Is this how your family feels
about your home
during the Holiday Season?
  …  It’s just an
mmm, mmm good
place to be?

With the help of Watkins Gourmet Flavourings and Spices, your Holiday Season can be the yummiest yet!  We hope you – and everyone you love! – enjoy all of the recipes we’d like to share with you this month. 

Crystal Cut Candy

2 cups/500 mL sugar
1/2 cup/125 mL light corn syrup
1/2 cup/125 mL water
Dash salt
Few drops red food color
2 to 3 tsp/10 to 15 mL Watkins Limited-Edition Anise Extract

Combine sugar, syrup, water and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook to hard-crack stage or 290°F/145°C on candy thermometer. Add food color and extract; allow to set for a few seconds before stirring. Mix well and pour into an 8 x 8 x 2-inch/20 x 20 x 5-cm pan that has been sprayed with Watkins Cooking Spray. Let stand a few minutes until slightly cooled and a film forms over the top. Mark candy into 3/4-inch/20-mm squares using spatula or pancake turner. (Because candy is cooler at edges, start marking at the outside and work toward the center.) Press a line across pan 3/4 inch/20 mm from edge. Be careful not to break film. Repeat around pan, intersecting lines at corners to form squares. If lines do not hold shape, candy is not cool enough. Retrace lines, pressing spatula deeper, but do not break film. When spatula can be pressed to bottom of pan on all lines, candy will be shaped into square puffs. Cool thoroughly and break into puffs. Store loosely covered in a cool, dry place. Makes approximately 100 candies.

Danish Pastry Caramels

1 cup/250 mL butter
2-1/4 cups/550 mL packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp/0.6 mL salt
1 cup/250 mL light corn syrup
1 (14 oz/400 g) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Limited-Edition Danish Pastry Flavouring

Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add brown sugar and salt; blend well. Stir in corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk gradually, blending well. Cook over medium heat for 12–15 minutes or to 245°F/125°C on a candy thermometer (firm-ball stage), stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in extract.

Pour into buttered 13x9”/33x23-cm pan (make sure pan is buttered thoroughly). Let stand until cool. Cut into squares with scissors.

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup/250 mL sugar
1/2 cup/125 mL Watkins Original Grapeseed Oil
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Butter Extract
1 cup/250 mL canned or cooked pumpkin
2-1/4 cups/550 mL all-purpose flour
1 tbsp/15 mL Watkins Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp/5 mL baking soda
1/4 tsp/1.2 mL salt
1 cup/250 mL chopped cranberries
 

Combine first five ingredients; mix well. In large bowl, blend flour, Pumpkin Pie Spice, soda and salt. Stir in pumpkin mixture just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in cranberries. Spoon batter into 9x5-inch/23x13-cm loaf pan. Bake at 350°F/180°C for 75 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. Best if made a day ahead of serving. Serve with Orange Spice Spread, if desired.

Orange Spice Spread

1/2 cup/125 mL butter, softened
1/4 cup/60 mL powdered sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp/2.5 to 5 mL, to taste Watkins Orange Peel
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Nutmeg
1/8 tsp/0.6 mL Watkins Cloves (Ground)
3/4 to 1 tsp/4 to 5 mL, to taste Watkins Orange Extract

In medium bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and blend just until combined. Spoon into attractive serving bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready for use.

Makes about 3/4 cup/180 mL, 1 tbsp/15 mL per serving.

Cream Cheese Muffin Puffs

1/2 cup/125 mL sugar
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Cinnamon
1/4  tsp/1.25 ml Watkins Nutmeg
1/4  tsp/1.25 ml Watkins Cloves
1/4 cup/60 mL butter, melted
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Limited-Edition Danish Pastry Flavouring
1 tube (10 oz/290 g) refrigerated biscuits
1 (3 oz/85 g) package cream cheese, cut into 10 cubes

In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; set aside. In another small bowl, combine butter and extract. Separate the dough into 10 biscuits; press each biscuit into 3-inch/7.5-cm circles. Dip cream cheese cubes in butter mixture and then in sugar mixture. Place one cube in center of each biscuit. Fold dough over cube, shape and roll into balls. Dip balls in butter mixture and then in sugar mixture. Place seam-side-down in greased muffin pan. Bake at 375°F/190°C for 14-18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 10 muffins.

Merry Berry Cheese Bars

2 cups/500 mL unsifted flour
1-1/2 cups/375 mL rolled oats
3/4 cup + 1 tbsp/195 mL firmly packed brown sugar
2 sticks butter or margarine, softened
1 (8 oz/227 g) package of cream cheese, softened
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Double-Strength Vanilla

1 (14 oz/400 g) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup/60 mL lemon juice
1 (16 oz/450 g) can jellied cranberry sauce
2 tsp/10 mL Watkins Limited-Edition Cranberry Extract
2 tbsp/30 mL corn starch

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. With mixer, beat flour, oats, 3/4 cup/180 mL brown sugar and butter until crumbly. Set aside 1-1/2 cups/375 mL of mixture, and press remainder on bottom of greased 13 x 9”/33 x 23 cm baking pan. Bake 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

With mixer, beat cheese and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk until smooth; stir in lemon juice. Spread over baked crust. Combine jellied cranberry sauce, cranberry extract, corn starch and remaining 1 tbsp/15 mL brown sugar. Spoon over cheese layer. Top with reserved crumb mixture.  Bake 45 minutes, or until golden. Cool and cut into bars. Refrigerate leftovers.

Variation: Cut into large squares and serve warm with ice cream.

Cheesy Ham and Potato Bake

1-1/2 cups/375 mL mayonnaise-type salad dressing
1 cup/250 mL milk
1/4 cup/60 mL Watkins Gourmet Six Onion Soup
1/4 tsp/1.2 mL Watkins Pepper
1 (2 lb/900 g) bag of frozen hash browns
2 cups/500 mL chopped ham (about 10 oz/300 g)
3 cups/750 mL shredded cheese (such as Marble Jack)
1/2 cup/125 mL bread crumbs
2 tbsp/30 mL melted butter
Watkins Cooking Spray

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in hash browns, ham and cheese. Place mixture in 13x9”/33x23-cm pan sprayed with Watkins Cooking Spray. Mix crumbs and butter. Sprinkle over top. Bake at 350°F/180°C for 1 hour, or until browned and bubbly. <![if !vml]><![endif]>

Chocolate Buttercream Squares

Cookie layer:

1/4 cup/60 mL butter
1/2 cup/125 mL sugar
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp/45 mL Watkins Pure Cocoa
1/2 cup/125 mL flour
1/4 cup/60 mL chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease and flour an 8x8-inch/20x20-cm pan. Cream butter, sugar, and egg. Add cocoa, flour and nuts. Put into prepared pan and bake. Check after 10 minutes; it should be cooked. Do not overbake. Cool.

Buttercream layer:

2 tbsp/30 mL butter, softened
1 tbsp/15 mL cream
1 cup/250 mL powdered sugar
2 tsp/10 mL Watkins Limited-Edition Danish Pastry Extract

Blend ingredients. Chill 10 minutes and spread over cookie layer. Cut into small pieces, since they are very rich.