Christmas Eve Tradition – Cheese Fondue

This Christmas is meat free, of course. Thankfully, our Christmas Eve tradition doesn't have to change! Every year, my mom and I have cheese fondue for Christmas eve with baguette, apples, and pears for dipping. And let me just say, it is my favorite holiday tradition. We only make it this one night a year, which makes it really special.


We're having Christmas in California this year, so we have to improvise with the cheese selection. When in Pennsylvania, we make fondue using brick cheese. Yes, it's called "brick cheese." It's a Wisconsin cheese that melts really well and, you guessed it, is in a brick shape. Unfortunately, we've never been able to find it in California. So, we are substituting gruyere, swiss, and monterey jack this year. Yes, it takes three cheeses to replace the glorious brick cheese.

Cheese fondue, the California way:

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb monterey jack cheese
• 1/4 lb gruyere cheese
  
• 1/2 swiss cheese
  
• 1/2 bottle chenin blanc wine
• 1 clove of garlic
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp salt

Directions
Rub the inside of the pan you're going to use with the clove of garlic. Add the chenin blanc and heat until it steams. Grate all of the cheese and mix in the flour and salt. Slowly add the cheese mixture to the wine, whisking until smooth. Serve in a fondue pot, on low.


Pennsylvania/Midwest fondue:

• 3/4 lb brick cheese
• 3/4 lb monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 bottle chenin blanc wine
• 1 clove of garlic
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp salt
  

Follow the same directions.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanza, Happy pagan holiday of your choice, etc.

Happy 4th Night of Chanukah: Spiced Olive Tapenade, Garlic Latkes with Fig Apple Sauce, and Chanukah Nut Cake with Honey Syrup

Image from Jewlicious.com

Hi there Veggie Horizons Readers! I felt like the blog was getting a bit Christmas heavy, what with all the Christmas cookies. I feel like  my Jewish buddies are being left out. We can’t have that! In their honor, I’d like to share a couple of recipes that I looked up for Chanukah celebrations.

Caveat: I don’t celebrate Chanukah, but I have many beloved friends who do! I do not profess to be an expert in the holiday itself, or the culture's traditional gastronomy. I've used multiple resources to locate and compile these recipes. (See the end of the post for a list of sources). I apologize if I get anything wrong. Please send me a comment if you see something incorrect, and I will fix it ASAP! 

Spiced Olive Tapenade on Challah Toast

This recipe comes from the NewKosher Cookbook: Your Favorite Jewish Vegan Recipes, and though it is not listed in the sample “Chanukah menu,” I think it sounds like a nice little holiday appetizer!

Ingredients

1 cup colossal green olives, any variety, pitted

1 cup colossal black olives, any variety, pitted

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Olive oil

Ancho chili powder, to taste

12 slices challah

2 tablespoons lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Directions

1. Combine olives, garlic, and lemon juice in food processor and blend, drizzling in olive oil until a spreadable consistency is reached. Add ancho chili powder to taste.

2. Brush challah slices with olive oil and grill or toast in over at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until edges turn golden brown. Serve warm, spread with tapenade and sprinkled with parsley and lemon zest.

Garlic Latkes with Fig Apple Sauce

These latkes won “best in show” at the Atlanta Cevre Minyan latke cooking contest. You can find the original recipe at Jewish Vegetarians of North America and in the NewKosher Cookbook: Your Favorite Jewish Vegan Recipes. Recipe by Patrick Aleph.

For the Garlic Latkes

Ingredients

1 bag frozen hash browns, thawed

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Equal parts garlic salt and pepper (a dash for every latke)

Vegetable oil

Directions

1. After thawing the hash browns, squeeze out as much liquid as possible. It helps to use cheese cloth or paper towels. There won't be too much liquid and it saves a lot of time one otherwise spends grating potatoes and onions.

2. Mix flour and baking powder to potato mixture.

3. In a pan, pour a thin layer of vegetable oil. Drop one tablespoon of potato batter into oil and fry until golden brown on both sides. In a regular pan, you should be able to cook at least four latkes at once.

For the Fig Apple Sauce

Ingredients

1 jar apple sauce

Handful dried figs

1 cup hot mint tea

Four brown cardamom pods

Pumpkin pie spice or a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, and allspice (to taste)

Directions

1. Boil one cup of mint tea with cardamom pods. After tea is brewed, remove pods and steep the dried figs for five minutes or until figs are plump.

2. Remove figs from tea and blend in food processor. Slowly add apple sauce until well blended.

3. Add pumpkin pie spice (a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, mace and allspice) to taste.

4. Serve chilled with latkes.

Chanukah Chocolate Mousse

This recipe comes from JewishPath.com, and is listed specifically for the fourth day of Chanukah (This year, that’s December 24^th) It's not vegan, but it sounds delicious! 

Ingredients

4 ounces chocolate (milk, semi-sweet or sweet)

4 eggs, separated

1 cup margarine

whipped topping

Directions

1. Melt chocolate in microwave. Add egg yolks and margarine. 

2. Mixing with fork, cook over low heat until thick or cook in double boiler over rapidly boiling water, stirring until mixturebecomes thick. Set aside to cool. 

3. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into chocolate mixture. Put into serving dishes and refrigerate. 

4. Top with whipped cream and serve.

12 Days of Christmas Cookies - Gingerbread Biscotti (Vegan)

Posted by Nichole Leigh

So.... Day 12. I am almost at a loss for words. After so many cookies and so many posts - I kind of don't want it to be over. Oh well, there's always next year! I have at least 4 holiday cookiesthat I didn't get around to this year, so maybe this will be annual?

Well, anyway, this final cookie is one of my new holiday favorites. I've never made biscotti before. (Perhaps I've been avoiding anything so overtly Italo-American so as not to feel like a stereotype?) In Italian, biscotti means "cookies" (not cookie... the word is actually plural). Any type of cookies. Not just the log-shaped ones that we are familiar with on this side of the ocean. But, I can't deny that the Italo-American concotions are delicious. So here is my holiday biscotti! I like it so much I'm thinking of making large amounts of dough and freezing it for quick biscotti making in the future.

Gingerbread Biscotti

This cookie is a grown up version of the childhood favorite - requiring no pressing, rolling, or decorating. It's plenty spicy and full of ginger flavor. Furthermore, this dunkable wonder is the perfect compliment to a cup of Earl Gray Tea on a cold, rainy day. It's a bit labor intensive, but don't let that scare you away! It's worth it.

Ingredients
1/4 cup molasses
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons soy milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, beat together molasses, sugar, flax seeds, oil, non-dairy milk, and vanilla with a wire whisk until smooth.

3. Sift in the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to form a smooth dough, then knead in the chopped slivered almonds (if using), pushing any bits that pop out back into the dough.

4. For a log about 11 inches long by 4 inches wide, using a rubber spatula to even the edges and flatten the end sides of the log. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes until the log is puffed and firm but not too brown. It will spread a little, and some cracking is okay. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack, turn off the oven, and allow the log to cool for at least 45 minutes. If any edges of the log are too browned, gently trim them off with a sharp, heavy knife.

5. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Very carefully, slide the log off the baking sheet and onto a cutting board. With a sharp, heavy knife, cut log into ½-inch-thick slices, using one quick and firm motion, pressing down into the log. Very gently move slices to the baking sheet, standing them of their bottom edge if possible. Rebake the slices for 22 to 24 minutes. The slices should appear dry and slightly toasted, but do not allow them to get too browned. Allow the biscotti to cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully move them to the wire racks to complete cooling (warm biscotti may be fragile). Store in a loosely covered container.

12 Days of Christmas Cookies - Espresso Fudge Brownies (Vegan)

Posted by Nichole Leigh

Okay, so these technically aren't cookies. They're brownies.... or maybe we can consider them bar cookies? Honestly, they're so delicious I don't think any of your cookie fans will be complaining if you serve them up this holiday season. In fact, they'll probably be too busy stuffing their faces to quibble about much of anything, much less the correct catagorical  grouping of various baked goods.

Espresso Fudge Brownies
These brownies are dense, fudgy, and absolutely to die for. They are a bit thinner than your average from-the-box brownie, but don’t let their looks fool you. They pack a huge chocolaty punch. I played around with the extracts and added orange extract to make one of my favorite combos: orange-espresso-chocolate, which you may remember from the Orange-Mocha Cupcakes. However, if you don’t like to mix your orange and chocolate, use a full teaspoon of vanilla.

Photo courtesy of Lynne at Milk and Cookiezzz. My camera is still out of commission, but hopefully I will have my own pictures up soon. They do look exactly like this though - so it's a very reliable represenation.

Ingredients
3 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped (try and find it in bar form in the baking aisle)
5 tablespoons  non-hydrogenated  vegetable margarine (like Earth Balance)
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
Pinch salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F and grease a 8x8 pan

2. Melt margarine and chopped chocolate in the microwave for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes, or until fully melted. Stop the microwave about halfway through to mix the two together with a fork or whisk.

3. Whisk together soy milk, cornstarch, espresso, orange extract, and vanilla until foamy.

4. Combine with chocolate mixture

5. Sift in flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder, and salt

6. Fold until moistened. Don’t over-mix or your brownies will become tough.

7. Pour in to prepared pan and bake for 22-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few crumbs and no gooey batter.  

12 Days of Christmas Cookies - Citrus Glitters (Vegan)

Posted by Nichole Leigh

Citrus Glitters

Imagine an ideal sugar cookie infused with lemon and decoarted with crunchy, glittery goodness and you'll have a pretty good understanding of the Citrus Glitter. These soft-on-the-inside-crisp-on-the-outside cookies are the perfect gift for your lemon loving friends. (In Italy.... the word lemon is transformed into the verb "limonare" that means "to make out," so perhaps these cookies will get you a little lovin' too!)

Photo courtesy of Vegan.com - My camera died last night, so I will post my own photo as soon as I'm able to revive it!

Ingredients
4 tablespoons Demerara sugar (like Domino’s Demerara Sugar)
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (like Spectrum Organics Vegetable Shortening)
1/4 cup soy milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest (or the zest of any other citrus fruit)
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup  plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fine-ground cornmeal (if you don’t have fine ground cornmeal, you can use a coffee grinder, magic bullet, or food processor to finely grind regular cornmeal)
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.


2. Spoon Demerara sugar onto a plate and put to one side.


3. Use a hand mixer to cream the shortening and sugar until fluffy. Mix in soy milk, citrus zest, vanilla and lemon extracts.


4. Add the remaining ingredients and mix on medium speed until a pliable dough forms it will look crumbly but will come together easily in your hands.


5. Roll heaped tablespoons pf dough into balls. Press each ball into the Demerara sugar to flatten it, coating one side only. Place the cookies sugar side up on baking sheets.


6. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden at the edges. Cookies will be very soft, so allow to cool for about five minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

12 Days of Christmas Cookies: Cherry Almond Cookies (Vegan)

Posted by Nichole Leigh

I know that I already posted the Cherry Butter Cookies, but I just can't get over the cherry-almond combo. Consider these delicious cookies as the vegan alternative, though they are definitely more chewy and less cakey than the Cherry Butter Cookies. I actually think they would be amazing with chocolate chips as well, but I'm trying not to put chocolate in absolutely everything I make this season. 

Cherry Almond Cookies

The combination of dried cherries and slivered almonds in these cookies creates a lovely texture - chewy, crunchy, and crisp all at once!

Ingredients
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3  cup sugar
1/3  cup firmly packed sugar
3  tablespoons soy milk
2  teaspoons. ground flax seed meal
1  teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2  teaspoon almond extract
1 cup  all-purpose flour
1/4  teaspoon baking soda
1/4  teaspoon salt
3/4  cup  slivered almonds
3/4  cup dried cherries

Directions

1. Preheat oven 350F  degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, use fork or whisk and vigorously mix oil, sugars, non-dairy milk, flax seeds, and extracts.  

3. Sift in flour, baking soda, and salt and mix.  When ingredients are mostly combined, add almonds and cherries and mix until thoroughly combined.

4. Drop cookies by generous tablespoons onto baking sheets–about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 –  12  minutes until edges begin to brown.

5. Let the cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.

12 Days of Christmas Cookies: Key Lime Shortbread (Vegan)

Posted by Nichole Leigh

These bright and tastey cookies are like a mini-vacation in shortbread form. I love that citrus is "in season" (at least in Chile) during the winter, and that we're able to taste a little bit of sunshine even when it snows in Pittsburgh (which it did today).I can't wait to add them to my holiday platter!

Key Lime Shortbread Cookies

This cookie is proof positive that shortbread can be just as delicious in Vegan form as in it's traditional iteration.  Use Key Limes if you can find them, and concentrated lime juice if you can't. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (like Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening)

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable margarine (like Earth Balance)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted

1/4 cup lime juice (preferably from key limes)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 generous tablespoon finely grated lime zest (2 small limes, 4 to 5 Key limes)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Large crystal decorating sugar for rolling, about 1/4 cup (I used Demerara Sugar that I found at the Giant Eagle)

Directions

1.  In a large bowl, using electric beaters, cream together the shortening and margarine until fluffy and creamy.  Scrape the bowl then beat in the powdered sugar until thick and smooth.  Add the lime juice, vanilla and lime zest and beat for about 30 seconds to mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

2.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add half of this mixture and beat to moisten the ingredients.  Add the remaining flour and beat for about 1 minute until a soft ball of dough forms.

3.  Divide the dough in half, and place each half on a separate large sheet of wax paper.  Roll each half into a log about 7 to 8 inches long by 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches thick.  Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of decorating sugar in a line onto wax paper and roll a log to coat the outsides in sugar.  Repeat with remaining dough log.  Wrap each log tightly in wax paper and chill for at least 1 hour until very firm.

4.  Preheat over to 350 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  With a thin, sharp knife, cut 1/2 inch slices of dough.  Place slices on the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.  Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly puffed and edges are just beginning to turn golden.  Do not over bake as the cookies will very rapidly turn golden brown.  Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to complete cooking.