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Archive for the ‘Holiday Recipes’ Category

Mrs. Claus is Cooking Up Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta!

December 22nd, 2015 | Filed under: Holiday Recipes Holiday traditions | Posted by Elf jennifer

We’re getting so excited because Christmas is just around the corner!! Have you been following Santa lately? He’s been very busy around town taking photos with cute kids, families and even puppies, which means that he’s worked up a really big appetite. The elves were already salivating when we told them that Mrs. Claus was cooking up one of their favorite side dishes: caramelized brussels sprouts with pancetta. This side dish will definitely get the kitchen smelling amazing in no time, so today, let’s hang out in the kitchen to see the behind-the-scenes of Mrs. Claus’ latest food creation.

Read on for the recipe, you’ll love it!

Holiday Recipes

Photo credit: foodandwine.com

·       Active: 30 minutes

·       Total time: 1 hour

·       Servings: 10

Ingredients
·       3 pounds brussels sprouts

·       6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

·       6 shallots, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)

·       2 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice

·       Kosher salt

·       1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

Instructions

1.     In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the brussels sprouts until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Cut the brussels sprouts in half lengthwise.

2.     In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the shallots and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until lightly browned, 10 minutes; scrape into a bowl.

3.     Add the remaining 1/4 cup of oil to the skillet. Add the brussels sprouts, cut side down, and the pancetta. Season with salt and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are browned and tender, 10 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and shallots and cook, stirring, until warm, 5 minutes. Season with salt, transfer to a bowl and serve.

This is a recipe that everyone will enjoy and if you’re vegetarian, you can always remove the pancetta and voilà! And for the baking fans out there, in the past, we’ve also cooked up delicious stuffed pumpkins and apple crisp stuffed apples. For more food ideas, we suggest this wonderful list of Christmas side dishes from Food & Wine that you can use and bring to your Christmas dinner parties.

Finally, don’t forget that you still have a few more days left, until December 24th, to get your photos taken with Santa, find a location near you. Santa’s waiting!

Now, our little elves are ready to eat, so bon appétit!

Mrs. Claus Loves Baking Apple Crisp Stuffed Apples

November 3rd, 2015 | Filed under: Holiday Recipes Holiday traditions seasonal recipes | Posted by Elf jennifer

When Santa and the elves are busy preparing for the holiday season, I like to treat them to all their favorites for all their hard work. An all-time favorite is anything and everything apple! I stumbled upon this Apple Crisp Stuffed Apple recipe by Creme de la Crumb, and it looks so apple-so-lutely divine!
http://lecremedelacrumb.com/2014/09/apple-crisp-stuffed-apples.html

Holiday Baking

Ingredients

8 apples (shown in picture, fuji apples)
4 tablespoons butter
⅓ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Crumble topping

½ cup flour
¼ cup oats
⅓ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into cubes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
First, prepare the crumble topping. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry knife, or two forks, or with your hands until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
Peel and chop 4 of the apples. Add chopped apples, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a medium sauce pan and sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from heat.
Chop the tops off of the remaining 4 apples and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Discard the flesh or save it for another recipe.(See Note) You don’t need to get every little bit out, just enough to make a “bowl” for the filling.
Fill scooped-out apples with apple filling from the sauce pan. Top with a generous amount of crumble topping.
Place stuffed apples on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until crumble topping is crispy. Serve warm and top with ice cream and caramel sauce if desired. Enjoy!

Family Holiday Recipes

With only 8 ingredients — apples, butter, sugar, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, flour, and salt, I could surely whip these up in a cinch! Adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream will give it that little something extra. I cannot wait to try this recipe and see Santa and the elves’ faces as they dig into this delicious fall treat!

If you try this recipe too, I’d love to see how your Apple Crisp Stuffed Apples turned out. Instagram @MySanta or tweet us @MySanta your yummy desserts!