Cajun Holiday Party Faves

With the holidays right around the corner, I wanted to share a few of my favorite holiday party buffet recipes. Perfect for all of your parties and gatherings and guaranteed to please your family and friends. Cest bon, cher!

Bon Appetit!

Appetizers

  Spicy Cajun Party Meatballs 

Cajun Crab Dip 

Creole Stuffed Mushrooms

Crawfish Spinach Bread Bowl

















 Main Course

Cajun Baked Ham w/ Sugarcane-Bourbon Sauce

 

Cajun Roast Turkey Breast

  Sides  

Spicy Creole Jambalaya

Mama's Cornbread Dressing

Candied Sweet Potato Casserole

Broccoli-Cheese Casserole 

 Breads

Spicy Crawfish Cornbread

2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 tsp. salt
3 tsp.'s. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup bell peppers, chopped
1/4 cup jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 (15 oz.) can cream-style corn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb. peeled crawfish tails or small shrimp
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning

Stir together cornmeal,  baking powder, baking soda, and salt,  in large bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs and mix in the onions, peppers, vegetable oil, milk, cheddar cheese, cream style corn, jalapenos, crawfish or shrimp, and Cajun seasoning. Combine the mixture with the dry ingredients and place in a buttered 10 inch baking dish or cast iron skillet.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and a knife comes out clean.

Grandma's Buttermilk Biscuits

 Desserts

Easy Kahlua Cake w/ Chocolate-Rum Glaze

1 box of dark chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (4 ounce) package of chocolate fudge pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup brewed Community coffee, cooled
1/2 cup Kahlua
1 cup chopped pecans, for garnish


Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat for 4 minutes on medium speed. Transfer batter into a lightly greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes and then drizzle with glaze and garnish with pecans. Fab!
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 Chocolate-Rum Glaze

1 cup dark brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/4 cup rum
1/4 cup water







Melt butter in medium saucepan.  Add brown sugar, rum, and water, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute or until thick.  Punch holes in cake and pour glaze evenly over cake.

 Bourbon Brownies w/ Praline Icing  

Chocolate Chip-Pecan Pie Bars

 Marguerite's Christmas Cookies

For more of my holiday desserts, click here.

Drinks 

Peppermint Martini

 First prepare the glass.

Dip rim of martini glass in white crème de cacao and swirl several times in a plate of crushed candy canes.

 2 oz. vodka
1 oz. white creme de cacao

1 oz. peppermint schnapps
1/2 cup crushed ice

Candy canes

Combine vodka, creme de cacao,  and schnapps over ice in shaker. Shake well and strain into prepared martini glass. Garnish with a candy cane.

   Ultimate Cajun Eggnog 

 For more fabulous Cajun Christmas drinks, click here.

Cheers and Happy Holidays, Ya'll!

Cajun Christmas Desserts and Drinks

Tis' the season and I'm busy getting ready for the holidays and wanted to share a few of my family's favorite Christmas dessert and drink recipes that will be on my menu this year. By popular demand, these recipes are all heavenly and are guaranteed to please your family and guests. Cest bon, cher and Happy Holidays, Ya'll!

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Easy Kahlua Cake w/ Chocolate-Rum Glaze

1 box of dark chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (4 ounce) package of chocolate fudge pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup brewed Community coffee, cooled
1/2 cup Kahlua
1 cup chopped pecans, for garnish


Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat for 4 minutes on medium speed. Transfer batter into a lightly greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes and then drizzle with glaze and garnish with pecans. Fab!
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 Chocolate-Rum Glaze


1 cup dark brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/4 cup rum
1/4 cup water

 





Melt butter in medium saucepan.  Add brown sugar, rum, and water, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute or until thick.  Punch holes in cake and pour glaze evenly over cake.

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 Christmas Bread Pudding w/ Nanny's  Rum Sauce

1 16 oz. loaf French bread,  torn into small pieces

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 cups milk

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup sugar

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbs.'s brandy

Dash of salt

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

8 large eggs

Tear bread into small pieces in large bowl. Pour melted butter over bread pieces and toss to coat.

In large saucepan, combine cream, milk ,sugar, vanilla, brandy, salt, and nutmeg. bring to a simmer, over medium heat, and stir until sugar is dissolved, and remove from heat.

Whisk eggs until smooth in large bowl. Slowly add the hot milk mixture to eggs, whisking constantly.

Fold in the cranberries and white chocolate chips. Pour the custard mixture over the bread and let stand for 15 minutes.

Pour into a 13x9 inch greased baking pan and place in a larger pan, with enough water to reach halfway up the sides

Bake in a 325 degree preheated oven for 60 minutes, covering with foil, after 30 minutes. Serve with Nanny's Rum Sauce. (recipe below)

Nanny's Rum Sauce

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbs.'s flour

1 stick butter

2 tbs.'s dark rum

Combine flour, water, sugar, and butter in sauce pan. Heat on low and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and add vanilla and rum. Mix well and serve over bread pudding.

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 Creole Pecan Pie

3 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tbs.'s butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup cane syrup or dark corn syrup
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp.salt
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

Beat eggs, butter, and sugar together until thick. Add syrup, vanilla, salt, and pecans.

Mix well and pour into pie shell. Bake at 300 degrees for about 1 hour or until filling is firm. Place aluminum foil over top during the last 15 minutes, if browning too much.

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Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake

 Marguerite's Christmas Cookies

 















 Bourbon Brownies w/ Praline Icing

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And for a little lagniappe, here are a few of my favorite drinks to serve during the holidays. Enjoy! Cheers, cher!

Black Santa Martini

4 ounces coffee liqueur
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces peppermint schnapps
Crushed ice
Mint leaves or peppermint sticks for garnish

Place all ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake for a few minutes and pour into martini glasses. Garnish with mint leaves and/ or peppermint sticks. Serves 2  Out of this world!

Ultimate Cajun Eggnog

5 scoops French vanilla ice cream

5 scoops mocha ice cream

1 1/2 cups purchased eggnog
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup brandy
2 tbs.'s orange liqueur
Chocolate shavings and grated nutmeg and/or cinnamon sticks for garnishes

Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in blender and blend on lowest speed until the mixture is smooth and frothy. Pour into pitcher and sprinkle with garnishes. Fab!
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For my Christmas Dinner menu, click here.

Bon Appetit and Joyeaux Noel!!