Garlic Studded Prime Rib

 Nothing quite says Christmas like a nice Prime Rib Roast. I do mine up pretty traditional with the exception of studding it with garlic to infuse it with a wonderful garlic flavor.  The slow roasting ensures that the flavor gets down deep into the meet and the clove if you are lucky enough to get it in your slice is deep roasted and sweet, entirely edible in that state.

The studding is easy. With a paring knife make a slit deep enough and wide enough to take a clove of garlic pushed into it.

I start the roast out in a very hot oven to ensure a nice crust on it.  Then I lower the heat to slow roast to succulent deliciousness.  To help the crust develop I roast on a convection roast cycle which besides ensuring even roasting, it also speeds up the cooking time a bit.

Garlic Studded Prime Rib

• 1 3 rib Prime Rib Roast, approx 6 lbs
• 6 cloves garlic peeled
• 2 T Montreal Brand Steak Seasoning

Preheat oven to 450F.

Make 6 slits in top of roast.  Insert garlic clove in each slit.  Rub steak seasoning into the roast, top, bottom and sides.  Place in roasting pan.

Bake in the very hot oven for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 325F.  Roast until the center of roast reaches 135F in center for a good medium rare. (Allow about 12-15 minutes per pound to get to that internal 135F temp).  Pull from oven and tent with foil to let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Butter Almond Coffee Cake

Perfect for a chilly winter morning is this Butter Almond Coffee Cake.  Its pretty simple to make, a few steps that in themselves are easy, just several of those steps to get to this wonderfully almondy coffee cake.

The real key to this coffee cake is to really whip the egg sugar mixture as there is no leavening in the cake.  That right, no baking soda or baking powder, its lightness comes from the air whipped into the eggs in the beginning.  Don't be afraid to whip it long and hard (wasn't that a Devo Song?) until the beater leaves trails in the egg mixture and it falls in ribbons from the whip. Takes about 3-4 minutes to get to that stage. If you don't do this your cake with be dense.

Butter Almond Coffee Cake

Cake:

• 1/2 Cup Sugar 
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 t. Vanilla
• 1/2 t almond extract
• 2/3 Cup Butter, plus small amount for pan
• 2 Eggs
• 3/4 Cup Flour

Glaze:

• 2 T. Milk
• 1 T. Flour
• 1/4 C. Butter
• 2 oz. Blanched almonds, sliced
• 4 T. Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 9" baking pan.
Melt 2/3 C. butter and allow to cool.
Using a mixer with whisk attachment, beat eggs, vanilla, almond extract, salt and sugar in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Slowly add butter and flour to egg mixture and stir in on low speed.
Pour batter into an prepared cake pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
In a saucepan, combine remaining 1/4 cup of butter, 4 T. sugar, milk, and flour. Bring to a boil and add almonds.  Spread cake with glaze and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until just beginning to turn light brown and crispy.
Allow to cool on a rack for 10 minutes or so before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.