The Christmas Baking Cookbook, Reviewed

 

I don’t recall ever having to mop up drool before, but I certainly did while reading this amazing new book, The Christmas Baking Cookbook: ‘Tis the Season for 100+ Festive Treats from Cider Mill Press. It is absolutely GORGEOUS!

 

Some years I can be a bit of a Scrooge, but paging through this book makes that an impossibility. All I want to do is go into the kitchen and bake; there are 40 recipes for cookies alone! Often times baking books will just regurgitate recipes from the past that, while we all enjoy, we don’t need to see again. That is not the case in this book. I don’t think I have ever seen such a varied assortment of recipes, 90% of them new to me, 100% I want to get into the kitchen and bake.

  

The book is divided into six sections as follows:

Cookies
Cakes
Bread and Breakfast Treats
Pastries
Pies and Tarts
Custards and Other Decadent Confections 

Each section features a wide variety of offerings, one more mouthwatering than the other. There is a corresponding photo for nearly every recipe, and directions that are clear and concise.At the back of the book, there is a comprehensive conversion chart, as well as an index, something I used to expect in every cookbook, but that are, sadly, beginning to disappear. This index is well put together, and at least in my case, will be well used.

 

For the holiday season coming up, this could be your baking Bible. I can’t wait to dig in and get started. This would make a wonderful gift or hostess gift. You can buy a copy here.

Disclaimer: I received a complementary digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Pecan Crusted Salmon

When the late Mr. O-P and I were living in Connecticut while we were working at Yale, we had the opportunity to try a lot of different ethnic restaurants, one of which was an African restaurant, Eritrean food specifically. I have to say it didn’t wow me. The bread was like a thick placemat in both appearance and taste. I had ordered pistachio-crusted salmon that was so insipid that it didn’t even taste like salmon.  The idea of nut-crusted salmon, however, appealed to me. The other day when I was chopping pecans, I decided to chop a few more to use on top of salmon for dinner. It was a wonderfully flavorful dish.

Pecan Crusted Salmon

 ¼ c. butter, melted

3 T. Dijon mustard

1½ T. honey

¼ c. panko

1/3 c. finely chopped pecans

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

4 (4-oz.) fillets salmon

Salt, to taste

 Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

  Pat salmon dry, place on baking sheet that has been lined with a piece of parchment or foil.

 Stir together butter, mustard, and honey in a small bowl;

set aside. Mix together panko, pecans, and parsley in another bowl.

Brush each salmon fillet lightly with the honey mustard mixture.

Generously coat the tops of fillets with panko/pecan mixture.

Bake salmon in the preheated oven until it flakes easily with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

 * I used Mike’s hot honey

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Creamy Corn Casserole

 

The cheesy corn casserole is something Midwesterners always enjoy, particularly alongside a plate of Kansas City barbecue. It is the ultimate in creamy, cheesy, comfort food. You can serve it as easily at a picnic as you can alongside something a little more high end at dinner, like I did with Pecan Crusted Salmon.  It can be vegetarian if you leave out the bacon, which is perfectly fine. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like this; kids particularly seem to enjoy its creamy, corny goodness.

Creamy Corn Casserole

 1 T. olive oil
1 T. Melissa’s minced garlic
2 14.5-oz. can corn
4 oz. cream cheese
2 T. butter
¾ c. whole milk
¼ t. kosher salt
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper
¼ t. smoked paprika
¼ t. Old Bay blackened seasoning
1½ c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided
¼ c. sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and warm the garlic for 30 to 45 seconds.

Stir in the corn, cream cheese, butter, and milk. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the ingredients are melted together, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in the salt, pepper, paprika, blackened seasoning, ¾ of the shredded cheddar, and half of the bacon. Pour into a 1½-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining ¾-cup cheddar and bacon. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the top is golden and the edges are bubbly.

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Creamy Minestrone

 

 This is one of those recipes that came about as the result of a mistake. I was making a pot of minestrone that I had been craving all week, and at the same time had warmed a bagel that I had recently cut in half and was ready to slather with some chive and onion cream cheese spread.  I scooped out half of the container, and ended up flipping it right into the soup. The soup was hot, the cheese immediately started melting, ​and there was nothing I could do but stir it in. It’s wonderful!

Creamy Minestrone

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

2 bay leaves

3 Melissa’s shallots

2 carrots

2 ribs celery

1 medium zucchini

1 T. vegetable soup base

1 14.5-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 15.5-oz. can cannellini beans, drained

1 15.5-oz. can kidney beans, drained

Pinch of sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 large handfuls of curly kale

½ c. ditalini pasta

½ 7.5-8-oz. container Chive and Onion Cream Cheese

 Peel and finely chop the garlic and shallots. Put a stockpot over medium-high heat and warm olive oil.

 Add the garlic and the bay leaves, followed by the shallots.

Trim and chop the carrots and celery into rough ¼” dice, adding to the pan as you go. Chop zucchini into ½” dice; add to the pan. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly, or until softened and caramelized.

 Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, beans, sea salt, and pepper.

Remove and finely chop any tough stalks from your greens, shred, and add to the pan and top with 4 c. of boiling water. Add the pasta, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pasta is just cooked and the soup has thickened to your liking. Remove from heat, add cream cheese, and stir until melted and incorporated.

 Season the soup to perfection and serve.

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Salisbury Steak with Porcini Mushroom Gravy

 

I collect Salisbury steak recipes in the same way that I collect meatloaf recipes. For me, there is nothing more comforting than chopped meat. It’s surprising, considering what they are, that there are so many different varieties of both. This recipe is a riff on Bobby Flay’s Salisbury steak. I ramped up the flavor by using dried porcini mushrooms instead of the button mushrooms that he had suggested. What a wonderful difference in taste. This Salisbury steak, with its porcini sauce, is woodsy, earthy, beefy, and very comforting.Salisbury Steak with Porcini Mushroom Gravy

 1 lb. ground chuck

1 egg, beaten

2 T. grated Parmesan

2 T. Italian breadcrumbs

1 t. Melissa’s minced garlic

1 t. kosher salt

1 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 .5-oz. pkg. Melissa’s dried porcini mushrooms

½ white onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 c. beef stock

1 T. tomato paste

1 t. Worcestershire

2 T. heavy cream

 Hydrate mushrooms according to package directions, drain; and set aside.

 Mix together beef, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, garlic, egg, salt, and pepper until combined. Form into 4 oval-shaped patties.

 Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet, and, once hot, add the patties.

 Cook for 5 minutes, and then flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes; remove from pan.

 Add onion and mushrooms to the skillet, and cook until the onions are tender. Add the Worcestershire, tomato paste, and beef broth. Simmer for a few minutes, and then add the heavy cream.

 Add the patties back to the skillet, and spoon the sauce over the top.

 Simmer for about 5 minutes, and then serve over pasta, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

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No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Balls

 

I am not a pumpkin pie person. Truth be told, generally speaking, I’m not all that fond of pie anyway, although I have known to break that rule in recent years. I do, however, like pumpkin in various baked goods, and now in an unbaked good, like these easy and delicious No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Balls. There wasn’t really much to putting them together. There is that rather tedious aspect of having to roll them into balls, but in this case, the effort was well worth it. They freeze beautifully, so you can make these a couple weeks ahead of your Thanksgiving (or other special) dinner, and remove to the refrigerator an hour or two before serving.

 No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Balls

 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. pumpkin puree

½ c. powdered sugar

1½ t. pumpkin pie spice

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. vanilla

¼ t. kosher salt

1 c. graham cracker crumbs*, plus extra for rolling

1 c. white chocolate chips, melted, divided

 In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.

 Add the pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Mix until well combined.

Stir in the graham cracker crumbs and mix until the mixture holds together. Melt ½ cup of white chocolate chips in the microwave. Add to mixture and beat to combine.

 Scoop the mixture into tablespoon-sized portions and roll into balls.

 Roll each ball in additional graham cracker crumbs to coat.

Melt remaining white chocolate chips and drizzle on top of the cheesecake balls.

 Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up before serving.

 For extra flavor, sprinkle some cinnamon or graham cracker crumbs on top before the white chocolate sets.

 Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

 *As an alternative use half graham cracker crumbs and gingersnap crumbs.

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4 B’s Creamy Tomato Soup

 

The 4B's restaurant chain was established in 1947 by Bill Hainline and his family (his wife, Buddy, and their children, Bill, Jr. and Barbara) in Missoula, Montana. The name, as one might guess, comes from the first letters of their names. While the chain served traditional American food like soups, salads, sandwiches, they were most known for their famous cream of tomato soup.

Source: Pinterest

 The original recipe from back in the early 70’s when 4B’s gave them to customers was founder Barbara Hainline’s family recipe. In that recipe, it calls for 16 oz. crushed tomatoes and 16 oz. diced canned tomatoes. It also calls for 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup liquid coffee creamer. There are no other spices added to it. Customers added salt and pepper at the table. Personally, I can’t imagine a soup being made with coffee creamer, considering all of the nasty ingredients that are in that. Fortunately, the recipe was altered to become the one that I have pictured here.  The beauty of this soup is, of course, its simplicity. One taste told me why it was so beloved. That said, I had to put my hand in, as I do, so my version is below. I think the fire-roasted tomatoes are an excellent addition, as well as adding salt to the pot while it’s simmering. Pair this with a grilled cheese, and you have the absolute ultimate in comfort food.

 4 B’s Creamy Tomato Soup

 1 14.5-oz. can petite diced tomatoes

1 14.5-oz.can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

9 oz. chicken broth

1 T. butter

2 T. sugar*

¼ t. salt

1 T. Melissa’s shallot, chopped

Pinch baking soda

2 c. heavy cream

 Mix tomatoes, chicken, broth, butter, sugar, onions, and soda together in a medium stockpot. Simmer for one hour. Heat cream in a double boiler. Slowly add cream to hot tomato soup mixture. Serve and enjoy.

 *This soup definitely has a sweet taste; I loved it, you may not. Adjust the sugar accordingly.

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