Christmas Recipes

Deserts

• Malva Pudding from Boschendal Winery and Restaurant, So. Africa
• Melomacarona Walnut and Honey Christmas Cookies from Greece
• Rice Custard
• Ricciarelli  Sienese Almond Cookies from Italy
• Panforte Sienese Dessert from Italy

Malva Pudding from Boschendal Winery and Restaurant, South Africa
submitted by Robin Fetsch, Cape Winelands Tours

We are pleased to present to you a wonderful recipe from one of  the historic estates in Franschhoek, in the Winelands of South Africa.  We feature Boschendal Winery, as well as many others in our "cutting edge" exclusive wine tours to South Africa. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 Tbsp. smooth apricot jam

• 1 cup cake flour

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• Generous pinch of salt

• 1 Tbsp. butter

• 1 tsp. White vinegar

• 1 cup milk

Sauce:

• 1 cup cream

• 6 oz. butter

• 1 cup sugar

• ½ cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350º F.  In a mixing bowl, beat egg, sugar and jam together on high for +/- 15 minutes.  In a separate bowl, sift together flour, soda and salt.  In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter carefully in microwave, then add vinegar and set aside. 

Add half of the milk to egg/sugar mixture, and mix together.  Then add half the flour mixture, and blend ingredients together.  Alternately mix in the rest of the milk, then the rest of the flour mixture.  Add butter/vinegar mixture and mix well.

Pour mixture into a pyrex or corningware baking dish (about 8 inches in diameter) and cover with lid or foil and bake for 45-60 minutes.  The pudding is cooked when it is a consistent rich brown in color.  If it is still pale in the center on top, it will need to cook a little longer.

Melt together the ingredients for the sauce and pour over the pudding as it comes out of the oven.   Let stand for several minutes, allowing sauce to soak into baked portion, then serve pudding.

Melomacarona - Walnut and Honey Christmas Cookies from Greece
submitted by Caterina Pizanias, Director, The Art Exchange

The Greek poet Odysseas Elytis once said that “if one was to take apart Greece, in the end all that would be left would be a grape vine, an olive tree, and a ship.”  The importance of the olive tree in Greek culture can be attested by the many myths of its origin and the centrality of oil in the cooking traditions and rituals of every day life.  We all know of the competition between the goddess Athena and her brother Poseidon to attract the flavor of the inhabitants of the city that would become Athens – a city named after Athena in appreciation of her giving the residents a cultivated olive tree.  Other oil producing areas have their own variations of the olive tree as a gift of the gods, such as in Crete and the Peloponnesse.  And just like the many myths of origin of the first olive tree, so there are many variations of “melomacarona,” a Christmas cookie that is always made with olive oil as its basic ingredient.  Christmas will never be Christmas for Greeks without a batch or two of the most flavorful melomacarona!  The recipe that follows is one that has been used in my family as far back as we can remember.

Cookie Ingredients:

• 2 cups olive oil

• 2 cups walnuts, coarsely ground

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup fresh orange juice

• Grated zest from two oranges

• ½ cup Greek brandy

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• Enough sifted flour to make soft oily dough

Cookies

In a bowl we put the oil, the walnuts, the sugar, the orange juice, orange zest, and baking powder.  We mix well the ingredients.  We add the baking soda to the brandy and mix well; we then add it to the bowl with the other ingredients.  We then slowly add the flour to make soft dough.

We take enough dough to form an oval shaped cookie (approximately two inches).  It is customary to decorate the top of the cookie by cross-pressing with a fork, or pressing the cookie on a cheese grate.   We line a cookie sheet with wax paper and arrange the cookies.  We bake at 180º C for about 30 minutes.  When they are done we let them cool on the cooking tray while we prepare the honey syrup.

Honey syrup ingredients

• 2 cups honey

• I cup water

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 cup very finely ground walnuts

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

• ½ cup powdered sugar for garnish

Honey Syrup

In a pot we put the honey, water, and sugar, adding a few drops of fresh lemon juice, and we bring to a boil (approximately 5 minutes).  There will be some foam, which should be removed.   Using a large perforated spoon, dip 5-6 cookies at a time into the (slowly) boiling syrup. Once the cookies have absorbed a little of the syrup, remove with same spoon to a tray to cool and get rid of any excess syrup.  Continue until all cookies have been dipped in the syrup.  We then remove the cookies to a serving tray and sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon, cloves and finely ground walnuts.  This recipe makes about 40 cookies.

Kala Xristougenna!/ Merry  Christmas!

Rice Custard
submitted by, Lucia Anreus, Experience Panama

• 2 cups rice

• 1 can condensed sweetened milk

• 1 can evaporated milk

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 2 whole cloves

• Dash salt

• 3 cups of water

Cook rice in salted water until tender. Add remaining ingredients and mix with a fork, simmer for 15 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Variations add 1/2 cup of pineapple or shredded coconut or raisins. (Coconut is my favorite)

Ricciarelli - Sienese Almond Cookies from Italy
submitted by Judy Witts Francini, Divina Cucina

Serves about 16 cookies

• 6 ounces blanched ground almonds
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 drops almond extract
• Extra powdered sugar for rolling in
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Grind the almonds. Add the powdered sugar. Combine the baking powder with the flour and fold in. Beat the egg whites until stiff and mix into the almond mixture. Add the almond extract and blend until you have a soft paste.

Place some powdered sugar on a clean, dry surface. Form one tablespoon of dough into a small ball, roll in the sugar, and then form the traditional diamond shape, flattening the cookie with the palm of your hand.

Place the cookies on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden.

Ricciarelli are fabulous with tiny cubes of candied orange peel rolled into them and then dipped in chocolate.

Panforte - Sienese Dessert from Italy
submitted by Judy Witts Francini, Divina Cucina

“Everyone should try being Italian at least once a year”

I've made my home in Florence since 1984. I started Divina Cucina in 1988 with a simple aim -- to share my knowledge of Italian cuisine and culinary history with fellow food lovers in and around Florence.  I've lived in Florence among food enthusiasts, exchanging ideas and recipes, frequently lunching with chefs, and developed my own style that is relaxed and entertaining. That's La Divina Cucina's style!

Serves 12

• 1 pound unskinned mixed toasted nuts (almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts)
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice mix (the Sienese recipe for the spice
• mixture has a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and coriander)
• 1 teaspoon finely ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon bittersweet cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 pound mixed dried fruits, figs, apricots, candied orange peel,
• or prunes (I've even found candied melon!)
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix the fruit and nuts together and toss with the flour, spice mixture and cocoa powder.

Heat the sugar and honey together until boiling. Let boil for 1 minute.

Take off the heat and stir in the dried fruit mixture.

Prepare a 9-12 inch round baking pan. Line with parchment paper. Pour mixture into pan.

Bake for 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Let cool.
Dust with powdered sugar.

Serve in tiny slices with a glass of sweet dessert wine or a good cup of coffee.

You can also make a more flavorful topping by combining the same spice
mixture and cocoa powder with the powdered sugar for the dusting.