Boursin Chicken

CELEBRATING FAMILY DAY!

Family Day is observed on the third Monday in February in 5 Canadian provinces, where it is a day off for the general population with schools and most businesses being closed. However, there are some provinces where the holiday is named slightly different and is for different reasons. Its timing is said to have been selected to coincide with the American holiday of Presidents Day. About two-thirds of all Canadians will have the day off on Family Day.

Alberta was the first province to adopt Family Day as a statutory holiday in 1990. Family Day was scheduled to fall between New Year’s Day and Good Friday in order to grant another day off between these celebrations as they are approximately three months apart.

Chicken always seems like a family meal to me. Growing up on a farm where there were chickens being raised, that was always my mother’s ‘go-to‘ meal. That’s not to say it wasn’t delicious but definitely she knew every possible way there was to cook chicken I’m sure.

Using Boursin cheese in the sauce for this chicken takes it from your basic meal to something special without any effort at all, giving you more time with family & friends.

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Boursin Chicken
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Boursin chicken
Servings
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Instructions
  1. Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to get 4 thinner pieces. Season them with the garlic powder and some salt & pepper.
  2. Add the oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat and let it heat up for a few minutes. Cook the chicken for about 5-6 minutes/side or until cooked through, then transfer it to a plate.
  3. To the skillet, add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. If the pan seems dry, add a small splash more olive oil.
  4. Add the chicken broth and the Boursin cheese to the skillet. Stir until you've got a smooth sauce. Let it bubble for 5 minutes, then stir in the chopped parsley if using.
  5. Add the chicken (and any plate juices) back into the skillet and let it warm through for a couple of minutes. The sauce should be thicker by now (you can always cook it a bit longer if need be). If it's too thick, you can add another splash of chicken broth.
  6. Season with salt & pepper if needed (I find the sauce fairly salty when using regular broth) and serve immediately.

Strawberry Cheesecake w/ Danish Rum Balls

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

In keeping with Valentines Day, I’m pairing the classic duo of strawberry & chocolate today. At some point, in the many years I spent in the commercial food service industry, I learned the history of the iconic Danish Rum Balls or ‘Romkugler’. These legendary little sweets came about due to leftovers and day old cake that Danish bakers couldn’t sell. Even though they did their best to make the right amount of baked goods so that it would all be sold during the day, they always had leftovers which would not be fresh enough to be sold the day after. They came up with an idea to add jam & rum extract to the day old chocolate cake and the classic rum ball was created.

Today, the rum ball is not considered an unwanted leftover or solely made to avoid food waste. Instead, these little ‘cakes’ continue to appear on the present day bakery shelves.

I think these mini rum balls are the perfect compliment to the strawberry cheesecakes. Sweet, but heh …. its Valentines!!

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Strawberry Cheesecake w/ Danish Rum Balls
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Servings
MINI CHEESECAKES
Ingredients
Cheesecake
Danish Rum Balls - Makes about 39 mini size
Servings
MINI CHEESECAKES
Ingredients
Cheesecake
Danish Rum Balls - Makes about 39 mini size
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Instructions
Crumb Base
  1. In a small bowl, combine Oreo crumbs, sugar & melted butter (mixture should have the consistency of wet sand). Place 1 1/2 tablespoons in the bottom of each 'cup' of an individual cheesecake pan. Press the mixture down firmly to form the crust.
Cheesecake Batter
  1. Dice 150 gm strawberries. Reserve several strawberries for garnish.
  2. Process strawberries in a food processor slightly; add softened cream cheese, sugar, orange & lemon juices. Continue to process until very smooth.
  3. Soften gelatin in cold water; stir over low heat until dissolved. Beat into cheese mixture.
  4. Divide cheesecake batter between 14 individual 'cups' in cheesecake pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Carefully remove cheesecakes from molds.
Mini Rum Balls
  1. In a food processor, process cake until crumbly. Add jam & rum then process until the dough has a uniform consistency.
  2. Roll dough into 1/2 oz. size balls. Refrigerate until chilled for about an hour..
  3. In a double boiler, melt chocolate with shortening, stirring until smooth. Roll balls in chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on a piece of dry wax paper until set.
  4. When ready to serve, top each cheesecake with a rosette of whipped cream & a slice of strawberry garnished with a mint leaf. Serve with a Danish rum ball on the side.
Recipe Notes
  • If you're cheesecake pan only has 12 cups, use a mini muffin pan for the extra two cheesecakes.
  • If you want to increase the strawberry flavor in the cheesecakes add 1/2 tsp Lor Ann strawberry flavor to the batter and for some extra color, a bit of red GEL food coloring.
  • If you wish, don't hesitate to add finely chopped nuts to the rum balls or roll them in chocolate sprinkles.

Oatmeal Freezer Cookies

Oatmeal Cookies are incredibly versatile! Part crispy cookie, part moist cake, the oatmeal cookie is made in a variety of ways: from thin and crispy, to moist and chewy, to even extra sweet or laced with salt. You can customize the classic combination by mixing in different ingredients so you get a completely different flavor than you would expect.

Oatmeal cookies came into North American kitchens by way of the Quaker Oats Company. The original oatmeal cookie recipe was mass distributed in 1908, printed on boxes of rolled oats. Billed as ‘oat cakes’ the recipe called for 3 cups of rolled oats along with butter, sugar, and flour. The oat cakes were an instant hit with homemakers. In 1943, the Quaker Oats company reformulated their recipe, this time using the term ‘oatmeal cookies’. The revised recipe utilized bacon drippings or shortening instead of butter and dried fruits for minimal sugar needs.

The oatmeal cookie recipe released by Quaker Oats has been re-branded twice, re-emerging on oatmeal packages as ‘Famous Oatmeal Cookies’, and as it is known today as ‘Quaker’s Best Oatmeal Cookies’. This oatmeal cookie recipe has earned the distinction of the longest printed recipe on any Quaker Oats products.

Here’s just a few add-ins to bump up the basic recipe if you choose to:

  • Dried fruit: Dates, Apricots, Cherries, Apples, Coconut
  • Nuts: Walnuts, Pecans, Cashews, Peanuts
  • Spices: Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg
  • Chocolate Chunks: White, Milk, Dark

This recipe gives you the option of freezing the dough and baking it later or using it right away. Rolling them in ground flax seed gives them an added bonus in flavor – as if oatmeal cookies could get any better!

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Oatmeal Freezer Cookies
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Servings
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Whisk both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt & cardamom in a medium bowl.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter & both sugars on high speed until light & creamy. 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend & scraping down bowl between additions. Beat in vanilla.
  3. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add dry ingredients & mix just until combined. Fold in oatmeal & fruit.
  4. Divide dough between 2 large sheets of parchment paper. Using paper as an aid, roll up each piece of dough into a 1 1/2-inch diameter log. Wrap in plastic; freeze for at least 4 hours up to 3 weeks.
  5. When ready to bake: Preheat oven to 350 F. Unwrap dough & cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Roll edges of rounds in ground flax seed. Place 2-inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  6. Bake until edges are golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool. Store in an airtight container or freeze.
Recipe Notes
  • Any fruit, nuts or seeds should be chopped quite small so your cookies can be sliced frozen. 
  • Rolling the edges in ground flax seed gives them such a nice flavor.

Scallops Benedict

Eggs Benedict is a common North American breakfast or brunch dish, consisting of two halves of an English muffin, each topped with Canadian bacon, a poached egg, and hollandaise sauce. It was popularized in New York City.  

Many variations of eggs Benedict exist, involving replacing any component except the egg such as:

  • Avocado toast eggs Benedict – substitutes toast in place of the muffin and adds sliced avocado.
  • California eggs Benedict – adds sliced avocado. Variations may include sliced tomato instead of Canadian bacon.
  • Eggs Atlantic – substitutes salmon which may be smoked, in place of Canadian bacon.
  • Eggs Blackstone – substitutes streaky bacon in place of Canadian bacon and adds a tomato slice.
  • Eggs Florentine – adds spinach, sometimes substituted in place of the Canadian bacon. 
  • Eggs Mornay – substitutes Mornay sauce in place of the Hollandaise.
  • Eggs Neptune – substitutes crab meat in place of Canadian bacon.
  • Eggs Omar (steak Benedict) – substitutes a small steak in place of Canadian bacon and sometimes replaces the Hollandaise with bearnaise.
  • Huevos Benedictos – adds sliced avocado or Mexican chorizo, topped with salsa and Hollandaise sauce.
  • Irish Benedict – substitutes corned beef or Irish bacon in place of Canadian bacon.

Being seafood lovers, Brion & I are having a pre-Christmas treat of scallops benedict for brunch today. Yum!

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Scallops Benedict
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Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Chive Buttermilk Biscuits
Brown Butter Hollandaise Sauce
Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Chive Buttermilk Biscuits
Brown Butter Hollandaise Sauce
Votes: 1
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Instructions
Biscuits
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder & baking soda. Using pastry blender, cut in butter until coarse crumbs. Add chopped chives. Toss together & make a well in the center. Pour in the buttermilk, stirring with fork to form ragged dough.
  3. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead gently until dough comes together. Pat or roll into 1 1/2-inch thickness. Using floured cutter, cut out rounds. Place, well spaced, on lined baking sheet. Dough should make 6 large biscuits.
  4. Bake in the 400 F. oven for about 10 minutes before lowering the temperature to 375 F. & baking for an additional 10 minutes or until tops of the biscuits are light golden. Remove from oven & keep warm in a basket with a tea towel over it.
Hollandaise Sauce
  1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, watching it until the color turns light golden brown. Pour it off immediately into a heat proof measuring cup, leaving the sediment behind.
  2. In a blender, combine egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice & zest for a few seconds. With the blender on medium speed, slowly pour in hot butter in a thin stream. The sauce should thicken quickly. Pour into a bowl & keep the bowl warm in a warm water bath while preparing the other components of the scallops benedict.
Scallops
  1. Season the scallops with Old Bay seasoning, salt & pepper. Pan sear them in a hot pan with butter & olive oil for only a few minutes per side. Keep warm. Prepare scrambled eggs.
Assembly
  1. Slice biscuits in half, using bottoms as the base. Divide scrambled eggs evenly between the 6 bottom biscuit halves & top each with a couple of seared scallops. Pour some hollandaise sauce over scallops & sprinkle with chopped bacon. Garnish with chopped chives. Top with the second half of the biscuit if you wish.

Pear Cheesecake w/ Oat Pecan Streusel

A cheesecake is always an appropriate dinner party finale, but this version is a true showstopper. This cheesecake really makes the most of pear season, with the fruit layered on top of the cheesecake batter then covered with oat streusel. The wow-factor comes into play with the stained glass candied pears.

Candied Pears are a beautiful and completely edible decoration for cakes, cupcakes, or any other creative baking project.  Modern twists in candying techniques have seen a resurgence in recent years, blending traditional methods with innovative approaches breathing new life into the timeless art of candying fruit.

Today, candied fruit is enjoyed in various forms, from baking ingredients to standalone snacks. It has become a versatile ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes, catering to a wide range of tastes and preferences. The perception of candied fruit has shifted from being a rare luxury to a widely available and beloved treat for people of all backgrounds.

At this time of year, I’m always trying to come up with something special to give as gifts to our neighbors on either side of us. We couldn’t ask for better neighbors so it’s always nice to show our appreciation in some way. We usually try to give something they use when hosting family & friends. The family this pear cheesecake is for have a pear tree in their back yard so I think its safe to say they like pears.

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Pear Cheesecake w/ Oat Pecan Streusel
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Ingredients
Stained Glass Candied Pears
Oat Pecan Streusel Crust & Topping
Salted Caramel Sauce - Optional
Servings
Ingredients
Stained Glass Candied Pears
Oat Pecan Streusel Crust & Topping
Salted Caramel Sauce - Optional
Votes: 1
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Instructions
Candied Pears
  1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
  2. Combine water & sugar in a large saucepan. Very thinly slice pears all the way across so that you have a cross section of an entire pear. When sugar is dissolved in the water on the stove, stir & add the pear slices to the simple syrup. Simmer for about 6-8 minutes or until you can almost see through pears. Remove from simple syrup with a tongs & lay flat on parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  3. Mix about 2 tablespoons of simple syrup in a small cup with 2 drops of gel coloring of your choice. Prepare one bowl for each color you wish to use. Using a small clean paintbrush, lightly paint each pear slice as desired. Mottle colors a bit on each slice if using more than one color. Dap with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Flip slices over and paint on the other side. Dap again with paper towel.
  4. Bake the pears for 20 minutes, paint on some clear simple syrup, turn the slices over & paint the other side. Bake another 10 minutes, then repeat.
  5. Remove from the oven & shape immediately if you do not want flat slices. Sprinkle with gold luster dust, if desired.
Streusel Crust & Topping
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the flour, baking soda & ground cinnamon. Toss in the oats & chopped pecans & combine well. Press half of the mixture into springform pan and bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly golden brown.
Pear Mixture
  1. In a medium bowl, toss together the chopped pears with sugar, starch, cinnamon & nutmeg. Combine well & set aside.
Cheesecake Filling
  1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese & sugar until smooth & creamy. Mix in the vanilla & almond extract. Add the egg & combine until smooth and creamy.
  2. Pour cream cheese mixture onto the slightly warm crust. Spread pears over the cream cheese. Sprinkle the rest of the oatmeal streusel topping covering the pears, pressing down lightly.
  3. Bake until slightly brown & center is set around 50 minutes. Cool completely & refrigerate overnight preferably.
Salted Caramel Sauce
  1. Combine brown sugar, 1/2 & 1/2 cream, butter & salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking gently for a couple of minutes, until it slightly thickens. Add the vanilla & cook another minute. You are not cooking the sauce very long so it remains quite pourable. Turn off heat, cool slightly. Pour sauce into a blender & blend on high until sauce is 'creamy'. Refrigerate until cold.
Decorating/Serving
  1. To decorate, place cheesecake on serving dish & arrange candied pears on top. When ready to serve, slice & drizzle salted caramel sauce over cheesecake.

Cheesy Egg & Bacon Breakfast Ring

A Christmas brunch with friends is always a fun way to kick off the season and see everyone before diving into family festivities. This event is the spark that lights the holiday season, and it doesn’t have to be a big elaborate affair. Keep it simple and easy … a brunch menu needs just a few things.

  • Something ‘homemade’ (such as egg/bacon filled pastry)
  • Something fruity (purchased is great)
  • Something to drink (mimosas/coffee)

Elevate your Christmas brunch with this easy-to-assemble savory pastry made simple with a tube of crescent rolls! Filled with scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and lots of melty cheese and served with a side of salsa. It’s kind of reminiscent of an egg croissant sandwich.

Pillsbury crescents are so versatile, you can make all kinds of things with them. Of course you could also make your own dough for this breakfast, but why slave in the kitchen when you don’t have to.

Customize this pull apart breakfast ring with your favorite ingredients. Eggs, bacon, peppers, hash browns, ham, different cheeses, spinach, artichokes, asparagus … your choice!

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Cheesy Egg & Bacon Breakfast Ring
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat about 4 minutes or until cooked but not crisp, turning once. Set bacon aside; drain all except 2 teaspoons bacon drippings from skillet.
  3. In a medium bowl, beat 1/3 cup of the milk, the eggs, salt & pepper with a whisk until well mixed. Stir in leeks or bell pepper (if using). Pour egg mixture into skillet. Cook 5 to 6 minutes or until eggs are scrambled and thickened throughout but still moist.
  4. Unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. On lined cookie sheet, arrange triangles with shortest sides toward center, overlapping in a star shape & leaving 4-inch round circle open in center. Crescent dough points may hang over edge of cookie sheet. Press overlapping dough to flatten.
  5. Place a slice of bacon on each of the triangles. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the cheese into widest part of the dough. Spoon eggs over the cheese. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the cheese. Pull points of triangles over eggs and cheese, and tuck under dough to form ring (filling will be visible). Carefully brush dough with remaining 1 Tbsp milk; sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup of cheese.
  6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool slightly, cut into slices and serve with salsa.
Recipe Notes
  • Pillsbury Crescent Rolls were introduced in 1965 and quickly became a household staple. The idea for these rolls came from a food technologist named Vic Mills, who also invented Tang, the powdered orange drink. The iconic crescent shape was actually created unintentionally by a Pillsbury engineer who was trying to design an easy-to-separate dough tube.

Cheesy Pork & Apple Casserole

If there’s any month where the comfort and hands-off cooking style of a casserole belongs, it’s December. Indeed, in this busy holiday month, casseroles offer nearly effortless ways to make a full meal with minor bits of stirring, stuffing, topping, and baking.

The term ‘casserole’ can refer to any dish prepared in a casserole dish—essentially a deep, wide baking dish—and baked in the oven. A casserole can have layers, as in the case of an Italian lasagna or a deep-dish pizza, or composed of some evenly distributed combination of veggies, a protein, and a starchy binder.

Pork and apple casserole celebrates a classic pairing and is just right when you need something warming.

Apples are a traditional accompaniment to pork and these cheesy slices make a delicious garnish.

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Cheesy Pork & Apple Casserole
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Servings
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Instructions
  1. Place potatoes in a large pot of salted water & bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes until tender. Drain & mash with milk, 2 Tbsp butter & mustard.
  2. Peel 4 apples, remove cores & cut into large cubes. Place in a saucepan with 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil then lower heat & simmer for 10 minutes or until tender. When soft add 2 Tbsp sugar & combine to make an applesauce consistency.
  3. In a saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp butter & sauté onion with a pinch of salt. Add ground pork & scramble fry until browned. (Drain any excess liquid so the casserole doesn't become too soggy). Season with salt & pepper to taste.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
  5. Combine potatoes & 'applesauce' with onion/meat combo. Add additional seasoning if necessary. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.
  6. Remove the core from the remaining apple & cut into thin slices. Arrange slices over casserole mixture & sprinkle with grated cheese.
  7. Bake for about 30 -35 minutes until top is slightly browning.

Eggnog Chai Cookies w/ Spiced Rum Glaze

Eggnog, which is actually a drinkable form of custard, began in England, where eggnog was the trademark drink of the upper class. There was no refrigeration, and the farms belonged to the big estates.  Those who could get milk and eggs to make eggnog mixed it with brandy or Madeira or even sherry.  But it became most popular in North America, where farms and dairy products were plentiful, as was rum.  The name, ‘eggnog,’ is a combination of ‘noggin,’ a wooden cup, and ‘grog,’ a strong beer.

Throughout Canada, the United States and some European countries, eggnog is traditionally consumed over the Christmas season, from late October until the end of the holiday season. 

The eggnog tradition kind of reminds me of the fall ‘pumpkin spice’ craze. What started out as a drink is now added to ice cream, cookies, cake, coffee, protein powder, latte, etc. etc.…

These cookies are soft and pillow-y, filled with chai spices and topped with a spiced rum glaze. The warmth of the cinnamon and nutmeg brings out the eggnog flavor in the cookies, making the traditional holiday drink the main flavor.

The holidays are a time for tradition. For a lot of people, that tradition consists of baking …. baking cookies…. lots and lots of cookies!!

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Eggnog Chai Cookies w/ Spiced Rum Glaze
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Ingredients
Cookies
Glaze
Servings
Ingredients
Cookies
Glaze
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Instructions
Cookies
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom & black pepper. Set aside.
  3. In another bowl, using a mixer, cream together butter & sugars. Add egg yolks & vanilla. Beat until creamy. Carefully beat in eggnog.
  4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients & beat until just combined.
  5. Fit a piping bag with a large star tip nozzle & fill with cookie dough. Make 30 cookie swirls on parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bottoms just start to turn golden brown.
  6. Immediately transfer cookies to a paper towel covered flat surface. Allow to cool.
Glaze
  1. Whisk together powdered sugar & cinnamon. Add vanilla, eggnog & spiced rum. Whisk until smooth.
  2. Drizzle over cooled cookies & serve.

Mincemeat Filled Cookies

December is just around the corner and when I was growing up, that was officially ‘baking season’ for my mom. Many of the ingredients for the special things she would bake at this time of year were just too expensive to have on hand all the time. While we were at school, over the weeks prior to Christmas, she would bake many different kinds of cookies and squares. When we would arrive home in the late afternoon, there was no trace of what she had baked. Every cookie tin and various other containers were being filled with these glorious goodies. It all became part of the mystery and suspense of the season.

Like many traditions, the origin of the Christmas baking ‘bonanza’ comes from medieval times. Winter solstice rituals were conducted long before Christmas became the huge commercial holiday it is today. Celebrations revolved around food. By the Middle Ages, the Christmas holiday had overtaken solstice rituals and the pastry world was experiencing some big changes. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper as well as dried exotic fruits were becoming available. Expensive delicacies like sugar, lard and butter all became treasured ingredients that could only be afforded on this most important holiday.

Unlike pies and cakes, cookies could easily be shared and given to friends and neighbors. Our modern-day Christmas cookies are baked for similar reasons. They’re given as hostess gifts in festive tins, used on giant dessert trays and of course they make for wonderful family baking traditions.

I realize ‘mincemeat’ doesn’t appeal to everyone’s pallet. These days the ‘all-fruit’ varieties have made it much more appealing. Since Brion and I both enjoy the all-fruit mincemeat, I thought I’d do a Christmas version. Pairing the flavors of anise, apple, mincemeat and lemon was really nice.

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Mincemeat Filled Cookies
Instructions
Mincemeat
  1. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Over a medium-low heat bring to a simmer. Turn heat to low & continue to simmer, stirring often, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat & cool until ready to use.
Cookies
  1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese & butter until fluffy & smooth; 1-2 minutes. Add sugar; beat another 1-2 minutes then add eggs & anise extract & continue beating 1 more minute.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, anise seed & salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture & stir just until incorporated. Do NOT over mix. Divide dough in half.
  3. Between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll each half of the dough to a 1/8"-1/4" thickness. Remove top sheet & using a 2 1/2" (6 cm) round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Using the top sheet of parchment, lay rounds about 2" apart. Slide a plastic cutting board under parchment paper & transfer to freezer for about 30 minutes. (I found this made it much easier to continue the procedure).
  4. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  5. Remove cookies from freezer. Spoon about a teaspoon of COLD mincemeat filling onto center of each circle. Wet edges a bit with water or beaten egg. Fold cookies in half & using a fork, press edges to seal. (If your mincemeat filling is well chilled, I found it didn't run out of the cookies while being baked).
  6. Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes. Cookies should be light in color, not browned & just starting to brown on bottom. * Length of baking time may vary from oven to oven. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Lemon Glaze
  1. In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients & beat to a drizzle consistency. When cookies are cooled, drizzle with glaze.
Recipe Notes
  • SPICE COMBO
  • 2 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • Combine well & store in a spice bottle.
  • PREPARED MINCEMEAT FILLING
  • 700 ml 5-fruit mincemeat (suet-free)
  • 1 1/2 cups apple, cored & finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • Combine mincemeat filling ingredients & refrigerate until needed.

Canadian Salmon Pie

Salmon pie is a variation on a classic Canadian Christmas meat pie from Quebec called a ‘tourtiere’. Fundamentally, tourtiere is a pie that contains meat and spices baked in a flaky crust. The meat is generally diced or ground, including any or all of pork, veal, beef or wild game. No matter what the meats used, or the presence or absence of potato, bold seasoning is the rule for all varieties. The four original spices used in the classic tourtiere are cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg. Like so many of these recipes that have been ‘handed down’ over generations, each family alters it to suit their taste. 

The salmon pie version takes the same meat pie concept, but uses flaked, cooked salmon that is seasoned and mixed with mashed potatoes.

I thought it would be nice to have some salmon pie before we get into all that Christmas turkey. The lemon dill sauce is such a nice condiment to go with it.

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Canadian Salmon Pie
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Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Pastry
Salmon Filling
Lemon Dill Béchamel Sauce
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Pastry
Salmon Filling
Lemon Dill Béchamel Sauce
Votes: 1
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Instructions
Pastry
  1. In a large bowl, combine flour & salt. Cut in butter until mixture is an even crumbly texture. Add cold water a Tbsp at a time & mix until dough comes together. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap & chill in the refrigerator. While pastry is chilling prepare filling.
Salmon Filling
  1. Wash & peel potatoes. Cut into chunks & boil in a medium size pot of water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain, mash & set aside.
  2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions & sauté until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, thyme & Old Bay seasoning to skillet.
  3. Season the salmon fillet with salt & pepper & place it into the skillet skin side down. Spoon liquid & onions over salmon, cover the skillet & cook until the salmon is opaque, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat & let salmon cool slightly.
  4. Remove the skin & break salmon into pieces. Add the salmon, onions & poaching liquid to the mashed potatoes & mix to combine. Taste & adjust salt & pepper if needed. While the salmon pie is baking, make the dill béchamel sauce.
Lemon Dill Béchamel Sauce
  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour & whisk until smooth. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. When sauce begins to thicken, add the lemon juice, dill and salt & pepper to taste. Simmer for 2 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Serving
  1. Remove pie from oven & let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Cut pie into wedges & drizzle with lemon dill sauce. Serve warm.