A Homemade Yule - Part Three

For this Homemade Yule post, I'm focusing on food.  Mostly because I love food.  Also, I'm planning our Yule Feast.  I've been realizing over the the past few years just how many people buy everything for their holiday feast.  I think the only thing most people still make from scratch is their turkey or ham.  No one makes their own buns anymore.  They buy a pie for 5.99$ at the store.  Boxes of bulk shortbread.  Isn't part of the point of putting on this wonderful feast for everyone that you made it for them yourself?!  Cooking and baking is a lost art!  Hardly anyone does anything from scratch anymore.  Alright, I'm done.  That was my soapbox for the day.  On we go!  First, I would like to direct attention to the blog The Wicked Stitchery.  She has a wonderful Etsy store, with some beautiful pagan products.  That's usually what she posts about.  However, in response to some people on Twitter (me!  ME!) asking for a recipe she mentioned, she posted a recipe for Cheesy Garlic Bread.  From scratch, like with yeast.  Just they way I like to make my bread!  I haven't tried it yet, as I'm a little preoccupied with Yule baking of my own (Cookies are important.) but it is at the top of my list. 

Dutch Babies Photo by SC Photography, Red Deer.

This year for Yule, we are trying to plan things that Brianna will eat as well.  We have an Apple Pear Salad on the menu, as well as pickled onion.  My crazy baby loves all things sour, apparently.  She ate two whole pickles the first time she had any.  I am making Ham with a mustard/brown sugar crust.  Mini Dutch Babies, as pictured to the right.  Don't they look great?  Also, Vanilla Pudding Pumpkin Pie, with graham cracker crust.  I haven't quite figured out the pie yet, I'm sort of making it up.  Most of the recipes will be at the end of the post.

Almost everyone bakes cookies or bars or squares at this time of year.  What are your staples?  The things you make every single year, that it just wouldn't be Yule without?  For us, it's shortbread and butterscotch confetti.  This year, I'll also be making peanut brittle.  We just discovered the recipe this year, and it's so easy and fabulous.  I will be posting the recipe for it, but not today.  It's going to take me a while to be able to part with it.  Before Yule, though!  I've still got a little while.  I used to make Neapolitan Squares every year, from the Company's Coming 150 Delicious Squares cookbook pg.83, I believe.  Isn't that sad how I remember that?  It's a delightful square with a graham cracker crust, coconut and condensed milk filling, and an amazing icing.  However, with me doing the Weight Watchers thing and Sean's tentative diagnosis of hypoglycemia, we are trying to cut down on how many crazy sugary things we make.

Alright, here we go with the recipes. 

Apple Pear Salad

2 Cups diced Apple
2 Cups diced Pear
2 Cups halved grapes
2 tsp lemon juice

Dressing:

1/4 cup light Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Plain or Greek Yogurt
2 - 4 Tbsp honey (to taste)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mix fruit together, sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning and toss.  In a separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients together, and blend well.  Pour over fruit and toss lightly to coat.  Refrigerate to blend flavors, 1-2 hours before serving.

Pickled Onions
This recipe is from Food.com, user Kittencalskitchen.  Link!  I've changed it a little bit to my preference, though.  Directions are the same as the original. 


2 red onions, sliced in half then cut into about 1/4-inch slices
3 teaspoons Sea salt
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup normal white vinegar
5 -6 tablespoons sugar
black pepper ( about 1 teaspoon)

Separate the rings and place into a large bowl. Sprinkle with Kosher salt; toss to coat with salt, then let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse the onions under cold water and drain very well. Place the rings between paper towels and pat dry, then place in a bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, sugar and black pepper; pour over the rings in the bowl; toss to coat well. Place in the fridge for 2 hours before serving.


Mini Dutch Babies
This recipe is the same one as on the Chubby Vegetarian, with a different execution.  The original recipe was my inspiration! If you have never read this site, you have to.  It's fabulous.

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch nutmeg (I used way more, because I am in love with nutmeg.  I used like a tsp.)

2 tablespoons butter (I only used one, I didn't really need need so much.)

According to the Chubby Vegetarian, you preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a 10-12 inch frying pan into the oven with the butter. Once the butter melts, pour the batter into the pan and return it to the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

What I did?  I preheated the oven to 425.  I put little bits of butter in the bottom of muffin cups, let that melt.  Mixed up the batter, poured enough in the muffin cups to cover the bottom.  and baked for 10-12 minutes,  the full 15 minutes for the smaller ones would have burned them.  I then added some sliced strawberries and a dusting of powdered sugar.  YUM!  So good.  I ate, like, 9 of the 12.  They were amazing.  

As I said, I don't have a recipe yet for the pie.  Did you know that in my house, we generally refer to pie as "bob"?  Do you want to know why we do such a ridiculous, nonsensical thing?  Because Sean hates pie.  Anything called pie.  Do you know what he hates about pie?  The pastry.  Yet, even when it has a graham cracker crust, if it is called pie he won't eat it.  So we call it bob.  Ridiculous?  Yes.  Does it work?  Yes, strangely enough.  

Remember, there is also my recipe for Yule Shortbread, and I will get around to posting my Peanut Brittle recipe sometime before Yule yet.  Hope you all have a great day!  Happy cooking!

Goddess Bless, 

S.

Updated to Add:  Here are the links the other Homemade Yule posts...A Homemade Yule - Part One and A Homemade Yule - Part Two.  Enjoy!