Recipes

Christmas Treats Recipes


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scamper in the kitchen

Merry Christmas!

There are some special holiday delights that really have become an expected component of our family Christmas. We leave the cookie making to Brother Scamper. He has a tendency to get a little braggadocios about his secret recipe for the chocolate chip ones but we try to let it go because they actually are darn good and we figure we can coax it out of him this year with our newly improved eggnog concoction.

The instant we get it out of him, we’ll post it. That’s what you get for keeping secrets from your sister!

The newly improved Christmas truth serum, aka Eggnog

scamper's eggnog

Ingredients

  • 4 c milk
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 12 egg yolks
  • 1 1/2 c sugar
  • 3 c light rum
  • 4 c light cream
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Preparation

  1. Combine milk, cardamom, 1/2 tsp vanilla and cinnamon in a sauce pan and heat on low for 5 min
  2. Gradually increase the heat to boiling
    In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar
  3. Start whisking the yolks and slowly whisk in the sugar until it’s light and fluffy
  4. Slowly whisk the hot milk mixture into the yolks
  5. Heat on a med- low flame, stirring constantly, for 3 min or until it thickens
  6. Do Not Let It Boil. It will separate
  7. Let it cool for 1-2 hrs and stir in the rum, cream, additional vanilla and nutmeg
    Refrigerate overnight but if you’re in a pinch 6 hrs will do.
  8. For the record, a pinch would be defined by the need to loosen a sinister recipe secret keeper’s lips

Chocolate Candy Cane Bark

If you decorate your tree with candy canes like we do, why not put them to good use on Christmas morning after opening the presents? This simple recipe is quick and easy and it can be ready in time for the holiday meal dessert

chocolate candy cane bark

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chocolate chips
  • 1-2 Tbsp heavy cream
  • A big fat bunch of candy canes from the tree

Preparation

  1. Open up the candy canes and put them in a paper bag.( A plastic bag will work too but they have a habit of breaking when the candy cane crushers get aggressive )
  2. Let the kids crush the candy canes while you melt the chocolate
  3. You can melt it on either the stove with a double boiler or in the microwave for about 30 seconds at a time until it’s liquified
  4. Stir in the cream until it’s smooth
  5. Thank your handy elves for crushing the candy canes and stir them in, (the canes not the elves)
  6. Pour the mixture onto a sheet of foil and refrigerate it until it’s solid, about 3 hrs
  7. Break it up and serve it

Peppermint Meringues

Most meringue recipes include a small amount of cream of tarter to help stiffen the egg whites. It may be a personal issue but we've always regarded that as a lazy cheat. It may make your whites peak a little faster but why add some wine barrel residue if you don't have to? Oh yes, that's what it is. It will act as a fail safe to stabilize your egg whites, just in case but eeeww!

Peppermint Meringues

Ingredients

  • 6 egg whites. Make sure not to get any yolk in there or you’re finished before you begin. They will never peak
  • 1 1/2 c super fine sugar
  • A handful of crushed candy canes or 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
  • A pinch of salt

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 250 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
  2. Beat the egg whites and pinch of salt preferably in a copper bowl, on med- high until frothy
  3. Slowly add sugar while continuing to beat
  4. When stiff peaks form, stop
  5. If you over beat them, they dissolve
  6. Fold in the crushed candy canes
  7. Either use a spoon to plop dollops on the cooking sheet or use a pastry bag and pipe out stylized morsels. We go for the plopping method. It’s more rustic but we like it
  8. Bake them for 1 hour
  9. Do not open the oven for 2 hours
  10. Just turn off the heat and let them sit there
  11. After that you can enjoy some delicious and fat free Christmas delights

Have a Merry Christmas and enjoy your treats!

About the author

The Scamper

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