Pastry Queen Christmas: Big-Hearted Holiday Entertaining, Texas Style

Chapter one: Holiday Open House\  \ The annual Christmas parade in early December signals the beginning of the holiday party season in Fredericksburg. Long before that, local hostesses and businesses begin calling to inquire about catering. Last season, I provided desserts for a party in a magnificent home with breathtaking views of the night sky and the valley below. (City lights that dim the starlit sky are foreign to us here.) I put together several platters of mini Key lime pies, a bakery favorite included in this chapter. (At the bakery, and in the recipe on page 35, the pie is king-sized, making it much faster to produce than the bite-sized versions.) \  \ When customers ask for advice about giving holiday parties, an open house is always my first suggestion. Casual by definition, open houses work for groups of all sizes and ages. Serving the food buffet style frees you to move around and mingle with guests. Careful advance planning and do-ahead recipes are your keys to success. Many of the recipes in this chapter can be made at least one day before serving. (My Creamy Chicken Lasagna on page 24 can be made the day before and baked just before serving, and just about every dessert in this chapter can be made early.) When planning your menu, try to balance make-ahead recipes with those that need fixing the day of the party. \  \ When testing and developing recipes for this book, my coauthor and I shared a running joke involving a fictional Aunt Susie. On particularly grueling days, after testing numerous recipes with many left to go, I'd say, "Just get Aunt Susie to do it." We'd crack up and soldier on. There was a kernel of wisdom in our jest. You may or may not have an Aunt Susie, but enlisting family and friends to help with preparty cooking is an ingenious way to make party prep as much fun as the event itself. Plan the menu, buy all of the groceries necessary, have all of your recipes on hand, and invite a couple of friends over to help. Some of my most rewarding conversations have taken place over the kitchen counter. This approach could even work with your teenage children, although you may have to offer financial incentives.\  \ One of the best things about Christmas in Fredericksburg is that everyone seems to get into the holiday mood, including Beau, the bakery dog (above). It helps that we have our own little spirit of Christmas, Rosemary Estenson. The owner of the Fredericksburg Brewery next door to my Rather Sweet Bakery and Café, she's one of the town's chief Christmas organizers/enforcers. If Main Street merchants don't have their Christmas decorations up in time for the Christmas parade, they hear about it. This year, Rosemary paid a visit to Root, a clothing store on Main Street, to suggest that the window decorations needed beefing up. Owner Castle Heep complied and was glad she did. Her store looked extra festive for an open house held the night of the parade, and the place was packed. \  \  \ Old-Fashioned Eggnog\  \ Classic eggnog is not easy to make, but it is sure to dazzle your holiday guests. This version is cooked, to kill any bacteria in the eggs. And it can be made mostly in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Just before the guests arrive, whip the cream, fold it into the eggnog, and serve with a sprinkle of fresh nutmeg. One taste of this, and you'll happily give up grocery-store eggnog for good. Lucky for me, I don't have to go farther than my backyard henhouse for fresh eggs. I have Silkies, Rhode Island Reds, and Araucanas and I've named each hen after a first lady. (Unfortunately, Nancy Reagan ran off a while back, never to be seen again.) Each breed produces a characteristic egg. My favorites are the light blue-green Araucana eggs. Aside from standard chicken feed, my brood gets to feast on leftover bakery products, which I suspect gives their eggs a special Rather Sweet flavor.\  \ { Yield: Six 1-cup servings }\  \ 31⁄2 cups heavy cream \ 6 large eggs\ 11⁄2 cups sugar Pinch of kosher salt\ 1⁄4 cup Myers's dark rum\ 1⁄2 cup whiskey (preferably Crown Royal) or bourbon\ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste \ 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish\  \ In a large saucepan, heat 21/2 cups of the cream over medium-low heat until it begins to steam but not boil. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt. Using a heatproof measuring cup, measure out 1 cup of the hot cream. Gradually pour it into the egg mixture to temper, whisking constantly. In a slow, steady stream, pour the egg-cream mixture back into the saucepan with the hot cream. Continue to cook, whisking constantly over medium-low heat, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a large bowl and let stand until cool, at least 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Stir in the rum, whiskey (or bourbon), vanilla, and the 1 teaspoon nutmeg. Finish preparing, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.\  \ To serve, use an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the remaining 1 cup cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the eggnog mixture. Transfer the eggnog to a pitcher and serve immediately. Top each serving with a sprinkling of fresh nutmeg. \  \ TIP: The difference between freshly grated nutmeg and the finely ground stuff you find on the spice rack is enormous. Fresh nutmegs are available in the whole-spice section of most grocery stores. Grating the hard, round spice is much easier with gadgets made especially for grating nutmeg. Microplane and Zyliss make good ones.\  \  

Acknowledgments - xi Introduction - 1 chapter one Holiday Open House - 7Old-Fashioned Eggnog -  9Sweet Potato Scones - 10Cranberry-Walnut Scones - 13Savory Rice Balls - 16Mustard Baked Ham - 19Mamie's Marinated Green Bean and Artichoke Salad - 20Split Pea Soup - 21Green Chile and Cheddar Baking Powder Biscuits - 22 Creamy Chicken Lasagna - 24Pear and Apricot Jam Bars - 26Aunt Milbry's Fruitcake - 28Red Velvet Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream Cheese Icing - 30King-Sized Key Lime Pie - 35Tiny Whiskey-Glazed Eggnog Cakes - 37Panna Cotta Parfaits with Hibiscus-Berry Compote - 38Mr. Vallone's Italian Cookies - 40 Outdoor Tree Trimming - 43In-the-Bag Chili Frito Pie - 44Rather Minty Brownies - 46Coconut Snowballs - 48My Mistake Cookies - 49 chapter two Ranch Barn Brunch - 51Larry Doll's Famous Cranberry Margaritas - 52Texas Antipasto Platter: Sea Salt Roasted Almonds, Shrimp Rémoulade, Focaccia Bruschetta - 54Seasonal Fruit Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing - 58Brown Sugar Bacon - 61Cherry Tomatoes with Tequila-Lime Vinaigrette - 62Mexican Ranch Chilaquiles - 65Pan de Campo (Mexican Camp Bread) - 68Cast-Iron Skillet Potatoes - 71Apple-Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Swirl Icing - 72Earthquake Cake - 75Cowboy Cookies - 78Bite-Sized Sticky Buns - 79Sopaipillas - 80Cowboy Coffee Straight - 83 Making Gingerbread Houses - 85Gingerbread house - 87Sour Cream and Chicken Enchiladas - 92Guacamole with Pico de Gallo - 93Torched S'mores - 94Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Sandwich Bites - 96 chapter three Christmas Eve - 99LBJ Ranch Crown Roast of Lamb with Rice Stuffing and Jalapeño-Mint Sauce - 101Zucchini Timbales - 104Ensalada de Noche Buena (Christmas Eve Salad) - 105Oysters Rockefeller Soup - 106Blue Corn Blinis with Crab and Avocado Crema - 108Mascarpone Grits Cakes - 111Holiday Martinis: Prickly in Pink Martini, Texas Sunset - 112Martha's Best-Ever Rolls - 114Green Olive Beef Tenderloin - 117Sticky Toffee Pudding with Brandy Butterscotch Sauce - 118Apple Dumplings - 120Christmas Coconut Cake - 123Hot Mocha Cakes - 126Warm Pear Ginger Upside-Down Cake with Amaretto Whipped Cream - 128Mini Bourbon–Macadamia Nut Pies - 130 Cookie Decorating - 133Rebecca's Homemade Lollipops - 134Chicken and Egg Checkerboard Club Sandwiches - 135Fresh Veggies with Rather Sweet Ranch Dressing - 138Grandma's Sugar Cookies - 139 chapter four Christmas Day - 143Hot Spiced Citrus Claret - 145Crab in Ramekins - 146Green Bean Bundles - 147Baked Apple Pear Chutney - 149Texas Spice-Rubbed Roast Pork - 150Fresh Pear and Candied-Walnut Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette - 152Cajun Roast Turkey - 154My Mother's Best Corn Bread Dressing - 156Day-after-Christmas Cajun Turkey Gumbo - 158My Sister-in-Law's Candied Sweet Potato Casserole - 160Margie's Christmas Squash - 161Grandma Wyche's Gingerbread - 162Chocolate Cookie Crusted Eggnog Cheesecake - 165Carlton's Chocolate Chewies - 166 Wrapping Up the Holidays with Edible Gifts - 169Rosa's Tamales with Tomatillo Sauce - 172Butter Meringue Nuts - 176Cheese Crispies - 177Denise's Vanilla Caramels - 178Lola's Sunday Fudge - 179Chocolate Sauce - 180 chapter five New Year's Eve - 183Alice Lon's Champagne Punch - 185Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Quesadillas with Cranberry-Pecan Salsa - 186Paula's Scallop, Pancetta, and Radicchio Salad - 189Mother's Lobster Bisque - 190Black-Eyed Peas with Bacon, Onions, and Garlic - 191Shrimp 'n' Grits - 193Ken Hall's Standing Rib Roast - 195No-Peeking Popovers - 197Glazed Chocolate Pavé - 198Frances's Bread and Jam Pudding - 200Caramel Pie with Meringue Topping - 203Good Luck Truffles -  206 Appendix: Gingerbread House Templates - 208Index - 217

\ Publishers WeeklyThough Rather is kno with Alison Oresmanwn as the Pastry Queen, the author and baker-owner of the Rather Sweet Bakery and Café in Fredericksburg, Tex., covers a lot more than baked goods in this comprehensive collection of holiday recipes from her native state. Organized by event (holiday open house, brunch, Christmas Eve, etc.), Rather offers an array of ideas sure to keep table legs groaning and belts loosening. Red velvet cupcakes get a jolt of sour sweetness from mascarpone cream cheese icing, and a delicious Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Quesadilla is topped with a colorful pecan and cranberry salsa laced with orange zest, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and jalapeno. Decadent Creamy Chicken Lasagna, Oysters Rockefeller Soup and Chocolate Cookie-Crusted Eggnog Cheesecake each guarantee a memorable event, and Rather's Texas roots shine through in a duo of holiday martinis featuring prickly pear syrup, tamales with a tomatillo sauce, and a corn bread dressing (Mother's Best) so loaded with flavor that diners will forget any other kind exists. Helpful advice on advance preparations and clever variations abound; rounded out with packaging ideas for edible gifts and complete instructions on baking, assembling and decorating a gingerbread house (including templates), this is sure to become a holiday favorite. (Oct.)\ Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information\ \ \ \ \ Library JournalRather is the owner of the Rather Sweet Bakery and Café in Fredericksburg, TX, and author of The Pastry Queen, a collection of favorite recipes from the bakery. Fans of her first book may be a bit surprised to find that her second book includes more savory recipes than sweet ones, though there are plenty of desserts here. The recipes are grouped into menus for occasions, and most chapters also include a smaller selection of recipes and ideas for other holiday festivities, such as "A Cookie Decorating Party for Kids." Rather has an engaging style, and color photographs add to the book's appeal. For most baking collections.\ —Judith Sutton\ \ \