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Yule Recipes
Chocolate shortbread:
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Grease a 9-inch fluted tart pan or cookie sheet. Combine flour and cocoa powder. In another bowl, beat butter on medium high speed or until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Beat together. Add the flour mix bit by bit and combine until crumbly. Knead in a ball until smooth. Put into the pan or arrange in a 9-inch round on the cookie sheet, sculpting the edge if desired. Cut into 12 wedges. Prick each wedge 3 times with a fork, all the way through. Bake at 325º F for 30 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack for cooling.
Yield: 12 wedges
Source: Better Homes & Gardens, Christmas Cookies
Use for: Yule
Ingredients:
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup dark molasses
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 4 cups flour
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon powdered clove
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 4 teaspoons ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Ginegerbread men cookies:
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix all ingredients together except flour. Add flour slowly, mixing. Dough should be slightly stiff. If mix seems too dry, add a teaspoon or two of water; if too wet, add flour. Roll dough on floured cutting board to be about 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to make men. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Transfer to wax paper to cool. Give features with frosting!
Note: I know these are gingerbread, but I found them too strong with the full 4 teaspoons of ginger in there! I would suggest toning it down to half that myself, but that is my own taste.
Yield: 3 dozen
Source: McCoy, The Sabbats
Use for: Yule
Double-Crust apple pie
Ingredients:
- 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup margarine
- 6 tbsp cold water
- 2 pounds of apples
- juice of 1 small lemon
- 6 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch For glaze:
- milk
- granulated sugar
Instructions:
First, make the pastry. Place flour in bowl and cut margarine in in cubes. Crumble margarine in with fingertips. Add water and mix with a knife until just starting to hold together. Push against side of bowl and wrap with plastic wrap, chill for 30 minutes. Cut dough in half and rewrap one half, return it to chill. Shape the other half into a ball on a floured surface. Roll pastry to ¼ inch. With each rolling, turn the dough so it does not begin to stick. Brush pie pan with margarine. Fold dough in half, then in half again to form a fan shape, then lift into the pan and unfold, centered.
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Cut up the apples and put them in a bowl, and toss with lemon juice. Add sugar and cornstarch. Put the apples on the crust in the pie pan and brush the rim of the pastry with milk. Then roll out the other pastry circle and put that on top, pressing the two together. Trim the sides of the extra dough, leaving enough space for the crust to hang over just a bit. Now shape the crust however you like, in petals or by pressing with your fingers. Brush the edge with milk when you are finished. Cut a 1/2-inch steam hole in the center of the pie. Now roll out the trimmed pieces of dough and make shapes to place on top of the pie, never covering the steam hole. Brush each shape with milk and sprinkle the whole pie with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn down to 350ºF and bake for 30 more minutes.
Yield: 1 pie, about 6 slices
Source: Mary Berry & Marlena Spieler, Cooking Essentials
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