unusual holiday dishes

Spitzmaus said:

Joseph Littleshoes said:

Port & pear fruitcake
------------------------

Goodness, now *this* sounds like a fruitcake I can live with! Plus,
no
garish green and red "thingies"!! Thanks for the recipe . . .

Tsk..how often have i heard from elderly relatives "red and green must
never be seen".

Quoted message said:

My "unusual" contributions to this year's family meal include
Cranberry
Agrodolce,

"Agrodolce"? i have heard of aceto dolce.

Quoted message said:

homemade rye rolls, Persimmon Pudding

I almost posted a recipe for this delicous pudding once but thought it a
bit esoteric. Persimmons just are not as popular as they once were.

Quoted message said:

and homemade Pumpkin Fudge
ice cream. Most of the guests are far from adventurous, alas.

Spitz

If you liked that fruit cake you might like my cranberry cake with
eggnog sauce. I have a couple of fruit cake recipies, one white one
dark that are, despite the usuall disclaimer, very good and use dried
rather than candied fruit.

Personaly i rather like the candied fruits and have a frozen custard
recipe using them that is quite good. It is white with the various
colored fruits thoughout and makes a very festive dish for the Christmas
season, is in fact called, "frozen Christmas custard".
---
JL

Quoted message said:

--
"Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

Joseph Littleshoes said:

Tsk..how often have i heard from elderly relatives "red and green must
never be seen".

Hey, Joseph, I haven't heard *that* expression in YEARS!! Evokes memories,
yes indeed . . .

Quoted message said:

"Agrodolce"? i have heard of aceto dolce.

Same difference. The original recipe is called "Cranberry Agrodolce," and
I've never thought to call it otherwise.

Quoted message said:

I almost posted a recipe for this delicous pudding once but thought it a
bit esoteric. Persimmons just are not as popular as they once were.

Perhaps they're not, but they seem to sell like crazy around here; folks
were certainly buying them up at the farmers' market yesterday. Both kinds,
Fuyu and Hachiya. And I enjoy the way persimmons look on the trees, like
brilliant orange ornaments hanging by mere threads.

Quoted message said:

If you liked that fruit cake you might like my cranberry cake with
eggnog sauce. I have a couple of fruit cake recipies, one white one
dark that are, despite the usuall disclaimer, very good and use dried
rather than candied fruit.

Personaly i rather like the candied fruits and have a frozen custard
recipe using them that is quite good. It is white with the various
colored fruits thoughout and makes a very festive dish for the Christmas
season, is in fact called, "frozen Christmas custard".
---
JL

Cranberry cake with eggnog sauce? Twist my arm!! Would you mind posting,
please?? And dried fruits are perfectly acceptable in fruit cake, but I
really can't tolerate the candied stuff (although your frozen custard must
look pretty). Sorry.

Spitz
--
"Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

On Thu 17 Nov 2005 04:12:47p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Joseph
Littleshoes?

Quoted message said:

Spitzmaus said:

Joseph Littleshoes said:

Port & pear fruitcake
------------------------

Goodness, now *this* sounds like a fruitcake I can live with! Plus,
no garish green and red "thingies"!! Thanks for the recipe . . .

Tsk..how often have i heard from elderly relatives "red and green must
never be seen".

Quoted message said:

My "unusual" contributions to this year's family meal include
Cranberry
Agrodolce,

"Agrodolce"? i have heard of aceto dolce.

Quoted message said:

homemade rye rolls, Persimmon Pudding

I almost posted a recipe for this delicous pudding once but thought it a
bit esoteric. Persimmons just are not as popular as they once were.

Quoted message said:

and homemade Pumpkin Fudge
ice cream. Most of the guests are far from adventurous, alas.

Spitz

If you liked that fruit cake you might like my cranberry cake with
eggnog sauce. I have a couple of fruit cake recipies, one white one
dark that are, despite the usuall disclaimer, very good and use dried
rather than candied fruit.

Personaly i rather like the candied fruits and have a frozen custard
recipe using them that is quite good. It is white with the various
colored fruits thoughout and makes a very festive dish for the Christmas
season, is in fact called, "frozen Christmas custard".

I also rather like the candied fruits if they're of good quality. The
fruitcake I usually make has all manner of both dried *and* candied fruits,
as well as several types of nuts. It's hard to find the "cake". :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________________________

A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!

Wayne Boatwright said:

I also rather like the candied fruits if they're of good quality. The
fruitcake I usually make has all manner of both dried *and* candied

fruits,

Quoted message said:

as well as several types of nuts. It's hard to find the "cake". :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________________________

A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!

Really, with all due respect to you and other "pro-candied fruit-arians," I
just don't get it. I'm sorry. Even "good quality" candied fruits don't do
a thing for me, and I've tried to like them!

Do others of you feel the same? If not, set me straight. Please.

Spitz
--
"Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

Spitzmaus said:

Really, with all due respect to you and other "pro-candied fruit-arians," I
just don't get it. I'm sorry. Even "good quality" candied fruits don't do
a thing for me, and I've tried to like them!

Do others of you feel the same? If not, set me straight. Please.

Spitz

There's no accounting for taste. How could we possibly set you
straight? Your opinion on what you like is no more or less valid than
our's is. But have you ever tried a fruitcake with just cherries,
pineapple, raisins, and nuts in it rather than a bunch of waxy candied
citrus peel? There's very little comparison.

Best regards,
Bob

Spitzmaus said:

Joseph Littleshoes said:

If you liked that fruit cake you might like my cranberry cake with
eggnog sauce. I have a couple of fruit cake recipies, one white one

Quoted message said:

dark that are, despite the usuall disclaimer, very good and use

dried

Quoted message said:

rather than candied fruit.
---
JL

Cranberry cake with eggnog sauce? Twist my arm!! Would you mind
posting,
please?? And dried fruits are perfectly acceptable in fruit cake, but
I
really can't tolerate the candied stuff (although your frozen custard
must
look pretty). Sorry.

Spitz

Here you go, there are 2 ways of cooking the same recipe, in a shallow
cake pan it comes out cake like, in a deep bombe or brioche or pudding
mold, steamed in a bain maire (water bath) as the recipie indicates it
has a more pudding like quality.

6 tbs. butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 & 1/4 cup sifted all purpose flour

2 & 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups whole cranberries

1/2 cup chopped pecans

eggnog dessert sauce

Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, one at a
time, beating well after each additon. Sift the flour, baing powder and
salt together and add to the creamed mixture altnately with the milk.
Stir in the cranberries and pecans. Trun into a 6 cup pyrex bowl or
mold and cover with foil. Press foil tightly around edge and secure
with string. Place mold on a rack in a kettle and pour enough water
into kettle to come half way up on mold. Bring water to a boil and
cover tightly. Reduce heat to simmer. Steam for 2 hours. [or butter
and flour 2 nine inch cake pans and bake at 350 F for 25 - 30 minutes or
until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean]. Let stand 10 minutes,
then unmold. serve with eggnog dessert sauce.

Note: for the steamed pudding the whole cranbeeries can be used raw, for
the cake they must be cooked first.
--------------------------

Eggnog dessert sauce

1 cup. butter

1 & 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup commercial eggnog

1 tbs. rum

Combine the butter, sugar and eggnot in a saucepan, then simmer until
hated through, stirring occasionaly. Stir in the rum, this makes about
3 cups of sauce.
---
JL

Spitzmaus said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

I also rather like the candied fruits if they're of good quality. The
fruitcake I usually make has all manner of both dried *and* candied
fruits, as well as several types of nuts. It's hard to find the "cake". :-)

Really, with all due respect to you and other "pro-candied fruit-arians," I
just don't get it. I'm sorry. Even "good quality" candied fruits don't do
a thing for me, and I've tried to like them!

Do others of you feel the same? If not, set me straight. Please.

The recipe my mom and I developed called for candied fruit, along with
raisins, currants, sultanas, nuts, rum, etc. I love that stuff.

Someone posted a recipe that used all dried fruit, including apricots
and dates. I would dearly love to try something like that. It sounds
delicious, and you can keep it in your freezer for those special times
when you need a good laxative. 😉

I don't have the recipe anymore. Anyone have something like this?
Nice and spicy?

Carol
--
Wash away the gray to respond.

Spitzmaus said:

Really, with all due respect to you and other "pro-candied fruit-arians," I
just don't get it. I'm sorry. Even "good quality" candied fruits don't do
a thing for me, and I've tried to like them!

Do others of you feel the same? If not, set me straight. Please.

I like them.

Damsel in dis Dress said:

Someone posted a recipe that used all dried fruit, including apricots
and dates. I would dearly love to try something like that. It sounds
delicious, and you can keep it in your freezer for those special times
when you need a good laxative. 😉

I don't have the recipe anymore. Anyone have something like this?
Nice and spicy?

I have the recipe for fruitcake that came down in my family..has
apricots and figs in it... Would that be it?

I posted it to rfc a few times..you can google for it...it is called
California Fruit Cake.

Christine

Candied fruit from the store is like wax bits in corn syrup. But try
making your own. Homemade is full of flavor and much tenderer.

Candied Fruit Peel

Cut the peel from 2 small grapefruits, 2 oranges, and 3 lemons or some
equivalent combination of citrus fruits (except limes; they're too
tough). Trim the white part down if it's thick. Dice the peels. Boil
the lot for 10 minutes in water to cover. Drain and rinse in cold
water. Add 2 cups sugar. Simmer until the liquid is gone. (Wondering
where the liquid came from? It just appears from nowhere.) This makes
about 1 lb or 2 1/2 cups. Use it wherever candied peel is needed -
fruit cake, stollen, or Christmas brownies.

I have another recipe that says to cut the peel in strips instead of
dice, prepare it the same way, then toss the strips in granulated
sugar. Dip them halfway into melted semisweet chocolate (melted
chocolate chips work) and cool on waxed paper. Makes a yummy and really
unusual Christmas candy.

If you hate marmalade, you'll hate homemade candied fruit peel too. As
for me, I have to keep myself from nibbling it all straight from the
pan.

Spitzmaus said:

Really, with all due respect to you and other "pro-candied fruit-arians," I
just don't get it. I'm sorry. Even "good quality" candied fruits don't do
a thing for me, and I've tried to like them!

Do others of you feel the same? If not, set me straight. Please.

Spitz

I like fruit cake (especially the denser type which includes candied
fruit).

On Fri 18 Nov 2005 05:46:02a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it George?

Quoted message said:

Spitzmaus said:

Really, with all due respect to you and other "pro-candied
fruit-arians," I just don't get it. I'm sorry. Even "good quality"
candied fruits don't do a thing for me, and I've tried to like them!

Do others of you feel the same? If not, set me straight. Please.

Spitz

I like fruit cake (especially the denser type which includes candied
fruit).

My favorite!

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________________________

A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!

Thanks. I intend to try this. I have a question about trimming the
white part of the citrus peel. Do I leave some? How much? Am I
correct that the idea is not to avoid the white part altogether the way
I do when I want grated lemon or orange zest for flavoring cakes? Also,
can I freeze the peel and candy it later? (I often need the juice of a
lemon now and want the zest of the lemon later so I peel the lemon in
long strips and freeze it.)

--Lia

Kathy said:

Candied fruit from the store is like wax bits in corn syrup. But try
making your own. Homemade is full of flavor and much tenderer.

Candied Fruit Peel

Cut the peel from 2 small grapefruits, 2 oranges, and 3 lemons or some
equivalent combination of citrus fruits (except limes; they're too
tough). Trim the white part down if it's thick. Dice the peels. Boil
the lot for 10 minutes in water to cover. Drain and rinse in cold
water. Add 2 cups sugar. Simmer until the liquid is gone. (Wondering
where the liquid came from? It just appears from nowhere.) This makes
about 1 lb or 2 1/2 cups. Use it wherever candied peel is needed -
fruit cake, stollen, or Christmas brownies.

I have another recipe that says to cut the peel in strips instead of
dice, prepare it the same way, then toss the strips in granulated
sugar. Dip them halfway into melted semisweet chocolate (melted
chocolate chips work) and cool on waxed paper. Makes a yummy and really
unusual Christmas candy.

If you hate marmalade, you'll hate homemade candied fruit peel too. As
for me, I have to keep myself from nibbling it all straight from the
pan.

Thanks. I intend to try this. I have a question about trimming the
white part of the citrus peel. Do I leave some? How much? Am I
correct that the idea is not to avoid the white part altogether the way
I do when I want grated lemon or orange zest for flavoring cakes? Also,
can I freeze the peel and candy it later? (I often need the juice of a
lemon now and want the zest of the lemon later so I peel the lemon in
long strips and freeze it.)

--Lia

Kathy said:

Candied fruit from the store is like wax bits in corn syrup. But try
making your own. Homemade is full of flavor and much tenderer.

Candied Fruit Peel

Cut the peel from 2 small grapefruits, 2 oranges, and 3 lemons or some
equivalent combination of citrus fruits (except limes; they're too
tough). Trim the white part down if it's thick. Dice the peels. Boil
the lot for 10 minutes in water to cover. Drain and rinse in cold
water. Add 2 cups sugar. Simmer until the liquid is gone. (Wondering
where the liquid came from? It just appears from nowhere.) This makes
about 1 lb or 2 1/2 cups. Use it wherever candied peel is needed -
fruit cake, stollen, or Christmas brownies.

I have another recipe that says to cut the peel in strips instead of
dice, prepare it the same way, then toss the strips in granulated
sugar. Dip them halfway into melted semisweet chocolate (melted
chocolate chips work) and cool on waxed paper. Makes a yummy and really
unusual Christmas candy.

If you hate marmalade, you'll hate homemade candied fruit peel too. As
for me, I have to keep myself from nibbling it all straight from the
pan.

George said:

Quoted message said:

Do others of you feel the same? If not, set me straight. Please.

Spitz

I like fruit cake (especially the denser type which includes candied
fruit).

Me too, but I was under the impression that we were referring to those thin
slices of fruit that have been tried out and crusted with sugar.

George said:

Quoted message said:

Do others of you feel the same? If not, set me straight. Please.

Spitz

I like fruit cake (especially the denser type which includes candied
fruit).

Me too, but I was under the impression that we were referring to those thin
slices of fruit that have been tried out and crusted with sugar.

zxcvbob said:

There's no accounting for taste. How could we possibly set you
straight? Your opinion on what you like is no more or less valid than
our's is. But have you ever tried a fruitcake with just cherries,
pineapple, raisins, and nuts in it rather than a bunch of waxy candied
citrus peel? There's very little comparison.

Best regards,
Bob

Perhaps I just hoped one of youmight enlighten me, tell me what I've been
missing. I *could* change my mind, you know; for years, I thought I hated
beets, then was persuaded to try them again. I know like beets -- I like
them a great deal.

I do like fruitcakes such as you mentioned. No waxy candied green and red
thingies, but real dried fruit. Someone mentioned one with figs and
apricots, and that sounds quite awesome.

Spitz
--
"Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

The recipe says to take *all* the white off. I tried that once but
there was hardly anything left! So I took my example from the
storebought kind and trimmed it back about as far as they do, making
the peel about a quarter inch or maybe just a bit thinner, but well
more than just the zest part. Lemons and most oranges are just right
without any trimming of the white part. Grapefruit and exceptionally
thick-skinned navels can have great thick pads of white that could do
with a bit of trimming. Limes, on the other hand, haven't enough white.
Their thin little skins are flavorful when candied but too leathery for
my taste.

I haven't tried freezing peel for later, but as nicely as lemon zest
freezes (I do that too!) I'll bet it would work. I just buy the fruit
when I'm ready to use it. Candied peel keeps well in a jar in the
fridge. It seems as fresh a year later as it was the day it was made,
and still moister and tastier than storebought. I don't know what they
do to make the commercial kind come out so bad.

OT - Have you ever frozen lemon juice in ice cube trays? I always end
up scraping the zest off first so I'm left with a little white naked
lemon drying out. I juice it and then parcel out a tablespoonful of
juice for each cube so I can pop them out premeasured.

Kathy

Kathy said:

The recipe says to take *all* the white off. I tried that once but
there was hardly anything left! So I took my example from the
storebought kind and trimmed it back about as far as they do, making
the peel about a quarter inch or maybe just a bit thinner, but well
more than just the zest part. Lemons and most oranges are just right
without any trimming of the white part. Grapefruit and exceptionally
thick-skinned navels can have great thick pads of white that could do
with a bit of trimming. Limes, on the other hand, haven't enough white.
Their thin little skins are flavorful when candied but too leathery for
my taste.

I haven't tried freezing peel for later, but as nicely as lemon zest
freezes (I do that too!) I'll bet it would work. I just buy the fruit
when I'm ready to use it. Candied peel keeps well in a jar in the
fridge. It seems as fresh a year later as it was the day it was made,
and still moister and tastier than storebought. I don't know what they
do to make the commercial kind come out so bad.

OT - Have you ever frozen lemon juice in ice cube trays? I always end
up scraping the zest off first so I'm left with a little white naked
lemon drying out. I juice it and then parcel out a tablespoonful of
juice for each cube so I can pop them out premeasured.

Kathy

Try using tangerine peels. I made tangerine marmalade last year using
"Honey" tangerines (and a lemon), and they were a joy to work with. No
white stuff to remove, iirc.

Bob

Spitzmaus said:

zxcvbob said:

There's no accounting for taste. How could we possibly set you
straight? Your opinion on what you like is no more or less valid

than

Quoted message said:

our's is. But have you ever tried a fruitcake with just cherries,
pineapple, raisins, and nuts in it rather than a bunch of waxy

candied

Quoted message said:

citrus peel? There's very little comparison.

Best regards,
Bob

Perhaps I just hoped one of youmight enlighten me, tell me what I've
been
missing. I *could* change my mind, you know; for years, I thought I
hated
beets, then was persuaded to try them again. I know like beets -- I
like
them a great deal.

I do like fruitcakes such as you mentioned. No waxy candied green and
red
thingies, but real dried fruit. Someone mentioned one with figs and
apricots, and that sounds quite awesome.

I do not care much for the commercial varities but candied orange &
lemon, cheries, pinapple, ginger are not at all difficult to make the
one i will purchase is candied violets which i get from a local deli.
---
JL

Quoted message said:

Spitz
--
"Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"