The key to holiday gatherings, says Tammy Maltby, is to ‘start simply, but simply start'

eet Tammy Maltby, who with Anne Christian Buchanan wrote “The Christmas Kitchen — The Gathering Place for Making Memories.” Maltby has a message for those who drag their feet when thinking of entertaining guests during the holiday season: “Start simply, but simply start,” she says.

“Don’t think about doing everything perfectly,” she said at a recent workshop based on her cookbook. About 50 women gathered at Woodmen Valley Chapel to learn the finer points of making food and homes festive. “If you wait until your house is just right or the budget is in line, you’ll never do it (entertain in your home),” she said.

Along with quick holiday recipe tips, Maltby served up a motivational message to help women gain courage to open their homes to others.

“Hospitality is a message of caring and comfort to give to others,” she said. “It’s the message we give others about their value. It’s letting others know you see them. It’s about opening your homes and your life to others. It’s saying, ‘I see you and I’m going to make you a great chocolate cake.’”

That cake she’s referring to is her creation, the Maltby Cake.

But before we get to that, a few more tips for simplifying holiday entertainment from the cake’s creator.

“Give up cleaning for company,” she said. “That’s my greatest tip for you tonight. De-clutter instead of cleaning. Gather up all the stuff and jam it in a closet. Invite family and friends — especially those who may not have family — to your home.”

And to make the holiday table festive, use the beautiful things you probably already have.

“Use what you have stuck away and have been saving,” she said. “Why save Grandma’s china? One day, you’re going to die, and he’ll marry someone else who will be using YOUR dishes. You have those things because you were meant to have beauty in your life. Use them.”

Now, on to the food. First, about cooking that special meal.

“If someone is coming to your home for Christmas dinner or New Year’s Eve, make this easy baked Brie or cheese log, an antipasto platter, and go to Costco and buy lasagna that you’ll put in one of your beautiful plates to serve,” she said.

The Brie recipe can be made ahead and frozen.

“Freezers are great,” she said. “The key to hospitality is to plan to be spontaneous.”

Her famous Maltby Cake is an example of her planned spontaneity.

“When Tammy moved behind us when we lived in Dallas 15 years ago, her home was flooded,” said Lynn Brown, a longtime friend of Maltby’s who now lives here. “I felt so sorry for her and the mess she was cleaning up that I took her a tuna sandwich.”

A few days after the tuna sandwich offering, Maltby showed up at Brown’s door with one of her picture-perfect Maltby cakes.

“I was astonished,” Brown said. “I told her this cake should be on the cover of a food magazine. To my surprise, she said it had been.”

No wonder. While living in Dallas, Maltby was a co-host for 10 years of the award-winning talk show “Aspiring Women.” She also hosted a children’s cooking television show.

“I quickly figured out Tammy was the hostess with the mostest,” said Brown, who wasn’t much of a cook at the time. “We became fast friends, and she gradually has given me the courage to learn to cook for company. She has been life-changing for me.”

As for that cake, she always has a couple tucked in the freezer for those spontaneous times when a little hospitality is needed.

“The thing I love about this cake is that it starts with a cake mix,” she said. “Don’t you love that?”

At the workshop, she showed how easy it is to make a stunning Maltby Cake. She had made the cake layers ahead and frozen them. She decorated a cake plate with fresh green ferns and put a layer of cake in the middle.

“Add some powdered sugar to heavy cream and whip it as stiff as you can get it,” she said.
She piled the cream on top of the first layer of cake, then put the next layer of cake on top of the cream center. Then she quickly frosted the whole cake in whipped cream.

“I dip whole strawberries in chocolate and let the chocolate cool and harden,” she said.

She decorated the cake with chocolate-dipped strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. The finishing touch was a drizzle of melted chocolate over the top of the cake.

“Store the cake in the refrigerator if you are not going to serve it right away,” she said.

To enhance the chocolate flavor of the cake, she adds double the amount of vanilla and uses brewed coffee instead of water for mixing.

The bottom line for holiday entertaining” “Pick one recipe to make,” she said. “Pick one woman or family to host this holiday season. Just get started.”

Her cookbook is a great place to find simple recipes and other tips for making your holiday home festive and flavorful. It’s available at bookstores for $15. You can also “friend” her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter. You’ll find more recipes at her blog: tammymaltby.typepad.com.

THE MALTBY CAKE
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Yield: 20 servings

1 vanilla cake mix
1 small box each chocolate and vanilla instant pudding mix
5 eggs (4 for regular altitude)
1 1/2 cups brewed coffee, cooled (or water, if desired)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chips (dark or bittersweet)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup flour (if high altitude)
1 pint whipping cream
Confectioner’s sugar, to taste
Vanilla extract, to taste
Fern greens or fresh mint leaves, for garnish
1 small package each raspberries and blueberries
10 whole strawberries, dipped in melted chocolate and cooled

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine cake mix, pudding mixes, eggs, coffee or water, oil, chocolate chips, nuts and flour and mix lightly by hand 50 strokes or by mixer 20 seconds; do not overmix.
3. Pour into 2 round cake pans (8- or 9-inch), greased well and floured, if necessary. Bake about 40 minutes.
4. Remove cakes to cooling rack and bring to room temperature. You can make these cakes ahead of time and freeze.
5. Beat whipping cream until very firm. Add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla to taste.
6. Place fern greens or fresh mint leaves around cake plate. Place one cake layer on top. Frost with whipped cream. Add next cake layer and frost cake with remaining whipped cream. Top with chocolate-dipped strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. Add remaining dipped strawberries around edges of cake.
7. Refrigerate cake until thoroughly chilled. Cake is best served the same day it’s frosted.

Tammy Maltby

BAKED BRIE
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Yield: 10 servings

1 (14-ounce) round Brie
1/2 package frozen puff pastry sheets
1/2 cup apricot jam, or any jam or chutney of choice
Dried fruits and nuts
Beaten egg

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Remove one sheet frozen puff pastry. Let it come to room temperature (or microwave on defrost 2 minutes). Cut Brie in half, lengthwise. Place one slice Brie (creamy side up) in center of unfolded puff pastry sheet. Add filling (about 1/2 cup of whatever preserve you choose), then add nuts and/or dried fruit. Place other half of Brie (creamy side down) on top of fruit mixture.
3. Carefully wrap puff pastry upward around Brie. Starting with corners of pastry, fold up into a circle around Brie, gathering ends in center of Brie. Place on foil-lined and sprayed cookie sheet, seam-side down. Brush with beaten egg.
4. Bake 20 minutes, until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Tammy Maltby

PINECONE CHEESE BALL
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Yield: 10-12 servings

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shopped scallions
1 cup chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and other herbs
Whole almonds for decoration

Procedure:
1. Combine cream cheese and milk. Add shredded cheese, scallions and half of nuts. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Transfer mixture to large piece of plastic wrap; form mixture into ball or pinecone shape. Wrap tightly and chill at least 2 hours.
2. On pie plate, mix together parsley and remaining nuts. Unwrap chilled cheese ball, then gently roll in nut-parsley mixture. Wrap again in clean plastic wrap and chill up to 24 hours.
3. If making a pinecone shape, stick whole almonds all over the cheese ball before serving.

VARIATIONS
Savory Treat: Substitute 1/4 cup bleu cheese for 1/4 cup cheddar and add 5 slices crisply cooked, crumbled bacon with the pecans. Add 5 more slices cooked, crumbled bacon to the nut-parsley mixture for rolling.

Spice it Up: Add 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 table-spoon Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce. Roll in a mixture of parsley, paprika and chili powder.

Pineapple Delight: Omit milk. Substitute white cheddar for the cheese and add 3/4 cup crushed pineapple in heavy syrup, 1/2 each chopped red and green bell pepper and 2 tablespoons seasoned salt. Roll in crushed almonds, cashews or macadamia nuts.

Seafood Special: Omit milk, scallions and nuts. Instead of regular cheddar cheese, use 1/2 cup shredded white sharp cheddar with jalapeño. Add 2 pounds crab meat (canned imitation crab works fine), 2 finely chopped yellow onions, 2 cups finely chopped celery, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon seasoned salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper. Roll ball in minced parsley and pour bottled cocktail sauce over chilled ball.

Tammy Maltby

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