The Hostetter Christmas Manifesto 2009

 The Hostetter Christmas Manifesto 2009

Week of Christmas

Monday-finish Christmas newsletter
Tuesday-wrap presents, send presents
Wednesday-wrap presents, prepare Christmas eve food, wrap presents, prepare gifts for ladies at the church!
Thursday-get ready for Christmas Eve smorgasboard, hang stockings
Friday Christmas Day-open presents, eat, play games, sing and rejoice!

Saturday-Sledding, Game-A-Thon Day!

MENUS
(* denotes recipe given below)

 Christmas Eve  (At Brann's)
Christmas Smorgasboard-Sparkling Cider, Wine, Beer, Egg nog, Hot Buttered Rums, Baked Ham, Meatballs, Shrimp Cocktail w/ Christi's Homemade Cocktail sauce, Stuffed Mushrooms, Kettle Chips, Tiny Dills, *Jan Boyd's Cheese Ball,
Christmas Cookies 

Menus Continued

Christmas Day Brunch featuring Bill Duncan's Christmas gift, a lucsious Honey Baked Ham from http://www.honeybakedhams.com/  *Cinnamon Rolls,
*Swiss Chard and Sausage Frittata
Fresh fruit

Saturday (Henry and Anna arrive!) 
Breakfast at Katie Boyd's

Dinner *Emeril's Beef Tenderloin

Mounds of Mashed Potatoes

Salad

Green Beans with Crispy Shallots

*Dinner Rolls

*Chocolate and Nut Yule Log, Christmas Cookies

Sunday Lord's Day
Breakfast at Brann's

Recipes
Swiss Chard & Sausage Frittata

Serves 8

1 T olive oil

2 Italian sausages (8 oz total) cases removed

1/2 C each sliced red pepper, sliced mushrooms (we won't because of Henry:-) and chopped onion

1 Bunch Swiss Chard, chopped

8 large eggs (I get huge gorgeous brown eggs from my neighbors!)

1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 t salt

1. Preheat broiler with a rack set 4 inches from heat.  Heat oil in a large, ovenproof frying pan over high heat.  Cook sausage, stirring often, until browned, about 3 minutes.  Add bell pepper, mushrooms and onion and cook until vegetables are softened, abot 3 minutes.  Stir in Swiss chard, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 10 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a large bowl until starting to foam.  Stir in cheese and salt.  Pour mixture into pan with vegetables; cook on stove until the bottom sets, about 3 minutes.  Broil until firm and browned, 3 minutes. 

Dinner Rolls

1/4 C warm water

1 packets active dry yeast

1 1/2 C warm (115*) whole milk

1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for bowl and pans

1/4 C sugar

2 1/4 t salt

3 large eggs

6 to 6 1/2 C flour

1. Place water in a small bowl; sprinkle with yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.  In a large bowl, whisk together milk, butter, sugar, salt and 2 eggs.  Whisk in yeast mix.

2. Using a wooden spoon stir in 6 C flour, 1 C at a time until you have a soft, shaggy dough (if necessary add up to 1/2 C more flour.  Turn dough out unto a floured work surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes.  Butter the inside of a large bowl; place dough in bowl, turning to coat.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 1 1/4 hours.

3. Butter two 13 x 9 inch baking pans.  Divide dough in half.  roll each half into a 15" rope; cut each rope into fifteen 1 inch pieces.  Press each piece into a disk, then shape into a ball.  Arrange dough balls in prepared pans.  (To make ahead:   Wrap pans well, and freeze up to 2 months.) Cover pans loosely with plastic; let stand in a warm spot until rolls have doubled in size, about 1  1/4 hours (2 hours more if frozen.)

4. Preheat oven to 375* with racks in upper and lower thirds.  In a small bowl, beat remaining egg until blended: brush onto rolls. Bake until golden brown, about 20 mins. rotating pans back to front and top to bottom half way through.  Let rolls cool 15 minutes before serving.

Cinnamon-Nut Buns

You can adjust filling to suit your taste

for the filling:

1/2 C butter, room temperature, plus more for pans

1 C packed dark-brown sugar

2/3 C walnuts or pecans

1/2 C semisweet choco chips

1/2 t cinnamon

salt

1 recipe dinner Rolls (previous) prepared through step 2

flour, for work surface

for the glaze:

1 C packed dark-brown sugar

6 T butter

2 T water

1. Butter two 13 x 9 pans .  In a food processor, combine brown sugar, nuts, chocolate, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.  Pulse until coarsely ground; set nut mixture aside.

2. Divide dough in half.  Working with one half at a time (keep the other half covered w/ plastic wrap), roll dough out to a 16 x 10 rectangle on a lightly floured work surface.  Spread 4 T butter over dough, leavening a 1/2 inch border all around.  Sprinkle half the nut mixture over butter.  Starting at a long end, roll up dough like a jelly-roll; with a sharp knife, cut crosswise into 12 equal pieces.

3. Place buns, cut side down, in prepared pans.  (To make ahead; wrap pans well, and freeze, up to 2 month.) Cover pans loosely with plastic; let stand in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/4 hours.  (2 more hours if frozen).

4. Preheat oven to 375*, with racks in upper and lower thirds.  Bake buns until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through.  let cool 15 mins.
5. Prepare glaze:   In a small saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter, and water over medium, stirring until simmering; cook 1 min.  Drizzle glaze over buns; let stand 10 mins before serving.
Emeril's Beef Tenderloin with fresh herbs and horseradish
The high heat of the oven gives the roast a beautiful golden brown crust wtihout overcooking the interior.  The tenderlon is also great at room temp
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 C prepared white horseradish, squeezed dry
3 T grainy mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 beef tenderloin, trimmed about 4 lbs
coarse salt
and ground pepper
2 T fresh rosemary chopped
3 T fresh thyme chopped
1. stir together oil, horseradish, mustard, and garlic.  Place beef in bowl, and coat with paste.  Cover and refrigerate 6 hours (or overnight)
2. Preheat oven to 500*.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. 
3. Transfer beef to prepared sheet, and season all over with 3 T salt, 2 t pepper, rosemary, and thyme.
4. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of beef registers 125*, 40-42 minutes for medium-rare.  Tent beef with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes (or up to 2 hours); slice just before serving.
Chocolate and Nut Yule Log
Serves 8
nonstick cooking spray, for pan
4 large eggs, separated
3/4 C granulated sugar
1/4 t pure almond extract
1/2 C flour
1/4 t salt
confectioner's sugar, for dusting
Chocolate-Hazelnut Fill and whipped cream frosting (to follow)
1/2 C sliced almonds, toasted
1. Preheat oven to 350*.  Coat a jelly roll pan with cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper.  Coat paper with cooking spray; set aside
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with 1/2 C sugar until pale yellow.  Whisk in almond extract and flour just unil combined (do not overmix); set aside.
3. Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form.  While beating, slowly add remaining 1/4 C
sugar. (1 T at at time) and beat until stiff and glossy.  Whisk one third of beaten egg whites into yolk mixture; gently fold in remaining whites with a rubber spatula.  Spread batter evenly in prepared pan; bake until center of cake springs back when lightly pressed.  15 to 17 minutes. 
4. Immediately, after removing cake from oven, run a knife around edge of pan.  Dust top of cake with confecioners's sugar; invert cake onto clean parchment paper, and gently peel off the lining paper that's now on top of the cake.  Starting from a short side of cake, gently roll cake, along with a clean paper into a log; let cool, seam side down.  30 minutes.
5. Once cake has cooled, prepare filling and frosting;  Gently unroll cake, and spread with filling, leaving a 1/2 inch border; starting from a short side, carefully re-roll (do not roll paper in cake), and place seam side down, on a baking sheet or serving platter.  Spread log with frosting sprinkle with almonds.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
6. To serve use a serrated knife to slice off the ends of the log neatly, revealing interior,  dust with confectioners' sugar. 
Chocolate-Hazelnut filling and whipped cream frosting
1 t unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4 ounce envelope)
1/4 C chocolate-hazelnut spread, 2 1/4 C heavy cream
1/4 C sugar
1. Place 2 T cold water in a small saucepan; sprikle with gelatin, and set aside to soften, about 5 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk chocolate-hazelnut spread with 1/4 C cream, set aside.
3. Heat gelatin mixture very gently over low, stirring just until dissolved; set aside,
4., In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat remaining 2 C cream with sugar until soft peaks form.  While still beating pour dissolved gelatin mixture over cream all at once (gently reheat gelatin mix if it has stiffened.)
5. Fold half of whipped cream into chocolate-hazelnut spread mixture to finish the Chocolate-Hazelnut Filling; the remaining whipped cream is the Whipped-Cream Frosting.
Jan Boyd's Christmas Cheese Ball
1 1/2 pounds sharp cheddar (15 oz total)
1-8 oz package cream cheese
2 T Miracle Whip (or mayo)
2 T chives
1/4 t salt
1 small sweet onion
Grate cheese and let it warm to room temperature. Mix with all other ingredients (at room temperature).  Add chives last and knead in.  Make into balls and roll in roasted pecan tips.

All rare art images by SalamithWulfing

Merry Christmas Everyone!