The Nutcracker Reimagined Day 4- Recipe Swap & Giveawy
The Nutcracker Reimagined by Kathryn Le Veque, Claire Delacroix, Barbara Devlin, Eliza Knight, Suzan Tisdale, Hildie McQueen, Tina DeSalvo, Laura Landon, Layna Pimentel, and Emma Prince.
Hopefully by now you’ve already one-clicked this collection for your holiday reading. If not, there is still time to add it to your e-readers!
On the last day of The Nutcracker Reimagined Blitz the authors wanted to share a favorite recipe. So, from their holiday table to yours Happy Reading & Happy Cooking, or Drinking 😉
~ From the Kitchen of Claire Delacroix ~
We eat a lot of British foods at Christmas in Canada, and there’s nothing more British than a good trifle. This is a showy dessert to bring to the table and serve.
Claire’s Trifle
Custard, fruit and ladyfingers in layers.
For the vanilla custard:
1 tbsp conrstarch
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups homogenized milk
2 cups table cream (18%)
1 piece vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
6 egg yolks
In a heavy saucepan, blend cornstarch with sugar. Whisk in milk and cream, add vanilla bean. (If using vanilla extract, add it after the custard is cool.) Stir constantly over moderate heat and bring to a simmer. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes to develop vanilla flavor; reduce to low. Beat eggs and egg yolks until smooth: blend in one cup of hot milk, then whisk back into hot milk in saucepan. Stirring constantly with a whisk, cook until custard is thick and smooth, 7 – 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Whisk custard as it cools. If you’re using vanilla extract, add it now. You can keep the custard covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for a day.
Three hours before serving, assemble the trifle.
1 package ladyfingers soaked in sherry
1 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries
Custard (recipe above)
In an 8-cup glass or crystal bowl, layer the custard with the ladyfingers and fruit – I do ladyfingers, custard, fruit, ladyfingers, custard, fruit. Refrigerate until serving. You may wish to serve the trifle with fresh whipped cream. You certainly want to serve it with dark chocolates and brandy!
~ From the Kitchen of Kathryn Le Veque ~
A perfect Medieval holiday recipe (one I have tried and it’s very good!)
Maximus’ Tart
Guaranteed to make all future knights very happy with full tummies!
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch saffron
6 eggs
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 lb. soft cheese, grated
1/2 cup currants
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. hyssop (this is an herb with a minty-ish taste)
1 tsp. powder douce (equal parts ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves)
Grind saffron with salt, mix with butter, and set aside.
Place onions into boiling beef broth and cook until just tender and drain.
Beat eggs and combine with saffron-butter, onions, and remaining ingredients, pour into pastry shell, and bake at 350°F for one hour.
~ From the Kitchen of Laura Landon ~
Old Fashioned Candied Pecans
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
1 pound pecan halves
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
Mix sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl.
Whisk egg white and water together in a separate bowl until frothy. Toss pecans in the egg white mixture. Mix sugar mixture into pecan mixture until pecans are evenly coated. Spread coated pecans onto a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, until pecans are evenly browned, 1 hour.
~ From the Kitchen of Tina DeSalvo ~
Cajuns love bread pudding…heck who doesn’t. Best way to not let any food go to waste, right. This is made (or can be) with stale bread. Enjoy
Serve with a nice strong cup of cafe’ au last!
Old Fashioned Bread Pudding – (w Rum sauce)
4 cups of milk
4 eggs, separated
10 slices of stale bread (or use French bread)
1 ½ cups of sugar (cane sugar is best)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
I small can of evaporated milk
1 regular size can of condensed milk
pinch of salt
-Heat the milk and pour it over the bread. Mash it together.
-Cream the egg yolks and sugar together. Add it to the bread mash.
-Add evaporated milk, vanilla, salt and half of the condensed milk to the bread mash and mix well. Make sure it is very moist but not runny.
-place in a buttered, rectangular pan and bake uncovered at 375 degrees for about an hour. Make sure the eggs are cooked and mixture is springy to touch.
-Extra: This is not necessary, but you MAY want to add this to the pudding. Take the egg whites and combine it with four tablespoons of sugar and beat until it is dissolved and stiff. Pour it over the top of the pudding and return it to the oven and brown at 350 degrees.
-Drizzle the remainder of the condensed milk over the top and serve warm.
If you want to add a Rum Sauce to the top of this bread pudding- here is a recipe you may enjoy:
½ cup (1 stick) butter
¼ cup water
1/3 cup sugar (cane sugar is best)
1 ½ tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-bring the bugger, sugar, water and rum to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook, until the sugar dissolves, making sure to stir continuously. This should take about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir int eh vanilla. Let it stand for a couple of minutes, pouring it warm over the pudding. YUM! You can top it with a little bit of whipped cream too.
For your Fur Babies:
Molasses Cookies recipe (for dogs or three-legged deer)- that Aurora would have used.
Ingredients:
2 cups cornmeal
2 large eggs
2 tbsp molasses
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup powdered milk
Preheat oven to 400º. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients. Blend until smooth. Roll this mixture out ¼ inch thick and cut into shapes or shape into dog biscuits by hand. Place 1 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
~ From the Kitchen of Barbara Devlin ~
Italian Christmas Cookies
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 cup flour
4 tsp. baking powder
Sift dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs; add vanilla and dry ingredients.
Knead and add flour as needed to keep dough from sticking to hands. Pinch off dough, roll in your hands to form a log and then twirl into shape. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.
Icing
2 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
6 tsp. water
Stir until creamy
Dip cookies into icing and sprinkle with trim. Place on wire rack with wax paper on counter to collect the dripping icing and sprinkles.
Now, this isn’t a personal recipe. Like most cooks, I collect all sorts of recipes, and I can’t even begin to say where I found this one, but it’s a holiday winner.
~ From the Kitchen of Eliza Knight ~
Spicy Sparkling Sangria
Ingredients:
1 bottle of prosecco (or moscato if you prefer)
1 cup of Fireball whisky (or other cinnamon whisky)
2 bottles of hard apple cider beer
2 cups of apple cider juice
2 of your favorite apples cut into cubes
2 blood oranges sliced in thin rounds
Cinnamon sticks for garnish (optional)
Pomegranate seeds for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Soak the cut up apples and oranges in the whisky for about 2 hours
After 2 hours, mix in the prosecco, beer and apple cider and cinnamon sticks
Refrigerate for about 2-3 hours
Pour over ice, scoop some soaked fruit into the cup, and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds
~ From the Kitchen of Hildie McQueen ~
Golden Apple Martini.
1 shot
Butterscotch schnaps
Hot Damn schnaps
2 shots
Skyy Vodka
Sour Apple schnapps
add chipped ice
2 dollops or a equivalent whipped cream from can into shaker
Shake and pour into glasses
Sprinkle top with nutmeg
If you try it, let me know what you think. It’s super yummy!!
~ From the Kitchen of Layna Pimentel ~
Great Pumpkin Cookies
Kids will love these fun pumpkin cookies. Decorate with all sorts of goodies like chocolate chips, icing and candies or enjoy them plain
Prep Time: approx. 20 Minutes Cook Time: approx. 15 Minutes Ready in: approx. 35 Minutes. Makes 20 large cookies (20 servings).
Printed from AllRecipes.com, Submitted by Libby’s Pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour 1 large egg
1 1/3 cups quick cooking oats 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon salt decorating icings,
1 cup butter or margarine NESTLE@ TOLL HOUSE@
1 cup packed brown sugar Semisweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup granulated sugar candies, raisins or nuts
1 cup LIBBYS@ 100% Pure Pumpkin
Directions
1 PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking sheets.
2 COMBINE flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, granulated and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract; mix well* Add flour mixture; mix well* Stir in nuts and raisins. Drop 1/4 cup dough onto prepared baking sheet; spread into 3-inch circle or oval Repeat with remaining dough.
3 BAKE for 14 minutes or until cookies are firm and lightly browned Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes remove to wire racks to cool completely as desired with icing, morsel* candies, raisins or nuts.
~ From the Kitchen of Emma Prince ~
Bourbon Balls (one of my favorite holiday cookies)
Ingredients:
6 oz. chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp. corn syrup
1/3 cup bourbon (and maybe a wee dram for yourself as you work!)
1/2 box nilla waifers, crushed/crumbled
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
Melt chocolate chips (you can do this in a microwave-safe bowl and just microwave until the chocolate chips are smooth)
Mix all the ingredients together with your hands (yep, time to get messy!)
Form into balls
If you like, you can roll the balls in more chopped nuts for a pretty coating
That’s it! No baking, just mix and enjoy!
Don’t forget…one more day to enter for the giveaway. TWO winners will receive a kindle e-book of The Nutcracker Reimagined! Open to US residents only.
** When you make these recipes please post a picture and tag the authors on social media with the hashtag #NutcrackerRecipe
Happy Reading and Happy Eats!
Fall in love with Hildie McQueen’s Laurel Creek series and find out will a cowboy in on a quest to locate a runaway groom in Brash: Frederick (A Laurel Creek Novella.) Love is not something you can just whip up. Will Rick Edwards find his purpose in the most unexpected place? It might take chasing a groom to unlock his true desire. A family man at heart, Rick is on a quest to 
USA Today Bestselling author Hildie McQueen loves unusual situations and getting into interesting adventures, which is what her characters do as well. She writes romance because she is in love with love! Author of Romance in Highland historical, Western Historical and contemporary, she writes something every reader can enjoy.
Laura Landon enjoyed ten years as a high school teacher and nine years making sundaes and malts in her very own ice cream shop, but once she penned her first novel, she closed up shop to spend every free minute writing. Now she enjoys creating her very own heroes and heroines, and making sure they find their happily ever after.
