Happy Friday!  We are just a couple of days away from the New Year and up to our ears in holiday festivities and fun.  This year has been especially fun.  The boys seemed to enjoy Christmas more than ever.  Our shopping was mostly done early and we were (for once) able to relax and really enjoy our time together.

As you might imagine, we have enjoyed our fair share of treats over the past couple of weeks.  I swore off of eating them for a while… right after this week is over. The treat this week is too good to pass up.  It will be perfect for New Year’s Day.  It can be made early in the morning (or days before) and frozen for later.  The presentation screams holiday fun!

The zuccotto is an Italian dessert that pulls together arguably three of the best things on the planet… cake, ice cream, and liquor.  There are variations on the theme throughout regions of Italy.  Some include whipped cream, some are made with lady fingers, others are drenched in colored syrup.  The one thing that remains constant is the dome shape.  It is quite possible that the dome or pumpkin shape is how it got its name.  Zuccotto may come from zucca, which means pumpkin in Italian, but it is also widely believed that the name comes from the shape of the dome of the Florence cathedral.  Others think the name comes from zucchetto, which is the dome-shaped skullcap worn by cardinals.

For our zucotto we have used pound cake, buttercream, and banana ice cream.  But wait, there’s more.  We included some chocolate (naturally) and fresh banana.  And we saved the best bit for last… Whiskey Wet Walnuts.  Warm these up and pour a scoop over the top of your zucotto for a wonderful finish to a new beginning.

savour…  fresh starts

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This week is that glorious time between Christmas and New Year’s.  Everyone is still basking in the newness of their gifts, excited about bargains at the mall, and generally joyous.  Winter chill drives us inside and we huddle around the fire to keep warm as a family (it helps that the new video gaming system is in the same spot).

The winter months are perfect cause for slow cooked meals.  Delicious and familiar fragrances fill your home and add to the reasons for staying indoors.  Fortunately, there are at least as many slow cooked meals as there are winter days to enjoy them.  Today we are offering up one of our favorites.

Brisket loves slow roasting.  It is certainly not the tenderest cut, but when cooked over moderately low heat for several hours, it becomes fork tender and very flavorful.  As a bonus, it is also typically priced well below other cuts.

We have flavored ours with some standard Tex-Mex flavor and included a little ground Ancho.  You may have some left over from the Mexican Hot Cocoa we made a couple of weeks ago.  The result is a meat filling that is smoky, a little spicy, and very tender.  Enjoy this with warmed tortillas and a little cilantro and lime.  

savour… fireside chats

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The gifts are wrapped and the stockings are hung with care.  We are ready for the big day and taking a little break today to share it with the kiddos.  We didn't want to leave you with no treats, though, so we compliled this collage of treats throughout 2011.  You'll find dishes to satisfy your sweet tooth here from Almond Joy Dacquoise to Pineapple & Lemon Verbena Granita.  The links are at the end of the post.

We have enjoyed bringing you treats every week.  I hope you have enjoyed it, too.  If you've tried one of the recipes, drop us a line.  We love to hear those stories.  

We are gearing up for a wonderful 2012.  Get ready for lots of great stuff.

However you celebrate, be safe and have fun. Happy Holidays.

The links:

Puff Pastry Cinnamon Sticks with Mexican Hot Cocoa

Chocolate Dipped Candied Citrus Peels

Caramel Apple Pizza

Pumpkin Spice Malted Milk Shake

Cranberry Orange Linzer Cookies

Eggnog Spice Cake Trifle

Chocolate Angel Food with Mocha Glaze

Mincemeat Thumbprint Cookies

Unbirthday Cake with Pink Lemonde Fondant

Fig & Honey Tapioca

Peaches & Cream Pound Cake Panini

Peanut Praline Brownies

Honey Apricot Bread

Almond Joy Dacquoise

Peach Semifreddo

Rum Raisin Cheesecake

Raspberry Hazelnut Ice Cream

Butter Beer Duo Ice Cream

Snickerdoodle Scream

Banana Split Ice Cream Cake

Pineapple & Lemon Verbena Granita

Rocky Road Doughnuts

Carrot Cake Cookies

Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

Ebelskivers

Chocolate Banana Pudding

Chocolate Dipped Kettle Chips

Strawberry Mango Meringue Pie

Strawberry Strata

Orange Anise Madeleines

Pomegranate Blood Orange Tiramisu

Cherry Amaretto Biscotti

MInt Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

Grapefruit Poppyseed Torte with White Chocolate Mousse

Dutch PearBerry Cake

Mixed Berry Buckle

Our Festivus celebration continues this week as we prepare for the big day.  Nearly all of our gifts have been purchased or made and most are wrapped and under the tree.  Nevertheless, I’m sure there will be plenty of last minute things to finish.  Christmas Eve is always busier than expected and often peppered with visits and visitors.  For that reason, we always make the same slow cooked meal to put a warm and cozy cap on a busy day... cabbage rolls.

We have perfected our recipe over the years and now have something that is robust comfort food at its best.  The cabbage is the perfect casing for seasoned beef and rice and the tomato sauce tones down the cabbage flavor just enough.  Enjoy a warm bowl of cabbage rolls with a piece of crusty bread and a glass of wine by the fire… wooly socks optional.

savour… comfort and joy

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Spreading holiday cheer couldn’t get easier than caroling.  A group of happy singers belting out familiar tunes drives the message home every time, but where have they all gone?  Is anyone doing this anymore?  If you have considered banding together with a few of your friends and family for an evening of seasonal song, we have just the thing for you.

We have compiled a few holiday favorites and put them together in printable form.  Simple print them out on cardstock or send the pdf to your local office supply store for printing.  Next, cut them in half and punch a hole in the spot indicated in the top left corner.  Now, all you need to do is keep them together with a binder ring and you are ready to start crooning.

savour… the gift of song

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In the first grade I lived above the hardware store at the corner of State and Main.  It was the only intersection in our small town with a traffic light.  The school was just a few blocks away and I walked every day.  In the winter I would tap a stick on the sidewalk or along fences and marvel at how differently it sounded from the summer.

Before the days of supreme security and safety we would spend our recess sledding down a big hill at the edge of the playground.  That would never be allowed today.  Sure, there were plenty of collisions and hurt feelings, but times were different.  We even had maple trees from which we would sample sap.

As an adult and proud foodie, there are some products that I refuse to compromise.  Among them are mayonnaise, butter, and maple syrup.  For me the alternative or imitation simply cannot compare.  No matter how they try, pure maple syrup tastes nothing like the maple flavored sugar gloop that overpopulates the syrup section.  Most often, a product in its truest form wins.  It costs a bit more, but it is SO worth the expense.

That love of real maple syrup and our holiday adventure this week is what led us to this treat of the week.  This toffee is rich and buttery with just the right texture.  The smell alone is intoxicating.  The pecans add a lovely crunch and the maple syrup brings it all comfortably back home.

savour… true form

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Our holiday adventure inspired our craft this week.  This simple holiday wreath adds to the season and drives home a message of peace.  It will be perfect for your front door or given as a gift of peace to a friend or neighbor.

Making living wreaths is far easier than you might have imagined.  Craft stores sell plenty of materials, but you will find what you need for our wreath at your local thrift store… or maybe in your garage or attic.  We are using a lampshade frame as the base for our peace wreath.

savour… joy and peace

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