The Pastry Queen Christmas: Big-hearted Holiday Entertaining, Texas Style
by Rebecca Rather
from Ten Speed Press
The annual Fredericksburg Christmas parade marks the beginning of the Hill Country's holiday season, which means the Pastry Queen is kicking into high gear at her Rather Sweet Bakery and Café. As party invitations pile up in the mailbox, Rebecca Rather is up to her elbows in sticky meringue, gooey chocolate, and a sleigh's worth of savory indulgences to meet the Texas-sized entertaining-to-go orders of her neighbors. In THE PASTRY QUEEN CHRISTMAS, Rebecca shares nearly a hundred traditional recipes reflecting her made-with-love-from-scratch philosophy and the tastes of small-town Texas. Tree-trimming, open houses, cookie decorating, and Santas running down Main Street . . . Christmas time is here.
Christmas With Southern Living 2007 (Christmas With Southern Living)
by Editors of Southern Living
from Oxmoor House
For a comprehensive reference on Christmas decorating, entertaining, cooking, gifts, and wrapping, there's no more revered source than the authorities at Southern Living. Christmas with Southern Living 2007 marks its 27th year of inspiring loyal readers with stylish, innovative ideas for the holidays.
As always, it offers a tour of the South's most stunning residences, all adorned to the hilt for the holidays with easy tips for replicating the looks in your own home. Christmas with Southern Living 2007 covers the full range of holiday home and entertaining options, from delightful decorating inside and out, to updated menus and party recipes, uniquely festive table settings, and heartfelt gifts from the kitchen. It includes clear directions for all projects, over 100 easy-to-follow recipes, and beautiful photography to inspire.For a comprehensive reference on Christmas decorating, entertaining, cooking, gifts, and wrapping, there's no more revered source than the authorities at Southern Living. Christmas with Southern Living 2007 marks its 27th year of inspiring loyal readers with stylish, innovative ideas for the holidays.
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Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook (Betty Crocker Books)
by Betty Crocker Editors
from Betty Crocker
Betty Crocker's New Christmas Cookbook is a colorful and creative read. At this hectic time of year, cooks can feel safe and secure in the capable hands of Ms. Crocker. Every imaginable Christmas dish is here--cakes, candies, breads, meats, and, thankfully, lots of vegetarian dishes (a group somewhat ignored in many holiday cookbooks). There are also innovative ideas for gift foods and wrapping. Whatever you're aiming for--a huge family feast or a quiet dinner for two--this Christmas book comes highly recommended. --Naomi Gesinger
Betty Crocker's spectacular all-in-one Christmas cooking, decorating and entertaining book helps you get in the spirit:
- Get everything done
- Involve the kids
- Have a little fun
- Do things ahead
- Bake special treats
- Host the party
- Prepare the feast
- Give gifts from your kitchen
- Enjoy old and new traditions
- Deck the halls
- Enjoy it all!
Gooseberry Patch Christmas, Book 10 (Gooseberry Patch)
by Gooseberry Patch
from Oxmoor House
Christmas With Southern Living 2006 (Christmas With Southern Living)
from Oxmoor House
Readers flock to this gorgeous book year after year because it's always filled with fresh ideas for fun-filled Christmas celebrations—in that special Southern Living way. Decorating, crafting, gift giving, cooking, party planning—they're all here, with tips and tricks that will have family and friends thinking you've been preparing for months.
Southern Living Christmas Cookbook
from Oxmoor House
Pretty enough to put out on the coffee table, the Southern Living Christmas Cookbook is sure to win the hearts of the world+s most discriminating cooks. Packed with scrumptious recipes, decorating tips, and entertaining know-how, its innovative holiday fare includes breakfast -anytime,+ Christmas munchies, and add-a-dish recipes for surprise guests. Sumptuous photography and stunning presentations make this handsome volume a pleasure to read, a pleasure to hold, and a pleasure to hand down for generations to come.
Rose's Christmas Cookies
by Rose Levy Beranbaum
from William Morrow Cookbooks
Christmas and cookies are synonymous. Extolling that happy truth, Rose Levy Beranbaum's Rose's Christmas Cookies provides a comprehensive selection of 60 cookie recipes for eating and decoration, for keeping and giving, that is probably the last word on the subject. The author of the award-winning The Cake Bible, Beranbaum has applied her passion for precise, foolproof recipes to the pleasurable business of cookie making. Including full-page color photos of every cookie, and more than 50 line drawings of techniques and templates, the award-winning book is both easy to use and a delight to the eye. Novice bakers and old hands alike will enjoy baking from it.
The recipes are arranged in chapters devoted to tree and mantelpiece cookies; cookies to make for and/or with kids; cookies for sending, for open house, and holiday dinner parties, among others. Included are recipes for classics such as Scottish Shortbread, Chocolate-Dipped Melting Moments, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Spritz Butter Cookies, Springerle, and Pfeffernüsse. Also offered are Beranbaum's own creations, such as Maple Walnut Sablé Sandwiches, and those of her friends, like Lora Brody's Christmas Phantoms and Mrs. King's Irresistibles. Where applicable, recipes offer optional mixing methods for food processor or electric mixer (or by hand). Beranbaum's "Smart Cookie" accompanies each recipe and provides hints on ingredients and techniques. Decoration, storage, and cookie-sending information abounds. Concluding with a color-photo-illustrated glossary of ingredients and equipment, the book is encyclopedic on its subject and virtually guarantees Christmas (or any time) cookie-making success. --Arthur Boehm
Since its 1990 publication, Rose's Christmas Cookies has been a phenomenal success. Who can resist Chocolate-Dipped Melting Moments Cookies or moist Mini-Cheesecakes with Lemon Curd . . . or David Shamah's Jumbles, a fabulous cross between a chocolate-chip cookie and a chunky candy bar bursting with raisins, chocolate chips, and pecans. Whether you need a cookie to decorate your tree or grace your mantelpiece (cookies like Stained Glass or Christmas Wreaths), a sweet to send (Mahogany Butter Crunch Toffee, Maple Macadamia Bars), or a special holiday treat for your dinner party (Praline Truffle Cups, Chocolate-Pistachio Marzipan Spirals), you'll find that perfect something here. Complete with 60 cookie recipes and a color photograph of each cookie for handy reference, this easy-to-use and fun-to-read book will result in scrumptious, festive, and splendid-looking cookies every time.
Mario Batali Holiday Food
by Mario Batali
from Clarkson Potter
With the infectious enthusiasm of a kid on Christmas morning, Mario Batali--who presides over a culinary empire that includes the popular Food Network television show Molto Mario, four acclaimed New York restaurants, and a wine store--presents four complete menus for the holidays and captures all the fun and festivity that epitomize Italian celebrations. True to the commitment to simple cooking evident in his first book, Simple Italian Food, the dishes here deliver maximum flavor and enjoyment without being overly complicated.
Batali's version of the famous Italian seafood extravaganza traditionally served on Christmas Eve--known as the Feast of Seven Fishes--includes no fewer than 15 enticing dishes. Marinated Fresh Anchovies are both surprisingly delectable and delightful in their simplicity. Salt Cod with Capers and Mint, Grilled Lobster with Herbs and Arugula, and Sea Bass Ravioli with Marjoram and Potatoes would each be showstoppers as the centerpiece of any meal. Served together, they comprise a truly unforgettable feast.
The Christmas Day menu is equally lavish, centering on a succulent boned turkey breast stuffed with chestnuts and prunes, while the New Year's Day spread is pure decadence. The latter begins innocently enough, with a refreshing aperitivo of tangerine juice, Compari, and soda, then proceeds through a parade of richly flavored dishes, from the hot-pepper-spiked Octopus in the Style of the Prostitutes of Napoli, to the meatball-filled "mythic pasta dome" known as Timpano di Maccheroni, to the prosciutto-wrapped Braised Pork Roll. An irresistible selection of dolci (sweets), including Cinnamon Chocolate Pudding with Pine Nuts and Waffle Cookies, rounds out the meal. New Year's Day welcomes a relaxed daylong open house replete with an ever-changing spread of antipasti, pasta, and dolci, most of which can be prepared at leisure and served at room temperature, enabling the hosts to enjoy the party as much as the guests.
Photos, along with helpful wine suggestions and practical advice on technique, accompany each menu. Throughout, Batali paints a portrait of his Italian-American family that reminds readers that the simple joy of being together is what the holidays are really about. The 60 simple yet elegant recipes can be mixed, matched, and adapted for any occasion. Served together or separately, each is cause for celebration. --Robin Donovan
Never is the generosity and spirit of the Italian table more evident than at the holidays, when great food and good times are on the menu in every household. In his new book, Mario Batali captures all the flavors of this festive season with enticing recipes that showcase the brilliance of simple Italian food at its best.
Four complete menus offer abundant meals for the holidays, starting with the seafood extravaganza known as the Feast of Seven Fishes, traditionally served on Christmas Eve. Mario's rendition includes almost a dozen delectable fish and seafood dishes, from delicate sea bass ravioli to the indispensable baccalà , here served in the Vesuvian style. A magnificent boned and rolled turkey breast stuffed with roasted chestnuts is the centerpiece of a lavish Christmas Day's menu, while an assortment of alluring finger foods and a showstopping ziti-and-meatball-filled pasta dome set the tone for a lively New Year's Eve celebration. For the relaxed entertaining of New Year's Day, Mario suggests a procession of marinated salads, pastas, and stuffed vegetables, all served at room temperature, capped off with fresh homemade sausage with sweet peppers.
One of the great pleasures of cooking at this time of the year is baking, and Mario Batali Holiday Food includes recipes for a dozen irresistible holiday cookies, some authentically Italian and others family favorites Mario has relished since childhood. You'll also find a host of delectable tortes, custards, cakes, and confections as well as wine suggestions and a refreshing aperitivo to round out each holiday menu.
Whether you're creating a full-blown Italian spread or simply adding a touch of Italy to your own family traditions, Mario Batali Holiday Food will make your holiday gatherings memorably delicious.
Christmas Cookies from the Whimsical Bakehouse
by Liv Hansen
from Clarkson Potter
Come holiday time, there’s no better way to celebrate than by baking up some special cookies. In Christmas Cookies from the Whimsical Bakehouse, mother-daughter bakers Kaye and Liv Hansen share their most enchanting cookies, from simple to showstoppingly beautiful. These irresistibly pretty cookies are perfect for snacking and gifting, decorating the tree, and, of course, leaving for Santa.
And they are definitely not your grandmother’s cookies! With both classic and creative flavor combinations and adorable designs, the Hansens’ cookies have been pleasing loyal customers at their cozy upstate New York bakery for years. Now they bring their customers’ favorite recipes home to you. Kaye handles the baking, imbuing the cookies with the traditional flavors of Christmas, like cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla, but also more modern touches like coconut, chocolate, and pistachio. Her daughter, Liv, provides the artistic flair, using innovative techniques and plenty of colored (yes, colored!) chocolate to yield truly special cookie creations that look as good as they taste.
All of the Hansens’ best cookie creations are here, from simple roll-and-slice cookies to bars and cutouts, including Coconut Dreams, Chocolate Pecan Rounds, and Creamy Christmas Butter Cookies, as well as step-by-step instructions for making truly impressive decorations. Imagine a dazzling 3-D Christmas cookie tree decked with silver dragées, or a breathtaking gingerbread house. From chewy Apricot-Chocolate Triangles to tangy Lemon Drop Cookies, Christmas Cookies from the Whimsical Bakehouse is a fanciful, fabulous take on everyone’s favorite holiday treat.
Christmas from the Heart of the Home
by Susan Branch
from Little, Brown and Company
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