CHRISTMAS 27

CHRISTMAS FUN
Take your honey's old work boots and pat them in the fireplace ashes and then made boot tracks from the fireplace to the Christmas Tree. The next day when the kids wake up say,"Would you just look at that- I told that Santa to wipe his boots before coming in - Now just look at this mess I have to clean up." the kids love it and it "proves" Santa is real and that you know him! You can also put a piece of nice leather with bells and print "Prancer" on the underside and leave it in the yard for the kids to find Christmas day. Tell them you'll give it back to Santa next time you see him.
One more
very carefully open walnuts, take out the meat and replace with a folded dollar bill. Glue the nut back together and wrap with a length of ribbon leaving enough to hang from a tree branch. Each kid who comes to visit gets to pick one as an extra surprise!

COOKIES & CREAM FUDGE
3 (6-ounce) packages white chocolate baking squares
1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups crushed chocolate creme-filled sandwich cookies
In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt the white chocolate squares, condensed milk and salt. Remove from heat; stir in the crushed cookies. Spread evenly into wax-paper-lined 8-inch square pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off paper and cut into squares. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.
NOTE:
You can use 3 cups of any cookie you wish

TURKEY ASPARAGUS BRUNCH BAKE
1 pound fresh asparagus or one 10-ounce package frozen cut asparagus or cut broccoli
1 pound ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red sweet pepper
3 eggs
2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon, basil, or thyme, crushed
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (4 ounces)
To cook fresh asparagus, wash and scrape off scales. Break off and discard woody bases of asparagus. Cut asparagus into 1-1/2-inch pieces. In a covered saucepan cook asparagus in a small amount of boiling water for 4 to 8 minutes or until crisp-tender. (For frozen asparagus or broccoli, cook according to package directions; drain and set aside.) In a large skillet cook turkey, onion, and sweet pepper until vegetables are just tender and no pink remains in turkey. Remove from heat; drain. Set aside. Grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Arrange meat mixture in dish; top with cooked asparagus. In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, flour, Parmesan cheese, lemon-pepper seasoning, and tarragon; beat until smooth with a wire whisk or rotary beater. (Or, combine these ingredients in a blender container; cover and blend for 20 seconds.)
* Pour egg mixture evenly over layers in baking dish. Bake in a 425 degree F oven about 20 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with the Swiss cheese; bake 3 to 5 minutes more or until the cheese is melted. Makes 6 servings.
To Make-Ahead:
Prepare as directed to the asterisk (*). Pour egg mixture into a bowl or pitcher; cover and refrigerate. Cover and refrigerate turkey and asparagus in the baking dish. To bake, stir egg mixture well and pour over turkey mixture. Bake, uncovered, in 425 degree F oven about 30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Continue as directed.

LATKES
Makes about 20 latkes
2 pounds large boiling potatoes
3 tablespoons coarsely grated onion
1/2 cup olive oil
Cook potatoes in salted water to cover until barely tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse in a colander under cold water. Cool potatoes completely and peel with a sharp knife. Using the large holes of a box grater, coarsely shred potatoes lengthwise (long strands to help hold the latkes together) into a bowl. Add grated onion, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and freshly ground white pepper to taste. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Mound 1/4 cup of shredded potatoes to make individual latkes (separating them by 1 inch). Cook until golden and crispy on one side (about 5 minutes), then turn over and cook until golden and Crispy on the other side (about 5 minutes). Slide onto a large plate and keep warm in the oven until all the potatoes have been used. Serve with either Apple-Cranberry Sauce or Apple-Cranberry Salsa. (Recipes below.)
APPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE
Serves 4
The same three ingredients — Macintosh apples, cranberries and light brown sugar— yield two amazing different results. One is cooked into applesauce; the other is an uncooked ‘salsa’.
4 Macintosh apples, about 1-1/4 pounds
1 cup raw cranberries
7 tablespoons light brown sugar
Peel apples and cut the into 1/2-inch pieces, removing core and seeds. Place them in a 4-quart saucepan. Add cranberries, sugar, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Cover pot and cook over medium heat for about 20 mintues, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the sauce is fairly smooth. Let cool, then refrigerate until cold.
APPLE-CRANBERRY SALSA
4 Macintosh apples, about 1-1/4 pounds
1/2 cup raw cranberries
1/2 cup light brown sugar
Peel apples and cut them into 1/2-inch pieces, remove core and seeds. Place in bowl of a food processor with cranberries, sugar, and a pinch of kosher salt. Process until it is the texture of salsa with tiny discernible pieces. You do not want a puree but a relish with some texture. Add a grinding of freshly ground black pepper. Refrigerate until cold

LIGHT & LACY LATKES
3 cups thawed loose-shredded potatoes
1/2 to 1 cup fresh or thawed, finely chopped onion
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 eggs (use extra large), whipped thoroughly
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp plain flour
Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste
In a large bowl, blend all gently and thoroughly. In a heavy skillet, heat up your oil of choice. Use a combo of olive oil and plain vegetable oil. Have about a 1/2" in your pan. When it sizzles, drop potato mixture by small teaspoon-fulls & fry on both sides until golden brown. Flip them over gently and don't try to form perfect rounds; they're better and lighter when they are small and slightly free-form. Remove carefully to several layers of paper towels. Keep hot on a platter in the oven until ready to serve. Cold latkes aren't very good, so keep them hot! Serve with apple sauce and sour cream for garnish.

PUMPKIN BREAD ~ Denise
5 cups flour
4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 large can pumpkin
2 cups nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs. In another bowl, mix together flour and baking soda. Add flour and pumpkin alternately to the egg mixture. Add nuts. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.

GERMAN CHRISTMAS BREAD ~ STOLLEN
BREAD
3 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons (3 packages) dry yeast
11 cups flour
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
5 eggs
1 cup golden raisins, plumped
1/2 cup candied fruits, plumped
1/2 pound ground almonds
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons cardamom
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
TOPPING
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Scald the milk. Add sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Add yeast and 6 cups of the flour; mix well. Cover; let rise until double in volume. Cut the butter into the remaining 5 cups of flour, then add eggs, fruit, nuts, lemon rind, and spices. Combine both flour mixtures; mix to a soft dough. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Let dough rise in a greased bowl until doubled in bulk. Butter top of dough and cover. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Punch down the dough, divide it into five portions, and shape the pieces into plain or braided loaves. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over the loaves. Bake 20 to 25 minutes for braided loaves, 40 to 45 minutes in loaf pans.

THREE SPICE MIX
3/4 cup ground cinnamon
1/4 cup ground ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons ground or freshly grated nutmeg
Place the 3 spices in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Spoon 1/2 of the spice mix into an 8-ounce preserving jar, rap against the counter until the mixture compacts a bit. Add the remaining spice mixture and compact as before. Screw the lid down tight, label, and date the jar of spice mix, then store on a cool, dry, dark shelf.

SUNFLOWER SEED COOKIES ~ Denise
From when we were stationed in Hawaii
1 1/2 Bananas
1/2 c Applesauce
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 c honey
Sift together:
1 scant cup of Whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
dash salt
1 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
Blend wet ingredients in blender. mix dry and wet together.
Stir in 3/4 c. oatmeal (the regular cereal type)
Drop by generous spoonfuls onto cooking-sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 20-30 min or until just browning. (without oil they take longer to bake than you think!... check them after 15 min to see how they are doing)

CONFETTI COOKIES
3/4 C fat-reduced margarine suitable for baking, softened
3/4 C sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 C unpeeled cucumber, grated
1 C carrots, shredded
3/4 C raisins
Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat together margarine and sugar. Add egg and beat until well blended. Stir in vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg into batter; mix thoroughly. Stir in cucumber, carrots, and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until delicate golden brown.

ORANGE MERINGUES
3 egg whites
3/4 C sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 (3 oz.) pkg. orange gelatin
Optional
4-6 oz. of chocolate chips and/or chopped nuts
Makes about 2 dozen cookies Preheat oven to 475°. Cover 2 baking sheets with foil. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar. Mix the orange gelatin and sugar together, then add the mixture to the egg whites gradually, a tablespoon at a time, while beating. Beat to stiff peaks. Carefully fold in the chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Place the baking sheets into the hot oven quickly, then close the oven door, and turn the oven off. Leave the cookies in the oven overnight (8 hours). Store in an airtight container.

MERINGUE STARS
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 recipe pink icing
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites, vanilla, cream of tartar, and extract with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Spoon meringue into a large pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe 1-inch-diameter mounds 1 inch apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. (You should have a total of about 130 meringue stars.) Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until stars are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Transfer to racks; let cool. Spread bottoms of half the meringue stars with about 1 teaspoon Pink Icing, below. Gently press the bottoms of the other half of the meringue stars into icing to form sandwiches. Dot the icing into an 8-inch circle on a flat serving plate. Arrange a circle of 15 meringue sandwiches on their sides with one set of points of each sandwich facing the edge of the plate. Within this circle, make another circle of 10 sandwiches. On this foundation, stack ever-smaller circles of sandwiches on their sides to form a cone shape. Use small amounts (about 1/2 teaspoon) of icing to attach each sandwich to the previous layer, forming 6 layers of meringue sandwiches (25 in first layer, 15 in the second, then 13, 7, 4, and 1 in subsequent layers). Makes 65 meringue sandwiches.
PINK ICING
In a small bowl, stir together
3 cups powdered sugar,
3 tablespoons softened butter,
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.
Add 1 or 2 drops red food coloring to tint a light pink color.
Stir in 1/4 cup finely chopped candied red cherries.
Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons milk until icing is smooth and of spreading consistency.