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.
