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Christmas recipies
Appetizer Party for a Crowd!
Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafers
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line miniature muffin tins (tassie pans) with miniature paper liners.
2 Crush the vanilla wafers, and place 1/2 teaspoon of the crushed vanilla wafers into each paper cup.
3 Cream together with an electric mixer the cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Fill each miniature muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top.
4 Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Top with a teaspoonful of cherry pie filling.
Leg of Lamb:
Ingredients
8 pounds whole leg of lamb
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
6 ounces prepared mustard
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cloves garlic, sliced (optional)
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2 Generously salt and pepper lamb. Smear the mustard all over the lamb and sprinkle it with a fine coating of flour. Place lamb in a roasting pan and place slices of garlic over top. Sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce to taste.
3 Roast uncovered at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) until desired doneness. About 20 minutes per pound for a pink roast. Remove from pan to a heated platter. Use the drippings to make a gravy by a little flour and water. Season with salt and pepper.
Not a lamb person?
Roast Turkey with Maple Herb Butter and Gravy
Ingredients
2 cups apple cider
1/3 cup real maple syrup
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
3/4 cup butter, softened
salt and pepper to taste
12 pounds whole turkey, neck and giblets reserved
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup apple brandy
Directions
1 To prepare the maple herb butter, boil apple cider and maple syrup in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in 1 tablespoon thyme, half of marjoram, and lemon zest. Whisk in butter until melted, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated)
2 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Position rack in lower third of oven.
3 Rinse turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey on a rack set in a large roasting pan. Slide hand under turkey breast skin to loosen. Rub 1/2 cup maple butter over breast under skin. If stuffing turkey, loosely spoon stuffing into main cavity. Rub 1/4 cup maple butter over outside of turkey. Reserve remaining maple butter for gravy. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Arrange onion, celery, carrots and reserved turkey neck and giblets around turkey in pan. Sprinkle vegetables with 1 tablespoon thyme and remaining marjoram. Pour 2 cups broth into pan.
4 Roast turkey 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cover entire turkey loosely with heavy-duty foil, and roast until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180 degrees F (85 degrees C), about 2 hours 25 minutes for unstuffed turkey (2 hours 55 minutes for stuffed turkey). Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey with aluminum foil and let stand 30 minutes. Reserve mixture in pan for gravy.
5 For the gravy: strain pan juices into large measuring cup, pressing on solids with back of spoon. Spoon fat from pan juices. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 3 cups. Transfer liquid to heavy medium saucepan and bring to boil. Mix 3 tablespoon reserved maple butter and 1/3 cup flour in small bowl to form smooth paste. Whisk paste into broth mixture. Add remaining thyme and bay leaf. Boil until reduced to sauce consistency, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in apple brandy, if desired. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper. Brush turkey with any remaining maple butter and serve with gravy.
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11-28-2002 09:23 AM
