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Showing posts with the label holiday baking

Christmas Recipes

The book launch for Maggie Pill's newest, ONCE UPON A TRAILER PARK, was a great deal of fun. People asked for the recipes for several items served, so here they are. Chicken Spread 1 pint canned chicken 1 8-oz. package cream cheese 1/2 c. chopped onion Drain chicken and save juice. Blend chicken, cream cheese, and onion. Add some of the juice if mixture is too dry. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve with crackers. Cinnamon Toasted Pecans 1 pound pecans, whole or halves 1 egg white 1 tablespoon water 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg white and water to a froth. In a large zip-bag, combine sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Coat pecans with the egg/water mixture then drop them into the bag and shake, coating well. Spread on greased cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool on waxed paper. (These freeze well, but seldom last long!) Chocolate Peanut-Butter Clusters In a l

Sandwich Cookie Truffles

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1 pkg. cream-filled cookies (such as Oreos but not double-stuffed) 1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese Smash the cookies to fine crumbs. Stir in softened cream cheese. Roll into balls and chill for 1 hour. Melt 12 oz. white chocolate. (Some use regular chocolate.) Using toothpicks, dip the balls into melted chocolate and set on waxed paper and chill to harden. If you like, you can drizzle dark chocolate over the white to make them pretty or decorate in some other way. We like to color the white chocolate green and leave a "buckeye" showing the cookie mixture. Any way you do it, these don't last long, and they make great gifts for friends, family, and others on your list!

Pecan Pie Bars

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Just what they sound like--great for parties Crust: 1/2 c. oleo 1/2 c. shortening 1 c. brown sugar 2 c. flour Mix well and press into 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes Topping: Mix 5 eggs 1 c. syrup (I use light but recipe says you can use light or dark) 3/4 c. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 2 c. pecans, broken Pour mixture over crust and bake at 275 degrees for about 50 min. Cut into bars.

Fruit Pizza

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I don't claim this one is exactly healthy, but it does have fruit, and you can make it look very festive by focusing on reds and greens. Make sugar cookie dough and flatten it onto a lightly greased pizza pan. You can use your own recipe or even store-bought, but here's one that works: Crust: 1 c. butter or margarine 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. almond extract 1 tsp. soda 1 tsp. cream of tartar Blend butter, sugar, egg & almond extract well. Mix flour, soda, and tartar and blend in. Bake in 375 degree oven until lightly browned. Cool. Topping When cool crust is completely cool, spread with topping. 1 pkg. cream cheese, softened 1/3 c. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla Fruit: Top with fresh fruit: pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, bananas, etc. (Note: I've never gotten as creative as the pic above, but someday I might!)

Brownie Pudding

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                                                       This one always makes me feel like I can do magic! Brownie batter 1 c. flour 3/4 c. sugar 2 tbsp. cocoa 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 c. milk 2 tbsp. oil 1 tsp. vanilla Pudding 3/4 c. brown sugar 1/4 c. cocoa 1 3/4 c. hot water Mix together first 5 ingredients. Add milk, oil, and vanilla (I add 1/2 c. walnuts here). Stir well and put into greased 8x8 baking pan. (Batter is thick; I flatten it a little with a spatula.) Combine brown sugar and cocoa in a bowl. Pour hot water in and stir until liquified. Pour over the brownie batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. When done, the brownies are on top and below them is rich, dark pudding. Scoop out a serving, turn it upside down in a bowl, and add ice cream or whipped cream, and you've got a major treat that was easy to make!

Four-layer Delight

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The pudding you use is your choice. I like pistachio for this one. 1 stick oleo/butter 1 c. flour 1/2 c. chopped nuts 8 oz. cream cheese 1 c. powdered sugar 1 package Cool Whip 3 c. milk 2 small packages instant pudding Layer 1: Melt oleo, add flour and nuts. Press into 9x13 pan and bake at 375 degrees for 15 min. Layer 2: Blend cream cheese & p. sugar, add 1 c. Cool Whip. Mix and spread over cooled Layer 1. Layer 3: Mix 2 pudding mixes with milk. Pour over 1 & 2. Chill until set. Layer 4: Spread remaining Cool Whip on top

Recipe: Simple Sauce for Sunday

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The easiest and best hot fudge sauce for ice cream, desserts (or even to eat with a spoon, as someone I know well tends to do). 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 square baking chocolate 1 scoop peanut butter (more or less to your taste) Melt the baking chocolate in a saucepan. Pour in milk and mix well over low heat. Add peanut butter for a creamy consistency and rich taste. Stores well in the fridge, I hear, but it never lasts long at my house so I can't speak to that! Put it in a pretty jar and it makes a great gift, too.

Reindeer Cookies

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Any sugar cookie recipe will do for these cookies, but here's one that's good. It's the decorations that make them fun. 1/2 c. margarine/butter, softened 4 oz. cream cheese 1 1/4 c. powdered sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. baking powder 3 c. flour Oven 350 degrees  Combine butter, cream cheese, and p. sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, salt, and baking powder. With mixer on low, add flour until dough holds together. Make it into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour. On lightly floured surface, roll dough 1/4 inch thick and cut into triangle shapes. Bake 15 minutes until edges brown lightly. Cool completely. Frost cookies with chocolate icing. Break pretzel loops off and set them along top edge for antlers. Add candies or dots of colored frosting for for eyes and noses.

Cookie Cutter Cakes

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This recipe can get a little fussy, but that's what it's all about in Christmas baking, right? 1 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 c. oleo/butter 1/4 c. shortening 1/2 c. milk 3 eggs 1 1/2 c. flour Flavorings (see below) Combine the first six ingredients and blend for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add flavorings you want from this list or make up your own. I like to divide up the batter and make three or four differently flavored cakes, which takes smaller pans. If you make it all the same flavor, use a 9x13 pan.   For egg nog: 1 tsp. nutmeg, 2 tsp. rum extract, 1/2 c. chopped nuts   For cherry: 1 tsp. almond extract, 8 oz. jar of chopped maraschino cherries   For lemon: 2 tsp. lemon juice, 2 tsp. grated lemon peel   For orange: 2 tsp. orange juice, 2 tsp grated orange peel   For nut: 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 tsp. almond extract, 1/2 c. chopped nuts   For coconut: 1/2 tsp. coconut extract, 1/4 tsp. almond extract, 1/3 c. flaked coconut Bake 25-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool, cut int

Caramels

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I only make these once a year because the cooking part takes so darned long. Still, they're wonderful little bits of heaven, and they cost a fraction of what you'll pay in a candy store. 2 c. sugar Dash salt 2 c. white corn syrup 1/2 stick butter 2 c. condensed milk 1 tsp. vanilla Boil sugar, salt and corn syrup to 245 degrees. Add butter & milk (don't let it stop boiling). Cook to 242 degrees, stirring constantly (this is the part that takes forever, but it you aren't careful it will scorch on the bottom and you'll have lumps of yukky stuff.) Add vanilla. Pour into 9-inch square pan and cool. Cut into squares and wrap in waxed paper.

Candy Cane Cookies

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1/2 c. butter or margarine (softened) 1/2 c. shortening 1 c. powdered sugar 1 egg 1/1/2 tsp. almond extract 1 tsp. vanilla 2/ 1/2 c. flour 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. red food coloring Oven: 375 Mix butter, shortening, p. sugar well, add egg and flavorings. Blend in flour & salt Divide dough in half; color one half red. Shape 1 tsp. of dough from each half into ropes by rolling on lightly floured board. Place ropes side by side, pinch ends together, and twist to form candy cane shape. Bend one end to make the crook. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake about 9 minutes, until set and very light brown. If desired, frost/sprinkle. Makes about 4 dozen