Walnut and orange snowballs

This is my last holiday recipe and also the last post of the year – now it’s time to finish up wrapping the presents and start preparing the food for Christmas Eve.

I wish you all wonderful holidays – thank you for keeping me company in 2009. I hope to see you all here in January!

xx

Walnut and orange snowballs
from Donna Hay magazine

250g unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (105g) icing sugar, sifted
1 cup (105g) walnuts, finely chopped
finely grated zest of 1 large orange
2 ½ cups + 2 ½ tablespoons (375g) all purpose flour, sifted
icing sugar, sifted, extra, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 10-15 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the walnuts, orange zest and flour and beat in slow speed until combined.
Roll two teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls, place onto prepared baking sheets 5cm (2in) apart and flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes then dust well with the extra icing sugar.

Makes 55 – I got 42

Chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies

No Christmas food series would be complete without a gingerbread recipe – these are from Martha’s website and they are delicious!

I placed the cookies in little bags and tied them with a red ribbon: they are going to be one of the gifts to my coworkers – I hope they like them!

Are you making edible gifts this year, too? I’d love to hear about them.

Chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies

196g (7oz) best-quality dark chocolate
1 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon (220g) all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup (88g) dark-brown sugar, packed
½ cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

Chop chocolate into 6mm (¼in) chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 ½ teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 2.5cm (1in) thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
Preheat oven to 165°C/325°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper. Roll dough into about 3.7cm (1 ½-in) balls; place 5cm (2in) apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 2 dozen – I used 1 leveled tablespoon of dough per cookie and got 42

Cinnamon candy canes

Oh, yes, more Christmas recipes – and get ready, because there are still a few more to come. :)

These cookies are easy to make - and shape, I promise - and the granulated sugar adds a nice sparkle to them. The recipe comes from DH mag #24, the first issue of that magazine I ever got and it was a present from my good friend Valentina. After taking a look at that issue, I immediately subscribed and became addicted – but that you’ve already noticed. :)

For more holiday inspiration, check the lovely Paul’s beautiful Christmas countdown.

Cinnamon candy canes
from Donna Hay magazine

¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (184g) unsalted butter*
1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (218g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ½ cups + 2 ½ tablespoons (375g) all purpose flour
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 egg white, lightly beaten with a fork
granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Place butter, sugar and cinnamon in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the flour, egg and egg yolks and process until a smooth dough forms – my processor wasn’t strong enough to process the dough, so I prepared it on my Kitchen Aid using the paddle attachment. Lightly knead the dough, divide in two parts and wrap each one in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Roll 1 leveled tablespoon of the dough to form a log (roughly 10cm/4in long). Carefully bend the top to form a candy cane and place onto prepared sheets, 2.5cm (1in) apart. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool.
Brush the canes with the egg white and sprinkle over the sugar. Store the cookies in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks.

* the recipe wasn’t specific about the temperature of the butter, so I used it cold but not too firm (left it out of the fridge for 20 minutes or so)

(Note: pregnant women should not eat raw egg white)

Makes 40

Dark chocolate, cinnamon and hazelnut truffles

A quick look at my sweet recipe index and you'll notice that I don’t make truffles very often – I love working with chocolate, but mostly stick with cookies and cakes. To me, truffles are such a special treat they call for a special occasion as well – like that gorgeous pair of shoes you’ll only wear on your birthday or anniversary. :)

These were made for a special someone, a dear friend of mine who happens to be crazy about shoes, too – let’s just say that her last name could pretty much be Bradshaw. :)

Dark chocolate, cinnamon and hazelnut truffles
from Donna Hay magazine

450g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
1 ¼ cups (300ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
40 hazelnuts, roasted*
1 cup (90g) cocoa powder

Place the chocolate, cream and cinnamon in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Pour into a lightly buttered 1 liter-capacity dish and set aside to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm enough to roll.
Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into rough balls. Press a hazelnut into the middle and roll to enclose.
Place the cocoa on a baking tray, place the truffles on the tray and gently shake to coat.

* place the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven for 5 minutes or until lightly golden. Place the hot hazelnuts in the fold of a tea towel and rub back and forth to remove the skins.

Makes 40 – I halved the recipe and got 25 truffles

Nigella's Holiday hot cake

Checking the movies on TV last Saturday I was really glad to see “The name of the Rose” would be aired that night – I’d forgotten how much I love that film.

I’d also forgotten the idea of making Nigella’s hot holiday cake – I told you I wouldn’t wait till Christmas, but apparently my brain did not record that info. :)

The dessert is delicious and all you’ll need is a bowl and a wooden spoon. The spice flavor is strong, so cut it back a little if you’re not a big fan.

Nigella's Holiday hot cake
from here

Sponge:
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (150g) all purpose flour
100g light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon mixed spice
½ cup (120ml) full-fat milk
¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
1 egg

Topping:
200g light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon mixed spice
6 teaspoons unsalted butter, room temperature
500ml boiling water

350ml heavy cream, whipped, to serve

Preheat oven to 220°C/428°F and place a baking sheet on the shelf.
Start by making the sponge: place the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, mixed spice, milk, oil and egg in a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon.
Pour into a greased, round baking dish (23cm diameter x 6cm deep). Set aside.
Now, the topping: in a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, ground ginger and mixed spice sprinkle over the batter in its baking dish. Dot the butter on top and pour the boiling water over the mixture – don’t worry, it will work out in the end.
Put the dish on the baking sheet in the oven for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving, and make sure you scoop out the sauce beneath the sponge in the dish. Serve with the whipped cream.

Serves 6-8