Home for the Holidays

No matter what the occasion—New Year’s Day, Easter, Passover, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas—favorite dishes bring to mind memories of celebrations past and the special relatives who prepared holiday fare. Whether the recipes are written on a scrap of paper in Grandma’s shaky hand, inked on a well-worn recipe card or typed on a computer, they all help define a family, a community, a region—and in a broader sense, a nation.

American Profile is pleased to announce the publication of Hometown Recipes for the Holidays. Published by William Morrow, the book brings together prized choices for the holiday table—from appetizers to desserts and breakfast to dinner. The 250 recipes included in the book were drawn from nearly 1,500 entries in our holiday recipe contest and represent the best of America’s hometown holiday celebrations.

Here, we present some of the winning recipes, perfect for your holiday table.

Hometown Holiday Recipe Contest Winners:

Grand Prize Winner: Cranberry Cake with Hot Butter Sauce—Phyllis Willink, Baldwin, Wis.

Breakfast Winner: Apricot-Blueberry Stuffed French Toast—Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho

Appetizer Winner: Smoky Salmon Spread—Gwen Swanson, Pukwana, S.D.

Salad Winner: Summertime Bean and Corn Salad—Doris Ann Rose, Eddy, Texas (featured in the July 29, 2007, issue of American Profile)

Bread Winner: Garlic Parmesan Rolls—Loyd Patton, Spokane, Wash. (coming in next week’s issue of American Profile)

Sides Winner: Autumn Rum-Glazed Carrots—Mary J. Lewis, Eatonton, Ga. (featured in last week’s issue of American Profile)

Main Dish Winner: Pan-Seared Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onions—Michaela Rosenthal, Woodland Hills, Calif.

Dessert Winner: Oooey-Gooey Caramel Turtle Cake—Laura Frerich, Napoleon, Ohio (coming in a future issue of American Profile)


Cranberry Cake with Hot Butter Sauce

by Phyllis Willink

Ingredients
Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
2 cups fresh cranberries

Sauce:
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup cream or half-and-half
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13-by-9-inch glass baking pan.
2. To make the cake, sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs. Add milk alternately with the dry ingredients, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix well. Stir in cranberries. Bake 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted comes out clean.
3. To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in saucepan over medium low and cook 10 minutes or until sugar is melted, stirring frequently. To serve cake, cut in invidivual servings and pour Pour hot sauce on top just before serving. Serves 12.



Tips from the Test Kitchen
Tips From Our Test Kitchen: This cake may be served at room temperature with the hot sauce, if desired. The recipe can be used any time of the year by substituting blueberries, blackberries or raspberries in place of the cranberries.

Smokey Salmon Spread

submitted by reader Gwen Swanson of Pukwana, SD

Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
½ teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) can salmon, drained, bones removed and flaked
½ cup chopped toasted pecans
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
Assorted crackers

Instructions
1. Place cream cheese in a medium bowl. Beat until fluffy using a mixer at medium speed.
2. Add onion, horseradish, lemon juice, liquid smoke and salt; beat until well blended. Stir in salmon.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour to firm slightly. Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle pecans and parsley on top. Serve with crackers. Serves 8 to 10

Apricot- and Blueberry-Stuffed French Toast

submitted by reader Trisha Kruse of Eagle, ID

Ingredients
1 cup sliced fresh or canned apricots
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed and drained on paper towels
2 tablespoons sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
½ cup apricot preserves
3 eggs
2/3 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter, divided
12 slices thick white bread
¾ cup vanilla yogurt, optional

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. Combine apricots, blueberries and sugar in a small bowl. Combine cream cheese and preserves in a medium microwave-safe bowl and heat on High for 30 to 40 seconds to soften cream cheese and slightly melt preserves. Whisk until well blended.
3. Whisk eggs until well blended. Add cream, honey and vanilla; mix well. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over half the bread slices and top with remaining slices. Dip each into egg mixture, turning to coat well.
4. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook half the sandwiches until golden, about 2 minutes per each side. Place on an ovenproof platter and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Top each serving with fruit and yogurt, if using. Serves 6


Pan-Seared Pork Loin with Apples and Onions

submitted by reader Michaela Rosenthal of Woodland Hills, CA

Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 (2-pound) whole pork tenderloins
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon lemon-flavored or extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup apple juice or apple cider
2 teaspoons orange marmalade (or 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon grated orange rind)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled and chopped (about 1 pound total)
3 cups chopped red onion



Instructions
1. Preheat oven 425F. Place flour in a shallow pan, and coat pork evenly with the flour. Shake of excess flour and sprinkle seasoned salt evenly over all.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot. Add the pork and cook until richly browned on all sides. Place in a 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan and bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325F and cook 22 to 25 minutes or until temperature reaches 165 degrees F when tested with an instant-read thermometer.

3. Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sugar, lemon rind and juice, apple juice, marmalade and nutmeg. Stir until well blended. Add apples and onions. Reduce heat to medium and cook 20 to 25 minutes or until apples are tender and onions are turning brown, stirring frequently.

4. When meat is cooked, place on cutting board and let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 1/2 inch slices. Tent with a sheet of foil to keep warm, if desired. Serves 12.

Candace Floyd is a food editor for American Profile

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