Community Kitchen

Hi Everyone, it feels like we’re in for a cold winter this year. Bundle up and keep warm!

I have been looking for Christmas baking and this time I am submitting a few new ones and some oldies. You have probably tried them  also, but I haven’t for a long time. Happy Baking!

BAKLAVA ROLLS
A friend, Reisa Schwartzman, brought these over for our Thanksgiving dinner and I thought they were so good and not as sweet as the diamond shaped ones I made before. I phoned her for the recipe to put into this column and she was in Chicago on business so I went in to the internet to get this but there were so many variation so I doctored it up and made it and it turned out very well so here it is.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30-45 minutes.
Ingredients: 1 lb. Phyllo sheets (frozen-454 Gm. pkg.) Thaw overnite in fridge.
1 cup unsalted butter (melted)

Filling: 1 lb. walnuts (or pecans or pistachio etc.) coarsely ground
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
Mix together in a bowl.

Syrup: 1-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 cups sugar
10 whole cloves
1/2 lemon (juiced)
Combine water and sugar in pot and simmer over medium high heat until you get a thick syrup about 15 minutes or longer.
Remove from heat and add lemon juice and stir and cool. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Directions to assemble:
Brush bottom and sides of 9×13 pan with butter using pastry brush,
Place a well wrung tea towel on the counter and put the phyllo on top and then cover with another well wrung tea towel on top and keep it covered while working since the pastry dries up fast.
Carefully take one sheet of phyllo on counter and brush it with butter.
Place the next pastry on top and butter it. Third layer butter and sprinkle the filling sparsely on top.
Take one end and roll it as tightly as possible to the end
Place it in the pan with the ends on the bottom. Brush with the butter on top.
Repeat with the rest of the pastry and place in pan touching each other.
Bake in preheated oven 30 to 45 minutes until nicely browned.
Reisa cut hers in 4 pieces and called it Baklava cigars but I cut it into eight pieces (little bites)
Pour the slightly cooled syrup over the rolls.
You may sprinkle finely chopped pistachio nuts on top (I didn’t).
*It sounds complicated but it’s worth the time.

ORANGE SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Alice Bradley kindly submitted this recipe and she said it is very good and easy to make.

1 orange, zest only
½ cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoon cornstarch
6 ounces bitter sweet, good quality chocolate
Remove only the orange zest from about ½ of the orange using a paring knife or vegetable peeler. Chop coarsely and put in food processor with the sugar and process until finely chopped. ( if you do not have a processor, grate the zest using a micro plane or grater, you should have about 2 teaspoon zest.
Beat the butter with the orange sugar until fluffy. Mix in the cornstarch and flour. Divide the mix into 2 and form each into logs about 1 ½ inch in diameter. Wrap in wax paper and chill at least 1 hour.
Slice into ¼ inch slices, place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until slightly brown on the edges. Let cool 5 minutes and remove from cookie sheet onto a rack.
Melt the chopped chocolate over hot water until melted. Let cool, keep slightly warm by placing bowl on a warm cloth. Dip part of each cookie in chocolate, remove any excess on the bottom and place on wax paper to chill. Store in tightly sealed container in a cool place or fridge.

PEANUT BUTTER BALLS
My son’s mother-in-law Lynn Debou brought it over for our twins grandaughter’s 1 st birthday and it was very tasty so here it
it is and so easy to make.

1 cup rice krispies
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
2/3 cup peanut butter
vanilla to taste

Mix the above together and roll into 1 inch balls. Put icing sugar on your hands since it is sticky.
Melt 1 or 2 square semi sweet chocolate and dab it on top and place a sliced almond on top.