I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas is my favorite holiday. I have a wonderful collection of Santas and Snowmen, some of which I keep out all year long. My Christmas tree is decorated with all shapes and sizes of Santas, with clear minature twinkle lights and berry vines weaving through the branches. Atop the tree is a red wooden star accented with buttons in the center and a touch of homespun fabric. It is truely a primitive country tree. Here are some of my Santas and Snowmen I collected for my web page.
I love ALL of them!!

Some recipes for you to enjoy too!!

M&M COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 cup Crisco (vegetable shortening)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon water
2 eggs
2 cups + 4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups M&M plain candies

Directions:

Blend Crisco and sugars. Beat in vanilla, water, and eggs. Sift remaining dry ingredients together and add to the sugar and egg mixture. Mix well. Stir in M&Ms. Drop from teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. For additional color, press extra M&Ms into cookies before baking. Makes 6 dozen 2 1/2 inch cookies.
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ORIGINAL TOLL HOUSE COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups unsifted flour
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup Crisco (vegetable shortening)
1 12-oz. pkg. Nestle Semi-Sweet Real Chocolate Morsel
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts, optional). Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes.
Makes 100 2" cookies.
My cookies are always larger, approximately 3-4" in diameter, so I don't get 100 cookies when I bake this recipe. Mine are chewy not crispy.
Another hint: I mix all of my ingredients (except the chocolate chips and nuts) all in one bowl at the same time. Then I fold in the choclate chips and nuts. The recipe turns out just fine!!
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SNICKERDOODLES

Ingredients:

1 cup Crisco (vegetable shortening)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
mix these first three ingredients thoroughly
In separate bowl sift together
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Stir the two mixtures together. Roll into balls the size of walnuts. Dip into a mixture of equal parts sugar and cinnamon. Place two inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned but still soft (8 - 10 minutes) at 400 degrees F.
Makes 3 dozen cookies
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CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

Ingredients and Directions:

Cream:

1 cup Crisco (vegetable shortening)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar

Add:
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Sift together and add:
1 3/4 cups flour with
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Add to creamed mixture:
2/3 cup oatmeal (quick cooking)
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 6oz. package of chocolate chips
Drop by teaspoonsful onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F, 12-15 minutes.
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SUGAR COOKIES

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. butter
4 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda and nutmeg. Beat extracts into butter mixture and gradually adding flour mixture, blending thoroughly. Place dough in greased bowl and refrigerate overnight. Before baking, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll dough out on floured pastry cloth/breadboard. Cut with cookie cutters and bake on greased cookie sheets for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
Makes approx. 8 dozen cookies.
Yield may vary due to size of cookie cutters.
Decorate with your favorite icing, sprinkles, etc.
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SPICE CAKE

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
1/2 lb butter or margarine (melted)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon ground cloves

Directions:

Blend sugar and butter thoroughly. Add eggs, buttermilk, flour. Mix. Add cinnamon, baking soda, and cloves. Mix well. Grease and flour baking dish. Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F. for 50 minutes or longer if necessary. Cool and ice.

Spice Cake Icing

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
1 box confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1-3 tablespoon(s) milk

Directions:

Cream butter and gradually add confectioners sugar. Add milk as needed to keep frosting at spreading consistency. Add vanilla. Frost cake when completely cool
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LEBKUCHEN

Ingredients:

2 oz butter
2/3 cup golden syrup
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cocoa
1 tablespoon milk
1 oz mixed peel
2 tablespoons flour, extra
raspberry jam
4 oz dark chocolate

Directions:

Melt butter over low heat in medium-sized saucepan, add golden syrup, bring to boil, remove from heat; let stand ten minutes. Add sifted dry ingredients, milk and finely chopped peel, stir with a wooden spoon until smooth, cover, stand at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours. Mixture will become thicker. Turn the mixture onto surface which has been dusted with extra flour. Knead lightly, working in only enough of this flour until the mixture loses its stickiness. Roll out to about 1/2 in thickness. Cut out with a heart shaped or any other cutter, about 2 inches in diameter. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon, gently push indentation into center of biscuit, don't push all the way through. Fill with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Bake in moderate oven 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Leave on trays until completely cool. Melt chocolate in top of double saucepan over simmering water. Spoon onto saucer for easier handling. Dip bases of biscuits into chocolate smoothing excess chocolate off with a knife. Place jam-side down on foil lined trays/cookie sheets. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.
Makes about 40
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Christmas Page 3

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