Chef John's Prime Rib Gravy

I loved this so much I wanted to make sure I always had the recipe available. The original recipe can be found here.

Ingredients for the Beef stock:
1 teaspoon butter for greasing pan
½ onion, unpeeled, sliced
½ cup roughly chopped carrots
½ cup roughly chopped celery
2 beef rib bones
4 cups beef bone broth or high quality, low-sodium beef broth
2 cups water

Ingredients for the Gravy:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sliced brown mushroom (Optional)
2 tablespoons reserved beef fat
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
3 ½ cups reserved beef stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cayenne to taste
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Make magic:

1.    Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil.

2.    Spread out onions, carrots, and celery on the prepared baking sheet. Set rib bones on top.

3.    Roast until bones are deep brown and onions are black, about 1 hour. Use a spatula or tongues to transfer bones and vegetables into a saucepan. Drain off and reserve any rendered fat from the baking sheet for the gravy.

4.    Add broth and water to the saucepan, and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until meat falls off bone and is flavorless, about 4 hours. Skim any fat from the surface and reserve. Strain broth and let cool to room temp.

5.    Melt butter in a pot on medium-high and sauté mushrooms until well browned. Add 2 tablespoons rendered beef fat and stir until melted. Add flour and cook for a few minutes. Whisk in broth, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until gravy has thickened to desired thickness, 5 to 10 minutes more

6.    Adjust salt to taste and season with freshly ground black pepper, cayenne, and balsamic vinegar. Taste again, adjust, and serve.

Yorkshire Pudding

I remember the first time I had this-it was my first Christmas with David and his family. This went perfectly with the Christmas prime rib. I'm drooling just thinking about it!

Sift 1 cup of bread flour with 1/3 tsp salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and gradually add 1 cup of cold milk for form a smooth, heavy batter. Then add 2 eggs, slightly beaten. Beat steadily for two minutes with a rotary beater.

Pour batter into 1/4 - 1/2 inch sizzling hot fat and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Decrease heat to 350 and bake 5-8 minutes longer until done.

Grandma Love's Butter Cookies

1 lb butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
4-5 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Add dry ingredients. Put through a cookie press. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

5 Minute Fudge

This was a Christmas staple in my house growing up. Mom would make a few batches and give it away on goodie plates to friends and neighbors. This fudge is really easy to make, and really tasty.

2 tbsp butter

2/3 cup Carnation Evaporated Milk (not condensed milk)

1 2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups (4 oz) mini marshmallows (they melt better than the big ones)

1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Butter an 8 inch square pan.

Combine butter, sugar, milk and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Cook 4-5 minutes stirring constantly (start timing when mixture starts to bubble around the edge of the pan). 

Remove from heat. Add marshmallows, chocolate, vanilla and nuts. Stir until marshmallows melt. Pour into the butter pan and cool. Once it is firm and cool, cut and enjoy!

Christmas Plum Pudding

For the Pudding:
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 cup light brown sugar
2 cups (3-4 slices) soft bread crumbs (diced)
1 cup milk
1 cup finely ground white suet
1/4 - 1/2 cup bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon mace
2 cups golden raisins
1 cup chopped dates
3/4 cup chopped candied fruit (red/green cherries and pineapple only, NO cardamon!)
1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Blend eggs and brown sugar; add bread crumbs, milk, suet, bourbon, and vanilla.  Sift dry ingredients and spices together and then sift over fruit and nuts.  Mix well.  Fold into bread crumb mixture.  Pour into well greased bowls (as many as the size of pudding you wish to make).  Fill containers 2/3 full, leaving room for expansion.  Steam for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.  (Pudding should have raised and look nice and brown)  Serve with hard sauce.  Keep refrigerated or frozen.

For the Hard Sauce:
Steam pudding at least 1 hour.

Cook in a double boiler about 20 minutes:
3 egg yolks (beaten)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream

When ready to serve, fold in
3 egg whites beaten stiff
1/2 cup of brandy or bourbon

Serve generously over pudding

Frozen Fruit Salad

2 large packages of cream cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 no. 2 can pineapple chunks (well drained)
2 cans mandarin oranges (well drained)
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 cups seedless grapes (well drained) (if you can't find these pears are a good substitute)
1 cup double cream
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Cream together the cream cheese and mayonnaise.  Add fruit and nuts to cream cheese mixture.

Whip the double cream until almost stiff.  Add 4 tblsp sugar and finish whipping (stiff peaks).  Fold into the cream cheese and fruit mix.  Pour into a wet mold or pan lined with foil.  Freeze.  To serve, remove from the freezer about 30 minutes before the meal so it is not too hard to cut and plate.