Kitchen Kat

As soon as Thanksgiving breezes by, I start obsessing about Christmas and all the celebrations — and preparations — that the holiday season brings. Each year I vow to make my life easier by hosting smaller parties and concocting simpler menus. Yet, each year I invariably end up sweating over a steaming stockpot of coq au vin for 16 or frantically whisking together 20 individual mocha pot de cremes on Christmas Eve. So much for easy.

In 2009 I swear to halve my stress level by following four basic rules: Keep the appetizers easy. Offer only one entree. Don’t turn down offers from guests of appetizers or side dishes. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, don’t go wild with new, complicated, or made-to-order desserts.

Gone are the days when I offer hot-out-of-the-oven mini red pepper quiches and steamy Gruyere mushroom puffs as two of a dozen homemade hors d’ouevres. This year friends and family will nosh on such quick, uncomplicated appetizers as “apricot medallions,” smoked salmon pate, spiced nuts and olives. And, if time slips away from me, I will have no qualms about plunking wedges of Manchego and cana de cabra cheeses onto a wooden cutting board, spooning honey and store-bought tamarind or mango chutney into small bowls and serving both alongside slices of apple and baguette. If anyone grumbles, I’ll claim that we’re celebrating Christmas the Spanish way with tapas.

I likewise intend to give up those complicated, highly decorated desserts. This includes the adorable but panic attack-inducing “Santa Bear,” painstakingly hand-rolled raspberry truffles and made-to-order chocolate souffles. Instead I will whip up such painless offerings as chocolate cupcakes and white chocolate-almond cake. Topped with juicy pomegranate seeds and a dusting of powdered sugar, the latter is a particularly festive yet undemanding sweet.

APRICOT MEDALLIONS
Makes 40

4 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons skim milk
40 large, dried Turkish apricots
handful of walnuts, cut into 40 small chunks
1/8 to 1/4 cup honey, for drizzling

In a small bowl mix together the goat cheese and milk until the cheese is smooth and spreadable. Using a knife, spread equal amounts of goat cheese on top of each apricot slice. Top each apricot with a walnut piece and place on the platter or plate. Drizzle honey over each and then serve.

WHITE CHOCOLATE-ALMOND CAKE FOR EIGHT
Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s “Forever Summer” (Hyperion, 2003)

10 ounces white chocolate
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 large eggs, separated
1½ cups ground, blanched almonds
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon almond extract
powdered sugar, for dusting the cake
2/3 cup pomegranate seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line a 9-inch springform pan.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler. Stir together until well-blended and then set the chocolate aside to cool.

Using an electric stand or hand mixer, beat the butter until very soft. Add the sugar and cream the two together. Still beating, add the egg yolks, one at a time, waiting until each one is incorporated before adding the next.

Slowly scrape in the cooled chocolate, beating firmly. Once the chocolate is incorporated, add the ground almonds and extract, beating again to mix.

In a separate bowl with an electric mixer, beat the egg whites till peaks begin to form. Once this occurs, slowly add the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites are glossy and firm.

Add a dollop of egg whites to the cake batter and stir well. Fold the rest of the egg whites into the mixture in 3 or 4 parts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes until cooked through, checking at around 30 minutes to make sure that the cake is not burning on top. You may need to cover loosely with a piece of foil after 30 minutes. Note that a cake tester is not a good indicator of “doneness” as this is a moist cake. When the cake begins to separate from the sides of the pan, it should be finished baking.

Remove from the oven and place the cake in its pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes before inverting and removing from the pan. Allow to cool completely. Before serving, sprinkle the top with a generous amount of powdered sugar and then tumble the pomegranate seeds, followed by more sugar, over the surface.

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