Eggnog and Cranberry Christmas Braid

Welcome to day #5 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen of Juanita’s Cocina. Today’s theme for Christmas Week is “Christmas Pies and Pastries”. Make sure you visit all the participating bloggers today to see what special dish they whipped up for you.

For the grand finale of our Christmas week, I thought it was fitting that I make a braid for you. Not just any kind of braid---a Christmas Braid! This one is made out of Eggnog and Cranberries. It's a theme with me, I know, yet so perfect for Christmas, methinks. But wait!! There is more! We have a giveaway for you, too! I will explain more about that after I post the recipe. You are going to be so excited (I think I've used more exclamation points in this paragraph than in all of my posts combined...)!!  Let's get on with it, shall we?

Eggnog and Cranberry Christmas Braid
Printable Recipe

Sponge

3/4 eggnog, warmed to 110-115 degrees (bathwater warm)

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1/2 cup all purpose flour

Dough

all of the sponge

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 1/2 – 5 cups Flour

egg wash for brushing braid*

Cream cheese filling

2/3 cup cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup eggnog

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup prepared cranberry relish

For such a rich dough we need lots of yeast power...that's why we use a tablespoon (or 2 packets).

For the sponge, combine the eggnog and yeast in a medium bowl. Stir in the flour. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sponge, sour cream, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, and 4 1/2 cups of the flour. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and beat the mixture until the dough is rough and shaggy. Switch the paddle for the dough hook and knead the dough at medium speed for about 6 minutes, or until smooth, adding additional flour if needed.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm, draft-free area for 60 to 90 minutes or until about double in size.

While the dough is rising, prepare the cream cheese filling. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, eggnog, and flour. Set aside.

Gently deflate the dough and divide in two. Cover one of the halves with plastic wrap and set aside. Roll the remaining dough into a 10"X15" rectangle (do this over parchment paper or a silpat for easy transfer on to the baking sheet).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture down the center third of the dough. Top with 1/2 cup of the cranberry sauce.

Cut 1" crosswise strips down the sides of the rectangle. Starting from one end, bring one of the dough strips across the filling diagonally. Repeat on the other side, crisscrossing the dough strips. Continue down the rest of the braid, alternating strips to form the loaf. Repeat the rolling, filling and braiding with the second braid. Set both braids aside, cover lightly, and allow to rise for 45 to 60 minutes. Brush each loaf gently with an egg wash (one egg beaten with a pinch of salt). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire racks. Drizzle with Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting, if desired.

For frosting, combine 2 tablespoons softened butter, 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 2-3 tablespoons eggnog. Beat until smooth, adding additional eggnog if needed.

Simply Scrumptious.

And now for the giveaway news that I'm sure you have been anxiously awaiting!

Freund Container & Supply has generously donated $100 gift certificates for each #ChristmasWeek blogger to give away! Freund Container & Supply is the largest distributor of glass bottles, containers and wholesale packaging supplies online. Freund offers over 5000 items in stock every day, 98% same day shipping and low-price guarantees. Take a look at Freund’s wide selection of jars, tins, bottles and vials for all your crafting and food related needs!

This giveaway is for one $100 gift certificate to Freund Container & Supply. Gift certificate will expire on March 31, 2013. Gift certificate is a one-time use certificate and must be used in its entirety; any leftover monies on the gift certificate will be forfeited. This giveaway is open to both US and Canadian residents. However, it should be noted that due to current International shipping rates, any Canadian winners will pay higher shipping costs for orders. The giveaway will run from today, December 7th, 2012, through Wednesday, December 12th, 2012.

Please visit Fruend Container & Supply for inspiration!  Then, click on the Rafflecopter login to add your information privately. :)

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FreundContainerSupply

Twitter: http://twitter.com/freundcontainer

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/freundcontainer/

Freund Container & Supply is also offering all #ChristmasWeek blog readers 10% off purchases from now through March 31, 2013. Simply enter code JINGLEME10 to receive your discount!

***Disclaimer: This giveaway is being provided by Freund Container & Supply. #ChristmasWeek bloggers have not been compensated as part of this giveaway.***

If you'd like more chances to win a $100 gift certificate from Freund, please make sure you visit today's blog posts from each of the other #ChristmasWeek bloggers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check 'em all out!

Christmas Apple Pie from Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic
Pumpkin Cheesecake Fried Pies from Jen of Juanita's Cocina
Chocolate Angel Pie from Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Nutella Swirled Pumpkin Pie from Anuradha of Baker Street
Cheese Danish Pie from Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
Bakewell Tarts from Isabelle of Crumb
Grasshopper Pie from Erin of Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
Cranberry Fritters from Erin of The Spiffy Cookie
Cinnamon Pecan Crescent Rolls from Ramona of Curry and Comfort
Banketstaaf (Dutch Christmas Log) from Heather of Girlichef
Eggnog and Cranberry Christmas Braid from Cathy of The Dutch Baker's Daughter
Raspberry Galette from Chung-Ah of Damn Delicious

Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Welcome to day #4 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen of Juanita’s Cocina. Today’s theme for Christmas Week is “Gingerbread Surprise”. Make sure you visit all the participating bloggers today to see what special dish they whipped up for you.

This time I thought I was being really unique. Certainly, no one has done a Gingerbread Cinnamon Roll...right? Wrong. Better Homes and Gardens beat me to it....but they didn't put Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting on theirs. So there.

The Eggnog Frosting sets these rolls apart, but I did use BHG's idea of garnishing with sugared cranberries...I can't get enough of those things.

Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls with Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting

Printable Recipe

Rolls:

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup light molasses

2 tablespoons instant yeast

2 eggs, slightly beaten (room temperature)

3 ½ to 4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon allspice

Filling:

6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

½ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

Heat the milk, butter, sugar, and molasses over medium/low heat until the butter begins to melt and the temperature is about 115 degrees F. (bathwater warm). Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk the yeast into the milk mixture and let it stand for 5-10 minutes, or until it starts to foam.

It's important not to overheat the milk mixture...if it gets too hot, let it cool to "bathwater" warm.

In the mean time, whisk together 3 ½ cups of the flour, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a large bowl.  Add the eggs and the flour mixture to the yeast mixture and, using the paddle attachment, beat for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is shaggy. Switch the paddle out for the dough hook and continue to knead the dough, adding additional flour as needed, for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

When the dough is a bit shaggy, it's time to switch to the dough hook.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a greased bowl, turning it over once. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about an hour or until double in size.

Yum...look at that molasses-y dough...

Gently deflate the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes. While the dough is resting, grease a 13X9 inch baking pan. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter with the brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger.

Roll the dough into a 12X8 inch rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough to within an inch of the edges. From the long side, roll up the dough jelly roll style. Cut into 12 even slices and arrange into prepared pan. Allow the rolls to rise for about 30 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool slightly before frosting. Garnish with sugared cranberries, if desired.

Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

2-3 tablespoons eggnog

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Add enough eggnog until the desired consistency is reached. Stir in the nutmeg.

I just knew I wasn't done with the sugared cranberries.....

Don't forget to check out all of the other awesome recipes and stay tuned for the grand finale---tomorrow we are having a giveaway!

Ginger Horse Cookies from Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic
Mini Gingerbread Donuts from Jen of Juanita's Cocina
Gingerbread Biscotti from Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Chocolate Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Bourbon Cream Cheese Drizzle from Anuradha of Baker Street
Gingerbread Donuts with Lemon Glaze from Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
Mini Holiday Gingerbread Loaves from Isabelle of Crumb
Gingerbread Biscoff Truffles from Erin of Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
Gingerbread Dip from Erin of The Spiffy Cookie
Gingerbread Milkshake from Ramona of Curry and Comfort
Gingerbread Pumpkin Bars from Heather of Girlichef
Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls from Cathy of The Dutch Baker's Daughter
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Lemon Cream Cheese Filling from Chung-Ah of Damn Delicious

Tres Leches Cake

Welcome to day #3 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen of Juanita’s Cocina. Today’s theme for Christmas Week is “Christmas Cakes and Cupcakes”. Make sure you visit all the participating bloggers today to see what special dish they whipped up for you.

One of my favorite cakes of all time is Cafe Latte's Turtle Cake. You know the one--a rich chocolate cake topped with  chocolate ganache, caramel sauce, and plenty of toasted pecans. Cafe Latte is located in St. Paul, MN., and I have been lucky enough to have had the original Turtle Cake. To. Die. For. What's really cool, is that everyone can make this Turtle Cake at home, since Cafe Latte shared the recipe with the public several years ago. I'll admit it--it was my favorite cake--until I met Cafe Latte's Tres Leches Cake.....

My favorite cake--until I met the Tres Leches Cake...

Tres Leches Cake, literally "three milks" cake, is just that. A spongy vanilla cake soaked with a mixture of cream and sweetened condensed milk, then topped with whipped cream...it's like eating clouds. Vanilla clouds. Whereas the Turtle cake is dense and rich, the Tres Leches cake is light and....rich. The only problem? There was no recipe. This one was not shared with the public. I was pretty sure the secret was locked in a vault. Oh sure, recipes for Tres Leches cake are everywhere...but not that one. Cafe Latte brilliantly shared the Turtle Cake Recipe, lured me in, tempted me with the Tres Leches Cake, and then kept it a secret. Or so they thought.

The other day, I did another quick search of the Internet for the recipe and there it was! The caption definitely made reference to Cafe Latte, but on closer inspection, the recipe actually came from someone named Joe. Now, whether Joe really had his hands on Cafe Latte's recipe (could Joe, or Joe's wife, be an employee?), I don't know. I do know that whoever wrote down the ingredients must have halved the recipe. It was all good though-- and with a little tweaking--dare I say it?--I made a Cafe Latte Tres Leches Cake!

Tres Leches Cake (inspired by Cafe Latte, adapted from Joe's Email)
Printable Recipe

Cake Layer:

1/4 cup oil

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

Soaking Liquid:

1/2 of a (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Raspberries or Sugared Cranberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.; grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan (using an 8" rather than a 9" pan will make it easier to split in half).

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Slowly add the buttermilk, mixing until well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool for at least ten minutes before removing from pan. Carefully, cut the cake in half, horizontally. Place each half sliced side up on a rack to cool completely. While the cake is cooling, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and the half/half. Slowly pour the liquid over each half of the cake. Cover and chill for several hours.

When ready to assemble the cake, whip the cream until stiff, adding the powdered sugar. Place one of the cake halves on a serving plate, cut side up. Spread whipped cream over the top of the cake layer, and then top with the second cake half. Frost the top and the sides of the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Garnish with raspberries or sugared cranberries, if desired.   

Can you believe how easy this is? Just whip up the cake in a large bowl....

You can see from the indent that I used one of those pans with the whatchamacallit scrape thing on the bottom. It made getting the cake out in one piece really easy. 

Don't the cranberries make it look all holiday-like?

Making the sugared cranberries is a piece of cake. HeHe. Simply bring 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to a simmer (make sure the sugar is dissolved, but don't boil...simmer). Place 1-2 cups of fresh cranberries in a bowl. Pour the hot sugar/water over the cranberries. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.

When the cranberries are chilled, drain the liquid (save it, if you use simple syrup in your drinks), and roll the cranberries in fine sugar. Let them dry on a cookie sheet for at least one hour.

Store extra cranberries in an airtight container.

Yes, I believe the code has been cracked.

Now take a look at what everyone else is making! :)

Christmas Coconut Cake by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic

Cranberry Coffee Cake by Jen of Juanita's Cocina

Holly Topped White Cupcakes by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Eggnog Pound Cake with Rum Glaze by Anuradha of Baker Street

Christmas in the Tropics Cake by Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker

Cranberry-Walnut Coffecake by Isabelle of Crumb

Pumpkin Dream Cake by Erin of Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

Christmas Red Velvet Mug Cake by Erin of The Spiffy Cookie

Reindeer Cupcakes by Ramona of Curry and Comfort

Whiskey Nut Fruitcake by Heather of Girlichef

Tres Leches Cake by Cathy of The Dutch Baker's Daughter

Monkey Bread Cupcakes by Chung-Ah of Damn Delicious

Minty Brownie Bites

Welcome to day #2 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen of Juanita’s Cocina. Today’s theme for Christmas Week is “Peppermint Surprise”.

This one wasn't quite so easy for me, as I'm not a huge peppermint fan. My daughter suggested some peppermint brownies, so I poked around a bit and ran across a recipe from Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. Chocolate Mint Brownie Bites. Oh boy...I might like peppermint after all...

Minty Brownie Bites (adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:

2 oz unsweetened chocolate
8 whole Andes Chocolate Mints
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate or white chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crushed peppermint bark or candy canes

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.; spray a mini-muffin tin with cooking spray.

Place the unsweetened chocolate in a small bowl and microwave until just melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the Andes mints until all melted; set aside.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. With the mixer on low, drizzle in the chocolate. Add the flour and mix thoroughly.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, filling the cups about half full. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for ten minutes before inverting the pan and releasing the brownies.

For the glaze, place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Heat the cream in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until hot. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Spoon the chocolate over the tops of the brownies and sprinkle the crushed candy over the tops.

As you can see, I was having a bit of an issue deciding what kind of peppermint treat to make.

When microwaving chocolate, keep an eye on it. Chocolate is too precious to have go up in smoke.

Ree talks about how she over-filled the muffin tin...I did the same thing.

But, they turned out ok....

I decided I really liked the taste of this Peppermint Bark, so I used it to top the brownie bites. Crushed candy canes might have been prettier.

Put a drip pan under the brownies when you pour the glaze on, or you will have a mess.

I experimented with the batter, just a smidge. Here, I topped a mini brownie with a Peppermint Kiss.

Box them up and give them as gifts....

....or just plate them up and enjoy!

Make sure you visit all the participating bloggers today to see what special dish they whipped up for you.

• Peppermint Marshmallows from Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic
• Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies from Jen of Juanita’s Cocina
• Candy Cane Blossoms from Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Candy Cane Cocoa in a Jar from Anuradha of Baker Street
• Peppermint Brownie Trifle from Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
• Candy Cane Mocha from Isabelle of Crumb
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate from Erin of Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• White Chocolate Peppermint Covered Pretzels from Erin of Spiffy Cookie
• Candy Cane Milkshake from Ramona of Curry and Comfort
• Peppermint Fudge from Heather of Girlichef
• Minty Brownie Bites from Cathy of The Dutch Baker’s Daughter
• Candy Cane Oreo Cheesecake Cookies from Chung-Ah of Damn Delicious

Cherry-White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Welcome to Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen of Juanita’s Cocina. Each day we will be celebrating a new holiday baking theme where each blogger makes a dish they love. We hope you enjoy this fabulous event. Tune in each day starting Monday December 3nd and ending Friday December 7th.

Wow--this is the very first time I have committed to writing five (count 'em--five!) blog posts on consecutive days, but isn't holiday food worth it? Not only will you see five days worth of Christmas goodies coming from me, but the sweets will be flowing from eleven other bloggers. Isn't this fun? Now, let's talk about the cookies.....

A few years ago, my friend DeeDee posted one of the prettiest cookies I had ever seen. Full of maraschino cherries, white chocolate, and macadamia nuts, it really stood out as a stellar Christmas cookie. As luck would have it, DeeDee has allowed me to post her recipe to kick off Christmas Week. So, without further ado, let me share with you this spectacular cookie....

Cherry-White Chocolate Chunk Cookies (adapted from DeeDee Pierce)

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

½ cup chopped macadamia nuts

6 oz good quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 (10 oz) jar maraschino cherries, well drained and chopped

I found a package of macadamia nuts all nicely chopped up for me. If you prefer larger pieces, feel free to chop your own.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F; line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment*, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and the almond extracts.

Add the flour, half at a time, to the creamed mixture, stirring just until well-incorporated. The dough will be stiff. Stir in the nuts and the white chocolate, then gently stir in the cherries. 

Since my jar of cherries was larger than I needed, I measured out one cup.

Drop the cookie dough by rounded tablespoons on to the lined cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until they are firmly set, but not browned. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely, before removing from the sheets (if you need to reuse the pan, simply slide off the parchment paper with the cookies, and reline).

*Using a stand mixer is recommended, as the cookie dough is rather stiff.

It's important to cool the cookies on the parchment paper...if you try removing them while they are still warm, they may fall apart. Trust me on this....

There you have it---beautiful cherry cookies! While you can certainly make these year-round (wouldn't that cherry-red color be great for Valentine's day?), I hear that this particular recipe is Santa's favorite. Please leave a few out for the jolly old guy.

Today’s theme for Christmas Week is “Cookies and Bars”. Make sure you visit all the participating bloggers today to see what special dish they whipped up for you.

• Mice Cookies from Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic
• Biscoff Blossoms from Jen of Juanita’s Cocina
• Double Chocolate Thumbprints from Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Cookie Sticks from Anuradha of Baker Street
• Snickerdoodles Snowballs from Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
• Cranberry Pistachio Christmas Biscotti from Isabelle of Crumb
• Mint Chocolate Pudding Cookies from Erin of Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Hot Cocoa Blossoms from Erin of Spiffy Cookie
• Jam Thumbprints from Ramona of Curry and Comfort
• Fudgy Cathedral Cookies from Heather of Girlichef
• Cherry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Cathy of The Dutch Baker’s Daughter
• Cranberry Sauce Brownies from Chung-Ah of Damn Delicious