Holiday Recipe #10: Pepperoni Lasagna

As you can tell by the barrage of sugary goodness featured this week

I have something of a sweet tooth ;). But I didn't want to put any of you guys in a sugar coma, so for this events last recipe, I am gonna showcase something hearty and savory.

If Turkey is the official food of Thanksgiving, then in my house, Lasagna is the official food of Christmas (along with collard greens, and rum-glazed ham, of course). This recipe is one that just had to share because as I am typing, the image is staring daggers at me and making my mouth water! It is so good. I LOVE the addition of pepperoni and Italian sausage to a family favorite dish. The tomatoes are so yummy when they are infused with all the seasoning and juices, and did I forget to mention how the cheeses just oozes everywhere. 

Yep, you are SO hungry right now! lol. Enjoy this fab dish!

Blazy's Pepperoni Studded Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds lasagna sheets
• 2 cups hand cut 1/8-inch slices pepperoni
• 4 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows
• 1 pound ricotta
• 16 ounces shredded mozzarella
• 2 pounds bulk Italian sausage, cooked
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan   

Directions:

Holiday Recipe #9: Paula's (Monogram!) Sugar Cookies

Nothing says Christmas quite like Sugar Cookies!

I have this one aunt who makes ALL of her Christmas gifts (and she can get away with it because she actually has talent in the medium of her gifts- Not saying you shouldn't make all your gifts, but in the spirit of the holiday, if you can't cook, don't bake cookies that can kill =] ). One year she made me a wonderful nightgown and matching "floppsie" hat (kind of like the Santa Klaus' hat) and I loved it. But for the most part, she sticks with giving away tins of homemade cookies, and I always peck around my relatives bags, scourging for the sugar cookies! 

I am taking a the lead from her and thinking about doing this myself this year. But to spice it up, 

I am going to take a page from my beloved Paula Deen's cook book and MONOGRAM the cookies. How smart is that! Will really give a personalized touch to the gift and be delicious all at the same time!

Paula's Monogram Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Granulated sugar
• Royal Icing, recipe follows

Directions: 

Holiday Recipe #8: Ina's Red Berry Trifle

Fresh fruit, yummy whipped creme, pound cake and a splash of Cognac.

Stack it up in an attractive fashion and BOOM, you've got something fab. Well, maybe you'd like a more detailed recipe? LOL. Saw this recipe by the wonderful Barefoot Contessa and immediately had to share. Trifles are amazing, and I love all the possibilities they hold. I mean, HELLO: Cognac cream? Whipped Creme...and one of my guiltiest pleasures: Strawberries? Merry Christmas to ME. This one is getting stashed away underneath the bed before Santa and his hungry elves can come find it! ;)

Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten)'s Red Berry Trifle

Ingredients:
nocoupons

• 1 Plain Pound Cake, recipe follows
• 1 cup good raspberry jam
• Framboise
• 2 half-pints fresh raspberries
• 1 pint fresh strawberries
• Cognac Cream, recipe follows
• 2 cups cold heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Holiday Recipe #7: St.Nicks Gingerbread Men

Penny Watson: Hi Rita! Thanks so much for inviting Nicholas and Lucy Klaus to your blog today.  They're the hero and heroine of my holiday story SWEET INSPIRATION.  Nicholas Klaus is a highly disciplined pastry chef and the eldest son of Santa Claus. Lucy owns a café and has a more...um...relaxed approach to cooking. :)  The two of them butt heads in the kitchen since Lucy has a tendency to fling all the ingredients into the bowl, and Nicholas measures every item with scientific precision.  Here's a quick blurb about the story, and then Nicholas and Lucy will conduct a gingerbread cooking lesson for your readers. Happy Holidays!

BOOK BLURB FOR SWEET INSPIRATION....

What if the legend of Santa Claus is in fact, true?  What if Santa has five big strapping sons who help him run his empire?  Five single, sexy sons looking for romance...

Nicholas Klaus is a master pastry chef, a strict disciplinarian, and the eldest son of the legendary Santa Claus. One look at café owner Lucy Brewster sends him into an unexpected tailspin of lusty desires. When Lucy is injured, Nicholas makes a decision that catapults both of their lives into turmoil ....

Lucy Brewster, the free-spirited proprietor of Sweet Inspiration, has a flair for concocting sugary confections but no time for adventure.  She gets more than she bargained for when she awakens in the North Pole...rambunctious elves, a fitness-obsessed Santa, and the man of her dreams.  Does she have what it takes to become the next Mrs. Klaus?

*****

Nicholas Klaus: Thank you, Rita, for inviting us to your blog today. I'm looking forward to sharing my gingerbread cookie recipe with your readers. As you may know, I run a bakery in the North Pole called Klaus Küche. Our specialty is Christmas cookies, of course.
Lucy Brewster Klaus: Hi Rita! Not only does Nicholas have a fabulous bakery in Glasdorf (the village in the North Pole where the Klaus family resides), but there is also an entire room filled with a gingerbread city, called the Pfefferkuchen room. Elfin magik makes the whole room come alive! It is so cool....

Holiday Recipe #6: White Chocolate Holiday Bark

It's going to be a White Christmas!

Well, the snow HAS begun to fall (although it hasn't stuck too much here on the East Coast), but that doesn't mean we can't have a White Christmas.

WHITE CHOCOLATE is a guilty pleasure of mine and when I saw this recipe I went "Woot!"

Holiday Bark...very clever. I can imagine myself a few years from now, making this for the kiddies and them telling their school teacher "mommy let us eat bark last night!". Easy recipe, fast and delicious results; what more could you want!?



White Chocolate Holiday Bark

Ingredients:1 pound finely chopped white chocolate

• 1 1/2 teaspoons nut or plain oil
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups shelled pistachio nuts, toasted and papery coating peeled

Equipment: Chocolate thermometer

Directions:

Holiday Recipe #5: Paula Deen's "Mama's Eggnog"

True Story:

My family doesn't drink eggnog during the holidays!

It just has never been a part of how we celebrates, but next to Christmas trees and Barry Manilow CD's, The first thing I think of when I here "Christmas" is eggnog. I think I've tried it once, but then again, that's not the point. The drink is suppose to symbolize being together with the family and getting drunk off your "arse". So, I needed a easy recipe that I could incorporate this season and use to try and start some new traditions in the Romance Junkie Household! =)



Paula Deen's "Mama's Eggnog"

 Ingredients:

• 6 egg, separated*
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 4 pints milk
• 1/2 pint
• Bourbon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• Nutmeg

Holiday Recipe #4: Mario Batali's Honey Drenched Christmas Fritters: Struffoli

Yummy Honey!!

Have you ever eaten zepolli's from a pizza shop? Friend dough and delicious powdered sugar... HEAVEN.This recipe reminds me of those treats, but a bit different. I've never had struffoli, but this recipe looks pretty common sense. I think I'll omit the sprinkles, though. I hope it's the life of the party at your next holiday gathering!

Mario's Christmas Fritters

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups flour
6 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
1 lemon, zested and juiced, plus 1 lemon, zested
1 orange, zested
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon limoncello
4 cups canola or peanut oil, for frying
2 cups honey
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Holiday Recipe #3: Alton Brown's Chocolate Truffles

To me, nothing says Christmas quite like truffles. Chocolate Truffles. 

I purchased some from a bakery a long time ago and ever sine, I've been looking for a simple recipe I could follow at home and eat whenever I like. Alton Brown is my favorite know-it-all chef on the FoodNetwork (If only I knew calculus in high school like he knows food...). I love watching Good Eats and his commentating on Iron Chef America, and now, I love this wonderful recipe for a delightful treat. Some what easy, and perfect for sharing with family and friends during the holidays!

 

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, and/or toasted coconut, for coating truffles
• 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

Directions:

Holiday Recipe #2: Paula Deen's Christmas Shepherd's Pie

One thing I love about Paula Deen is that she reminds me of my own grandma. She cooks with love and the dishes are mouthwatering! I've never been a big fan of Shepherd's Pie until I saw this morsel being made on Paula's show! I asked my grandmother to try making it with me and it was a DISASTER (she has her few recipes which always work and anything new is destined to fail)! But the memories we made were wonderful and one day I vow to make this dish on Christmas Eve for my own grandchildren! And with that corn bread crust....C'e Magnificent! JUST like grandma (knows how to) makes.

Paula Dee's Christmas Christmas Shepherd's Pie


Ingredients:

Beef Filling-

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 16 ounces canned tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups cooked mixed vegetables (peas, diced carrots and corn)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mashed Potatoes:

• 5 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cornbread Crust:

• 1 (12-ounces) boxed cornbread mix

Holiday Recipe #1: Emeril's Chocolate-y Christmas Cafe au Lait

When Christmas morning rolls around, I like to start my day with a decadent breakfest treat. What's more luxurious than chocolate? I am constantly tuned in to the Food Network, and when I saw my idol, Emeril Legassi, creating this simple yet elegant breakfest drink, I had to get the recipe. This X-mas, I will make a double serving of this treat and share it with my family.




Emeril's Chocolate-y Christmas Cafe au Lait

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 2 ( 2-inch) cinnamon sticks
• 1 strip orange peel, about 1/2 inch by 3 inches
• 10 whole cloves
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups hot brewed strong coffee
• 1/4 cup cold heavy cream

(Ground cinnamon and/or Cocoa, for garnish)