Almond Chocolate Toffee

Serves/Yields: 20
Prep. Time:
Cook Time:
Category: Candy
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1/2 cup almond slivers
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon corn syrup, light
1 cup chocolate chips
Directions
Line a 13-by-9 inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over the edges. Sprinkle almonds on the bottom of pan. Butter sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan.
Melt butter over low heat. Stir in sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium-high heat to boiling.
Clip candy thermometer to side of pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thermometer reads 290 degrees (soft-crack stage). Watch carefully after mixture reaches 280 degrees.
Remove pan from heat. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Let stand 2 or 3 minutes, until surface is firm. Sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes, until chocolate chips are glossy and soft.
Spread evenly over candy. Chill until firm. Lift candy out of pan with foil; break into pieces. Makes about 1 1/2 pounds.

Peppermint Bark

Serves/Yields: Makes 2 1/4 pounds or one 11-by-17-inch sheet
Prep. Time:
Cook Time:
Category: Candy
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
2 pounds white chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

12 large candy canes

1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil


Directions
1. Line an 11-by-17-inch baking sheet with parchment, and set aside.




2. In the top of a double boiler, melt white chocolate, stirring constantly.




3. With a chef’s knife or meat tenderizer, cut or pound candy canes into 1/4-inch pieces.




4. Stir pieces of candy canes and peppermint oil into the melted chocolate. Remove from heat, and pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet; spread evenly. Chill until firm, 25 to 30 minutes. Break into pieces, and serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Rocky Road

Serves/Yields: 12
Prep. Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Category: Candy
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 12-oz bag Chocolate Chips, Semisweet
1 14-oz can Milk, Condensed, Sweetened
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Cups Peanuts, Dry Roasted
6 Cups Marshmallows, Miniature
Directions
In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips with the sweetened condensed milk and butter. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine nuts and marshmallows. Fold in chocolate mixture. Spread in waxed-paper-lined 13 by 9 pan.

Cool two hours. Peel off waxed paper, and cut into squares.
Store covered at room temperature.

Chocolate Covered Turtles

Serves/Yields: 30
Prep. Time:
Cook Time:
Category: Desserts
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, cut up, plus more for pans
3/4 pound pecan halves (about 3 1/2 cups), toasted
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (recommended: Crisco)
Directions
Generously butter 2 baking sheets.
On the baking sheets, arrange the pecan halves in snowflake-shaped clusters of 5 pecans each, overlapping the nuts in the center, leaving 2 inches of space between each.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the evaporated milk, the corn syrup, and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk and the 4 tablespoons butter, and cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches the soft ball stage, 240 degrees F. Stir in the vanilla and remove from the heat. Let cool to 200 degrees F.

Using a tablespoon, spoon caramel on top of each nut cluster and let harden. (If the caramel becomes too stiff to pour, return to low heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until it returns to the proper consistency.)

To make the chocolate coating, in the top of a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over barely simmering water, combine 6 ounces of the chocolate and the shortening. Melt over low heat, stirring, until it reaches 116 to 118 degrees F, or feels fairly warm but not hot to the touch.

Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate. Continue stirring until the chocolate reaches 80 degrees F or feels cool to the touch. Return to low heat and cook, stirring, until the temperature rises to 85 to 87 degrees F, or feels barely cool. Remove from the heat.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of tempered chocolate over each cluster. Set aside in a cool place to harden. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, with waxed paper separating the layers to prevent sticking.

My family has no "traditional" Christmas dinners. Some years, it is beef, some years it is ham.

Over the last three years, I have spent Christmas with my girlfriends family in Vancouver, WA.

What are your X-mas traditions?

JJT

Always always turkey - basically the same as our Thanksgiving but Plum Pudding for dessert instead of pumpkin pie (and no-one really likes plum pudding but it's what we have always done.... :) )

For our family it has always been turkey for Thanksgiving and pies, ham for Christmas and cakes.
One of the reasons we have ham for Christmas is that when we are 5 children were young they were always so excited it was hard to get them to settle down and eat a large meal. We still have Christmas but now instead of 5 children we have 11 grandchildren and their parents at our house so we still do the ham. It is just much easier to do ham when the house is packed with 23 people.
I can do the potato salad and deviled eggs and many things the day before and save my strength for Christmas. LOL believe me with 11 kids running around at my age I need all the strength I can get.

Here is an after thought. This year will not be our traditional Christmas. We will celebrate Christmas a week early with the entire family.
My husband and I will be taking our son-in-law and 5 of our grandchildren to Tx. to visit their mother who is in the FPC at Bryan.
Since we live in Missouri, Bryan Tx. is over 800 miles one way. This is one of the greatest Christmas presents we can give our daughter and grandchildren.

Apéritif:

Champagne + appetizers

Dinner:

Oysters

Foie gras

Rooster + chestnuts + sauté potatoes

Salad

Cheese

Christmas log (traditional X-mas cake)

Coffee

Cognac

Wines:

White Ménetout Salon with the oysters

White sweet Sauternes with the foie gras

Red Bordeaux Graves with the rooster/salad/cheese

Champagne with the Christmas log

Phil

My husband and I will be taking our son-in-law and 5 of our grandchildren to Tx. to visit their mother who is in the FPC at Bryan.

That is a wonderful Christmas present!

JJT

A ham is always made at Christmas time and I love to bake a big bunch of cookies for everyone too!

For as long as I can remember we always had prime rib for dinner with the works but the last few years with my Gram being to frail to cook and money being tight we changed tradition and now I make 2 HUGE pans of lasanga and garlic bread every year for the family and take it to Grams house.I hated giving up our prime rib tradition but man it is pricey and I haven't mastered the art of cooking it yet anyways lol

every thanksgiving we put up the tree and put the stuff on it but this year we went out to eat cuz the kitchen is being redone i gotta clean the living room first before the tree goes up:'(

Have you all started making your Christmas cookies yet? What kinds do you make and do your children love to help? Please share your recipes, stories etc.Have any of you tried the Pillsbury frozen cookie dough? I love getting home-made cookies as a Christmas gift- anyone else?

Ohh yea then you would love my mom!!! All she gives away to like co-workers and relatives we dont see on a daily basis is home made sugar cookies and bananna bread! Yummy!!!

My fav is the sugar or Gingerbread!

I would love your mom! Do you help make the cookies or do you just help eat them? :D

My mom has always baked enough Christmas cookies to feed the entire country! I used to love to help her and still do sometimes.

I remember one Christmas when my 2 brothers and I were young, Mom mixed the dough for chocolate chip cookies and put it in the fridge until the weekend when she had time to bake them. Well.... the weekend comes and Mom gets the dough out but - THERE WAS NO DOUGH LEFT!! Chocolate Chip cookie dough is BETTER then the cookies every time!!! Boy we got in major trouble over that - threatened with no visit from Santa and all!!

That's funny jessnkat! -hope there were some cookies for Santa and Rudolph anyway!

The Washington members are getting together this weekend for a Cookie Exchange. Each of us are to bring a dozen dozen (144) cookies!! eh gads!!

Some of the members, including myself, are going to donate our cookies to various charities (Womens shelter, military base, etc).

Earlier this evening, my 4 year old nephew and I made some Hopscotch cookies and some Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies. Now. I don't know if my nephew actually did any stirring or spooning...... more like sneaking some marshmellows and butterscotch morsels!!! Anyway, we had fun!!

Recipes to follow on next post...........

Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies

In large sauce pan, add:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 cube maregarine (I used butter and they were fine)
2 Tablespoons cocoa

Bring to boil and boil hard for one minute. Remove from Heat.

Add:
1/2 cup peanut butter (stir until melted)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups quick oats

Stir and spoon onto wax paper lined cookie sheets.

Makes about 3 dozen, depending on how big you make them.

I took my cookie sheets out to the garage to cool!!

Side note on the recipe card from my Grandmother: "Good-like candy" !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hopscotch Goodies

Combine in top of double boiler:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 - 6 oz package (1 cup) Nestle's Butterscotch morsels

Place over hot (not boiling) water until butterschotch melts. Stir until blended. Remove from heat.

Add and stir until well coated:
1 - 3 ounce can (2 cups) La Choy Chow Mein noodles
2 cups miniature marchmallows

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper lined cookie sheets. Chill until set.

Makes about 30.

Side note on the recipe card from my Grandmother: Peanuts can be added if desired.

Don't know Hopscotch cookies at all so I am looking forward to that recipe. Such a great idea donating cookies to shelters and the military base!!! There is a youth shelter down the street from me and you have inspired me to donate some to them. :thumbsup:

These two received rave reviews last year:

Snowball Cookies (recipe from Land O'Lakes)

Ingredients:


2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar (lots of it)
Instructions:

Heat oven to 325°F. Combine all ingredients except powdered sugar in large mixer bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes).

Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes; roll in powdered sugar while still warm and again when cool.

* I bake the Snowballs for 18 minutes max. Never the full 25 minutes.

Pecan Tassies (recipe from Mr. Food)

Ingredients:


1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon butter, softened, divided
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter and the cream cheese until creamy.
2. Add the flour, beating until well combined.
3. Cover and chill the dough for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
5. In another large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, including the remaining 1 tablespoon butter; stir until well combined.
6. Shape the chilled dough into twenty-four 1-inch balls. Place each dough ball in an ungreased mini-muffin cup. Using your thumb, press the dough to form a crust.
7. Spoon the pecan mixture into the crusts, filling them three-quarters full.
8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is firm and the crust is golden.
9. Cool slightly, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve, or cover and chill until ready to serve.

Thanks California Sunshine. I don't have my recipes with me this year so I'm anxious to try the ones you've listed. They sound yummy.
Love, Sheila

we baked last saturday and sunday ALL day! we made the snowballs (my favorites) pecan taisies, chocolate chip, peanut butter, italian anisse cookies, lindzer bars, snickerdoodles, sesame cookies, oatmeal raisin, chocolate peanut butter, coconut cherry, gosh and i bunch more that i dont remember. lol but we have a house full of cookies and enough until next year!

I make peanut brittle every year,always a big hit (I'll find and post the recipe soon)
This year I am also making little peanut butter cookies with Hershy's kisses on top (recioe taken off the Hershy kisses bag)

i might make some cookies to cheer myself up...chocholate chip w walnuts : )

I make the Snowball Cookies also but I do one extra thing I put a candy kiss inside,Yummy!!!!!!

Although Mexican Wedding Cookies aren't a Holiday thing to some it wouldn't be Christmas around our place without them...

Mexican Wedding Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 cup ground nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine flour, butter, first amount of powdered sugar, nuts and vanilla in a large bowl and mix well. Form into 1½-inch balls. Place on baking sheets and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
Remove from oven and roll in remaining powdered sugar while still warm. Store in airtight container when cool.
Makes 36 cookies.

Now it's YOUR turn, share a recipe,
Patty

Sign up for FoodTV's 12 Days of Cookies Newsletter coming via email in December.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/12_days_of_cookies/0,1904,FOOD_18276,00.html

Article :http://biz.yahoo.com/weekend/fatfood_1.html

Slideshow w/ ingridents,pics and nutrition facts: http://www.forbes.com/2005/11/15/cx_sy_1116featslide.html?partner=yahoo

1) Apple Pie
2) Almond Kulfi
3) Christmas Cheeseball
4) Christmas Pudding
5) Churros Con Chocolate
6) Egg Nog
7) Gebackener Karpfen (Fried Carp)
8) Holiday Creamed Corn
9) Julekake
10) Latkes (Potato Cakes)
11) Melkkos (Milk Food)
12) Roast Goose
13) Roast Pork With Pineapple
14) Sweet Potatoes With Marshmallows

I am really surprised apple pie tops the list! (Of course it all depends on what recipe is used so everyone should keep that in mind and not panic:p )

This is the first year that I am going to bake cookies ahead of time and freeze them. What cookies would you recommend I make? Are there any that freeze better than others? Also, I don't have a clue on how to package them for freezing so when they thaw out they won't be hard as rocks! Help!!!!

Here's a website with lots of recipes and tips- have fun!:) :Baking and freezing (http://southernfood.about.com/library/info/blcookib.htm)

Almost all cookies will freeze well...just use good-quality airtight plastic bags and double them. You'll not even guess, after you thaw them out, that they were ever frozen.

Thanks! I am off to check out the Christmass cookies thread to find some good recipes. I want to make 3 or different kind.

20 Homemade Food Christmas Gifts

http://bhg.com/bhg/slideshow/slideShow.jhtml?sssdmh=dm1.170729&slideid=/templatedata/bhg/slideshow/data/SimplyHomemadeSS_10222001.xml

The Top 5 Christmas Drinks! Take a look!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/et_hd_christmas/article/0,,FOOD_9832_2444369,00.html

In France we eat a chocolate log for Christmas. :) It's called: "Une bûche de Noël."

Here's a recipe in English.

http://www.cuisine-french.com/cgi/mdc/l/en/recettes/buche_chocolat_ill.html

Phil

64 vegetarian recipes for holiday meals inc. soups, salads,gravies, main courses, breads, and desserts: Vegetarian recipes (http://www.ivu.org/recipes/holiday/)

Gosh... I don't even know what some of that stuff is!!!

Apple pie? No, say it isn't so...........

Churros Con Chocolate

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM !!!! :drool: :drool: :drool:

I LOOOOOOOOOOVE Churros !!!! :drool: That's great they are only #5 !!! :D :p

Phil :drool:

Phil - Are they easy to make? How do you get that pretty design on them? They look good and the dipping in chocolate sounds just divine!!!



Churros Con Chocolate

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM !!!! :drool: :drool: :drool:

I LOOOOOOOOOOVE Churros !!!! :drool: That's great they are only #5 !!! :D :p

Phil :drool:

Day One - Ginger Cookies

Yield: 30 cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
5 cracks freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar, plus more for rolling the cookies
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
2 tablespoons ginger preserves (see Cook's note)

Whisk the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, mustard, salt and black pepper together in a medium bowl.

Beat the butter and the sugars with a hand mixer electric mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat on medium speed until just incorporated, about 20 seconds. Add the molasses and ginger preserves and continue beating until the batter is an even light brown color, 30 seconds more.

Add the dry ingredients all at once, beating slowly to make a soft, smooth dough. Use a rubber spatula to make sure all ingredients are combined. Then beat again for 20 seconds. Cover the bowl with plastic and refrigerate the dough until firm, about 25 minutes.

Put about 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. With a cookie scoop or a small ice cream scoop, portion the dough into a slightly heaping tablespoon for each cookie. Roll the dough, by hand, into balls. Roll the tops of the balls in the sugar, and space them 2 inches apart on a nonstick or lightly oiled cookie sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 25 minutes. (The chilling is what gives this cookie a beautiful, crackly crunch on top, and a soft, chewy center.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake until the top is crackly, and the insides peeking out through are dark and moist but not raw, about 15 to 20 minutes. Briefly cool the cookies on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Serve or store in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 weeks.

Cook's Note: Ginger preserves give lots of flavor without the hard chunks of crystallized ginger. It is found in most grocery stores.

I'm getting a head start this weekend.
- 7 layer bars
- Oatmeal Raisin cookies
- Chocolate Cherry Nuggets
- Chocolate Chip and Butterscotch Cookies- ok this one is very sweet, last year my friend decided we should mix the two chips and she put two whole bags to one batter of cookies.... on purpose :eek:
But everyone raved about them, I think it's just the flavor of the butterscotch. So we're making them again, but I'm reducing the amount of chips this time. It was a diabetic's nightmare....

So share what holiday baked goods you're making this year....

Happy Holidays :)

Thanks Ronnie -I think giving homemade food as a present at anytime is really such a wonderful idea. I certainly appreciate it more than someone going out and buying something just because the stores are telling us we should. These homemade gifts are gifts from the heart:time, effort and love go into them!

Peanut Brittle (Make it every year,big hit!)

Some kind of cookies but not sure which ones yet lol

Chocolate Kiss Cookies

1 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 (6 ounce) bag milk chocolate candy kisses
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

In a large bowl, cream margarine with sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Mix in flour and walnuts, beating on low speed of an electric mixer until well mixed. Cover, and refrigerate dough for 2 hours, or until firm enough to handle.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Remove wrappers from chocolate kisses. Shape approximately 1 tablespoon of dough around each chocolate kiss; be sure to cover chocolate completely. Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. While cookies are still warm, roll them in confectioners' sugar.

I enjoy these gifts too Deb. These are truly gifts from the heart.

I always make snickerdoodles and no- bake cookies

Hazelnut Crunch

Yield: 1 1/2 pounds

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup dark corn syrup
2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Stir the sugar, water, light corn syrup, and dark corn syrup in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high and boil without stirring until a candy thermometer registers 260 degrees F, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Mix in the hazelnuts, butter, and salt (the mixture will be thick and nutty), and cook until the thermometer registers 295 degrees F, stirring constantly, about 15 minutes. Quickly stir in the baking soda. Immediately pour the caramel onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading it as thinly as possible.

Let stand until hard. Break the brittle into pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature. If desired, serve over your favorite ice cream.

Love these gift ideas...thanks!

Rosemary-Cheese Spritz Cookies

Yield: about 4 dozen cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 large egg yolk
6 tablespoons heavy cream
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup finely grated Pecorino cheese
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoons fine salt
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg

Special Equipment: Cookie Press

Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Beat the butter and lemon zest with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Slowly beat in the egg yolk and cream.

Whisk the flour, pecorino, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, sugar, rosemary, salt, and nutmeg together in a bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture while mixing slowly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium speed to make a slightly sticky dough.

Fill the cookie press with the dough. Assemble the press with the desired disk shape (see cook's note), and press cookies onto ungreased baking sheets. Leave about one inch between cookies. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and refrigerate cookies for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Bake cookies, rotating pan halfway through, until golden, the cheese browns a bit, and the cookies smell nutty, about 20 to 25 minutes. Briefly cool the cookies on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool. Serve or store in a tightly sealed container for up to 1 month.

Cook's Notes: These freeze beautifully. Press the cookies out into desired shapes on cookie sheets and freeze. Transfer frozen cookies to a plastic bag, seal, and keep frozen for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, lay out frozen cookies on cookie trays and bake from frozen for 25 minutes.
Some disk shapes work better than others. Since this is savory cookie, we liked the cutters that result in a cracker shape cookie, like the ribbon, clover. Stars and and snowflakes work, too.

Peace.....I am going to try my hand at sweet potato cheese cake! Will check out recipes from the net and a soul food cook book that I have. Blessings.....

We're throwing a party at work for our consumers and their families. So far on the list we have:

Fudge
Thumbprint cookies
Sugar Cookies
Snickerdoodles

That sounds good. I think I may add that to my list. I

Peace.....I am going to try my hand at sweet potato cheese cake! Will check out recipes from the net and a soul food cook book that I have. Blessings.....

My girlfriend made these over the weekend for our book club meeting and they were a BIG HIT! Yummy! I have added them to my baking list this year.



Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

Yield: 6 to 8 servings


Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling:
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Variations:
For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

Toasted Coconut Marshmallows

Yield: 20 to 40 marshmallows

7 ounces sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1 recipe Homemade Marshmallow batter, recipe follows
Confectioners' sugar

Sprinkle half the toasted coconut in an 8 by 12-inch nonmetal pan. Pour in the marshmallow batter and smooth the top of the mixture with damp hands. Sprinkle on the remaining toasted coconut. Allow to dry uncovered at room temperature overnight. Remove the marshmallows from the pan and cut into squares. Roll the sides of each piece carefully in confectioners' sugar. Store uncovered at room temperature.

Homemade Marshmallows:
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and allow to sit while you make the syrup.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.

hey Phil TYSM for posting this,I make one of these every year as well we call it a Yule Log cake,good stuff:thumbsup:

TYSM:thumbsup:

Five-Minute Fudge Wreath

1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate morsels
9 ounces (3/4 of a 12-ounce bag) butterscotch morsels
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) can walnut halves
1/2 cup (a couple of handfuls) currants 8-inch cake pan, lightly greased with softened butter
Candied cherries, red and green, for garnish, optional

Place a heavy pot on the stove and preheat it over low heat. Add chips and milk and stir until chips are melted and milk combined. Save the empty condensed milk can. Stir in vanilla and remove fudge from heat. Add nuts and currants and stir in immediately. Cover empty condensed milk can with plastic food wrap and center it in the greased cake pan. Spoon fudge into pan around can, making sure to recenter can if it drifts.

The fudge will set up almost immediately. Garnish can only be added in the first minute or 2 the fudge is in the pan, so work quickly. Decorate your wreath with "holly" made from cut candied red and green cherries. A wreath left plain can be garnished with a pretty fabric bow when serving.

Chill covered in the refrigerator and slice fudge very thin when ready to serve, a little goes a long way.

Now that does sound easy AND good!!!

Might make it this weekend.......

Sounds YUM, guess i know what im doing this weekend!!! (he he)

My mom has always baked enough Christmas cookies to feed the entire country! I used to love to help her and still do sometimes.

I remember one Christmas when my 2 brothers and I were young, Mom mixed the dough for chocolate chip cookies and put it in the fridge until the weekend when she had time to bake them. Well.... the weekend comes and Mom gets the dough out but - THERE WAS NO DOUGH LEFT!! Chocolate Chip cookie dough is BETTER then the cookies every time!!! Boy we got in major trouble over that - threatened with no visit from Santa and all!!

Re-reading this post made me laugh!! I have to tell yall, the other night I was at my mom's (where I'll be staying this weekend to dog sit) and the only instruction she gave me was to NOT eat the chocolate chip cookies that she went ahead and baked because she knew if she left dough that it wouldn't be there when she got home on Sunday! :eek: LOL!! Think she's on to me???

I'm thinking that I'll do some baking over there this weekend myself - won't she be surprised!!

Refresh your guests with holiday beverages (http://www.lhj.com/lhj/slideshow/slideShow.jhtml?sssdmh=dm1.172272&slideid=/templatedata/bhg/slideshow/data/100DaysHolidays_ChristmasHolidaysDrinks_08062003.x ml)like these: punch, tea, coffee, cocoa and more.

S'More Rockin' Reindeer Ravioli

Yield: 2 dozen

Filling:
5 graham crackers, broken into pieces
6 ounce milk or dark chocolate, or a combination, chopped
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

Dough:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup graham flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup heavy cream

For the filling: Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until crumbly. Add the chocolate and cream cheese and continue to pulse until crumbly but pasty.

Using the filling portion ('the bumpy side") of a 12-section ravioli mold, cover the indented side with plastic wrap. Pack some of the filling into each indentation, leveling each one so it's flush with the top of the mold. Remove and place on a plate. Repeat to make 24 fillings. Cover the filling with plastic wrap and refrigerate. (Eat the crumbs left behind.)

To make the dough: Combine the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed, until fluffy and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the molasses and vanilla and beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk both flours, the baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with cream in 2 parts, beginning and ending with flour. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Divide into 2 disks, wrap in plastic warp and chill until very firm, about 1 hour.

Lay out an 11 by 15-inch piece of foil on a clean workspace and sprinkle generously with flour. Place a disk of dough on top and cover with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Roll the dough between the two layers (Voila, no messy hands) until you have a rectangle measuring 10 by 13 inches, cutting and patching as needed. Repeat with the other disk of dough. Transfer each foil to a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

When chilled, remove plastic wrap from 1 flat of chilled and rolled dough. Spray the zigzag side of the ravioli mold with nonstick spray and sprinkle it with flour. Place the mold, zigzag side down, onto the lower half of the dough, making a slight indent in the dough. Take the chocolate filling from the refrigerator. Place a round of filling on the center of each square ravioli impression.

Using the foil to lift the top of the dough, fold it over the mounds on the bottom half leaving plenty of give to tuck dough between each mound. Gently press out the air around the mounds with wet fingers to keep the dough from cracking. Spray the zigzag side of the mold again and sprinkle the top of the ravioli with flour. Invert the press on the cookies, making another impression in the dough, and press very firmly to seal the 2 layers together and cut off excess dough.

To remove the mold, gently lift by pressing downward on the 2 mounds on the end. Lift up on the mold working your way across the dough slab. Use a dry pastry brush to brush off excess flour. Cut ravioli into individual portions, trimming away excess dough with a knife or fluted pastry cutter. Arrange on a baking sheet. Chill the molded ravioli in the refrigerator until firm to the touch, 30 more minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake the ravioli for 25 to 30 Minutes. Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet 5 more minutes, using a pastry cutter to cut in between the ravioli while warm, if desired. Then slide the slab onto a cookie sheet to cool. Eat 1 slab and freeze the other to keep it really fresh. Yummmmm!!!!

Nuro's, sorry for being late, I just saw your post. Well, I'm currently at work, and I can't answer your question, cause I need both my roomy and my dictionary.

I can't cook, so I need my roomy to tell me in French the thing you need to make them look that way, then I need to look for the translation in English. :rolleyes:

I'll come back to you later. :)

Phil

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for coating baked cookies
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting hands
1 cup pecans, chopped into very small pieces

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar at low speed until it is smooth. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed gradually add the flour. Mix in the pecans with a spatula. With floured hands, take out about 1 tablespoon of dough and shape into a crescent. Continue to dust hands with flour as you make more cookies. Place onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle but still warm, roll in additional confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.

http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/egg/egg1297/buonatale.html

Buon Natale


Traditional Recipes for Celebrating Christmas Eve

Italy (La Vigilia de Natale)
The Italian Christmas season actually begins on December 17th, 8 days before Christmas Day on the 25th, and lasts until Epiphany (or Twelfth Night) on January 6th. On the 23rd of December, children dressed as shepherds go from door to door singing and giving recitations. These pastorales reenact the journey of the shepherds to the Nativity manger.

We do, in fact, owe the popularity of the Nativity scene or presepio and crib figures or pastori, along with the fantastic folk art they have inspired, to an Italian. The presepio was first popularized by Saint Francis of Assisi in the Italian village of Greccio in 1224, when he requested that a man named Giovanni Vellita prepare the first such likeness of a manger. The presepio has now become a very important part of the Italian Christmas celebration, both at home and in the church.

Most Italians fast from sunset on December 23rd to sunset December 24th. The strict 24-hour fast is ended when cannons are fired at the Castel St. Angelo in Rome. To break the fast, a festive Christmas log is kindled, prayers are said around the presepio, and then the feast begins before midnight mass.

It's difficult to say exactly what a 'typical' Italian Christmas Eve feast consists of, as there are both Sicialians and mainlanders with differing traditions. The variety of foods is almost endless. However, due to the dietary restrictions of the Catholic Church (which prohibit the eating of meat on Fridays and certain holidays including Christmas Eve), fish can generally be said to have a starring role in the play of Italian Christmas Eve foods. Some households include as many as twenty fish dishes in the meal, and many serve seven different fish prepared seven different ways to represent the seven sacraments!

http://www.easyitalianrecipes.com/italian-christmas-recipes.html

The Food: Christmas Eve Fish Dinner

About The Christmas Eve Fish Dinner
Not every Italian celebrates this tradition. In fact, my mother's side of the family was very poor, so they just had tuna fish mixed in with macaroni, that was their Christmas Eve dinner. But, its pretty clear, that no meat is eaten on Christmas Eve in celebration of the birth of the baby Jesus. The people from Naples are famous for their elaborate spreads of cold shellfish cocktails and hot fish dishes, as well as the roasted peppers and antipasti. The origins vary, depending on who you ask, but quite clearly, you did not eat meat on Christmas Eve since it was the birth of Jesus, and just as you would not eat meat on Good Friday, you would not eat meat on Christmas Eve. Naturally (and sadly) traditions have changed, but many have kept this tradition, and, in fact, as midnight brings Christmas day, that is when you would start cooking the sausage for Christmas Dinner, and often the eating would go on until the late/early morning hours. Why 7 types of fish? Some say it is because it took God 7 days to create the universe. Again, it all evolves/revolves around Christian beliefs, as it should, after all this is NOT a holiday of gifts or gift giving, or even santa claus, but the feast of the birth of Jesus (as it should be). Unfortunately it has turned into something far more political and commercial over the decades, losing sight of the fact that it is really about family, being together, and should be much less about what you give, whose table you sit at and whom is still is not talking to who.

Ask around, you will find that more than half celebrate Christmas Eve dinner with various types of fish. While it was simpler back then, as you will see below, now times seem to be better financially and I know a lot of families cook lobster as well, and/or use lobster sauce for their pasta.

One Christmas Eve I was over my friend's house. Now, they are a large family, not that there is a lot of them, but they are big people, but the greatest on earth. Their ancestory goes back to Naples, and this was what they served: starters was cheese, crackers and of course antipasto which included marinated artichoke hearts, pepperoni, salami, olives, sweet roasted peppers, mini mozzarella balls (boccicio); the first course was crab legs removed from the shell and jumbo shrimp; next came the pickled peppers stuffed with bread crumbs and olives; flounder stuffed with spinach, sundried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese; baccala (cold seafood salad similar to cod mixed with green and black olives, peppers, etc); lobster ravioli in vodka sauce; linguini in red sauce and shrimp scampi butter sauce over linguini; stuffed calamari; we waited an hour before desserts which included cheesecake, peanut butter silk cake in oreo cookie crust, canoli, assorted cookies, chocolates, etc. etc. etc. Yes, this was the most elaborate I had ever seen, but they were missing a few people and so the food seemed like even more than it would have been. I was stuffed by the time we got to the ravioli, and only was able to eat some of the stuffed flounder. Remember something, for any holiday or any foodfest: chances of a heart attack greatly increase 1-3 hours after a heavy meal, perhaps triple in some cases.


Feast of the 7 Fishes
It is tradition that the Sicilians (and Italians) have a 7 fish dinner on Christmas Eve. Some think that it is perhaps one representing each day of the week, but most traditions come from the observance of the Cena della Vigilia, the wait for the miraculous birth of Christ in which early Christians Catholics fasted on Christmas Eve until after receiving communion at Midnight Mass. In later years it became a penitential day, meaning that all foods except meat were allowed. Other theories include are that there would be served three fish dishes representing the three Wise Men or the Holy Trinity while in some there may have been as many as thirteen, one for each of the apostles plus one for Jesus. Each family and each sect of the Italian culture is different, (the fish they say is from a tradition those from Naples brought over), it also depends on what was available in various parts of Italy. In most of the southern coastal regions in Italy and Sicily, seafood was abundant and so the perfect opportunity to work fish into the menu for this festive day. Others have 9 Fish, and yet others 12 types for the representation of the original 12 apostles. In any case, its all fish, don't forget that.

Some Suggestions:

Antipasto Antipasto is basically an appetizer consisting of Mozzarella, Provolone, Olives, Roasted Peppers, Hot Peppers, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Fresh Italian/French Bread. Usually it would have meat such as prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, soprosata in it as well, but since its Christmas Eve, these meats should be absent from the large plate of these foods piled high.

Baccala A staple at any Christmas Eve dinner, it's a dried cod, and takes several days to prepare.
Calamari squid, boiled
Shrimp shellfish, boiled
Clams shellfish, steamed till they open
Crab shellfish, boiled
Whitefish flounder or other type, bake in oven
Mussels/Oysters shellfish, steam until they open

The whitefish and baccala are usually fried. The calamari, clams and mussels are either simmered into tomato sauce and served over linguine or angel hair pasta, or boiled, steamed or baked as noted above.

Some other dishes I have seen on the table:
Lobster
Lobster Ravioli
Tuna Fish & Cannellini Beans
Salmon & Chick Peas
Mussels Marinara
Fried Flounder Filet
Fried Calamari

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Escarole Siciliano
Calamari in Red Wine and Tomato Sauce with Fettuccine Pasta
Stuffed Sole
Lemony Steamed Fish
Rosemary Mashed Potatoes and Yams with Garlic and Parmesan
Zeppoli
Pignoli Nut Pie
Tiramisu Cheesecake

Spumoni Icebox Cookies



2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine (2 sticks), softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup pistachios in shell)
Green paste food coloring
1/3 cup red candied cherries, finely chopped
Red paste food coloring





1. Line 9" by 5" metal loaf pan with plastic wrap, letting wrap extend on all sides. On waxed paper, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and sugar 4 minutes or until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg and almond extract and beat until well blended. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl.

3. Transfer 1 rounded cup plain dough to medium bowl; with spoon, stir in pistachios and enough green food coloring to tint dough bright green. In another bowl, place 1 rounded cup plain dough; stir in cherries and enough red food coloring to tint dough bright red.

4. Evenly pat pistachio dough into bottom of prepared pan; freeze 10 minutes. Pat plain dough on top of pistachio layer; freeze 10 minutes. Pat cherry dough on top. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, until dough is firm enough to slice.

5. Preheat oven to 350° F. Remove dough from pan; discard plastic wrap. With serrated knife, cut dough crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice crosswise into 3 cookies. Place cookies, 2 inches apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.

6. Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes or until firm and golden brown at edges. Cool cookies on cookie sheet on wire rack 2 minutes. With wide spatula, carefully transfer cookies to rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 2 weeks, or in freezer up to 3 months.

All American Holiday Sampler (34 State/town specific recipes)
http://magazines.ivillage.com/goodhousekeeping/recipes/holiday/articles/0,,284507_546582,00.html

I made it .... I am a bad cook and this turned out great ... thank you

Healthy Eating during the Holidays - click here (http://www.bhg.com/bhg/slideshow/slideShow.jhtml?sssdmh=dm1.161879&slideid=/templatedata/bhg/slideshow/data/100DaysHolidays_HealthyEatingAtChristmas_08172004. xml)

Christmas Citrus Squares

Yield: 50 squares

Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks), unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons red current jelly

Filling:
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch fine salt
1 cup freshly squeezed clementine juice, about 6 clementines
1 lemon, juiced (4 to 5 tablespoons)
2 clementines, zest finely grated (about 2 teaspoons)
1 lemon, zest finely grated (about 2 teaspoons)
2 clementines or 2 blood oranges, sliced and cut into small triangular pieces, for serving, optional

Butter a 9 by 12 1/2-inch baking pan. Line pan with foil and leave about 2 inches extra on all sides. Butter the foil.

Whisk the flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a bowl.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the butter with the sugar on medium, until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Turn mixer to low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over work the dough.

Transfer dough to prepared pan, spreading it out evenly across the pan and pressing to make a 1/4-inch thick covering over the bottom of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap, then press and flatten using your hands over the top to smooth and even out the dough. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the plastic from the top of the dough and prick the dough with a fork or a wooden skewer. Bake the crust until just golden, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the jelly in the microwave until soft enough to spread, about 1 minute. Spread the jelly with a pastry brush or an offset spatula over the crust. Return to the oven and cook another 10 minutes. Cool crust completely on a wire rack, 1 hour.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, yolks, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, flour, and salt together in a medium bowl. Beat until thick and slightly pale. Stir in the citrus juices and zest, and whisk gently to blend well. Pour the filling onto the cooled crust and bake until the filling is firm but still loose and wobbly in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight before cutting. Remove pan from refrigerator and dip the bottom of it in warm water to soften the butter and release the foil from the sides of the pan. Use foil to lift pastry out of the baking dish and transfer to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut into about 50 (1 1/2-inch) squares, wiping down the knife with a hot, wet towel between cuts.

Top each square with a tiny triangular segment of clementine or blood orange (with the peel on) and serve.

OK Nuro's, the French name of the thing you need is "poche à douille", but of course it's not in my dictionary. :mad:

Anyway, I found a pic online, so I hope you will see what I'm speaking of.

My roomy told me to tell you that when you follow the reciepe you will get a dough. Well, as you can see on the picture, there's like a white paper bag, and those plastic things you put at the smaller end of the paper bag. Gosh, I hope you do see what I mean !! :D

So you put your dough in the paper bag, press it and the dough will get out through the plastic thinggie which will give your dough a churros shape. Then you cut it and start again. You can make them more or less long, it's up to you.

Then, you have to throw them in boiling oil and let them fry for 1 to 2 minutes.

I do hope you understood those explanations... :rolleyes:

Phil

Thanks Phil! I got it! I think I am going to try making them for New Years.

Sherry Butter Nut Drops Recipe

Yield: 90 cookies

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
3 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 cup ground pecans
2 egg whites, beaten
Pecan halves, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt. Mix the flour into the butter mixture, alternating with the sherry, making sure to finish with the flour. Stir in the ground pecans.

Drop by the teaspoonful onto a cookie sheet and roll each portion between your palms to make smooth, even balls. Press each one into the cookie sheet and brush with beaten egg white. Using a fork, knife or another tool, press a design into the top of each cookie, or press a pecan half, right side up, into each ball or dough. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool a few minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cool and let cookies sit overnight to ripen. Serve or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread

Yield: about 1 dozen


1 cup husked hazelnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place hazelnuts on baking sheet. Bake until they're a shade darker and fragrant, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Lower oven to 325 degrees F.

Place hazelnuts in blender or food processor and pulse to coarse bits; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt to blend; set aside.
Beat butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon until smooth. Beat in egg. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Add the chopped hazelnuts and mix until distributed evenly throughout.

Form into finger sized logs, about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons dough each, and place on greased cookie sheets. Bake until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on racks.

In a saucepan over lowest heat or in a double boiler, melt chocolate. Dip 1 end of cooled cookies into melted chocolate. Place back on cookie sheet to harden.

Booze Balls

Yield: about 4 1/2 dozen 1-inch balls

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
20 chocolate wafer cookies (about 1/2 a 9-ounce box)
1/2 cup finely chopped pitted prunes (about 15 prunes)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup bourbon or 1/3 to 1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar, or colored decorating sugars, for garnish

Put chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on medium power for a minute. Stir and repeat until the chocolate melts, about 3 minutes in all depending on the power of your microwave. Alternatively, put the chocolates in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1-inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan (without touching the water). Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Process the cookies in a food processor until finely ground (you should have about 1 1/2 cups ground cookies). Alternatively, put cookies inside a heavy re-sealable plastic bag and crush by moving a rolling pin over the cookies.

Stir the cookie crumbs, dried plums, confectioners' sugar, bourbon or brandy, and condensed milk into the chocolate until evenly combined.
Cover and refrigerate the mixture until firm enough to roll into balls, about 45 minutes. Scoop a tablespoon or so of the mixture into small balls with a cookie or small ice cream scoop and set onto a baking sheet or a large plate. Roll each portion by hand into a smooth ball.

Store booze balls in an air tight container at room temperature for a day to allow the flavors to come together. Store balls in the refrigerator for a week or freeze for up to 1 month.

To serve, put the sugar on a plate and roll the balls in it to coat. Serve at room temperature.

Sugar Cookies

Yield: about 4 dozen 2-inch cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Coarse sugar, aka sanding or crystallized sugar
Royal Icing, recipe follows

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and both sugars in another medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add the egg yolks, vanilla and orange zest mixing until fully incorporated. Slowly add the flour mixture, and continue beating until the dough comes together, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

For rolled cookies: Roll about a tablespoon of dough by hand into a ball. Dip 1 side of the balls into some coarse sugar and place them sugar-side-up on an ungreased baking sheet, leaving about 1-inch between cookies.
For sliced cookies: Divide dough in half, roll by hand into 2-inch-wide logs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

Cut the logs into 1/4-inch-thick cookies and place them on ungreased baking sheets, leaving about 1-inch between cookies.

For cutout cookies: Divide dough in half, pat into disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

Roll dough between lightly floured parchment, or waxed paper, until about 1/3-inch thick. Transfer sheets to a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Cut into desired shape using a cookie cutter, place them on ungreased baking sheets, leaving about 1-inch between cookies.

(Gather the dough scraps together, pat into a disk, chill and reroll.)

Refrigerate cookies while preheating the oven to 375 degrees F, for at least 30 minutes.

Bake the cookies, until the bottoms are golden, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on shape. Cool on sheets until firm enough to transfer to a rack to cool. Decorate as desired and serve, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Royal Icing:
5 tablespoons meringue powder (egg white powder)
6 tablespoons water
1 pound confectioners' sugar (about 3 3/4 to 4 cups or 1 box)
Food coloring, as desired

Combine all the ingredients, except the food coloring, in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix slowly until stiff enough to form peaks. The icing should be pure white and thick, but not fluffy and bubbly. If the frosting is overbeaten, it will get aerated which makes it harder to work with. If this happens, let the frosting sit to settle, then use a rubber spatula to vigorously beat and smooth out the frosting.
Alternatively, combine ingredients in a large bowl, and beat with hand beaters on low speed until the frosting thickens to stiff peaks.

Add up to 1 tablespoon food coloring and mix with a rubber spatula until the color is uniform. (Adding too much color reduces the sheen of the frosting and can break down the consistency of the frosting over a couple of days.) Store icing, covered, with plastic film on the surface of the icing.

Yield: 1 pound royal icing (1 2/3 cup)

White Chocolate Holiday Bark

Yield: About 1 1/2 pounds

1 pound finely chopped white chocolate
1 1/2 teaspoons nut or plain oil
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 1/4 cups shelled pistachio nuts, toasted and papery coating peeled
Equipment: Chocolate thermometer

Tempering the chocolate for the bark requires a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, improvise one by using a saucepan and a stainless steel bowl: Nestle the bowl into the saucepan, allowing a few inches of space to remain between the bottom of the bowl and the bottom of the saucepan. Keep an extra bowl of a similar size on hand to transfer the chocolate for cooling. Rest the chocolate thermometer on a towel. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Pour a couple inches of water into the bottom half of the double boiler and heat over medium-low to just below a simmer. Put the chocolate in the top half of the double boiler and set over the hot water. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring with a heat-resistant rubber spatula. As the chocolate melts, check the temperature periodically to make sure it stays between 82 and 86 degrees F. If it starts to rise above this temperature, quickly transfer the chocolate to the bowl on reserve and stir briskly to reduce heat. Return bowl to double boiler to maintain heat between 82 and 86 degrees F. Remove bowl from over the hot water just before all the chocolate melts. Stir vigorously until the chocolate melts completely. Check temperature again. Stir in the oil until evenly blended. Chocolate is now tempered and ready to use. Keep within the 82 to 86 degree F range, returning bowl briefly to the double boiler if necessary. Quickly stir the fruit and nuts into the chocolate. Spread chocolate mixture out on the prepared baking sheet so it's about 1/2-inch thick and the fruit and nuts are coated.

Set bark aside at room temperature to harden. Break into angled pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Don't let the hustle and bustle of the holidays mean home-cooked meals take a backseat—these quick-fixing main dishes are ready in 30 minutes or less.

http://lifestyle.msn.com/FoodandEntertaining/QuickandEasyMeals/ArticleBHG.aspx?cp-documentid=140184&GT1=7462

1) Cranberry Apple Glazed Pork
2)Christmas Turkey
3) Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts
4) Garlic Mashed Potatoes
5) Winter Fruit Salad
6) Low Fat Eggnog
7) Low Fat Gingerbread Men
8) Low Fat Holiday Sugar Cookies
9) Reduced Fat Peppermint Cheesecake
10) Baked Pears with Cranberries and Walnuts

Recipies here http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/christmas/tp/top10xmas.htm

I love tamales and pumpkin bread on xmas.

I am cooking:
collard greens
homade mac N cheese
chitterlins
cornbread
ham
homemade pound cake

I am not cooking a really big dinner since I will be going
to different relatives house to get a plate too.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

That's a big meal if you ask me. You have your work cut out.:)

Just looking for a good one to try.

This is my FAVORITE egg nog recipe, really good with OR without the liquor! I usually add a little extra milk, as I don't like it too thick.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

whoops, I think you forgot the recipe!

DUH!!! I'm trying to wrap presents as I sit here on PTO - probably NOT the best plan!!! :eek:

Creamy Egg Nog
1 dozen eggs, separated
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups bourbon (or cognac. Use more or less if desired)
1/2 cup rum (optional. Use more or less if desired)
1 quart milk (add another pint of milk if not using liquor)
2 Tbl vanilla
3 pints heavy cream
Nutmeg

Beat together the egg yolks and salt in a large mixing bowl, slowly adding 1 1/2 cups of the sugar. Continue beating until tick and pale. Stir in the bourbon, rum, milk and vanilla until well mixed. Beat the egg whites until foamy and slowly add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, continuing to beat until stiff and all the sugar has been incorporated. Whip the cream until stiff. Now fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture and then fold in the whipped cream. Taste and add more bourbon and/or sugar if necessary. Pour into a punch bowl and sprinkle with nutmeg. The punch bowl can be sitting in a bed of ice to help keep chilled.

No fat grams in THAT one! ;-)

Nope, not ANY at all!! ;) Holiday fat grams don't count, didn't you know?!? LOL!!!

Sort of like they don't count if nobdy sees you eat them? Or they don't count if it was a gift? ;-0'

I love eggnog but I thought I would just post this little warning that has been on a lot of sites, you can also use a cooked recipe.

As with any recipe involving raw eggs, please use caution and refrain from serving this to the very young, the very old, and pregnant or nursing women. Pasteurized eggs are also an option.One solution would be to use egg substitutes, which are frozen commercial products that have been pasteurized and are therefore free of salmonella.

Barb

As BSS said, be really careful when making Eggnog. If you aren't using pasteurized eggs here's a safe Eggnog recipe from http://homecooking.about.com/od/beveragerecipes/r/blbev17.htm

From Peggy Trowbridge:
No need to fear raw eggs in eggnog. The eggs are gently cooked to kill any potential bacteria in this non-alcoholic eggnog. Since it contains no alcohol, the kids will enjoy it as much as the adults. You'll want to keep this rich and creamy eggnog on hand all through the holidays.

INGREDIENTS:
6 large eggs, plus 2 yolks
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
Additional grated nutmeg for garnish

PREPARATION:
Combine eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a heavy 3- or 4-quart pan, whisking until well-combined. Continue whisking while pouring milk in a slow, steady stream until completely incorporated.Turn on burner to lowest possible heat setting. Place pan on burner and stir mixture continuously until an instant-read thermometer reaches 160 degrees F. and the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be patient. This should take about 25 to 30 minutes.

Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl to remove any accidental small cooked bits of egg. Add vanilla extract and nutmeg, stirring to combine. Pour into a glass pitcher, decanter, or container and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate this egg custard mixture to chill at least 4 hours or up to 3 days before finishing.

When ready to serve, pour heavy cream into a bowl and whip until it forms soft peaks. Fold whipped cream into cold custard mixture until combined.

Serve eggnog in chilled cups or glasses and garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Well this past week I've been taking some Eggnog and mixing in 1 packet of equal sweetner. Then I drizzle the Eggnog over some blueberries and raspberries! Finally I top the concoction with some whipcream :drool: It's truly INCREDIBLE!!

Well I cheat I buy mine from the store warm it up untill candy thermomter reaches 150 to 160 cool it and mix in 1 and ahalf oz's of rum per glass and a dash of nutmeg and stir a little bit more rum if you like but yuummmmy it is sooooo good and good for Christmas cheer! Merry Christmas to ya all

Thank you very much for posting this link.
I'm a vegetarian since almost ten years, but I saw there some really interesting recipes I did not know yet.

I'm getting hungry but over here it's time to sleep :)

i usually make apple pecan cheesecake




Prep Time:
15 min
Total Time:
5 hr 40 min
Makes:
16 servings, one piece each

1-1/2 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs


1/4 cup butter, melted


2 Tbsp. brown sugar


4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened


1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar, divided


1 tsp. vanilla


1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream


4 eggs


4 cups chopped peeled apples (about 3 medium)


3/4 cup PLANTERS Chopped Pecans


1 tsp. ground cinnamon




PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mix crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. brown sugar; press firmly onto bottom of pan.
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup of the brown sugar and the vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust. Mix remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, the apples, pecans and cinnamon; spoon evenly over cheesecake batter.
BAKE 55 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Let stand at room temperature 30 min. before serving. Lift cheesecake from pan, using foil handles. Cut into 16 pieces. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.



For an extra special touch, drizzle KRAFT Caramel Topping over each piece of cheesecake just before serving.