Cookie Tree Forest

Set Up A Forest:

Decorate a buffet table with a trio of snowy cookie trees. Make a base frosting by beating together six egg whites and 3¾ cups confectioners’ sugar. Spread a thin layer of frosting on a Styrofoam cone, then, working up from the bottom, overlap vanilla wafers (use straight pins to hold them in place until the frosting dries). Use a small sieve to dust each finished tree with confectioners’ sugar.

Banana-Stuffed French Toast

1.  Ingredients
2. 16 slices cinnamon-raisin bread
3. 1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
4. 4 large bananas, peeled and thinly sliced 
5. 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 
6. 6 eggs 
7. 3/4 cup milk 
8. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9. Pinch of salt
10. 
    
11. Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 225°F. Lay 8 slices of bread on a work surface and spread 1 side of each with cream cheese. Top each with slightly overlapping banana slices. Cover with remaining bread to make sandwiches.
2. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Meanwhile, in a large, shallow bowl, beat eggs, milk, vanilla and salt with a fork. Dip 4 sandwiches into egg mixture to soak both sides, about 5 seconds. Lay sandwiches in skillet and cook, turning until browned, about 5 minutes one side, 3 minutes other side. Repeat with remaining butter and sandwiches. When done, transfer to oven racks; do not stack. Serve hot with warm maple syrup.
3. 
   
4. Alternative
5. 
   
6. I have made a few alterations for my family. I use brioche or French bread. Then dip the bread in the egg mixture and cook it on one side then flip it, spread the cheese, slice the bananas on the bread and add some walnuts add the second slice of bread after cooking it on one side putting the cooked side inside. Then turn and cook the second side of the second slice of bread. That way all four sides of the two slices of bread have been cooked. I find I use more butter than suggested. 

                    2nd Alternative

   

              Cook apples add a small amount of cinnamon and walnuts.

           

Ideas for Christmas Breakfast

  

   Cinnamon roll   

    Danish Puff

Banana-Stuffed French Toast

Farmers Breakfast

1  Potato small cubes

8 Eggs

1 small Onion

12 oz. Bacon or 1 pound Sausage

Cube, cook and drain potatoes. Fry bacon or sausage. Drain. Add onions to meat saute. Then fry potatoes in a separate pan. Add potatoes to the meat. Add beaten eggs. Salt and pepper

Yule Log (Bûche de Noël)

For the cake:

• 
  4 large eggs yolks and whites separated, room temperature
• 
  1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar divided
• 
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 
  1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 
  1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 
  1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 
  Small pinch of salt
• 
  1/3 cup strong brewed coffee
• 
  8 ounces semi-sweet dark 

• 
  6 ounces semi-sweet dark chocolate 60%

For the filling:

• 
  1 cup whipping cream cold
• 
  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For the cake:
3. Line a 15-inch baking sheet or jelly roll pan with parchment paper leaving excess paper over the edges to lift the cake out of the pan.
4. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer, set on high speed, in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.
5. Add 1/2 cup sugar, one tablespoon at a time until stiff peaks form.
6. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla with an electric mixer set on medium speed for 3 minutes; gradually add the remaining sugar. Beat for 2 minutes or until thickened and lemon-colored.
7. Stir flour with cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gently fold the flour mix into egg yolk mixture alternately with coffee just until mixture is smooth..
8. Gently fold chocolate mixture into egg whites; spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
9. Bake for 15 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in the center.
10. Using the paper, gently lift the cake from the pan and onto a board or cooling rack.
11. Lay a clean linen towel over cake and a cooling rack or large cutting board on top and flip the cake onto the board so the towel is under the cake. Dust with powdered sugar so the cake doesn't stick to itself.
12. Immediately roll cake in towel starting at the narrow end. Place on a wire rack and cool completely.
13. While the cake is cooling, melt the 6 ounces chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 20 second increments, stirring between until melted.

 

For the bark:

1. Take a large piece of parchment paper and spread a thin, even layer of melted chocolate.
2. Roll the paper tightly and refrigerate.

For the filling:

1. Using an electric beater, whip the whipped cream and vanilla until it starts to thicken.
2. Add the powdered sugar in small amounts until the cream is thick.

To assemble the cake:

1. Carefully unroll the cooled cake and cut off 1 inch strip from the long end of the cake for the extra branch.
2. Spread the whipped cream evenly onto the large and small cake pieces.
3. Roll both cakes with the seam-side down.
4. Cut the 'branch' at an angle so it sits flush against the cake.
5. Place both cakes on the surface where they will stay because once it's decorated it's very hard to move.
6. Remove the rolled up chocolate in parchment paper from the fridge.
7. Unroll the paper and the chocolate will break into bark pieces. Place in a bowl and refrigerate.
8. Once the cakes are placed, melt the chocolate in the same way as before in the microwave.
9. Working in small areas, spread a little of the 8 ounces of melted chocolate onto the log and place the chocolate bark pieces in a non-uniform manner until the entire cake and branch is covered.
10. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar to emulate snow.

Danish Puff

½ cup soft 

   margarine

1 cup plain flour

2 T. water

½ cup margarine

1 cup water

1 t. almond extract

1 cup flour

3 eggs

Cut margarine into flour add water and mix until 

it forms a ball. Divide and make into two 12” x 3” 

rectangles. Stir all but eggs over low heat until it 

forms a ball. Remove from heat and beat in eggs 

with a mixer until smooth and glossy, divide and 

spread over base. Bake @ 350°F for 60 min. Do 

not under bake.

Icing

1 ½ cups 10x sugar

2 T. marg.                           

1 ½ t. vanilla 

1 to 2 T. water   

 Mix until smooth and drizzle over cooled danish.

This is one of the few times that a recipe is better 

using margarine than butter and in my opinion.

This recipe was given to me by a great cook and better friend... Margaret Harding.
We have this every Christmas morning.

Wonderful Fudge

This is my mother-in-law's recipe. I think it's the best.

1/2 c butter 

1 can (14 1/2 oz)                     evaporated milk 

4 1/2 c sugar

1/2 lbs marshmallows
2 oz unsweetened choc.
12 oz semi-sweet choc.
3 (4oz) bars german choc.
1 T van.
2 c chopped nuts

Over moderate heat, combine and melt butter, sugar and milk, bring to a boil for 5 minutes, stir, then turn off the heat add marshmallows and stir until melted. Then add each different  broken up chocolate one at a time, stir until melted. Stir in vanilla and nuts. Pour into 10x15 buttered pan. Let stand until firm. Cut into 1 in. squares.

It is not necessary to use the 3 chocolates above but use 26 oz. of your choice of chocolates.

My mother-in-law used 2 lbs(8 cups) pecans.
I use 1 lb (4 cups.)