Holiday recipes from around the world 2015

¡Felices Fiestas!

HOLIDAY RECIPES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Joyeuses Fêtes !

Frohe Feiertage!

Boas festas!

节日快乐

Prettige Kerstdagen!

Buon Natale!

С Рождеством!

İyi Seneler

즐거운연말연시

Happy Holidays!

As token of our gratitude for your continued support, we at Magnum Group would like to spice up your season with our favorite holiday recipes. Our international selection has roots in Germany, Switzerland, Argentina, Israel, Austria, Italy, Chile, Latvia, Puerto Rico, Russia and the United States.

We invite you to try the recipes and share your comments and experiences with us.

We would love to hear from you.

Vivian Isaak and your Magnum Group Team •.

Š 2015 Magnum Group, Inc.

Table of Contents Chilean Empanadas Grandparents Brown’s Famous “Fillin” Gratin Dauphinois Grey peas with bacon (Pelēkie zirņi ar speķīti) Spicy Stir-fried String Beans Spinach Quiche Tomates à la provençale Zwiebelkuchen (Onion Pie) African Vegeterian Stew Arroz con pollo Calamari alla Mediterránea Grilled Chicken Breast with Roasted Garlic Sauce Haraimi (Spicy Fish) Sautéed Calamari with Tomatoes, Basil, Raisins, and Pine Nuts Winter Borscht Budín de Pan (Bread Pudding) Caramel-coated peanuts (praliné or garrapiñada) Christmas Cookie Recipe for Zimtsterne Pionono Vanille Kipferl Zitronenherzen: Lemon Hearts Clericot Christmas Cinnamon Cocoa Feuerzangenbowle (Flaming Fire Tongs Punch)

Chilean Empanadas Ingredients for Dough (10-12 large empanadas) 4 cups flour 1-2 teaspoons salt 2-3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons butter, chilled 12 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening, chilled 3/4 - 1 cup water 2 egg yolks

Preparation – Step 1 Prepare empanada dough and chill.

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Sift the flour into a bowl. Stir in the salt and the sugar.

Blend the butter and shortening (or lard) into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or with two knives, until fairly well blended.

Whisk the egg yolks with 3/4 cups water. Stir in the 1/2 cup of water/egg mixture, a little at a time until the dough starts to come together smoothly.

Keep kneading the dough, adding more water/egg a little bit at a time as necessary (you made need a few tablespoons extra of water), until the dough is smooth. The dough will seem a bit shaggy until it has thoroughly chilled.

Cover the dough with saran wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.

(Dough can also be kept overnight (or a couple of days) in the refrigerator) Dough should be soft and smooth, and not elastic - if you poke a hole in it with your finger, the indentation should remain.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and roll into desired thickness.

Chilean Empanadas Preparation – Step 2 1. Cook the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil and butter until softened. Add the ground beef, cumin, chili powder, paprika, beef bouillon, and salt and pepper to taste.

2. Cook the beef, stirring and crumbling the meat, until browned. Add the flour and continue to cook for 5 or 10 minutes more.

3. Remove the meat mixture and let cool. The beef mixture will keep up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

4. Shape the empanadas: Separate the dough into golf ball size pieces, and roll into smooth balls. Let rest for 5 minutes. On a floured surface, roll each ball of dough into a 6-inch diameter circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Add 1 tablespoon of the beef filling, a few raisins and some chopped olives, and a slice of hardboiled egg to the middle of the circle.

5. Brush the edges with water and fold the pastry in half over the filling, to make a semi-circle.

6. Seal the edges by pressing down with your fingers.

Brush the sealed edge lightly with water, then turn the edge toward the middle and press with your fingers to seal.

7. Mix the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons milk, and brush the empanadas with the mixture.

8. Bake at 350ËšF for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Ingredients for beef filling 3 large onions, chopped 1 pound ground beef 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon chile powder 1 tablespoon paprika 1 beef bouillon cube, dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup chopped olives or 1 whole per empanada placed at building 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced 1 egg yolk for glazing 2 tablespoons milk

Grandparents Brown’s Famous “Fillin” Ingredients 5 cups celery 2 cups onions 6 small apples 2 tablespoons butter 2 ½ loaves of bread (white or whole wheat) 1 lb sausage, crumbled Salt to taste Pepper to taste Dash of poultry seasoning Milk or chicken broth

Preparation 1. Remove skin from sausage, sauté and crumble. Set aside.

2. Sautee celery, onions and apples in butter (apples get done quickly - add them last 3. Break apart bread and toss in warm celery, onions, apples, and sausage.

4. Use your hands to mix it all together, making sure you break up large pieces of bread. Add salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to taste.

Grandmom and grandpop used milk to make it juicier, Mom uses chicken broth instead.

Gratin Dauphinois Ingredients (8 to 10 servings) 2 cups heavy cream 2 eggs 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 6 large potatoes, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/16-inch-thick slices (russet potatoes are a good choice) 4 oz Gruyère cheese, shredded 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter a shallow 2-quart ceramic baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, combine the cream, eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg, and whisk until just blended.

3. Add the potatoes and toss gently until evenly mixed. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Using your fingertips, spread the potatoes in an even layer, pressing them lightly so they absorb the liquid.

4. Sprinkle the cheese and then the parsley evenly over the top.

5. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden, the gratin is bubbling, and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Grey peas with bacon (Pelēkie zirņi ar speķīti) Ingredients 200g grey peas smoked bacon onion Salt Bacon and onion sauce 100g smoked bacon 1 piece onion black pepper

Preparation The evening before cover the peas with water.

Next day cook peas until soft (add salt).

Bacon and onion sauce.

1. Cut both bacon and onion in small cubes.

2. Fry on medium heat until ready (5-10 min).

3. Add freshly ground pepper.

4. Add boiled peas to the sauce and fry for a couple of seconds.

5. Serve with Kefir.

Kefir

Spicy Stir-fried String Beans Ingredients 2 lbs string beans 5 cloves of garlic 5-10 chilis 6 tablespoon fish sauce 3 tablespoon cooking oil Chili garlic sauce

Preparation 1. Rinse the beans and cut them into 3-inch lengths.

2. Chop the garlic coarsely.

3. Slice the chilis.

4. Add oil to a wok on medium heat.

5. Put the garlic and chilis in the oil. Stir for a few minutes until the garlic just starts to brown.

6. Turn up the heat to high and immediately add the string beans.

7. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes and then add the fish sauce.

8. Stir-fry for another 5 minutes.

Sample one bean. It should be cooked but still crunchy.

Add Chili garlic sauce to taste.

Spinach Quiche Ingredients (6 servings) Crust: Pillsbury pie crust for 9” pie Bechamel Sauce: 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup milk 2-3 teaspoons garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg.

Filling: 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or shredded cheddar & mozzarella.

Preparation 1. Bechamel Sauce In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Add the milk slowly to the butter mixture whisking continuously until the sauce is thick and smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add more milk. If the sauce is to liquid, add more flour. Bring to a boil.

Remove from heat. Season with garlic powder and nutmeg, and set aside until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 375˚F. 2. Filling Place spinach in bowl and add béchamel sauce. Stir. Add shredded cheese.

Stir combining all ingredients. Pour into prepared crust. Decorate edge of crust by folding excess over the spinach mix or pressing the dough with a fork to create a little design.

Bake at 375˚F for 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden.

Let stand 5 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Tomates à la provençale Ingredients ( 4 servings) 8 medium size vine tomatoes (firm) 4 garlic cloves (chopped finely) 1/2 cup bread crumbs (unseasoned) 4 tablespoon chopped parsley 4 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation 1. Cut tomatoes in half and remove the seeds.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large pan, place the tomatoes in pan cut-side down.

3. Cook for a few minutes for the juice to run out (make sure to shake the pan every so often so the tomatoes do not burn or stick).

4. When all the juice is out, remove them from the frying pan and place in an oven-safe dish cut side up. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Pour the bread crumbs, the parsley and the garlic into the frying pan where you cooked the tomatoes. Mix well, then cover the tomatoes with this mixture.

Pour the last tablespoon of oil over the tomatoes and place in a 400 degree oven for 5-6 minutes. Serve straight from the oven.

Winter Borscht Preparation 1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. 2. In a shallow baking dish, cover the beets with foil and bake until tender, about 1 hour.

When cool enough to handle, peel the beets and cut them into ½-inch dice.

3. Meanwhile, season the meat with salt and pepper and toss with flour just until lightly coated. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add half of the meat and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Repeat with 1 tablespoon of oil and the remaining meat.

4. Add the remaining ¼ cup of oil to the casserole. Stir in the red cabbage, onions, fennel, garlic and paprika. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes.

Add the vinegar and honey and cook over moderately high heat until the vegetables start sticking to the casserole and browning lightly, about 3 minutes. Add the beets, browned meat, chicken broth and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the meat is very tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

5. In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream with the horseradish and chives and season with salt and pepper.

6. Discard the thyme sprigs and season the borscht to taste with salt, pepper, vinegar and honey. Serve in cups or bowls, passing the horseradish cream at the table.

Ingredients ( 4 servings) 2 pounds medium beets 2 pounds trimmed beef chuck, cut into ½-inch pieces (or substitute chicken breast or omit entirely) Salt and freshly ground pepper All-purpose flour, for dusting ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil One 2½ -pound head of red cabbage, cored and cut into 1inch pieces 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped 2 medium fennel bulbs, halved, cored and cut into ½-inch dice 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup sweet paprika 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, plus more for seasoning 2 tablespoons honey 3½ quarts low-sodium chicken broth 4 thyme sprigs 2 cups sour cream 1 cup drained prepared horseradish (12 ounces) ¾ cup minced chives

Zwiebelkuchen (Onion Pie) Ingredients 6 pounds onions, sliced 4 slices bacon 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream 4 eggs 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon caraway seed 2 pre-made plain (not sweet) pie crusts

Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 425ËšF 2. Line a jelly-roll pan or large pizza pan with prepared dough, making sure dough extends up sides of pan.

3. SautĂŠ onion in a skillet until translucent and pour cooked onion into a large mixing bowl.

4. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, chop and add to onion; mix well.

5. Stir in sour cream.

6. Beat eggs enough to break up yolks, then mix in to pie mixture.

7. Add flour to thicken mixture (onions will create a lot of water), then add salt.

8. Mix well and pour mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle top with caraway seed.

Bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until onions start to turn golden brown on top.

African Vegetarian Stew Ingredients 4 small kohlrabies, peeled and cut into chunks I large onion, chopped 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 2 zucchini, sliced thick 5 fresh tomatoes, (16 oz can) 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans & liquid 1/2 cup couscous or bulgur wheat 1/4 cup raisins 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp ground turmeric 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger tsp ground cumin 3 cups water

Preparation Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. *Serve the couscous separately if desired. **Parsnips may be substituted for kohlrabi.

Arroz con pollo

Preparation 1.ln a large caldron, brown chicken parts in the oil, 5 minutes each side.

2. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside.

Don't place chicken on paper towels – you want the grease back in the pot.

3. Leave the chicken drippings inside the pot and add all the other ingredients except for the rice, water and chicken.

4. Mix well and cook sofrito for 5 minutes over medium heat until it becomes a paste.

5. Add the chicken and rice to the pot and stir.

6. Add the boiling water until the water is about 1 inch above the rice, stir once only.

7. Boil uncovered, over high heat, until water is absorbed.

8. Once the water is absorbed gently stir from bottom to top. Just a couple of turns only.

9. Cover and continue to cook over LOW heat for another 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Ingredients Arroz Con Pollo 2 cups uncooked rice 1 lb. chicken parts 1 small can tomato sauce 2 tablespoons of sliced Spanish Olives, use a bit of the liquid and the red peppers too.

1 teaspoon alcaparras ½ cup sofrito 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon salt ½ cup vegetable oil 4 cups of boiling water For Sofrito Sauce 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 pound green peppers, seeded and chopped 1/8 pound sweet chili peppers, seeded and chopped 1/2 pound onion, chopped 6 garlic cloves, chopped Leaves of 6 - 8 branches cilantro, chopped 1 tablespoon oregano 1/2 pound cooked ham 1/2 cup achiote lard or oil

Calamari alla Mediterrรกnea Ingredients Grilled calamari Asparagus Cherry tomatoes Mussels (150 gr) Pesto Genovese (5 tbsp) Parsley Fresh garlic (chopped) Extra virgin olive oil Balsamic vinegar White wine (3 glasses) Salt Pepper

Preparation 1. Start with a frying pan, some olive oil, garlic and white wine.

2. Once the wine evaporates, add the mussels and cook for 4 minutes until they slowly open.

3. While cooking the mussels add in 3 tbsp of pesto and mix.

Salt if necessary.

4. Clean the calamari and the asparagus. Place the calamari on the grill with salt and pepper and a tear drop of white wine.

5. Cook the asparagus with a drop of balsamic vinegar and some garlic.

6. Transfer all the ingredients to a bigger pan alternating the grilled calamari and the pesto, place the asparagus and the mussels at the end once the pesto sauce shrank.

Decorate with parsley leaves and cherry tomatoes.

Grilled Chicken Breast with Roasted Garlic Sauce Ingredients Roasted Garlic Sauce 2 whole heads of garlic Olive oil Salt and pepper 1 cup white wine 1 spring fresh thyme 2 cup chicken stock 1-1/2 lb of butter (1 + ½ whole stick) Lemon

Preparation 1. Cut tops of garlic heads off to expose the bulbs and place in aluminum foil, sprinkle generously with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and crumble aluminum foil around garlic.

2. Roast in 450 deg oven for about 15 min. This will soften the bulbs and make them easy to remove from head.

3. Place roasted bulbs in sauce pan and mash with a fork, add white wine and reduce by 2/3, add fresh thyme and 2 cups of chicken stock. Reduce chicken stock by about 1/3 and remove sprig. Squeeze juice of 1/4 lemon into sauce and continue to simmer for a few minutes.

4. At end, add butter in, one tablespoon at a time, over low heat and whisk to avoid breaking the sauce. Use all of the butter for a creamy slightly thickened sauce. Add dash of salt and pepper to taste.

5. Rub chicken with olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill till done. Drizzle sauce over chicken serve with mashed potatoes or red bliss and favorite veggie.

Haraimi (Spicy Fish) Ingredients 4 to 6 pieces of fish 1 clove garlic, crushed ½ teaspoon fish cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder ½ small can tomato paste ½ large can of tomato juice 1 chopped onion Juice of one lemon 3 tablespoons olive oil ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup water Parsley

Preparation 1. Mix half of the crushed garlic, fish cumin, salt and the lemon together and marinate the pieces of fish in the mix for a few minutes.

2. Brown the onion and the other half of the crushed garlic in the olive oil.

3. Add the tomato paste and tomato juice and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Add the pieces of marinated fish to the sauce and cook on a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cooked.

5. Serve the fish on a separate plate from the sauce so that the fish stays intact.

Garnish with slices of lemons and serve.

Sautéed Calamari with Tomatoes, Basil, Raisins, and Pine Nuts

Preparation

Ingredients (4 servings) 4 cloves garlic ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon minced salted anchovies Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes 32-oz can crushed tomatoes, drained (reserve juice) 1 tablespoon capers 1 bunch basil leaves 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted 3 tablespoons golden raisins Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 ½ lbs squid, cleaned, tentacles removed and trimmed, and bodies cut into very thin rings.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Thinly slice 3 cloves garlic. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes; cook until garlic has browned.

3. Stir in tomatoes; transfer to oven and roast until dried and thickened, about 20 minutes.

4. Add reserved tomato juice to cooked tomato mixture and stir to reconstitute sauce. Add capers, basil, pine nuts, and raisins; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper; place over low heat to keep warm.

5. Heat a large skillet and add 3 tablespoons olive oil; heat until smoking. Add squid and cook, stirring constantly, until squid rings begin to open up and become firm, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Add tomato sauce to skillet, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until squid is opaque and sauce is hot, 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Preheat a grill pan. Drizzle bread with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until toasted on both sides. Rub cut sides of toasted bread with remaining clove of garlic.

8. Divide calamari evenly among 4 shallow bowls. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with lemon zest and parsley. Serve immediately with toasted bread.

Budin de Pan (Bread Pudding) Ingredients (10 servings) 6 tablespoons sugar 6 tablespoons water 7 slices white bread 2 cups milk 他 cup sugar 3 eggs Vanilla extract (optional)

Preparation 1. In a microwaveable bundt mold, mix sugar and water.

2. Microwave on high for 5 minutes.

3. Place the bread in a bowl with the milk.

4. In another bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar and vanilla extract.

5. Combine both preparations and pour into the caramelized bundt mold.

6. Microwave on medium-low for 7 minutes, and on high for 10 minutes.

Note: If you want you may add thin slices of apples, raisins or dried cranberries, alternating a layer of bread pudding mix with a layer of fruit.

Allow to cool and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or dulce de leche.

Caramel-coated peanuts (praliné or garrapiñada) Ingredients 1 cup of sugar 1 cup of water 1 cup of raw skinless peanuts 25 drops of vanilla extract

Preparation In a saucepan, combine sugar, water, peanuts and vanilla extract.

Cook over medium heat stirring constantly. Eventually, you will notice that the water boils off and the sugar turns into a dark caramel color with a sandy texture.

It has reached praliné stage one. Keep the mixture over the heat. You will notice that the sugar melts for the second time but now it sticks to the peanuts. This is the second and final stage. Spread on a tray and let stand until cool. You can replace peanuts with almonds.

Christmas Cookie Recipe for Zimtsterne Ingredients 4 egg whites 390 grams powdered sugar, about 3 1/2 cups 400 grams ground hazelnuts, about 4 cups (or if you are partial to almondsthey taste very good as well) 2 tsp. ground cinnamon (leveled) 1 lemon 1 oz Kirschwasser or Rum (optional) The "Zimtsterne" cookies are a very traditional part of German Christmas and Advent in Germany.

Preparation 1. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Add lemon juice of 1 lemon. Keep on beating until the mixture is very stiff. Remove 1/2 cup of meringue and set aside for icing.

2. Fold in the ground hazelnuts and the cinnamon. Add the Kirschwasser or Rum and incorporate.

3. Chill for an hour. Use powdered sugar generously on your work surface (as you would normally with flour), shape the dough into a square and roll out to 1/2 inch thick (or 1 centimeter). Cut out stars with a cookie cutter. Powder cookie cutter between each cut so they do not stick. Place stars on a non-stick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cutting out the stars is a sticky process.

Rinse the cookie cutter as often as necessary to achieve sharp star points.

4. Brush or spread the icing on each star, working it out to all the points.

5. Preheat oven to 325ËšF. 6. Bake each tray for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cookies before the icing turns brown, although a little brown tint can look nice.

Store these cookies in a dry place at room temperature.

Pionono Ingredients for the dough: Pionono is very versatile. Great for sweet and salty preparations, as an appetizer or dessert. We love it filled with dulce de leche, sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar or topped off with chocolate. Be creative, try any of all of the following variations: heart of palms with thousand island dressing, tuna fish salad, ham and cheese with tomatoes‌ you can’t go wrong!

Preparation 1.

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Mix the eggs and the sugar beating very well until mixture is thick.

Add honey and vanilla.

Incorporate the flour, folding it slowly, to avoid lumps.

Line a baking sheet with nonstick baking paper or parchment paper.

Bake in preheated oven until golden brown.

Remove promptly from oven. You will know it is ready if the paper separates easily from the edges.

Roll up while warm, without removing the paper, and cover with a damp cloth until cool. Remove paper before using.

Vanille Kipferl Ingredients (Yield 5 dozen): 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour 1 pinch salt 7/8 cup butter 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1 egg 3 teaspoons vanilla sugar 1 1/4 cups ground almonds.

Preparation 1.

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To make vanilla sugar, blend 1/2 vanilla bean with 1 cup of sugar; sieve. I In a large mixing bowl, combine the salt and the flour.

Cut in the butter and mix in with your hands.

Add the confectioners' sugar, the egg, the vanilla sugar, and the ground almonds to the flour mixture.

5. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

6. Divide the dough into several parts. Make rolls that are approximately 1 inch thick.

7. Cut the rolls into 1 inch pieces, and bend the pieces into the shape of a semicircle (just like a croissant).

8. Place the Kipferl on a baking tray, and leave them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

9. Bake at 400ËšF (200ËšC) for 10 to 15 minutes. When done, remove Kipferl carefully from the tray.

10.While still warm, use a sieve to shower the Kipferl with vanilla sugar.

Zitronenherzen: Lemon Hearts Ingredients (Yield s5 dozen): 3 egg yolks 4 oz sugar 1 packet of vanilla sugar (approximately one tablespoon) 3 drops of lemon oil for baking ½ teaspoon baking powder 7-9 oz (depending on the size of the eggs) ground almonds or hazelnuts 3.5 oz confectioners sugar 1-1½ tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation 1.

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Beat egg yolk, sugar and vanilla sugar until creamy. Stir in lemon oil, baking powder and more and more of the ground nuts until you get a dough that does not stick to your fingers.

Dust your table top with confectioners sugar and roll out the dough until it is evenly about ¼” thick.

Use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut the cookies and place them on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.

Preheat oven for 5 minutes to 350-400˚F and bake for about 10 minutes.

For the icing 1. Sieve the confectioners sugar into a bowl, add lemon juice.

2. Coat the cookies with this mixture right after taking them out of the oven.

3. Let cool and enjoy.

Clericot Ingredients: 2 bottles inexpensive white wine (not too sweet) 2 bananas peeled and sliced 2 oranges, cut in segments 5 peaches, peeled and sliced (you can also use peaches in syrup) 2 apple, chopped 7 oz pineapple 3 ½ tablespoons lemon juice Ice cubes Sugar (if desired) Sparkling water (if desired) Optional: strawberries, plums, grapes, kiwis or other fruit of your choice

Preparation 1.

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Put all fruit in a nice glass pitcher. Add the lemon juice, the white wine and the ice cubes.

Place in the refrigerator until just before serving.

At the last minute, add sugar and top it with a squirt of sparkling water.

Christmas Cinnamon Cocoa Ingredients for a pot ½ cup powdered cocoa ¼ cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract 1 quart whole milk 1 cup “half-and-half”, or light cream 1 teaspoon finely ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons crème de cacao (optional)

Ingredients for a cup 2 tablespoons powdered cocoa 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons sugar Sprinkle of salt ¼ teaspoon natural vanilla extract 1 cup whole milk ¼ cup “half-and-half”, or light cream ¼ teaspoon finely ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons crème de cacao (optional)

Preparation 1.

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Combine the cocoa, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a heavy saucepan.

Over low heat, slowly add ¼ - ½ cup of the milk, whisking or stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth.

Stir in the vanilla extract and optionally, the crème de cacao.

Gradually add the rest of the milk, then whisk the “half-and-half” or light cream into the cocoa.

When tiny bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan, remove from the heat. Whisk until frothy.

Serve topped with whipped cream and more ground cinnamon, if desired.

Feuerzangenbowle (Flaming Fire Tongs Punch)

Preparation 1. Wash the orange and lemon, pat dry and cut into slices or wedges.

2. In a large pot, add red wine, orange, lemon, cinnamon sticks, cloves and anis stars. Warm to a steaming mixture, but don’t let it come to a boil (or the alcohol will evaporate).

3. Move pot from the stove, pass the mix through a strainer and place the pot on a heating surface or flame, that can be placed on the table (like the one used for Fondue). Now the ceremony can start.

4. Place the sugar cone (or sugar cubes) on top of the fire tongs above the warm punch (about 1 inch above the surface). Slowly pour high-proof rum over the sugar cone and let soak for a minute. Carefully light up the alcohol cone and let the flaming sugar caramelize and drip into the punch mix. Once in a while add a little rum to a ladle and pour over the sugar cone. Always use a ladle; don't pour straight from the bottle, as the rum is highly flammable. Repeat until the sugar has been used up. (You can also save some of the sugar for later, depending on the desired sweetness of the punch.

5. Serve the hot punch in mugs or hot-tea glasses.

Insert a glass pestle into each glass. The glass pestle prevents the glass from bursting while filling up with the hot liquid.

ZUM WOHL!

Ingredients 2-3 liters of red wine (Choose dry wine, not too light.)

5-7 cloves 2-3 cinnamon sticks 3-4 anis stars (optional) 1 orange 1 lemon 1 German sugar cone (made from sugar which is moistened and pressed into a typical cone shape (see image below).

Can be substituted by a pyramid of sugar cubes.

1/2 bottle of rum (at least 108 proof) Equipment In Germany, steel fire tongs are used (“Feuerzange�) to hold the sugar cone.

You can make your own tongs, as long as they are fireproof. They should be long enough to fit across the pot and stable enough to allow the melting sugar to drip into the punch mix without spilling.

Fire tong (Feuerzange), which gives this wonderful punch its name Sugar cone (Zuckerhut)