and a New Year filled with all the best!
A huge thank you for visiting,
I hope to see you again in the new year!
~ Margaret
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| Puff Pastry Palmiers |
We’re done with 2023!!!
That alone gives us a reason to celebrate.
Before we get too excited, let’s realize that 2024 might have a few surprises.
We’re not totally done with Covid-19, so please stay safe and take precautions.
Maybe a bit of menu planning will give us some more luck as we enter 2024.
To give good luck a bit of a push in the New Year, Southerners say Peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold.
A list of other foods (along with recipes) that are supposed to bring you good luck, wealth and health are in this post
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2022/12/happy-new-year-anna-sultanas-cotechino.html
These are the foods you should avoid on New Year’s Day:
Hollow bread - the air bubbles symbolize coffins and may mean 2024 will be cut short.
Avoid an unsliced loaf of bread… you just never know.
Tofu, rice, eggs, any white food - in China the colour white is connected to death.
An egg salad on white could double your risk of this being your last New Year.
Catfish - as a bottom dweller it may condemn you to a year of living on scraps.
Lobster and Crab - unlucky for both New Year’s Eve and Day.
They move backwards or sideways, and may prevent you from moving forward.
Chicken - they scratch backwards and could jinx your progress, just like lobsters and crabs.
Any poultry’s flying ability means they can fly away with your potential good luck.
Beef - cows stand still when they eat and eating beef may prevent you from progressing.
Broken noodles - in China long noodles represent good health and longevity.
Short noodles are their version of hollow bread.
But in Japan broken soba noodles symbolize a new beginning.
To be safe, reach for the brown rice.
Leave a bit of food on your plate so you’ll be more successful in the new year.
Hints:
It can be made 4 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.
About the French Toast Casserole…
It can be served topped with maple syrup and whipped cream or with confectioners’ sugar.
It is also good served with fresh fruit, such as strawberries.
It is great reheated if you have any left over.
About the Mini Cherry Cheese Danishes…
You can use either soft or regular cream cheese and any fruit pie filling.
About the Puff Pastry Palmiers…
If the filled roll falls apart use your fingers to reshape them or squish while you are slicing them.
Stored in a sealed container, they last for a few days, but they will lose some of their crunch.
Apple Cider Doughnut Loaf Cake
Place rack in middle of oven.
Lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch or 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
Line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on both long sides.
Place in a medium pot
1 1/2 Cups apple cider
Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Reduce heat and simmer 8 to 10 minutes until cider is reduced to 3/4 cup.
Pour 1/4 cup reduced cider into a small bowl and set aside.
Transfer remaining reduced cider to a small bowl and let cool 5 minutes.
Stir in
1/2 Cup sour cream or buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Set aside.
Place in the same medium pot
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter (or 6 Tablespoons oil)
Melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Don’t wash the pot. You'll be using it again.
Place in a medium bowl
1 1/4 Cups plus 2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons cornstarch or flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Stir to combine.
Preheat oven to 325° F
Place in a large mixer bowl
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 Cup sugar
Beat at medium speed until pale and frothy, about 2 minutes.
Gradually add melted butter (or oil). Continue to beat until fully combined.
Making 3 dry and 2 liquid additions add
the flour mixture and the apple cider / sour cream mixture
Beat just until no lumps remain. Batter will be thin.
Scrape batter into prepared pan.
Rotating halfway through, bake cake 60 to 80 minutes until deep golden brown and a tester inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Place pan on a wire rack and poke top of cake all over with a toothpick.
Spoon 3 Tablespoons of reserved reduced cider over cake. Let cool 10 minutes.
Place in a small bowl
1/4 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Place in the same medium pot you used before
1 Tablespoon butter (or 3/4 Tablespoon) oil
Melt butter and mix into remaining tablespoon of reduced cider.
Using parchment paper, remove the cake from the pan and place on rack.
Set rack on rimmed baking sheet and peel away the parchment paper from the sides.
Brush the warm butter mixture over the top and sides of cake.
Sprinkle the sugar mixture to coat every surface.
Remove parchment and let cool completely before slicing.
French Toast Casserole
Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan
Slice
day old loaf of French bread
You want 12 slices about an inch to an inch and a half thick.
Place in a large bowl
4 large eggs
1/2 Cup evaporated milk (or regular milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Whisk together.
Dip each bread slice in the mixture and place in 2 overlapping rows in prepared pan.
Topping
Place in a medium pot
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/4 Cup butter
1/3 Cup evaporated milk (or regular milk)
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
Stirring regularly, cook over low heat until hot but not boiling.
Pour topping mixture over the bread in the casserole dish.
Cover casserole dish and refrigerate overnight.
Before baking remove the covering and sprinkle over the top
1 Cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Preheat oven to 400º F
Bake uncovered 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
Crescent Cheese Danishes
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Filling
Place in a medium mixer bowl
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Whip until light and fluffy. Set aside.
Icing (optional)
Place in a small bowl
1 Cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons milk or water
Mix well.
Place in a small bowl
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
Mix well.
Open the container but do not unroll the rolls in
1 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls XL Grands
Using a sharp, serrated knife cut the roll to make 8 slices.
Place each slice on prepared baking sheet.
Slightly stretch out each slice and make a depression in the centre for the filling.
Preheat oven to 350° F
Brush each dough circle with the melted butter/sugar mixture.
Place a scoop of the filling in each of the 8 rounds.
Bake for 15 minutes. Crescents will be golden brown, and feel slightly firm to the touch.
Cool for 10 minutes before drizzling icing onto each Danish (optional).
Mini Cherry Cheese Danishes
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Filling
Place in a medium mixer bowl
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 Cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Blend until smooth.
Open the container but do not unroll the rolls in
1 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Using a sharp, serrated knife cut the roll to make 10 slices.
Place the 10 slices on the prepared cookie sheet.
Use a glass to flatten each roll with a small wall edge around it.
Flour your hands and press each round to make it a bit larger.
Place a scoop of the filling in each of the 10 rounds.
Preheat oven to 350º F
Top the centre of the filling with a teaspoonful of
cherry pie filling
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
While danishes are baking make the icing.
Place in a medium bowl
1/3 Cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons milk
Mix well.
Allow to the danishes to cool, then add a drizzle of icing.
Puff Pastry Palmiers
Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Place in a small bowl
8 ounces brick cream cheese, softened
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Mix until well blended.
Lightly toast then finely chop enough to make
2/3 Cup finely chopped pecans
Place on lightly floured surface
2 pre-rolled puff pastry sheets, thawed
Unroll 1 pastry sheet
Spread half the cream cheese mixture, then sprinkle half the nuts.
Even the ends of roll.
Roll both short sides of dough to centre; wrap with plastic wrap.
Repeat with second pastry sheet.
Put the wrapped pastry rolls in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425º F
Place in small bowl and beat
1 large egg
Remove rolls from freezer and slice each into 20 1/2 inch thick pieces.
Place pieces, 1 inch apart, on prepared baking sheets.
Brush with egg and sprinkle with
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until cookies are puffed and golden brown.
Cool 1 minute on baking sheets.
Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
~~~
In 2004 I wrote a story about when I was 5-years-old and worried if Santa Claus would find me after we moved. I read it on our CKUW radio show '2000 & Counting - Older & Wiser'. For a few years it was an annual tradition for ‘2000 & Counting’ and for ‘Better Than Chocolate’.
After I had first read the story we chatted about when we were children and had realized that our parents were Santa’s main helpers. Here is what I remember of that discussion. Merry Christmas!
So, Santa did find me and my nine-month-old sister.
My fifth Christmas was a time of change for our family. I was becoming American. Thank you, Nonni.
Christmases marked the milestones in my family’s changes. The next Christmas, in addition to a sister, I had a 15-day-old brother. Well, it was the 1950s.
That was a huge Christmas for our family. Santa was in a very generous mood that year. Pop was in his glory. He finally had a son, an heir. Pop's dynasty could begin. He was one up on England’s Prince Philip. We had his family's name. Visions of grandsons were dancing in Pop's head. And there'd be hundreds of descendants to come. He'd be another Abraham. In the 1950s all things were possible.
Another thing that was possible was my learning how to read and write. The next year I was able to write my own letter to Santa. I wanted a bicycle. I asked my parents if they thought Santa would give me a bike. Pop said that I'd been a good girl, helping Ma with the two babies. Ma agreed, saying that I was becoming really good at changing diapers and giving bottles. Yes, they thought Santa would grant me my wish.
My siblings were also growing and going after what they wanted. While George had barely been aware of his first Christmas, that year he was a toddler and was fascinated by the Christmas tree. He kept trying to grab the ornaments. Every chance he got, he'd climb onto the sofa and reach out to the branches.
We weren't worried. He just sat on the couch and reached.
Then George figured out that he'd get closer to the tree if he got on the armrest and then reached for a shiny ball or two. I think he'd have done it, if he hadn't lost his balance and landed on the three kings' camel. That camel wasn't exactly built to carry a toddler. No problem. There were more camels in the 5 & 10.
The big day came.
I got my bike.
It was blue.
I called it Blue Bird.
I was so glad that I had learned how to write and read. I read anything and everything I could, including the labels on Blue Bird. The seat had been made in one country. The tires in another. The frame in yet a third.
Suddenly, I had an awful thought.
The parts of my Blue Bird had been made in different countries.
Not one label said made in the North Pole.
Nothing had been made in the North Pole.
Nothing had been made by Santa's elves.
My parents looked at each other, shrugged, and finally admitted that, yes, my bike hadn't been made by Santa's elves. They had bought it. Didn't I like it? Was blue still my favourite colour?
I admitted it was perfect. But what about Santa? Didn’t he like me any more?
They smiled, hugged me and said I was a big girl. I was too big to still believe in Santa. But, since I was a big girl, it was now my job to help the babies believe in Santa for as long as possible.
I was seven… the oldest… not a baby anymore.
In a way I was proud when they called me a big girl.
But I was also scared.
I wasn’t ready to be a big girl.
I felt like I was George reaching for the shiny balls.
I was afraid I would lose my balance and fall on the camel.
