Foodie Friday Plus The Novel Bakers' Christmas Goodies

Welcome to Foodie Friday.. a bit early this week.

Since Monday, I've been playing with The Novel Bakers (you'll find links at the end of this post) and Nigella Lawson, so this is my finale: a slob's speedy version of her impeccable recipes.

 

We've been eating way too many desserts at our house, but I wanted to try Nigella's

Star-Topped Mince Pies. According to her, "They are small, to be popped straight into
the mouth in one go."

Predictably, I ran into trouble. Technical trouble.

 

Between bottomless cupcake tins and too-little pie dough, I was forced to put a desperate spin on the pies. I cut the dough to fit my fire engine red ramekins--more than a mouthful, to be sure. Even so, I found myself with leftover mincemeat and dough.

What to do?

 

 

I made mincemeat hand pies, of course. My snowflake toppers look like the handles on my

kitchen faucet ...

 

... sort of old-timey, but edible.

 

I haven't seen the sun in weeks, and when it popped out, I went a little nuts and took

way too many photos.

Mincemeat Hand Pies

 

                                                 Serves: 4

 

Pillsbury Refrigerated pie dough

Mincemeat

Cookie cutters

milk wash

granulated sugar

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. (My oven smokes and carries on if I bake above 400 degrees, so

feel free to adjust the temperature and baking time). Cut dough into circles (I used a hand pie shaper from Williams Sonoma). Crimp edges with a fork. Using leftover dough, cut out decorative garnishes.

Brush garnishes and tops of the pies with milk wash, then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake 20 -25 minutes or until pies are nicely browned.

 

 Here are the mini pies. With the leftover dough, I made extra stars, which Bandy and I

scarfed down in minutes.

 

Mini-Mincemeat Pies (the Slacker's Version)

                                                       Serves 4

1 jar mincemeat

2 boxes of Pillsbury's Pie Dough (refrigerated)

Confectioners' sugar (and a dusting sieve)

3 T milk or heavy cream

granulated sugar (for sprinkling)

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Spray the ramekins with Pam. Roll out the dough and cut into large circles, at least 2" larger than the ramekins. Add dough and crimp edges. Spoon in the mincemeat. Shape the leftover dough into a ball, roll out, and cut into stars. Place stars on top of each mini pie. Brush the stars with milk and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Place ramekins on a baking sheet, place in oven, and bake 15-20 minutes (or until the stars have browned). Remove from oven and cool.

 

Nigella Week ended far too soon for me, but the feast will continue with my friends Jain and Mary (you'll find the links below). I still have many recipes on my to-do list. Topping the list is Hot Schnocolate, which calls for peppermint schnapps, heavy cream candy canes, and bittersweet chocolate. Here's Nigella's version:

 

Novel Baker Mary at Home Is Where the Boat Is   made individual jars of Candy Cane Cocoa, perfect for gifts--wait until you hear where she found her darling snowflake jars.

Christmas is the season for thick, liquor-infused beverages. As my 85 year old mother says, "A wee tot of something at the end of a hard day can flat out revive you."
 

Eggnog Syllabub is on my to-do list. According to Nigella, this libation is "the holiday tradition Stateside; and you could hardly get more quintessentially English than a syllabub."

 

This tipsy version carries a comic warning: "You can certainly taste the trio of tipples (bourbon, dark rum, and brandy), but you don't feel as if you should avoid stepping near a naked flame after eating it."

 

My store-bought version was ramped up with Mr. Jack Daniels and brandy, with a dusting of chocolate.



Nigella Christmas is one of my favorite holiday cookbooks. It has many virtues, so many I can't list them. She divides the book into 9 chapters, including Stress Free Suppers, Edible Presents, A Bevy of Hot Drinks, and Dr. Lawson Prescribes (two healing soups). In between, she offers sensible advice, such as a sure-fire way to induce harmony at volatile family dinners (just invite strangers, and family outbursts might diminish or even disappear...temporarily).  She includes edible ornaments, gift wrapping ideas, and tablescapes. Your local library should have a copy of the book--or they can locate one.

 

Here's Nigella's Christmas Chutney.





 

Novel Baker Jain at a quiet life tweaked the recipe. It looks like a bottled jewel. Today, she presented Honeyed Fig Vinegar, Pomegranate-and Red Onion Relish.

I hope you've enjoyed my nearly Nigella recipes this week.

 

 

 For more Christmas cheer and a great time, please visit my dear, fellow Novel Bakers.

You'll find recipes, ideas, and gorgeous photos to "pin." Be sure to check in with
Jain and Mary on Friday: Nigella Week continues. You will be charmed!

The Novel Bakers:

 a quiet life  and Home Is Where the Boat Is.

 

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope everyone is warm, well-fed, happy, and healthy.

May all of your dreams come true this Christmas.

 

Love,

Mlee

 

 





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Bourbon BBQ Ribs Plus Macaroni and Cheese: The Novel Bakers

 

NOTE: Please check back at 7 pm tonight (Central), when Foodie Friday goes live. I'll have more Nearly Nigella recipes, too, with links to fellow Novel Bakers and their posts: Jain at a quiet life  and Mary Mc at  Home Is Where the Boat Is.

I'm cooking this week with Nigella Lawson and the Novel Bakers.

And once again, I used shortcuts.

Most Christmas cookbooks offer traditional fare: entrees, side dishes, goodies, and desserts. In Nigella Christmas, I was pleasantly surprised to find a recipe for Bourbon BBQ Ribs.

Don't they look marvelous?

In our house, we've overdosed on turkey and cranberries; our taste buds cried out for something

tangy and Southern.

The sauce was straightforward and sounded lipsmacking. Howevever, the whole family has been under the weather for at least a hundred years, so I opted for bottled sauce (bourbon was an ingredient) and Souffer's frozen macaroni (I added a buttery Ritz Cracker topping, which was pretty marvelous). Bandy made a rub, using heaven knows what from the spice rack, and roasted the meat.

I found the red flatware online (Hampton Forge Silversmiths Cila 16-Piece Flatware Set, Red, by Hampton Forge Silversmiths, Price: $20.06). The red bandana plate is sold at Publix.

I'm bringing star-topped mincemeat pies to Foodie Friday.

For more Christmas cheer and a great time, please visit my dear, fellow Novel Bakers

  a quiet life  and Home Is Where the Boat Is.

 They've got goodies for you!

 

Remember, the Foodie Friday link-up will be available tonight at 7 pm Central.

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The Novel Bakers Present Nigella Christmas

The Novel Bakers return this week with a week-long holiday celebration.

You can catch up with the girls

at a quiet life  and Home Is Where the Boat Is.

 

I was excited when our organizer, Jain, suggested Nigella Lawson's Christmas cookbook.



 

I was a fan of Nigell's books and cooking show. Her style was beguiling and conversational, and her food looked ambrosial--gourmet comfort food with a decidedly British twist. All my life I'd battled my weight, and I was charmed by Nigella's unapologetic attitude in the kitchen. I loved how she embraced her curves and how she'd sneak out of bed, open the fridge, and plow through leftovers.

 

I was entranced by her Christmas book.

 

When an author picks up a pen, she cannot help but reveal her true self. Nigella has a cozy, chatty way of explaining her recipes, sharing tips, opinions, and personal stories. 

 

Many of us decorate our homes for the holidays and plan vast menus...

 

... but at the heart of the merrymaking, we may feel uneasy.

Nigella addresses the complexities of the season:

 

"I feel the Christmas rituals of the home are, even if not based around faith, essentially as an act of good faith. I see the arguments against: the world is starving and we overeat and celebrate overeating; the world is poor and we spend money to give presents to people who truly don't need anything. I know how it seems--crassly commercials, tawdry, tacky and insincere. But I defend the exuberance and the lurch of excess as a kind act in a cruel world. Its about shining a light in the darkness, providing warmth in the coldness. I make no distinction between the glow from the fairy lights, the warmth of the oven, and the welcome in the home."

 

 

When it comes to the stress of holiday entertaining, she writes:

 

"'The more the merrier' might not be something you believe, but the only way to enjoy Christmas fully is to act as if you do. And then you will."

 





This past year, our family has had unprecedented illnesses and stress. Time and energy has been in short supply, but we still enjoy home cooked food. I'm always looking for shortcuts that don't sacrifice flavor. When I found Nigella's Panettone Pudding, my heart sped up. The recipe called for a store-bought panettone, a sugary, fruity Italian bread. Just the other day, I'd spotted a dozen panettone boxes at Publix.

 

Nigella makes a basic pudding: eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and dessert wine.  After cooking the pudding, she pours it over the cut-up bread and bakes it for an hour or so. She says that it poofs up marvelously, then deflates to a normal size. The photos look out of this world.

 

My no-bake version won't be nearly as delicious, but it's perfect for hungry souls who can't wait 60 minutes for dessert. It takes five minutes, and that includes dilly-dallying.

 

 

I didn't have a drop of wine in the house, but I had a large jar of raspberry-pomegranate jam. First, I heated the jam for 2 or 3 minutes, just until it developed a good spreading consistency.

Then I cut the bread into layers. On each one I spread a light layer of jam. I smeared a bit of jam directly on the plate and added the layers of bread, rather like a sandwich. Next, I added fresh raspberries and dusted them with powdered sugar. Last, I added a huge dollop of whipped cream and a mint garnish.

 

 

 

Supper was still cooking (more Nigella goodness), but I couldn't wait. I grabbed two forks, then carried the plate to Will. We ate in complete silence. The dessert was sweet, but not too sweet. Somehow the cake stood up to the jam. The homemade whipped cream added the perfect consistency, a slightly thinner cousin to the British version of clotted cream. I will definitely make Nigella's version one day, but for now, we breathed contented sighs.

Once in a blue moon, everyone should eat dessert first. It's not just a metaphor, it's fun.


 



So there you have it, a nearly Nigella, instant grat dessert.

 

 



For more Christmas cheer and a great time, please visit my dear, fellow Novel Bakers

 

 a quiet life  and Home Is Where the Boat Is.

 

Thanks for stopping by today!

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