Question Of The Day, Sunday, November 12, 2017

[micknsnicks2mom]

good morning!

lately i've been thinking about what 'special' dessert i'd like to make for around Christmas. i like to bake something that i might not normally do, something a little more involved, for around that holiday.

with these thoughts on my mind, for today's Question of the Day --



What is your favorite dessert for 'special occasions'? (can be any special occasion -- a birthday, anniversary, holidays, and etc)



i'll start!

hmmm......i generally like pie around Thanksgiving, and usually make a peanut pie (very similar to pecan pie).

for around Christmas......last year i made a 3-layer carob cake, which was simply decadent! this year, i'm thinking a cake and i'm leaning towards using carob. i just might decide to make Winchester 's chocolate (/carob) cake with whipped peanut butter frosting this year. whatever cake i make, i'll cut the frosting down to about 2/3rds of what the recipe calls for. i like frosting, but as i've gotten older i don't care for overly sweet as much, and really love the cake more than the frosting. most times, i prefer to just sprinkle powdered sugar over a cake, instead of frosting it.

i don't usually make desserts specifically for other special occasions, though i always have something on hand for dessert.


okay, now it's your turn!

 

[kashmir64]

This year I'm going to attempt to make my grandmother's stollen. It's actually her mother's recipe and was handed down from her parents. Since my great grandparents immigrated here from Germany, the recipe hasn't been Americanized.
She used to make it every year at Christmas but I've never attempted it. Going to give it a shot this year. We each got one as part of our Christmas presents. It was my favorite gift.

 

[Margret]

Before I was diabetic I used to make a wonderful fruit bread. You take a normal whole grain bread recipe, mix the dough and knead it, let it rise, punch it down and let it rise the second time, then you punch it down and roll it out flat (though still fairly thick -- it should be a little bit longer than you expect the loaf to be, and a bit more than 3 times the width of the final loaf, although that makes it wider than it is long) and mentally divide it in thirds. You slice the two outer thirds into angled strips, pile fruit and dried fruit on the center third, and lay the strips on top, alternating sides, so that it appears to be braided. Seal the ends, put it in a greased loaf pan, then bake normally (starting with a cold oven so that it has time to rise for the final time). It looks and tastes spectacular; you just have to make sure everyone has plenty of napkins because the filling can fall out as you're eating it.

Margret

 

[Columbine]

I'm not big on desserts, but dad definitely is. For Christmas, we have to have all the traditional English fayre - boozy rich fruit cake, made to his mother's recipe ( ad covered with marzipan and thick glace icing, and covered with glace cherries - dad adores cherries, so that's just for him), mince pies, with homemade pastry and homemade mincemeat (again from his mother's recipe), and finally Christmas pudding (also his mother's recipe...can you see a theme here? ) served with homemade brandy butter.

Dad's definitely the biggest desert eater in this house, and always has to have a cake and hot pudding (English use of the word) on the go. Christmas is the only real special occasion food in this house (other than dad's birthday cake, naturally).

 

[Katie M]

We have a family recipe for peanut butter ripple fudge. It's not exactly specific to Christmas, but I've come to associate it with that because my mother only makes it when she makes Christmas cookies. It's peanut butter and melted chocolate chips, and you swirl the chocolate on the top with a knife. I've always loved it

 

[Winchester]

micknsnicks2mom we love that peanut butter frosting. It's not really too sweet and I think that's why we like it so much. I use the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake recipe. If you try it, let me know what you think. We really do like it around here. I make that cake every year for my GF's husband's birthday; he has come to expect it.

My absolutely positively best dessert on earth is a white coconut layer cake. With lots of lots of snowy white coconut slathered into the frosting between the layers and all around the outside of the cake. That's my Christmas (and sometimes Easter, too) dessert. And yes, I do know how to make a decadent white coconut layer cake; I use a recipe from Cook's Illustrated that is just TDF and when I make it, I will always toast the coconut. The cake is so pretty with the various colors of the coconut.

But for Christmas, since I'm always so busy with everything else, I order a ten-inch white coconut layer cake from a local restaurant/bakery in town. It's about $30 with the extra coconut in the frosting between the layers.....and yes, it's worth every single penny. My sister, brother, and I will devour the thing.

Poor Rick; he despises coconut with a passion. His favorite dessert is definitely cheesecake. So while I order the coconut cake for Christmas, I always make him a cheesecake for his Christmas dessert. I use one of the recipes from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook and everybody tells me that the cheesecake is truly decadent. I wouldn't know....I refuse to eat cheesecake.

 

[caitini]

Banoffee!

 

[Merlin77]

Homemade panna cotta. With some chocolate chips on top and raspberries.

We love Italian food in my home. Homemade Italian food... we make our own pizza with spices and fresh mozzarella.

 

[neely]

Any holiday at our house involves chocolate. However, yesterday DH and I met our daughter for lunch in the city and we had a delectable, savory squash pie with coconut whipped cream. It was superb and made me rethink my traditional chocolate dessert(s).

 

[muffy]

Whiskey cake

 

[Kat0121]

I'm not a dessert person. At all. I don't like cake, I don't like pie and I really don't like cheesecake.

I never order dessert at restaurants. I used to make apple pie for Thanksgiving because DH liked it but have not since he passed. DD doesn't like it either. I just don't get the hype about stuff like that. Give me some good cheese and crusty bread any day.

If I am in the mood for something sweet, it's high quality dark chocolate or high quality ice cream. Coffee is my favorite favor. I could also sit down and eat a bowl of whipped cream with a spoon. No Cool Whip please. the good stuff.

 

[Freedom]

Columbine , that sounds wonderful! I've been trying to find a nice English Christmas cake w/ marzipan online to order; not had one in some years. Mum always had to have the pudding as well- I remember Dad would 'light' it for her. Mmmm, now I am hungry ha haaa.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

This year I'm going to attempt to make my grandmother's stollen. It's actually her mother's recipe and was handed down from her parents. Since my great grandparents immigrated here from Germany, the recipe hasn't been Americanized.
She used to make it every year at Christmas but I've never attempted it. Going to give it a shot this year. We each got one as part of our Christmas presents. It was my favorite gift.

ahhh, you'll be making your grandmother's stollen -- which was handed down from her parents!!! that sounds wonderful!!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Before I was diabetic I used to make a wonderful fruit bread. You take a normal whole grain bread recipe, mix the dough and knead it, let it rise, punch it down and let it rise the second time, then you punch it down and roll it out flat (though still fairly thick -- it should be a little bit longer than you expect the loaf to be, and a bit more than 3 times the width of the final loaf, although that makes it wider than it is long) and mentally divide it in thirds. You slice the two outer thirds into angled strips, pile fruit and dried fruit on the center third, and lay the strips on top, alternating sides, so that it appears to be braided. Seal the ends, put it in a greased loaf pan, then bake normally (starting with a cold oven so that it has time to rise for the final time). It looks and tastes spectacular; you just have to make sure everyone has plenty of napkins because the filling can fall out as you're eating it.

Margret

oh my!! that fruit bread sounds just fabulous!!!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I'm not big on desserts, but dad definitely is. For Christmas, we have to have all the traditional English fayre - boozy rich fruit cake, made to his mother's recipe ( ad covered with marzipan and thick glace icing, and covered with glace cherries - dad adores cherries, so that's just for him), mince pies, with homemade pastry and homemade mincemeat (again from his mother's recipe), and finally Christmas pudding (also his mother's recipe...can you see a theme here? ) served with homemade brandy butter.

Dad's definitely the biggest desert eater in this house, and always has to have a cake and hot pudding (English use of the word) on the go. Christmas is the only real special occasion food in this house (other than dad's birthday cake, naturally).

your Dad is a dessert lover! and those sound like some awesome desserts too!!! so very nice!!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

We have a family recipe for peanut butter ripple fudge. It's not exactly specific to Christmas, but I've come to associate it with that because my mother only makes it when she makes Christmas cookies. It's peanut butter and melted chocolate chips, and you swirl the chocolate on the top with a knife. I've always loved it

Peanut butter ripple fudge!!! most excellent!!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

micknsnicks2mom we love that peanut butter frosting. It's not really too sweet and I think that's why we like it so much. I use the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake recipe. If you try it, let me know what you think. We really do like it around here. I make that cake every year for my GF's husband's birthday; he has come to expect it.

My absolutely positively best dessert on earth is a white coconut layer cake. With lots of lots of snowy white coconut slathered into the frosting between the layers and all around the outside of the cake. That's my Christmas (and sometimes Easter, too) dessert. And yes, I do know how to make a decadent white coconut layer cake; I use a recipe from Cook's Illustrated that is just TDF and when I make it, I will always toast the coconut. The cake is so pretty with the various colors of the coconut.

But for Christmas, since I'm always so busy with everything else, I order a ten-inch white coconut layer cake from a local restaurant/bakery in town. It's about $30 with the extra coconut in the frosting between the layers.....and yes, it's worth every single penny. My sister, brother, and I will devour the thing.

Poor Rick; he despises coconut with a passion. His favorite dessert is definitely cheesecake. So while I order the coconut cake for Christmas, I always make him a cheesecake for his Christmas dessert. I use one of the recipes from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook and everybody tells me that the cheesecake is truly decadent. I wouldn't know....I refuse to eat cheesecake.

thank you for that info! you may remember that i don't 'do' chocolate, so i'd substitute carob powder/chips. it does sound really very good!!

ahhh, the White Coconut Cake!!! truly an incredibly tasty dessert!! do i remember correctly, that the one you buy from the local restaurant/bakery has a lemon filling/curd between the layers? that sounds like it would taste so very good! but then, i absolutely love lemon.

and you bake a wonderful cheesecake for your Rick for Christmas!! very nice! i like cheesecake, but it's really too...rich for me to have but very occasionally.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Banoffee!

banoffee!!! most excellent!!

i have never tried banoffee.........but it sounds like it would be quite delicious!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Homemade panna cotta. With some chocolate chips on top and raspberries.

We love Italian food in my home. Homemade Italian food... we make our own pizza with spices and fresh mozzarella.

homemade panna cotta, with chocolate chips and raspberries on top!!! that's sounds heavenly!!

 

[Margret]

oh my!! that fruit bread sounds just fabulous!!!

If you decide to try it based on my recollection of how I made it, you should also make the bread dough with honey rather than sugar, and add extra honey to it. The bread itself should be sweeter than usual. If dried fruit makes it too chewy, try soaking the fruit overnight in fruit juice first.

Margret