This year we chose to skip Christmas dinner and serve a grazing menu. Most all dishes can be prepared ahead of time. I prefer to work hard the day before and enjoy my guests instead of being in the kitchen trying to get a big dinner on the table.
Christmas 2008 Grazing Menu
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Monkey Bread
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Sausage Rolls
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Little Smokies in Big Papa’s BBQ Memphis Sauce
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Italian Pizza Rolls
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French Triple Cream Cheese served with apple and pear slices
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Dubliner Cheese
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Olive Cheese Ball
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Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
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Melting Moments Cookies
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Enstroms English Toffee
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Hammond’s Ribbon Candy
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Mulled Apple Juice – using William Sonoma Mulling Spices
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Eggnog
A menu sorely lacking in vegetables – but it was Christmas. No one went away hungry.
Monkey Bread
4 cans refrigerated biscuits
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix the 2/3 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a zip lock bag.
Open the cans of biscuit and cut each biscuit into quarters. Place quarters into zip lock bag with cinnamon and sugar. Shake well to cover biscuits. Place into a bundt pan. Do this in multiple batches to make sure biscuits are well coated.
Melt 1½ sticks margarine in a pan on the stove. Add 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the butter and bring to a boil. Pour over the biscuits in the bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Remove from oven and turn upside down on a serving plate. Be careful of the hot sugar.
Nancy’s Notes: I don’t remember where or when I got this recipe but for our family it isn’t Christmas without a pan of Monkey Bread. Add an extra touch by sprinkling chopped pecans and dried cranberries between biscuit layers.
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
¼ cup (½ cup) butter, melted
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Mix the vanilla wafer crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Press the mixture onto the bottom and up the side of a 9-0inch springform pan. Beat the cream cheese, ½ cup sugar and vanilla at medium speed in a bowl until blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Reserve 1 cup of the cream cheese mixture and set aside. Add the pumpkin, ¼ cup sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to the remaining cream cheese mixture and beat well. Pour half the pumpkin batter into the crust. Top with half the cream cheese batter. Repeat the layers. Cut through the batter several times with a knife for a swirled effect. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Yield: 10-12 servings
From: Glitter to Gourmet, the Las Vegas Junior League cookbook.
Nancy’s Notes: I used a graham cracker crust because that’s what I had in the house. Baked the crust 5 minutes before adding the pumpkin mixture. Pumpkin flavor was very slight. When I served it I ringed the cheesecake with pecan halves and drizzled caramel sauce on the top.
Caramel Sauce
1 cup butter
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup whipping cream
Heat the butter over medium heat in a saucepan until melted. Stir in the brown sugar and whipping cream. Cook over low heat until blended, stirring constantly. Serve warm.
Note: May be prepared in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Reheat before serving.
From: Made in the Shade, by the Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale.
Nancy’s Note: I’m sure this sauce flows directly into the arteries but what a way to go!
Melting Moments
1 cup butter (Not margarine)
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
¾ cup cornstarch
1 cup flour, sifted
Frosting
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Light cream
Cream butter, gradually add sugar. Add cornstarch. Add sifted flour. Mix well. Chill one hour. Form into irregular heaps on ungreased cookie sheet. Allow one heaping teaspoon per cookie. Bake at 350 degrees until just barely brown on bottom – about 15 minutes.
Frosting Directions: Mix 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and enough light cream to make a spreadable mixture until smooth. Tint frosting red and green for an attractive holiday plate of goodies.
Nancy’s Notes: I always make a double batch and sometimes triple if I’m planning to give some away. I use a spring-loaded scoop for forming the cookies – much easier than spoons. Buy in several sizes, depending on size of cookies. A larger one is great for muffin batter.
Olive Cheese Ball
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces bleu cheese, crumbled
¼ cup (½ stick) butter, softened
2/3 cup drained chopped black olives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or green onions
½ cup chopped walnuts
Blend the cream cheese, bleu cheese and butter in a bowl. Stir in the olives and chives. Chill the mixture slightly. Shape into 3 balls and roll in the chopped walnuts to coat. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm. Serve with assorted crackers.
From: Glitter to Gourmet, the Las Vegas Junior League cookbook.
Nancy’s Notes: I used kalamata olives which made the mixture very salty, perhaps too strong for some. Instead of rolling in nuts I filled small bowls and sprinkled with paprika.
Posted by Nancy Yackel 
