Of course you haven't eaten too much already ...

IT'S WEDNESDAY WARMERS: The Not Your Usual Suspects authors share their seasonal recipes ... mmmmmm!

(and look out for some extra fun from Rita's recipe ... LOL)

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***Countdown today: TWELVE BOOKS under the Christmas tree, see below***

                

ELISE WARNER shares DATE AND NUT LOAF

This recipe is from my mother-in-law Kate

1 Egg

1 Cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons Butter

CREAM WELL AND ADD

1 Cup Chopped Walnuts

10 oz. Pkg. of Dates cut up

1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1 ¾ Cups of Flour

Slowly add 1 Cup of Boiling Water

Butter a loaf tin

Pour in batter and bake in a slow oven for 1 hour (350 degrees).

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BRANDY-SPIKED CHOCOLATE EGGNOG CAKE
from The Pescetarian and the Pig

Ingredients:
For Cake:
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 3/4 Cups White Sugar
3 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 3/4 Cups Whole Milk
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
6 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 Cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Eggnog Filling
4 Cups Regular Non-alcoholic Eggnog
1/2 Cup White Sugar
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

Brandy Glaze
1/2 Cup Hot Water
2 Tbsp Brandy
1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

Brandy Buttercream Frosting
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
4 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/4 Cup Brandy
1/2 Cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour three 9-inch cake rounds. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Slowly pour flour mixture into butter mixture and blend, alternating with the whole milk. Add chocolate chips. Pour the cake batter equally between the 3 cake rounds. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven, pat the cakes down to make the tops flat. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes and remove from pans. Set aside.

Eggnog Custard and Brandy Glaze: In a saucepan over medium heat, mix together eggnog, sugar, butter, and whisk in flour. Continue to heat and stir constantly. When mixture comes to a boil, continue to stir until reduced, about 15 minutes. A good test is to take a teaspoon full of the mixture and put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes. If it thickens in the fridge, it is finished. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg. Continue to stir occasionally as custard cools.

Place one layer of cake onto a cake plate and spoon 1/2 custard mixture on top. Using a knife, spread the custard out leaving about a half in rim all around. Place in fridge for 10 minutes. Put 2nd layer on top and create the Brandy glaze by mixing the hot water, powdered sugar, and Brandy. Use 1/4-1/2 cup of the mixture and slowly pour onto the 2nd layer of cake allowing it to soak in. Repeat the custard step, place in fridge for 10 minutes, then place the final layer on top.

Brandy Buttercream Frosting: In a large bowl, blend butter until creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, then Brandy. Very slowly add milk until it reaches the right consistency. You may not need all of the milk. To thicken, add more powdered sugar. Spread on cake with a cake knife or spatula. Reserve some to color if you want to decorate the cake. Place in fridge to set.

This cake is very rich, so small slices are best. But man, is it a good! Something great about it, if you’re lacking time like I was the last time I made it, is that you can make the layers of cake, wrap them individually in foil, and keep them in the freezer until you need them. Then you can make the custard the night before you’re going to serve the cake, create the layers and put it covered in the fridge. Then, you can make the buttercream the day of and just allow it to set up in the fridge for 15 minutes. I like it when I don’t have to make the cake all at once!


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RITA HENUBER shares PATRON CHRISTMAS COOKIES

As Rita says: I always make my favorite thing - Reservations :)

I love it when a man cooks ----------------------------> 

1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Patron

Sample the Patron to check quality.
Check the Patron again, to be sure it is of the highest quality,pour one level cup and drink.
Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
Add one peastoon of sugar. Beat again.

At this point it's best to make sure the Patron is still ok, try another cup just in case.
Turn off the mixerer thingy.
Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cupof dried fruit.
Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.
Mix on the turner.
If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the Patron to check for tonsisticity.
Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who geeves a sheet.

Check the Patron. Now shift the  lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one table.
Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.
Greash the oven.
Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.

Don't forget to beat off the turner.
Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Patron and make sure to put the stove in  the wishdasher.

Cherry Mistmas !

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Elise Warner

Scene Stealer

Website | Blog

 

Rita Henuber

Website

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And just for fun and maybe inspiration, look at these adorable superhero cookies, courtesy of sugarswings blog:

Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

TWELVE BOOKS SO FAR!

Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London

Dead Silent - Shirley Wells

Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson

Under Fire by Rita Henuber

The Shoeless Kid - Marcelle Dube

No One to Trust - Julie Moffett

Icescapade - Josh Lanyon

Choice of backlist - Shelley Munro
Desperate Choices - Kathy Ivan
Protective Custody by Wynter Daniels
Her Dark Knight - Sharon Cullen
Only Fear - Anne Marie Becker