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Christmas in Texas

          

Brined Maple Turkey with Cream Gravy

Assorted Christmas Trivia from Audrey Newell

Audrey's Christmas Pud

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES.


2.75 cups all-purpose flour. If you want to ice the
cookies:-
1 teas. Baking powder 1.25 sticks unsalted
butter, softened.
1 teas. Baking soda .25 cup plus more if needed -
evaporated milk
1.25 teas. Salt 4 cups confectioners
sugar, sifted
1.5 teas. Ground cinnamon 2 teas. Vanilla
extract
1.25 teas. Ground ginger
.75 teas. Ground nutmeg
1.5 sticks unsalted butter,
softened
2.25 cups packed light brown
sugar
1.5 cups canned solid pack
pumpkin (14 ounces)
.75 cup evaporated milk
1 teas. Vanilla extract.

Cookies:
Preheat oven to 375oF.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set
aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and
nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside.  Cream 1.5 sticks butter and the brown
sugar on medium speed  until pale, about 3 mins.  Mix in eggs, scraping down
sides of bowl as needed.  On low speed, add pumpkin, milk, and vanilla; mix
until combined, about 2 mins.  Add flour mixture; mix, scraping down bowl
and bottom of bowl as needed, until well combined.
You can either use a piping tube or a tablespoon to put approx. 1.5" rounds
of  mix onto paper, approx. 1" apart.  Bake until tops are springy to the
touch, about 12 mins.  Let cool on the sheets 5 mins. And then transfer to
wire racks to cool completely. These are soft cookies, like mini pumpkin
cakes.   Makes about 6 dozen.

Icing.:
Put confectioners sugar in a large bowl and set aside.  Melt butter in a
small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook until golden brown - about 3 mins.
Immediately pour butter over confectioners sugar, scraping any brown bits
from sides and bottom of pan.  Add milk and vanilla; stir until smooth.
Spread about 1 teaspoon of icing on each cookie
(If icing becomes stiff, stir in a little more evaporated milk until
spreadable.)

Note:
Brown Butter, also called beurre noisette, is formed when the milk proteins
and sugars in butter caramelize during cooking, giving it a deep, nutty
flavour.  You're guaranteed to get a bit of sugary, brown-butter-flecked
icing in every bite.

Submitted by Audrey Newell

Grilled Turkey

And here's a cooking the turkey recipe from my long-time friend Paula Bean, down in Orlando, Florida . . .

First, the recipe: I grill my Turkey (YUMMY!)

Beaners Secret Grilled Turkey recipe:

A charcoal grill works best, especially the domed kind, like a Webber.  Put one of those throw away foil containers in the bottom of the grill, fill with a little water and some wood chips (mesquite, hickory, etc). Place charcoal around the outer edges of the foil pan, stand back and ignite.
Let the charcoal come to a medium heat (no longer glowing really red, medium red with a little gray ash on them).

Get an injection system, fill with a mixture of 1/2 melted butter, 1/2 olive oil, and garlic.  Inject into the breast portion of the bird, then drizzle the rest on top.  Tuck wings under and put foil over top of each wing and drumstick.  Place bird on the grill and shut the lid.  Grill for 10-15 minutes per pound.  About halfway thru cooking period, check the status of your coals as you may need to add a few extra (especially if it is a large bird and you have to cook for long time). Remove the foil from wings and legs and baste turkey one more time.   Don't be alarmed if it looks like
the bird is over-cooked as slow method grilling makes the skin much darker, but it is not burning.

This stays so moist on the inside juices just pour from it when you cut it, you don't need gravy and skin gets crispy like it was rotisseried - yummy!

My second favorite method is to deep fry it, but that's not as healthy for you and more work. Grilling you just set it and forget it so you can spend more time with family and fixing other yummy dishes.

~ Paula Bean
Christmas, 2006
 

Brined Turkey

A few months ago, on a discussion group for real estate agents around the world, someone mentioned 'brining' a turkey before cooking it, to make it more tender and flavourful. My friend Andi Durbin from Denver, Colorado, send this method for brining a turkey. . . .

BRINED TURKEY

1 fresh turkey
18 peppercorns
2 cups Kosher salt
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large thumb ginger, sliced (optional)
8-10 juniper berries (optional

The evening before cooking, bring 2 quarts of water to boil, add salt and sugar, and stir to dissolve.  Add remaining spices and simmer for several minutes, then cool.  Pour into a clean 5-gallon bucket and place in refrigerator, or in garage less than 40 degrees.  Add about 2 gallons of ice water, turkey, and enough cold water to submerge bird.  Cover and brine overnight.  Remove, rinse, pat dry, season and roast.

Thanks Andi!

The Dogwood Tree

The Legend of the Dogwood Tree.
A Tale from the Southern United States.

Long ago, when Jesus lived on Earth, the dogwood was a giant among trees,
towering proudly above the pine and the oak.  Its broad, arching branches
gave shelter and shade to countless birds and animals.
One day men came into the forest.  They needed wood for the beams of
the cross on which Jesus would die.  Because of its great size and strength,
they chose the dogwood.
The dogwood tree was filled with grief when it heard what was to be
done with its wood.  "Lord," it cried, "let me wither and fall.  I cannot
bear to live, knowing I am the cause of your pain."
Then the voice of Jesus came, comforting the sorrowing tree.
"Because you feel pity for Me," Jesus said, "never again will you be used
for such a terrible purpose.  You will become a small, slender sapling.
Your blossoms will be white, in the shape of a cross.  The outer edge of
each petal will be torn and stained with rusty red, as if pierced by a nail.
In the center will be a crown of thorns.  All who see you will remember Me."
Now, each spring, the little dogwood brightens gardens and forests
with its clouds of white blossoms, bringing its message of hope and love.

By the way, do you know why we decorate our Christmas trees with tinsel?
This is explained by the legend of the Christmas spider.  A poor widow was
determined to give her family a good Christmas.  She spent hours decorating
a tree before falling into bed exhausted.  During the night spiders scurried
all over the tree, leaving dusty grey webs.  Jesus knew the mother would be
brokenhearted so, as a reward for her unselfish behaviour, turned the webs
into silver threads.

Whilst on this sort of subject, do you know what legally - in Britain anyway
- counts as a 'white' Christmas?  Only one snowflake needs to land on the
roof of the London U.K. Weather Centre for the day to be recorded as a
'white' Christmas in the capital.  Since 1900 snow or sleet has fallen on
Christmas Day ten times in London - This was as at 2003.  The 'one
snowflake' rule only came into use in the early 1970's when bookmakers
William Hill asked the Met Office for help in defining a white Christmas as
a reliable measure was needed for betting on a 25th December snowfall.
Observations began in London and soon spread to other U.K. weather centres.
Now readings are taken at a select few stations each year.

Submitted by Audrey Newell

The Origin of "Yule"

"Yule" is a word from one of the most ancient tongues.  It is related to
words like yell and yodel.  It means to call out in song.  

 
But the first beings had never heard a song.  So they sought the Moon's
advice.  "How shall we Yule?" they asked.  "How shall we sing a song?"
"Take the best of what you have, of what you are, take what you love
and cherish most.  Take your joys, dreams, and fondest hopes, and weave them
all together in a sound."  And so they did.

They climbed the tallest trees, hills, and mountains.  They stood in
all the places that would bring them closest to the Sun.  They shut their
eyes and thought the best of thoughts and feelings, and dreamt the first
dreams.