Christmas Party Ideas for Bread, Cake and Dessert
Posted: Monday, August 30, 2010
by Jennifer Landers
Christmas Tree For Me
No Christmas meal is complete without some kind of bread, usually a type of a fruit cake or a special dessert. Whether it is leavened or unleavened, breads and desserts have a permanent place on the holiday meal menu. The styles and presentations are as varied as the kinds that you can serve.
Pannetone
This soft yeast brioche that originated in Northern Italy around the fifteenth century is traditionally prepared for Christmas. In some Latin American and South American countries, it is a Christmas dinner staple. Baked in a tall round tin and served cut in vertical slices it is light, rich and delicious. Pannetone is sometimes eaten for breakfast with coffee but is also enjoyed anytime with or without a spread. It is made with candied orange, citron, and lemon zest, as well as raisins, or other dried fruits, which are added dry and not soaked. Serve it with some, Asti Spumante or amaretto liqueur for a real holiday treat.
This German Christmas bread has its origins in Dresden during the fifteenth century. Stollen is a heavy bread and one traditional sized loaf can weigh about 2kg, or roughly about four and a half pounds. The shape was originally meant to represent the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. The traditional version has a roll of marzipan hidden inside. Stollen is usually flavored with nuts, cardamom, citrus and dried fruit, then dredged in icing. Have a slice with a little peppermints schnapps and you are in for a tantalizing dessert experience.
Laufabrau
'Leaf breads' is an Icelandic treat. This distinctive bread is a flat, hard cracker like bread. Unlike other holiday breads, it is made from a dense wheat dough and sometimes rye. It is rolled out thinly enough that you might be able to read a newspaper through the dough. After being rolled out it is folded and snipped to create a snowflake pattern and then fried. Crunchy and filled with flavor.
Gingerbread
Who doesn't love making a gingerbread house during Christmas? Gum drops for decorations, icing for snow, candy cane trees and chocolate walkway, all leading to the front door of a scrumptious little cottage just waiting to be eaten. The story of Hansel and Gretel, as well as other historical references to ginger and molasses make it difficult to say exactly when gingerbread houses found their way to the holiday tradition menu but it is a good thing that it has. They are surely one of the fun treats to have around during the holiday. Whether it is gingerbread men, woman, houses, cakes or cookies, ginger based desserts are one spicy treat that has a permanent seat at the Christmas table.
Pumpkin Pie, cake and bread
The pumpkin, a symbol of harvest time is one of the most common and available edible gourds during the Christmas season. The carol "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays" refers to homemade pumpkin pie in the lyrics. The pumpkin is definitely a holiday food item. They're everywhere. You can even order your pumpkin as a spiced coffee from your favorite caf, as a milk shake, or cake. Its origin dates back to Native Americans and first appeared as a holiday dish probably in the 1600's. The pumpkin is a versatile and robust gourd that often multitasks as a food item and as an addition to the cornucopia display. Pumpkin flavored products include ice cream, coffee, cheesecake and pancakes . Pumpkin pie is still the king. Just add whipped topping and you have a dessert that will definitely accent your meals this season.
Cranberries
Cranberries are an indispensable part of the traditional Christmas menu. Have you ever noticed how many stores will overstock this one item during the holiday season? Have you ever got all the way home only to have to turn around and go back to the store because you forgot to get the cranberry sauce? That is how important these little bog dwellers are. They also have their origins with Native Americans who were the first to use cranberries as food. They were most likely introduced into the holiday menu in the 1600s as well.
Red Velvet cake
This delicious cake is true to its name. The cake is red in color with a white icing. A layer cake that is moist and bright in the Christmas color scheme, it is pretty to admire. Legend has it that red velvet cake was a signature dessert at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City during the 1920s. This is one of those desserts that founds its way on to the holiday menu and certainly deserves a permanent place at the table.
Muffins
Who doesn't like to eat muffin? The ingredients are as diverse as the size and price. They are made with bran, wheat, corn, flour and also vegan recipes. You can top them with just about anything and they are easy to bake. Serve them as a snack, an after dinner dessert or just have them available for folks who come to visit.
Pecan Pie
Pecan pie is so good that you should place a warning placard next to it that read, "Really yummy, eat at your own risk". It's that good! Historically the main ingredients were cane syrup or sugar and pecans. Today the base ingredients are probably corn syrup and pecans. It is a specialty of Southern U.S. cuisine that has its origins in the late nineteenth century. One reference is listed as saying Pecan pie Is not only delicious, but is capable of being made a 'real state pie,' -"The Kitchen," Texas Siftings, [Austin TX] February 6, 1886 (p. 3) Chocolate and bourbon whiskey are other popular additions to the recipe. Pecan pie is a perfect dessert to serve with any southern whiskey, like bourbon or rye.
As you make plans for your holiday menu remember to enjoy one of the many dessert or breads that are available during this time of the year and enjoy your meal.
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