CHRISTMAS COOKIES

My daughter and I decided that this year, our Christmas cookie would be the shortbread.  We love to bake sweet treats and offer them as gifts to our friends and family.  In previous years, we've made orange peels dipped in chocolate, candied pecans, meringues and many different kinds of cookies which are always fun to bake.  We used Ina Garten's easy recipe and made batch after batch of buttery, sugary and simply delicious shortbreads.  We dipped them in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and sprinkled them with sugar.  We created many beautiful varieties. 

Ina Garten's shortbread cookies

SAMANA

We travelled to Samana for the 2012 Christmas holidays.  We discovered a very beautiful region of the Dominican Republic located on the Atlantic coast in the Northeastern part of the island.  The landscape can be described as being very pure, wild and authentic since tourism is not very developed in that region. I anticipate that this will soon change with the opening of the new El Catey International Airport, in 2006. The drive from the airport to the resort is magnificent and driving through the mountains while admiring the coast lined with palm trees is just extraordinary, something to be seen.

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

Who says cold winter season says comfort food.  This time of year, we crave warm, rich and delicious food.  No more cold refreshing salads.  No more grilled meats or fish on the BBQ.  After a summer of "grillades", I am always happy to take out my big Le Creuset cast iron french oven to prepare all the delicious "mijotés" we enjoy.  One of our favorite dish is without a doubt the french classic "boeuf bourguignon".  An easy recipe to follow which always, without fail, results in a fabulously tasty meal.

I tried many different recipes throughout the years but I finally adopted Ina Garten's (I love you Mrs. Garten!) version, which is simply perfect.

Ina Garten's beef bourguignon recipe

FIRST SNOW

Mother nature, why are you in such a rush? It seems that every year your first snow falls a little bit earlier...  Isn't winter's official start date December 21st?

SANTA FE

My husband received an invitation to attend a 4 day conference at the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado in Santa Fe, New Mexico, last June.  To be perfectly honest, I would never have picked Santa Fe as a weekend destination, as it is very far from our hometown of Montreal and not worth all the travelling for 4 little days...  or so we thought...  That being said, this trip would give us a chance to get away from it all: work, kids, school and homework, chores, end of school year activities and temporarily focus on having fun, just the two of us, like the good old days.

Ultimately, Santa Fe was a fantastic destination.  I would never have imagined that New Mexico was so beautiful.  The desert landscape,  the climate, the deep blue sky, the vegetation, the architecture, everything was so different from what I was used to in Montreal.  Visiting the Georgia O'Keefe museum was also an amazing experience, since I had always admired her beautiful paintings.  We also enjoyed exploring the petroglyphs and dwellings carved into the rock cliffs of Bandelier National Monument, Santa Fe's farmers market, shops, art galleries and great restaurants.  We promised each other that we would soon return for a longer stay.

A WALL OF MEMORIES

I had the idea at the end of the summer.
I wanted to fill our dining room with a wall full of pictures from past travels.
A wall as therapy, a wall decorated with memories, blue visions, blue skies, blue oceans.  A wall to bring me hope during the white and cold Quebec winter months.  I am very happy with the result!

THE CHRISTMAS PLUM PUDDING

When I was growing up, christmas dinners in my family would always end on a sweet note with my mom's delicious log with coffee and chocolate butter frosting.  It was only on that very special occasion that she took a full day to bake such a treat.  The cake was moist, the frosting delicious and it was a feast for the eyes, as she would cut it in such a way that you would think it was a real wooden log and decorate it beautifully, with a sprinkle of frosting sugar, imitating snow.

When I met my husband Louis, and attended my first christmas dinner with his family, I discovered a new tradition, the english plum pudding.  Louis grandfather would stand at the dinner table and with a bottle of rum at his side, a large spoon and a lighter, he would light the cake on fire while everyone watched the spectacle in amazement (and maybe a little bit of fear that the house might burn down).  Ooooohs and aaaaahs would be heard around the table as long as the flame would burn and you could feel the disappointment when it was finally over.  

Right away, I was captivated by this incredible dessert and I asked Louis grandfather if he would be kind enough to share his recipe with me.  The following year, about a month before christmas, he invited me to his house and showed me how to make and steam the plum pudding and I have been continuing the tradition for my family ever since!

Ingredients:

1 cup of suet

2 cups of dried breadcrumbs

1/4 cup of white sugar

1/2 cup of molasses

1 cup of flour

1 cup of golden raisins

1 cup of dried currants

1 cup of dried figs

1 cup of dried dates

1 cup of candied fruit

2 apples

1 1/2 cups of warm milk

2 eggs beaten

1 1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of ground cloves

1 teaspoon of allspice

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon of baking soda

3/4 cup of rum

Cut all the dried fruits (golden raisins, currants, figs, dates and candied fruits) in small pieces and place them in a bowl.  Add the rum and leave covered, all night in the refrigerator.  The next day, transfer the fruits to a large bowl.

Cut the 2 apples with the skin in small pieces and add them to the bowl.

Heat the milk and add the soda and the sugar.  Add the milk to the bowl along with the molasses, the beaten eggs and the suet which was previously deveined and cut in small pieces).

Incorporate the ground cloves, the allspice, the ground cinnamon and the salt to the flour. Mix well and sift slowly in the bowl to avoid lumps.  Add the breadcrumbs. Mix well.

Pour the mix into a greased steam pudding mold,  place a piece of cotton cloth on top before closing the lid and place on a rack in a large covered pot with water coming up to 1 inch from the top of the mold.  Cover and steam for 6 hours checking occasionally to make sure to add more water as necessary.  Place in a refrigerator until christmas. 

To serve, take out of the refrigerator and steam again for 1 hour and unmold.  Sprinkle with sugar, add heated rum, ignite!  Serve with hard sauce.

Enjoy!