Holiday Favorites

[lalbo-81]

  I've been reading, and watching shows about food around the world, it's diversity and its similarities. And with Christmas coming, I thought I'd ask what your favorite special to the holidays dish is? 

  One of mine is Whoopee pies, one of my DILs is from Pennsylvania Dutch country and she makes them for us only at Christmas. They are so goood! 

[tasfleur]

Thank you, will link in to it xx

[lalbo-81]

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@springyzone wrote:

You can make your own caster sugar.

Just pop normal (granulated) sugar in a blender or whatever and blitz till it is very fine but not powdery.

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Thank you ever so much Dom and Springy! My DIL is going to love this information, and the recipes too! I predict we will have some incredible sweet treats come Christmas! 

  And the best part is I get to be one of the guinea pigs while she experiments, lol! My granddaughter will want that cake tin, she decided she wasn't thrilled with having to build an actual gingerbread house. Now she can just decorate it, which seems to be what she really wanted to do. She makes beautiful decorated cookies, it's fun having an artist who bakes in the family! 

[lalbo-81]

Now, it's time to make Whoopie Pies! 

Here's the recipe for the cake part-

1&3/4 cups of AP flour

2/3 cup of Dutch Process unsweetened cocoa powder

1&1/4 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of table salt

1 stick(1/2 cup) of sweet butter, softened

1 large egg

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

1 cup of room temperature buttermilk

1 cup of table sugar

Preheat oven to 350

Sift the dry ingredients( except sugar) together in a medium bowl and set aside.

cream the butter and sugar with a mixer until fluffy,then add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Then add the buttermilk and mix well.

  Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, don't overmix! 

Line 2 sheetpans with parchment paper and use a #40 scoop to measure out the batter. Place each scoop of batter roughly 3 inches apart, then bake about 12 minutes.They're done when top springs back when lightly pressed. Cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before assembly.

[lalbo-81]

These are recipes for the fillings she uses-

Traditional -

1/2 cup of sweet butter( 1 stick) , softened

2 cups of Marshmallow Fluff

1 cup of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

A pinch of salt

Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. If it's too stiff to spread properly, add a little milk.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 block of cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick(1/2 cup) of sweet butter, room temperature

3 cups of powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

A pinch of salt

Beat the cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and beat on low for about 30 seconds, then switch to high and beat until smooth, fluffy and shiny.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 stick(1/2 cup) of salted butter, melted

1 cup of creamy peanut butter

2 Tablespoons of milk

2 cups powdered sugar

Beat the melted butter and the peanut butter together until well mixed.

Slowly add sugar until well mixed, then add milk.

Beat on high until light and fluffy.

Cherry Frosting( My personal favorite)

1 cup of Marshmallow Fluff

1 cup( 2 sticks) sweet butter, softened

2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

4 Tablespoons of Maraschino cherry juice

2 Tablespoons of chopped Maraschino cherries

Beat the butter until really creamy, then slowly add the sugar and continue beating while you add the cherry juice and the vanilla. 

 Beat until light and fluffy, then gently fold in the chopped cherries. 

[springyzone]

That's it exactly domino. I am gutted my picture didn't work, it is showing to me but I was convinced I had found a short cut way to post pictures. Back to the drawing board!

I can't find the link to the picture I had up but this one is similar. The original was better as it didn't include the ad.

Woops, sorry about the size. It looked quite small online and has come out massive here. Obviously technology isn't my thing.

[springyzone]

Oooh I so hope it arrives on time for you. Well done. I am so impressed that you all were able to work out the tin when you had no picture to guide you either.

My son enjoys cooking, as does my daughter in law. They have some lovely kitchen equipment and some of the cooking puts me to shame.

Tas, if you get a chance to use the bundt tin, I hope you can put up a photo to show us the finished product. (as long as you don't try copy image/paste as that seems a dud way, unfortunately).

[tasfleur]

I certainly will Springyzone.  The recipe is on there too from Nordicware, so I've downloaded that.

Very grateful for all the help you have all given with this ...  

[tasfleur]

and then .................... Whoopie Pies,  there will be whoopie pies for sure xx

[lalbo-81]

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@tasfleur wrote:

and then .................... Whoopie Pies,  there will be whoopie pies for sure xx

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You will love them, I promise! My DIL says there are other versions of the cake, but she likes the traditional Dutch chocolate. 

[tasfleur]

After much consideration, fretting, worrying, stressing and other assorted constraints and restraints;  time limitations notwithstanding ... it has been decided that this year, the famous Australian chocolate ripple cake is to be disguised as the 2020 "Noel" log.