If you are curious about puddings here ar some popular Christmas puddings. Begin this year and start a new tradition.

What is figgy pudding? You hear about it in Christmas songs and “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. It sounds like something you might have to eat with your eyes closed and your nose pinched but that’s not actually the case.

Here’s the lowdown on figgy pudding. It is an English pudding dating back three centuries. This is not your everyday Jell-O pudding. In Europe, puddings are actually solid desserts that are either sweet or spicy. They contain fruit, nuts, and something like flour or suet to hold it all together.

Puddings like figgy pudding and Christmas pudding are baked, boiled, or steamed. The traditional method is either steaming or boiling. When the pudding is done it is doused with liqueur and set alight. A sprig of holly is used for garnish before serving. On the side, ice cream or custard is served.

Other popular puddings around the holidays include bread and rice pudding. A pudding of this type is more along the lines of an English pudding only it is baked in a casserole dish instead of a round mold. Bread puddings like mom used to make used day old bread. It gave a better texture to the pudding and held up to the liquid ingredients better. I am not a fan of soggy bread, but my grandmother’s bread pudding is great.

Rice pudding combines precooked rice with raisins or currants and cream, sugar, and spices. It is baked just until the last bit of liquid disappears. Rice pudding is best served warm with a bit of extra sugar. These puddings are filling so you don’t need much. We usually made them during Christmas because the ingredients made such a big batch; you needed lots of people to make sure it didn’t go to waste.

Custards and tapioca are also types of puddings to prepare at Christmas. Many people make them throughout the year, but an extra special garnish of fresh fruit covers the top during the holidays. And, don’t forget the creamy dessert pudding we are all used to eating. Sprinkle a bit of peppermint, shaved chocolate, or chopped nuts on top to jazz it up.

Christmas puddings are easy to make for the most part and lots of fun to eat. Try a traditional English pudding this year and impress the family. For the kids, keep it simple with some Jell-O instant and whipped cream.

We love to bake at Christmastime. It is a part of the tradition of family that surrounds the occasion. But, it can seem as if we are spending more time in the kitchen preparing for family than we actually get to spend with them. Change up your program with a few Christmas desserts that don’t require any baking.

An interesting holiday dessert is pretzel salad. You may be thinking about a bunch of greens with crushed pretzels sprinkled about. We are discussing desserts so it will be sweet in some capacity. The pretzels in pretzel salad actually make up the crust. There are no greens to speak of, but yummy Jell-O and whipped topping.

Cheesecake is a Christmas treat that can be dressed up in any way that the baker sees fit. For years there have been cheesecake recipes that do not call for hours of prep and baking. These are called icebox recipes. They rely on the refrigerator to set the cheesecake which contains pudding.

Look for an icebox cheesecake recipe to present to your family this Christmas. Decorate the top with their favorite fruits, nuts, and candies. Cheesecake works well as an after dinner dessert or a dessert for a Christmas party. Keep it in the refrigerator until ready to serve so it doesn’t lose its shape.

Some candy, like Divinity, doesn’t require any baking time to prepare. These scrumptious little dreams have been hanging around during the Yuletide season for many years. Whip up a batch and refrigerate them to set. Bonbons are another no bake dessert that is easy to make. All you have to do is decide on the flavor of the bonbons. Create a few different kinds. Kids love variety.

How about ice cream? Christmas does occur during the winter months but you can’t have pie, cake, and cookies without some ice cream for that a la mode touch. It would be easy to pop into the grocery store and pick up gallon or two but the family wouldn’t get to participate in the creative process.

Instead, get the chilly sweet treat the traditional way—make your own. You can purchase an ice cream maker at most mega stores like Wal-Mart and Target. Kitchen stores also carry ice cream makers. Mix up a batch of festive holiday ice cream for the family to try.

Occasionally, life calls for ease. Around the holidays that “ease” comes in the form of no bake desserts. They’ll think you were in the kitchen all day but we’ll know the truth.

Celebrating the holidays without pumpkin logs is unheard of in my family. These delicious treats can be made up to 3 months in advance and frozen until ready to serve.

Made up of pumpkin type bread with a sweet cream cheese filling, they are great for office parties as well as gifts for your postman, bank teller, co-workers, friends and family.

Make some logs with nuts and some without to appeal to everyone. Add dates, raisins or other dried fruit for a fun variation.

Ingredients (makes 4 logs)

Bread:
6 eggs
1 (15oz) pumpkin
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon (or try pumpkin pie spice)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ cups flour

Filling:
16 oz cream cheese
2 cups pecans
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp. butter

 

Directions:

Bread:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Add eggs to a large bowl.

Next add the pumpkin.

Then the sugar & cinnamon.

Finally add the baking soda and flour.

Using a hand mixer, mix well.

 

Filling:

In a separate bowl add the butter and cream cheese.

Next add the powdered sugar.

Finally add the pecans.

 

Using a hand mixer, mix the ingredients well. Filling will be thick! You may need to stop and scrape the beaters several times during this process.

Divide into 4 parts and set aside.

Note: You can mix the cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar first then add the pecans if you prefer. This will make mixing a little easier.

Here’s what it should look like when done.

 

By now, your oven should be preheated.

The final thing you need to do before baking is to lay out a clean cloth on your counter top and sprinkle it with some powdered sugar. You’ll use this to help roll your log to keep it from breaking.

 

Baking & Assembling

Pour 1 1/3 cup mixture onto the greased cookie sheet. Using a spatula or spoon, spread evenly. It should be thin but not see-through.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. Here’s what it will look like when baked.

 

Allow it to rest for about one minute, and then carefully flip the bread onto the sugared towel. You may need to use a spatula or egg turner to help loosen the bread from the pan.

Carefully spread 1 part of the filling onto the bread.

Using the edge of the towel, slowly roll into a tight log shape.

 

Repeat 3 more times to make a total of 4 rolls.

Wrap in aluminum foil or freezer paper for up to 3 months. Remove from freezer 1-2 hours prior to serving. Slice and enjoy!

These mints make great decorations for that Christmas table.  The look wonderful filling up those candy dishes and arranged in a bowl of nuts.  They are pretty sweet so be careful not to over indulge.

Happy Holiday Mints

What You Need:

1 stick butter
1/4 C whipping cream
1/4 t peppermint flavoring
1/4 t butter flavoring
5 C powdered sugar
Red food coloring
Green food coloring

How to Make It:

Place the butter and whipping cream in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Bring the mixture to a full boil, stirring continuously.

Once at a full boil remove the pan from the heat.

Stir in the both of the flavorings.

Sift the powered sugar into the bowl and stir to combine.

Divide the mixture between two bowls.

Tint one bowl of the mixture red and tint the second green.

Press the mixture into Christmas molds and allow them to set.

Once set pop the mints out onto wax paper.

These can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Serving Size:  12 dozen

Winter Snow Fudge

What You Need:

4 C confectioner’s sugar
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 (12 oz) pkg. white chocolate, chopped
3/4 C walnuts, chopped

How to Make It:

Place the sugar into a large mixing bowl.
Add the cream cheese and vanilla extract.
Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until very smooth, about 3 minutes.
Place the chocolate in a double boiler.
Bring the water of the boiler to a simmer.
Melt the chocolate, stirring constantly, until the chocolate has completely melted and is a smooth consistency.
Remove from the heat and allow cooling 1 minute.
Fold the chocolate into the sugar mixture.
Add the walnuts and mix until completely incorporated together.
Spread the mixture evenly into a square baking pan lined with wax paper.
Refrigerate at least one hour or until the fudge becomes firm.

Serving Size: 18 pieces

If you don’t have a double boiler you can use two sauce pans and generate the same effect.  The bottom pan needs to be just slightly larger than the top pan.  Place enough water in the bottom pan to not quite reach the bottom of the top pan when it is resting inside the other pan.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without some sweet treats. Besides Valentine’s Day, Christmas is another holiday where people give food as gifts. What better gift to give to another or your family than a tin full of fudge.

Holiday fudge is sweet and not tooth-friendly. But, it is the Christmas and it only comes once a year. Your teeth will forgive you as long as you brush afterwards. Fudge looks good and is easy to make. Be sure not to leave it unattended or the ingredients may overcook and ruin your batch of fudge.

The main utensil that is needed for fudge making is a candy thermometer. Candy thermometers are used to determine the stage that the mixture is in at the time. The ingredients will either be soft, firm, or brittle depending on the temperature. Fudge will be soft but firm enough to hold its shape in the pan when cut.

Experiment with different types of fudge. The most popular flavor is probably chocolate but there are others. I like peanut butter fudge. It is smooth, creamy, and oh so delicious. Consider the type of fudge flavors that others like so that there is a variety.

Recipe For Whipped Peanut Butter Glazed Fudge

What You Need:

3 C semi sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/8 t salt
1 C peanut butter chips, divided
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 C whipping cream

How to Make It:

Place the chocolate chips into a heavy saucepan and place the pan over low heat.
Add the condensed milk and the salt.
Stirring often, melt the chips into the milk until the mixture becomes smooth.
Remove from the heat.
Quickly stir in 1/2 C of the peanut butter chips and the vanilla.
Place a piece of wax paper into a square baking pan.
Spread the mixture evenly into the pan.
Place the fudge into the refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm.
When firm make the glaze.
Place the remaining peanut butter chips in a saucepan.
Pour in the whipping cream.
Place the pan over low heat and stirring often melt the peanut butter chips into the cream until smooth.
Spread the glaze over the top of the chilled fudge.
Let the fudge stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Serving Size:  12 pieces

Nuts can be added to just about any type of fudge.  Pecans, walnuts or almonds all work well.  Be sure to chop the nuts into pieces before adding them.  Stir them into the fudge mixture just before spreading it into a prepared pan.

The basics of fudge making are the same for most kinds. It is just a matter of adding other ingredients. Nuts are a great addition to fudge. Whole or chopped pecans, chopped walnuts, or chopped almonds add a different texture to the fudge.

Recipe For Maple Syrup Pecan Fudge

What You Need:

3 C maple syrup
1 C milk
1/2 C pecans, chopped

How to Make It:

Pour the maple syrup into a large heavy saucepan.
Add the milk and place the pan over medium heat.
Bring to a rapid boil and continue boiling until mixture reaches 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool 3 minutes.
Beat the mixture with an electric mixer on low speed until it becomes creamy.
Carefully stir in the pecans.
Spread the mixture into a square baking pan lined with wax paper.
Cool until the fudge becomes firm and then cut into bite sized pieces.

Serving Size: 18 pieces

Since it is holiday time, sprinkle some crushed candy canes on top of the fudge. A greater minty taste requires adding something like Crème de Menthe to the fudge mixture. Candy canes come in many flavors and colors. Decorate the fudge squares with a different candy cane flavor.

If mint isn’t your favorite flavor, add some sprinkles or white chocolate treats. During the holidays, white chocolate is sold in various shapes like snowflakes, snowmen, and stars. If that is too much white chocolate, top your confection with chocolate shavings instead. It may seem like overkill, but the taste of white chocolate is not the same as milk chocolate and the contrast may be enjoyed by the family.

Fudge is a wonderful Christmas dessert. It keeps well in airtight containers with waxed paper. Most people like it and if not they know a kid who does. Since you are making the fudge, tone down the sugar for a hint of sweetness instead of a sugar rush. Now go out and make someone’s day.