• Food

The Pacific Terrace Team’s Favorite Holiday Recipes

The holidays are a truly magical time. The season is always filled with plenty of everything that makes the spirit bright: friends, family, fun and of course — food! The team at Pacific Terrace always looks forward to making the sort of tasty holiday goodies that keep everyone warm during those cool yule nights, so we asked them if they’d share some of their favorites with us. We hope you’ll enjoy making these delicious dishes this holiday. 

Holiday Dinner Buns by Brenda Rayburn, Food & Beverage

Brenda makes these savory treats as a means of turning holiday leftovers into a tasty en croute entrée that’s just as craveable as the first time around!    

Ingredients:

• 4¼ cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2½ tsp. fast-acting yeast
• 1¼ cups of milk
• 3 tbsp. oz unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• Leftover Turkey, Stuffing Cranberries and Gravy

Steps: 

1. Place flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir until mixed. 
2. Make a well in the center of the flour and add yeast.
3. Warm milk and butter in a small saucepan until butter is melted. Pour into flour mixture. 
4. add egg and stir until the contents of the bowl come together as a soft dough.
5. Tip dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead well for five minutes until smooth and elastic.
6. Place dough into an oiled bowl and leave to rise covered with a damp towel (approx 1 hour).
7. Tip dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and roll into a 12×8” rectangle.
8. Brush all over with melted butter. 
9. Evenly sprinkle turkey, stuffing and cranberries into a layer on the surface of the dough.
10. Hold down the long side of the dough rectangle nearest to you by pressing it down with your thumb. 
11. Roll the opposite long side of the dough towards you until the roll is tight.
12. Cut into thick rounds (about 1¾”).
13. Grease a baking tray thoroughly with butter.
14. Place buns, cut side up, into the greased baking tray (leaving about ½” of space between each one). 
15. Leave to rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place.
16. Preheat oven to 350°.
17. Place buns in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden-brown. 
18. Remove buns from the oven and let them cool slightly before transferring them from the tin to a cooling rack.
19. Drizzle the buns with gravy, and serve hot.

Chocolate Bark by Lauren Nelson, Guest Services

Lauren loves making this irresistible dessert and bringing it to holiday gatherings. It always disappears without a trace, just like Santa up the chimney. 

Ingredients:

• Cooking Spray
• 35 to 40 saltine crackers 
• 2 sticks butter 
• 1 cup light brown sugar 
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 1/3 cups)

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. 
2. Line one large or two small cookie sheets with aluminum foil. Apply nonstick cooking spray and arrange saltines salt-side down in a single layer. 
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar together. Cook until it turns a caramel color (usually only a few minutes). 
4. Remove butter and sugar from heat and pour over crackers, covering them evenly. 
5. Put cookie sheet into the oven and bake for three to five minutes, or until just bubbly, watching carefully. 
6. Remove from oven and pour chocolate chips over crackers. 
7. When the chips melt, spread them over the crackers with a knife. 
8. Transfer cookie sheet to freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until completely cold.
9. Break up into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Carina’s Pumpkin Pie by Maximilian Guardacosta, Concierge

This family recipe is a holiday staple. The addition of a homemade spice mix gives it a truly festive flavor that will have everyone coming back for seconds. 

Ingredients: 

• 4 eggs (beaten)
• 1 large can pumpkin
• 1 large can evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 – cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ginger
• ½ tsp. Cloves
• 2 tbsp. butter (melted)
• 1 yellow cake mix
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Steps: 

1. Preheat oven to 325°. 
2. In a large bowl, mix first 8 ingredients together. 
3. Once combined, pour mixture into either a rectangular 8×12” pan, 2 square 8×8” pans, or 3 pie pans. 
4. Spread cake mix on top of mixture.
5. Sprinkle walnuts on top of cake mix. 
6. Spoon melted butter over top.
7. Bake 1½ hours, monitoring closely depending on size of pan.

Fresh Fruit Tart by Lauren Nelson, Guest Services 

Lauren’s second submission is a truly tempting fruit tart that looks just as scrumptious as it tastes. Better save some room for this one. 

Ingredients:

Crust:

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ sticks unsalted butter (softened)

Filling:

• 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping:

• Fresh strawberries, kiwi slices, blueberries, raspberries
• Heavy whipping cream

Glaze:

• 1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup granulated sugar

Steps: 

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine powdered sugar, flour, and butter in a food processor until the mixture forms a ball. 
3. Press dough into a 12” tart pan with removable bottom, taking care to push into the sides. Pat until even. 
4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
5. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. 
6. Remove stalks from strawberries and cut into ¼” slices. Arrange around the edge of the crust in a full circle. 
7. Repeat with another full circle of kiwi slices. 
8. Add another circle of strawberries, filling in spaces with blueberries. 
9. Finish by clustering raspberries in the center of the tart.
10. Combine the limeade, cornstarch, lime juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 2 minutes. Let cool. 
11. Once cool, glaze the entire tart. 
12. Chill tart in the refrigerator. Whip cream using hand or stand mixture. Add powdered sugar to taste. 
13. Remove about 15 minutes before serving. Slice into wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Plan a Tasty Trip to Pacific Terrace

Hungry for more? Head to Pacific Terrace for a grand getaway you’ll never forget. Relax on your private, beach-view balcony as you feel all your stress melt away. Or walk on the sand as the sun goes down. Let the sound of the waves lull you to sleep. It’s up to you! When you’re ready to reserve your escape, take a look at our Special Offers for the best travel deals in San Diego.