Danish
Pastry Cheesecake
1-1/2
cups/375 mL graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tbsp/90 mL melted butter
- 1/4 cup/60 mL sugar
- 1/4 cup/60 mL finely-chopped pecans
- 2 (8-oz./227-g) packages cream cheese
- 1/2 cup/125 mL sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup/125 mL sour cream
- 1 tbsp/15 mL Watkins Danish Pastry Extract
Combine first four ingredients. Press into a
9-inch/23-cm pie plate. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth and
creamy. Add eggs and sour cream; mix well. Add Watkins
Danish Pastry Extract
; stir just until blended. Pour into graham cracker
crust. Bake at 350 F/180 C for 30 minutes. Allow to stand at room
temperature for 1 hour. Chill for 8 hours.
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Chocolate Truffles
- 6 oz/170 g semi-sweet chocolate
- 4 oz/113 g cream cheese
- 1-1/2 cups/375 mL powdered icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Original Double Strength Vanilla
Extract
- 1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Extract of choice. Suggestions: Danish
Pastry Extract, Hazelnut Extract, Irish Cream Extract, Vanilla
Nut Extract, or Almond Extract
- Watkins Baking Cocoa, powdered icing sugar,
chocolate, nuts, etc. for decoration
Melt chocolate in microwave on
high for 60 seconds. Stir and continue cooking on high for another
30 seconds or until completely melted.
Beat cream cheese
until smooth. Add powdered sugar and continue beating until
well-blended. Stir in chocolate, vanilla and extracts. Refrigerate
for 2 hours or until firm. Shape into 1-inch/25-mm balls. Roll in
cocoa, sugar, nuts, etc. or dip in melted chocolate. Store in
refrigerator.
Makes approximately 3 dozen truffles.
Use white chocolate in place of the semi-sweet and follow same directions. Or use white chocolate for
dipping.
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Spiced Apple-Glazed
Ham This
apple-jelly glaze offsets the smoky flavour of this impressive
holiday ham.
- 4 lb/1.8 kg fully-cooked smoked whole
ham
- 1 cup/250 ml apple jelly
- 2 tbsp/30 ml balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp/5 ml Watkins
Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp/1.2 ml Watkins Cloves
(Ground)
- 1/4 tsp/1.2 ml Watkins
Ginger
- 1/4 tsp/1.2 ml Watkins Black
Pepper
Preheat oven to 325 F/165 C.
Remove skin and trim some fat from ham, leaving about 1/4 inch/3 mm
of fat covering ham. Score fat in diamond fashion. Place
ham on rack in large roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer
into center of ham, being careful that pointed end of thermometer
does not touch bone. Bake ham for 2-1/2 hours.
Prepare glaze by combining remaining ingredients in small
saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil;
boil 2 minutes.
Brush ham with some of the
glaze. Bake ham 30 minutes to 1 hour longer or until
thermometer registers 140 F/60 C, brushing occasionally with
glaze. When done, place on large serving platter, let stand 20
minutes for easier slicing.
Garnish with fresh herbs
and whole or sliced apples. Heat any remaining glaze and serve
with ham.
Makes 15 servings.
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Broccoli-Corn
Casserole A
quick-to-fix holiday side-dish!
- 2 pkgs (16 oz/454 g each) broccoli
florets, thawed and drained (or 1 pound fresh broccoli)
- 2 cans (15 oz/425 ml) cream-style corn
- 3 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1-1/4 tsp/6 ml Watkins Poultry
Seasoning, divided
- 1/4 tsp/1.2 ml Watkins Black
Pepper
- 2 tbsp/30 ml butter, melted
- 3/4 cup/180 ml dried stuffing
crumbs
Mix broccoli, corn eggs, 1/4
tsp/1.2 ml Poultry Seasoning and Pepper in a 2-quart/litre baking
dish which has been sprayed with Watkins Cooking Spray.
Combine butter, stuffing crumbs and remaining Poultry Seasoning;
toss lightly. Sprinkle stuffing mixture over vegetables.
Bake uncovered at 350 F/180 C for 1 hour or until stuffing is golden
and vegetables are hot. Cover with foil for the last 15 to 20
minutes if crumbs start to get too brown.
Makes 10
servings.
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Bûche de Noël Literally translated as "Yule Log", this traditional French Christmas cake is shaped and decorated to resemble a log.
1/3 cup/80 ml all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup/60 ml Watkins Baking
Cocoa
- 1 tsp/5 ml Watkins
Cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp/4 ml Watkins
Ginger
- 1/4 tsp/1.2 ml baking soda
- Pinch of Watkins (Ground)
Cloves
- Pinch of freshly ground Watkins
Sea Salt
- 4 large egg whites (save two of the
yolks)
- 1/2 cup/125 ml sugar, divided
- 3 tbsp/45 ml buttermilk
- Powdered (Icing) sugar
Preheat oven to 375 F/190 C.
Coat a 15 x 10-inch/38 x 28-cm jelly-roll pan with Watkins
Cooking Spray . Line with waxed paper; spray waxed
paper with Cooking Spray; dust with flour.
In a small bowl,
combine flour, Cocoa, Cinnamon, Ginger, baking soda, Cloves and
Salt. In another small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft
peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually sprinkle in
1/4 cup/60 ml of sugar, beating until sugar dissolves and whites
stand in stiff peaks. In a large bowl, using same beaters,
beat the 2 egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup/60 ml sugar until very
thick and lemon-coloured; beat in buttermilk. With rubber
spatula or wire whisk, gently fold beaten egg whites into egg yolks,
one-third at a time. Gently fold flour mixture into egg
mixture, one-third at a time. Spread batter evenly in
pan. Bake 10 minutes or until top of cake springs back lightly
when touched.
Sprinkle clean cloth lightly with powdered sugar. When
cake is done, immediately invert hot cake onto towel and
roll in jelly-roll fashion. Cool cake roll, seam side down,
on wire rack until completely cool, about 1 hour.
To
assemble cake: Gently unroll cooled cake. With metal
spatula, spread with Coconut Filling (recipe below) almost to
edges. Starting from same long side, roll cake without
towel. With sharp knife, cut 1-1/2 inch/4 cm thick diagonal
slice from each end of roll; set aside. Place rolled cake,
seam side down, on long platter.
Spread some of the Chocolate
Frosting (recipe below) over roll but not on cut edges. Place
one end piece on side of roll to resemble branch. Place
remaining end piece on top of roll to resemble another branch.
Spread remaining frosting over roll and branches, but not on cut
sides. With tines of a fork, make strokes in frosting to
resemble the bark of the tree. Refrigerate cake at least 2
hours before serving. Place Marshmallow Mushrooms (recipe
below) around log.
Makes 10 servings.
Coconut Filling:
- 1/3 cup/80 ml evaporated skim milk
- 1/3 cup/80 ml sugar
- 1 tbsp/15 ml butter
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- Dash of freshly ground Watkins Sea
Salt
- 1/2 tsp/2.5 ml Watkins
Vanilla
- 1/3 cup/80 ml flaked coconut
- 1/4 cup/60 ml chopped pecans
In saucepan, combine milk, sugar,
butter, egg and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until
mixture thickens and bubbles. Add Vanilla, coconut and
pecans. Cool.
Chocolate
Frosting:
- 3 tbsp/45 ml Watkins Baking
Cocoa
- 1 tbsp/15 ml butter
- 1/2 tsp/2.5 ml Watkins
Vanilla
- Dash freshly ground Watkins Sea
Salt
- 2 tbsp/30 ml very hot water
- 1-1/2 cups/375 ml powdered icing
sugar
Combine Cocoa, butter,
Vanilla and salt; mix well. Add hot water and stir until cocoa
and butter are dissolved. Add powdered sugar and mix with
electric mixer for about 2 minutes. Add more powdered sugar or
water as needed until frosting is of spreading
consistency.
Marshmallow
Mushrooms:
- 6 large marshmallows
- Chocolate Frosting (above)
- Watkins Baking
Cocoa
Cut each marshmallow
in half crosswise. Flatten half of each marshmallow for cap of
mushroom. Roll other half between palms to create stems.
Attach caps to stems with chocolate frosting. Dust tope of
mushrooms with cocoa. If desired, meringue mushrooms can be
substituted instead of marshmallow mushrooms.
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Setting a Festive Holiday Table!
-
Use small holiday stockings as
holders for napkins or flatware
-
To add a seasonal touch,
freshness and fragrance to a buffet table, encircle
dishes with evergreens. Tuck Watkins Candles between
greens to give a festive glow.
-
Top each dinner plate with a red
or green paper doiley then place the salad plate on top to create a subtle holiday
theme and make your everyday dishes look like your
special occassion dishes!
-
String together greeting
cards with holiday ribbons to use as a table runner.
Guests can catch up on what is happening with friends
and family!
-
If you
have a separate children's table, separate pages from
a holiday colouring book and tape them together to
form a tablecloth. Provide crayons and markers for an
entertaining dinner for the kids - and a festive
wall-hanging to display for all!
-
Head to the dollar store or
bargain shop and stock up on mini-wreaths,
jingle-bells and miniature ornaments to spread over
the table top, use as napkin rings or place
markers.
-
When dinner is ready, announce it to
all with a ring of the jingle bells - no one will miss
that distinctive and jolly
sound!
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