Christmas For Everyone
Something for the Cake Lovers...
Cranberry Orange Cake
3 cups cake flour + 2 tablespoons cake flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup Golden Eagle Syrup
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange zest
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cups Cranberries, frozen or fresh
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and lightly flour three 8″ round pans. Line with parchment paper circles. Sift together 3 cups cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine buttermilk milk and orange juice. Stir to combine and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar, and syrup on medium-high using the paddle attachment. Beat until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
With the mixer on low, add eggs one at a time. Mix well after each egg.
Add vanilla extract and orange zest. Mix to combine.
Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not over mix. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
In a small bowl, gently toss cranberries with 2 tablespoons cake flour to coat. Using a spoon or spatula, gently fold cranberries into batter. Divide batter evenly between the three 8″ round pans.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes, then remove to wire rack to finish cooling. Place in freezer before icing.
7 Minute White fluffy Frosting
4 egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
2/3 cup Golden Eagle Syrup
¼ cup water
½ tsp. cream of tartar
½ tsp. orange flavoring
Beat with a hand mixer over a double boiler for seven minutes. Do not place bowl of ingredients over water until water in boiling. Start time when water boils. Take icing off immediately and pour into a cool bowl. Ice cake immediately before icing sets up.
Top with sugared cranberries.
Sugared cranberries
2 cups fresh cranberries
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
½ cup sugar
Make a simple syrup with the water and half cup of sugar. Let cool for 5 minutes. Toss Cranberries in simple syrup and place on wire rack to dry for about an hour. Then toss in ½ cup sugar.
Something for the Pie Lovers...
Buttermilk Pie
1 large (9 inch) pie crust
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup Golden Eagle Syrup
3 1/2 tablespoons of flour
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Nutmeg – to dash on top
Preheat oven to 325. Prepare pie pan with piecrust.
Cream together butter and sugar. Once fully combined and slightly fluffy, add flour and eggs. Mix well. You can use a hand mixer for this, or beat with a fork until fully combined and smooth. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated. Pour into prepared pie crust. Dash nutmeg on top. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes at 325 – or until done. A fork or toothpick inserted into the middle should come out cleanly. The pie will still be slightly jiggly after baking.
Allow time to cool and set before serving, usually an hour at the very least.
And something for Santa.
Golden Eagle Cookies
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup Golden Eagle Syrup
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
Granulated sugar for rolling cookies
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in egg and Syrup until well blended. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Stir into the creamed mixture until blended. Chill for at least an hour, or until firm. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the chilled dough into small balls about 3/4-inch in diameter. Roll each in the granulated sugar, and place on the baking sheet, leaving 1-2 inches between cookies.
Bake for 8-12 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on a rack for 2 minutes, then remove to rack to cool completely.