christmas in july

Christmas In July

thasc1Leave a comment

Cranberry FlummeryCranberry Flummery

 1 10 to 12 oz. pkg. fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed if frozen

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. orange zest
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1 ¾ cups heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 4 cups plain Greek yogurt
  • 12 gingersnap cookies, lightly crushed
  • Thinly sliced candied ginger, for serving

 Make cranberry layer: In a medium saucepan, bring cranberries, sugar, orange zest and juice, and ¼ cup water to a boil on medium-high. Reduce heat and simmer until berries start to burst, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Press gently through a large mesh sieve set over a clean medium sauce pan, scraping what is on the underside of the sieve into the pot. Stir in butter to melt then stir in eggs, egg yolk, and salt. Return to low heat and cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens slightly, 7 to 10 minutes (do not boil). Remove from heat and let cool completely. Using an electric mixer beat cream in a large bowl until medium peaks form. Place yogurt in a large bowl and gradually whisk in cooled cranberry mixture. Spoon rounded 1/3 mixture into bottom of each of eight 10 oz. glasses and sprinkle with layer of crushed cookies (about ½ tbsp.). Spoon layer of cream (about 2/3 cup) over all and repeat layers, finishing with cream. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Sprinkle with candied ginger

 Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

 THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

 

 

Christmas In July

thasc11 Comment

Frosty Polar Bears

Frosty Polar Bears

  • Makes: 2 ½ dozen
  • ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 60 round butter-flavored crackers
  • 24 oz. White candy coating, melted
  • 60 miniature marshmallows
  • 30 mini butter-flavored crackers
  • Blue chocolate M&M’s
  • Black sugar pearls
  • Black decorating icing, optional

Spread peanut butter on half of the crackers; top with remaining crackers to make sandwiches refrigerate until firm. Dip sandwiches in melted candy coating; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper. Dip marshmallows in coating; allow excess to drip off. Place two marshmallows on top each cookie for ears. Dip mini crackers in melted candy coating; allow excess to drip off. Place on top of sandwiches for snouts. Top each snout with an M&M. Add black sugar pearls for eyes and, if desired; use black decorating icing for mouths. Let stand until set. Refrigerate cookies in an airtight container.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

 

Christmas In July

thasc11 Comment

Malted Milk Chocolate Cupcakes

Malted Milk Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 1 cup malted milk powder
  • 5 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 1 ¾ cups whole milk, at room temperature
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • Chocolate frosting
  • 24 malted milk balls for garnish

Center an oven rack and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl of a stand mixer, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the malted milk powder and whisk the mixture by hand to ensure that the ingredients are well mixed. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heat resistant bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Once both are melted, remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the oil until the mixture is uniform. Scrape the chocolate mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients, pour in 1 cup of the milk and blend with the paddle attachment on low speed until incorporated, scraping the bottom well to incorporate any dry ingredients patches. Once combined, kick up the mixer to medium-high speed for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the paddle, sides and bottom of the bowl. Whisk together the remaining ¾ cup of milk, the eggs and the vanilla in a separate bowl and add half this mixture into the batter on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the second half of the mixture, blending until well combined. Pour the thin batter into the paper-lined pans, filling the cups to just below the rim. Place the tins in the middle of the oven and bake until the cupcakes are perky and firm on the top, 24 to 26 minutes. Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack until they reach room temperature. Once cool, frost the cupcakes with the frosting and place a malted milk ball on top for decoration. These cupcakes are best the day they are made but keep for 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas In July

thasc11 Comment

Frosted Butter CookiesFrosted Butter Cookies

Cookies:

  • 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 ½ sticks (1/2 pound plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoons almond extract
  • ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ¾ cups all- purpose flour

Frosting:

  • 4 large pasteurized egg whites
  • ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoons almond extract
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 to 6 teaspoons milk, if needed
  • Food coloring gel (optional)
  • Sprinkles, jimmies, sanding sugar (optional)

For the cookies: In a large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat the powdered sugar, butter egg yolks, salt almond extract, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the flour and beat on low speed until large clumps of dough form. The dough will look too dry at first, so be patient. Pour the dough clumps onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Gather into a ball & flatten into a disk. Cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap and roll to 1/8 inch thickness. It will be a very large piece of dough. Slide onto a rimmed baking sheet to keep the dough flat and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Discard the plastic wrap. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Stamp out cookies with cutters of your choice. Simple shapes with clean edges work best. Arrange the cookies on the lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden brown on the edges, 12-15 minutes, depending on size. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet.

For the frosting: In a large glass or metal bowl, with electric mixer at low speed, beat the egg whites until frothy. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract. With the mixer running, add the powder sugar 1 cup at a time. Beat on low speed until smooth Increase the speed to high and beat until still, shiny peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Decorate the cookies as desired.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies depending on size & shape

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas In July

thasc11 Comment

Christmas Grasshopper PieChristmas Grasshopper Pie

Crust:

  • 3 cups Crushed chocolate wafer cookies
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips melted

Grasshopper Filling

  • 1 ¾ cups of whole milk
  • 12 ounces miniature marshmallows or 12 ounces marshmallow crème
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons crème de menthe liqueur
  • 3 tablespoons crème de cacao liqueur
  • 4-5 drops green food coloring

Holiday Marzipan Decorations:

  • ½ cup Marzipan
  • Green, Red and yellow food coloring
  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar mixed with a 1 teaspoon water

Toppings:

  • 2 cups whipped cream
  • 8 maraschino cherries
  • Holiday Marzipan Decorations

Crust: Toss the cookies crumbs and the butter in a large bowl until well coated. Butter and flour a 10 inch pie pan. Using your hands, press the crumb mixture onto the bottom and sides of the pan. The bottom, sides and edge of the crust should be ¼ inch thick. Using your fingers, flatten the edge flush with the top of the pan. Freeze for 30 minutes. Spread the melted chocolate over the cold crust and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to set before using.

Holiday Marzipan Decorations: Color about 1/3 cup marzipan with green food coloring. Pull off a piece of the remaining marzipan, roll it into a ½ inch ball and color it yellow. Color the remaining marzipan red. Divide the green marzipan into 6 equal pieces and roll them into balls. Roll out the red marzipan on a work surface covered with confectioners’ sugar to a thickness of 1/16 inches. Using a cookie cutter or working freehand with a knife, cut out ¾ inch flowers, curl up the edges of the petals. Roll out the yellow marzipan to a thickness of 1/15 inch. Using a plastic coffee stirrer, or working freehand with a knife, cut out 1/8 inch dots. Attach the dots to the flowers and the flowers to the balls with the confectioners’ sugar mixture

Method: Preheat the oven to 325 F. Bake the crust for 7-8 minutes or until the bottom feels crisp. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely. To make the filling, heat the milk in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water until bubbles appear. Do not allow the milk to boil. Add about one – fourth of the marshmallows and stir until melted. Add the sour cream and stir until thick and creamy. Remove from the heat and stir in the liqueurs and food coloring. Stir until fluffy integrated. Pour the filling into the crust, cover the plastic wrap, and freeze for 2-3 hours, or until firm. Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before serving. Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star shaped tip. Pipe seven mounds of cream in a ring around the border of the pie, just inside the crust, and a large mound in the center. Top each mound with a maraschino cherry. Place the marzipan decorations in between the mounds of cream.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas In July

thasc1Leave a comment

Decorated Sugar CookiesDecorated Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all- purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoons salt
  • Royal icing

Cream butter in a large mixing bowl; add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well. Combine flour, soda and salt; add to creamed mixture, blending well. (Dough will be very stiff.) Divide dough into thirds; roll each portion to 1/8- inch thickness on lightly floured waxed paper. Cut with desired cutters, and place 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 deg. For 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Spoon red Royal icing into a pastry bag fitted with a No. 3 round tip, and pipe outlines on cookies. Fill in between outlines by piping green connecting stars, using a No. 16 or No. 18 metal tip. Let icing dry. Yield: about 5 dozen.

Royal Icing:

  • 3 egg whites
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
  • Red and green paste food coloring

Beat egg whites (at room temperature) and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl at medium speed of an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add sugar, mixing well. Beat 5 to 7 minutes. Tint one- fourth of icing red; tint remaining icing green. Yield icing for about 5 dozen cookies. Note: Icing dries very quickly; keep covered at all times with plastic wrap. Food coloring may be substituted or omitted if icing is used for other cookie recipes.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas In July

thasc1Leave a comment

Dark And Light FruitcakeDark And Light Fruitcake

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup shortening
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons cooking sherry
  • 1 cup candied pineapple, diced
  • 1 cup whole candied cherries
  • 1 cup whole pecan pieces, divided
  • 1 cup walnut pieces, divided
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 tablespoons boiling water
  • 1 cup fresh dates, quartered

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line large loaf pan with parchment paper. Cream shortening, butter, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Combine flour, salt and baking powder. Incorporate into creamed mixture alternately with sherry. Divide batter in half. Stir pineapple, cherries, ½ cup pecans and ½ cup walnuts into first portion. Pour into prepared pan. Blend cocoa with water and stir into remaining batter. Add remaining nuts and dates; spread in pan on top of light batter. Bake for 2 hours. Cool in pan. Store for several days before cutting. Yield: 12 to 15 servings.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas In July

thasc11 Comment

Chocolate Kiss Cookies

Chocolate Kiss Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 ¼ cups butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 (14 oz.) package chocolate kiss candies

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; blend well. Stir in flour. Press dough from a cookie press 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets, using a star or other desired shaped cutter. Bake 375 degrees F for 10 minutes. Press a chocolate kiss in center of each warm cookie, point side up. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 6 dozen.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas In July

thasc11 Comment

Christmas Gingerbread MenChristmas Gingerbread Men

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup shortening
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup molasses
  • 1 egg yolk, unbeaten
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. ginger
  • 1 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 2 cups plain flour, sifted

Cream shortening and sugar together. Add molasses and egg yolk. Blend well. Add salt, soda, baking powder and spices. Slowly add sifted flour. Roll out dough and cut with gingerbread man cookie cutter. Bake 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Decorate. Yields 2-3 dozen, depending on size of cutter.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas In July

thasc1Leave a comment

Peanut Butter And Jelly Cookies

 

Peanut Butter And Jelly Cookies

 Ingredients:

  • 4 tbsp. vegetable shortening
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • ½ cup smooth peanut butter
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup light-brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp. milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • Grape or strawberry jam and extra peanut butter, to finish

 Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Have ready a cookie sheet. Cream shortening, butter and peanut butter together with the sugars. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla. Sift flour with baking soda and salt. Add to egg mixture and continue mixing until thoroughly combined. Pinch off teaspoons of dough, roll into balls, and place on cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with fork. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool before spreading with peanut butter and jelly. Top with another cookie to make “sandwiches.”

 Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

 THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com