Favorite Festive Treats from Our Team
Season’s Greetings! We’re thrilled to spread some culinary cheer your way. Our team has spilled the beans (and a few secret ingredients) to bring you their favorite recipes. Don your aprons, get ready to create, and let’s make this holiday season unforgettable, one delicious dish at a time!
Kirsten’s Favorite Recipe
Cranberry Nutella Christmas Tree
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 10-12 min
Yield: 10 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 sheet puff pastry, cut in half
1/3 cup Nutella
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp Turbinado sugar
Sugared cranberries for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 400°F. Cut each puff pastry into a large triangle. Spread Nutella on one half and sprinkle almonds on top. Put the other puff pastry triangle on top. Cut strips on each side and twist. Use scraps to create a star to place on top. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Garnish with sugared cranberries.
Source: TheFeedFeed
Photo Credit: TheFeedFeed
Theresa’s Favorite Recipe
Pierogis
Prep Time: 45 min
Resting Dough Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Yield: 30 pierogis
Pierogi Recipe Continued
INGREDIENTS
Pierogi Filling
1 lb potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2″ thick
1 tbsp salt for cooking potatoes
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Pierogi Dough
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup water
1 large egg, whisked
Onion Butter
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
Cooking and Serving
1 tbsp salt for boiling water
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
Sour cream for serving
DIRECTIONS
Filling
1. Boil potatoes – Put potatoes and 1 tbsp salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce to medium-high and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
2. Mash potatoes – Drain potatoes, then pass the potatoes through a potato ricer into a bowl (or use a potato masher).
3. Add other ingredients – Immediately add butter, cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix with a wooden spoon until fully combined.
4. Cool – Spread mashed potatoes out 1/2″ thick on a tray. Cover with cling wrap, pressing so it is fully in contact with the potatoes. Cool on the counter for ~30 minutes, then refrigerate until cold (at least 1 hour).
Dough
1. Melt butter – Heat water and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat just until butter is melted — do not boil water. Turn off the heat. (Alternatively, this can be done in the microwave.)
2. Mix dough – Whisk flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center, then add the butter water plus the egg. Mix to combine into a shaggy dough.
3. Knead – Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth. (You can also use a stand mixer.)
4. Rest – Wrap the dough with cling wrap and leave on the counter for 30 minutes.
Wrapping
1. Roll and cut – On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/8″ thickness. Cut out rounds using a 3″ cutter. Do as many as you can, then gather surplus dough into a ball, wrap it with cling wrap, and set it aside for later.
2. Fill and wrap – Place 1 tbsp of cheesy potato filling in the middle of a round. Dip your finger in water and run along the edge of half the circle. Fold the dough over to enclose the filling and press to seal, making slight indents. Continue to wrap the remaining pierogis.
3. Roll out the remaining dough and repeat the above steps.
Onion Butter Sauce
1. In a non-stick skillet, melt the butter until foamy over medium heat.
2. Add onion and salt, then cook, stirring regularly, for 10 to 25 minutes until golden on the edges. Set aside.
Cooking and Serving
1. Batch cooking – Boil pierogis in batches of 10 to 12 max; they need space in the water.
2. Boil – Bring 3 liters of water to a boil with 1 tbsp salt — lower 10 pierogis into the water. Cook for 5 minutes — they should be floating on the surface.
3. Reserve water and drain – Dip a jug into the water and scoop out ~1 cup. Then, use a slotted spoon to transfer the pierogis into a bowl.
4. Butter sauce – Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/3 of the onion butter sauce plus the cooked pierogis with 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water. Toss for 1 minute until the pierogies are coated in the butter.
5. Serve – Slide pierogis onto a serving plate. Add a dollop of source cream (optional).
Source: recipetineats
Photo credit: Daria-Yakovleva
Jessica’s Favorite Cookie Recipe
Modern Honey Biscuits
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Yield: 16 cookies
INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp allspice or pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1/2 cup honey
1 cup raw sugar for decorating
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Either line two baking sheets with parchment paper or plan to bake in two batches.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, granulated sugar, and ginger. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Heat the honey in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is warm and runny (or microwave it for 1 minute). Add the honey to the flour mixture and work with a wooden spoon or spatula until a soft dough forms.
Pour the raw sugar into a bowl. Roll the dough into 2-inch balls and coat them with raw sugar. Place eight balls onto each prepared baking sheet, without flattening them; leave room around the sides for spreading. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are just cracked. Let them stand on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
Source: A Feast of Ice & Fire
Photo Credit: Andrey Ilkevich
Becca’s Favorite Recipe
Kolachki Rolls
Resting Yeast Time: 30-45 min
Resting Dough Time: 2 hrs
Cook Time: 20-30 min
Yield: 16-18 rolls
INGREDIENTS
Dough
12 cups flour
1 quart milk, heated
1/2 cake yeast
2 eggs
2 cups sugar, plus 2 tbsp for yeast
1 cup butter or oleo
1 tbsp salt
Nut Filling
2 lb shelled English walnuts, ground
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 lb butter or oleo, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup evaporated milk
Poppy Seed Filling
1 lb poppy seeds, ground
1/4 lb butter or oleo
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
DIRECTIONS
1. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of sugar on the cake yeast, and let it set until foamy, 30-45 minutes.
2. Mix half of the flour, all the milk, salt, and yeast mixture. Let it rise for 30 minutes or until it doubles.
3. Combine eggs, butter, and sugar. Add it to the above mixture. Add the rest of the flour.
4. Knead the dough until it is shiny and elastic. Let it rise until it doubles in volume. This will take about an hour, depending on room conditions.
5. To make the nut filling, combine ingredients in a saucepan and cook until the sugar dissolves. Let the filling cool.
6. To make the poppy seed filling, combine ingredients in a saucepan and cook for 20 minutes. Let the filling cool.
7. To assemble the rolls, divide the dough into 16-18 balls. Using a rolling pin, roll a dough ball into a rectangle and spread the filling over the dough, leaving about an inch of space around the edges. Roll the dough lengthwise, gently tightening the dough as you roll. Place the roll seam side down. Repeat for the remainder of the balls of dough. Let each formed roll rise for 20-30 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 20-30 minutes. Brush with butter or oleo as soon as they are removed from the oven.
Source: Family Recipe
Photo Credit: Nadya Spetnitskaya
Jodi’s Favorite Recipe
Baked Pineapple
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hour
Yield: 6-8 servings
INGREDIENTS
3/4 stick of butter
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
6 slices of white bread, cubed
1 can crushed pineapple in syrup, slightly drained
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 9 casserole dish or baking pan.
Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well to incorporate fully. Add pineapple and mix well. Fold in cubed bread. Add to the buttered dish or pan, and bake uncovered for 1 hour.
Note: This dish can be served hot or cold. Consider adding a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Reheats perfectly.