Showing posts with label St. Nicholas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. Nicholas. Show all posts

Friday, May 18, 2012

Bishop's Cake


This afternoon our family had hoped to travel and attend The Ordination of Bishop Liam Cary, the priest that married my husband and I back in 1999.  Unfortunately, my husband had to work today after all, and we had to cancel our travel plans. Thanks to the internet and live streaming, we will still be able to watch the Ordination Mass online!

To celebrate this special occasion we decided to bake a "Bishop's Cake!" This is an old fashioned pound cake, which would also be suitable to make for any of the feasts of bishop saints.

Bishop's Cake
adapted from both The Silver Palate Cookbook and Catholic Culture

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound(2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups sifted cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 5 whole eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.

Cream the butter and sugar gradually in mixing bowl until fluffy.

Add the sifted flour to the butter mixture.  Add the lemon juice and vanilla, stir well.   Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  (After the first 30 minutes, cover loosely with Aluminum Foil) 

Cool in pan for 10 minutes.   Remove from pan and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Note:  As a variation, sprinkle crushed blanched almonds over the top of the cake right before putting it in the oven to bake.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Dairy-Free St. Nicholas Cocoa Mix

This recipe was submitted by Jamie, from Ad Silvam Ibimus.  Thank you Jamie! 

I tweaked the original St. Nicholas Cocoa Mix recipe to come up with a dairy free version for my son. I had looked high and low online and didn't find anything...so thought this might be helpful for other readers.  The results were delicious and we could taste no difference.


Dairy-Free St. Nicholas Cocoa Mix

Ingredients:

4 cups (one canister) Vance's DariFree* in original flavor
8oz Ghirardelli* instant cocoa
3/4 cups powdered sugar
2 cups miniature marshmallows
3-4 ounces finely crushed peppermint candy
Candy canes, optional

Directions:

Combine powdered milk, cocoa, powdered sugar, marshmallows and peppermint candy; mix well. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 2.5 quarts roughly

For each serving, put ½ cup of mix in a regular-size mug, fill with boiling water.

* Vance's DariFree can be found at any supermarket that has a good natural/alternative/allergen free section. I have found it at Wegman's and Whole Foods.  The Ghirardelli cocoa is the only I have found that is dairy free, but feel free to use any dairy free cocoa you come across. Any variety of Ghirardelli is fine just watch some of them do contain coffee and therefore caffeine. We used Double Chocolate flavor.

Celebrating St. Nicholas


Happy Feast of St. Nicholas!   

Our family enjoyed a delicious brunch this morning, complete with our annual Candy Cane Coffee Cake, Oranges and St. Nicholas Hot Cocoa with Peppermint Mini-Marshmallows, plus Chocolate St. Nicholas Treats and St. Nicholas Coins for all the children.   I'll post about our celebration later, since I need to head to town for my 36 week OB check-up this afternoon... However, in the meantime, I thought I'd add a linky here for whoever would like to share pictures from their own St. Nicholas Day Celebrations!


St. Nicholas of Myra, 
Pray for us!   

Monday, December 5, 2011

Mighty Miter Cake 2011

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas!

We are sharing this year's Mighty Miter Cake, following the same instructions as last year with a slight change of color.
This year we used carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for a white and gold "mighty miter."(Much like the image on this napkin:)
God Bless your feast day celebrating the "Champion of the People!"
St. Nicholas Prayer
Loving God, we thank you for
the example of St. Nicholas,
who fed the hungry, 
brought hope to the imprisoned,
gave comfort to the lost,
and taught the truth to all.
May we strive to imitate him
by putting you first in all we do.
Give us courage, love and strength
of St. Nicholas, so that, like him,
we may serve you through loving
our brothers and sisters. Amen.

Monday, December 6, 2010

A Mighty Miter Cake

~Happy Feast of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra~

How about making a Mighty Miter Cake 
for the Feast of St. Nicholas?
If not this year, there's always next year!

Our Ingredients:
Boxed Carrot Cake
(Because this is what our family loves)
Red Icing
Gold Icing
(It would also be yummy to use white cream cheese frosting with gold trim...think we'll try that next year!)

After baking the cake, we flipped it over and cut it into the Miter shape.
You can use any straight tool for your guide.
We just grabbed what was in arm's reach!
This was the result!
Then came the red frosting...
We cut out a cross stencil from plain white paper, after the red frosting dried a bit...
This was our guide for the gold cross in the center!
Then we added a free hand gold border 
for the final product!

Time to Enjoy!

The Prayer of St. Nicholas to Bless Your Day:
We call upon
Your mercy, O Lord
Through the intercession
of St. Nicholas,
keep us safe amid all dangers
so that we may go forward
without hindrance
on the road to salvation.
Amen

Cherry Angel Bread



We made this bread for breakfast for the feast of St. Nicholas.
I found the recipe in my Pillsbury Holiday magazine.

As I type this, I've realized I forgot to do the frosting. (oops!)
You will need:
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 cup pineapple cream cheese spread (from 8 oz container)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg, separated
1/2 cup drained, chopped cherry pie filling
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Unroll dough onto cookie sheet forming 13x7 rectangle. Firmly press perforations to seal.
In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 2 Tbsp sugar with electric mixer on medium speed til well blended. Beat in egg yolk. With spoon, stir in cherries. Spoon mixture lengthwise down center of dough rectangle in 2 1/2 inch wide strip. With scissor, cut 1 inch wide strips on each side of cream cheese filling to within 1/2 inch of filling. Alternately cross strips over filling.
beat egg white and water and brush over dough. (discard any remaining) sprinkle with 1 tsp sugar.
Bake 17-22 minutes until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes.

Glaze (which I forgot)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
1-2 tsp milk
Stir together and drizzle over warm braid. Store in refrigerator, if any left!
My kiddos loved even without the drizzled frosting!


St. Nicholas Gingerbread Cookies


St. Nicholas Gingerbread Cookies
Adapted from a recipe that came with the St. Nicholas Cookie Cutter!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups molasses
2/3 cup cold water
6 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
Mini chocolate chips for eyes (optional)


Directions:

In large bowl, mix together shortening, brown sugar and molasses. Then stir in cold water, followed by remaining ingredients. Chill dough.


Preheat oven to 350˚. Roll out dough 1/4-1/2 inch thick on floured surface. Cut with St. Nicholas Cookie Cutter or handmade pattern.


Place several inches apart on baking stone or lightly greased baking sheet. Put mini chocolate chips in place for eyes. Bake for 15-18 minutes.


Cool.  Decorate with pre-made White Cookie Icing.

St. Nicholas, Pray for us!! 

St. Nicholas Cupcakes


Jamie's super cute St. Nicholas Cake reminded me of the simple and fun "St. Nicholas" cupcakes my children decorated last year at a homeschool get together we attended.  


My children asked if we could make them again this year.  Since we already have a couple other treats for the feast of St. Nicholas, I decided that some gluten free spice cupcakes muffins with cream cheese frosting would work nicely.  We will also make a couple little changes, omitting the mini marshmallow from the "Santa Cap" and adding a white cross to create a red "Miter."

Ingredients:

Cupcakes or Muffins frosted White
Chocolate Chips for Eyes
Red Hots or Mini M&M for Nose
Coconut for Beard
Red & White Frosting or Mini Marshmallows for Hat


Happy Feast of St. Nicholas!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

St Nicholas Cake!

We made our cake for St. Nicholas today since tomorrow will be a school day!
I saw a recipe for a Santa Claus cake in a Pillsbury Holiday magazine and decided to make it and just change the hat to make him St. Nicholas!
You'll need:
Any cake mix (we chose Red Velvet), and the ingredients to make that cake
White frosting
2 gumdrops
1 small marshmallow
Coconut
Yellow and red licorice pieces
Red sprinkles

Bake the cake according to the directions in a 13x9 cake pan.
Cool and cut in the above way


Frost and decorate!
The kids can't wait to dig in!
Happy Feast of St. Nicholas!

Saint Nicholas Purse Cookies


I printed this recipe a couple years ago after seeing it shared by Amy Heyd, author of Saints at the Dinner Table.  I just loved the idea, but I never got around to baking them until today.

The cookies turned out darling, not to mention sooooo yummy, and they will make a perfect addition to our St. Nicholas Celebration tomorrow.  I think I might just have to make them again for Christmas!

Saint Nicholas Purse Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup corn starch
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
24 Hershey's Kisses filled with Mint Truffle
¼ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
about 2 teaspoons powdered sugar (optional)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º. In large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar together on low until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix for 1 minute on low speed.

Sift the flour, corn starch, baking soda and salt into the butter mixture. Mix on low speed for about 3 minutes. The mixture will look crumbly at first and then suddenly it will begin to blend together. When the dough forms into a ball it is ready.

Lightly roll about a tablespoon of dough into a ball.  (I used the small scoop from Pampered Chef and was able to make 30 cookies.)  Press a Hershey Kiss into the center of each ball and mold the dough up to shape a cookie that looks like a cinched bag (they settle during baking).


Optional: To further enchance the appearance of a bag, you may want to place mini chocolate chips like a tie around the cinched part of the cookie.

One of my sons walked by at this stage and said "Oh, neat!  Those look like money bags!"  :-)

Adding the mini chocolate chips is so much fun for little helpers! 

Place the dough on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes in a 350º oven until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let sit on pan for one minute before placing on a cookie rack to cool. When cookies are cool, dust with powdered sugar.


This recipe is easily doubled, as there are plenty of Hershey kisses in a package.


Wishing you and your families a very blessed
 Feast of St. Nicholas! 

Friday, December 3, 2010

Pepernoten (Dutch Peppernuts)


"In Holland St. Nicholas visits the children on December 5 accompanied by his faithful helper "Black Peter." He, or a black gloved hand, distributes the peppernoten to the children by throwing them through the door before the arrival of St. Nicholas." ~ Cooking With the Saints

Pepernoten (Dutch Peppernuts)

Ingredients:

2½ cups (300 g) flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (75 g) brown sugar
1 egg yolk
4 tablespoons water
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon anise seeds (optional)

Directions:

Knead all ingredients into a soft ball. 

Note: I could not get my dough to form a soft ball until after I added a couple extra tablespoons of water. 

Butter two baking sheets. Form about 50 marble-sized balls.  Place them on the two sheets, so that they are the same distance from each other. Flatten each ball slightly.


Bake at 350º F. (175º C) 20 minutes or until done. The cookies will be very hard, but they will get softer as they get older.


Makes about 50 peppernuts.