Family Holiday Favorite Recipes

With Christmas and New Years right around the corner, the holidays are certainly in full swing! Here at Julie & Co. Realty, some of our REALTORS shared their favorite recipes during this time of year. Take a look below to find a new recipe to add to your holiday spread!

 

For Dinner:

 

Charlie’s Beef Wellington

1.2 kg Beef fillet, center cut

Dijon mustard

100 g prosciutto

350 g puff pasty

2 eggs for egg wash

Mushroom duxelle – 600g mushrooms – 60g butter – 4 shallots (1 brown onion if you can’t find shallots) – 6-8 thyme sprigs – 50ml whiskey – 30ml olive oil

2 crepes, salt and pepper to taste

 

1. Make the mushroom duxelle. Finely dice the shallots and cook them with the butter and olive oil.
2. Finely dice your mushrooms, being careful not to make it mushroom purée.
3. Once your shallots are translucent and cooked, add the mushrooms and thyme, season with salt and pepper and cook for 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are nice and dry.
4. Add your whiskey and continue to cook until the whiskey has evaporated. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and place in the fridge to cool.
5. Next, mix your crêpe batter until it’s smooth. Rest for 15 minutes. Then cook your crêpes on a medium heat, trying not to get much color on them.
6. Set a cast iron or heavy pan that retains its heat on the stove to heat up. While that’s heating up, cover your beef fillet with grape oil and season with salt all over.
7. Sear the beef fillet on all sides in the screaming hot pan including the ends, this should take 1-2 minutes each side.
8. Remove the beef from the pan and brush it with the Dijon mustard while it’s still hot.
9. To assemble, lay your crepes flat on a piece of plastic wrap followed by the prosciutto and finally the mushroom duxelle.
10. Place the beef in the center and roll the crêpes completely around the beef, covering the entire creation in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for an hour to set.
11. Roll out your puff pastry and place your Wellington in the center. Roll it tightly.
12. Wrap this again in plastic wrap and sit in the fridge for an hour for the pastry to set.
13. Remove from the plastic and brush with egg wash all over. Place the Wellington on an oven tray with the seam on the bottom.
14. Add your optional pastry lattice if you wish.
15. Season with flaky sea salt and bake in a 375° oven for 30-40 minutes or until your pastry is golden and the internal temp of the beef is 115°.
16. Enjoy with a side of mash, red wine sauce and some sautéed green beans, whatever takes your fancy.

 

Gigi’s Famous Fresh Ricotta Gnocchi

Dough:

1 1/2 cups of whole milk Ricotta cheese

3 egg yolks

1 cup flour

3/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan

 

Pesto:

2 handfuls of basil

Pine nuts

Fresh grated Parm

Lemon juice & Zest

Fresh cracked Black pepper Extra Virgin Olive oil

 

1. In a large mixing bowl incorporate your ricotta, egg yolks & parmesan cheese. Once well combined, slowly add in your flour and form into a ball.
2. Cut your ball of dough into 4 equal parts and roll into logs. Cut each log into 1 inch squares. Toss squares into salted boiling water. When they float they’re done.
3. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and incorporate gnocchi & Pesto Together! Garnish with blistered cherry tomatoes.

 

Kathie’s Spinach Cheese Squares

2 tablespoons butter

3 eggs

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 packages chopped spinach, thawed and drained

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9 x 13 x 2 – inch pan, melt the butter in the oven; remove.
2. In large bowl, beat the eggs, add flour, milk, salt and baking powder; mix well. Add cheese and spinach and blend well.
3. Pour mixture into buttered pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove and cool for 5 to 10 minutes to set.
4. Cut into bite-size squares. Serve and Enjoy!

 

Sheila’s Uglies

1 pound of ground beef

1 pound of jimmy dean sausage

1 pound of Velveeta cheese

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic power

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Pinch of salt

Ground pepper

Pumpernickel cocktail bread

 

1. Put beef and sausage in pan, when fully cooked, drain grease and add rest of ingredients.
2. Scoop mixture onto the bread
3. Freeze until solid
4. Cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes

 

For Dessert:

 

Jenn’s Pistachio Lace Crisps

1 cup shelled, salted pistachio nuts

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. with a sharp knife, chop pistachios finely.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, cook butter, sugar, and corn syrup until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, and then boil for 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat.
4. Using spoon, blend in flour. Stir in pistachios, vanilla, and almond extract.
5. Drop rounded teaspoons of batter only baking sheets, leaving about 2 ½ inches between cookies.
6. Bake for about 9-12 minutes, until the edges are light brown and centers are golden. Remove from oven and let sit about 10 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully remove cookies and place on a wire rack to cool.

 

Ann Martin’s Spritz Cookies

1 cup shortening

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

2 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

Dash of salt

1 teaspoon almond extract

 

1. Cream shortening, adding sugar gradually.
2. Add egg and beat well.
3. Add sifted dry ingredients and extract.
4. Fill a cookie press half full. Form cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

 

Erin’s Blueberry Buckle

Cake Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray

9 ounces cake flour, approximately 2 cups

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

5 1/4 ounces sugar, approximately 3/4 cup

1 large egg

1/2 c whole milk

15 ounces fresh whole blueberries, approximately 3 cups

 

Topping Ingredients:

3 1/2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/2 cup

1 1/2 ounces cake flour, approximately 1/3 cup

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

2 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

 

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
3. In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 1 minute.
5. Add the egg and beat until well incorporated, approximately 30 seconds.
6. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until incorporated and then add 1/3 of the milk and beat until incorporated. Repeat, alternating flour and milk until everything has combined.
7. Gently stir in the blueberries and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

 

For the topping:

1. In a small bowl combine the sugar, flour and nutmeg.
2. Add the butter and work into the dry ingredients using a fork to combine. Continue until the mixture has a crumb-like texture. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the cake.
3. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 minutes or until golden in color. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

 

Catherine’s Strawberry Angel Food Cake

1 package Angel Food Cake Mix

1 (10 oz) package frozen sweetened sliced strawberries, thawed

1 (3 oz) package strawberry gelatin

1 cup boiling water

2 (8 oz) containers cool whip

 

1. Prepare, bake, and cool cake as directed on package. Cut cake into 1-inch cubes.
2. Drain thawed strawberries, reserving juice. Combine gelatin and boiling water in a small bowl. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add enough water to strawberry juice to measure 1 cup; stir into gelatin. Refrigerate until gelatin is slightly thickened. Beat gelatin until foamy.
3. Fold 1 container Cool Whip and strawberries into gelatin.
4. Alternate layers of cake cubes and strawberry mixture into a large cake pan. Press lightly. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours. Top with remaining cool whip. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

About the Author

By: Rachel Valerio
Exclusive for JulieCoRealty.com