Dutch Blanket, Almond Pastry

This might be one desert that creates an irresistible urge to devour on whatever holiday evening it is served.

Every late November, the day after Thanksgiving my mother bought a five pound can of Almond paste from the Dutch store where my grandmother lived in Grand Rapids Michigan.  Originally in the 1970's as I remember the store it was the main floor of a little house in what felt like an industrial part of town.  The friendly Dutch owners lived upstairs and in great hospitality always gave us treats when we visited.  Now the store can be found for worldwide international shipping and is known as Peters Imports, I believe it is still in the family.  \

In my family any of the almond pastry goodies were always the first treats to disappear.

To make the treat start with a buttery pastry crust.  Roll it out to shape and add the almond paste in the middle and roll it closed.  Top it with a brushed egg, bake at 400 then cool.  Drizzle icing over it.  Mom put those suspecting maraschino cherries on top for decoration but that's for you to dare.
 

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

1 c. (2 sticks) cold butter

1⁄4 cup ice water

3⁄4 cup sugar

1 cup almond paste

1 egg, lightly beaten

egg beaten to brush on top, together with 1 tablespoon of water

icing

Instructions

Mix 1/2 teaspoon salt in 2 cups flour  

Cut 1 cup of cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour

Add ice water gradually, mixing well
Refrigerate to chill thoroughly

Combine egg, sugar, and almond paste; refrigerate to chill.

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Divide dough into two to four portions, depending on your crust thickness preference

Onto a lightly floured board, roll each portion into a 12 x 4-inch rectangle

Turn out the almond mixture and shape into four rolls about 11 inches long placing each roll onto each pastry rectangle

Brush one long edge with water; roll pastry around filling, rolling toward wet edge. Place rolls, seam side down, on ungreased baking sheets. Prick with fork and brush with diluted egg yolk, if desired. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325° F and bake 20 minutes longer. When rolls are cool, cut into 1/2-inch slices.
from:  https://www.solofoods.com/recipes/dutch-banket

Christmas Eve Traditions

Christmas Eve Traditions

Christmas Eve was show time for Mom to present us with her sweet tooth fixations.  We loved it!  A pretty table full of goodies!  What could be better?  It made things so festive and warm! 

At dark, which was early in Michigan, the house would begin to come alive with the final preparations for the evenings upcoming festivity!  While already for weeks the Christmas lights were put on, the star on the tree-top lit, and the tried and true decorations were in place including a fresh poinsettia flower, wreaths with many candles in the middles and a quaint manger setting that the moss on the roof had been reguled on.  At times the decorations were experimental, the year of the snow-flocked tree and that one with the snow flocked windows.  Sometimes the decorations got carried away but the beauty of the standards always remained and held tradition.  The last presents, and there always seemed to be a million of them, Mom was wrapping in her room and the younger kids, at her request went back and forth, carrying them to place strategically under the tree wherever they deemed best. At times it would piles of one person or another, or at other times, reorganized to not organized. Sometimes we would make guesses at what were in them, but we only did that on the ones where we safely couldn't tell what they were. 

Dad was usually hiding in his study around this time, with his nose in a book.  Soon he would appear and pointedly sift through his record album looking for what would always be Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. He would carefully place the black and magical thing on the player that came out of the wall and the needle would meet the edge to ignite a brillant sound which would warm the house even more. 

There were some earlier years when we all got dressed up, piled in the family station wagon and went to mass at midnight in a beautiful church we didn't know so that we could enjoy the music and the beauty of celebrating Christ mass. I liked that we each our own candle to hold.  Later in the mass, lit candles were passed by pretty angles at the end of each aisle until the entire congregation was alight at the same moment and a choir sang.  As the older kids begged not to go to mass, and the older ones became more and more, we stopped going to mass.  Mom tried to make our own candle lit experience but eventually Christmas eve was spent in the beauty of our own home and the focus became more fun where we did skits and silly things after unwrapping the million presents and feasting on goodies all evening.





On Christmas Eve she always made something that sounded like it is spelled ollie bollion (?).  They were basically Dutch holiday donuts with alcohol plumped raisins and shaken in confectioners sugar, always made fresh after going to mass (even though we weren't catholic we went for the pretty candles and music).  And then opened presents after.


Mom always served the fudge on a plate of great honor.  Whether it was a small, heavy, pretty glass plate that one of us kids gave to her for Christmas the previous year or one of the antique ones with a chip and a crack that we had dug up on the back of our own property as kids and given proudly to her years ago.  Either way, the smallest morsels got snatched up the moment the announcement that the celebration of eating could begin.

Nearby on a pretty platter was always my other favorite: delectable pieces of her delicious almond pastry roll.  It was always one of the first things to disappear in the evening!  What never disappeared was that heavy, colorful homemade fruit cake that adults only ate and kids took accidentally but only ate the pink icing off the top.  I had heard that it was good as far as fruit cakes go though I still don't think I would eat it now.  Not forgotten but better was an actual homemade crumbly type of actual ginger bread that was made with candied ginger pieces and a graham sort of crust.  Mom got creative every year and made new cookies and deserts too.  I remember cookies with maple flavored icing, and nut filled treats.  There was a very special cookie made from whipped egg whites, sugar and almond paste.  They were so special she had to hide them really well from us, and they disappeared anyways though she made them every year.  The only store bought item on display was the white, ginger cookies called pfeffernuesse.  Delicious but a little avoidable as the powdered sugar always seemed to make a mess falling onto your nice clothes when you ate it.  I can't leave out the masterpiece of that years decorated Christmas Cookies us kids made.  It was always laid out on a nice large platter to show off only our best creative work and probably because that was what seemed most edible. 



Because there was punch you knew the festivities had begun!  It was a beautiful and tasty part of the Christmas Eve tradition!  As part of Mom's traditional holiday settings start the night before by making any mixture of orange and grapefruit juices and pouring them in anything to freeze to make ice.  She used a jello mold or a cake ring but it does not matter.  The important thing is the punch needs to be cold and undiluted by regular ice.  Add the flavored ice to the pretty punch powl when ready to serve.  You can use any large bowl or pan. Add mostly orange juice and some grapefruit juice.  You can also add another juices, like perhaps a strawberry nectar.  The two other important components are plenty of ginger ale and frozen strawberries that are sliced or quartered.  The strawberries float on the surface of the punch making the top of it red.  Because of the ginger ale the strawberries tingled in your mouth.

Fudge Like Mom's

• My mother was the biggest sweet tooth ever, and everyone loved her baking and her fudge! 

Every year she would begin holiday baking after Thanksgiving and we lucky kids, ten of us, would come home from school to a warm house filled with aromatic smells of cloves, ginger, almond paste and chocolate.  The chocolatey fudge smell was the most irresistible of all!  

My brother and I would sneak down to the freezer in the garage where the crumbly pieces were stored in coffee cans until Christmas Eve.  

The essence of coffee and the slow melting in the mouth because they was frozen somehow just made it all the more yummy!  

Mom made the original and traditional recipe of something that was probably on the can of evaporated milk or a jar of recently invented marshmallow cream. The only thing I know for sure is that it had more butter in it than most fudge recipes.  

She had a few tricks to make it special.  One was to add a little salt, which back then was unthinkable.  The second trick, which was probably an accident that became a tradition, and that was making it harder and dryer by bringing the cooking temperature past the usual soft-ball stage on the thermometer (but not all the way to hard-ball). 

Here is my recipe that best mimics the results of her loved fudge as I remember it!  Fudge is very easy but also even easier to ruin!  The keys to good results are full preparation and details.  Measuring chocolate out of the cold fridge at the last minute would be enough for a disastrous result. 

Butter any rectangular 13 x 9 or something thereof, baking pan.  Or if you desire actual nicely squared pieces and less broken bits line the pan with foil and carefully butter the foil with soft butter.  Have ready a piece of wax or parchment paper and oven pads to help spread the hot mixture later. 

Prepare, measure and set aside:

2 cups, slightly warmed semi-sweet chocolate pieces.  Warming in the microwave for just 30 seconds or a very short time will make a big difference in incorporating chocolate into a hotter, dryer mixture that is more difficult to work with that the usual softy fudge others make.  Keep the chocolate warm on the back of the stove or nearby.

2 cups (also slightly warmed) mini-marshmallows, or a jar of marshmallow creme that has been sitting in a pan of hot water to warm.  You'll need the hot wooden spoon or spatula to dish that sticky mixture out of the jar later!

1 to 2 cups of walnuts (optional) broken into halves or pieces, --not chopped

Set nearby, a little bowl full of ice and cold water.  This is very important for testing the heated mixture and getting it to just the right temperature.

Find a light-to-medium weight saucepan that is easy to pick up to work with (not a heavy pan).  It should be of medium to large size.  No lid will be needed.

Add:

2/3 c. evaporated milk (forgot to buy evaporated? you can boil down 1 1/2 cups of regular milk until it is 2/3 cup.  Or you can also use one part cream or half and half and one part milk)
3/4 c. unsalted butter

3 c.    sugar (yep, don't try reducing this part, it takes a lot of sugar to get the consistency right)

Bring the three above items to boil on medium heat.  Watching carefully and stirring often.  As soon as the actual boil happens set the timer for exactly five minutes.  Continue to stir almost the entire five minutes.  At the five minute mark (the "regular soft fudge point") continue stirring and cooking. 

After another minute, using the bowl of ice water begin to test the mixture by dripping a small amount onto the ice with the spoon you are stirring with.  Repeat testing every 30 seconds or so.
 

As soon it the dropped mixture on ice immediately maintains its shape and is slightly chewy, turn stove off and remove the pan from the heat.

Quickly hand beat in the chocolate, then the marshmallow and lastly the walnuts.

Pour into the prepared dish.  Spread evenly.  Because this style of fudge is more difficult to work with you should cover it with a sheet of wax paper, then using an oven mit press away to get it quickly to the edges of the pan.

Salt the surface with a salt grinder or coarse salt lightly.

Let cool for about 15 minutes, then cut into the fudge, scoring small, candy sized pieces.  When fully cooled, place a cookie sheet or cutting board on the top and flip upside down and shake from pan.   Peel foil from the fudge.  Or individually dig the pieces out of the pan if foil wasn't used.

Store in a coffee can or add coffee beans to the bottom of the container to get the essence.  Freeze until ready to use.

Another tip:  If you choose to use a darker chocolate, you can and any chocolate made into small pieces or even melted lightly will do. It will (naturally) be less soft and more hard.  Adjust your cooking time for slightly less time as the overall mixture will harden more.  In other words, your chewy ball can be softer.

Mom always served the fudge on a plate of great honor. 

Prime Rib Roast with Peppered Mustard Crust

This method of searing at a very high heat and then slow roasting to cool allows the juices to seal beautifully in the Prime Rib making it delicious enough for any special occasion!  The peppered crust compliments the beef in a mouth watering way that has become the preference and tradition for our Christmas dinner. 

Purchase at least a half Rib per person, or about one rib each for generous portions.  A prime rib roast, or standing rib roast, is cut from the back of the upper rib section of the steer, and it usually comprises a total of seven ribs. To make the seared Prime Rib, you'll need at least a three-bone rib roast, which can be cut either from the chuck end or the loin end of the rib section. This is from the same section known as Ribeye for steaks.
 
Important: Bring the Rib Roast all the way to room temperature before

starting! That is leave out OVERNIGHT!  Allow another 2 1/2 to 3 hours before serving it, for prep, roasting and cooling time.    The roast needs the oven all to itself, plan your other dishes accordingly.

When ready turn on the oven to preheat it as hot as it will get, yes a minimum of 550 degrees preferably hotter!!  This is the key!

While the oven is heating prepare the Roast:

Lightly oil the bottom of a roasting pan so that you will have drippings for gravy later, place the beef in it to work with and begin by rubbing the entire cut with salt well.

Next peel several cloves of garlic.  Make small cuts with a small, pointy and sharp knife straight down into the outer, FATTY PARTS of the meat ONLY.  Firmly push pieces of garlic cloves into the slits on top, it's ok if they stick out.  About 2-3 medium sized cloves per Rib will add a lot of flavor.  Cut up larger cloves and distribute.

In a small mixing bowl stir together 1/2 cup (or more) of creamy Dijon mustard (depending on Rib size) with 2 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons each of dried crushed rosemary and/or thyme.  Increase all amounts for larger if you need it.  Mix well then carefully spread the mixture onto the Roast, using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, covering everywhere and as thick and thoroughly as possible.

Next, tilting the roast carefully and starting towards the bottom, carefully sprinkle about half of a spice bottle of butcher-ground, black pepper heavily covering the mustard coating entirely!  Then re-coat any smeared off areas with the pastry brush and more mustard as you work your way up until the pepper completely seals in and covers the top. Do your best to cover the sides too. Butcher ground is not crushed pepper.  The better you coat every inch with the mustard mixture and pepper, the better you will seal in the juices and the more flavorful your roast and drippings will be. 

Now, if the oven is VERY HOT, that is preheated to a minimum 550, and the roast is also at room temperature (I can't emphasize this enough) it's time to place it inside closing the door very quickly to maintain the high oven heat! 

NOTE==the standard roasting recipes out there call for oven 500, 5 minutes per pound. 

Making the oven hotter and using less time will be juicer meat and a blacker outer crust and a smokey kitchen ---but worth it. 

As it sears and the outer crust blackens be ready to turn the fan on high and perhaps open doors and windows for a short time to reduce filling the house with smoke and causing the smoke alarm to go off.  This is expected.

Set the timer for at least 20 minutes for the smallest cut of ribs. For medium cuts, 25-33 minutes.  For whole sections maintain the heat for 28-35.  Doubtfully you would ever go past 40 minutes.  A rule of thumb is 5 minutes per pound, give or take on your cooking preference and oven and how much bone is in the meat. 

When the outer crust is blackened and by your timing and preference seems ready to settle down a bit, turn the oven OFF leaving the roast to slowly continue cooking and eventually cool, sealing the juices wonderfully within. 

DO NOT open the oven door until it's only barely warm, at least one hour, usually more! 

If you decide to use a meat thermometer it will be more as a novelty to look at in the end to confirm your success or gather information for the next roasting.  The meat temperature will keep raising after the oven is turned off and again, you shouldn't be opening the door to look at it.

Never cut into warm meat to "check it", this escapes the juices.  

Though this style of roasting always seems risky in the sense it will be undercooked or overcooked, it has been fool proof again and again.  If you follow the important basics of bringing the meat to room temperature, crusting it, searing it and then letting it roast slowly as the oven cools you will end up with a success.  I have never had anything less than a delicious roast using this method, though at times experienced an unintentional variety of meat temperatures: well to med-well or med-rare and med-rare to rare if under. But always delicious and something savory for everyone!

Expect the outer sides to be more roasted and the inner less done.  Adjust your minutes according to your preference.  Every minute counts so keep track and gage it with your intuition, experience and senses as best you can.  Definitely expect the outer crust to blacken and the oven to smoke as it sears.

Remember to keep the heat of the over to at least 550 for the first part, then leave the oven door CLOSED once it has been turned off!  This is the slow-roasting part of the cooking that makes your roast impressively juicy.

Don't worry if it looks like a black lump when you take it out of the oven.  Once it is served you will be pleased!

Consider serving with:
A sauce of horse-radish mixed with sour cream and seasoned with salt.
Garlic mashed potatoes.

Add bone broth or beef broth to the drippings right from the cooking pan of the meat ,adding leftover water from potatoes and/or other veggies, and thickened easily with a spoonful of mashed potatoes.

Asparagus, or brussel sprouts.

Add a robust Cabernet and you have a feast!