I love Christmas Eve.
The tree's decorated, the presents are wrapped, A Christmas Carol is on TV and it's time to relax with your family in anticipation of the big day to come. Set the holiday mood with traditional food and drink that may bring back a treasured memory or create a new one. Merry Christmas everyone!
HOT BUTTERED RUM COCKTAIL
If there's a drink that conjures up visions of cozy winter nights, this is it - it warms you down to your toes.
½ cup butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg (optional)
1 750ml bottle amber rum (I like Appleton VX)
Boiling water
In a bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and spices.
Refrigerate until almost firm. For each serving spoon about two tablespoons of the butter mixture into a small mug. Top with two oz. of rum and then add boiling water to fill mug. Stir well (you can add a cinnamon stick to use as a stirrer) and serve immediately. Makes 12 servings.
TORTIÃRE
This French-Canadian classic can be assembled a day ahead, refrigerated and baked just before serving. Delicious with chutney (but I love it with HP Sauce!).
Pastry for nine-inch double crust pie (make your own or do what I do, since pastry making is not my forte - use Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts. They come two to a box, just unfold them and you're ready to go)
1 egg yolk
1½ cups cubed peeled potato (preferably Yukon Gold)
1 lb. lean ground pork
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 cups sliced mushrooms
¾ cup finely chopped celery
¾ cup chicken stock
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp each dried summer savory and thyme
¼ tsp each ground cloves and cinnamon (you can leave these out, but they are traditional)
1 bay leaf
Salt
Cook potato in boiling salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and mash; set aside. Meanwhile, sauté pork and beef over mediumhigh heat, breaking up with a fork, until no longer pink. Drain off fat. Add mushrooms, celery, stock, onions, spices and bay leaf; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer until almost no liquid remains, about 25 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Mix in potatoes; taste for seasoning and add salt if desired. Let mixture cool completely. Roll out half of the pastry to quarter-inch thickness and fit into a nine-inch pie plate. Spoon in filling. Roll out remaining pastry; brush rim of lower pastry with water, then cover with top pastry and press edge to seal. Trim and flute edges. (If you have leftover pastry cut out holiday shapes with cookie cutters and use to decorate top crust - see below). Mix egg yolk with two teaspoons of water and brush over top crust. Arrange pastry cut-outs on top and brush with egg wash. Cut steam vents in top crust. Bake at 400 degrees until hot and golden brown, 50-60 minutes. Makes eight servings.
CHRISTMAS ICE CREAM MOLD
Another great recipe from Canadian Living magazine - you can make this up to five days ahead.
1 cup candied mixed peel
½ cup halved red candied cherries
½ cup halved green candied cherries
½ cup golden raisins
¼ cup rum
4 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
½ cup chopped toasted almonds
Chocolate Orange Sauce (recipe follows)
Line a six-to-eight-cup mold or bowl or a nine-byfive-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to cover top; set aside (this is easier to do if the mold is slightly damp so the plastic wrap sticks to it). In a large microwaveable bowl combine the candied fruits, raisins and rum; microwave on high for two minutes, stirring twice.
Let cool completely. Soften ice cream in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Stir nuts into fruit mixture, then stir in ice cream. Pack into the lined mold and smooth top. Cover with overhanging plastic wrap and freeze until solid, at least 12 hours. To serve, let mold stand in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Using the overhanging plastic wrap as handles, remove from pan. Dip a sharp knife into very hot water; wipe dry and use to slice ice cream mold. Serve with warm sauce. Makes 12 servings.
Chocolate Orange Sauce
½ cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp corn syrup
3 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 Tbsp Grand Marnier 1 tsp grated orange rind
In a small saucepan bring cream and corn syrup to a boil; remove from heat and add chocolate, liqueur and orange rind, whisking until smooth.
Let stand until thickened, about 15 minutes. (You can make the sauce ahead; store covered in the refrigerator and reheat before serving).
