By Staff with recipes from Suzanne Corbett
If anyone loves to throw a party it’s our Travel/Food Editor, Suzanne Corbett. She has come up with “A Christmas Story” themed buffet table. She tested the recipes in front of a group and they all gave it a “thumbs up.”
If you have seen the movie, the recipes, will evoke fond memories of Ralphie, Randy and the Parker family as they navigate the holiday season. Ralphie hopes for a Red Ryder BB Gun, but his parents are apprehensive, saying “You’ll shoot your eye out” in one of the most famous quotes from the movie.
Suzanne has adapted many appetizer recipes to go along with the theme of “A Christmas Story.”
She points out that any iconic movie can become a theme for an appetizer spread, suggesting “White Christmas” as an example.
“There was that discussion about the sandwiches when the Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby characters could not sleep,” she said. “It’s fun to have a theme to your holiday party. We chose “The Christmas Story” and I think the readers will enjoy the special recipes and memories they bring.”
Here are the recipes:
It’s a major award
Remember the scene when Mr. Parker– aka “the old man” in Ralphie’s eyes– gets the leg lamp delivered. The conversation piece lamp is a prize for a contest he entered. The box says “fragile” on the box (which Ralphie mispronounces) and Dad is so excited about winning his “major award.”
So making a play on words, there is not “leg of lamb” in this recipe, it is a fun recipe of chicken wings and drummies in honor of the leg lamp.
Leg of Lamp Chicken Drummies
4 pounds chicken wing drummettes
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 bottle (12 ounces) chili sauce
1⁄4 cup honey
4 cloves garlic, crushed
Place wings in a large zip-lock plastic bag. Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt. Seal bag and shake to coat. Arrange wings in a single layer on foil-lined jellyroll pans. Bake wings at 425°F. oven for 15 minutes. Turn wings over and bake an additional 15 minutes or until skin is crisp and chicken si no longer pink.
While chicken bakes, combine chili sauce, honey, and garlic in a 2-cup glass measure. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time, until honey melts and sauce is smooth. Pour sauce over cooked wings and toss.
Makes about three dozen appetizers
Red Ryder Punch Christmas Punch
1 (32-ounce) bottle cranberry juice
2 cups ginger ale
2 cups raspberry vodka
Cranberries for garnish
Mix together and pour over ice filled glasses or serve in a large punch bowl. Garnish with cranberries and serve.
This next recipe is a cheese ball — with a twist. Suzanne shaped the cheeseball into a Christmas tree. She had a wooden tree-shaped cheeseboard which really made for a nice presentation, but it could be on any board. A cheeseball can be shaped into anything– a Christmas bell, a candle for Hanukkah, a round ornament. The recipe she offers is easy and delicious.
Everybody loves a cheese ball
If you don’t have time to make a cheese ball but you want one, you can buy one already made and set it out to get soft. Once it is a little softer you can shape it into whatever you want.
1950’s Christmas Tree Cheese Ball
2 (8-ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 cups Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup finely diced onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Chopped parsley
1 red bell pepper
Toasted chopped pecans
Using a mixer, blend cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, onion, and Worcestershire sauce until fluffy. Turn out on a sheet of waxed paper and shape into a Christmas tree. Cover with parsley.
Refrigerate cheese ‘tree’ until firm. Cut bell pepper into a star shape and use remaining red pepper to decorate along with pecans to decorate the tree.
The chopped parsley gives the cheese ball it’s green Christmas Tree color and the red pepper and pecans give the feeling of ornaments.
Of course made in a specialty shape, it is not a cheese “ball” but keep in mind that this recipe can be used at any time of year and can be formed into a ball for the traditional cheese ball.
Meatballs
Suzanne has a twist on holiday meatballs– meatloaf meatballs. They are a fun appetizer with a comfort food feel.
One of the big things she stressed is use fancy toothpicks. She bought the ones shown in the photo at The Campbell House, but there are specialty toothpicks for sale at various outlets.
Though all the scenes in the movie are memorable, the meatloaf scene was definitely one. Mrs. Parker was trying to get Ralphie’s brother Randy to eat his meatloaf.
“Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf. I hate meatloaf,” he tells her.
The mother comes up with a unique way to finally get her son to eat by asking him to “be a piggie.”
“Now show me how piggies eat,” she says.
Meatloaf Cocktail Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
½ cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons minced onions
1 clove garlic, pressed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large egg mixed with 2 tablespoons water
1 ( 8-ounce) jellied cranberry sauce
1 cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, onion and egg/water together in a large bowl. Form into small meatballs and arrange on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once.
In a saucepan combine cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice together in a large saucepan over low heat until smooth. Add meatballs; simmer for 30 minutes. Serves 10.
Ralphie’s family had Christmas dinner at the Chinese Restaurant
In the Christmas Story Ralphie’s family ended up going to a Chinese Restaurant. In a well-remembered scene, the waiters sang a festive song for the family.
“Deck the harrs with boughs of horry, fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra. Tis the season to be jorry, fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra.” — That is one of those “if you know you know” quotes.
As part of her “The Christmas Story” theme for the appetizers Suzanne presented Crab Rangoons. In the recipe below, she tells how to fold the won ton wrappers into crab rangoons. She cooked them on the top of the stove, but said that you could cook them in an air fryer.
Ra Ra Ra La Rangoon
1(8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
8-ounces pound crabmeat, shredded
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
Dash of garlic powder
1 package small won ton wrappers
oil for frying
Mix cream cheese, crabmeat, soy sauce, ginger, cilantro and garlic powder together in a bowl. While the oil is heating, place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cream cheese mixture into the center of a wonton wrapper. Moisten the wrapper edges and pull two corners together over filling to make a triangle. Pull two remaining corners up to join them, then press firmly to seal. Repeat to make remaining wontons. Place prepared wontons under a slightly moist paper towel until oil is hot. Working in batches, fry 3 or 4 wontons at a time in hot oil until golden brown and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer wontons to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve hot.
Drink your Ovaltine
In one scene of the movie, Ralphie’s mom says, “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.” Suzanne has combined Ovaltine for both the cake and the frosting of these cupcakes– which could also be made into a cake. For people of a certain age, Ovaltine just smells like your childhood.
The photo at the top of the page is Suzanne Corbett holding these special cupcakes.
Secret Decoder Snow Covered Cupcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup Chocolate Malt Ovaltine
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup Chocolate Malt Ovaltine
1/2 cups Confectioners’ sugar
Shredded coconut
For the Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease or line a 12-cupcake baking pan. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, Ovaltine, and sugar. Mix well, then add the oil, sour cream, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Divide the cupcake batter among the cups of the prepared cupcake tin. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until they are firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool.
For the Frosting: In the bowl of a kitchen mixer, combine butter, cocoa, milk, vanilla extract and Ovaltine. Mix together, then slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute until light and fluffy.
Frost the cupcakes once the cakes have cooled completely. Once frosted, store the cupcakes in the refrigerator.
