Tag: Christmas

Marzipan

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups ground blanched almonds
  • 1.5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tsp rose water
  • 2 tsp almond extract

Directions

  1. In a food processor combined almonds and powdered sugar
  2. Add extracts and mix throughly
  3. Add egg whites and run the food processor until a dough is formed
  4. Remove from the food processor and roll into a log shape then chill overnight wrapped in plastic wrap.

Gingerbread (construction)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cinammon
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp cloves
  • 1/4 cup fancy molasses
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tbsp water

Icing Ingredients

  • 1 lb icing sugar
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 1/2 tsp almond extract

Directions

  1. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, then add spices, salt, molasses, and baking soda.
  2. Add flour then water to achieve dough consistency and chill overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to 375º and roll out dough and cut shapes, bake in place for approximately 15 minutes.
  4. Let gingerbread cool and trim pieces for assembly.
  5. For royal icing, combine icing sugar and egg whites and mix carefully, then add almond extract once combined.

sugar cookies

Ingredients (cookies)

  • 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter (or omit salt if using salted)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch salt

Ingredients (glaze)

  • 2 cups sifted icing sugar
  • 2 tbsp half & half
  • Food colouring to desired colour

Baking

  1. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl, then beat in egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Separately, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
  2. Mix butter and sugar with dry ingredients. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for 1-24 hours.
  3. Roll dough to 1/4″ thickness, and cut into desired shapes.
  4. Bake at 350º. Check at 11 minutes for doneness, and remove when the cookies turn a golden colour.
  5. Glaze cookies when nearly cool.

gingerbread cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Golden Crisco
  • 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • ¼ cup water
  • 3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tsp ginger
  • 1 ½ tsp cloves
  • ½ tsp salt

Preparation

  1. Cream crisco, brown sugar, molasses, and water together thoroughly
  2. Combine dry ingredients. Stir into creamed mixture gradually and mix well.
  3. Work dough with hands to form a smooth dough.
  4. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours for easier rolling.
  5. Heat oven to 350F.
  6. Line baking sheets with parchment.
  7. Roll dough to approximately 6mm on floured surface. Cut into shapes.
  8. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until edges are slightly hardened.
  9. Cool and decorate as desired

Tips

Adjust spice levels to your tastes.

Adjust mixture for dryness or wetness before rolling.

fruitcake

Ingredients

Fruit (Bulk Barn containers):

  • 1 candied cherry (medium)
  • 1 candied citrus peel (medium)
  • 1 candied ginger (small)
  • 1 candied pineapple (medium)
  • 1 dried black currant (medium)
  • 1 dried blueberry (medium)
  • 1 dried cherry (medium)
  • 1 golden raisin (medium)
  • 1 Thompson raisin (medium)
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 3 oranges zest

Nuts:

  • 2 cups pecans chopped & toasted
  • 2 cups walnuts chopped & toasted

Spices:

  • 4 tbsp real cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp ground ginger
  • ~20 whole cloves ground
  • ~24 allspice berries ground

Other:

  • 40oz. Captain Morgan’s spiced rum 
  • 750ml apple cider unfiltered
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 lb unsalted butter
  • 5 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 6 eggs
  • 750ml Stroh’s rum (basting)
  • Galliano (basting)

Preparation

  1. Prepare 3-4 weeks before Christmas..
  2. Combine all fruit in a non-reactive container (glass) and top with Captain Morgan’s spiced rum. Let sit overnight.


  3. Place fruit and rum mixture in a pot with the sugar, butter, apple cider, and spices. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 15 minutes (until lukewarm).
  4. Toast chopped pecans and walnuts until fragrant.
  5. Batter can be completed up to this point, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before completing the cake.
  6. Heat oven to 325F.
  7. Combine dry ingredients and sift into fruit mixture. Quickly bring batter together with a heavy duty spoon. 
  8. Stir in eggs one at a time until completely integrated. Fold in nuts.


  9. Spoon batter into standard loaf pans.
  10. Bake for 90 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick and having it come out clean. If it doesn’t, bake for 10 minute increments until it does.
  11. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack, baste with Stroh’s and allow to cool completely before turning out of pan.
  12. Store in an airtight container and baste every 2-3 days or if the cake feels dry.
  13. Baste with Galliano for the last 3 days before consumption.

Tips

*Don’t be bashful with the alcohol when basting.

*Use real cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice berries and toast them in the oven at 350F until fragrant and grind them.

ginger cookies

  • 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar (or 7/8 cup brown sugar with 1/8 cup fancy molasses)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup fancy molasses
  • 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
  • coarse sugar for topping
  1. Sift flour and baking soda, add dry spices and salt and mix.
  2. Beat butter with sugar and fresh ginger. Once smooth, add egg and molasses.
  3. Combine butter mixture with flour mixture.
  4. Roll into 2 tbsp balls, then roll in crystallized ginger and coarse sugar. Flatten on baking sheet with 2″ spacing.
  5. Bake at 350º for approximately 13-14 minutes, until lightly brown.

Peppermint Snowcaps

  • 225 grams semi-sweet chocolate
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp peppermint extract
  • 1 1/4 cup ground almonds
  1. Melt chocolate and butter in double-boiler until smooth, then remove from heat and add salt and almonds.
  2. Beat together eggs and sugar for 3 minutes, until thickened, then add peppermint extract.
  3. Stir chocolate mixture with egg mixture, then refrigerate for 4 hours.
  4. Once chilled, roll into balls, then roll in powdered sugar.
  5. Bake at 350º until edges crack, approximately 11-13 minutes.

Nut cookies

  • 1/4 cup ground almonds (or 1/3 cup whole)
  • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 1/2 cup whole walnuts
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 oz rum
  • 1 oz amaretto
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  1. Put walnuts (and almonds if whole) in blender and blend with alcohol and extracts until a paste is formed
  2. Mix white sugar with oils and liquid from the paste and egg until creamy
  3. Combine nut paste with flour, coconut, and egg/sugar
  4. Roll into 1 1/4” balls, bake at 350° for 21 minutes
The texture (adjust with amaretto or flour to achieve a semi sticky but still workable texture)
Use parchment to avoid sticking
Cookies should crack as they bake and have a chewy, crisp outside and a moist, chewy inside.

pralines

  • 5 cups pecans
  • 3 cups white sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  1. Toast pecans on a baking sheet at 300° until fragrant
  2. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, stir together and heat to 237ºF
  3. Remove saucepan from the stovetop, and into an ice bath
  4. Whisk the mixture until it changes colour and becomes light in appearance. The praline mixture should have a matte appearance
  5. Spoon onto parchment lined baking sheet and let cool