Gingerbread Trifle with Egg Nog Mousse and Cranberry Coulis

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Today is the reveal for the December Improv Challenge! Our ingredients this month~Egg Nog and Cranberry. I came up with a recipe called Gingerbread Trifle with Egg Nog Mousse and Cranberry Coulis!. It is very yummy! But, of course, I do love everything in the recipe! I hope you do to!

Gingerbread Trifle with 

 Egg Nog Mousse and Cranberry Coulis!

Let's make the gingerbread first!

(Gingerbread recipe adapted from The All American Dessert Book) 

2 2/3 cup Flour

1 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

Pinch Salt

2/3 cup Butter, softened

1 cup packed Light Brown Sugar

2 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger

1 3/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon Ground Allspice

1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves

1 large Egg

2/3 cup Molasses

2/3 cup Buttermilk

 Spray a 9" X 13" baking pan with pan spray.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a separate bowl, mix together your flour, baking powder,

baking soda, and salt.

In your mixing bowl, add your butter,

brown sugar,

and spices. Beat on medium speed until fluffy.

 Add the molasses and egg.

Put the mixer on low speed,

and add half of the flour mix.

Beat in the buttermilk, and then the rest of the flour.

Mix well.

Pour cake mix into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Check with a toothpick. 

Remove from oven and cool.

Set aside.

 Now let's make the coulis!

12 oz Cranberries

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Water

Rinse cranberries.

Mix together the sugar and water.

Bring the mixture to a boil.

Boil for 5 minutes.

Add cranberries and let cook for 5 minutes.

Cranberries will pop and juice will release.

Drain through a sieve and set juice aside.

Let's make the Egg Nog Mousse!

1 cup Egg Nog

1/2 cup Milk

1 cup Whipping Cream

4 oz Vanilla Pudding Mix

Sprinkle Nutmeg

Whisk the egg nog, milk, and vanilla pudding in a bowl.

Sprinkle with nutmeg. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Make your whipped cream.

Pour the whipping cream into a mixing bowl.

It is not necessary to add sugar.

Whip on high until medium stiff peaks form.

Take the pudding mix out of the refrigerator.

Add half of the whipped cream to the mix and fold in.

Let's put it all together!

Cut small pieces of the gingerbread.

I made small, individual trifles.

Place 4 pieces of gingerbread on the bottom 

of the trifle dish.

Top with a scoop of egg nog  mousse.

Place another layer of gingerbread on top.

Top with more egg nog mousse.

Top with a drop of whipped cream on the top.

Drizzle the cranberry coulis over the top of the mousse.

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

If you would like to be a part of the Improv Challenge,
visit Kristen at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker.
We would love to have you!

Check out what everyone else came up with!

Cowboy Christmas!

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Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas
with some of the web's best bloggers!

25 Days of Christmas
December 13, 2011

 Code of the West

(from "Cowboy Ethics: What Wall Street Can Learn from the Code of the West" by James P. Owen)

1. Live each day with courage.
2. Take pride in your work.
3. Always finish what you start.
4. Do what has to be done.
5. Be tough, but fair.
6. When you make a promise, keep it.
7. Ride for the brand.
8. Talk less and say more.
9. Remember that some things aren't for sale.
10. Know where to draw the line.
    
    
    In honor of the Code of the West and Cowboy Ethics, 
    we are celebrating a  
    Cowboy Christmas at The Freshman Cook, 
    with 5 Food Gifts for the Cowboy in all of Us!
    
    Tumbleweeds
    
    1 package (11 oz) Butterscotch Morsels
    1 package Chow Mein Noodles 
    2 cups Peanuts
    
    
    Melt the butterscotch morsels in a double boiler.
     
     Let them get warm and start to melt, then stir.
    
     Once the morsels are melted, stir in chow mein 
    noodles and peanuts.
    
    Mound mix into small pieces like above.
    
    Let them set up.
    
    Delicious!
    
    S'MORES FUDGE
    

    
    
    3 cups Sugar

    3/4 cup Butter

    5 oz. Evaporated Milk

    12 oz. Semi Sweet Chocolate

    7 oz. Marshmallow Creme

    1 teaspoon Vanilla

    2 Graham Crackers

    1/4 cup Peppermint Marshmallows

    

    
    

    

    Bring sugar, butter and milk to a boil 

    over medium heat. Stir constantly.

    

    Prepare your 8" or 9"  pan with foil.

    Spray the foil with pan spray.
    

    

    Boil for 4 minutes or until temperature

    gets to 234 degrees.

    

    Remove from heat, and add chocolate 

    and marshmallow creme.

    

    Stir until melted. Add vanilla and stir.

    Pour into pan.

    

    Crack pieces of graham cracker off 

    and insert in the fudge while it is still 

    soft. Press peppermint marshmallow

    into the fudge also.

    

    Enjoy!
    
    HOLIDAY COWBOY COOKIES
    
    2 cups Flour

    1 teaspoon Baking Soda

    1 teaspoon Salt

    1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

    1 cup softened Butter

    3/4 cup Sugar

    3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar

    2 Large Eggs

    1 teaspoon Vanilla

    1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oats

    6 ounces Semisweet Chocolate
    

    

    

    In a separate bowl from where you are mixing,
    place the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
    

    

    In your mixing bowl add butter and both sugars.
    

    

    On medium high, cream together the sugars and butter.
    

    

    Reduce the speed to medium and add your eggs, one at
    a time. Beat after each addition.
    

    

    Add the vanilla.
    

    

    On low speed, add the flour mixture, a little
    at a time. Mix just until it is incorporated.
    

    

    Add chocolate and....
    

    

    oats just until combined.
    

    

    Place small scoops on your baking sheet.
    Top each cookie with mini M and M's.
    Bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes.
    Cool on a wire rack.
    

    

    Enjoy!
    
    
    HOLIDAY TRAIL MIX
    

    

    1 cup Peanuts
    1 cup Cashews
    1 cup Pistachios
    1 cup Smokehouse Almonds
    1 cup Dried Cranberries
    1 cup Golden Raisins
    1 cup Pretzel Sticks
    2 cups Holiday M and M's
    

    

    

    Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.
    Break the pretzel sticks in half before adding them.
    

    

    Happy Trails!
    
    
    COW PIES
    

    

    1/4 cup Butter
    4 cups Mini Marshmallows
    6 cups Rice Krispies
    1 teaspoon Vanilla
    1 bag Hershey's Milk Chocolate Chips
    

    

    

     Melt the butter in a medium pot on low heat.
    Add the mini marshmallows.
    Stir until the marshmallows are completely melted.
    Take off heat.
    

    

    Add vanilla and stir.
    

    

    Add your rice krispies. 
    

    

    Stir completely.
    

    

    Put butter or pan spray on your hands.
    Shape into cow pies. Don't make perfect
    circles. Cow pies are not perfect.
    

    

    Melt your chocolate in a double boiler. Dip
    rice krispie treats into chocolate.
    Dip one part, then place in freezer until  chocolate sets.
    Take out of freezer, then dip another part,
    then put back in freezer.
    

    

    Here are your cow pies!
    Enjoy!
    
    Thanks for joining The Freshman Cook today!
    
    I hope you have the Merriest Christmas ever! 
    
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