Fresh Blackberry Pie

:
Christmas Day Buffet

Dill Bread Rolls
Baked Ham
Crudites tray
Sandy's Waldorf Salad
Fennel, Green Bean and Olive Salad
Bethany's Woodloch Salad
Company Potatoes
Wild Rice with Cranberries and Caramelized Onions
Peppermint Twist Cheesecake
White Christmas Cake

Dill Bread Rolls
1/2 c. warm water
2 pkg. yeast
4 tsp. brown sugar
2 c. large curd creamed cottage cheese
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 tsp. dried dillweed
2 eggs
1 T. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
5 c. flour
2 more eggs
2 T. milk

Combine 1/2 c. warm milk, yeast and sugar in a large bowl; whisk until blended. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Generously grease another bowl; set aside.

Mix cottage cheese, butter, dill, 2 eggs, salt and baking soda in the food processor until smooth. Add to yeast, blending well. Stir in 1 c. flour; mix thoroughly. Gradually add remaining flour, mixing until dough comes away
from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board, and knead until smooth and elastic. Transfer to greased bowl, turning to coat all surfaces. Cover and let stand in warm area until doubled, about 1 1/2 hr.

Generously grease baking sheets. Punch dough down, then turn out onto lightly floured surface. If dough feels sticky, knead again with a little flour. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Working quickly (dough is very active), break off small walnut-sized pieces of dough from each portion and shape into balls. Arrange side by side on prepared baking sheet. Beat last 2 eggs with 2 T. milk; brush this lightly on top of rolls. Let rise 15-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake 5 minutes, brush with more of the egg mixture. Repeat. Then continue baking, watching carefully and covering loosely with foil in rolls brown too quickly. Transfer to rack and let cool.

Variation: Form rolls in shape of two grape clusters, using some of the dough to form stems and leaves for decoration. Brush and bake as above.
Baked Glazed Ham
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 6-7 pounds fully cooked -bone-in smoked ham

Glaze:
1/4 cup plum or peach preserves
2 tbsp. orange juice

Preparation:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine sugar, chili powder, paprika, cumin, cinnamon and cloves
in small bowl. Score top and sides of ham with knife in a crisscross pattern. Sprinkle with spice mixture. Place ham in a 17x11-inch roasting pan.

Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours until instant-read thermometer in center registers 140. (After 1 hour, cover ham loosely with foil to prevent over-browning). Combine preserves and orange juice in small
cup. Uncover ham; brush with preserves. Bake 5 minutes more. Let stand 15 minutes.

Makes 8 to 12 servings
Sandy's Waldorf Salad
2 c. diced apples
1 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. Chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 c. real mayonnaise
1 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/2 c. heavy cream, whipped

Combine apples, celery and nuts. Blend sugar, mayonnaise, lemon juice and salt. Fold in whipped cream. Fold this mixture into the apple mixture; chill well.

Serves 6.
Another version: add 2 c. miniature marshmallows to the mixture.
Wild Rice with Cranberries and Caramelized Onions
2 c. chicken broth

1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup wild rice
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 medium onions, sliced into thin wedges
2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 cup Craisins(r) Sweetened Dried Cranberries
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

Combine chicken broth and both rices in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and brown sugar.

Cook 6 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and onions are soft and translucent. Reduce heat to low. Slowly cook onions, stirring often for 25 minutes or until they are caramel color. Stir in dried cranberries. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until cranberries swell. Gently fold cranberry mixture and orange zest into cooked rice. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Fennel, Green Bean and Olive Salad
1 lb. tender green beans, trimmed
1 lg. fennel (AKA anise) bulb, about 1 lb.
1/4 c. olive oil
3 T. fresh lemon juice
1 canned flat anchovy fillet, minced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
Coarse salt to taste (I used Sea Salt)
1/4 c. oil-cured black olives, pitted and
Quartered (I used small Greek olives)
Freshly ground pepper

If green beans are large, cut them in half lengthwise. Do not use old beans. Blanch them in an abundant amount of boiling salted water until tender yet crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water; shake dry.

Trim stalks from the fennel bulb and cut away any bruised, discolored or tough outer leaves. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise. Trim the root end, cut out the core at the base of the bulb. Slice lengthwise into thin strips. To make the dressing, combine olive oil, lemon juice, anchovy, garlic and salt in a large salad bowl. Before serving, removed the garlic clove, toss the fennel and green beans in the dressing. Sprinkle with olives and grind pepper over the top.
Serves 4.

(Note: I cheated. I place the dressing ingredients in my processor and briefly processed with the steel knife, thus ensuring no one would get a piece of the anchovy. Such is life...you either love anchovies or hate them...)
Bethany's Woodloch Salad
Raspberry Vinaigrette (see recipes below)
10 c. mixed baby greens
2 Red Delicious apples, cored, thinly chopped or
1 1/2 c. Craisins (dried cranberries)
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped, toasted
2 oz. crumbled Bleu Cheese

Combine greens, fruits and nuts in large salad bowl. Toss with just enough dressing to coat. Sprinkle with nuts and cheese. Serve, passing additional dressing for those who want more.

Raspberry Vinaigrette
1/4 c. raspberry vinegar
1 T. chopped red onion
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 c. Canola oil
Salt and pepper

Combine vinegar, onion, sugar and mustard in food processor or blender; process until well blended. With motor running, slowly add oil. Process. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to large jar or container with lid. Can be made 1 day ahead. Bring to room temperature and whisk before using.

Cranberry Vinaigrette

Substitute balsamic vinegar for raspberry in above recipe, add 1/4 c. fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed. Follow directions for Raspberry Vinaigrette.
Company Potatoes
For each 2 lb. (new) of baby red , potatoes you will need 1 pint of whipping cream. Wash potatoes, cut any that are large in half. Place potatoes in a 13x9" glass baking pan, pour cream over, cover and refrigerate overnight. You can stir them a couple of times, so they won't darken. A short time before dinner, stir the potatoes again. Bake at 350F, for 35 min. or so, until they test done. Stir once while cooking, again to make sure they are kept moist. That's it - no seasonings, butter or cheese. This is fabulous.
Peppermint Twist Cheesecake
Crust:
9 oz. box chocolate wafer cookies
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
2 lb. cream cheese, room temperature
1 c. sugar
4 lg. eggs
1/4 c. half and half
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1/3 c. 1" hard red and white-striped peppermint candies, crushed

Topping:
1 1/2 c. sour cream
3 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract

Additional peppermint candies

For crust: Wrap outside of 9" spring form pan with aluminum foil. Finely grind cookies with sugar in processor. Add butter, process to blend. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Refrigerate crust while preparing filling.

For filling: Preheat oven to 350F. Beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in half and half, then vanilla and peppermint extracts. Stir in crushed peppermint candies. Pour filling into crust.

Bake cheesecake until filling is set in center and edges are puffed, about 50 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool 10 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

For topping: Stir sour cream, sugar and extracts in small bowl to blend. Pour mixture over hot cheesecake, covering completely. Return cheesecake to oven and bake until top begins to set, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Using small knife, cut around sides of pan to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Garnish cake with peppermint candies.

Serves 10
White Christmas Cake
This recipe makes two cakes. Use two 8" or 9" cake pans; or one loaf pan - cut lengthwise to create 2 layers.

12 egg whites
3 c. sugar
1 c. butter or margarine
1 c. milk
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 c. cake flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract

Filling:
12 egg yolks, beaten
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 c. coconut flakes
2 c. golden raisins
2 c. pecan pieces

Cream 2 c. with the butter. Mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt together and add to sugar mixture alternately with the milk, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and almond extracts. Beat egg whites until stiff and add 1c. sugar slowly while beating. Fold, DO NOT STIR OR BEAT, cake mixture into the beaten egg whites. Grease and flour pans and pour in mixture. Bake at 350F until done.

Filling: Mix first three ingredients in microwave safe bowl. Cook in microwave, stirring every 60 seconds, until thick. This usually takes about 8 to 10 minutes. Mix coconut, raisins and pecans together in large bowl. Pour mixture over fruit mixture and blend until coated.

To Assemble: Place one layer on bottom of serving plate and then place filling about 1" thick on top of the bottom layer. Place top layer on filling and "stuff" sides with filling if necessary. Frost with a light frosting or cream cheese frosting.