Readers share Christmas delicacies

By Susan McClanahan

To finish Christmas recipe columns, I have a variety of for you today. Each of these recipes have been given to me over the past couple of weeks, and I just had to pass them along to you.

There is no theme, just a little of this and that as we wind down this year of Recipe Swap.

I hope you are surrounded by loved ones as we pause to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and ponder on the marvelous gift the birth of Christ was to all of us. May you have a blessed and meaningful Christmas.

Mushroom Bundles

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped baby Portobello mushrooms
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 sheets phyllo dough (14 x 9-inch size)
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, rosemary and pepper; cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface; brush with butter. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Layer with 3 additional phyllo sheets, brushing each layer. Using a sharp knife, cut the layered sheets into 12 3-inch squares. Carefully press each stack into an ungreased mini-muffin cup.

Stir feta into mushroom mixture; spoon 1 tablespoon into each phyllo cup. Form into bundles by gathering edges of phyllo squares and twisting centers to close. Brush tops with remaining butter. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Freeze option: Freeze cooled bundles in resealable plastic freezer bags.

To use, reheat bundles on a greased baking sheet in a preheated 375-degree oven till crisp and heated through.

Hot Turkey and Cheese Party Rolls

• 1 (8 ounce) tube crescent roll dough
• 12-16 slices turkey (deli sliced)
• 12 slices Colby Jack cheese
• 1 stick butter, melted (1/2 cup)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon poppy seed

Roll out crescent roll dough into 4 rectangle shapes and press together the diagonal seam. On each rectangle place 3 to 4 slices of turkey and cheese.

Roll up each rectangle (roll from one short side to the next short side) and press together seam gently (You will have 4 rolls at this point). Slice each roll into 3 pieces for a total of 12 rolls.

Spray a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place rolls into prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine butter, garlic powder and parsley. Brush over crescent rolls and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until just starting to turn brown. Serve hot from the oven or at room temperature.

Cranberry Macadamia Nut Fudge

• 3 cups white chocolate chips
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped, 2 tablespoons reserved
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries, 1 tablespoon reserved

Combine the chocolate chips, milk and butter in a medium-size glass bowl and heat in the microwave for 90 seconds. Stir to combine and heat another 15 seconds. Stir and heat an additional 15 seconds, only if needed. There will still be a few pieces of unmelted chocolate in the bowl.

Stir until mostly smooth with just a few flecks of unmelted chocolate. Add the extract, nuts and cranberries (reserving the noted amounts) and stir to combine. Scoop onto a parchment lined 8 x 8-inch pan. Spread with a spatula. Sprinkle with reserved nuts and dried cranberries. Chill until ready to serve. Slice into 1-inch squares and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Note: If you don't happen to be a fan of white chocolate, this fudge works beautifully when made with semi-sweet or dark chocolate.

Red Wine Braised Cranberry Short Ribs

With a whole bottle of red wine, this cozy holiday meal is one you need to be making. These short ribs are a one-pot-and-done kind of dinner, festive, and totally delicious. Serve these over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes and you have the perfect meal.

• 5 pounds bone in, beef short ribs
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 sweet onions, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 3 cups red wine
• 3 cups good quality chicken-bone broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups fresh cranberries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet and sear the ribs on both sides. Remove the ribs. Add the onions, carrots and garlic, cook 5 to 10 minutes or until the onions begin to caramelize. Add back the short ribs. Add the wine, chicken bone broth, tomato paste, brown sugar, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Sprinkle over the cranberries. Season with salt and pepper; stir to combine. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the short ribs are tender and falling off the bone.

Remove the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Serve the ribs over a bed of mashed potatoes. Drizzle with the pan sauce.

Chocolate-Raspberry Tassies

• 1 recipe chocolate pastry, (recipe below)
• 6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon raspberry liqueur or raspberry-flavored syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 recipe Chocolate Buttercream, (recipe below)

Prepare chocolate pastry. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide pastry in 24 balls. Evenly press each ball on bottom and sides of 24 ungreased 1 3/4-inch muffin cups, using floured fingers, if necessary; set aside.

For filling, in small saucepan heat and stir chocolate and butter over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in egg, sugar, liqueur and vanilla. Spoon 1 scant tablespoon, filling in each pastry shell. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until pastry is firm and filling is puffed. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Run sharp, thin-blade knife around tassie edges; carefully remove from pans. Cool on wire rack. Pipe or dollop on a small amount of chocolate buttercream.

To store, refrigerate tassies in single layer in an airtight container up to three days. Makes 24 tarts.

Chocolate Pastry

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• Dash of salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut up
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons cold water

In food processor, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter. Cover; process until crumbly. In small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and cold water. Add to processor; pulse until a dough ball forms (add water if dry). If needed, cover and refrigerate until easy to handle.

Chocolate Buttercream

• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup powdered sugar

In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter on medium-high for 30 seconds. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Beat in milk. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar until piping consistency.

Grilled Turkey, Cranberry and Brie Sandwich

• 1/2 cup leftover cranberry sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 8 slices white bread
• Sliced turkey
• Granny Smith apple slices
• Sliced brie cheese
• Butter

Mix leftover cranberry sauce with Dijon mustard. Divide between 4 slices of white bread; spread evenly. Top each with sliced turkey, Granny Smith apple slices and sliced brie cheese. Top each with another slice of bread. Butter the top and bottom of each sandwich. Cook each sandwich on a nonstick griddle for about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Flip and cook until golden on the other side.

Balsamic Glazed Green Beans with Cranberries and Almonds

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey, I used raw honey, but you can use 100 percent maple syrup if you'd like it to be vegan
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 12 ounces green beans, ends trimmed
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries

In a small bowl, mix together balsamic vinegar and honey. Set aside.

Place garlic and oil in large skillet and cook under medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Add green beans and stir. Cook for about 10 minutes until green beans are still bright green and crispy. Add balsamic mixture, almonds and cranberries and mix again. Cook for another 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Cranberry Brie Bites

These are a delicious, easy make-ahead appetizer. A golden puff pastry with creamy cranberry brie filling. Each tastes like a mini-baked brie!

For the cranberry filling:

• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the puff pastry bites:

• 2 (10 × 10-inch) sheets puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator overnight
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 4 ounces brie cheese, cold and cut into small pieces (about 1/4-inch cubes)

Prepare the cranberry sauce: Combine the cranberries, orange juice, water, honey, cinnamon and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, until the cranberries break down and thicken. Let cool. Taste and add additional salt, honey or orange, as desired. Make sure you are happy with the flavor of the sauce, as it will have a big impact on the final taste of the bites.

Unfold the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. With a rolling pin, gently roll the pastry so it is an even 11-inch square. With a 1 1/2-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut circles out of the pastry, leaving as little space as possible between each circle -- about 48 rounds total from one sheet. (If you use a larger biscuit cutter, leave space between the circles, or have a smaller size sheet of puff pastry, please note that the recipe yield will be smaller.)

Beat the egg in a small bowl, then lightly brush each pastry round. Top half of the pastry rounds with 1/4 teaspoon cranberry sauce and one small piece of brie cheese, rind included.

Carefully place the remaining pastry rounds on top of the brie and cranberry, brushed-egg-side down. Pinch the ends closed, then gently crimp the edges with a fork to secure. Prick each pastry with a fork to allow the air to escape. (If making ahead, see notes section below.) Repeat with second pastry sheet.

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place pastry on the prepared sheet and brush lightly with egg. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Important note on yield: If you are planning to make this for a crowd, please carefully read the directions about the yield. I got 48 bites when I used a small biscuit cutter, rolled the pastry quite thin, and packed the circles tightly on the puff pastry so almost no scraps remained. If your biscuit cutter is even slightly larger (or if you use a smaller sheet of puff pastry or don't pack the circles as tightly), you could end up with a much smaller amount. If you aren't sure, I suggest purchasing a little extra puff pastry and making extra cranberry sauce, just in case. No one will complain about too much baked brie!

Freezing: Assembled but unbaked puff pastry bites can be placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet and frozen. If freezing for later, still poke holes in the top but omit the exterior egg wash. Once frozen, remove the bites from the baking sheet and transfer to an airtight bag. When ready to bake, apply the exterior egg wash. Puff pastry bites may be baked from frozen or thawed in the refrigerator. If baking from frozen, keep the oven temperature the same, adding 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time. Pastry puffs may also be fully baked, then frozen, and will reheat well in the oven.

Have a great week and Merry Christmas. Until next time, happy cooking.