Hanukkah Blintzes
Blintzes: Neither a football play nor a military tactic, but a delightful Hanukkah dish. I took the classic preparation – tender crepes stuffed with ricotta and cream cheese and topped with a type of fruit syrup – and simplified it.
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cold water
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp olive oil
Filling:
Mascarpone cheese
Powdered sugar, to taste
Syrup:
1 package of blueberries
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup sugar
Directions:
1. In a sauce pan over high heat, boil the blueberries with orange juice and sugar. Cook the berries until you’re left with a thick sauce.
2. Mix the ingredients until there are no lumps and the mixture falls from the whisk or fork in a thin stream.
3. Ladle a portion into a large nonstick pan over medium heat and tilt the pan to spread out the batter. Flip when it is slightly browned.
4. Mix the mascarpone cheese powdered sugar to taste
5. Roll some filling inside a crepe and pour the blueberry syrup on top. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Christmas Potatoes Au Gratin
hristmas and comfort food go hand-in-hand, and there’s nothing more comforting than a potato dish. I used buttery Yukon gold potatoes, bathed them in cream and added a heap of melted Gruyere cheese. Just hope your stockings will be as stuffed as you.
Ingredients:
4 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
1 block of Gruyere cheese
a few sprigs of thyme
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter
Directions:
1. Grate the Gruyere cheese.
2. In a lightly buttered baking dish, layer the Yukon gold potatoes, Gruyere and thyme leaves. Disperse the layers of sweet potatoes evenly.
3. Mix a pinch of salt and a bit of melted butter with the cream and pour over the potatoes. Top with a final layer of Gruyere cheese and bake for about one and a half hours at 350 degrees.
Winter Nog-tini
That eggnog in the dairy fridge you don’t know what to do with is screaming to be made into a holiday cocktail, and who couldn’t use a bit of a kick to their huge holiday meals? Rum pairs well with the richness and subtle vanilla flavor of the eggnog, and you’ll be amazed by how you can transform store-bought whipped cream with a few drops of light rum. Make your spirits bright this holiday season by making this nog-tini.
Ingredients:
1 shot of light rum
3 shots of eggnog
whipped cream
Directions:
1. Mix the cold rum with eggnog and pour into a martini glass.
2. Lightly incorporate a bit of rum into the whipped cream and place a dollop on top of the martini.
3. Dust with cinnamon.