Blackberry Cranberry Sauce

Thanksgiving food is largely traditional, and it’s not easy to vary your menu from year to year without meeting with some resistance. One year I made the mistake year of serving cream of mushroom soup as a starter instead of my traditional potato leek, and there was an exchange of gunfire. This year, I decided to stick with the basic menu in order to avoid the dramatics, and simply change up the cranberries. I found this recipe online, and was intrigued by the addition of the blackberries. As much as I love blackberries, honestly, I can’t tell you when I last bought some, so I had to make this. It is delicious! I think it is one of the best cranberry sauce varieties that I have ever tried. If you’re looking to try something new, try this.

Blackberry Cranberry Sauce

Adapted from Studio Delicious

2 c. fresh cranberries

½ c. water

¼ t. kosher salt

¾ c. dark brown sugar

1 4-oz. container fresh blackberries

2 t. vanilla

1 T. raspberry vinegar

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, stir together cranberries, water, salt, and sugar, stirring to help dissolve the sugar. Bring mixture to a boil until the cranberries pop and sizzle, about 7 minutes. Add blackberries and raspberry vinegar, lower the heat to medium, and allow mixture to gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 more minutes until the liquid is syrupy and almost evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool and serve. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.

 

 

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Koulouria (Greek Easter Cookies)

Back when I had my first job, my first real, full time, not-Christmas-help-in-the-cosmetics-department job, I met a Greek man with a wonderful cookie recipe. Each year at Easter, he and his wife would bake up a huge batch of these and distribute them to everyone in the department. Because they looked rather plain, my expectations were low, but overwhelmed by his sincerity, I tasted one.  Proof positive that one cannot judge a book by its cover or a cookie by its rather simple appearance, these cookies were addicting. They are also very special, not just because they came from a friend in whose family they had been a long tradition, but for the way, through delicious food, they can illustrate the true meaning of Easter. The shapes of these cookies, you see, are to represent the crown of thorns and nails used in the crucifixion.  

This recipe makes a huge batch, but it is considered good luck to receive them, so you will want to share them with all of your friends. 

Koulouria

(Greek Easter Cookies)

1 pound unsalted butter
1 cup Crisco
6 eggs
4 cups granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
4 teaspoons baking powder
Dash salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Juice of one orange
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup whole milk
14-15 cups flour

1 egg
1 Tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter and Crisco. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until thick and lemon colored. Whisk in vanilla. Combine egg mixture with shortening mixture and beat to blend. Blend in baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 

Mix baking soda into orange juice and add all at once to above mixture. Add milk and blend together on low speed. With mixer still running on low speed, add flour slowly. Continue adding flour until dough is soft and pliable and doesn't stick to your hands. 

Empty dough onto work surface. To shape, pinch off walnut-size pieces and roll into a rope about 5" long and as big around as your finger. Shape into crowns, thorns, or nails. 

Whisk together egg and water to make egg wash. 

Place shaped cookies onto ungreased cookie sheets and brush with egg wash. Bake about 25-30 minutes or until light golden brown. 

Note: This recipe can easily be halved, or if you are rather clever with math, cut by thirds.  The dough can be made ahead of baking up to two days prior. The dough freezes well if you find yourself overwhelmed with cookie baking.

A Boxing Day Dinner

As the family grows, so do their commitments, and it becomes more and more difficult each year to pack visits with everyone into the day-and-a-half that comprises the Christmas holiday.  So this year, in an effort to make things more enjoyable and relaxed, I opted to celebrate the day after Christmas with a Boxing Day dinner.  It was a huge success!  Twelve were in attendance and everyone enjoyed the event.  I served my traditional buffet roast beef dinner at a table bedecked with live greens, snowflake candles, Santa, and apothecary jars full of Christmas candy that delighted guests both young and old, all of whom had to have a sample (or two).  The young ones were allowed to reach into the jars at evening's end and select some candy to fill a bag and take home with them.  In addition, each guest was given a small house-shaped box with caramels inside that I'd used as place cards.  The name was on the front of the tag, and the explanation of Boxing Day was on the reverse, as follows:

Boxing Day, also known as the Feast of St. Stephen (after the first Christian martyr), is celebrated in the U.K. on December 26^th.   It originated in England in the middle of the nineteenth century under Queen Victoria as a holiday for members of the merchant class to give boxes containing food and fruit, clothing, and/or money to trades people and servants. The gifts were an expression of gratitude similar to the bonuses many employers offer their employees today. These gifts, usually given in boxes, gave the holiday its name, "Boxing Day". Today, Boxing Day is a time for family and friends to gather with lots of food and fun. 

Apothecary jars full of candy delighted the children (and young at heart) at the table.

Place setting with place card box.

Each guest had his or her own bottle of water.  I liked this extra addition of green.

Apothecary jars contained M&Ms, bell-shaped gumdrops, mini Hershey bars, Kisses, peanut butter cups, and Twizzlers all in red and green.

The mantle in the dining room above the Franklin Stove glowed with soft candlelight.

The frosted trees at either end, gave the table a Northwoods look.

Santa oversaw the event and was pleased.

This is linked to Tablescape Tuesday and Seasonal Sundays.