoes. Stuff the goose with the mixture. Sew the goose closed.

Mix optional paprika, red pepper and cornmeal together (or any combination.) Rub the outside of the goose with the optional mixture.

Rub the outside of the goose with salt and pepper.

Before placing the goose in the oven, prick the skin of the goose in numerous places.

Place the goose on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast 3 ½ hours.

Pour off fat every 15-20 minutes and retain.

Gravy:

Fat from roast goose

Salt

Pepper

1 cup of chicken broth or goose broth

Render the goose fat by cutting into very small diced pieces. Cook over low heat. Add ¼ cup of water per pound of fat. Finally, strain through a fine strainer.

Cook fat until dissolved, then strain through a small strainer.

Over low heat cook the strained goose fat with flour, salt and pepper to taste. Add in 1 cup of goose broth or chicken bullion. Add corn starch to thicken. Strain again and serve.


Lobster Newburg

If you can get a nice lobster for the holidays, this is an excellent alternative to traditional Christmas fare.

1 ½ cups cream

3 egg yolks, beaten

Salt to taste

White pepper to taste

3 ½ cups of cooked lobster meat

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon of cooking sherry

Rice, rice pilaf or toast

Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat to near boiling. Remove from heat. Stir a part of the hot cream into the egg yolks, stirring. Increase heat, and cook and stir until the mixture thickens. Add salt, pepper and lobster meat, and cook until meat is warm. Add butter and sherry and cook for an addition minute. Serve over rice pilaf, steamed rice or buttered toast.


Rockefeller style oysters

Try this as a knockout appetizer for goose, turkey or other main course.

3 scallions

¼ cup celery

2 tablespoons of freshly made bread crumb

Tabasco sauce to taste

½ teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

½ pound butter

½ cup chopped spinach leaves

¼ cup of chanterelle mushrooms (optional)

3 tablespoons bread crumbs

Salt

Cayenne pepper to taste

24 Oysters on the halfshell

Rock salt

Preheat over to 400o. Combine scallions, celery, parsley and spinach in food processor. Add bread crumbs, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, (optional) mushrooms and add butter and salt together. Combine into a smooth paste. Spread 1 inch of rock salt on a baking disk to hold the oyster shells. Put 1 teaspoon of mixture on each oyster, and bake until melted.


Bragging Bird (Gas BBQ Grill Turkey)

This dish derives its name from the fact that this dish, traditionally prepared for Thanksgiving is subtly mentioned by Floridians during calls from relatives living in the frozen tundra of the North.

For example, Aunt Ethel from Minneapolis calls and when she asks "What's going on" you can tell her that

you are cooking your turkey out in the backyard in your gas grill and it's 75 degrees.

Procure a ten pound turkey

Heat your gas grill to 325 degrees.

While it's preheating prepare your turkey:

Remove the gizzards. Rub the inside of the turkey with garlic.

Brush extra virgin olive oil on the turkey's skin and dust with lemon pepper.

Cover the entire bird with aluminum foil.

Set gas grill to medium low.

Cook for 2-3 hours.

During the last hour add your baked potatoes to the grill. Be sure to use the tines of a fork to prick the skin of the potato.

In the last half hour, take the foil off the top.


Turkey leftovers

Turkey leftovers deserve a category all to themselves. We hope that some of this will be a new alternative for using up the Christmas/Thanksgiving leftovers.

More:

Turkey Fricassee

Turkey Pitas

Turkey Scallops

Turkey Pie

Turkey Gumbo

Oysters and Turkey for Chafing Dish

Waldorf Style Turkey Sandwich Variation


Turkey Fricassee

4-5 pounds turkey, in larger pieces

¼ pound margarine

2 tablespoons oil

1 sliced onion

2 complete celery stalks

1 sliced carrot

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons of corn starch

1 cup of cream

1 tablespoons lime (or lemon, to taste)

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Pepper

Boiling water (sufficient to cover turkey pieces in Dutch oven.)

Optional:

1 Tablespoon MSG (very optional!)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ Tablespoon malt powder

Boil water

Heat 4 tablespoons of margarine and oil in a Dutch oven. Brown the turkey pieces. Lower the heat, and pour boiling water to cover the turkey pieces. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add msg, Worcestershire sauce and malt powder, if desired. Add onion, bay leaf, celery and sliced carrot. Strain fat off the top. Keep turkey warm.

Boil the broth, and allow to boil over until 1 ½ cups are left. Melt margarine in a saucepan, add reduced broth. Stir in the cornstarch and cook for 3-5 minutes. Slowly add the cream and the broth until smooth. Add lemon or lime juice, spoon sauce over the turkey pieces, salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.


Turkey Pitas

3 cups of cold turkey pieces, cubed

½ large cucumber

1 onion, diced

1 large beefsteak tomato (or your choice) chopped

Oil and vinegar to taste, or commercial Italian dressing

Dash of salt

Dash of pepper

1 stalk of celery chopped

chopped or dried parsley to taste

6-8 pita breads

Combine in a mixing bowl cold turkey pieces, cucumber, onions, salt, pepper, tomato cubes and oil and vinegar. Add chopped celery to taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat pita breads, slice top open 2/3 of the way. Spoon mixture into pita breads.


Turkey Scallops

3 cups minced cooked turkey

1 ½ cups of turkey gravy or 1 ½ cups of bullion in a flavor of your choice

1 ½ cups of whole wheat crackers (Wasa Brod brand whole wheat is an excellent choice)

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 tablespoons butter

Small amount of additional butter to grease a casserole or non-stick cooking spray

Dash of onion powder (optional)

Dash of garlic powder (optional)

Sprinkle of nutmeg (optional)

1 tablespoon MSG (definitely optional!)

Preheat an oven to 300o degrees. Spread butter or no calorie spray a 1 ½ quart casserole. Break the whole wheat crackers or whole wheat Wasa Brod. Combine turkey, gravy or bullion, and half of the crackers. Mix well. Melt the butter in a skillet, and then brown the remaining cracker crumbs. Add dash of garlic powder, onion power, or both if desired. Spoon the turkey into the casserole, and sprinkle the cooked crumbs on top. Sprinkle small amount of nutmeg over the crumbs, if desired.


Turkey Pie

1 Baked 9 inch pastry shell

6 tablespoons of butter

6 tablespoons flour

1 cup of Turkey broth

½ cup of beef bullion (optional)

1 cup of heavy cream

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

4 cups of cooked turkey

9 small white onions

¾ cup peas, cooked

¾ cup carrots

2 whole celery stalks, chopped

½ cup Broccoli flowerets (frozen or fresh) (Optional)

Egg wash

1 Tablespoon MSG (optional)

Olive oil to cover the bottom of a small saucepan

Preheat an oven to 425o. Cook broccoli, peas, carrots and onions in a small saucepan coated with a small amount of olive oil. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in flour. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add the broth, cream, and salt and pepper. Add in optional beef bullion and MSG (neither is required). Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until thickened. Place the turkey pieces in a deep pie plate or casserole, cover with the warm sauce. Stir in cooked onions, peas, carrots and broccoli.

Place the pie shell OVER the casserole, crimp edges. Use a fork to make small holes (for venting steam). Brush lightly with egg wash. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.


Turkey Gumbo

Here a creative way to deal with turkey left overs.

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 pound of spicy sausage

2 large onions, sliced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

3 red peppers, seeded, diced

2 green (mild) chiles

2 pounds of tomatoes

1 pound of okra, trimmed, sliced (if it's available, an optional substitution is ½ pound of pumpkin, ½ pound okra)

2 lemons, sliced

1 small lime, sliced

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon of savory

2 quarts water

2 tablespoons of file powder

2 pounds of sliced tomatoes

5-6 pounds of turkey

Brown rice (time to be ready at the same time as the main dish)

Optional ingredients:

1 tablespoon of Tabasco brand sauce

½ cup of finely chopped celery

½ pound of cleaned shrimp, chopped

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Brown the sausages, remove and retain. After cooled, slice into approximately 1 inch slices and put aside again.

Brown about ¼ of the turkey at a time. After browned, retain.

Add onions, garlic, red peppers, chili peppers (optional celery) and cook until soft.

Add the tomatoes, okra, lemon, limes, bay leaves, thyme, savory, salt and pepper, turkey pieces and water. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the sausage add optional shrimp, optional Tabasco sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Add file power. Serve over rice.


Oysters and Turkey for Chafing Dish

3-4 cups cooked rice or rice pilaf

6 tablespoons margarine

½ pound of sliced shitake mushrooms (substitute varieties if necessary)

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups cream

2 cups of diced cooked turkey

2 cups of oysters, drained, sliced in ½" pieces

3 tablespoons of dry sherry

Salt to taste

White pepper

Dash soy sauce

Melt the butter in the chafing disk. Add the mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes, stir. Add in flour and cook 2-3 more minutes. Slowly put in the cream and cook until smooth. Add the turkey, oysters, sherry, salt, soy sauce. Heat 90 seconds more. Serve over a bed of rice or rice pilaf.


Waldorf Style Turkey Sandwich Variation

1 pound loaf of Sourdough bread

1 small onion

1/2 pound thinly sliced cooked turkey

4 ounces of thinly sliced provolone

Cut bread into 1/2 inch slices. Do not slice completely through! Line every other slice with

lettuce, onion, turkey and cheese

Make the following dressing:

1/4 cup of lemon yogurt

1 medium apple, chopped

1 stalk of chopped celery

Dash of Hungarian hot paprika

Mix these ingredients and add onto the turkey etc.

Then cut loaf between the unfilled slices, serve

Variations: Change the bread, or toast the bread


Contributors

Ilse Kraft. Sylvia Johnson. Amy Seeberger.


Tradenames

The contributors to these recipes have stated brand names in some of their recipes. You may substitute. These receipts are not sponsored or authorized by the holders of the Tradenames. The Tradenames:

Jello Brand

Arm & Hammer

Bundt Brand of cooking ware

Dannon Brand Yogurt

Calumet Brand Baking Soda

Ocean Spray Craisins

Wasa Brod Crackers

Pyrex brand cookware

Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce

are registered in certain jurisdictions as trademarks.