I assumed it was the same as our shrimp ring ... couple dozen shrimps arranged on a black plastic ring with a tub of cocktail sauce in the middle that you buy during the holidays and hope that it thaws by the time that you get it to your friend's party, a friend, incidentally, that you like very much, but one for whom you weren't willing or able to cook something better yourself.

I just made my first shortcrust pastry last week. I was pretty pleased. My mom used to make it sweeter, I think by mixing some sugar into the flour before cutting in the Crisco, which she always used. Next time, I guess.

A "cider crust" substitutes chilled cider for the ice water. And there's a lot to be said for 'fridging the mixing bowl. This works best with a massive crockery one, but it's helpful even with a stainless bowl. Everything goes in cold.

There's a lot of lard around town. Think I'll try that method sometime.

And fruitcake has to be 1) drunken, and 2) properly handled to keep it properly moist during its ageing process.

Stained-glass fruitcake is an excellent way to go: far more candied, boozed fruit than rich damp cake, of which there should be only just enough to hold the fruit together. That is a fruitcake that would change even Radar's mind.

Quite right. I've heard before that what we call prawns, you call shrimp.

UG, I cooked shortcrust pasrty for years - NEVER liked it, although other people didn't complain (I admit this may just have been courtesy). I'm not a huge fan of other people's either, I admit. It had to be present in very small quantities - compared to filling - for me to enjoy.

Flavoured pastries are the exception though (tomato, cheese, olive etc) so maybe I'd go for cider pastry. I assume it would have to be scrumpy though, to be flat?

Pastry with sugar sounds like crumble. Now that I could handle - haven't had a crumble for years! Damn, wish I'd thought about this when the blackberries were out. Apparently you can buy them frozen now, but it's not the same - part of the pleasure was that we were eating nature's bounty. Blackberries from The Field (now built on) and apples from Mrs Fox (now dead). Time is fleeting.

I always put sugar into a shortcrust pastry for sweet pies and tarts.

If it's savoury I leave the sugar out.

Not really a Christmas food per se, but we had a lot of this around the holidays in my family.

Cheese Dip
1 jar Kraft Old English Cheese
1 package Cream Cheese
1 tbsp milk or cream
onion powder or grated onion

Set the cream cheese out to soften a bit. Cream together the Old English, cream cheese, and milk or cream in your mixer. Scrape the beaters and hand mix in the onion powder or grated onion to taste. Hand mixing keeps it from getting bitter.

This recipe has been popular in my Mom's side of the family since the 30s.

sounds a bit like how you make french onion dip using packet soup mix. I don't know what old english cheese is, but we do have kraft cream cheese in a jar. I'm guessing it's fairly similar.

It's a spreadable cheese in a jar with a sharp(ish) cheddar flavor.

Oh, Christmas cake.

Our version is a variation of the german Stollen, but with more candied fruits instead of nuts, and a darker dough. Here's a recipe in English

We just resort to buy it in the supermarket since we're not that talented at cooking in my family. It's always good anyways, even the cheaper stuff.

I haven't had proper german Stollen. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of nuts, but I guess it would be well worth a try. Maybe for a better year. :)

Cider here is neither fizzy nor alcoholic :(

http://www.beiersdorferorchard.com/images/cider.JPG

click pic for more info ;)

Depends.

Cider, and hard cider, in American parlance. Doubt it would matter in the quarter-cup quantities typical for a double-crust recipe (top and bottom crust). Sounds like SG just really never got into piecrust -- one of those things.

Cider crusts play well with fruit or apple pies.

How are you on graham cracker crusts or gingersnap crumb crusts, SG?

Now me... one of our treats as kids was eating the raw piecrust trimmings when Mom made a pie. Cain't tell me not to like piecrust!

Flew up to Denver to visit Mom over the weekend. Made a lemon meringue pie per the recipe in the Latest Recipe Thread, using lemon and lime juices squeezed from the fruit and not out of a bottle. Everyone including my younger brother's Significant Other (they flew in from Maui for the same weekend) AND Mom raved over it. I think the mantle is passed to me.

I just made the easiest chocolate fudge recipe ever...and it tastes great too.

Here it is.

INGREDIENTS


450g dark or milk chocolate, chopped
395g can sweetened condensed milk
50g butter


METHOD




Lightly grease a 20cm square cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.

Combine all ingredients in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until smooth.

Spread chocolate mixture into prepared pan. Chill for 3 hours or overnight, until mixture is firm. Using a hot knife, cut fudge into small squares.

Keep fudge chilled in an airtight container.

Today I made all the lollies I'm going to make.

Finished doing the rum balls last night as mentioned elsewhere. Today it was chocolate fudge, coconut ice and white christmas.

I've got some nuts in shells to have fun with on the big day. I just have to get a couple of nut crackers in the mean time. I also have a bag of pistachios which Aden really likes and a kg of Jelly Belly jelly beans for the table snacks.

I think that's enough table snacks.

I've got a few bottles of sparkling grape juice for me and the kids. Some champagne and other wines for the drinkers and I'm going to make up some jugs of lemon, lime and bitters.

I bought a turkey the other day, so that'll be the roast meat along with the ham, cold prawns and oysters (dazza says he's going to make some into kilpatrick for me, so that'll be nice), salads and a bowl of roasted veges.

I think I've got it all sorted.

:confused: What's a kilpatrick?
And how many dozen people are you expecting at Christmas dinner??!

Only about 10 of us. There'll be leftovers, but that's the best part about Christmas. We get to pig out again on Boxing Day while we watch the cricket and generally laze about. ;)

Oysters Kilpatrick is simply oysters in the half shell scattered with a little bit of worcestershire sauce and diced bacon and lemon juice and then grilled. Very yummy and cooked, so I can eat it too. :)

Did that become popular in Chile after WWII? ;)

(I also have noticed that one of the most popular card games in South America has a German, rather than Spanish or Portuguese name. I play Ecuador rules Telefunken.)

This is the recipe for the curried walnuts I sent for Cellar secret santa. I think they are really yummy. You think you are going to eat just one or two, and before you know it, you've had a few handfuls.

1 lb walnut halves (4 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 T corn oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/4 tsps cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 325 F. Blanch walnuts in boiling water for 1 minute and
drain well. While still hot, put in a bowl and toss with the sugar and
corn oil. Let stand 10 minutes. Arrange in single layer on a rimmed
baking tray. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, turning every 5-10 minutes. When
nuts are browned and crispy, put them into a bowl. Combine seasonings
and toss with the still warm nuts. Spread nuts in a single layer to
cool completely. Store in an air tight container.

Peanut butter crispy balls:

1 18 ounce size jar of creamy peanut butter
2 cups rice crispy type cereal
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 1 1/2 bags chocolate chips (I prefer milk chocolate for these)

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine first four ingredients. Blend well until mixture forms a dough. Form into 1-inch balls. If dough is too sticky, add additional rice crispies, if too dry, add additional peanut butter. You can place balls in freezer (or out on the back step if you live in the arctic north like me*) for 30 min to make them easier to dip into the chocolate if you wish. In a double boiler over low heat or microwave safe bowl on low power slowly melt chocolate chips. Drop the balls into the chocolate until well coated. Place onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Place in freezer for 30-60 min to harden chocolate. Makes approximately 60 balls, depending on size.

--I then keep these in the fridge. If I keep them out on the counter, I eat them :D.

ADDICTIVE!

*watch for the local neighborhood stray cat though...apparently some like peanut butter :eek:

Sounds yummy, LR.

Yeah...I might make some of those LR. I think the kids would love them!

I have no idea!
Crusts... is that the same as bases?
Because I like a biscuit base on a cheesecake...

I think I am too far away for any of this to make sense!

Yeah...he's talking about a biscuit base, in which case you can just use gingernuts or something like that instead of Nice biscuits which make a sweet, but less overpowering base as you probably know.

Ta :)
Oysters Kilpatrick sound YUM!

I'm going to cook some cornbread for Boxing Day.
I don't care if I'm the only one who eats it.

I love cornbread. Slather that shit in butter.

Oooh oohh...cornbread casserole is the bomb!

Recipe here, but there are hundreds of variations it seems. I can't remember the recipe I used last time I made one.

ok, here's my cake for anyone who's interested. :)

Attachment 20873

Wow, Ali. that is amazing! Great job!

Thanks Bri. There's a lot of stick on stuff there of course, but doing that lattice work and then getting it on the cake was a challenge to say the least. lol

I'm glad it's done. I'd built up quite a sweat by the time I finished. :)

I just made a batch of these.

I ate two because they wouldn't fit on the tray for the fridge.

They're so rich. I think I'm going to be sick. :greenface

Yummy though. Thanks LR. :)

Ali. A great looking cake. I've got all the junk together for date nut bread, to be baked in the small Bunt pans. 6 per pan= 12. Maybe. If this goes bad, I'll be unhappy. The cost of 2 cups of nuts + 4 cups of dates. :smack:
Think I'll check the fruitcake seasoning, again. :bolt:

Ali, that cake is beautiful. How will you bear to cut it?

Your fruitcakes are gorgeous!!!

Yeah, those balls are 'heavy', but sooooooo yummy. You eat one. Then you walk away. Then you come back and eat another the next time you pass through the kitchen. Then you put them in the fridge. Then later you need to get the milk, and see them, and take out 2, one for now one for later. After you eat them both back to back, you force yourself to go to the basement to fold laundry to get out of the kitchen...

I should rename them PB Debbil Balls :).

We've managed to cut every one before. I don't think this one will be any different. ;)

Besides, the funnest part for me is watching people enjoy eating it. :)

LR...I think if my digestion was normal I'd be having the same troubles with those things. As it is I'm having a hard time keeping them away from the kids. lol

As you heard, yes, I think it is. Only it goes up the sides of the pie pan too, like a short crust.

To be sure about it, look at the lemon meringue pie recipe in Most Recent Recipe; it's got the crumb crust. Very easy really: pulverize graham crackers, add a little sugar, mix in melted butter until the texture and appearance reminds you exactly of beach sand just damp enough for sandcastles, and smooth it into place in the pie pan with the back of a spoon, cook a few minutes at 350 F. Don't press it in really hard or you may have real trouble getting slices up out of the pan after baking. Just medium firm, so it stays where you want it.

Oh wow, I made a batch of these today and they are awesome! The plan was to give little containers of them to all my relatives on Christmas, and I had to force myself to package them up before I accidentally ate them all. Tell Mrs. Glatt that our house is stealing her Christmas tradition from here on out.

Oh, I would. :yum:

I pickle everything from eggs (British pub style - mmmmm) to onions to japaleños to New Orleans pickle meat (for cajun red beans and rice).

I love anything pickled. Saying that, I've never had pickled walnuts. Not being big on nuts anyway, they might be a step too far.

The pickles are out in force in the fridge right now. Onions, beetroot, red cabbage, and gerkins. In the cupboard are Branston pickle and piccalilli. Oh and my jalapenos I suppose (never really thought of them as pickles but of course you're right).

:)

I won't go so far as saying New Orleans pickle meat (for cajun red beans and rice).. But pickeled meat is the bee's knee for red beans and rice.
What I'm trying to say is, a coonass thing. Not just NO. And great for cooking any dried beans.

Mmmmmm...pickled pork...

Here is Our Xmas Feast ,
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/...db56db52_b.jpg

I been needen that Pate Taste !!
The Gouda and the Sweet Hot mustard was the Stand out !!


The Tradition Continues !!!!!

Aw man, is that the farmer cheese that burns the lining of your nostrils out? I love that stuff...

Naa this farmers cheese is be nine , smooth suttle easy to eats stuff

Snacks first. Clockwise from top left - Roses chocolates, crisps (chips), dry roasted peanuts and the remaining mini sausage roll.

Below are the leftover prawn skewers from last night.

Also on the table, my Mum's joke present to my Dad - Russel Brand's autobiography (Dad hates him) and our mini Christmas tree.

Christmas dinner.
First our little turkey - it looks really grim but I assure you it tasted great.

Then the full meal. On our plates are turkey, roast potatoes, carrots, peas, roast parsnips, brussel sprouts, stuffing balls (shop bought and over-cooked, ahem) bacon wrapped chipolatas and plain chipolatas. Mum forget the yorkshire puddings until after the pic was taken.

We had Christmas pudding with brandy cream for dessert, and you can see the cheeseboard and grapes waiting for after that. Just out of the picture are the biscuits for cheese (crackers?), Turkish Delight and liquer chocolates. And the Grand Marnier.

We're all washed up and done now. I'm off to sit with Diz for a bit in the cool of my room (window open, radiator off) while mes parents gently slip into a doze in the hot living room :)

Looks Yummy SG !!

Lovely!

Yummy!!

Mrs. Dallas has made lasagna and garlic bread for dinner. Five-minute warning . . . .

Get Yew Some Steve !!

Cornish Hen
 

For years I've wanted to try the rotisserie thing on my toaster oven. So this is it.

Looks really good BB! How was it?

Now that does look appetising!
I think I can even smell it...

It was great. Marinated overnite in Allegro hickory smoke marinade.

Wow. Our stuff is bigger. Anybody else notice that the American Cornish Hen is about the same size as that British Turkey?

It was a deliberately small turkey, to be fair. There were only four of us for Christmas dinner (Grandad doesn't like to walk round here any more, so Dad and I took his round to him before we sat down).

It was just enough for the meal, sandwiches and a bit in each cat.

I'm not dissing your turkey, Sundae, really. It looks delicious, just petite by our standards.

I just honestly don't think they come in that size here ... a cow orker who has lived in Glasgow said it has to do more with Brits not shooting their birds up with hormones and force feeding them.

It is illegal to inject or feed steroid hormones to poultry in the US. And I've never heard of force feeding turkeys or chickens, only ducks and geese for foie gras. I think they use less antibiotics over there though.

You get HUGE turkeys here as well.
I remember one year when Mum won one in the work raffle just before Christmas. She was really grumpy about it, "Stupid prize, everyone with any sense would have bought their turkey by now, grumble, grumble." I think she had her eye on the bottle of whisky. I wrote about it on here somewhere (can't be arsed to look).

And we have a terrible record of mistreating our farm animals I'm ashamed to say. Battery hens were reviled throughtout my childhood, but it's only in the last few years that retailers have started to cotton on, beginning to use only free range eggs in their products. I fear we have a long time before I can say the same about chickens. And don't forget which country introduced the world to BSE. That opened a few eyes as to normal practice down on the farm I can tell you. To say nothing of regular outbreaks of foot & mouth.

We're getting better, I'll grant you that. And consumers are far better educated than they used to be - many buying free-range or RSPCA farm inspected products. But I can tell you that there is no duck producer in the country who has RSPCA approval. Not one. I won't buy duck now.