Recipe(tried): Christmas 2009 Dinner Menu

Hello!

I went grocery shopping on Monday, it was quite nippy and cold. I love Winter! There's a snap in the air! I bought all my ingredients for cookie making and for Christmas Day Dinner. We have been invited to a Christmas Eve Dinner for Twelve at a friends' home. I will be taking Ina Garten's Coconut Cake and a platter of Bacon Dates. Here is the recipe for the Coconut Cake:

COCONUT CAKE
Source: Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten
Serves 10-12

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup milk
4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
For the frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy.

Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife.

Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).

To assemble:
Place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

There will be other desserts and the hostess always packs "goodie bags" for us, so here's to hoping there's a slice or two of coconut cake to bring home!

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I had debated on the menu for Christmas Day with Dh...it was a toss-up between a Lasagna Dinner or a Ham Dinner. We both concluded there's a lot a stuff you can make with leftover ham...I have my eye on a Ham, Spinach & Gruyere Bread Pudding for New Year's! And soups can be made with the ham and bone. So here is the menu and recipes.

Hickory Smoked Ham with Crunchy Topping
Lemon Scented Green Beans
Maple Butter Baked Sweet Potato Jackets
Sister Schubert's Yeast Rolls
Sweet Noodle Kugel
Christmas Cookies Platter

HICKORY SMOKED HAM WITH CRUNCHY TOPPING

8 lb. Smoked Ham (butt portion) bone-in
for the Crunch Topping:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg

Mix the Crunch Topping ingredients together till you get a thick paste consistency. If you need to make it thicker, add dark brown sugar.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Take ham out of packaging and rinse well with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Place ham in roasting pan cut side down and wrap with foil.

Warm ham in oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove ham from oven 15 minutes before time is up. Glaze it with the Crunch Topping, patting it on all over. Return ham to oven uncovered and continue baking for 15 minutes.

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LEMON SCENTED GREEN BEANS
Source: Mary Engelbreit's Tis The Season Holiday Cookbook
Serves 8

21 lbs. fresh green beans
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or generous 1/4 t. dried
1 1/2 fresh grated lemon zest
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
I add 1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the beans until just tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, add the garlic and beans, sprinkle with the thyme and lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring frequently until hot. Transfer to a serving platter.

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VR'S NOODLE KUGEL
Serves 10-12

A good friend and cook passed this recipe to me after tasting it at several outings. It is quite good and rich. A great accompaniment to meat or to eat as a dessert. Delicious cold too!

1/2 lb. uncooked noodles
5 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. cream cheese (2 pkg., 8 oz. each)
1 cup cottage cheese
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 cup sour cream

Cook egg noodles half way. Set aside.

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Put all ingredients except egg noodles in food processor. Process until creamy.

Put egg noodles in greased 9x13-inch pan and pour egg batter over.

Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.

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MAPLE BUTTER BAKED SWEET POTATO JACKETS
Serves 4

4 sweet potatoes
Maple syrup
butter

Wash potatoes well. Slice in half lengthwise. Rub cut surface with butter and place on baking sheet cut side down.

Bake for 45 minutes in 350 degree F oven. Turn each baked sweet potato jacket over and brush with butter and drizzle generously with maple syrup. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Merry Christmas!

Gina