2008年圣诞节（2）节日甜点 Holiday Sweets

Christmas comes around once a year. During the Christmas season, the holiday sweets are the important part of the Christmas spirit. As time goes on, a lots of families like to buy ready to make stuff instead of homemade. It might save time and fit some ones schedule. But the taste and the joy of the holiday spirit would be never the same. Not to mention the chemical and artificial ingredients in each of the box, I am sure it is not good for our health. Over the years, I have learned to make quiet few cookies, cakes, pies, etc.. I guess I am not shy to try new things. Now it is the season for baking.  Here are some cookies and other deserts I made during this Christmas season. 
一年一度的圣诞节即将来临。圣诞节期间，西方家庭总是忙忙碌碌地做饼干和传统的圣诞甜点。随着岁月流失，好多家庭放弃了传统的制作方法，去市场买半成品回家烤制，但是味道是天壤之别。更不用说那些半成品所含的化学添加剂，色素等等，从健康的角度来论可想而知。。。来美多年，我学会了做不少种饼干，蛋糕，派等甜点。我非常喜欢尝试新东西。烘烤的季节到了，来看看我今年做了什么东东。

1) Pazelle: 意大利饼干
These are traditional Italian cookies. I have a Pazelle maker as a Christmas gift few years ago. I certainly love it. All I need to do is making the dough. The Pazelle maker will do the job for me. Won't be long, I have 60+ cookies. These buttery, thin, crispy, snowflake shape cookies gave the holiday a sweet joy. We can't celebrate the Christmas without the Pazelle in our family.
下图是一些传统的意大利饼干。几年前圣诞老人送给我一个做 Pazelle 的小电器。我好喜欢哦。我只需要做好面团，小电器帮你做形，很快就做60多个饼干。吃不完，冷冻。这种传统的意大利饼干吃起来含有香香的奶油味，薄薄的，脆脆的，象一片片大大的雪花，很有节日的气氛。我家的圣诞节一定要有Pazelle。




2) Ginger breadman cookies: Ginger breadman 饼干
This is the first year I made Ginger breadman cookies. I don't know. I like ginger in Chinese cooking. Ginger in the cookies? It just never rings the bell. One time, I saw some pretty Ginger breadman cookies hanging on a Christmas tree in Downtown. I started to think that it would be a good project to decorate our Christmas tree this year. So, I tried it. Surprisingly, these Ginger breadman cookies are not just pretty for decorating trees. They are definitely delicious.
今年是我有生以来第一次做 Ginger breadman 饼干。我喜欢做中国菜时放些姜。但是饼干中加姜。。。不知道为什么，以前就是没有那个激情。直到有一天我在 Downtown 看到漂亮的 Ginger breadman 饼干挂在漂亮的圣诞树上，我情不自禁地想这要是挂在我们的圣诞树上也会很漂亮。所以，我在家做了好多，真让我惊喜，这些Ginger breadman 饼干不仅是装饰圣诞树的好主意，还非常好吃。


Look, these Ginger breadmen are standing in line to say Merry Christmas to you...
看看，这些Ginger breadman 排着队来向你祝贺圣诞节快乐。。。。。。


3) Shortbread cookies: 曲奇饼干
These are sandwich shortbread cookies with blackberry jelly.
下图底下是黑莓果酱夹心的曲奇饼干


These are Shortbread cookies frosted with royal icing: I made royal icing by myself with powder sugar and water. No any artificial ingredients. You know what you are eating.....
下图左面是表面涂了皇家 icing 的曲奇饼干。皇家 icing 是我用糖粉和水调制成的。没有任何食物添加剂。你知道你吃了些什么。。。。。。




4) Russian tea cookies: 沙俄茶点饼干
I learned how to make them this year. One day, I asked my husband that what kind of cookies he wanted for the Christmas season. He said that he hadn't had the Greek cookies for years. In his childhood, a Greek neighbor used to bring the Greek cookies during the holiday. He loved it very much. I looked thru my collection books and couldn't find the Greek cookies that he familiar with. Then he pointed out the Russian tea cookies in the book and said that they were looked like this except the shape. I made quiet few. He said they are just like the Greek cookies except shape! I told him that I would make the right shape next year!
这是我今年新学的。有一天，我问我家先生圣诞节期间想吃哪几种饼干。他说好多年没吃到希腊饼干了。在他小时候，有个希腊邻居，节日期间总送些希腊饼干。他非常喜欢，还是记忆犹新。我翻阅了我手中所有的甜点，烹饪书籍，就是没有那种他说的希腊饼干。然后他指着沙俄茶点饼干说这种挺象，就是形状不同。我按照书上的配方做了好多，他兴奋地说这个吃起来就是希腊饼干，只是形状不同而已。我说明年我给你做你说的那种形状！


5) Chocolate Fudge:巧克力糖果
Chocolate fudge is one of my favorate candies. These homemade chocolate fudge are made of dark chocolate and organic walnuts that my friend gave to me. They are so creamy with full body coco flavor.
巧克力糖果是我最喜欢的糖果之一。这种自己家做的巧克力糖果是用黑巧克力和朋友送的绿色核桃做的。有淡淡的奶香，浓浓的巧克力香味，真是好享受。



配方如下：
1罐 condensed milk
2 杯黑巧克力豆
1点点盐
1小勺香草精
1杯核桃(toasted in the oven)
取一厚底锅，巧克力豆和奶加热直到巧克力全部溶解。移开热源，加入盐，香草精混合均匀，加入核桃。到入扑好锡纸的9x9烤盘中，冰箱中冷却。
Cut them in small square and wrapped them with some candy wrappers. They are great as homemade gifts.
做好放凉后，切成小方块，用糖果纸一个一个包好，好储藏，慢慢享用，也是送朋友的好礼物。温馨又漂亮。





6) Divinity: 狄纹妮绨糖果
This is a one of kind holiday candies that I have heard for a long time. I have never dare to make them for some reason. First, I have never had them before (good reason that I never try it before). Second, it requires very low humidity during the process and doesn't keep well. But I tried this year. I have to say that these homemade candies are so delicious. And it is not hard to make.
很久以前我就听说过这种非常特别的节日糖果，很神秘，不知为什么，我从来没敢试过。第一，我从来没吃过，也没见过到底是什么样子的。第二，我听说这种糖果制做过程中要求空气潮湿度很低，并且不好保存。我今年试做了一些，我要告诉大家这种狄纹妮绨糖果真是非常好吃，掌握火候制做并不难。


They are made of sugar, walnuts, egg white, water and corn syrup. No any artificial ingredients. You know what you are eating...
这些狄纹妮绨糖果是用糖，核桃，蛋白，一点水和糖浆做成的。没有任何人工添加剂。你知道你吃了些什么。。。。。。。


7) Panetone: 意大利甜面包

This is Italian holiday bread. You can buy them every where in America. Since it is not hard to make at all, why not make it yourself. I make them every year during the Christmas season. This year, I made a little twist. I used a bundt cake pan and made it bundt cake shape. It is buttery and very festival look.
这是意大利的节日面包。美国很多超级市场都有的卖。制做方法不难，为什么不自己做呢？我每年圣诞节期间都要做这个。今年我在形状上做了一点变动，用了一个特殊的蛋糕烤盘，做成特殊的形状。这种意大利甜面包吃起来奶油味很浓，非常有节日的气氛。

配方如下：
For sponge:
1／3 杯温水
2 .5小勺 yeast
1／2杯面粉
面团配方：
1／2杯温牛奶
2.5小勺 yeast
2／3杯糖
4只大鸡蛋
2只蛋黄
1小勺香草精
3／4杯奶油
4杯面粉
2杯圣诞果脯
Steps as follow:
1）Make sponge first
Dissolved yeast in warm water and add flour. Let it stand for 30 minutes until bubbled in bulk.
2）Make the dough:
   a) Dissolved the yeast in warm milk
   b) Use another bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla.
   c) Whisk milk mixture a) into egg mixture b)
   d) In a standmixer, mix butter and flour together and add egg mixture slowly.
   e) Add sponge mixture into d). let it rise in warm place until double the size.
3) Divided dough into few small portions if you want to make mini size. I put it into 2 bundt cake pans this year.
4) let it rise again
5) Bake them in a preheated oven 375F until golden brown.



Have a slice after dinner, it makes the meal completed. They are good as desert or have it for breakfast.
饭后吃一片，晚餐就圆满结束了。这是一种很好的甜点，做早餐也很好。做成小的迷你意大利甜面包送朋友很漂亮，又温馨。


Oops, cookie plate is on the table...
噢，饼干已经摆盘上桌了。。。。。。


Christmas dinner is about ready to serve. Please see next for Christmas dinner in our home.
圣诞晚餐就要准备好了，请看下集，圣诞晚餐在我家。
谢谢观看！