by Kathy Douglas | Dec 18, 2024 | Appetizers
Impress your guests this holiday season with this effortless and delicious roll-up appetizer! Combining the rich, savory flavors of pimento cheese and Black Forest ham with the sweet and spicy kick of pepper jelly, these bite-sized treats are a perfect blend of festive and flavorful. Quick to make and bursting with crowd-pleasing ingredients, they’re guaranteed to be the star of your holiday spread with no stress required! Makes about 20 appetizers.
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/4 cup Hot Pepper Jam
1/4 lb very thinly sliced Black Forest Ham
1 cup of Pimento Cheese, homemade or high-quality
2 tbsp of chopped parsley
Heat oven to 375°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Unroll the puff pastry sheet on a floured surface and roll it into a 12×10-inch rectangle. Carefully spread the Hot Pepper Jam onto the pastry, within 1/2” of one of the short ends, leaving room to seal the seams.
Place ham slices evenly on top of the jelly layer, overlapping slightly. Carefully spread the Pimento Cheese over the ham.
Start on the rectangle’s short edge, roll up tightly, and pinch the seam together. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour. With a serrated knife, carefully cut each roll into 3/8-1/2” inches wide, and arrange spiral sides up on the sheet tray, reshaping into a round shape, if necessary.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve warm.
by Kathy Douglas | Dec 10, 2024 | Desserts
Get ready to fall in love with these irresistible Snickerdoodles! Bursting with holiday spirit, they’ll fill your home with the warm, inviting aroma of cinnamon and sugar. To make them even more festive, we’ve added homemade cinnamon chips, giving each bite a delightful flavor boost that will impress. Makes about 32 cookies.
Make the cinnamon chips:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp vegetable shortening
2 tbsp light corn syrup
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 200˚F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and set aside. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, shortening, light corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Mix with a spoon until the mixture forms a dough. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten into a rough square about 1/4 inch thick. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely, then cut into small pieces about the size of chocolate chips. Measure 1 cup to set aside for the cookies.
Make the cookies:
2 sticks butter (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (198g) granulated sugar
2 cups (426g) brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2¾ cups (330g) all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp kosher salt
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
1 cup (140g) Cinnamon Chips
For rolling:
½ cup (101g) sparkling sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the stand mixer bowl, add the butter and sugars. Mix at medium speed until creamy and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute.
Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in another bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine for about 1 ½ minutes.
Scoop the dough using a 2-tablespoon scoop or two spoons and roll into 1-1/2 inch round balls. Then, roll balls in the sugar and place them on a sheet tray. Place the dough balls in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
When ready to bake, place the dough balls on a cookie sheet, 3 inches apart, and bake until golden brown and puffed up for 14 to 15 minutes.
Let the cookies cool on cookie sheets for 15 minutes, then move to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
by Kathy Douglas | Dec 3, 2024 | Desserts
This holiday season, indulge in the decadent, airy delight of a classic chocolate soufflé with a modern twist, peppermint white chocolate ganache. This recipe combines the timeless elegance of a soufflé with the innovative use of xanthan gum, an ingredient that ensures the perfect texture and stable structure. Xanthan gum enhances the structure of the soufflé and helps maintain its rise, giving you a dessert that’s as impressive to look at as it is to taste. So, whether you’re a seasoned baker or a culinary enthusiast, this chocolate soufflé with peppermint white chocolate ganache promises a flawless finish every time. Makes four servings.
Peppermint White Chocolate Ganache
1 cup heavy cream
5 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Souffle
1/2 stick unsalted butter, plus more for greasing ramekins
2 tbsp granulated sugar, plus more for coating the ramekins
¼ tsp salt
2 cups chopped bittersweet chocolat
8 large eggs
1/2 tsp xanthan gum, optional
Make the ganache
Add the finely chopped white chocolate to a bowl and set aside. Add the heavy cream to a saucepan and heat over medium heat until it simmers. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and let it sit for about five minutes. Whisk until the chocolate is melted, then add in the peppermint extract, in ½ teaspoons, until you reach the desired flavor. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the cream and set aside for two hours.
Make souffle
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease four 6 oz. (180 ml) ramekins to the very top with butter, then coat with sugar all the way up to the top, tap out any excess, and set on a sheet tray.
Combine the butter, sugar, salt, and chopped chocolate in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat until mixture melts, then whisk together until the chocolate mixture is completely smooth. Cool to just above room temp about 85˚F.
Separate the eggs into two large, clean bowls.Beat egg yolks, then temper in the chocolate by adding the warm chocolate milk in 1/2-cup increments to gradually raise the temperature of the eggs while whisking. When the eggs are warmed through, add the remaining chocolate and mix until combined Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, start whisking the egg whites. Slowly incorporate the xanthan gum as you whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks.
Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in three batches, mixing the third batch until the white streaks are just barely gone. Add the batter evenly to the ramekins, filling to the top. Using a knife, scrape the top of the batter to smooth the surface and remove any excess. With your forefinger and thumb, pinch the rim of each ramekin and run the edge of your thumb around the inside rim
Place the ramekins back on the baking sheet and bake until a gentle tap jiggles only the center of the soufflé, 17 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately with warm peppermint white chocolate ganache..
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