Holidaze Archives - Page 11 of 16 - Tim & Victor's Totally Joyous Recipes

Cookie Trays

The weather is cold but gorgeous out. It's time to start delivering cookies! I hate to admit it, but I have consumed waaaay too many cookies again this year. In fact, I'm afraid to get on the scale - I've been really bad.

Even though we cut way back this year, we still have a lot. I'm traying them up as fast as I can and we're delivering them all today.

Handmade food and sharing. And that extra few minutes with the neighbors. This really is one of the most fun traditions we have ever come up with.

So Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

by Tim Dineen

'Tis The Season

It just doesn't get any better.

by Tim Dineen

Cookie Baking Continues

We started with Pizzelle's this morning... Uncle Rudy's recipe.

30 seconds per batch.

Perfect cookies every time.

I couldn't even imagine making them one at a time with a cast iron iron over the open flame of the stove. Two at a time with a 14 year old to man the iron is my way of making them!

And he has definitely mastered the art! They came out excellent!

Next on the list were Aunt Emma's Apricot Cookies. The filling and the dough are both made a day in advance, so it's actually a fairly easy roll, cut, fill, shape, bake process.

Another perfect batch.

Knock wood, but these have all been the best cookies - ever. Aunt Emma, Aunt Dolores, Uncle Rudy, Mom... they're all really watching after us this year.

It is good!

by Tim Dineen

Baking Cookies

We've barely even started when Uncle Victor whacks Gino in the face with a handful of flour. let the baking begin!

While I was at work, the gang made Aunt Emma's dough, and pizzelle dough.

They then started working on sugar cookies.

We decided decorating these would be free-form/ecclectic. I mean, anyone can make a snowman look like a snowman, right?!? It takes talent to step outside of the box!

We're talented!

Very talented!

Next was a batch of sugar-free Biscotti for Nonna. Victor came up with a Slenda recipe a few years ago that's actually edible.

We then got back to some serious candy-making. Aunt Dolores' Rum Balls. The kids rolled and then chocolate-dipped all of them.

The Rum Balls may be just the best, ever. I think these are the most like what Auntie made that I've ever made. I could eat these all night! {{{hic}}}

We also got Vanilla Almond Thumbprints baked off and then made caramels.

Tomorrow is going to be an early start - making Aunt Emma's cookies, biscotti, pizzelles... Plus the Walnut Logs, the Peppermint Patties, the Pfeffernusse...

Boy, am I glad we've cut back! :)

by Tim Dineen

Christmas Cookies 2009

'Tis the Season to bake cookies!

Our most favorite annual tradition is tomorrow - Gino and Elizabeth come to bake cookies with us! Both expressed interest at early ages about learning the family tradition cookies. It's great to know that these recipes are going to live on!

Since many of the doughs need to refrigerate overnight, I made Vanila Almond, Walnut Butter, Aunt Dolores' Rum Balls, and Pfeffernusse tonight so the kids will have something to work with while the doughs they make are chilling. Tomorrow they'll be making Aunt Emma's Apricot cookies, Uncle Rudy's Biscotti (plus a sugar-free version for Nonna) and a couple other varieties, plus Pizzeles. Maybe the Peppermint Patties, too. And we get to chocolate dip everything!

We have made literally thousands of cookies a year, but this year we are seriously scaling back. We just don't have the time to spend making them as we used to. We have made upwards of 20 dozen each of 20 different cookies every year. This year we will probably just make 10 or 12. We'll also be doing a lot of single batches instead of the triple and quadruple batches we've made in the past.

It's going to be a lot of fun!

by Tim Dineen

Christmas Fruitcake

The picture is just not doing this justice. This really looks so much better in person - and wow! Does it ever taste good!

I'm a little late making the fruitcakes this year. Usually they're done by late October and definitely before Thanksgiving. But since I'm less than 2 weeks past "Stir-Up Sunday" - the traditional day of making fruitcakes in Britain - I'm not too concerned.

I went hunting for a new recipe this year. I've tired of the Apricot Macadamia Fruitcake I've made for the past 20-odd years and while the cakes I made last year were okay, they were just okay. I wanted something better.

I didn't find a recipe I really like, so I found one I knew I could reinvent.

It worked.

The 2009 Fruitcake

5 cups golden raisins

4 cups dark raisins

3 cups dried currants

5 cups chopped glacéed fruits

1 cup water

1 cup dark rum

1 tbsp Lyle's Golden Syrup

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

4 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 lb unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups (packed) dark brown sugar

10 large eggs

3 cups pecans

Mix dried fruits in large bowl. Heat water and rum and pour over fruit. Mix well. Mix in syrup and baking soda. Let stand until fruit mixture absorbs liquid, stirring often, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325°. Butter 9 full-sized loaf pans.

Sift flour, baking powder,and salt into medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time.

Add flour. Mix until just blended.

Mix batter and fruit mixture. Divide mixture among pans. Cover pans with foil.

Bake at 325° about 1 1/2 hours. Reduce oven temperature to 275°and continue to bake covered until tester comes out clean but slightly moist, about 30 minutes longer.

Transfer pans to cooling rack. Remove foil and drizzle about a tablespoon (or more) rum on each cake while hot.

Wrap and store in a cool place, adding more rum weekly.

I actually had Lyle's Golden Syrup (available at Wegmans) but if you don't, use a light molasses. I also resisted using any other spices and I'm really glad I did. The flavors worked perfectly and will only improve with age - and a bit more rum!

by Tim Dineen

See's Original Fudge

4 1/2 cups sugar
36 oz semi-sweet chocolate (2 1/4 lb)
1/2 pound butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can evaporated milk
7 ounces marshmallow cream
2 cups nuts

Mix 4 1/2 cups sugar with one (1) can evaporated milk. Boil 7 to 8 minutes, stirring often. (rolling boil)

Cream butter and marshmallow together and add chopped chocolate.

Pour hot sugar mixture over chocolate mixture.

After chocolate has melted, add 2 cups of nuts and 1 tsp. of vanilla, blend well, pour into buttered pans and chill in refrigerator. Cut into squares before firm.

This recipe makes about 5 lbs of fudge.

Debbie's Ginger Snaps

Debbie Barnett Dineen

This recipe comes from Tim’s sister-in-law, Debbie!

If you don’t already have a good recipe for gingersnaps, this is a good one.

This recipe always comes out even when all the new ones you have tried for Christmas cookie-giving have failed! Believe me, I’ve been there.

1 c sugar
3/4 c shortening or margarine, softened
1 egg
1/4 c molasses
2 c unsifted flour
2 t soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t ground ginger

Preheat oven to 375°. Cream sugar and shortening. Beat in egg and molasses.

Stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed. If desired, chill dough for easier handling. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 9-12 minutes or until edges are set.

Christmas Stollen

Luigi Pommi

Okay, here’s my Oma’s stollen recipe. It’s actually quite easy, but it’s a day-long thing since the dough has to rise several times.

This recipe is huge and makes 8 loaves (it freezes well – in Germany, it’s traditional to consume the last Christmas stollen on Easter) so feel free to cut it in half. It isn’t overly sweet and heavy and nasty like traditional fruitcakes – it’s more like a sweet bread, and the butter in the recipe makes it very flaky.

6 pounds flour
2 cups white sugar
7 oz yeast
1 lb golden raisins
1 t almond extract
3 t salt
3 lb butter
1 quart whole milk
1 lb dark raisins
1 lb blanched almonds, ground finely (but not overly fine – you get it)
1/2 lb citron, chopped finely (as above) and floured

In a saucepan, heat the milk. Remove from heat and add butter, sugar and salt. When just warm, add yeast. Put into large mixing bowl and begin to add flour, about five pounds, mixing well after each addition. Stir in raisins, citron and almonds. Add almond extract. Mix well and knead on floured board (dough will be a little sticky – you’ll use probably half a pound of flour doing this, which accounts for the six pound total) until it’s very smooth and elastic (about 20 minutes). Put into a covered bowl and let it rise until doubled. Divide dough into 8 parts and flatten each piece into a circle and fold over *almost* in half – the bottom diameter will be larger than the top. Let rise again until doubled and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. When cool, dust heavily with powdered sugar.

Frosted Nutmeg Logs

Kate Kelly Hodsdon

A Christmas tradition at the Hodsdon house!

This recipe comes from Tim’s cousin, Kate.

Cookie:

1 C butter
3/4 C sugar
3 C flour
1 egg
2-1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp rum extract
4 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, nutmeg, and extracts. Stir flour into creamed mixture. Shape into 1/2″ x 3″ rolls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool. Frost with Vanilla-Rum Icing.

Icing:

1/4 C butter or margarine
3 C powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp rum extract
2 tbsp cream
Nutmeg

Cream butter. Add part of sugar and extracts. Mix. Add remaining sugar and enough cream to obtain desired spreading consistency. Frost cookies and run the tines of a fork down the frosting. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Makes 3-4 dozen.

Joanna's Wedding Rings

Victor’s sister Joanna is queen of the wedding rings! Hers always seem to come out perfect, so it’s another we don’t often make. These are great year-round cookies!

Cookie Dough

6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
5 cups flour
3 tbsp vanilla
5 tsp baking powder

Glaze

Powdered Sugar
Water
Vanilla

Beat together shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add flour about 2 cups at a time. Roll pieces of dough into 4″ ropes, form into rings. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Cool and brush with glaze.

Walnut Butter Cookies

Another very versatile nut cookie. These make great logs, dipped in chocolate, and they also make great thumbprints. We usually fill these with the leftover apricot or fig filling. In 2017, we made them with red walnuts. Yum!…

2 1/2 cubes butter
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup ground walnuts

Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla. Add flour and then the walnuts. Chill dough.

Shape dough into 1/4 to 1/2″ cylinders. Cut into 2-3 inch lengths. Bake at 375° for about 10 minutes, or until they start to turn brown.. Cool completely, then dip one end in melted chocolate.

Appetizers