Tag: christmas

Christmas Charcuterie Cheer

Posted on by Olivia McTernan

Christmas Charcuterie boards are a fun and festive way to display your holiday treats! Whether you are looking for something savory, sweet, or a little of both, these boards are sure to bring all the Christmas cheer to your Holiday table! Select your favorite holiday shape and let’s build a board! Here you’ll find lots of helpful ideas, tips, and tricks for the perfect Holiday board.

Christmas Tree Charcuterie 

Let’s start with a favorite Christmas staple, the tree!

While this tree does have several types of cheeses, it is also complimented by a few selections of meats and fruits. My favorite touch is the star of the tree, a rose sculpture made out of salami.

Salami roses are easy to prepare, delicious, and provide a unique way of making the charcuterie board stand out. All you’ll need is a few thin salami slices and a small glass for sculpting.

Step 1: For the first layer, fold one salami slice in half and place over the rim of the glass. Make sure half of the salami slice is inside the glass and the other half is outside the glass. Add another slice and overlap the first slice. Repeat the steps with 2 or more slices which should cover the rim of the glass.

Step 2: For the next few layers, place the salami layers so that more of the salami is inside the glass rather than outside.

Step 3: As you continue to add rows you will be left with a small hole in the center. Cover the glass with a small plate and turn the glass over. Push down on the salami flower while twisting the glass slightly to help set the rose.

Now you have a tree topper! Finish the tree with lots of herbs to give a lively Christmas tree feel.

Candy Cane Charcuterie 

Another festive favorite is the candy cane board – filled with savory and sweet treats. This board is super colorful and will catch anyone’s eye on your holiday table. 

For the white ingredients: you can you a Varity of cheeses such as feta cheese, baby bell cheese, mini brie, and mozzarella. Add in white chocolate pretzels and macadamia nuts and you have the perfect pairing. 

For the red ingredients: you can use raspberries, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and sugared cranberries. Add in a touch of pepperoni or prosciutto for a salty balance. 

Tips & Tricks: You can use a toothpick to keep the folded meat in place. To keep the cheese from drying out, you’ll want to make the board right before serving. Fresh rosemary springs make a great decoration!

 

Christmas Wreath Charcuterie 

Filled with Christmas colors and delicious cheeses and meats – this holiday wreath is meant to be eaten!

Start by setting the wreath with a garnish of rosemary – this will tie everything together once complete.

Popular cheeses for this spread include cranberry goat cheese, garlic herb brie, and English cheddar cheese. These cheeses pair well with sliced apples, sugared cranberries, blueberries, and pomegranates – which also serve as great red berries for the wreath! And of course, you’ll want to add a variety of your favorite meats.

Add a decorative touch with a jellied brie – To make this festive, simply cut the brie in half and add in your favorite jam. Using the top layer of the brie, use a cookie cutter to make a cut out of the center!

Ginger Crinkle Cookies

Posted on by Stacy Thorson

Nothing says the holidays like a beautiful platter of freshly baked cookies. Every year, our Office Manager Jeni, kicks off the holiday season with a cookie party, a celebration of baking where her family and friends bring a few batches of their favorite confections, filling themselves with sweet treats. This year’s party was well attended and one cookie stood out from the rest…here’s more about it from Jeni:

This year was our 8th year holding the cookie swap and the same ladies come every year, looking forward to an afternoon without children or spouses and a time to enjoy a glass of champagne or a hot cup of coffee with friends who enjoy baking…and eating.

This Ginger Crinkle cookie this year was by far the crowd favorite – it was just sweet enough with a delicious bite of ginger, great with coffee, tea or a little spiked egg nog.

The coveted Ginger Crinkle Cookie

The recipe can be tweaked a little bit to add a little more or less ginger, cloves or molasses, depending on your taste. Also, we have used granulated sugar or sanding sugar rather than turbinado – either way is just delish.

We hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we do. You may want to make a double or triple batch because they go fast. Here’s how you can whip up a batch of your new favorite cookie:

Recipe courtesty of Jamie Deen.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 large egg

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, allspice and cloves. Add the shortening, butter and the brown and granulated sugars to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Slip in the molasses and egg and beat until well incorporated. 
  3. Add the flour mixture by scoopfuls and beat until combined. 
  4. Add the turbinado sugar to a small plate or bowl. Roll the dough into balls that are 1 inch in diameter (1/2 ounce in weight), then roll in the sugar. Place 12 balls on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies 9 to 11 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. Cool on the baking sheets for 4 minutes, then continue cooling on wire racks. Repeat with the second batch.