Wine Soaked Fruit With Mascarpone Snowman Recipes

GIANT CINNAMON ROLL SNOWMAN

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 2 rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray.
• Remove the cinnamon rolls from the tubes and place on a large cutting board or a clean work surface; reserve the icing from the tubes for serving. Unravel 3 rolls and coil them around 1 intact roll to create a very large cinnamon roll. This will be the base of the snowman. Place on the bottom half of one of the prepared baking sheets, with a short side of the sheet facing you.
• Unravel 2 more cinnamon rolls and coil them around 1 intact roll. This will be the body. Place it on the baking sheet, adjoining the base of the snowman. Gently squeeze so they just adhere.
• Unravel 1 more cinnamon roll and coil it around 1 intact roll. This will be the head of the snowman. Place it on the baking sheet, adjoining the top of the body. Bake until golden brown, puffed up and cooked through, 24 to 28 minutes.
• Meanwhile, unravel the remaining cinnamon roll into a strip of dough. Cut crosswise into 5 equal pieces. Coil 3 of the pieces each to create 3 mini cinnamon rolls. These will be the buttons. Roll out each of the remaining 2 pieces to about 3 inches long. These will be the snowman arms. Transfer the buttons and snowman arms to the second prepared baking sheet.
• When the snowman finishes baking, let it cool slightly on the baking sheet on a wire rack. Bake the second baking sheet until the buttons are cooked through and puffed up, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Once the snowman is cool enough to touch, transfer to a large cutting board or platter. Using a butter knife of small offset spatula, evenly spread 1 container of frosting all over the snowman, frosting the crevices and even the sides of the rolls, if you like. This will act as the crumb coat. Reserve 1/4 cup of the second container of frosting and spread the remaining all over the snowman, creating large swirls. Decorate the base and body of the snowman with the cooled cinnamon roll buttons. Spread 2 tablespoons of the reserved frosting all over each snowman arm and adhere the arms to the snowman body.
• Use the black gel icing to pipe eyes and a smiling mouth. Use the green gel icing to pipe a scarf. Add the orange candy for the nose. Transfer the reserved icing to a small bowl and serve it on the side for dipping.

MULLED WINE FRUIT AND NUT CHRISTMAS CAKE: MAKE-AHEAD FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• TWO DAYS BEFORE YOU BAKE:.
• Gently heat up the port with the strips of orange peel & all the mulled wine spices tied up in a muslin or cloth bag; you will need a large roomy saucepan as you will be adding the fruit to it later.
• Bring it to the boil and then take off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Add all the fruit, prunes, peel & nuts to the mulled wine port mixture, stir it well and cover with a lid.
• Leave at room temperature, unless you live in a very hot climate in which case you will need to refrigerate it, for 2 days. I have left this for up to 4 days with no adverse effects!
• THE DAY YOU BAKE THE CAKE:.
• Pre-heat oven to 160 C or 320°F.
• Grease and double line with bakng paper/parchment a loose bottom deep cake tin; I used a 8" diameter round tin with high sides.
• Wrap the outside of the cake tin with a double layer of brown paper or baking paper/parchment & tie with string - it stops the cake browning too quickly or too much and IS worth the effort!
• Beat the butter and sugar together until light & fluffy.
• Add the flour bit by bit with the beaten eggs gradually - mix well in between each flour & egg addition. This stops it curdling.
• Drain the fruit & nuts - any excess port can be kept for future soakings! Discard the mulled wine bag & the strips of orange peel.
• Add the fruit and nuts to the cake mixture & mix well.
• Add the spices along with the grated peel of one orange and mix well with a wooden spoon.
• Spoon the the cake mixture into the prepared tin and level the top.
• Make a slight dip in the middle to allow for rising unevenly.
• Bake for 30 minutes and then turn the oven down to 150 C or 300 F and bake for a further 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
• Leave the cake to cool in the tin.
• Remove from the tin and keep stored in an airtight container - well wrapped in the baking paper/parchment until Christmas.
• Decorate it with traditional marzipan & icing or a fruit and nut glaze - OR just remove from the paper, decorate with a frill and serve it from an attractive cake platter!
• In Yorkshire where I come from, we would eat a slice of Christmas cake with a slice of Wensleydale Cheese!

LOMO AL TRAPO

Steps:

• Let the tenderloin stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.
• Prepare a charcoal grill for medium-high heat.
• Put the wine in a medium bowl. Soak a large clean cotton towel in the wine until completely soaked. Wring out the towel until it is damp but not dripping. Lay the towel out flat on a work surface with a long side facing you. Sprinkle the salt on the towel to make a 16-by-12-inch rectangle that is about 1/4 inch thick. Scatter the red pepper flakes, black pepper and oregano sprigs on the salt.
• Position the tenderloin on the bottom center of the salt rectangle, so there is about a 1-inch border of salt on the bottom edge. Roll up the tenderloin in the towel, folding in the sides and making sure the meat is covered in salt on all sides. Tie the towel tightly with kitchen twine at 1- to 2-inch intervals.
• Place the wrapped tenderloin directly on the coals for 10 minutes, then flip and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove to a metal baking sheet and let rest for 5 minutes, then cut the tenderloin out of the towel and break away the salt crust. Transfer to a cutting board. Let rest for another 10 minutes before slicing.

DEVILISH ANGEL CAKE WITH WINE SOAKED BERRIES

Steps:

• Combine wine, sugar, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add berries and soak 20 minutes. Cut the cake into thick slices. Serve wedges doused with wine soaked berries then garnish with whipped cream and fresh mint or orange zest.

GIGANTIC STANDING SNOWMAN

Steps:

• For the snowman: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini muffin tins with white mini cupcake liners.
• Prepare the cake batter according to the package directions for using egg whites. Fill each cupcake liner halfway with batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining cake batter (you should have about 240 cupcakes total).
• Microwave the white candy melting wafers in a medium microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until melted, about 1 minute. Pour 2 tablespoons of the melted candy onto the center of a large serving platter or serving board (such as a 15-by-20-inch foam poster board). Place a 10-inch Styrofoam sphere on top of the candy and let set until hardened, about 10 minutes. This will be the bottom round of the snowman.
• Trim 2 inches off the flat end of three 12-inch wooden skewers, making sure that the skewers are even in length. Mark the center of the sphere and poke the 3 skewers, bundled together, into the center flat-end first, leaving about half the length of the skewers sticking out of the top. Align a 7-inch Styrofoam sphere on top and in the center of the 10-inch sphere and press down so the skewers are inserted into the smaller sphere, securing the snowman head to the bottom. Leave a 1-inch gap between the 2 spheres.
• Set aside 5 cupcakes for making the nose later. Coat the bottom of 16 cupcakes with the melted candy (reheating as necessary) and wedge them around the base of the bottom sphere so they are in contact with the board, creating a ring of cupcakes to keep the base from moving.
• Poke a toothpick through the top center of each of the remaining cupcakes until the toothpick pokes out of the other side. Coat the bottom of one cupcake with some of the melted candy. Starting at the bottom of the snowman, hold the top of the toothpick and poke the cupcake into the side of the sphere, offset between the row of cupcakes below, so that the toothpick is no longer showing and the coated bottom is pressed against the sphere. Working in batches so that the melted candy does not harden (and reheating as necessary), repeat with the remaining cupcakes until the bottom and head of the snowman are completely covered with cupcakes.
• To make the carrot nose: Crumble the reserved 5 cupcakes into as fine a crumb as possible in a medium bowl. Add the vanilla frosting to the bowl and mix until well combined and the mixture can be formed into a stiff ball. Mold into a 4-inch carrot shape. Cut a 12-inch wooden skewer in half; discard the half without the point. Insert the skewer half lengthwise through the center of the carrot with the pointed end sticking out of the flat side of the carrot. Freeze until solid, about 30 minutes.
• Microwave the orange candy melting wafers in a medium microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Dip the frozen carrot into the orange candy until completely coated. Transfer to a parchment-lined dish until hardened, about 15 minutes.
• Attach the carrot nose to the center of the face with the pointed end of the skewer, pressing in until the skewer is no longer visible and the carrot is straight.
• For the frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a heatproof stand mixer bowl above the water without the bottom of the bowl touching. Add the sugar, lemon juice, salt and egg whites to the mixer bowl and whisk together by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar is completely dissolved. Transfer to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is cool and holds stiff peaks, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer a quarter of the frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Pipe rosettes onto each cupcake starting in the center and swirling outwards until the entire cupcake is covered with frosting, refilling the pastry bag with frosting as needed.
• To make the eyes and buttons: Cut 3 toothpicks in half and discard one of the halves. Stick the pointed end of each remaining toothpick half into the back of a chocolate-covered marshmallow cookie, making sure it doesn't poke through the front. On the head where the eyes would be, attach 2 marshmallow cookies to 2 cupcakes with the toothpicks. Attach 3 marshmallow cookies to 3 cupcakes down the front of the snowman where the buttons would be.
• To make the ear muffs: Cut two 12-inch wooden skewers in half; discard the ends without the point. Insert a skewer point-side first into each side of the snowman head even with the eyes. Trim any excess skewer to leave 1 inch exposed. Attach a doughnut to each side of the head by pressing the doughnut into the skewer until it is flush with the head and pressing against the frosted cupcakes. Lay the two 9-inch sour candy strands next to each other across the top of the head to attach the ear muffs. Trim any excess if needed.
• To make the woven scarf: Stack four 3-foot-long sour candy strands on top of each other and position vertically in front of you. Measure 4 inches down from the top of the strands and insert a toothpick through all 4 pieces to attach them at the top. Separate the strands below the toothpick so they are no longer stacked on top of each other. Interlace the far-right strand first under the strand next to it, then over the strand next to that and finally under the last strand (on the left) to create the first weave, tightening as you go to create a snug pattern. Continue the pattern by bringing the same strand back over the strand closest to it, then under the next strand and finally over the last strand on the far right.
• Repeat this pattern--weaving side to side and back again--until the strand has been completely woven through. Using a toothpick, attach another 3-foot strand where the original one left off and continue until the new strand is woven through. Cut the remaining unwoven strands at the bottom. Use toothpicks to secure the scarf. Repeat this process, starting with four new 3-foot sour candy strands and weaving in a fifth, to create 2 woven scarf halves equal in length.
• Fray the unwoven section at the top of the scarf halves by pulling the different colors apart. Attach one of the scarf halves to the back of the snowman, securing it with toothpicks. Wrap the scarf carefully around to the front of the snowman so the frayed end drapes near the buttons. Secure the other scarf half, overlapping in the back if needed, and wrap around to the front of the body so the ends of the scarves overlap.
• Keep chilled until serving. Serve within a day.

MELTED SNOWMAN

Steps:

• 1. Prepare Kellogg's® Eggo® Thick & Fluffy Original waffle according to package directions. Place on microwave-safe serving plate.
• 2. Spread marshmallow creme on warm waffle. Microwave, uncovered, at high for 10 to 15 seconds or until marshmallow creme begins to puff. Let stand about 1 minute or until partially set. On marshmallow creme arrange sprinkles as snowman arms and arrange candy cane pieces as buttons.
• 3. Place ice cream on top edge of waffle. Arrange candy corn and chocolate morsels as snowman nose and eyes. Serve immediately.