This month, more than any other, I find myself carrying desserts all around town. Whether it is homemade dessert sauces for friends, or a gorgeous pie for a mid-December luncheon, there is always a reason to serve up something sweet. One of the treats I’ve been revisiting this season is French Silk Pie. It is so easy to make – no baking! – and always tastes amazing. Some people get concerned about it since the eggs aren’t baked, but I have a special trick for dealing with that.
Since we just wrapped homemade gift week I wanted to share a few tips for things you can pick up just in case you don’t have time to get in the kitchen. There are days when even the most organized of us are busy and need an ace-in-the-hole to fall back on. When this happens to me I pick up a few sweets at Whole Foods. All of these delicious items can be found at Whole Foods Markets and they won’t break the budget. Here are some of my favorites:
Pear & Orange Crisps: Perfect for nibbling on with wine, or pairing with your perfect cheese plate.
It simply wouldn’t be a holiday without an awesome Christmas cookie or three. I’ve always thought that shortbread is a great cookie to give away to people. It is sturdy, festive, and the flavor improves with time. This year I fell hard for a new shortbread recipe that uses a generous dose of cornmeal in addition to the regular butter/flour/sugar ratio. The cornmeal gives it added texture and makes it touch chewier, which I welcome. It is flavored with lots of fresh lime zest and a little vanilla extract, welcome departures from the heavy chocolate and peppermint favorites of the season. To gift these to friends, secure them in paper boxes or cello bags or any other creative container you have on hand.
December is a busy party season. Whether it is a casual football party, a festive holiday cocktail party, or a formal dinner party, invitations abound. For attendees, it is important to have a slam dunk cache of host gifts at the ready — items you can pull together attractively and quickly, which will more than adequately thank your host for their generosity.
To help you get ready for the gift-giving season, here are five tips for pulling together a great thank you-gift basket everyone will love:
1) Include crowd-pleasing content: Skip the predictable bottle of wine and give a gift that can be put away for later. Start with an item you know your host will love and build the rest of your gift around it. For example, select a naturally delicious cheese like Arla Dofino’s Smoked Havarti or Reserve Gouda, add a cheese knife, and pair that with a container of fancy nuts or rich chocolates.
This week I am going to focus on homemade gifts from the kitchen. The kind of gifts you love to give everyone around you during the season. The first gift is a simple spiced butter rum sauce. Don’t worry, there is no burning sugar and using candy thermometers with this one. This sauce is more about a simple simmer and superior flavor. It can be drizzled over ice cream, bread pudding, or just about any Christmas sweet you can think of. Make it up in a snap during naptime, even double the recipe if you have a big list this year, and put it in a pretty jar. Your friends will love the homemade decadence almost as much as you loved making it!
Last month I had the pleasure of trying out some great products from Zwilling J.A. Henckels. I’ve always loved their knives, but their cookware and roasting pan lines were completely new to me. Right from the start I love the sturdy stainless steel Aurora line. It has a shiny finish, is oven safe, and handles heat like a dream.
I was fortunate enough to try out their entire seven piece set and it was all excellent. But what really stood out for me was their 5.5 quart stainless steel Dutch oven. I am forever devoted to my enameled cast-iron pot, but having one in stainless steel is the best of both worlds. It is much lighter than cast iron which makes it much easier to handle on the stove. It is one quart large than my regular saucepan and the extra room makes it perfect for boiling large amounts of pasta, simmer large servings of soup, and even making risotto. The two handles and rolled rim make it super easy to lift and pour which really saves my back and my wrists! I can’t say enough about it and really think everyone should try it out.
To get you in the holiday cooking spirit, and to hopefully give you the chance to own this awesome pan yourself, I am thrilled to share that Zwilling J.A. Henckels is generously giving away 7-Piece Aurora Stainless Steel Cookware Set to one lucky reader!!
To enter to win:
1) Leave a product sharing your favorite pan size and what you make in it.
4) Bonus entry: Instagram the following “I am so excited for holiday cooking and hope I win the @zwillingjahenckels products via @naptimechef “ with a photo of something you are making for the holidays, or a holiday decoration.
5) Contest runs from December 6th at 7am through 12th at 7am. Winner will be announced in the December 12th newsletter when it comes out at 11am that day. Good luck!
(Disclosure: I was sent these products to try out. The opinions and photographs expressed are my own.)
Warm gloves for using that newfangled smartphone you got him last year. (via MUJI, $19.95)
Garden snippers for trimming his rosebushes. (via Food52, $58)
A high-tech stylus for his iPad. (It is much easier for him than fingers!) (via Wacom, $59.95)
This fancy universal remote control to answer all of his television questions. Translation: he won’t have to call you with questions anymore! (via Best Buy, $119)
An amazing lemon ricotta cheesecake since you know it is his favorite dessert and you aren’t always there to make it for him. (via Cecil & Merl, $55)
A flashlight for his keychain so he can see the sidewalk when he walks the dogs at night. (via Kauffman Mercantile, $84)
A truly effective salve for soothing his dry hands after a long morning of blowing snow. (via Food52, $30)
A jade plant to enjoy at his desk all winter long. (via Crate & Barrel, $39.95)
A natural soy candle that will remind him of living in the country. (via Huckberry, price upon request)
A quick PSA for tea drinkers around the globe: it is now Celestial Seasonings Nutcracker Sweet season. (Hot tip: It is 15% until December 14th!) There has never been a tea I’ve loved more than this and now I order it by the case. This means I won’t have to buy out whole displays at my supermarket and anger the rest the tea drinkers in our town! Here is how I take it:
Morning: Straight up, no sweetener or milk.
Mid-day: with milk and a touch of honey for a pick-me-up.
