Cookaholics Bulletin Board

You could always skip the brandy, but it would add a lot.

Amy

Amy,

I use the BIR recipe. The fillings have a great texture and the pierogi are as good or better than any I've had. I'll PM it to you if you want it.

That would be awesome. Thanks!

Amy

Mary, nothing says festive to me more than gingerbread, the one in te NBR is really good, or I've made an updside down pear one that is excellent, leet me know if you need either. I've yet to meet a child who doesn't like it either.

This year, as in the past 17, we are having a catered Christmas lunch with my dad's extended family. Not sure of how many we will be, it varies from 50 to 80 depending on the year. We cater the main (a red and a white pasta, veal and chicken, different veggies, potatoes -northern Italians love their potatoes and salad) and everyone brings a dessert or appetizer. I've been making caramel and chocolate covered pretzels for the past few years, and it's always the only dessert to completely disappear.

I have a pierogi recipe from Anna Olson (chef of Ukranian descent) and can send it along too. She serves hers with prunes, which is a surprisingly delicious addition.

I"ve thought about my menu a little more, and here's what I'm thinking...

Potato beignets with caviar
Champagne

Colorado Lamb (Rack or Sirloin, haven’t decided yet) with wild mushroom red wine ragoût
Goat cheese polenta
Deep fried brussels sprouts with chestnuts
Not sure of wine yet, perhaps a nice Malbec

Lemon souffle with blackberry sauce
Icewine

All can be made via sous vide and my left hand, more or less.

Amy

Gingerbread is a great idea! The pear one sounds great, if you don't mind sharing. I wanted to make a trifle as I remembered my mother-in-law just passed on this awesome footed trifle bowl. All the recipes that appealed to me were too booze-y for my crowd.

Mary

Here it is:

Pear Gingerbread

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup fancy molasses
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cloves
1 cup boiling water
1 can (28 oz/796ml) pear halves
1 tbsp icing sugar

Preparation:
Grease 10 inch (3 lt) springform pan and set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in egg; stir in molasses.
In separate bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and cloves; add to molasses mixture alternately with boiling water, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of water. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
Drain and pat pears dry. Cut each half into 2 or 3 slices about 1 inch thick, arrange attractively over batter.

Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven until top springs back when lightly touched, 60 to 65 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes.
Remove side of pan. Sprinkle gingerbread with icing sugar; serve warm or cool.

That's 10" by what?

Round, right?

We used to do a pear gingerbread dessert at the Biltmore, but we did it in hotel pans. Given how easy it is to lay the pears out in a perfect grid in the hotel pan you immediately see how the cake should be cut into perfect rectangles. it made cutting the dessert very easy, as it would always be on a defined grid.

Amy