Holiday Spice
It's holiday time--time for cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. But that doesn't mean you can only use those spices in gingerbread and . . . well, gingerbread. So this month's challenge was to think of other ways to use holiday spices. Just where can cinnamon hide? (Answer: An appetizer cheese present!) How versatile are cloves? (Answer: They can serve as place cards and also season ribs!) And when it's too hard to put holiday spices into a vegetable, go with the "holiday" part of the theme and prepare a green, red, and white salad. Go Diva L!
But the holiday spices weren't the highlight of the night. Nope, that came courtesy of Diva E--both in her diaper bag (a convenient carrier for gingerbread latte ingredients) and in her baby carrier. Welcome baby C to your first dinner club!
But the holiday spices weren't the highlight of the night. Nope, that came courtesy of Diva E--both in her diaper bag (a convenient carrier for gingerbread latte ingredients) and in her baby carrier. Welcome baby C to your first dinner club!
All I want for Christmas is a cheese box (with cranberry sauce)
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/9118744.jpg)
so i consulted a few different recipes, but in the end i kinda just made this up as i went along. with an assist from Southern Living.
Ingredients:
for cheese box-
16 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 C. ricotta cheese
1/2 C. mayo
1/2 C. onion, finely chopped
1 C. toasted nuts, chopped (i used pine nuts and almonds...but i think pecans or walnuts would be good too)
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
4 green onions
for cranberry sauce-
1 can (8 oz.) cranberry sauce
1/2 C. dried cranberries
the juice of 1 clementine
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
Directions:
for cheese box -
Combine all ingredients except green onions and mix at medium speed until well blended. Pack mixture in a small loaf pan. Chill for 8 hours or up to 2 days. To serve, spoon cranberry sauce over cheese box. To "wrap," cut the white part from 4 green onions. Blanch green onion tops in boiling water 1 minute or until tender. Drain. Press 1 green onion strip into base of center of one side of the box, pressing up sides until it meets center of top of box. Repeat with remaining green onion strips.
for cranberry sauce -
Combine all ingredients. Chill.
Holiday Spiced Oven Short Ribs
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/8156955.jpg)
for ribs--
4 pounds beef short ribs
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder or paprika (I ran out of chili powder, so I did half and half)
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
for barbecue sauce--
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon vinegar (white, red, or cider vinegar)
Mix sugar and spices. Pat spices generously onto all sides or ribs. Place ribs side by side on foil. Fold foil into tightly-sealed packets. Place foil packets on a cookie cooling rack, and put the cookie cooling rack on a baking tray. Put that in the oven. Bake at 200 degrees for 4 hours, then at 175 degrees for another 2 hours or so. I put the ribs in two packets, and baked them on two trays.
When the ribs are done, carefully open each foil packet and pour the accumulated juices into a saucepan. Boil the juices and reduce them by half--about 10 minutes. Then add 2 teaspoons smoked paprika and 1 tablespoon vinegar to make the barbecue sauce.
4 pounds beef short ribs
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder or paprika (I ran out of chili powder, so I did half and half)
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
for barbecue sauce--
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon vinegar (white, red, or cider vinegar)
Mix sugar and spices. Pat spices generously onto all sides or ribs. Place ribs side by side on foil. Fold foil into tightly-sealed packets. Place foil packets on a cookie cooling rack, and put the cookie cooling rack on a baking tray. Put that in the oven. Bake at 200 degrees for 4 hours, then at 175 degrees for another 2 hours or so. I put the ribs in two packets, and baked them on two trays.
When the ribs are done, carefully open each foil packet and pour the accumulated juices into a saucepan. Boil the juices and reduce them by half--about 10 minutes. Then add 2 teaspoons smoked paprika and 1 tablespoon vinegar to make the barbecue sauce.
Spiced Pudding Cake
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/6608701.jpg)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup molasses
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1-1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup butter, cubed
- Whipped cream and ground cinnamon, optional
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Beat in molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, spices and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with 1 cup water, beating well after each addition.
- Transfer to an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan; sprinkle with brown sugar. In a microwave, heat butter and remaining water until butter is melted; carefully pour over batter.
- Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm. Garnish with whipped cream and cinnamon if desired.Yield: 15 servings.