Edible Holiday Gifts

I love my friends and family dearly, but braving crowded shops to hunt for gifts for them is pretty low on my list of desires this time of year. What I love to do instead is hunker down in the kitchen to stir hot, bubbling caramel on the stove, roll out gingerbread guys and gals, mix and bake cookies, and then wrap it all up to give as gifts. There is joy in the making and joy in the giving of homemade holiday treats, which is a lot more than I can say about a trip to the mall.

I send some of my treats across the country to my family and a lot of it goes to work with P, but I love having little bags of treats all packed up and ready to go for when an unexpected visitor pops by or I meet a friend for coffee around the holidays. It's a simple, inexpensive way to show people that I am thinking about them during this season that seems to get more and more hectic every year.



You can see a few of my favorite ways to pack treats for the holidays in these photos. I like to keep it really simple and gravitate towards unbleached parchment paper, Weck jars, glassine bags, natural twine (from the hardware store), little bits of nature, and baker's twine to wrap my treats. I've owned the spool of baker's twine pictured in these for 5 years and it never seems to get any smaller.

Edible Holiday Gift Recipes

You can find my favorite Gingerbread Cookie Recipe (for ornaments and eating) in the new holiday issue of Foodiecrush Magazine, out today!

Apple Cider Caramels, pictured in the top photo are straight from Deb at Smitten Kitchen, but I cooked mine to 250º instead of 252º which the recipe suggests because I wanted them to be a bit soft. Oh, and make a double batch. You won't regret it.

Nibby Brownies (a family favorite)
Squash Harvest Loaf
Spicy Caramel Cashew Corn
Apple Butter

And a few more from the photos

Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookies
adapted from Alice Medrich
yield 48-55 cookies
These aren't really a classic holiday cookie, but it has become my own tradition to make them every December. The unusual combination of buckwheat and cacao nibs makes them special enough for gift giving.
1 ¼ cups (5.6 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (3 ounces) buckwheat flour
½ lb unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cacao nibs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours.
2. In a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and salt until smooth and creamy but not fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in the cacao nibs and vanilla, and beat to incorporate. Add the flours and beat on low speed until just incorporated. The mixture will seem very dry, but the dough will eventually come together. The dough is very thick so sometimes I use my hands for the last bit of mixing so my mixer doesn't have to work so hard
3. Form the dough into a long (about 12'')  log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap well and refrigerate at least two hours, or overnight.
4. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
5. Using a thin, sharp knife, carefully cut the dough into ¼-inch-thick slices. Place slices on the prepared baking sheets, spacing each cookie about 1 ½ inches apart.
6. Bake until cookies just begin to color around the edges, about 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the sheet pans halfway through the cooking time. Transfer to wire racks, and cool the cookies on the baking sheets (or slide the parchment onto the rack to free up the pans). Cool completely before eating or storing. Repeat with remaining dough. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 month. They also freeze really well.

Candied Citrus Peel
This method works for most citrus fruit and is simple as can be. I used yuzu peels above, but oranges, grapefruit, lemons or meyer lemons would work as well.

Citrus Fruit (4 oranges, 6 lemons, or 3 grapefruit)
4 cups water
4 cups plus 1/2 cup sugar

1. Using a paring knife, make 6 slits along curve from top to bottom of each citrus fruit, cutting through peel but not into fruit. Using your fingers, gently remove peel. Slice each piece of peel lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Using a paring knife, remove excess white pith from each strip and discard.
2. Place strips in a large saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then drain
3. Bring 4 cups sugar and 4 cups water to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Add the boiled of citruspeel to the boiling syrup, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until strips are translucent, about 20-40 minutes. Remove from heat, and let strips cool in syrup. Reserve the syrup for another use (cocktails).
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer strips to a wire rack placed on a rimmed baking sheet. Let the strips dry for a few hours then roll strips remaining sugar. Arrange in a single layer on a wire rack, and let dry for at least 8 hours.

Lebni Tart with Persimmon and Pomegranate

Next up in my unofficial holiday "Parade of Tarts" is this jeweled beauty. The base, hiding underneath all of that fruit, is made from lebni (sometimes spelled labneh) which a yogurt cheese used often in the Mediterranean and Middle East. It's a lot like sour cream with some oomph, but the great thing is that it's tartness makes the finished filling like a nice, light cheesecake. The topping of sweet persimmon slices and crunchy pomegranate arils scattered on top like jewels makes it perfect for any holiday table.

A note on de-seeding a pomegranate: We eat a lot of pomegranates in my family over the holidays and my dad used to be in charge of de-seeding them. His technique was to cut the pomegranates in half and just bang the hell out them with a wooden spoon until all of the seeds fell out, which works just fine, but also makes the kitchen look like a crime scene. So, now I prefer this underwater method which is just a bit tidier.

Lebni Tart with Persimmon and Pomegranate

Sweet Tart Dough
adapted from Dorie Greenspan

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons cold, cubed butter
1 egg yolk
2 Tablespoons water

1. In the bowl of a food processor or with a pastry blender, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the yolk and pulse, then slowly stream in the water and pulse until the mixture begins to clump a bit.
2. Lightly butter your tart pan or pans and gently press the crumbly dough into the pan. Make sure to evenly coat the bottom and the sides while being careful to not compact the dough too much. You may have a bit of extra dough, save it just in case you have to repair any cracks later on. Freeze the tart shell(s) for 30min.
3. Preheat your oven to 375º and bake the tart shell on a baking sheet (no need for pie weights) until it is lightly golden, repair any cracks that may have formed with your leftover dough. While the shell is baking, prepare the filling.

Lebni Filling
adapted from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert
Alice cautions that the order in which the ingredients are mixed really makes a big difference in the smoothness of the finished tart, so follow these directions exactly or I'll tell Alice!

3 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups labneh (kefir cheese)

In a medium bowl whisk the eggs with the sugar, salt and vanilla. Then, whisk in the cheese.

To Bake

Turn the oven down to 300º

Pour the filling mixture into the warm tart shell and return to the oven to bake until the filling is set, but jiggles slightly in the center, about 15-20 minutes. Take care not to over bake the filling, as it will ruin the smooth texture of the filling.

To Garnish

Cool the tart completely then top with 4 peeled (a y shaped peeler is great for this task) and sliced fuyu persimmons (the short, chubby ones) and the arils from one pomegranate (about a cup's worth). Serve immediately. This tart is exceptionally good without the fruit, so if you can't find persimmons and pomegranates, don't let that stop you!

Gingerbread Cookie Clouds

If you follow me on facebook or twitter you may have noticed that I have been spending a bit of time away from APT 2B. There was just too much exciting stuff happening without me back home in Seattle so I decided to spend a nice chunk of time with my family and friends out west this holiday season. So here I am, in the great Northwest making wreaths and pine cone garland and chasing my parent's chickens around the back yard. It is glorious. I get to cook and bake for all of my favorite folks who I don't get to see too often and I have had lots of time to tackle some of my favorite holiday recipes. I usually make these gingerbread cookies to decorate the mantle in our apartment, but they are just as good for tea time. Happy Holidays everyone, I hope you all get to spend time with the folks you love most.

Gingerbread Cookies
from Simply Recipes
yield about 3dz, 3'' cookies

3 1/4c all-purpose flour
3/4t baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1T ground ginger
1T cinnamon
1/4t ground cloves
1/2t finely grated nutmeg
1/4t finely ground black pepper
1/2t salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and spices. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, then the molasses.
3. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. You may need to use your hands to finish the mixing as the dough is quite stiff. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hr.

When you are ready to bake heat oven to 350°.

1. Place one half of the dough on a lightly floured board, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/4'' thick if you prefer chewier cookies, 1/8'' thick if you prefer crunchy. Use a cookie cutter or stencil to cut out desired shapes. If you find the dough is too soft to cut into shapes, try refrigerating it on a sheet pan for a few minutes, then proceed to cut out your desired shapes.
2. Place the cut outs onto ungreased sheet pans or pans lined with silicone mats. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges have just barely begun to brown. Cool the cookies on the pans for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cook completely. Decorate as desired.

To Decorate

Royal Icing
from Simply Recipes
yield, enough to decorate about 3dz, 3'' cookies with lines and dots or about 1/2 that amount if you are filing in the cookies completely

1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 3/4 cup confectioners sugar

1. Combine all of the ingredients and beat with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) until stiff peaks form. See this link over at Simply Recipes to learn how to cook this icing to make it safe for pregnant ladies, old folks and kids. I used the microwave method because I know my pregnant sister in law was going to eat these cookies and the icing turned out great.

Use a pastry bag fitted with a #2 or #3 round tip and the stiff icing to add lines, shapes and dots to your cookies. You can also use this icing to outline cookies you plan to flood completely, as I did with my clouds. To fill the clouds, simply dilute the icing with a few drops of water or lemon juice and fill in the outlines you've made. For more detailed instructions, I have linked to a video below.

Notes
- For detailed decorating instructions I have to defer to my girl Martha. I've linked to a video where Martha and Aisha Tyler decorate sugar cookies, but all of the techniques are the same. Fast forward about 1/2 way through to get to the decorating part.
- I've made the Martha Stewart gingerbread cookie recipe in the past, but I find that the one above makes for a chewier cookie due to the slightly higher fat to butter ratio. I also prefer this combination of spices which is a bit milder than Martha's.
- These make great cookie ornaments, just pierce a hole in the top of the cookies before baking, decorate and put them up on your tree (or mantle). Remember to bake the cookies thoroughly and the cookies will puff a bit so make sure to make the hole big enough to put a string through.
- I got my incredible, handmade cloud cookie cutter from Herriott Grace.

Edible Holiday Gifts: Spicy Caramel Cashew Corn

Every year around this time I try to take up knitting. I've always wanted to give hand knit hats and scarves and chunky cowls as gifts, but every year I get about 20 rows into the same scarf and give up. Patience for learning new tasks is hard for me to come by these days. The thing is, I really love to give hand made gifts. So after giving up on knitting and purling I inevitably end up in the kitchen stirring boiling hot pots of sugar, rolling out cookie doughs and pulling the sprinkles down from the top shelf to decorate cookie ornaments. Over the years I've built up quite a repertoire of tasty gifts and this caramel corn is one of my favorite snacks to bring to a holiday party. It also looks oh so cute packed up in little jars or bags for party favors. It is salty, sweet with just a hint of heat from the cayenne pepper and it is totally addictive. I use mushroom corn here which is a super fluffy variety of popcorn that is just perfect for holding lots and lots of tasty caramel and can handle the stirring without breaking, but good old fashioned jiffy pop works too.

Spicy Caramel Cashew Corn
yield about 2 quarts of finished caramel corn

3T oil
1/2c popcorn kernels (mushroom corn if you can find it)
2c sugar
3T butter
1T salt
1 1/2t baking soda
1/2t cayenne pepper
1t cinnamon
1/2t freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups salted cashews

To Pop the Corn

Use an air popper OR if you are like me, do it on the stovetop

1. Heat the 3T of oil in a large heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat, drop a few un popped kernels in there while the oil is heating. When the kernels pop, the oil is ready to go.
2. When the oil is hot, toss in the 1/2c of popcorn kernels, put on the lid and shake the pan back and forth a few times to coat all of the kernels with hot oil. As the popcorn pops, shake the pan every 30 seconds or so to prevent the bottom kernels from scorching. Once the time between "pops" slows down to a few seconds, it's done. Immediately turn the popcorn out into a large bowl.
3. When the pop corn is cool, carefully go through and remove all of the un-popped kernels then pour the cashews on top of the popcorn, without stirring them in.

For the Caramel

1. Lightly oil 2 wooden spoons or spatulas (these will be used to stir the caramel into the popcorn) and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or lightly oil it (this will be used to cool the caramel covered corn).
2. In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat add the sugar, butter, salt and 1/2c water. Bring the mixture to a boil (without stirring) and let it boil vigorously until it turns a light golden caramel, 10-14min.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the spices and baking soda. The baking soda will make the mixture foam and expand so make sure you are using a large pot. The spices will cause the caramel to darken in color.
4. Immediately and carefully pour the caramel over the popcorn and cashews, grab your oiled spatulas and start gently tossing the mixture together. Keep stirring until the corn and cashews are evenly coated, then turn the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and gently separate the kernels. You don't need to go crazy here, but try to get it in an even layer.

To give as gifts

Package a few cups of the corn in a mason jar, weck jar, or pretty glassine bag tied with a ribbon and a label.

Notes

- To wash all of your caramel covered bowls, spoons, and pots just soak them in really hot water and all of the sugar will just melt off.
-You can buy your own mushroom popcorn kernels here. I've ordered from JustPoppin.com quite a few times and their customer service is great, plus I really like their name.

Thanksgiving in Connecticut

Every year that I've lived in New York I've done something different for Thanksgiving. I quite enjoy going from place to place, seeing how other families celebrate and I always feel honored when I am asked to participate in their traditions. This year we spent the holiday at the home of a dear friend in Connecticut and it was amazing. The house has the most incredible kitchen with a big, solid cast iron stove, a larder, and even a butler's pantry full of dishes from all over the world. Its one of those places that is so full of positive warm energy that it is impossible not to have a fabulous time. When my hosts found out that I was a baker by trade they asked me to dream up some desserts for a few dinners including Thanksgiving and I was more than happy to pitch in. I kept my Turkey Day pies pretty traditional, two pumpkin and apple with all butter crusts, and topped them with freshly whipped cream. So what if the crusts got a little burnt because my designated oven turner-downer got distracted while engrossed in a good book, the apple pie pictured here fared far better than the pumpkin. These weren't my best looking pies ever, but the plates were licked clean and we were all contently stuffed and in bed before 10pm. The next day we made brownie sundaes with hot fudge and salted caramel sauce (for 20) but it was too dark to snap a photo. Needless to say, they were a big hit.

All Butter Crust from here
Apple Filling from here
Pumpkin Filling from here plus a few grates of nutmeg

Cranberry Quince Preserves

I don't know about you guys but come Thanksgiving Day I am all about the sides. I usually skip the turkey all together, opting to pile my plate high with stuffing, potatoes and veggies while making sure to save lots of room for pie and ice cream. Cranberry sauce tends to be an overlooked and generally unliked part of turkey day dinner, but for me, no holiday spread is complete without a big bowl of the vibrant red stuff. This year I can't wait to crack open a jar of this sweet, spicy, tart preserve and slather it on some parker house rolls and I am going to send my family in Seattle a jar so they can do the same. What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving?

Cranberry Quince Preserves
yield, about 4 pints

3/4lb fresh or frozen cranberries
1 1/2lbs peeled, cored, and diced quince (1/2'' sized pieces)
4c sugar
3c water (ed 11/12)
2 oz peeled and grated fresh ginger, about a 3'' long piece, less if you would prefer a less spicy preserve
Zest and juice of one lemon
Zest and juice of one orange
cleaned and sterilized jars and lids

1. In a large pot over medium high heat dissolve the sugar into the water, then add the chopped quince, grated ginger, lemon zest and juice, and the orange zest and juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the quince is soft. About 15 min.
2. When the quince has softened, add in the cranberries and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the cranberries have popped and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 15-20min.
3. Ladle the hot preserves into prepared jars, wipe the rims with a clean towel and process in a hot water bath for 10min.

Carrot Cake

I've never really felt one way or another about carrot cake. I mean, I recognize it as a classic and all but I wouldn't really say that it was in my repertoire until I was challenged to a carrot cake cook off over a game of cards last spring. Well friends, I love a good competition and I really love hanging out with other folks who like to bake so I immediately accepted and imagined a big blue ribbon pinned to my chest. When the time came I tested and labored and fretted over the cake then over the frosting. I settled on a dairy and egg free cake (wacky I know) that was the moist, slightly spicy cake of my dreams. For the frosting, I knew that I wanted to go a little non-traditional because I've never really been a fan of the extreme sweetness of traditional cream cheese frosting. I turned to my favorite swiss buttercream with hopes that it's smooth texture and subtle sweetness would lend itself to the addition of cream cheese. I whipped up a batch and enriched it with some tangy cream cheese and the tiniest bit of lemon zest and my goodness. I had created a buttercream that tasted like fluffy whipped cheesecake, victory was mine! The day of the Carrot Caketacular came and I packed up my prize winner in a wicker basket, hopped on the subway and hoped for the best. Five cakes were offered up to the masses, votes were cast, fingers were crossed and no one was more shocked than me when my cake fetched second place. What?! Second Place?! It was a pretty narrow margin between me and #1, so I blame the raisins. I was the only one who used 'em and I guess there were a lot of raisin haters there that day. Not even my revolutionary frosting could save me.

You see that last photo up there? The hosts lovingly tied a frilly topped carrot to their buzzer to mark the spot, so cute!

Vegan Carrot Cake (Don't knock it til you try it)

2 1/4c flour
1c packed brown sugar
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1t ginger
1/2t freshly ground nutmeg
3/4t salt
1 1/2t baking soda
1/2t baking powder
1c plus 2T orange juice (room temp)
1/2c canola oil
1 1/2T apple cider vinegar
1T vanilla extract
1/2c golden raisins (or not, if you don't like em)
1c toasted and chopped pecans
2c peeled, grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350, grease and line 2 9'' pans with parchment paper

1. Add raisins to room temperature orange juice to soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in the pecans
3. In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Then stir in the orange juice with raisins, and carrots
4. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture all at once and fold gently to combine.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 20-25min or until a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Let the cakes cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then invert on a rack to cool completely before assembly.


Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream (not vegan)
makes about 4 cups (enough for your cake, plus a little extra)

5 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
8oz unsalted butter, room temp
8oz cream cheese, room temp
1T vanilla extract
1/2t lemon zest

1. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese until no lumps remain, then blend in the vanilla and lemon zest.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk continuously until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch (5-7min).
3. Using your whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture until stiff glossy peaks form and the mixture has cooled completely (up to 10ish minutes). If you get ansty and don't let the mixture cool completely you will end up with frosting soup and no one wants that. Don't get antsy.
4. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter/cream cheese mixture about 1/4c at a time and beat until smooth.

During this last step it is VERY possible that your frosting will 'break" and you will think you messed something up. Good news! You didn't! Mine breaks almost every time I make it too. All you have to do is turn up the speed on your mixer for a moment, until the mixture comes back together and then keep adding the butter mixture until your buttercream is smooth and creamy.

Did I mention that this frosting requires patience? It does, I really mean it, but most really good things require a little patience.

For a more traditional cream cheese frosting (that requires less patience), try this or for maple cream cheese frosting, check here. You really can't lose, anyway you shake it, cream cheese frosting is delicious.

To assemble the cake:

Peel the parchment paper from the layers and place one onto your serving platter or pedestal, domed side down. Scoop about 1 cup of frosting onto the cake layer and spread evenly. Place the other cake on top, domed side up for a more homestyle look, domed side down for a cleaner look. Cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (a crumbcoat) and refrigerate for about 30 min. Pull the cake out and spread another, thicker layer of frosting on the top and sides. Put it back into the fridge if the frosting is really soft, but make sure to serve the cake at room temperature.