Three great recipes to brighten the holidays

It’s beginning to look a lot like winter in DINE country…at least in Northern New England where we’ve seen some snow.  In places like Mt Washington Valley, home to the Inn at Thorn Hill where XC skiing is underway at Jackson XC Center, and Holderness, NH where the Manor On Golden Pond is reporting snow today,  a White Christmas may just happen.  Thoughout other parts of DINE country, fires are lit and snuggling has been going on for months!

Let this be the year you ring in the New Year with a romantic getaway to one of the 11 Distinctive Inns of New England.  You’ll find plenty of festivities from lovely dinners to parties, entertainment and party hats at all of the DINE inns. Book your New Year’s Even getaway soon or forever hold your champagne toast, as this is a popular time of year.

Just in time for Christmas, we’re bringing you a few wonderful ideas from our DINE recipe vaults.  Whether you need to feed cookies to Santa or feed breakfast to a crowd, these recipes will come in handy in the next week.  From all of us at Distinctive Inns of New England, happiest of holidays to you and your loved ones.

Captains House Inn Christmas Sugar Cookies: Makes about 30 cookies (depending on size of cookie cutter)

 Ingredients:

3/4 cups butter, softened

1 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

 Method:

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to

1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Captain’s House Inn interns enjoy creating Christmas treats in the kitchen.

For Icing:

2 cup confectioners’ sugar

4 teaspoons milk

4 teaspoons light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

food coloring

1. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.

2. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

Plate them up for Santa or everyone in your home to enjoy!

Gingerbread Buttermilk Pancakes from Rabbit Hill Inn

Ingredients:

1-cup flour

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 Tbls sugar

pinch of salt

1 Tbls ground ginger

1-cup buttermilk

1 Tbls ground clove

1 egg

1 Tbls cinnamon

2 Tbls melted butter

½ Tbls baking powder

¼ cup molasses

Method:

  1. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl until incorporated.
  2. Add milk and egg to dry ingredients and continue mixing.
  3. Add melted butter and molasses to pancake batter and mix again.
  4. Preheat a griddle or fry pan to 325ºF. Lightly grease with butter.  Ladle out batter to the desired size.  Cook on one side until the batter bubbles.  Then, with a flat spatula, turn each pancake and allow to cook for 2-3 more minutes.
  5. Serve with real Vermont maple syrup!

Stollen Scones from Captain’s House Inn:

 Oven Temperature   350°

Yield: Single batch  – 10 / 12 scones, Double batch – 22 / 24 Scones

Cutter: Use #3 Plain Circular Edge Cutter

Ingredients (single batch)

2 Cups  All Purpose Flour

1 Tbsp  Baking Powder

3 Tbsp  Sugar

½ tsp Cardamom

½ Cup  Butter

½ Cup  Mixed dried fruit

2 Large Eggs (for a double batch only use 3 eggs)

1/8 Cup Heavy Cream

Ingredients – Egg Wash

1 Egg

A Little Heavy Cream

Pinch Raw Sugar

 Method:

1.     Sift the dry ingredients into the mixer and cut in the butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs and then incorporate the mixed dried fruit

2.     Add the eggs and then the cream a little at a time. Do not over moisten the dough.

3.     Roll the dough LIGHTLY to a ¾” thickness and use a #3 plain circular edge cutter to shape the scones.

4.     Place the scones on a greased cookie sheet and brush them lightly with egg wash (beat the two egg wash ingredients together).

5.     Sprinkle a little raw sugar on top.

6.     Bake for 15 minutes at 350° until they have risen and are lightly browned.