Recipes for Christmas

Well, they could be for other times of the year...

PUMPKIN CUSTARD:
I got this recipe from the same place I got the pulled pork recipe: 3 Books In One - Rival Crock Pot - The Original and #1 Brand Slow Cooker book.... Just want to give credit where credit is due.

The original recipe:

1 can (30 ounces) pumpkin pie filling (I ended up using a can and a 1/2)
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk (NOT condensed milk)
1 cup dried cranberries (or equal amounts of currants or raisins)
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup crushed or whole ginger snap cookies (optional)
Whipped Cream (also optional)

Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, cranberries (or other fruit) and eggs into the slow cooker. Mix thoroughly. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 4 1/2 hours or until done.

Serve with whole or crushed ginger snap cookies and whipped cream if desired.

PLEASE NOTE:
Apparently some canned pumpkin pie mixes come with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg mixed in... I bought the plain stuff and found that it was rather bland, but improves with a whole load of crunched up gingersnap cookies and whipped cream with cinnamon in it...

However in the second recipe I added about 1/2 tsp of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and instead of currants substituted currants. It still tastes really good with extra ginger snaps and whip cream, but you probably don't need quite as much!

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OLD-FASHIONED GINGERBREAD WITH LEMON SAUCE:

I got this recipe from Page 180 in 'The Family Slow Cooker" by Donna-Marie Pye...

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup hot strong coffee

Lemon Sauce:
1/2 cup confectioner's (icing) sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
pinch of salt
juice of two lemons (or can use lemon juice to taste)
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp butter

1) In a large bowl, with electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat for about 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses.

2) In a separate bowl sift flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

3) Stir flour mixture into butter mixture alternately with coffee, adding three additions of flour and two fo coffee, mixing well after each addition.

4) Lightly grease slow cooker stoneware and line bottom with parchment paper or waxed paper cut to fit. Preheat slow cooker on High for 10 min to warm the stoneware.

5) Pour batter into the slow cooker. To prevent moisture from dripping onto cake batter, place two clean tea towels (folded in half to make 4 layers) across top of stoneware before covering with the lid. Towels will absorb any moisture that accumulates during cooking.

6) Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hrs or HIGH for 1 3/4 to 2 hours. Turn out onto a baking rack and remove the parchment/wax paper. Let cool slightly.

7) To prepare lemon sauce, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, salt and cornstarch.

8) Add lemon juice a little at a time, stirring to form a smooth paste. Add water. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat for about 1 minute, or until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.

9) Cut cake into wedges and top with sauce...

*** I made extra amounts of Lemon Sauce because my cake had really really strong coffee in it... It tastes good if you absorb as much lemon sauce into the cake as possible. Otherwise the cake tastes a little bitter from the coffee (which some people like, but I am not wild about the taste of coffee).

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EASY BREAD PUDDING AND VANILLA SAUCE:
I couldn't believe how simple and fast this recipe was... And DELICIOUS! 8D Page 176 in 'The Family Slow Cooker" by Donna-Marie Pye...

6 thick slices of white bread, crusts removed and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes (about 6 cups total)...
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups of hot milk
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
3 2-oz chocolate caramel bars or rolls, broken in sections

The sauce they use in this recipe is easy enough: *(see note)
1 cup of vanilla ice cream, melted
2 tbsp Amaretto liqueur (or other such as Baileys)

1) Place bread cubes in a lightly greased slow cooker stoneware.
2) Place white chocolate chips in a bowl. Pour hot milk over the chocolate and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth.
3) In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Beat in milk/chocolate mixture. Pour chocolate mixture over the bread cubes.
4) Press pieces of chocolate caramel bar evenly into bread. Let stand for about 20 minutes.
5) Cover and cook on high for 3 or 4 hours...
6) Prepare vanilla sauce if using. Stir ice cream and liqueur until smooth.
7) To serve, spoon warm bread pudding into serving dishes and spoon sauce over pudding.


* NOTE
Instead of the one vanilla sauce above... I used the following recipe that I found online...
- 1/2 cup confectioner's/icing sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- dash of salt
Preparation: In a small saucepan combine the sugar and cornstarch. Boil the water separately and stir it in. Simmer, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes on medium heat. Stir in 2 tbsp butter, vanilla extract and salt; blending/stirring in well... Serve vanilla sauce warm with your favourite pudding or other dessert.