Cranberry port conserve
All-in-one red-white-and-green vegetable dish
Cranberry-pecan pie
Christmas trifle
White chocolate cheesecake with red glaze
Red Christmas pear dessert
CRANBERRY PORT CONSERVE
yield: 3 cups
12 ounces fresh cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup ruby port
1 medium navel orange
1/4 cup dried currants
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Preparation
Chop the orange unpeeled. Chop the walnuts, though not too finely.
To make
Over medium heat, boil the cranberries, sugars and port, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the orange, which will turn red as the cranberries cook. Simmer about 15 minutes—until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens slightly. Cool before stirring in the chopped walnuts.
ALL-IN-ONE RED-WHITE-AND-GREEN VEGETABLE DISH
serves 8-10
The vegetables
Ingredients
1 1/2 ponds Brussels sprouts
1 1/4 pounds turnips
1 1/4 pounds red beets (Do not use yellow beets!)
Preparation
Halve the Brussels sprouts. Peel the turnips and cut each into 8 wedges. Wash the beets and wrap them in foil. Preheat the oven to 375º.
To cook
Bake foil-wrapped beets till tender, about 1 hour 45 minutes. While the beets are cooling, cook the Brussels sprouts and turnips, separately, in boiling water until they are crisp-tender, about 6 minutes for the Brussels sprouts and 7 minutes for the turnips. (If you cook the vegetables consecutively, you can use the same pot of boiling water.) Drain the vegetables and cool them in cold water. Peel and slice the beets.
The sauté
Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup minced shallots
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts
3 pounds chopped fresh thyme
3 large cloves garlic
Preparation
Mince the shallots and garlic and chop the hazelnuts finely. Chop the thyme.
To make
In a heavy, large skillet, sauté the shallots and hazelnuts in melted butter over medium-high heat. When the nuts begin to brown (about 3 minutes), add the thyme and garlic and sauté everything till the nuts are golden (about 2 minutes more).
Finish
Ingredients
The vegetables
The sauté
Salt and pepper
To make
Add Brussels sprouts and turnips to the suaté in the skillet. Cover, and let them heat through, stirring occasionally. Add hot beets and stir just to mix. Season with salt and pepper.
CRANBERRY PECAN PIE
serves 8
The crust
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter (4 tablespoons)
4-5 tablespoons ice-cold water
To make
Mix the flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture has the texture of coarse cornmeal. Make a well in the mixture and add the water all at once. Mix with a fork until the dough clumps together. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill it.
Cranberry filling
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups cranberries
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Preparation
Coarsely chop cranberries and, separately, pecans. Juice the orange. Melt the butter.
To make
Mix together all ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
The pie
Ingredients
Pastry for 1 9-inch crust
Cranberry filling
Preparation
Dust a working surface and your rolling pin with flour. Let the chilled pie dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before rolling it out. Preheat oven to 400º.
To make
Roll out the pastry and put it in a 9-inch pie pan, preferably metal. Spoon in the filling. Bake the pie at 400 º for 45 minutes. The crust should be brown and the filling beginning to bubble. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes. Leave the oven on.
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
To make
Mix together all ingredients.
The finish
Spread the sour cream topping on top of the cooled pie. Return the pie to the oven for 3-5 minutes to set the sour cream. Cool the pie completely before serving.
CHRISTMAS TRIFLE
serves 12
Angel food cake
15 egg whites, at room temperature
1 /14 cups sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350º. Place an aluminum foil collar in a 10-inch tube pan, extending it 4 inches above the top of the pan. Do not grease or spray. Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
To make
Sift together 1 cup of the sugar, the flour, and the salt. Set aside. Whip the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and vanilla and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Slowly add the remaining sugar, beating, so that the peaks stay glossy. With a rubber spatula fold the flour mixture into the whites until combined. Spoon the batter evenly into the pan. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched. Remove the cake from the oven and place the opening over a wine bottle to hold the pan off the surface. Cool completely. To remove the cake from the pan, run a knife around the edges of the pan and invert again.
Banana-yogurt cream
yield: 2/3 cup
Ingredients
3/4 cup plain yogurt (low-fat is fine)
3/4 cup cottage cheese (low-fat is fine)
1 banana
2 tablespoons honey
To make
Blend the yogurt and cottage cheese till smooth. Purée with the banana and the honey in blender or food processor.
The trifle itself
Banana-yogurt cream
1 ripe pomegranate
6-9 kiwis
Strawberries
1 angel food cake
Preparation
Cut the pomegranate in quarters and remove the seeds. Slice the strawberries. Purée the kiwis, saving one or two to slice for the top. Cut the angel food cake into 1-inch cubes. (You probably won't need all the cake.)
To assemble
Layer the trifle, in a glass dish, like this: cake cubes, banana cream, strawberry slices, kiwi purée, pomegranate seeds, cake cubes, kiwi purée, strawberries, banana cream, kiwi slices, and pomegranate seeds on top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
WHITE (CHOCOLATE) CHEESECAKE WITH RED GLAZE
serves 12
Crust
Ingredients
5 1/2 ounces shortbread cookies
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Preparation
Butter a 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Toast the hazelnuts slowly in a small, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring to keep them from burning. Let them cool, then rub them between the palms of your hands to remove the husks. Bring the cream cheese to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350º.
To make
Finely chop the hazelnuts. Crush the shortbread cookies with a rolling pin till finely ground. Thoroughly mix the nuts and cookie crumbs. (Or, if your kitchen is so equipped, grind shortbread cookies and toasted hazelnuts separately in a processor till finely ground, then mix together.) Melt the butter and pour it over the cookie-and-nut mixture, mixing to the point of moist clumps. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Bake the crust till it is pale golden, about 8 minutes. Leave the oven on.
Filling
Ingredients
8 ounces Lindt or Baker's white chocolate (or another reliably good white chocolate)
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese
3 tablespoons Frangelico or Kahlua
4 large eggs
Preparation
Finely chop the chocolate.
To make
Stir the chopped chocolate on the top of a double boiler (be sure the water is only simmering) until it has melted. Set aside. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Add sour cream and Frangelico or Kahlua and blend well again. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then beat in the melted chocolate. Pour this batter into the prepared crust. Bake the cheesecake at 350º for about 1 hour 30 minutes, until the top is golden and puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Don't be alarmed when the center falls, as this is perfectly normal. Chill thoroughly, either in the refrigerator or on the back porch.
Topping
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon Frangelico or Kahlua
3 cups fresh cranberries (1 12-ounce package)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 lemon
Preparation
Grate or zest the lemon to make 1 teaspoon peel.
To make
Dissolve cornstarch in Frangelico or Kahlua. Combine 1 cup of the cranberries with all the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and stir them over medium heat. When the mixture is boiling and the sugar has dissolved (about 5 minutes), add the remaining cranberries, lemon peel, and cornstarch mixture. Simmer about 5 minutes, until the cranberries begin to burst and the mixture thickens. Cover and cool thoroughly to let the mixture gel.
To serve
Loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and remove the pan sides. Transfer the cheesecake to a platter and smooth the sides of the cake to make them pretty again. Drain the cranberries through a sieve, reserving the syrup. Spoon the cranberries onto the top of the cheesecake. Cut the cake into wedges to serve, dipping your knife into warm water before cutting each piece to keep cheesecake from piling up on the knife. Serve with a pitcher of reserved syrup on the table.
RED CHRISTMAS PEAR DESSERT
serves 6
1 750-milliliter bottle of ruby port
1/2 cup cranberry juice
6 tablespoons sugar
1 2x7-inch strip orange peel (do not include white pith)
1 whole star anise
3 large, ripe but firm pears (Bosc or Bartlett), about 8 ounces each
1 cup mascarpone or plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Mint sprigs (not optional if what you want is a red, white, and green dessert)
Preparation
Peel, halve, and core the pears. Peel the orange with a vegetable peeler to make the 2x7-inch strip.
To make
Combine the two liquids, sugar, orange peel, and star anise in a medium saucepan. Bring this mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes. Add pear halves and simmer, turning occasionally about 20 minute more, uncovered. When the pears are tender but not yet falling apart, transfer them with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Boil the syrup, reducing it to about 1 1/4 cups (about 15 minuets). Pour the syrup over the pears. Cool, cover, and chill until cold.
To serve
Just before time for dessert, stir the powdered sugar into the mascarpone or yogurt. (Mascarpone is stiffer, richer, and whiter.) If you're using yogurt, don't beat; just blend. Spoon a small pool of cold red syrup onto each small serving plate and onto that pool slide a pear half, face down. To set off this red wonder, give it a beret of white mascarpone or yogurt and a jaunty side of green mint.
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