Melt-in-your-mouth Holiday Sweets
Delta Magazine brings you the sweetest recipes from our Holiday Issue––just in time for Santa!
Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream
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See the “Cookie and Cupcake Decorating Party” [November/December 2010, page 144] in Delta Magazine. Recipes courtesy of Kristen Mullen of Crumb.
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
4 large eggs, brought to room temperature
1 cup whole milk, brought to room temperature
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt three times. Melt butter and milk together over low heat and bring back to room temperature. With a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip sugar and eggs until a pale yellow color, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add extracts. Add flour and milk mixture alternately until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Fill cupcakes liners with an ice cream scoop, about 2/3 full, and bake 18 to 20 minutes. Makes 2 dozen cupcakes.
Vanilla Buttercream
2 pounds unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
5 to 6 tablespoons whole milk
4 pounds sifted powdered sugar
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat butter, extracts and milk, slowly adding the sugar. Icing will be stiff. Place in large piping bag with a large tip and pipe icing swirls. This is the right amount of buttercream to pipe 2 dozen cupcakes.
Pecan Pie
We adored Nancie McDermott’s book, Southern Pies (Chronicle Books), a follow-up to her Southern Cakes cookbook. The author pairs just the right amount of information with each pie, from helpful hints to history (Who knew that pecan pie was really not all that old?). Nancie graciously shares a slice.
Pastry for a 9-inch single-crust pie (store-bought or home-made)
1 pound dark brown sugar (2 firmly packed cups)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) pecans, chopped or halves
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie pan with crust, then crimp the edges
decoratively. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and flour and stir to mix them together well. Add the butter and place the pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring and pressing the butter to melt it and combine it with the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and vanilla. Stir well with a fork or a whisk to mix everything together evenly. While stirring gently, slowly pour the warm sugar mixture into the milk mixture. Mix to combine everything evenly and well. Pour the filling into the piecrust and sprinkle the nuts evenly over the top. Place the pie on the bottom shelf of the oven. Bake until the edges puff up and the center is fairly firm, wiggling only a little when you gently nudge the pan, and it is nicely browned, 40 to 50 minutes. Place the pie on a cooling rack or a folded kitchen towel and let cool for at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes one 9-inch pie.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Recipe courtesy of Whitney Byars
1 box (32-ounce) powdered sugar
3 1/2 ounces coconut
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 sticks margarine, melted
1/2 block wax
12 ounces chocolate chips
Mix first 6 ingredients and roll into 1-inch balls. Melt 1/2 block of wax and chocolate chips in a double boiler. Use a toothpick to dip balls into chocolate. Place on wax paper to cool.
Christmas Cookies
Recipe courtesy of Sarah Frances Hardy
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspooons vanilla
1 egg
Pinch of salt
3 cups flour
1 teaspooon water
1 1/2 teaspooons baking powder
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add egg and water. Beat until fluffy. Add baking powder, flour and salt (that have been mixed together in a separate bowl). Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour. Roll out and cut into shapes. Cook for 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees (I like for them to be soft, not crispy!)
Glaze
Mix together 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons evaporated milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla with food coloring. Spread over cookies and decorate with icing, red hots and sprinkles.
Grammy’s Peanut Brittle
Recipe courtesy of Lauren Renfroe
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup (Karo)
3 cups raw peanuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter
Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan. Cook on medium high to soft boil stage (240 degrees). Add raw peanuts and salt. Mixture will be quite thick. Cook to hard crack stage (305 degrees), stirring frequently. Remove from heat and quickly add soda, butter and vanilla, stirring quickly. Pour into 2 shallow, buttered jellyroll pans. Quickly spread thin. Cool and break into pieces. *When the candy gets to hard crack stage the rest of the process is fast. I find it helpful to pre-measure the soda, butter and vanilla and have it set aside so it can be added quickly. |
