CHEESE STRAWS

YIELD: -16 STRAWS

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. salt
Pinch of Cayenne pepper
1 egg
2 tsp. water
1 Puff pastry dough sheet, 9"x12"
Flour as needed

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, combine cheeses, paprika, salt and cayenne papper. Mix well and set aside. Whisk egg and water together, reserve. Dust work surfact lightly with flour. Gently roll out puff pastry dough to slightly larger than original size. Brush dough lightly with egg mixture.

Sprinkle cheese mixture over 1/2 of the dough. Fold pastry over and press down edges. Gently roll again to seal. With knife or rolling pizza cutter, cut pastry lengthwise into 1/2 " strips.

Twist each strip into long "corkscrew" shapes and place on lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool at room temperature. Serve as an appetizer or as part of a bread assortment. Enjoy!

From Chef Larry, San Diego

PARMESAN PUFFS

1/4 C. MILK
1/4 C. WATER
1/2 STICK BUTTER
1/4 TSP. SALT
1/2 C. ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
2 LARGE EGGS
1 C. GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE

In saucepan, combine milk, water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add flour all at once. Beat mixture until it forms a ball. Transfer mixture to bowl and add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Drop onto greased baking sheet in desired size balls. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden.

Note: This is my cousin's recipe and is more for "puffs" than "straws", but essentially the same flavor.

TOMATO BISQUE SOUP

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 T. flour
1 tsp dill seed
1-1/2 tsp dry dill weed
1-1/2 tsp dry oregano
4 cups canned crushed or diced tomatoes
1 can Condensed Tomato Soup
4 cups Chicken Stock
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 tsp honey
1-1/4 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup half & half

Method:

In a large pot, saute onions in butter along with dill seed, dill weed and oregano for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add flour and stir. Add tomatoes, tomato soup and chicken stock. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chopped parsley, honey, cream and half & half. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. On low heat, bring to serving temperature. Do not boil.

Note: If you do not have both heavy cream and half & half, try using evaporated milk or 2 cups of half & half.

Note: Dill weed and dill seed are two separate parts of the same plant. Dill weed is the early fernlike growth on the stem. Dill seed, on the head of the dill, is what we use to give dill pickles their distinctive flavor. Both the weed and the seed can be purchased dried.

Note: My MIL, from whom I got this recipe, does it all in her crockpot except for the initial saute of the onions, and it always comes out spectacular.

Italian Christmas Cookies

FILLING:

3-1/2 to 4 cups chopped pecans
2 egg whites
grated rind of one orange
juice of 1 to 1-1/2 oranges
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. vanilla extract

DOUGH:

1 stick real unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
4 whole eggs
approximately 5 cups sifted all-purpose flour


One day ahead, make the filling and refrigerate overnight. Mix the chopped pecans with two egg whites, grated rind of one orange, juice of 1 to 1-1/2 oranges, 1 cup sugar (or to taste - these are not supposed to be overly sweet), two teaspoons of almond extract and two teaspoons vanilla extract. Use just enough orange juice to moisten the nuts without having excess liquid.

Dough: Cream together 1 stick unsalted butter, 1 cup sugar. Add four eggs, one at a time and mix well. Add approximately 5 cups (more or less) of sifted flour. Add just enough flour to make the dough the rolling consistency of pie crust. Divide into two sections and wrap whatever you are not using immediately tightly in plastic wrap. This dough dries out very fast and you should only keep out the amount necessary to work with. Roll out a large rectangle on a floured board. Cut into small squares or diamond shapes with a crimped edge pastry wheel. Place all the squares on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place a small mound of the pecan mixture on the center of each cookie. It should be barely moist but not runny. If you need to moisten it a little bit you can add a small amount of OJ to maintain consistency.

Roll out an additional smaller square of dough, and using your crimped pastry wheel, cut into little strips, approximately 3-4" long, but very narrow. Wind one of the narrow strips of dough around each mound of pecan filling, starting at the base and working up toward the top in a spiral. This will hold the filling in place and also be decorative. Have oven preheated to 325 degrees and bake each sheet of cookies approximately 8-12 minutes, or until the dough begins to dry out and the edges turn just a slight pink color. Do not let the cookies get brown as they will too dry. Watch carefully. Remove cookies from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

After completely cooled, keep in an airtight container like a cookie tin. I put sheets of waxed paper between each layer of cookies.

NOTE: This recipe makes a lot of cookies. They are time consuming, but well worth the effort. If you can get a friend to make them with you, along with a little holiday music and spirits, they go a lot faster. They are excellent served with coffee or tea. They keep very well in the freezer.

These cookies were always made every Christmas by my Grandma Jennie who emigrated from Italy on October 12, 1903.