Cooking with Britt: Spicing Up Winter

By Britt Allgood

The Christmas holidays are right around the corner and I’m already making my lists - grocery lists that are, for our celebration and the cold winter nights to follow. It’s time to take stock of your blessings and your spice cabinet. If you are like me, you break out the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for those wonderful holiday treats. Did you know that all these are warming spices? They help the body generate a bit of warmth like the black pepper, cayenne, mustard, and cumin. It’s no wonder they are used to flavor food at the colder times of the year. I use more cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove during the holiday season than I do the rest of the year. So, it’s a good time to clean out those old ground spices. You know the ones I’m talking about - the mace that was a wedding gift from your prior marriage. Or the star anise that you thought looked pretty but couldn’t for your life figure out what to make with it.

Money might be tight this year with all the inflation and supply chain issues, so you may want to be a bit more judicious and only cull the spices you know you will need for the holidays. Spices like most things fall in that category of “you get what you pay for”. I like using good quality vanilla but will buy the less expensive ground cinnamon. The extraction technique that’s used with the cheaper vanilla or imitation vanilla diminishes the flavors or gives them a more pronounced aftertaste.

Chutney & Pickle

One of my earliest preparations for the holidays is making cranberry chutney and walnut pickle. They both use spices but must be made a few weeks ahead to allow the flavors to mature. We like them as sides for the holiday meal, but they are great to jazz up a leftover roast turkey sandwich or a bit of roast beef.

Christmas cookies, cakes, and mince pies are next on the hit parade. Anyone who knows me recognizes that I have a bit of a baking obsession around the holidays. It’s a tradition I picked up from my mother and as she passed this year, it’s even more special to me. This starts around December 10 to 15 so I can give them to my friends and family before people head off to their holiday destinations. It’s always been a great way to get to know our neighbors.

Christmas Eve and Christmas day are filled with delicacies that we don’t indulge in most of the year. Roast turkey, dressing, green bean casserole (no I don’t mean the one with canned mushroom soup), pumpkin bourbon tarts, and apple cranberry bread puddings are almost always on the menu. Spices are in all those. This year I will be adding a new tradition inspired by some of my in-laws in England, mulled wine (thanks Jim and Xani for the inspiration). This recipe makes a lot of mulled wine, so make a small test batch before investing in all these ingredients.

I’ve shared a few of these recipes. I hope you enjoy them and have a safe and happy holiday – with a little added spice! 

Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Walnut Street

Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Walnut Streusel

For the Pastry:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp grated orange peel

½ tsp salt

2/3 cup cold butter, cubed 1

egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

Flour for dusting

For the Filling:

One 15 oz can solid pack pumpkin

3 eggs

½ cup sugar

½ cup heavy whipping cream

¼ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup bourbon

2 TBS all purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground clove

For the topping:

¾ cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup cold butter, cubed

¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

¼ cup crystallized ginger, chopped

Tools: 11 inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom Wire Rack

Directions

For the Pastry:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, orange peel and salt. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Add the egg. Gradually add the cream, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into a 13-inch circle. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 11-inch fluted tart pan. For the Filling: In a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients. Pour into the crust.

For the Topping:

Combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Stir in the walnuts and ginger. Sprinkle over the filling.

Bake for 40-50 min or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

Cranberry Chutney

Cranberry Chutney

Yields 8 – ½ pint jars

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1½ cups orange juice

2 cups dried cranberries

2 cups Granny Smith apples, chopped (I leave peels on)

2 cups onions, chopped

1½ cups celery, chopped

2 – 12oz bags for fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained

2½ cups sugar

4 tsp cinnamon

1 TBSP ginger, freshly grated or 1½ tsp powdered ginger

½ tsp ground cloves

Prepare the jars by placing them in a boiling water bath for 5 to 10 minutes. If you have hard water, use about ½ cup of white vinegar with the water to reduce the haze on the jars. Don’t throw out this water as it can be used for the final processing.

In a large heavy bottomed pot, soak the dried cranberries in the mixture of apple cider vinegar and orange juice while you chop the other ingredients. Chop the apples first and add them to the pot to prevent browning. Then add the onion, celery, and fresh cranberries to the pot and start heating on high heat. Add the sugar and spices. Mix the ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil.

Once the mixture starts to boil, you will notice the fresh cranberries begin to burst. Reduce the heat to maintain a low boil and check your seasoning after about 15 minutes. The chutney will thicken after 30 to

Place your canning lids in a hot water bath around 180 F to soften up the silicone seals. Keep them in the water until you have filled the jars and are ready to cap. Bring your canning water bath up to a rolling boil and start filling your jars. You can eat the remaining chutney right away but if you have more than a ½ pint, I would prepare another jar for canning.

Use a clean canning funnel to fill the prepared jars with chutney. Leave about ½ inch of headspace and wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel. Place the warmed cap and ring on the jar and tighten just until you feel resistance.

Process the jars for 10 to 12 minutes in the boiling water. Remove the jars with a jar lifter from the hot water and place them on a dish towel on the counter. As the jars cool, you may hear a “pop” which is a sign that the jar has sealed. Let the jars sit until completely cool or overnight. Check the lids and rings. Some people remove the rings at this point, but I tend to leave them on and even snug them down a bit. The chutney is ready to go into the pantry, to be eaten or given as gifts.

BA’s Best Green Bean Casserole

BA’s Best Green Bean Casserole

Courtesy of Bon Appetit Serves 4 to 5

1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed Kosher salt

1 TBSP olive oil divided

1/2 pound cremini (or baby bella) mushrooms, sliced, divided

3 TBSP unsalted butter, divided

2 Large sprigs thyme, fresh

1 TBSP all-purpose flour

2/3 cup whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cloves garlic, finely grated (or substitute 3 TBSP minced garlic)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 to 1/2 cup French-fried Onions (store bought) if you like a lot of them

Working in small batches, blanch the green beans in a large pot of boiling water for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from boiling water with slotted spoon and transfer to a baking sheet to let cool. Repeat until all the beans have been processed. NOTE: If you use an ice bath to quench the beans, you may want to increase initial baking time by 10 to 15 minutes as beans may be a little undercooked. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1/2 TBSP oil to the skillet. Cook half of the mushrooms without stirring until they are brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until browned on both sides, about 3 more minutes. Add 1 TBSP butter to the pan with 1 sprig of the thyme. Continue to cook, tossing occasionally until butter browns and the mushrooms are dark brown and very tender, about 4 more minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil, mushrooms, butter, thyme, and salt. Set aside.

In the large saucepan, melt the remaining 1 TBSP of butter over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking occasionally, until the roux is golden brown and smells mildly nutty, about 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cream. Increase the heat and bring to a simmer, whisking often until the béchamel sauce is thick and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the garlic, Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Arrange the green beans and mushrooms in a 1-quart baking dish. Pour sauce over the vegetables (it doesn’t look like enough, but it is). Cover tightly with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling, about 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until casserole is lightly browned around the edges, 15 to 20 more minutes. Top with the onions and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes or until the onions start to brown and become fragrant. Let casserole sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Mulled Wine

Mulled Wine

20 whole cloves

2 tangerines, clementines, or small oranges

2 750ml bottles Merlot

3 cups fresh apple cider

8 Lady apples (optional)

2 cinnamon sticks plus 8 for garnish (garnish optional)

Press 10 cloves into each citrus. Place citrus, wine, cider, apples (if using), 2 cinnamon sticks, and cardamom pods in a large pot. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat; cook gently for 20 minutes.

DO AHEAD: Mulled wine can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature. Rewarm gently over medium-low heat before continuing.

Stir in Port. Divide among glasses; garnish with a cinnamon stick and a Lady apple, if desired.

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup butter softened

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp cream of tartar

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

2 TBSP sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, beat 1 ½ cup sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; mix well. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 TBSP of sugar and the cinnamon. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and cool completely. Yields 4 dozen cookies.

Spice Roasted Butternut Squash

Spice Roasted Butternut Squash

Serves 4 to 6

One 3 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch diced pieces 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil 1½ tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander ¼ tsp cayenne pepper Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste

Preheat ove to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss the squash with the olive oil, cumin, coriander, and cayenne and season with salt and pepper. Spread the squash on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast 20 minutes, then toss once and continue roasting another 20 minutes until tender and lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl and serve.