Christmas 2013

Άγια Νύχτα σε προσμένουν με χαρά οι Χριστιανοί

Kαι με πίστη συνυμνούμε με το Θεό δοξολογούμε
M'ενα στόμα μιά φωνή, vαι με μια φωνή 

And a rough translation:

Christians await joyfully for the Holy Night, and praise and glorify God, in unison.

Christmas is here once again, and our hearts are filled with hope, love, joy and expectations.   We can’t help pondering over the real meaning of Christmas.  Not theologically, but the kind words we could have said, but didn’t, the small acts we could have done, but failed.

Our thoughts and prayers go to all the bereaved, sick, destitute and hungry. Also to the people of Syria, South Sudan, Central Africa and other countries, devastated by the terror of civil war or by the greed and bellicosity of their neighbours. Let us hope that solutions will be found through dialogue and peace and prosperity will soon prevail on all sides.

My family came over for Christmas lunch.  I was extremely happy to see them, especially the ones who live abroad, like my grandson Alexandros, Tina and little Janna who live in Copenhagen, and Joy, my only granddaughter who lives in London.   I missed my son Yiannis, Elpida and the boys who are spending Christmas in New York, but I'm happy, because they are having a great time!

The Christmas menu is nearly the same every year, here it is:

                   

CHRISTMAS MENU

        

Smoked Salmon Torte with Prawn Cocktail Filling 

Try making this recipe as a first dish, it will be a great hit with your guests.

700 g (1 lb 6½ oz) smoked salmon, thinly sliced

Cream Cheese Spread:

300 g (10 oz) cream cheese or more

½ tsp horse radish sauce

1-2 spring onions, white part only, very thinly sliced

1 lemon the grated rind and

½ tsp lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

1 kg (2 lbs) medium-sized prawns, shelled and de-veined or more if preferred

250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine

1 sprig rosemary

1 clove garlic (optional)

Salt

3-4 medium potatoes, boiled in salted water, then peeled and finely cubed

1-1½ cup mayonnaise mixed with

1 tsp or more tomato ketchup

1 tbsp finely chopped gherkins

White pepper

Salt if necessary

½ cup chopped parsley

2 romaine lettuces, the tender leaves only, trimmed, chopped and mixed
1 tsp very thinly sliced spring onion, and
1/2 tsp very finely chopped dill

Garnish: 

2 lemons, finely sliced then halved

Parsley

A few stalks of chives 

First blend all the cream cheese ingredients together, until soft and spreadable and reserve for further use.

Cook the prawns, in a single layer, in wine with the rosemary sprig, for 2 minutes on each side.  Sprinkle with salt, and set aside to cool on kitchen paper.

Gently fold the mayonnaise mixture into the potatoes and sprinkle with parsley.   Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.

To assemble line a 30 cm (12 in) diameter, 5 cm (2 in) deep tin, with cling film.  Cover the film with smoked salmon slices, forming an attractive design and leave the excess hanging over.  

Spread the salmon with part of the cream cheese, and cover with the prawns in a single layer.   Then spoon the potato salad over and even with a spatula.  Place the lettuce on top and press gently with your fingers. 

Spread the salmon slices that are hanging over with the remaining cream cheese and fold them over the lettuce. Place extra pieces of smoked salmon to cover possible gaps.  Then cover with the cling film that is hanging over.   Place in a plastic bag and seal.  Refrigerate overnight.

One hour before serving remove the torte from the refrigerator, unfold the cling film and carefully reverse it onto a serving dish.  Garnish with lemon slices, parsley and chives.   Cover and refrigerate.  Serve with a green salad.

Green Salad

 Turkey Rolls with Bacon and Herbs

Braised Quince

 Minced Meat Stuffing with Chestnuts, Raisins and Pinenuts

Baked Smoked Ham with Pineapple and Brown Sugar Glaze

Pickled Beetroots

Baby Potatoes Roasted with Thin Lemon Wedges and Thyme

 Christmas Pudding with Cream

                      

    Chocolate Pie

      Iced Pineapple Dessert

Most of the recipes  for the dishes above are in the CHRISTMAS 2012 post.  The recipe for Iced Pineapple Desert  is in the KARACHI AGAIN.  I'll give you the recipe for the Chocolate Pie in the New Year post.   I am also giving you the recipes for  White Icing  and Marzipan for Decoration to garnish the Christmas cake, that I had promised at a previous post.

MARZIPAN FOR DECORATION

You may triple the quantity to cover a cake. You can also make beautiful flowers or  fruit  with marzipan.

1 cup ground almonds

40 g icing sugar or more if necessary
A small pinch of salt

¼ tsp lemon juice

¼ tsp bitter almond liqueur

1 egg white, beaten

3 drops food colouring

Icing sugar for rolling out

In a bowl, mix the ground almonds with the icing sugar and the salt, well together.  Make a well in the middle, and add the lemon juice, the bitter almond liqueur and then the beaten egg whites and the food colouring.  Mix well, first with a spoon and then by hand, until it starts to come away from the sides of the bowl.  Place the marzipan on a working surface, dusted with icing sugar, and knead, gently until smooth.  Do not over work. 

Roll out the marzipan between two pieces of baking parchment, sprinkled with icing sugar, to the required thickness and cut out the shapes you choose with a cookie cutter.  Decorate your cake by sticking the marzipan shapes on to the icing with very little water.

WHITE  ICING

This is the icing I used for my Christmas cake this year.  It was fun to prepare.

3 egg whites,

A pinch of salt

Vanilla

1 tsp lemon juice, strained

750 g (2½ lbs) icing sugar, sifted

1½ tsp glucose

Icing sugar for rolling out

5 tbsp hot, strained apricot jam for brushing over the cake

Beat the eggs lightly over simmering water, together with salt, lemon juice, a little of the icing sugar and the vanilla, until the eggs reach the soft peak stage.  Remove the bowl from the fire and keep on adding the icing sugar and the glucose, until stiff.  Cover the bowl with a wet cloth to prevent the icing from drying out

Brush the cake over with the apricot jam and then roll out the icing, between two pieces of baking parchment sprinkled with icing sugar, until it has reached an even thickness of 5 mm (¼ inch).   Remove the top parchment and with help of the other, drape the icing sheet over the cake.  Press it gently but firmly over the cake to cover it, and with a sharp knife remove the surplus.  With a small spreading knife, tuck any tiny pieces of icing that are protruding, neatly under the cake. I then garnished it with marzipan shapes.                      

  

       Hark the herald angels sing

       Glory to the new born King;

             Peace on Earth and mercy mild,

          God and sinners reconciled …

                

                        

Christmas Biscuits

Biscuit making is the art of transforming staple products into delightful, crunchy bites.    Most recipes for Christmas biscuits are very old.  Pastry cooks from all over the world, using local products, presented us with their delicious "creations", that we still enjoy today.

PETITS FOURS

These aren’t really Christmas biscuits, but they are so festive in appearance, that I have included them in my celebration recipes.  

  

360 g (12 oz) butter, at room temperature

180 g (6 oz) caster sugar

A good pinch of salt

470 g (15 oz +2 tbsp) self-raising flour

6 medium-sized eggs, separated, whites reserved for later use

1 vanilla

250 g (½ lb) roasted almonds, thickly ground and mixed with

3-4 tbsp sugar

Cream the butter, add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is pale and fluffy.   Stir in the vanilla and the egg- yolks, one at the time, and beat until well incorporated. Sift in the flour in portions and fold in until you have soft, pliable dough.  You might not need all the flour.  Remove, and wrap the dough and place in  the fridge for at least 30 minutes

Shape the dough into small walnut-sized balls. Dip each into the reserved egg whites, fold in the almond and sugar mixture and place in a baking tin, lined with baking parchment.   Bake in an oven, preheated to 180C (350 F) for about 25-30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and when cold, store in biscuit tins.

Just before serving, garnish each petit-four with half a glace' cherry or a sliver of crystallized orange peel.

CHRISTMAS BISCUITS

These biscuits are made only once a year, but they are very popular with children and adults alike.   If you are artistic, (I’m not) you could prepare small, edible masterpieces that will be relished by your family and will be fondly remembered years after.

Biscuits: 

250 g (½ lb) butter, softened

A pinch of salt

150 g (5 oz) icing sugar

1 egg

Vanilla

330 g (11 oz) self-raising flour, sifted with

1 tsp baking powder

Beat butter and salt and add the icing sugar, gradually.  Stir in the egg and the vanilla until well combined together, and fold in the flour mixture.  Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it out, cover and chill for 30 minutes at least.

Roll out the dough rather thinly, and, using the biscuit cutters, shape bells, Christmas trees, rein-deers and stars and place them carefully on a baking tin, lined with baking parchment.  Bake the biscuits in an oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 6-8 minutes until  amber-coloured.  Cool and garnish with imagination.

Icing:

90 g (3 oz) butter, softened

360 g (12 oz) icing sugar

3-5 tbsp milk

1-2 drops food colouring

Mix the butter with icing sugar, add the milk and stir until the icing is spreadable.

Divide into 3 or 4 small bowls, add the food colouring and proceed with zest.   Happy Christmas!

Getting Ready For Christmas

           Every year I started preparing my Christmas lunch as late as the 22^nd December.  I always found very good excuses for the delay:  too much work or indisposition or sickness or the false belief that dishes cooked the last moment are the tastiest, including cakes, puddings and preserves.

         This year I have already baked a Christmas cake and started the puddings.   I also made a new recipe that I was given by a friend, for chestnuts simmered in simple syrup with brandy and rum, a pomegranate syrup and pickled beetroots.  

        I’ll be giving you the recipes every week, I hope, with all the details, until just before I start tossing the salad on Christmas day!  That’s a hyperbole of course, but why not.

RENEE’S CHRISTMAS CAKE

              This recipe has changed considerably over the years, mostly by using different fruits and alcohol.    My family and friends say they enjoy it, but as hard as I try, it will never quite reach the nostalgic aroma and taste of my Mother’s Christmas cakes.

Fruit:

150 g (5 oz) prunes finely chopped

250 g (½ lb) raisins

250 g (½ lb) sultanas chopped

60 g (2 oz) bergamot spoon sweet, rinsed and finely chopped

210 g (7 oz) glace' cherries, cut in fourths

60 g (2 oz) Seville orange spoon sweet, rinsed and finely chopped

30g (1 oz) ginger root in syrup, finely chopped

150 g (5 oz) fresh apple, cubed

120 g (4 oz) almonds and pistachios, chopped

2 tbsp honey mixed with

150 ml (5 oz) dark Jamaican rum

250 g (1 packet) butter, at room temperature

390 g (13 oz) sugar

5 medium-sized eggs

250 g (8 oz + 2 tbsp) self raising flour, add

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt or more

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp cloves

½ tsp ginger powder

½ a nutmeg finely grated

30 ml (1oz) white rum

60 ml (2 oz) brandy

90 ml (3 oz) mavrodaphne or port

(Stirred together)

             Mix all the fruits, nuts and the rum mixture well together. Cover and leave to macerate overnight.  Next day, simmer for 15 minutes and leave to cool.

            Beat butter and sugar well together until pale and fluffy.   Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Sift in the flour mixture, in three portions alternately with the rum-macerated fruit.  Mix thoroughly until very well combined.

            Butter a spring-form cake tin and line the bottom and sides with a double layer of buttered baking parchment.  Spoon the batter into the tin, and even the surface. Cover the bottom and sides of the tin, with tin foil.    Bake the cake in an oven, preheated to 160 C (320 F), for about 2 hours.  After 1½ hours, check with a skewer every 20 minutes, until the skewer comes out clean.

            Remove the cake from the oven and pierce it all over, with a skewer.   Pour the alcohol mixture, evenly, over the cake.   Leave the cake in the tin for 3 hours, before reversing on to a dish.   When completely cold cover the cake with cling film and place in a dark cupboard until a few days before Christmas.

(I’ll give you the icing and marzipan recipes early next week)

CHESTNUTS IN SYRUP AND RUM

           Zena Patelis, a dear friend gave me this lovely recipe.  

1½ chestnut, parboiled with a tsp of salt and a lemon peel and peeled

2 cups sugar

2½ cups water

1 vanilla bean

½ tsp salt

1 cup dark Jamaican rum

          In a large saucepan place the sugar and water and simmer stirring until the sugar melts.   Add the parboiled chestnuts and slit the vanilla pot and place over the

chestnuts.   Gently simmer for about 15 minutes, then remove from the fire, cover the saucepan and set aside for 12 hours, at least.

        The next day, remove the chestnuts with a slotted spoon, and simmer the syrup for 15 minutes to thicken it.  Place the chestnuts back into saucepan and simmer very, very gently for 12 minutes more.  Check a chestnut. It should be quite soft, but not falling apart.  Remove from the fire, cover the sauce pan and set aside overnight.

      At last, on the third day remove the chestnuts, with a slotted spoon, and place them, by the spoonful into prepared jars.  Pour the equal amount of rum over the chestnuts and cover with them with syrup.  Cover tightly and refrigerate. 

POMEGRANATE SYRUP

Pomegranates make a lovely, translucent and ruby-coloured syrup.  As for the taste it’s fruity, and mellow and fresh.  Serve it with ice-cream or yogurt, sprinkle it over crepes or pancakes and use it in salad dressings.

500 ml (2 cups) pomegranate juice, strained

400 g (2 cups) caster sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

Bring the juice and sugar to the boil.  Stir until the sugar melts and skim when necessary.  Lower the heat and simmer until thick. Add the lemon juice and simmer for 10 minutes more.   Cool the syrup, pour into prepared bottles and store in the fridge.