Happy 2018! And with the new year came the cold and snow. And no, I am not complaining because I like the snow. Last night we got 16 inches of the stuff and today we are in the deep freeze. You know that that means? Comfort food! Last night I made this lovely stew: Red-wine braised Boneless Beef Short Ribs, with Root Veggies. Some of the ribs were so big that they could have been mistaken for mini-pot roasts. Super tender and flavorful! Nom nom nom!
Here is a quick little recipe that ends up feeding a crowd. This Cranberry Chocolate Chip Tea Bread is quick to make (no mixer needed!), not too sweet and delightful for a snack or breakfast. It’s also festive and seasonal for this time of year! Note that you can halve this recipe is you only need one big loaf (or two smaller loaves).
Long time followers of my website know that the other thing that I have a tendency to make around Christmas Time (in addition to the mountains of cookies) is candy or chocolate. Sometimes Caramels, sometimes Fudge, sometimes Truffles. So this year, I went with another couple of types of fudge: Dark Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Fudge and Toffee Crunch Fudge. It’s a super-simply, absolutely foolproof fudge recipe that turns out great every time. And ready in a very short time frame. Try it!
This is a new type of Christmas Cookie. You see, every year, I experiment with one sort. Sometimes they are a success, sometimes not. And sometimes, while I love the cookies themselves, they are too much of a pain in the neck to make +/- 300 of them, so they don’t get included the next year. This year, I decided to go with a distinctly non-German type recipe — if anything, these Rosemary Apricot Pinecone, with Toasted Pinenuts, almost have a Mediterranean feel to them. They are not too sweet and definitely have a rosemary finish. Most of the sweetness does come from the apricot jam. While the verdict is out on whether they will become part of my regular rotation, they are quite lovely.