Twelve Delicious Holiday Dishes That Demand Additional Preparation and Dedication
Preparing and serving meals for our loved ones during the festive season is a delightful endeavor many of us fully immerse ourselves in. From mapping out exquisite menus, crafting elaborate desserts, and churning out tray after tray of cookies, it's a bustling time, especially for the kitchen whizzes in the family. Yet, even with the hustle-bustle, we still manage to tackle some of the most challenging and time-consuming recipes in our cookbooks and recipe tins.
Which of these 12 labor-intensive recipes has earned a spot on your holiday menu?
Peach Melba Cake
There's no need to convince you twice about the charm of Peach Melba Cake. Originating in Australia, this splendid cake features peaches, raspberry sauce, and a buttery almond sponge. While it may not have deep roots in the Jish diaspora, it has more than made its way into baking circles worldwide.
Peach Melba Cake can be filled with not just peaches, but also jams, nuts, and spice combinations. With the time required for the yeast to rise, the layering and rising of the sponge, baking, and cooling, a Peach Melba Cake isn't the easiest delicacy to prepare. But thankfully, most recipes yield two cakes, so one can be kept in the freezer for future celebration.
Shepherd's Pie
Invented in England, Shepherd's Pie is a crowd-pleaser, never losing its popularity in the world of fashionable cuisine. It's made by lining a baking dish with mashed potatoes and then adding a layer of ground meat mixed with vegetables and gravy. Topping it off with more potatoes and baking to a golden brown, it's a delectable, albeit time-consuming dinner to prepare.
Pecan Pie
This dish has an enchanting backstory—one that's as memorable as its taste. According to legend, a housekeeper named Sarah Josepha Hale invented pecan pie in 1826 to help promote Southern food. Today, it's a beloved holiday favorite.
The recipe for pecan pie is straightforward by comparison, but the process is labor-intensive. With the need for a blind-baked pie crust, the preparation and cooking of the filling, and cooling before serving, pecan pie is a true testiment to patience and dedication.
Stuffing
This versatile side dish is a holiday staple. With so many variations—from vegetarian to sausage-filled—there's a stuffing to satisfy every palate. The preparation may vary, but the core concept remains the same: bake bread, grind or crumble it, mix in aromatics, vegetables, and seasonings, and cook until golden brown.
Yule Log
For centuries, the Yule Log has been a symbol of renewal, warmth, and plenty during winter celebrations. The traditional cake was presented as a whole, representing the log that would keep the hearth burning through the coldest nights of the year.
Making a Yule Log can be a time-consuming undertaking, with the added challenge of shape and presentation. The decorative cake, usually half dipped in a chocolate ganache, requires careful layering, rolling, and cutting, making it a delectable holiday centerpiece.
Pumpkin Pie
A Thanksgiving classic, Pumpkin Pie is a must-have at our tables. With its sweet and spicy filling made of pureed pumpkin, heavy cream, sugar, and spices, the preparation of this beloved dish is not only delightful but also a labor of love.
Pandoro
Originating from Italy, Pandoro is a traditional holiday cake that's shaped like a star and is drizzled with sugar syrup and powdered sugar. With its delicate, buttery flavor and airy texture, it's a divine addition to any holiday table.
Chocolate Yule Log
For those with a sweet tooth, the Chocolate Yule Log is the ultimate indulgence. This decadent dessert features a moist chocolate sponge rolled up with a rich chocolate ganache filling, and topped with more ganache and powdered sugar. The process of shaping, rolling, and cutting the log can be challenging, but the results are truly worth the effort.
Bûche de Noël
This French holiday cake is a Christmas tradition that dates back to the 19th century. Bûche de Noël is made by baking a plain roll cake, then spreading it with a whipped cream filling and molding it into a log shape. The cake is then decorated with chocolate, frosting, and powdered sugar to resemble a real tree branch and pinecones.
Sfiziotto
Sfiziotto is an Italian holiday treat that is typically served during the Feast of Saint Anthony. Made of layered bread, raisins, sugar, and spices, it's a sweet and aromatic dish that's baked until golden brown.
Galette des Rois
The French tradition of eating Galette des Rois dates back to the 14th century. This delicious dessert is a filled pie made with puff pastry, frangipane cream, and almonds. A fève is hidden inside the Galette, with the person who finds it being named King or Queen for a day.
Tiramisù
This popular Italian dessert is a favorite among many. With its layers of ladyfingers soaked in coffee, filled with a mixture of mascarpone, sugar, and cocoa, and finished with cocoa dusting, Tiramisù is a true crowd-pleaser. Despite its simple ingredients, the process of assembling and layering the dessert can be time-consuming.
There are shorter variants of cassoulet, which we've prepared in our Test Kitchen numerous times. However, the authentic French dish, as originally made, is an extensive process requiring numerous hours of slow cooking and simmering (not in a Crockpot). The traditional version typically includes various meats such as pork, ham, chicken, sausage, and even duck, accompanied by vegetables and beans for flavor. All ingredients are cooked until they become rich, thick, and a deep chocolate brown. The elapsed time often exceeds 12 hours.
Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël)
Preparing this holiday specialty requires time and considerable patience. A yule log cake, or Bûche de Noël, involves baking and then hotly rolling the cake, allowing it to maintain its log shape. Following this, the rolled cake is filled with cream or custard, re-rolled, and sealed with buttercream facts. You'll frost and decorate it to resemble a stunning snow-capped forest log, potentially even incorporating meringue mushrooms. Despite the inevitable regret when it's all consumed, you can take comfort in knowing your hard work was greatly cherished.
Latkes
The actual process of preparing latkes is not extremely challenging. However, producing enough latkes to feed your family can be time-consuming due to the repeated deep-frying required. Senior Digital Ns Editor Rebecca Angel Baer likens her mother's kitchen to a "potato latke factory," where she produces vast quantities of latkes during Hanukkah. Frying six at a time ensures a consistently crispy edge, but the multiple frying rounds translate into extended preparation time, leaving you generously supplied with applesauce for dipping.
Goose
Acquiring a goose may be as tedious as preparing it. Stores stock a limited number of geese, and you risk encountering supply shortages when you're finally ready to purchase one. A helpful tip when purchasing a goose is to contact the store ahead of time and request that they set one aside for you.
Preparing a goose needs more time than roasting a turkey, and taking into account the additional hours required for thawing, plan for about 5 hours from start to finish.
Porchetta
Designate an entire day for porchetta if you plan on including it on your holiday menu. This intricate pork roast is no easy feat, but its exquisiteness and the pride that comes with successfully executing it make it worth the effort.
Once you've scored the pork skin, prepared the filling, and spiraled the pork belly, it must rest uncovered in the refrigerator for 12 hours before roasting, allowing the skin to achieve its perfect crispness. And speaking of roasting, it takes 4 to 6 hours at 275°F to achieve the ideal temperature for this holiday entree.
These labor-intensive holiday dishes may take longer than, for instance, baking Cool Whip Cookies, but they will be appreciated with equal enthusiasm as your diligent efforts.
It's no secret that Christmas Recipes from renowned publications like SouthernLiving are highly sought after during the holiday season. For instance, their recipe for Peach Melba Cake, a delightful Australian import, is a labor-intensive but rewarding addition to any Holidays Occasions menu.
For those who enjoy hearty meals, Shepherd's Pie, originating in England, is a must-have Christmas Recipe. Its layered potatoes topped with ground meat, vegetables, and gravy make it a time-consuming but delicious part of any Winter Recipes menu.
Pecan Pie, a beloved Southern tradition, is another labor-intensive recipe that's perfect for the festive season. The need for a blind-baked pie crust, the preparation and cooking of the filling, and cooling before serving make pecan pie a true testament to patience and dedication during Christmas.
