Cranberry Christmas Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a lovely cake that is simple to make and perfect for the holiday. It freezes well, so in order to keep my nerves steady and counters clear, I make the cake several days before I actually plan to serve it, and save myself some stress on D-Day. The recipe comes from Barefeet in the Kitchen and it includes directions for making a gluten free version of the cake. It is great to have this recipe in your files if you have friends for whom gluten is a no-no. If you want to dress the cake up a bit, you can drizzle it with a simple sugar glaze, but taste-wise that is really not necessary. I usually make and freeze 2 cakes and cut them into pieces for storage. I pull them out for unexpected company during the holidays, and on the off-chance there are leftovers, the Silver Fox likes the cake well-enough to see there are no wasted slices. If you have a ton of company during the holidays, do give this recipe a try. Here is how the cake is made.

Provençal Orange-Scented Christmas Bread - Pompe à l’Huile

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I am always drawn to holiday recipes whose roots can be found in regional or religious tradition. I was delighted when I stumbled on this bread which, in Provence, is part of the traditional le gros super, or Christmas Eve dinner. While this is a meatless feast, it is one that is rich in symbolism that has its core in the Trinity. In keeping with the Trinity, tables are set with three candles and three layers of tablecloths that have knots tied at the corners. The knots are to prevent evil spirits from using the cloth to make their way into the family. The cloths remain on the table for the three days of Christmas, and on Christmas Eve crumbs are left on the table to provide sustenance for the souls of ancestors, who are believed to visit the home while the family is at midnight Mass. The meal begins with a light soup that is followed by a fish course and vegetables that are flavored with aioli. There may also be a salad of bitter winter greens and a cheese course. However, the highlight of the feast is the les treize, a collection of 13 simple desserts. It's thought that the number symbolizes Christ and the 13 apostles. Tangerines or oranges and dried fruits and nuts accompany Pompe à l’Huile, a bread which is made with olive oil and scented with orange-flower water. While it sounds overwhelming, each type of fruit and nut is considered a dessert and the number 13 is easily reached. Some of the dried fruits and nuts are also symbolic, and almonds, hazelnuts, raisins and figs are called the four beggars, or les quarte mendiants, because their colors mirror the robes of mendicant orders. The type of fruits and nuts and candies will vary from one family to another, but the orange-scented Christmas bread will be found in all homes. Traditionally, the bread is shaped like a ladder that resembles fougasse, another famous regional bread. I tried to emulate the traditional shape, but the rungs of my ladder closed as the bread rose. I have relied heavily on a recipe that was developed by Martha Rose Shulman, and to avoid the problem, she suggests the bread be shaped into a ball or baked in a brioche pan. If you decide to make the bread, remember you have options as to how it is shaped. This is a barely sweet bread that has a subtle orange flavor. Sweet lovers will have difficulty classifying this as a dessert, but I think they'll love the bread for breakfast. It makes wonderful toast. If you have a stand mixer, you'll find this is an easy bread to prepare. The dough for this bread is damp and that may be off-putting to new bakers, but it does come together as it rises. I do hope you'll give this traditional recipe a try this holiday season. Here is how the bread is made.

Gingerbread Scones for Christmas Morning

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These scones would make a nice addition to any holiday table and I think you'll find they'll have a special appeal to those who prefer a pastry that is only moderately sweet. Molasses and ginger in two forms, ground and crystallized, are combined to make a spicy breakfast bread that is quite simple to prepare. Better still, if you are pressed for time, the scones can be made well ahead of time, frozen for up to a month, and then reheated when you are ready to serve them. Frozen scones should be wrapped in foil and warmed in a 300 degree F oven for about 20 minutes before you need them on the table. I like to serve this seasonal treat with a slightly sweetened whipped cream cheese or a spreadable European butter. I do hope you'll give this simple recipe a try. Here is how the scones are made.

Cranberry Streusel Muffins for Christmas

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These muffins are an easy addition to your Christmas breakfast table. They require no special equipment to make and they can be mixed in about 15 minutes. The recipe on which they are based came from Midwest Living magazine. Based on my first test results, I've made a few minor changes to the original recipe. My first batch of muffins flat-topped, so in an attempt to prevent that, I gave the recipe another try. Increasing the oven heat to 400 degrees and using less batter in the muffin cups finally gave me dome-shaped muffins. I was able to get 16 muffins from the recipe second-time around. These are tasty, colorful and perfect for Christmas morning. If you are looking for sweet things to make for your sweet things, do give this recipe a try. Here is how the muffins are made.

An Easy Cararmel and Chocolate-Filled Monkey Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...For the next week, I'll be sharing recipes for breads and sweet rolls that I think would be wonderful addition to your holiday breakfast or brunch table. I've searched for, and was able to find, a series of recipes for breads that are usually associated with the Christmas holidays. Some of the recipes will be new to you, but they are for breads that are part of old-world holiday traditions. Others may be familiar, but as you scan the recipes you'll see they are actually new takes on breads you may already be making. I am going to start the series with a monkey bread that is unlike any that I have seen before. If you, or your family, like to start the day with something sweet, this bread has your name on it and it might find its way to your Christmas table. Because its main ingredient is prepackaged biscuits, I think you'll find it amazingly easy to make. This monkey bread is delicious, beautiful to look at and extremely rich. Each of the pull-aparts is filled with chocolate and drizzled with butter and caramel syrup. This bread is definitely meant for those who love sweets and are not concerned with calories. I do have one caution to share with you. While the bread can be assembled well ahead of time, it should be served warm, fresh from the oven. It stales quickly and does not reheat well, so I assemble mine, save for the final drizzle of syrup, the night before I plan to serve it. I let it come to room temperature the next morning and then pop it in the oven. I do hope those of you who enjoy sweet breads will give this recipe a try. Here is how this rich bread is made.