Food Building a Christmas dinner menu

Will Ravel.... ^ schooled

 

Glad I could help!

 

okay.... so now that dinner is mostly set... I was curious about drink selections, I sort of a want something warm for everyone but my family is not a big fan of eggnog.... I was thinking something along the lines of a Baileys cocktail but you know... something that warms your insides... and its more for after the meal... maybe a good port? I don't know... I'm very drink uneducated as well...

 

Would Whidbey's be found in any liquor store? Also what are mulling spices?

 

Here is a Mulled Cider recipe from River Cottage:

Ingredients
Cider: Apple ratio = 4:1

Dry Farmhouse Cider (never fizzy)
Sweet Apple Juice
Apple Aperitif/ Cider Brandy or similar (optional)
Chunks of chopped apple (without skin)
Chunks of orange

For the spice bag:
Muslin
String
Whole Cloves
Crushed Cinnamon Stick
Pimento (All Spice)
Star Anise
Juniper Berries

Directions:
Gently heat the apple juice in a large stainless steel pan (don’t use aluminium)
Meanwhile, make your spice bag using the above ingredients to your personal taste, wrapped in a small piece of muslin, tied together with string (leaving the ends of the string long). Tie your spice bag to the handle of your stainless steel pan, and drop into the warming apple juice. Now let the apple juice reduce to half its original size.

Throw in the cider and chopped pieces of fruit and bring the liquid up to serving temperature (don’t let it bubble, and this will burn off the alcohol!!)

Add a splash of the cider brandy/ apple aperitif (if using) and serve…

 

where would I be able to find these ingredients?

 

I just remembered that you can buy alochol in grocery stores there. What is Whidbeys? Port? Liquer?

 

That's so damned civilized.

 

Now I've decided to tackle a baked brie to balance my cold and warm appetizers, I've had baked brie before but never really understood the baked part much less the jam on top part. I thought brie came in a waxy shell to prevent it from becoming dried out? And is the outer shell edible?

My thought of it is this.... I already have a nutty component, thanks Snowy for the Phyllo triangles, what else could I add that would enhance and add some sweetness to the appetizers? I was looking at a raspberry or strawberry jam, but would adding walnuts or pecans or some sort of nut be too much for the brie? And going through the recipes online, which is better, puff pastry, phyllo or Pilsbury crescent rolls?

I'll get my whole menu on this since, I've already put it together, I'm just fine tuning and making the schedule and what I have to buy and letting my OCD take over because I might as well accept that it'll be an asset on Christmas, especially for this dinner.

 

Snowy, what measurements should I be using for spices cider? I am going to try that this weekend to see how it tastes...

 

so everything is added in equal parts?