Made only at Christmas

Hi,

I recently learned there are Wisconsin cheeses studded with hickory nuts made around Christmas. Since hickory nuts are relatively rare, these holiday cheeses are not advertised. You either stumble upon them or they are a gift from the cheese maker. Does anyone know a source for these hickory nut studded cheeses?

If there are other hidden holiday food finds this year, then please share!

Regards,

Hi,

I came across two online sources for hickory nut cheeses. The first, Union Star Cheese Factory, says that their munster-hickory nut cheese is available seasonally and will be shipping again in the fall. It's possible, from looking at the product photo, that the second online source, The Colonial Cheese House and Gifts, actually sources their cheese from Union Star. The website makes no mention of seasonality.

All the best,
Jen

Are there any special recipes you always make for Xmas? Like a special cookie,cake or bread? Do you make a special dish at this time you don't usually make?

For me, I think Spritz cookies and nut crescents are something that personify Xmas along with Stollen.

Please share any special things you do I am hoping to broaden my horizons. I'm thinking about making some Italian cookies this year, the fig kind with the frosting and sprinkles but I have never even tasted them.

Hi,

I like to make citrus peel candy from navel oranges, tangerine, lime and grapefruit. I have to hid it from my family because they eat it up as quick as I make it.

Last year, I started making date bread that is really dates and pecans with just enough eggs, flour and sugar to stick together. I serve it in very thin slices because it is rather rich.

I also made last year a fruitcake with orange jelly candies from Southern CAkes. Once the cake is finished, then you poke holes and pour an orange-powder sugar glaze that seeps into and around the cake. It tastes far better than my description may lead you to believe.

Regards,

JenDath wrote:I came across two online sources for hickory nut cheeses. The first, Union Star Cheese Factory, says that their munster-hickory nut cheese is available seasonally and will be shipping again in the fall.

Jen,

Union Star Cheese is a cool place that makes far and above the best habanero cheese I have tasted. The hickory nut cheese sounds intriguing, I think I will try a Wisconsin size hunk. Though the bar is lower for me to get the cheese than most as my next door neighbor is in the area of Union Cheese multiple times a month.

Enjoy,
Gary

For me, date nut bread, is one of those things that I only seem to manage to make at the holiday time and for some reason associate it with the holidays by default.

We also buy szaloncukor every year for our tree. It's something that you only find and have in late November through December. It's a traditional Hungarian Christmas candy, (szaloncukor is translated roughly as salon sweet- the salon being the location of the tree in your home).

It's a type of candy that is coated with a chocolate fondant, and there are various fillings, jelly, rum raisin, carmel, marzipan, strawberry yogurt, coconut, chestnut, Turoizu mazolas is the favorite at our house which is sort of similar to a cheesecake raisin sort of flavor. They are wrapped in brightly colored foil and you attach them to your Christmas trees with little hooks. Generally we put a few on the tree and just eat the rest out of a big bowl we keep in the living room.

Erzsi,

Where do you buy you szaloncukor?

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Erzsi,

Where do you buy you szaloncukor?

Regards,

I usually get mine at Bende. The reason for this is that while you can occassionally find it at many Polish deli's Bende has the largest selection that is available here locally that I have been able to find. We took one of each bag, except for the Turoizu Mazolas, we took two of those. My husband likes these as they are similar to a candy bar from Hungary, Turo Rudi, that we have not found here so far in the US. I believe that the price was upwards of $6 for a large bag, but it could be a bit more or less, I cannot recall exactly what we paid at that time. I do also believe they have a mixed variety bag available as well and the Turoizu Mazolas and Tiramisu are more expensive packages.


There are two Bende locations here in Illinois, I do know that the location in Wheaton has szaloncukor already in stock,as I got mine along with some other pantry staples and advent calendars a few weeks ago. I don't know about the Vernon Hills location, but I do expect it would be the same.


Bende Inc
925 Corporate Woods Parkway
Vernon Hills, Il 60061
847-913-0306
M-F 7-3:30PM
Saturday 9-3:30 pm
Sunday Closed

Bende
444 Roosevelt Rd.
Glen Ellyn, Il 60137
630-469-6525
Monday: Closed
T-F: 9:30 am- 7 pm
Saturday: 9:30-6:30pm
Sunday: 10-3pm

Cathy2 can you tell us how you make your citrus candy?

razbry wrote:Cathy2 can you tell us how you make your citrus candy?

When I find the recipe, I will. I am not 100% sure where it is.

Roughly, it begins with a brine overnight. Dump the salt water. Now fill the pot with fresh water, bring peel to a boil, then dump. Repeat this once. The third time, fill with fresh water, bring to a boil, then simmer until tender. Drain, cool, slice into 1/4 inch width strips. Make a sugar syrup, then add peel to cook until translucent. When it is done, then stir in softened unflavored gelatin to coat and make a sticky surface for the sugar to stick to.

Everything until now has been waiting, slicing or watching over a pot. The last process is entirely handwork: rolling the peel in sugar, then arranging on a tray to dry overnight. I then pack in boxes, which keep them dry and tender as long as the box is rkept closed. Later, they can get dry as kindling, which some people like. I used them to flavor my tea when it gets to that stage.

Now when I find the recipe, I will give the exact proportions. I suggest getting bulk gelatin at the Home Economist, otherwise it is pricey in those little packets.

Regards,

Thanks! I can't wait!

Among French Canadians in Northern Maine, there is a dish called POT-EN-POT that is made for Christmas dinner. It is a simple and homey, yet much-anticipated treat that uses the game meats (moose or venison and goose or pheasant) that hunters generally bring home about this time of year. Pot-en-pot was described to me by a gentleman of French Canadian extraction and former chef de cuisine whose father makes this every Christmas Eve. It is basically a pot roast style braise of game meats with carrots, onions and beef stock that is set under a lard crust in an enormous, deep, enamelled cast-iron pot at a low temperature, then covered with the casserole lid and cooked for hours. The crust is made with a central hole so that liquid can be added during the long cooking. For the last hour and a half, the lid is removed and the crust is browned at a higher temperature. According to my source, the best thing about pot-en-pot is the leftovers. That puts it right up there with turkey and dressing, don't you think? I forgot to ask what is served on the side. If I get more details I will post them. Bon Appetit!

Cathy2 did you ever look up that recipe for candied citrus?
Thanks!

Of course, there are numerous cookies that make an annual appearance at Christmastime (everyday cookies are chocolate chip and oatmeal lace cookies.) The 'spouse is the real cookie baker, and though there are many, many cookies, two always make an appearance: springerle and powdered-sugar coated hazelnut cookies whose name I forget.

Since marrying Jason, our Christmases (and holidays in general) have become progressively more British: Christmas dinner is a Rib Roast with Yorkshire Pudding (which I finally mastered.) Occasionally I will go so far as to make a flaming Christmas pudding with hard sauce (though I haven't done so since Sparky joined us.) Christmas Eve we follow the tradition of a non-meat meal, and often have a shellfish dinner that isn't quite codified: I'm still experimenting with it.

razbry wrote:Cathy2 did you ever look up that recipe for candied citrus?
Thanks!

Candied Orange Peel (adapted from book unknown presently)

6 seedless oranges (I use Navel oranges, grapefruit, lemon, lime and tangerine)
2 quarts warm water
2 tablespoons salt
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup water
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin softened in 2 tablespoons water
Granulated sugar for rolling

Cut the oranges in half and juice, you do not need the juice. Personally, we collect oranges from breakfast over a few days. My family coopeartively quarters the oranges cutting throught the stem-bud axis. I find I get the maximum amount of peel this way.

Combine warm water and salt in a large bowl or large pot, add orange peel, weight down with a plate to brine overnight.

Drain peel. Now fill a pot with fresh water and peel, bring to a boil, then dump the water. Repeat this once. The third time, fill with fresh water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from the stove and drain.

Using a teaspoon, scrape the interiior surface of the rinds to remove soft pulp, leaving the white spongy coating. Slice peel into 1/8- to 1/4-inch strips. Making them as long and uniform as possible.

Combin sugar, honey and 1 cup water in a large heavy pot. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring, then add the strips of peel. Cook over low heat until transparent and most of the syrup has been absorbed. It will take about 40 minutes, though you need to watch carefully toward the end to avoid scorching.

Remove from heat and add the softened gelatin. Stir until dissolved. Pour peel into a colander to drain off excess syrup.

For the next process, it can be very messy if use both hands for the same task. I prefer to dedicate one hand to lifting peel from the colander and the other to roll in the sugar and arrange on a wax paper covered tray. While the instructions suggest doing one piece of peel at a time, this can take a very long time. Instead, I will take a small handful of peel into a bowl filled with sugar. I will roll the group together, which begin to separate as the sugar clings to the peel. I then lay them one by one on the trays.

The peel will take about a day to dry slightly and stiffen. Store in tightly covered container. Peel will keep well for weeks.

Makes about 1-3/4 pounds.

Note: four medium-sized grapefruit may be substituted for oranges.

***

Once we are past the holidays, the family gets bored with peel. Eventually someone leaves the container open for an extended period of time. The peel dries like pine needles getting stiffer and sharper. It is then good enough to stick in your tea.

If someone recognizes where this recipe came from, then please advise. I have a feeling I may know, but I will have to check my local library.

Regards,

Thanks again Cathy!

Candy Cane Lane tea by Celestial Seasonings. It's so good - stock up!

Cheese ball!

Every year my mom would make it only for xmas. She still does, although our tastes have changed and I now find it kind of gross. We would eat it with Triscuits. The recipe was some variation of soft cheddar cheese (from a red tub, don't remember what brand it was) cream cheese, pimentoes, worchestershire and walnuts on the outside. One year when I was a teenager learning to cook I used the leftovers as omlette filling. Urgh.

I think my dad liked it because he is from southern indiana and a fan of pimento cheese. Maybe I will offer to update the recipe this year to something more palatable- any recipe suggestions for cheese ball variations out there?

I wanted to post to tell you all how well the candied citrus peel came out. Some of it I left in its pristine state. Some of it I dipped half in milk chocolate. Last, but not least, some of it was sprinkled over melted dark chocolate with pistachio nuts, and then broken into pieces. I boxed it all up, and gave it out as Christmas gifts. All the reviews have been rave. Thanks Cathy2 for an inspired Christmas giving gift!

PS...I ordered some of that hickory nut cheese...outstanding!

Nothing makes your kitchen smell better than making candied citrus peel.

Hi,

I read where Kraft Roka Blue Cheese Spread was discontinued. While I never heard of it, there are many who use it as the base of their cheeseball. Kraft has recommended people substitute blue cheese crumbles blended into cream cheese. Due to this reaction, they are considering offering Roka Blue Cheese Spread as a seasonal product.

Does anyone have a super cheese ball recipe? I never made one. When there is one around the house, I keep rerolling nuts back onto it. The cheese is almost incidental as long as there are nuts.

Regards,

I haven't thought about cheese balls in ages, but this post reminded me that my mother and I used to make them - the recipes are from a college friend of mine, so I am guessing we made them in the late 70s. I recall them as delicious; my tastes have obviously developed in the intervening years, but my mother and I were always pretty serious about cheese.

8 oz crumbled blue cheese
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 T sherry
pecans

8 oz grated Swiss
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 T brandy
salt and pepper
sesame seeds

8 oz grated cheddar
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 T mustard
worcestershire
paprika
(this doesn't call for nuts, but I think we used walnuts anyway??)

Cathy2 wrote:I read where Kraft Roka Blue Cheese Spread was discontinued. While I never heard of it, there are many who use it as the base of their cheeseball. Kraft has recommended people substitute blue cheese crumbles blended into cream cheese. Due to this reaction, they are considering offering Roka Blue Cheese Spread as a seasonal product.

I saw Kraft Roka Blue Cheese at Woodman's today.

Regards,

HI,

I love raisin swirl breads toasted, spread with butter and a little sugar sprinkled on top.

A new variation: Cranberry swirl bread by Thomas Muffin people only for the holidays. I found it at Big Lots last week. I looked for it at Jewel last night without success. REally good, if you like cranberries and raisin swirl breads.

Regards,

Chicago's once-a-year special holiday products

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

I like to make citrus peel candy from navel oranges, tangerine, lime and grapefruit. I have to hid it from my family because they eat it up as quick as I make it.

Last year, I started making date bread that is really dates and pecans with just enough eggs, flour and sugar to stick together. I serve it in very thin slices because it is rather rich.

I also made last year a fruitcake with orange jelly candies from Southern CAkes. Once the cake is finished, then you poke holes and pour an orange-powder sugar glaze that seeps into and around the cake. It tastes far better than my description may lead you to believe.

Regards,

Perhaps you can bring some samples to the dessert exchange...

I've just started back to making Stollen at Christmas. Other things are gingersnaps, linzer cookies, peppermint bark and eggnog cheesecake.

The Davoodas have developed a yen for ButterBraids at Christmas, as the local schools began selling them a few years ago. They are a frozen product but really quite good! I will try to remember to post info when ours arrive on 12/16

Davooda

My family has a number of once-a-year Christmas cookie recipes, but one of my favorites is this recipe for mock toffee made with saltine crackers. My personal rule is that I only make this in the month of December because otherwise I'd weigh 500 pounds. It's so good
and I just can't stop eating it.

(I actually broke down this year & made it before Thanksgiving. It was gone within a couple days...and I didn't give much away. I'm trying to resist making another batch. One year I made it and found that I'd left it in the oven too long and it burned. I set the tray outside to cool off before I tossed it, and planned to make another batch once I'd finished some other cookies. I went to throw it away & discovered that my entire family had been picking at it. In other words, it burned and hadn't even gotten around to topping it with chocolate but they still loved it.)

I have issues with wheat, so I don't bake nearly as much as I used to, but at Christmas I do like to make several batches of my favorites including apricot kolachki. Not the big honking bakery kind, but delicate, rolled very thin, cream cheese and butter dough, cut out with a drinking glass and 2 sides folded over, topped with a dusting of powdered sugar when cool. I make my version of Mexican wedding cakes using coconut and chai spices. I also like toffee squares with a shortbready crust. A couple of years ago I found a nice recipe for a fruit filled bar cookie with a streusel topping. I especially like it with Trader Joe's cherry preserves.