Xmasrecipes

Cranberry Bread Recipe
Perfect for Christmas and Thanksgiving
I find it easier to double the recipe and make two loaves at once since we have so many elves to feed (not to mention Santa himself).

Sift: 2 cups flour (sifted), 1 cup sugar, 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt (I never use it), and 1/2 tsp baking soda.
Cut in 1/4 cup butter (I use Promise Extra Light margarine sticks-it makes the bread really moist) until mixture is crumbly (I use a mixer to crumble-ize it)
Add 1 beaten egg, 1 tsp grated orange peel (I use a grater/peeler doohickey and grate an entire orange for every two loaves.), and 3/4 cup orange juice. (If you can get your Elves to do the grating, it will help) mix until mixture is evenly moist.
Fold in as many light raisins as you think looks good (the recipe calls for 1 and 1/2 cups, I never measure) and about a half bag of chopped cranberries per loaf. spoon into a greased 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan bake at 350' for 1 hour and 10 mins or until toothpick in center comes out clean. I never use the toothpick test, but I suppose it is a good idea.
Cool out of pan on a wire rack. keep stored in aluminum foil, unless you eat it all before it cools.
If it doesn't come out well the first time, that is OK, it took Mrs. Claus 3 or 4 attempts before she learned to make it consistently excellent.

Potato Filling
Goes great with turkey and ham.
Directions:
1. About 3lbs whole potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed with milk
2. Melt one stick margarine in frying pan
3. Saute -- 2 stalks celery (chopped) and one small onion (chopped) until soft and onion is golden. Do Not Brown
4. Add 3 slices of firm bread cut into cubes -- mix in well (add more margarine if needed)
5. continue sauteeing until bread is golden
6. Beat 2 large eggs into mashed potatoes
7. Mix in onions, celery, bread -- blend well.
8. Place in casserole dish -- dot with margarine and bake in 350' oven until top is puffy and golden (about 1/2 hour if mixture is warm when goes into oven, about 1 hour if taken from fridge).
Thanks to Sharon and Rick Winter, Wernersville, Pa.

Apple Pie
Perfect for Christmas and Thanksgiving
Goes well with vanilla ice cream and hard sauce
Ingredients:
A. Graham cracker crust (you can make your own or use a pre-made one)
1 large egg white (slightly beaten)
B. 5 Cups fresh peeled apples
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (we generally add a bit more)
C. 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick melted butter (a bit over 1/3 cup)
Directions:
1. Brush egg white on crust, bake until light brown -- about 6 minutes (if store bought)
2. Combine B -- mix well, spoon into crust
3. Mix C -- put on as the top of the pie in thin sheets
4. Bake at 375 for about 50 minutes
5. Cool for about 4 hours.

Iced Butter Cookies
Perfect for Christmas and Thanksgiving
Ingredients:
Cookies:
4 sticks (1 pound butter)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
4 cups flour
Icing:
1 stick butter
1 box powdered (confectionary) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
milk (as needed)
Directions:
1. Mix butter and sugar
2. Add egg
3. Mix in flour
4. Use cookie cutter to make into smallish cookies (about 1.5 inches in diameter).
Cook each batch at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes (lightly brown)
5. Let cookies cool slightly before icing
Icing:>p> Cream butter
add sugar and mix
Add milk as needed for spreadable consistency
Add vanilla
Ice the cookies

GingerBread Men
Ingredients:
3 and 1/4 cups flour
1.2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup salted butter, softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsulfered molasses
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 - 2 tsp milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325'
2. Whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, and cloves
3. Cream butter and sugar. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg and molasses and beat on medium speed until smooth.
4. Scrape down bowl and add flour mixture, blend on low speed until just combined -- do not over mix!
5. Separate dough into 2 balls and flatten into disks. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
6. On floured surface with floured rolling pin, roll dough out to 1/4" thickness. With floured cookie cutters cut into shapes. Gather scraps and re-roll dough until all is used. Place on ungreased baking sheets about 1/2" apart.
7. Bake 9-11 minutes -- do not brown. Transfer to cool, flat surface and cool.
Preparing Icing:
1. Whisk sugar and milk until smooth but still liquid.
2. Add extra milk if seems dry.
3. Spoon icing into a pastry bag with small piping tip, or other icing dispenser.
4. Decorate as desired.

Spice Cake
Perfect for Christmas and Thanksgiving
Goes well with vanilla ice cream and hard sauce
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 and 1/2 cups of sugar
1 cup of buttermilk
3 eggs
1/2lb of butter or margarine (melted)
1 T cinnamon
1 T baking soda
1/2 T ground cloves
Directions:
1. Blend sugar and butter thoroughly. Add eggs, buttermilk, flour. Mix.
2. Add cinnamon, baking soda, and cloves. Mix well.
3. Grease and flour baking dish.
4. Bake in pre-heated oven at 350' for 50 minutes or longer if necessary.
5. Cool and ice.

Spice Cake Icing
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
1 box of confectioners sugar
1 T of vanilla
1-3 T of milk
Directions:
1. Cream butter and gradually add confectioners sugar.
2. Add milk as needed to keep frosting at spreading consistency
3. Add vanilla
4. Frost cake when completely cool.

Mini-Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes
Bowl 1:
1. 1.2 lb of cream cheese
2. 1 egg
3. 1/3 cup of sugar
4. Mix
5. Add 1 and 1/4 cups of mini choc. chips.
Bowl 2:
1. 1 and 1/2 cup of flour
2. 1 cup of sugar
3. 1/4 cup of cocoa
4. 1 tsp. vanilla
5. 1 tsp. baking soda
6. 1 cup of water
7. 1/3 cup of oil
8. Mix
Directions:
1. Put chocolate mixture into mini-muffin cups.
2. Add 1 tsp. of cream cheese mixture per mini muffin cup
3. Fill each cup 2/3 full
4. Bake at 350' for about 20 minutes
5. makes about 4 dozen.

Thanks to Pam and Dick Jones, Medford, NJ.

Cinnamon Crinkles
Ingredients:
2 and 2/3 cup of sifted flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter or margarine
1 and 1/2 cup of sugar
2 eggs
2 T ground cinnamon
3 T sugar
halved pecans or walnuts (optional)
Directions:
1. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt -- set aside
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one ata a time; beat well after adding each.
3. Add dry ingredients. Refrigerate 1 hour.
4. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet
5. Press half a nut into center -- sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture
5. Bake at 350' for 12-15 minutes.
Thanks to Sharon and Rick Winter, Wernersville, Pa.

EggNog Cookies
Ingredients:
2 and 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 and 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cups salted butter, softened
1/2 cup eggnog
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp ground nutmeg
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300'
2. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg
3. Mix well with wire whisk and set aside
4. Cream sugar and butter with electric mixer until forms a grainy paste
5. Add eggnog, vanilla, and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth
6. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed just until combined -- do not over mix!
7. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets -- 1 " apart. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.
8. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown -- transfer to cool, flat surface immediately.

Holiday Punch
Perfect for large gatherings and making those family encounters a little easier to bear.
Ingredients:
1/5 white rum
1/5 white wine
6 oz frozen lime juice
6 oz frozen lemonade
1 qt gingerale
1 qt club soda
chopped oranges, lemons & limes
large block of frozen strawberries
Directions:
Mix and drink (slowly). Do not drive.
alternative recipe
1 qt rum
1/2 gallon white wine
3 x 6 oz cans lemon-lime juice
2 qts club soda
1 qt ginger ale
fruit
Thanks to Sharon and Rick Winter, Wernersville, Pa.
Spiced Tea
Ingredients:
36 tsps loose tea
1 T orange peel
1/2 T lemon peel
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
Mix together and store in a tightly closed container.
Thanks to Sharon and Rick Winter, Wernersville, Pa.

Chocolate Coffee
Perfect to make after sledding or for a party!
Ingredients:
4 heaping teaspoons of cocoa mix
1 scant teaspoon of instant coffee mix
cinnamon
Makes one serving.
Thanks to Sharon and Rick Winter, Wernersville, Pa.

Melting Moments Cookies
Ingredients:
1 c. butter
2 c. flour
1/2 t. vanilla
1 egg yolk
3/4 c. brown sugar
1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add egg yolk, vanilla, and flour.
3. Mix well and form into little balls, placing them on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Press down with a fork.
5. Bake at 15 mintues at 375'
From Stephanie Doyle, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Mint Snowballs
1/2 Cup Icing Sugar
1/2 Cup Shortning
1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Tsp Peppermint Flavouring
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Tsp Salt
Cream sugar, shortning, butter, and extract thourghly. Measure flour WITHOUT sifting into wax paper, add salt and blend well. Now add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix well. Form into one inch balls, place on cookie sheet and cook in 400F oven 8-10minutes. Cool on rack. Dip tops in icing, pink and green, then in coconut. Yield 4-4 1/2 dozen.

Sweet Potatoes
3 cups Mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup white sugar (may use less)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick melted butter or margarine
Mix and put in buttered baking dish.
Mix the following together and add to top of sweet potatoes:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup melted butter
Bake 30 minutes in 350 degree oven.

Chocolate Silk
1 Pkg. (12 oz.) Chocolate Bits
1 can Sweetened Eagle Brand Milk
1 ts. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
Melt the bits in the milk and boil just slightly. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and salt.
Pour into buttered pie pan. Put in refrigerator until set. Can be cut into pieces or rolled in balls
Nuts can be added. Also can roll in nuts, coconut or whatever you like.
Thanks to: Wilma Doan, Daytona Beach, Fl

Sausage Balls
1 lb. Hot Sausage
10 oz. Grated Cheddar Cheese
3 cups Bisquick
Mix all ingredients by hand in a large bowl. KNEAD WELL!
Shape into small (ping pong ball size) balls.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Oatmeal Cookies
* makes about 3 dozen
Mix the following in a large bowl. Beat well.
3/4 cups cooking oil
1/2 cups subar
1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
Mix the following in a second large bowl.
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups oatmeal
After both bowl are mixed, mix them together. Then add:
12 ounces of choc. chips
1 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Blend together.
Put tablespoon size lumps on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 for 14 minutes.
Thanks to:
John & Lisa Gardner

Christmas Float
1 can coke or Dr Pepper
3 scoops of ice cream - chocalote or vanilla
4 cherries
2 red and green gum drops
red and green M&M's
whipped cream topping
Put ice cream in cup. pour soda on it. then add the whipped cream, cherries and candy.

Spinach Balls
10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach - cooked and drained
1 cup herb dressing
2 Tablespoons flour
1 small onion chopped finely
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Mix all ingredients together. Form into balls (approx. 1 heaping teaspoon ). Place on ungreased cookie sheet and freeze. Thaw 1 hour before cooking. Cook at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. (check at 15 minutes to make sure bottoms are not burning).
Thanks to:
Natasha Nalley

Bourbon Ham
10 - 12 lb fully cooked Ham
1 cup orange juice
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Bourbon
1 Tablespoon ground cloves
Place ham in heavy plastic bag. Mix ingredients - pour over ham. Enclose ham in bag. Refrigerate overnight.
Bake:
Reserve marinate. Put ham in baking pan. Bake at 325 for about 1-2 hours, or until heated through. Remove skin and shave fat to 1/4 inch. Score fat into 1 inch diamonds. Insert whole clove in each diamond. Baste with marinate. Cook 1 hour more.
Thanks to:
Natasha Nalley

Festive Egg Squares
(Great New Year's eve breakfast)
1 pound bulk pork sausage, cooked and drained
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1-1/4 cups buttermilk baking mix (like Bisquick)
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Layer the sausage, mushrooms, green onions, tomatoes, and cheese in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
Beat together the remaining ingredients; Pour over sausage mixture. Cook uncovered in a 350 degree oven until golden brown and set, about 30 minutes.
Cut into 12 3-inch squares. Serves 12.
Hint: Recipe can easily be halved.
Thanks to:
Natasha Nalley

Turkey Potatoe Salad
2 cups cooked, diced turkey
2 stalks celery, chopped
2/3 cup diced water chestnuts
3 green onions, cut up
2 red potatoes, cooked and cut into cubes
1 cup lowfat plain yogurt, (or light or fat free mayonnaise)
2 tablespoons parsley flakes (or to taste)
2 teaspoons dill weed (or to taste) pepper to taste
Lightly mix the turkey, celery, water chestnuts, onions, potatoes, parsley and dill. Add the yogurt or mayo and mix.
Add pepper to taste. Serve with a roll or on a bed of lettuce with bean sprouts.
Thanks to:
Natasha Nalley

Natasha Nalley's Carrot Cake
Sift together:
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
(The allspice, nutmeg & cinnamon may be slightly rounded if you like a spicier cake)
Mix together in another bowl:
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla (I use 2 teaspoons)
2 Tablespoons water if batter is dry
Combine all above.
Add:
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped of ground walnuts or pecans (I prefer ground walnuts)
1 small can crushed pineapple - undrained
1 cup raisins - Optional
(sometimes I add a half cup or so of grated zucchini)
Mix well. Pour in greased/floured tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. You may use one of the following, not both.
Optional Glaze:
Brush glaze over top and sides of baked cake. Let seep in.
Melt in small saucepan and heat until just starting to simmer:
1/8 lb. butter
1/8 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
remove from heat and add 1/8 cup rum (optional)
Optional Icing:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Optional - 1 cup grated coconut, 1/4 cup chopped pecans
Blend together first 4 ingredients: add coconut & nuts. Mix. Spread evenly over top and sides of cake.
Thanks to:
Natasha Nalley

Hot Spiced Christmas Punch
3 cups Pineapple juice
4 cups cranberry juice
2 cups apple cider
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 cinnamon sticks
1 orange, studded with cloves
1 apple, cored and sliced Mix all ingredients in a large saucepan.
Add cinnamon sticks, orange studded with cloves, and one cored, sliced apple.
Simmer mixture for 4 hours. Serve hot.
Serves 12.
(Recipe may be doubled)
Thanks to:
Lisa Jane Morwald

American Indian Cold Christmas Cake Recipe
1 lb. pecans or walnuts, chopped
1 lb. shredded moist coconut
1 lb. raisans
1 lb. vanilla wafers
1 regular can sweetened condensed milk
Combine dry ingredients well. Pour in sweentened condensed milk and work through with hands so that dry ingredients are thoroughly saturated. Press into spring foam pan. Refrigerate for 2 days. My Cherokee ancestors used hazelnuts, dates and thick goats milk, then wrapped the cake in watertight leaves bound with vine and placed in cold running stream for several days. This is delicious and easy.
Thanks to:
Ruby M. Harper