It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

We are getting into the holiday spirit! Meet some of the faces behind Entangled Publishing as they share some of their favorite holiday recipes!

Heather Howland, Associate Publisher

When I was little, many of our holiday gatherings included first generation (or less!) Yugoslavian family members. One of the highlights for me was the Priganice Srpske. I haven’t made this in a few years, but you can bet this year, my kids are going to experience the awesomeness that is my family’s priganice. No two families make these babies the same. If you try this recipe, contact me on Twitter and tell me how it went! Boil 1 big or 2 small potatoes in salt water until soft. Mash with “some” grated orange rind in “some” water (gotta love my family’s method of measuring…). Best I remember, it’s just enough water to cover the potato(es) when cooked in a small sauce pot. Orange rind is to taste. The more you add, the more brightness to the dough.

Add:

1 tsp vanilla

1 shot whiskey

4 to 5 cups of flour

Meanwhile:

Soak ½ cup of gold raisins in warm water. When they’re puffed up, drain and add to the flour and potato mixture.

Add:

1 heaping Tbs baking powder

Beat well. Add a little warm water if necessary to achieve the correct texture. See below.

Fry in hot olive oil.

Drain when cooked, and roll in granulated sugar.

Dough texture is important in this recipe. You want gooey, but not too gooey. It should be able to drop off the spoon in almost a single drop, yet string just a bit. My grandmother once traumatized me by saying it should feel like a flaccid…particular male organ. My poor, innocent, ears.

Oil temperature is also key. It should be hot enough to cook the dough quickly and completely, but not smoking. Experiment with the first couple until you get it right.

priganice-04

Image from web (http://magazin.travelportal.cz/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Priganice-04.jpg)

Holly Simpson, Publicist Select Historical & Scandalous

Chocolate Chip Espresso Shortbread! One year I made these in the shapes of buttons and strung them together with ribbon as gifts. They were adorable. And delicious.

Recipe is from Smitten Kitchen: https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/12/espresso-chocolate-shortbread-cookies/

Makes 42 cookies

1 tablespoon (about 4 grams) instant espresso powder

1 tablespoon (15 ml) boiling water

2 sticks (8 ounces or 225 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup (80 grams) confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon coarse, sea or kosher salt

2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour

4 ounces (115 grams) bittersweet chocolate (plain, or a toffee variety), finely chopped, or 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla, espresso and salt, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula.

Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.

If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving.

Kaitlyn Osborn, Publicist Brazen, Scorched, Select Otherworld

Almond Butter Spritz Cookies

1 Cup Butter (room temp)

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

2 1/4 Cup Flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon Almond Extract (to taste)

Heat oven to 400. Cream butter and sugar. Blend in remaining ingredients. Fill cookie press, make desired shape on increased cookie sheet. Bake 6-9 minutes, or until edges start to get light brown. Frost if desired.

Tips – use parchment paper between cookies and pan. Cookies will slide off easily!

Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)

1 Stick Butter (room temp)

1/2 Bar Cream Cheese (room temp)

2 Cups Powdered Sugar (rough amount)

2 Tablespoons Milk (rough amount)

1 teaspoon Almond Extract (or Vanilla, whatever’s handy!)

Cream butter and cream cheese. Add powdered and sugar alternating, until desired thickness is achieved. Add almond extract for flavor. (I usually end up using roughly 2-25 cups powdered sugar, and 2 Tablespoons milk.)

Frost cookies when cooled – Enjoy! :D

Heidi Shoham, Editorial Director

Growing up in Zimbabwe and South Africa put Christmas right in the middle of summer, so we had some funny traditions–like putting cotton balls on our fake tree so it matched the snowy Christmas trees we saw on TV/in movies and heard about in the songs we listened to about it being cold outside…while we walked around in bathing suits and planned days at the beach.

One of our more universal Christmas traditions was putting out biscuits and a glass of milk for Father Christmas on Christmas Eve. My family’s favorite biscuit was and is peanut butter biscuits made from Great Grandmother Bessie’s recipe, so that’s usually what Father Christmas got.

From my family to yours, happy holidays and enjoy!

Bessie’s Peanut Butter Biscuits

Cream together 1 ¾ cups of sugar and 200 grams of butter,

Add 2 beaten eggs and mix,

Add 3 cups flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon vanilla essence and mix,

Add 1 cup of peanut butter (crunchy or smooth) and mix,

Roll into balls and press onto a baking tray (traditionally, you’re supposed to press them with a fork when they’re on the baking tray, but when I make them with my kids, we usually just squash them a little in our hands and then pop them on the tray.)

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius or 356 Fahrenheit.

They’ll be a bit soft when they first come out, but leave them for a few minutes and they’ll turn out crispy when they’ve cooled down.

I make them bite size and this amount makes 3 very full trays.

Crystal Havens, Production Editor

My favorite recipe to make or to eat? Lol! My current one to make and eat is Cheesy Green Beans.

When I met my husband and the holidays came up, cheesy green beans were the main topic. I remember thinking, eww, that doesn’t sound right. Our first holiday season I was asked to make them. I gave them a try and now I am hooked.

3 cans of green beans

8 ounce of Velveeta cheese

2 TBS of butter

1 TBS of flour

Garlic powder

Melt the Velveeta and butter together. Stir in garlic and flour. Once melted, add drained green beans and mix. Heat in microwave. You can also place in crockpot on low setting to keep warm.

Jessica Turner, Marketing Director

As a once-upon-a-time professional baker I felt the need to share one of my favorite pie recipes. I use the holidays as an excuse to make it, but it can really be made any time of the year. My mother got this recipe from an older lady in her sewing class when she was in her 20s; the woman said it was her grandmother’s original recipe. So, it’s been around a while. Recently I’ve seen a variation of it pop up in trendy restaurants. What’s old is new again! Enjoy.

Old Timey Buttermilk Pie

1 9” unbaked pie shell

1/2 C butter

1 1/2 C Sugar

3 Rounded T Flour

1scant T cornmeal

3 eggs

1 C buttermilk

1 t vanilla

1/4 tsp nutmeg (sprinkle on the top of the pie)

Beat eggs and flour until very frothy and pale in color with a handmixer. Set aside. In another bowl, cream soft butter with sugar. Add egg & flour mixture. Beat VERY well until fluffy and thick. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Pour into a pie shell, sprinkle with nutmeg, and bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. Cool before serving.