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Merry Christmas.
On the 11th and 12th days of Christmas, Jaime got too tired to post. I will post the recipes for the white chocolate dipped cherry pistachio cookies and the beef Wellington soon.
I love you all, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
cloudberry jam thumbprints
So how come nobody told me I can’t count? I accidentally wrote “the eighth day” twice in a row. I’d fix it, but I’m too tired. Hence my lateness in posting this 10th day recipe.
I heard of cloudberries a long time ago, and only recently tried them. They sound dreamy, don’t they? They look much like raspberries, but grow in northern climates, such as in Scandinavia and Canada. They’re often made into jam, which is really the only way the rest of us can get them. I found the jam in the picture at IKEA, but you can also buy it on amazon.
cranberry avocado salsa
While I watched my friend’s kids the other day, I found in her fridge the most interesting salsa. It was made with cranberries and avocados, a combination I never would have come up with on my own. Since I knew she wouldn’t be home for another day, I figured I could try some. The flavors went together perfectly, and I was amazed at how good something could taste. It was the best salsa I had ever eaten.
I googled “cranberry avocado” and it immediately suggested the word “salsa”—apparently, it’s quite popular. The recipe on MarthaStewart.com came up first. As soon as I could, I tried out the recipe for myself.
Unfortunately, I found, as is often the case, that what I made was not as good as what I had tasted at my friend’s house. After some tweaking, though, I believe I found the right balance of flavors.
If you are looking for some more sweet things, be sure to see FamilyFreshCooking’s Christmas Sweet Treats Round-Up.
pantettone bread pudding
Sorry I didn’t post this last night, everyone. I was so tired at 11:00, and then I realized I hadn’t posted anything. I decided to just let you all sleep in. 
I have wanted to post this recipe, or at least my French toast version of it, since the first Christmas I had this blog. I always serve one or the other of them on Christmas morning, but by then it is too late to post. I suppose I could have never made it twice—one for posting a week in advance, and one for eating on Christmas morning, but panettone soaked in milk, cream, and eggs is probably the richest thing I ever make.
And addicting. Rich food that is addicting is hazardous to someone like me.
So this year, I have decided to forgo making the panettone French toast, and the panettone bread pudding for Christmas breakfast, and make it a week early. It is my gift to you.
I will be posting the French toast version on Babble today. Be sure to take a look.
fallen almond pound cake
I don’t know for sure whether your almond pound cake will fall or not. Mine did, and that’s just the way I like it.
Plenty of people have hints and secrets to getting a cake to rise properly, but what if you’re like me, and like some cakes best when they’re extra moist and dense in the center?
A friend of mine at church brought a couple of cakes to a party the other night. I had a piece of one, but then realized the other cake was completely sunken in the middle and looked almost like brownies. After I took a serving of the second cake (and a few more pieces for my kids and babysitters), I pestered my friend for the recipe. She was embarrassed by the sunken cake, and almost didn’t bring it.
aebleskiver
Last year, I won a blog giveaway from Zoe Bakes (I know, right? I actually won a blog giveaway).
Anyway, it was for an aebleskiver pan from Aunt Else’s Aebleskiver. I had never owned one before, nor had I ever tried making them, but of course, now they’re one of mine and my kids’ favorite things to eat.
If you’ve never had them, they’re basically round Danish pancakes baked in a special pan, and then filled with something while they bake, such as small apple pieces.
The first time I had them, my friend served them with buttermilk syrup, which is basically drinkable heaven. I have included a recipe for it.
candy cane ice cream
I’m not a fan of candy canes on their own—they’re too sticky, too hard, too minty, and have a slight bitter aftertaste. But peppermint ice cream is one of my favorite things of the holidays. Something about the cream and the cold of the ice cream counteracts all the things I hate about them, and lets all of their finer qualities shine.
lemon palmier twirls
I think I tried palmiers from a bakery once a long time ago. Apparently, it was a terrible bakery, because I have never wanted to eat them since, let alone make them myself.
But this week, after the puff pastry post, I had a lot of it lying around in my fridge. I didn’t want to do a complicated recipe today, and so I thought maybe I should try making palmiers. Nothing could be simpler than palmiers. Traditional palmiers are just a sheet of puff pastry, coated in sugar, and rolled up so that they look like the capital of an ionic pillar. As they bake, the sugar caramelizes and the layers of dough puff up and get crisp.
But last time I tried them, I thought they were horrible.
Then I thought maybe it was just the bakery I bought them from, or maybe they were simply made with cheap puff pastry. That’s one of the things about cooking: Simple recipes are great, but only as great as the ingredients. If you use crappy ingredients, then the finished product will be crappy. And there’s no way around it.
So today, I gave them a try. I was right. The ones I had before must have been made with cheap, store-bought, non-butter puff pastry. Because the ones I made today were crisp, buttery, sweet, and exactly how they should have been before.
dark hot cocoa mix
Awhile ago, I was at a Christmas party at church, and I gave a jar of homemade hot chocolate mix to one of my friends. After that night, she asked for the recipe. Then she asked for it again. And then again. Then she suggested I blog about it.
Well, it’s two years later, and she patiently suggested on facebook that I post the recipe for the 12 Days of Christmas. So, here it is.
chocolate dipped shortbread cookies
Well, here I am, up late getting our second day of Christmas going.
Coincidentally, someone VERY nice in our neighborhood has made our family the recipient of a Twelve Days of Christmas. This morning, on our way to school, we found a bag full of goodies that someone had left on our door last night. Tonight, they left us another bag. My kids can’t stop talking about it, and we are thrilled.
