I rarely buy jam nowadays. I am so impressed with what a little low heat, sugar and fruit can turn into in a matter of an hour or two. I made this jam with a pile of pears from my local farm. The vanilla extract was homemade. The ginger, pineapple and lemons came to my kitchen from far away but were sourced organically by the same local farm who got me those pears.

During this past Thanksgiving, each guest slathered some of this jam on their bread on the day after, along with a big pat of butter. Then each guest went home with a golden-hued jam jar. I’m giving them away this holiday season too, and found a lovely version of Pear Jam from Silverbrook Farm to include in my holiday giftbox.

Pear Pineapple Ginger Jam

Ingredients

12 pears, cleaned, cored, peeled and sliced into 1″ pieces
1 stub of ginger, peeled
1 whole pineapple, cleaned, cored and cut into 1” cubes
1 cup of lemon juice, 4 big lemons juiced
4 1/2 cups of organic sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
3 tablespoons crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1 tablespoon orange flower water

Toss all the ingredients into a pot on the stove. Simmer over medium-low heat until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low; simmer until mixture drops thickly from spoon, stirring often, about 1 hour. Remove the ginger carefully. While still hot, pour the jam into small 4-ounce jars and water-bath them according to your own canning process. I water-bathed these jars for about 20 minutes, and then carefully removed the jars to rest on a towel until cool. Label the jars and give away liberally!

I realize homemade Baileys may be too rich or silly for some of you, but my friends live for a small nip at the holiday season. As guests left my home last year, I sent them packing with hugs and little glass bottles filled with well-chilled homemade Baileys, tied with brown ribbon. (This year, they’re getting my holiday gift box!) When they finally do get out of the cold and into their warm homes, an ice cold glass of this good stuff always warms them up quickly. (I was thinking of holding out on sharing this photo/recipe ’til closer to Christmas, but I’ve gotten too many emails requesting the recipe and it’s going to be cold this weekend; you should make it soon!)

Homemade Baileys

Ingredients

• 4 fresh eggs
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. chocolate syrup
• 2 tsp. instant coffee granules
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup good whiskey
• 1 cup whipping cream

Blend all ingredients in a blender or in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (as I did, my blender is on the fritz). Store in the back of your refrigerator, where it’s the coldest. Shake before serving, and serve over a cube of ice. This recipe makes a quart that keeps for 4-6 weeks.

Ingredient notes: I always use farm fresh eggs when I’m making something that isn’t cooked in some way. I used homemade vanilla extract and a delicious organic chocolate syrup from Trader Joe’s. I keep instant coffee in my freezer when I need an instant kick to chocolate goodies, or this recipe; my chosen brand is organic and decaf. Choosing whiskey is a very personal decision, but I use the good stuff. This batch of Baileys had Basil Haden’s Bourbon Whiskey in it, but I heartily recommend using a good Irish Whiskey like Bushmills. Mmm.

Each month, Boldfacers, an online magazine that profiles up and coming Bostonians, launches a pop-up store to showcase local talent according to a chosen theme. This Sunday December 12th, “Chocolate: The Odyssey Pop-up” will be open for tasting and shopping, featuring some very luxe chocolate delights by some very luxe chefs and candy makers. Sunday’s amazing line-up includes: Joanne Chang of Flour, Barbara Lynch of No. 9 and Sportello fame, Harbor Sweets and the MIT Chocolate Lab. Make sure to look at for the boYO hot chocolate bar. 

Here are the details: Sat. Dec. 12th from 12 – 6pm, at 15 Channel Center St., South Boston.

One of my favorite treats to shower upon friends and family (besides my holiday giftbox, of course) is a teeny bottle of my homemade cordials. I’m no cordial expert and, in fact, I’m not quite sure that I’m using the term correctly for these concoctions I scheme up. But I do feel quite cordial after a few sips, so I went with it…

The three bottles above are true delights. On the left, the golden syrup is a kumquat-infused vodka that’s bright and tart and refreshing. The pink liquid in the C. Donatiello bottle is my rhubarb-infused vodka, an experiment from last Spring that is now, finally, perfect, subtle and lovely. The honey-colored bottle at the top of the photo is my organic limoncello. (Sure, everyone makes limoncello nowadays, but mine is ORGANIC and thick and yummy.)

But you’ve seen my limoncello recipe. Let’s get to the other cordial recipes.

I’d love to say my cordial recipe is complex. In reality, it’s as easy as pie. It just takes patience, my friend. I started very simply. I had picked up some fresh kumquats and rhubarb from my local farm last spring. Yes, last spring folks. I made these cordials seasons ago but you could serve them within a month of stewing and marinating it its juices. I just waited longer. That’s patience, eh?

Take two very clean, wide-mouth, 1 liter bottles and fill them with freshly washed, sliced organic fruit. I chose kumquats in one bottle (sliced in half) and rhubarb in the other (sliced each stalk in half length-wise, and then into 2-inch chunks). Fill each bottle with about 1/2 cup organic sugar. Then, pour enough organic vodka to cover the fruit, leaving about 1 inch of room at the top of the bottle. Screw the lids on and shake the bottles vigorously, then store the bottles in a cool dark place, like the back of your pantry, so you don’t get tempted by it’s gorgeousness every day.

Don’t put it so far back though. You’ll want to shake that bottle every few days until you reach your desired fruitiness, or at least 1 month. The length of time is really up to you. The longer you let the fruit sit in the vodka, the smoother and more pronounced your fruity flavor. I pour the luscious fruity cordial of my labor into small glass bottles, wrapped with a bow. Friends are forever grateful.

As an aside, you can scheme up your own concoctions from anything. I just put some organic pineapple to sit in a bottle of tequila. I can’t wait until January to try that one… Happy cordial making!

A fabulously crafty friend shared this recipe with me last year and, after a few adjustments, it’s now my go-to toffee recipe. It’s ridiculously easy and ridiculously loaded with butter, both in a good way. I submitted the original recipe to this Bon Appetit contest last week. I’d be so pleased if you wanted to vote for it over there!

Graham Cracker Toffee

Ingredients:

• 12 graham crackers broken into halves sections (or 24 squares)
• 1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or pistachios)
• 3/4 cup bitter sweet chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons milk

Line a jelly roll or cookie sheet (with low sides) with aluminum foil. Place the crackers in the pan, with their sides touching. Over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and simmer (not boil) about 10 minutes until it melts, occasionally stirring. Pour the butter-sugar mixture over the crackers and spread evenly. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Cool & separate onto aluminum foil. Over low heat melt the chocolate chips and stir in milk. Top crackers with ribbons of melted chocolate by dribbling off a spoon. Add more milk if the chocolate is too thick to form a ribbon. Let cool for 2-4 hours, and then package and give away to friends!

Filled old mason jars with tea lights… so folks made it through the fog to the house.

Smoked two Vermont heritage birds in our old rickety smoker, fragrant smoke wafting across the entire block.

Basted the smoked bird in olive oil and… more olive oil.

Baked 4 no-knead loaves crusted in corn meal especially for Thanksgiving.

Chopped hazelnuts were sprinkled all over my caramelized brussels sprout & sweet-potato ravioli salad.

Sparsely-set long tables for our dear friends and family, topped with a homegrown-centerpiece made from recycled wine corks, wire, old gnarled wood & dried hydrangea from the garden.

Sparsely-set table setting, up close.

Warmed tomato pie from a Philadelphia-based cousin made for a quick appetizer as folks arrived.

Ruby, our sweet dog, took a break beside our huge photo of the Rockefeller Christmas tree, an ode to things to come.

My girlfriend Lise snapped this photo of the hubby, the dog and me last weekend. Every time I peek at it, I remember that walk along Singing Beach in Manchester, MA. Remnants of a hurricane had created rocky seas and the mist in the air was otherworldly and peaceful. Really. The hubby grabbed my hand to pull me from the tide, and Lise snapped the photo.

I’ve looked at this photo each day when I want a bit of peace, a moment away from the madness. The photo reminds me of that brief beach walk and I rally my energy to plow through the day, rally my energy to brave the upcoming holiday madness. I live for the holidays; it truly is the best time of year for me. But the chaos of dinners and gifts and baking and parties and family can be a bit much. This photo will remind me of the peace in the madness.

Speaking of madness, I always share my holiday menu and this year is no different. Well, there is something slightly different. This year, I declared Thanksgiving at Chez Maggie a potluck. In other words, I’m letting go to encourage the family to bring their favorite dishes. We’re smoking the turkeys and making a few other dishes, while the rest of the family brings some nostalgic, traditional and a few up-in-the-air dishes. Our menu ain’t perfect nor perfectly in tune from dish to dish. But it’s our menu and I love it. I can’t wait.

Thanksgiving 2009 Menu

Appetizers

• Pepperoni bread – like a calzone, but rolled, made with love every year, by my aunt
• Stuffed vinegar peppers & mushrooms – my Mom’s specialty
• Chili-smoked nuts – based on a Union Square Cafe recipe
• Jim Lahey’s bread – 4 loaves, made by me this weekend
• Thanksgiving cocktail: BB&B (Bourbon, Belle de Brillet & Bubbly) – my own creation, I think, and it’s perfect!

Dinner

• Two smoked turkeys – I do the brine, the hubby smokes them for 6-8 hours
• Pineapple, clove-studded ham – a love letter to the men around the table, from my aunt
• Corn pudding – another aunt specialty!
• Butternut squash casserole – by my cousin Jessica (and sometimes writer for this site)
• Brussels sprout – pasta salad – think caramelized sprouts & sweet potato ravioli & hazelnuts, oh my!
• Cranberry orange cornbread stuffing – my sis is making the cornbread from scratch first
• Cranberry orange ginger relish – made by me this weekend
• A surprise veggie dish – by my Queens-based cousin Melissa (and this is ME letting go…)
• Homemade turkey gravy – made from scratch by cousin Jessica

Dessert

• Maine Blueberry Pie – from frozen summer berries, made by me
• Chocolate Cake with Fruit Compote – by Melissa
• Pumpkin Chiffon Pie – a specialty of Jessica’s
• Molasses cookies – I make piles of dough, my Mom bakes up the tiny balls coated in sugar

Oktoberfest in America is typically only good for one thing, and it ain’t sausages. I was very much looking forward to a few hours nesting in a beer garden yesterday. Harvard Square held its annual Oktoberfest extravaganza, shutting down several blocks for beer gardens, food stands and local music.

Alas, the beer gardens were loaded with far too many folks who were already a case ahead of us, so that was no fun. We ended up hitting a local bar/restaurant but not before I discovered what Cambridge’s Oktoberfest was really all about – late Summer corn and early Fall apples.

This apple crisp was topped with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream, and let me tell you, the line was around the corner. Every Oktoberfest should sells warm bowls of apples, sugar, oats and cream. With the weather being perfectly chilly and crisp, a local restaurant broke out their grill to toast up some chicken skewers and fresh corn, still in the husk. The corn was a big hit with the local vegetarians, of which there are about a trillion in Cambridge.

So we missed the beer in the Square but had a few pints of pumpkin ale at Highland Kitchen while catching the very sad Red Sox game. The Sox and I were both out of luck yesterday. I finally found beer. I hope my home team finally did as well.

I am on a Nigella “How to be a Domestic Goddess” kick these days, and quickly mashed together this recipe for a friend’s little boy. All I can say is that these little treats are adorable and little Henri loved them.

I put a big slice of Nigella’s Gooey Chocolate Stack in front of him and these little bird nest-shaped blobs made from chocolate and crushed shredded wheat. He politely offers that the cake is indeed delicious but he’d prefer to finish all the little Easter Nests instead. I figured the shredded cereal thing would be of no interest, but he loved them and devoured all the little almond dragees as well, a treat I had figured only adults could swallow.

Nigella’s recipe is super easy. Definitely give this a shot for the big holiday. However, the instructions don’t allow for tempering of the chocolate, so definitely do that if you’d like them to look pretty for more than a few days.

Nigella Easter Nests

Ingredients

• 7 ounces milk chocolate
• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 ounces shredded wheat, crumbled
• about 25 sugar-coated chocolate eggs (I used almond dragees in place of chocolate eggs)
• 1 baking sheet lined with foil

Break up the chocolate into small pieces and melt with the butter. You can use a microwave for this, at about 2 minute, or melt it in a double boiler over water (as I did). Let it cool for a moment before adding the shredded wheat. Mix it together with your hands (yum!) and put a small handful into your lined baking tray, formed into a round nest shape, about 3 inches in diameter. Let it cool (not in the fridge) until set, fill the center with eggs and serve!