The Monster Island Theater Holiday Recipes

Wassail

Core the apples and fill each with a teaspoon of brown sugar. Place in a baking pan and cover the bottom of pan with 1/8-inch of water. Bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes or until tender.

Combine the sherry or Madeira, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon, sugar and water in a large, heavy saucepan and heat until mixture begins to steam: do not let it come to a boil. Leave on very low heat.

Beat the egg yolks until light and lemon-colored. Beat the whites until stiff and fold them into the yolks. Strain the wine mixture and add gradually to the eggs, stirring constantly. Add the brandy. Pour into a metal punch bowl, float the apples on top and serve in 8-ounce mugs.

Yield: About 10 servings

From: Epicurious (www.epicurious.com)

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Mulled Strawberry Cider

Combine cider or juice, strawberries, cinnamon, and cloves in a large saucepan. Bring to boiling and lower heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve lined with 100% cotton cheesecloth.

To serve, pour cider mixture into 8 mugs. If desired, garnish each service with a cinnamon stick and/or fresh strawberry.

Yield: 8 (8-oz) servings

From: Holiday Appetizers 1994, Better Homes and Gardens® Special Interest Publications

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Mulled Wine

Combine all ingredients in a small, heavy saucepan and heat, but do not allow to boil. Strain into an 8-ounce mug.

Yield: 1 (8-oz) serving

From: Epicurious (www.epicurious.com)

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Roast Goose with Chestnuts, Prunes and Armagnac

Combine prunes, stock, 1 1/2 cups wine and 1 cup prune juice in heavy medium saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes. Remove mixture from heat. Transfer 12 prunes to small bowl, using slotted spoon.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pat goose dry. Pull out fat from cavity. Rub inside and out with cut side of orange. Combine salt and pepper and rub inside and outside goose. Place orange, onion, bay leaves and 12 drained prunes in goose cavity. Tie legs together. Place goose on rack in roasting pan. Pierce all over with small metal skewer or toothpick.

Roast goose 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F and roast 30 minutes longer. Remove fat from roasting pan. Combine remaining 1/4 cup wine and 1/4 cup prune juice and brush some over goose. Continue roasting goose until juices run clear when pierced in thickest part of thigh, basting goose with wine mixture and removing fat from pan occasionally, about 2 hours.

Transfer goose to platter and tent with foil. Let stand 20 minutes.

Strain prune poaching liquid, reserving prunes. Degrease roasting juices. Add 1/2 cup poaching liquid to roasting pan and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer to heavy medium saucepan. Add Armagnac, remaining poaching liquid and degreased roasting juices. Boil until flavors are intense, about 15 minutes. Knead butter and flour together. Whisk into sauce in small bits and simmer until thick, about 8 minutes. Add poached prunes and chestnuts and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley.

Carve goose into thin slices. Spoon sauce, chestnuts and prunes over.

Yield: 8 servings

From: Epicurious (www.epicurious.com)

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Baked Sweet Potatoes

Heat oven to 375°. Pierce sweet potatoes with fork to allow steam to escape. Bake about 45 minutes, or until tender.

Cut thin lengthwise slice from each potato; carefully scoop out inside, leaving a thin shell. Mash potatoes in large bowl until no lumps remain. Beat in sour cream and milk. Beat in brown sugar, butter and salt until potatoes are light and fluffy.

Place shells in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches. Fill shells with potato mixture. (Recipe can be made ahead to this point. Cover and refrigerate filled shells no longer than 24 hours. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes.)

Increase over to 400°. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until potato mixture is golden brown. If desired, sprinkle baked shells with pecans or crystallized ginger.

Yield: 6 servings

From: Betty Crocker Holiday Main Dishes, Desserts, Gifts & More

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Eggnog Ice Cream with Hot Buttered Rum Sauce

For ice cream:
Combine whipping cream and milk in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and stir constantly over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Strain into large bowl. Mix in rum and nutmeg. Refrigerate until cold.

Process mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to container and freeze. (Can be made 4 days ahead. Keep frozen.)

For sauce:
Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, cream and corn syrup and stir until sugar dissolves. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Mix in rum. Cool slightly. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before using.)

Scoop ice cream into bowls. Spoon warm sauce over and serve.

Yield: 6-8 servings

From: Epicurious (www.epicurious.com)

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Viennese Christmas Trees

Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Using a wooden spoon, beat in the flour, almonds, hazelnuts, and cinnamon to make a slightly stiff dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 24 trees with a 2 1/2 inch to 3 inch tree-shaped cookie cutter. Place the trees on the prepared cookie sheets.

Cut out another 24 trees with the same cutter. Using a 1/4 inch round cutter (such as a plastic drinking straw), cut out a few holes in each of the second batch of trees. Place this batch on prepared cookie sheets as well. If there is any extra dough, roll it out, then cut out an even number of trees. Make holes in half of them.

Bake both kinds of trees until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

When the cookies have cooled, spread the solid trees with a thin layer of the raspberry jam. Dust the trees with the holes with the powdered sugar and place on top of the jam-coated trees.

Yield: about 2 1/2 to 3 dozen cookies

From: The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook

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Cognac Sugarplums

Melt the chocolate in the top of double boiler over simmering water. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, corn syrup, and Cognac. Stir in the wafer crumbs and nuts to make a paste-like mixture.

Roll into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in additional sugar. Press a red or green cherry half into the center of each.

Store in an airtight container. These cookies improve with age.

Yield: about 4 dozen cookies

From: The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook

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