Old Fashioned Christmas Recipes

Caramel Popcorn

Bring butter, sugar, and coffee to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour over salted popcorn. Enjoy.

S’more Cupcakes

From Alicia Donahue

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 1: Graham Cracker Crust
Mix about a cup of graham cracker crumbs with about a third cup of butter or margarine until moistened and mixture holds its shape when pressed. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake paper and tamp it down firmly with the bottom of a glass. Bake about 6 minutes until crusts are golden around the edges. Drop a few chocolate chips onto each crust — let’s say six. These will melt while the cupcakes are baking and help hold the crusts together a little.

Step 2: Chocolate Cupcakes
Make your favorite chocolate cake batter. I like the basic chocolate cake recipe from the Joy of Cooking, but use whatever you like. Fill the cupcake papers two-thirds full. Bake 19 minutes. Let them cool.

Step 3: S’more them up!
When the cupcakes are relatively cool, inject the center of each cupcake with marshmallow fluff. Frost them with chocolate frosting. I used canned chocolate frosting. Sprinkle coarse graham cracker crumbs on top. Pipe a dollop of marshmallow fluff on top using a pastry bag with a large star tip. Toast the marshmallow using a kitchen torch. Garnish with a piece of chocolate and a piece of graham cracker.

Coconut Cupcakes

From Brandie Holly and Kit Fitzgerald

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the cake:

For the coconut cream cheese frosting:

Sift together flower, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Combine egg whites, coconut milk, vanilla, and almond extract in a measuring cup and set aside. Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Alternately add dry and wet ingredients, ending with the dry in 3 additions. Fold in the coconut and then fill muffin tins until ¾ full with ice cream scoop. Bake for 20 minutes and let cool completely.

For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add melted white chocolate, lime juice, and coconut extract; beat to blend. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth (add more powdered sugar if needed). Top with shredded coconut.

Makes 24 cupcakes

Fresh Pumpkin Ice Cream

1. Take one small pumpkin, pierce it a couple of times with a fork to allow steam to escape while baking, and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 90 minutes, until fork tender. When it is done, peel back the skin and scoop the cooked pumpkin into a bowl, discarding strings and seeds. You can either dice the cooked pumpkin into small pieces with a chef’s knife to leave chunks in your ice cream or puree it with a food processor for a smooth texture.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together milk, sugar, and eggs. Stir constantly for about 10 minutes (the mixture will start to thicken, but do not let it brown at all).
3. Remove from heat and whisk in pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. Chill mixture in the refrigerator, then churn in an ice cream maker for up to 30 minutes, until firm. Enjoy immediately or chill in freezer overnight for firmer ice cream.

Makes about 1 quart.