Holiday Give aways......

There is no more sincere and heartfelt gift to give away this Holiday Season than creating your own, may it be food or trinkets.
My choice is food of course!
We just moved back in the States, so this is kind of my first time giving away food for Christmas.
We used to lived abroad and mostly we visited here for Christmas or we go somewhere warm.
Now that we are back, I am excited to give away food to my neighbors and in-laws.
Traditionally, based on what I have observed, Americans often give away cookies on holiday season such as now.
I am giving away Cranberry Mini Tarts and Lemon Bars.
I think with all the sweets that we are going to have for Christmas Dinner, a bit of tartness is necessary.
So here is what I have made:

For the Mini Cranberry Tarts:
Pastry:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup or 4 tbsp. butter cold
1/4 cup vegetable shortening cold (cold is very important)
1 tbsp. sugar
a pinch of salt
a juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup water

* Cut the butter and vegetable shortening into cubes
* Combine the salt, flour, sugar, butter and vegetable shortening into a bowl.
Let it chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
* Combine the water and orange juice and let it chill together with the flour mixture.
* In a stand mixer; add the flour mixture and beat it until the butter is a size of peas.
* Add the water and orange juice. Beat until it forms a dough.
* Divide it into three parts and wrap with saran wrap and let it chill in the fridge for another 15 minutes or the next day whenever you are ready to assemble your tarts.

Filling:

1/2 lb fresh cranberries or frozen; whatever is available
1/3 cup ruby port wine
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground all spice
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup currants
4 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. brandy
1 tsp. vanilla extract

* In a medium heat combine the cranberries and ruby port in a medium sauce pan.
* Add the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, all spice and let it simmer until the cranberries popped.
Mix it with a wooden spoon from time to time.
* Add the dried cranberries, raisins, and currants and let it simmer in low for 20 minutes or until it has a paste consistency.
* Add the honey, brandy and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
Turn off the the heat and let it cool.

Preheat the oven at 425 F.
*Using a mini muffin pan and a circular fluted cookie cutter. Roll out the dough as thinly as possible and cut with fluted cookie cutter.

*Place the shaped dough into the mini muffin pan.
*Using a teaspoon and a butter knife carefully scoop the filling in the middle of the dough.
*Bake for 12 minutes. Let it cool and dust it with sprinkle sugar before wrapping.

Lemon Bars:
Pastry

1 cup butter at room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

* In a stand mixer, in low speed, combine the butter, sugar, flour and vanilla.
Beat until it forms a dough, it would be stickier than a dough.
* Damp the dough on a 9x13 pan and press the dough evenly along the pan.
* Chill the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes.
* Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake for 17 minutes until lightly brown.
Let it cool.

Filling:

3 cups of sugar
6 eggs at room temperature
Juice of 8 lemons or 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice.
zest of 4 lemons or 2 tbsp.
1 cup flour

* Whisk together the eggs, and sugar until smooth
* Add the lemon juice, zest and flour and whisk until combine
* Ladle the lemon mixture to the crust carefully. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
* Let it cool to room temperature and slice to your liking.

To make the gift basket I used the 3 dollar Christmas container that you can get at Walmart, and red tissue paper.
I then placed the lemon bars in the middle and surrounded it with the cranberry tarts.
I dusted it with icing sugar for garnish.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EACH AND EVERYONE! MAY THE NEW YEAR BRING US MORE BLESSINGS AND GOOD HEALTH.