CHRISTMAS 13

RED VELVET CHEESECAKE
1-1/2 Cups Chocolate Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 Cup Butter, melted
1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
3 (8-ounce) Packages Cream Cheese, softened
1-1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
4 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Whole Buttermilk
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Distilled White Vinegar
2 (1-ounce) Bottles Red Food Coloring
1 (3-ounce) Package Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 Cup Butter, softened
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Garnish: Fresh Mint Sprigs
Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
Beat 3 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese and 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar at Medium-Low speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Add eggs and next 6 ingredients, mixing on Low speed just until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared crust.
Bake at 325-degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 300-degrees F. and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until center is firm. Run knife along outer edge of cheesecake. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven.; cool in a pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours.
Beat 1 (3-ounce) package of cream cheese and 1/4-cup butter at Medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Spread evenly over the the top of the cheesecake. Remove sides of springform pan. Garnish, if desired. Makes 8 to 10 servings

CHOCOLATE MICE
Maraschino Cherries, with stems
Hershey's Chocolate Kisses
Almond Pieces
'Red Hots' Candies
Chocolate Sprinkles
NOTE: Use cherries with an attached stem, which forms the mouse's tail.
Melt some of the Hershey's Kisses in a double boiler.
Holding a cherry by the stem, dip the cherry in the melted chocolate and place on a piece of waxed paper to dry.
Unwrap a Hershey's Kiss and stick it onto the chocolate-covered cherry, opposite the stem (tail).
Take two almond pieces cut to look like mouse ears, and place them between the head and the body. Use melted chocolate as 'glue' to hold the ears up.
Use 2 'Red-Hots' candies as eyes, again using melted chocolate as 'glue.'
Place two chocolate sprinkles on the tip of the Hershey's Kiss, using melted chocolate as 'glue' to hold the sprinkles in place.
Repeat for as many mice as you would like to make.

REINDEER COOKIES
Using packaged cookies and a few extra ingredients, you can make some special cookies.
1 Package White Chocolate Coating
1 Package Nutter Butter Cookies
Decorations
Pretzels
Mini Chocolate Chips
Red Mini M&Ms
Melt white chocolate coating in either a double boiler or the microwave.
Dip 1 Nutter Butter cookie into melted chocolate coating. Rest dipped cookie on waxed paper.
Carefully add eyes with mini chocolate chips, and add a mini red M&M for the nose. Break apart pretzel and place the broken pieces outward for the ears.

FRUITCAKE
Can be made in miniature foil baking cups that make the cakes bite-sized.
2 Cups Light Raisins
1 Cup Dark Raisins
1/2-Cup Red Candied Cherries (quartered)
1/2-Cup Green Candied Cherries (quartered)
2 Cups Mixed Fruit 'n Peel (chopped)
1 (8-ounce) Container Candied Pineapple (chopped)
2-1/2 Cups Walnuts (chopped)
2 Cups Pecans (chopped)
1/3 Cup Amaretto Liquer (or Rum)
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1-1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 Teaspoon Ground Mace (optional)
1/2-Teaspoon Ground Allspice
1 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 Cup (2 Sticks) Butter (softened)
1-1/2 Cups White Granulated Sugar
6 Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Lemon Extract
1 Cup Orange Juice
1/4- to 1-Cup Rum
Preheat oven to 275*. In a large bowl, combine the fruits (raisins, cherries, fruit 'n peel, pineapple), the nuts, and 1/3 cup of liquor (Amaretto, rum, or whatever you prefer -- Chef is allowed to sip, also). Stir well and set aside while you prepare the other ingredients to let the mixture soak up the liquor's flavoring.
In another large bowl, sift together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and the spices (cinnamon, cloves, mace, allspice, nutmeg). Set aside.
In a separate bowl (this recipe sure does dirty-up a bunch of bowls!), cream together the butter and the sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Now add the vanilla, lemon extract, and the orange juice. Stir well. This liquidy mixture will be soupy. Pour this mixture into the dry-flour mixture and stir until smooth. Set aside.
To the fruit-and-nut mixture, add 1 cup of all-purpose flour and mix well to coat the fruit (the flour keeps the fruit and nuts from sinking to the bottom of the batter). Add the fruit-and-nut mixture to the batter. Add 1/4-cup rum (or however much of whatever you wish to use) and stir well.
If using miniature baking cups, fill each with 1 teaspoonful of batter and bake for 35 minutes (keep an eye on them). Cool on a cake rack.
Optional:
You can use an eye-dropper or teaspoon and squeeze a few drops of rum or other liquor onto each individual bite-sized piece. Let cool THOROUGHLY (or else they'll mildew) before storing either in tins or Zip-Loc bags.
If using mini-loaf pans, fill pans about 2/3 full and bake for 1-1/2 hours at 275*. Sprinkle with liquor, if desired, and let it soak in. Cool THOROUGHLY before storing.
If using a full-sized Bundt-type pan, try baking for two hours at 275* and check, occasionally, for doneness (toothpick comes out clean).
This recipe will make 185 miniature bite-sized cakes plus one mini-loaf cake and will probably easily make two full-sized fruitcakes (one for you and one to aggravate someone with). Happy baking!

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs, well beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, with liquid
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups mashed bananas (about two large)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 9-inch round cake pans. Mix flour, soda, salt, sugar and cinnamon in large bowl. Add eggs and oil and stir only enough to moisten dry ingredients - do not beat. Stir in vanilla, pineapple, pecans and bananas. Divide batter among pans and bake 23 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen around edges and turn out on racks. Cool completely before frosting.
FROSTING
Cream together 1/2 cup softened butter and 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened, until fluffy. Add 1 16-ounce package confectioners' sugar and beat again until fluffy. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

RED VELVET CAKE
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9-inch pans. In a bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Combine the buttermilk and food coloring; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, alternately, until incorporated. Add vanilla extract and vinegar, and beat until uniform in color. Spread the batter evenly in pans and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then cool completely on racks. Frost with the recipe from the hummingbird cake, without the pecans.<
To make a cake roll:
Cool for 10 minutes only. Turn out the cake onto a damp cloth. Spread with filling or frosting and roll, as if for a jelly roll. Frost with favorite icing or dust with powdered sugar
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RED VELVET COOKIES
This red velvet cookie is so easy to make and is great to serve any time, but especially for holidays like Valentine's Day, Fourth of July, and Christmas. Serve them plain or with the cream cheese frosting.
1 Box Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
Mix all ingredients together. This will make a cookie dough. Roll into balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten down slightly (depending on the thickness you desire). Bake at 375° until the tops crackle (about 8-10 minutes) or until desired doneness. Cool and then frost with basic...
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 8 ounce package cream cheese -- softened
1/4 cup stick margarine or butter -- softened
2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
Beat cream cheese, margarine, milk and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar on low speed, 1 cup at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Frosts one 13 × 9-inch cake generously, or fills and frosts one 8- or 9-inch two-layer cake. Refrigerate any remaining frosting.
CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Add 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled, with the margarine.

HOLIDAY CHOCOLATE CAKE ROLL
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 sq. unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3 tbsp. cold water
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Confectioners' sugar
1 cup heavy cream
Confectioners' sugar
Line 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan with wax paper. Set aside. Beat eggs and 3/4 cup sugar at high speed until very thick (5 minutes). Add vanilla; set aside. To melted chocolate, thoroughly mix 2 tablespoons sugar, baking soda and water. Fold into egg mixture. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Gently fold into batter, turn into jelly roll pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Lightly sift confectioners' sugar onto linen like towel. When cake is done, immediately invert onto towel and peel off paper. Let cool about an hour.
Whip the cream;
adding confectioners' sugar to your taste. Spread over cake and roll up very gently, rolling towel in it. Lightly sift more confectioners' sugar over cake roll.

PUMPKIN PIE BARS
1-1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) cold butter or margarine
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1/2 cup chopped Pecans
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil; grease foil lining. Mix flour, brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar in medium bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats and pecans. Reserve 1 cup of the oat mixture; press remaining mixture onto bottom of pan. Bake 15 min. BEAT cream cheese, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. BAKE 25 min. Lift from pan using foil handles; cool completely. Cut into 24 bars. Store leftover bars in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

NO-BAKE FRUIT BALLS
2 cups Miniature Marshmallows
2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/2 cup chopped red maraschino cherries
1/2 cup chopped green maraschino cherries
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chopped Pecans
3 cups ANGEL FLAKE Coconut
COMBINE marshmallows, cracker crumbs, cherries, sweetened condensed milk and pecans; mix well. SHAPE dough evenly into 5 dozen balls, each about 1 inch in diameter. Roll balls in coconut until evenly coated. REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until firm. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. NOTE:
How To Easily Cut Cherries
Use clean kitchen scissors to easily cut up the cherries.

MERRY MERINGUES
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
1 pkg. (4 serving size) Lime Flavor Gelatin
1 pkg. (4 serving size) Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
PREHEAT oven to 225°F. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed 5 minutes or until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. DROP tablespoonfuls of the egg white mixture onto baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle each meringue lightly with dry gelatin powders. BAKE 50 minutes. Turn oven off. Prop oven door open slightly; let meringues stand in oven for 1 hour or until completely cooled.

FRUIT TREATS
l cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped prunes
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, cut in pats
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
In a saucepan, combine fruits and water. Bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in butter and salt. Set aside to cool. Add remaining ingredients to fruit. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened, spoon into greased muffin pans. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. You may also bake in a 9x11 pan. The treat may be baked in fancy cupcakes and decorated with quartered maraschino cherries or half a pecan.