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Holiday gifts from the kitchenHandmade gifts of any kind are very special to both the maker and the receiver. They take a little time, but so does shopping and they save a little money sometimes, but not always. The bonus is the creative fun especially when you share the cooking and train the younger generation in the spirit of holiday sharing and satisfaction. Here are a few suggestions for edible gifts that are specifically for the holiday season because they use ingredients that are only available this time of year or only used around the holidays. Yes, of course, one of them is a fruitcake. Don't flinch! Fruitcakes these days are not used for doorstoppers and they are even more tasty if you use dried cherries, dried melon, dried cranberries, etc. Things that weren't widely available when your great grandmom was stirring things up in her kitchen. Last Minute Fruit Cake It's not too late. This can be baked 1 day or 2 months ahead. Keep chilled and airtight. Every 10 days or so moisten with more liqueur. Serve thin slices plain, with ice cream, or with lemon or vanilla sauce. Or, spread with cream cheese flavored with grated orange peel and perhaps a little orange juice or orange-liqueur. 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
Set rack in middle of oven and preheat to 275 F. Butter a 5- by 9-inch loaf pan or 2 smaller pans. Line with parchment. Beat 1 cup butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until well blended. Beat in molasses. Stir together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and allspice. Add to egg mixture; beat just until blended. Set aside 6 apricots, 10 pecan halves and 1 pineapple ring for decorating the loaf. Cut remaining pineapple into 3/4-inch pieces and add to batter along with the remaining apricots and pecans and the cranberries and cherries. Stir until well mixed. Scrape batter into lined pan(s), pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; level top. Bake until cake is firm in center when touched, about 3 hours, a little less if smaller pans are used. If it browns too rapidly, drape loosely with foil. Cool in pan on rack at least 2 1/2 hours. Lift out cake; peel off parchment. Mix apricot jam with liqueur and brush over top of cake. Decorate the top with reserved apricots, pecans and pineapple and then brush more apricot jam over fruit. Wrap in cheesecloth or a thin towel saturated with liqueur, rum or brandy. Wrap again in aluminum foil and chill at least 1 day. Makes about 25 servings. Chestnut Cheesecake Chestnuts are falling off the trees in Spain right now. Did you know that they grow inside a furry pod? The pod splits open and out falls the nut. You can make your own puree or you can buy puree in a can (quicker and easier). Base: 4 ounces crushed graham crackers or 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of crumbs
Cheesecake: 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese at room temperature
Syrup: 1/4 cup rum
Heat oven to 350 F. Fill a pan with water and place over high heat. Base: In a food processor combine crushed graham crackers or crumbs, butter and chestnut puree. Process until mixture has the consistency of wet sand. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate until needed. Cheesecake: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Mix in sugar. Add eggs and egg yolks one by one. Add sour cream, lime juice, vanilla extract and rum, mixing until smooth and creamy. Using a rubber spatula, fold in chestnut puree until well incorporated. Cover outside of a springform pan with a layer of plastic wrap so that bottom and sides are covered. Do the same with foil, covering layer of plastic to make a watertight casing. Place pan in a roasting pan and pour in cheesecake filling. Add enough boiling water to come just over an inch up the side of cake pan. Bake until just set on top with a hint of wobble underneath (cake will continue to cook as it cools), about 1 hour. Remove from roasting pan and cool to room temperature on a rack. Refrigerate overnight before unmolding. Syrup: Combine rum, chestnut puree, sugar and butter. Place over medium heat and stir until melted. Boil for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Remove cheesecake from refrigerator to warm up a bit before serving. Cut into slices and drizzle each piece with a spoonful of syrup. Makes 8 to 10 servings. Cranberry-Kumquat Chutney Two seasonal fruits in one chutney. Serve with any bird that lands on your table.
Combine all ingredients in heavy saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chutney thickens and kumquats are translucent, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Cool completely. Discard cinnamon stick. Makes about 2 cups. A gift for family or for your friends! Date: 12/4/07
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