Recipe(tried): Country Christmas Dinner 2010

Hello!

Once more, Christmas is upon us. For many, it is a time of celebrating with family and friends all the good things at the end of the year. For others, it is a bittersweet time as they remember loved ones gone. And yet, we forget that Christmas is truly a time of rejoicing for it is the birthday of baby Jesus.

Holidays are the high points on my calendar and none so high as Christmas. It is the month of my Mom's birthday as well as her death, it is the month of one granddaughter's birthday...it is a season onto itself with weeks full of parties, shopping, making lists, sending out holiday cards and decorating. And even on the coldest days of winter, I don't see these as obligations but as blessings.

This year, I won't be making the usual turkey dinner. Instead a ham at a great price at the grocery store inspired this year's dinner menu showing me that inspiration is where you least expect it! Merry Christmas to you and yours and may the New Year shine in for you as bright as the star over baby Jesus' manger!

~Gina

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COUNTRY CHRISTMAS DINNER 2010

Spiced Winter Nuts
Deviled Eggs
Bacon Wrapped Dates
Spicy Pineapple Glazed Ham
Sweet Potato Crunch
Gussied-Up Green Beans
Dark Chocolate Layer Cake with White Chocolate Frosting
Coffee

THE RECIPES:

WINTER SPICED NUTS
Serves: 4-6

1 cup whole almonds
1 cup whole peanuts
1 cup cashews
1 cup whole pecans
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Mix together all nuts and spices in a large bowl and store in an air-tight container.

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DEVILED EGGS
Serves: 12

6 hard-boiled eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 green onion, very thinly sliced
fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper
salt, to taste
paprika, for dusting tops of eggs

Halve hard-boiled eggs; scoop yolks into a small bowl. Mash well; add mayonnaise and Dijon until desired consistency is reached. Stir in white part of sliced onion and most of the chopped parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

Place mixture into a quart size baggy bag, twist top to make into a pastry bag, snip off one corner and fill egg halves. Sprinkle with sliced green onion and remaining parsley. Dust top of eggs with paprika.

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DATES WRAPPED IN BACON
Source: Cousin Mirtha Martin
Serves 8 or more

2 boxes of pitted dates
2 packages of bacon

Cut bacon package in half, wrap a date in a bacon half and arrange on a baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, halfway thru baking turn them around so they bake completely. Drain, let them cool and arrange on a pretty dish with toothpicks.

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SPICY PINEAPPLE GLAZED HAM
Adapted from source: Christmas with Mary Engelbreit "Here Comes Santa Claus
Serves: 12-14

This sweet and spicy ham will be the centerpiece of your buffet. If desired, spike the ham with cloves before baking. I found a jar of Cinnamon Chile Rub by Victoria Gourmet at Marshall's and will be using that instead of the red pepper and chile powder called for in the recipe

If you want to make your own rub use these spices:
Mix together 1 teaspoon of the following spices:
Chile powder, thyme, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, red pepper, black pepper, celery seed, brown sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon zest and parsley

14 lb. fully-cooked ham
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 1/2 tsp. chile powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove skin and trim fat off ham. Place ham in roasting pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine pineapple, sugar, mustard, red pepper and chile powder, stirring until blended. (If using above mentioned rub/spice mixture, just mix in 3 Tbsp. of it into the pineapple mixture.)

Spoon the pineapple mixture over ham. Return it to oven and bake 45 minutes more or until a thermometer inserted into ham registers 135 degrees F degrees. Transfer ham to cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

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SWEET POTATO CRUNCH
Source: old family recipe from Statesboro, GA
Serves 8

FOR THE SWEET POTATO MIXTURE:
6 sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

FOR THE CRUNCH TOPPING:
1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

Boil potatoes til tender. Take skin off when cooled and able to handle. Put in a large bowl and whip them til fluffy adding all other ingredients for the sweet potato mixture.

Pour into a buttered casserole and top with the crunch topping (combine the ingredients for the topping together).

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

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GUSSIED-UP GREEN BEANS
Source: the owner of a soul food restaurant
Serves 8

I love the green beans served at soul food restaurants and "meat and threes" restaurants in the South. So I finally asked how they fix them and I got the following recipe.

1/2 bacon strip, cut up
1 slice onion, chopped
Small clove of garlic
2 cans (1 lb. each) cut green beans
pinch sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Place bacon, onion and garlic in pot. Cook until tender.

Add beans, sugar, salt and pepper; stir to mix. Cook on medium heat for about 25 minutes

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DARK CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
Source: Christmas With Southern Living, Oxmoor House, June 2006
Serves: 8

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ounces sweet dark chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
White Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans and line with parchment paper.

Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add cooled chocolate and vanilla, beating until blended.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed after each addition. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Spread White Chocolate Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1 1/2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 (4-ounces each) white chocolate baking bars, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add cooled chocolate, beating until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add vanilla and lemon juice, beating until blended. Cover and chill 45 minutes or until spreading consistency.