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FABULOUS DESSERTS FOR  HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING   By Sheilah Kaufman

CROQUEMBUCHE

You don’t have to be French, or a pastry chef, to make this fabulous, eye-catching dessert. If you don’t want to bother making the puffs,  Use 1 box frozen, pre-made cream puffs (about 60 small) and proceed to making the caramel.

 From: Tina Wasserman, a Food editor, author of  Entrée to Judaism  A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora (URJ Press, NY), and a highly respected and well-known cooking instructor living in Dallas, Texas. Her hands-o­n approach to all facets of food, (that also happens to be kosher), and its preparation have appealed equally to her non-Jewish and Jewish students for 36 years. 

PUFFS

• 1 cup water
• 3/4 stick unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 4 eggs

• 2 cups milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons butter cut into little pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 Tablespoons white corn syrup

To make the puffs, bring the water, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Remove from the heat and IMMEDIATELY add the flour all at once and rapidly beat the mixture until a ball of dough is formed.

Return the pan to a moderate heat and mix the dough until a film forms on the bottom of the pan.  Remove the pan from the stove.  Add the eggs one at a time beating to incorporate thoroughly before you add another egg.

Pipe the dough out onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or lightly greased.  Make balls about 1 1/2 inch in diameter.

Bake for 20 minutes at 425F.  Cut little slits in the sides of the puffs to let out steam and then return to a turned off oven for another 5 - 10 minutes to dry.  Cool completely and then fill with the pastry cream.

To make the pastry cream, heat 1 1/2 cups of the milk until it is scalded.  Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup milk with the cornstarch.

Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl with the sugar and salt until light and fluffy.

Rapidly whisk the egg yolk mixture as you slowly add the scalded milk.  Combine thoroughly.  Add the cornstarch mixture and stir constantly.

Return this mixture to the saucepan used for heating the milk and cook over moderate heat until the mixture begins to thicken.  STIR CONSTANTLY.  Add the butter as you are stirring. The mixture will take about 6 minutes to thicken.  When it is thick, reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 more minutes.

Transfer the cream to a bowl and stir in the vanilla.  Let cool and use as your filling for the cream puffs.

To make the caramel, combine the ingredients in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil.  When the sugar is dissolved (mixture will be clear)  cover with a top and allow to boil until bubbles thicken and then remove the top ( this allows the steam to wash the sides of the pan dissolving all of the sugar crystals).  Boil the mixture until it begins to caramelize.  Keep on a very low flame.

TO MAKE THE CROQUEMBUCHE:

Dip each cream puff  in the syrup to lightly coat one side.

Stack the puffs to form a pyramid or "tree".

Take a fork and dip it into the sugar mixture.  Pour this mixture off of the fork, high above the cream puffs so that the sugar forms strands.  Moving your fork through the air, drape the "tree" with sugar "tinsel".

WICKED-GOOD

Thin but mighty. Crushed peppermint candies accent the rich, dark chocolate in the cookies and the frosting. This delightful recipe is from GadgetGals Holiday Cookie Cookbook, by Nancy Byal of Mingo, Iowa, and Jan Turner Hazard of New York City (the GadgetGals). They are food and kitchenware experts who write news, reviews, know-how, and recipes for their website and blog www.kitchengadgetgals.com. They were formerly food editors for Better Homes and Gardens and Ladies Home Journal respectively. To purchase the book, go to www.kitchengadgetgals.com and click GadgetGals Holiday Cookie Cookbook. The e-book costs $4.95 and may be purchased through PayPal.

• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup butter 
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Hard peppermint candies, coarsely crushed (about 1/4 cup)

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small mixing bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, beat butter on medium speed for about 1/2 minute to soften; beat in sugar, milk, and vanilla until combined.

Slowly beat in as much flour mixture as you can. If necessary, stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Stir in chopped chocolate.

Divide dough in half. On countertop, roll each half between 2 sheets of waxed paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch round cookie cutter, rerolling as needed. If necessary, use a pancake turner to help lift cookies from paper. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake in oven for 8 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on pans 1 minute; remove to wire racks and cool completely.

Prepare Midnight Frosting:

To make Midnight Frosting: In a small saucepan combine 1/4 cup butter and 2 tablespoons milk; heat until butter is melted. Stir in 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; heat and stir until combined and smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Frost at once.

Spread Midnight Frosting on top of cool cookies; sprinkle with peppermint candy. Let dry on wire racks. Makes 4 dozen.

GadgetGals Tip:

If you can’t find already crushed candies at your store, here’s an easy way to crush the candies. Place them in a heavy-weight plastic storage bag on a coun­tertop; seal the bag closed. Pound candies with the flat side of a kitchen mallet until coarsely crushed.

www.kitchengadgetgals.com

CRUNCHY SWEET POTATO CRANBERRY STRUDEL

Don’t expect to have leftovers of this crunchy sweet potato, raisin, cranberry strudel. Brown butter and toasted pecans bring a rich buttered nuttiness to the earthy sweet potatoes and chewy dried fruit. Enjoy generous slices for a light lunch or as a side dish with roasted meat. You had better make two!  From: Mary Cech’s Savory Baking (Chronicle Books, 2009)
Makes 8 servings

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 pound (8 ounces) phyllo pastry, thawed
• 1/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted and finely chopped
• Coarse sea salt
• 3/4 cup crème fraîche (see Note)

Put the cranberries and golden raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water; set aside to plump for 10 minutes, then drain.

Put the potato in a medium saucepan, cover with hot water, and add a little salt. Cook over high heat until fork-tender. Meanwhile, put the carrots in a small saucepan, cover with hot water, and add a little salt. Cook over high heat until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes and carrots in a strainer and set aside.

Put the butter in a small saucepan over high heat. Let the butter melt and then stir continuously until the butter starts browning on the bottom of the pan. It will also start bubbling and foaming a little. The butter should have a medium golden-brown color. Immediately pour the butter into a small dish and set aside.

Smash the soft-cooked potatoes and carrots with a fork or handheld potato masher. You are looking for a lumpy consistency. Stir 6 tablespoons of the brown butter into the vegetables. Blend in the dried fruit and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and fit a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.

To make the strudel, unroll the phyllo dough and lay it flat on a clean work surface. The dimensions of the dough will be 9 by 13 inches, or cut large sheets of phyllo dough to 9 by 13 inches. To help prevent the dough from drying out while working with it, cover with a slightly dampened clean kitchen cloth. Carefully place one sheet of dough on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with the melted brown butter, and lightly sprinkle with pecans and coarse sea salt. Lay another sheet on top and continue layering with brown butter, sea salt, and pecans. Layer and stack seven sheets together.

Carefully spoon the vegetable-dried fruit filling along one of the long edges of the dough, packing it with your hands into a tubelike shape. Starting with the filling side of the dough, roll the strudel tightly into a log. Place the strudel in the center of the baking sheet, brush with the remaining butter, and sprinkle with pecans and a little sea salt.

Place the strudel in the center of the oven and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the oven to a cooling rack. Transfer the strudel to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut the strudel using long sawing motions. This will help prevent excessive flaking of the pastry. Serve warm or at room temperature with spiced crème fraîche.

Note: To make your own crème fraîche, stir 2 cups heavy (whipping) cream with 4 tablespoons buttermilk in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat but do not bring to a boil. Pour the warm liquid into a small container and cover. Store at room temperature until thick, 8 to 48 hours. Once the crème fraîche is thick, cover and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Spice up homemade crème fraîche with a hint of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla extract. Add as much or as little as your taste buds desire.