What’s Cooking ~ Festive Holiday Recipes
White Holiday Hot Chocolate from Beth’s kitchen
Four cups half and half
Two 16 ounce bars of white chocolate
I/2 cup White Chocolate Liquor
½ cup light Crème de Cacao
Two tablespoons Amaretto
Heat all ingredients on low heat until chocolate is melted and drink is warm
Serve in a holiday mug and sprinkle with fresh grated nutmeg
Cranberry Apple Relish from Lisa’s kitchen
- 1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries
- 1 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
- 1 medium apple – peeled, cored and diced
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- Place cranberries, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, water and orange juice concentrate in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil 3-4 minutes or until cranberries start to thicken and water has reduced by about half.
- Remove from pan and place in medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours or overnight.
- Add diced apple and half of the raisins to cranberries. Stir well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, sprinkle remaining raisins over cranberries as a garnish. Serve chilled as an accompaniment to roast meats or poultry.
Christmas Salad from Beth’s kitchen1 bag of dried cranberries.
1 cup of slivered almonds.
1 head of fennel sliced thin
Roast one lb of cubed butternut squash, place in baking sheet with olive oil, until caramelized.
Place a head of romaine in a bowl.
Dressing:
¼ cup fig vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Tablespoon of honey
1 tsp of fresh nutmeg
Sprinkle one small package of crumbled goat cheese over dressed salad
Peppermint Bark from Akantha’s kitchen- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 pound white chocolate, chopped (do not use chips)
- 2 cups puffed rice cereal
- 1 bag (7 1/2 ounces) hard peppermint candies, unwrapped
Spray a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; line with a piece of waxed paper. Crush candies by placing candy in a doubled resealable plastic bag (one inside the other); seal and wrap in a kitchen towel (to prevent candy from piercing the bag). Use a rolling pin or skillet to crush candy into tiny pieces. Pass through a large sieve to separate crushed candy from fine powder. (Save powder to stir into hot chocolate or sprinkle on ice cream.). Place white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in rice cereal. Transfer mixture to prepared pan; with a spatula, spread to edges of pan. Sprinkle with crushed candy; with a piece of waxed paper covering the entire surface, press in gently (paper prevents hands from sticking to candy and chocolate). Chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes (no longer, as candy will begin to soften). Peel waxed paper off. Break bark into 2-inch pieces. Makes 36 pieces
