CANDY CANE PUNCH
2 jars (10 ounces each) strawberry jelly
2 liters lemon-lime soda, divided
2 quarts peppermint stick ice cream
Miniature candy canes, optional
In a large saucepan, melt jelly with 2 cups soda. Chill the jelly mixture and remaining soda. Just before serving, place 6 cups ice cream in a punch bowl. Gently stir in jelly mixture. Add remaining soda. Add remaining ice cream by scoopfuls. Garnish with candy canes if desired. Yield: 3-1/2 quarts.
WARM CHRISTMAS PUNCH
1 bottle (32 ounces) cranberry juice
1 can (32 ounces) pineapple juice
1/3 cup red-hot candies
1 cinnamon stick (3-1/2 inches)
Additional cinnamon sticks, optional
In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine juices, red-hots and cinnamon stick. Cook on low for 2-5 hours. Remove cinnamon stick before serving. Use additional cinnamon sticks as stirrers if desired. Yield: 2 quarts.
LOW FAT OYSTER STEW
1/2 cup sliced leek or chopped onion
1 medium potato, diced
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 12-ounce cans evaporated skim milk
1 pint shucked oysters
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons butter-flavored sprinkles (optional)
1. In 3-quart saucepan combine leek or onion, potato, water, bouillon granules, and white pepper. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 7 minutes or until potatoes are done. Do not drain.
2. Stir in evaporated skim milk. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add undrained oysters. Cook about 5 minutes more or until edges of oysters curl, stirring frequently. Stir in parsley. Stir in butter-flavored sprinkles, if desired. Makes 6 servings.
CRANBERRY-ORANGE LOAF
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cranberries
3/4 cup chopped pistachios or walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup chopped dried figs and/or dried apricots
Orange Butter (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in orange peel. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a fork; stir in milk and melted butter. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in cranberries, nuts, and figs and/or apricots.
3. Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. If necessary to prevent overbrowning, cover with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
4. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. If desired, serve with Orange Butter.
Makes 1 loaf (14 servings)
ORANGE BUTTER
In a small bowl, stir together 1/3 cup butter, softened;
1 tablespoon powdered sugar;
1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel until combined. Makes about 1/3 cup.
BROCCOLI & TOMATO HOLIDAY WREATH
Salted water
2 pounds of fresh broccoli, crowns only
Ice bath
Trim the broccoli, using just the green broccoli tops, cut into bite-size pieces. Drop into boiling salted water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh in a large bowl of ice water until just cool. Drain thoroughly.
TOMATOES
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons)
unsalted butter
6 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar (don't skip, it makes a difference!)
Salt & pepper to taste
In a skillet, melt the butter on MEDIUM until shimmery. Add the tomatoes and warm through but don't allow to pop. Remove from heat, stir in sugar and season.
SAUCE
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (about 4, is plenty)
Juice of half a lemon (about a tablespoon or two)
In a small saucepan, melt butter, then add lemon juice. Keep warm but don't allow to boil.
ASSEMBLE
Preheat oven to 350F. Very gently, stir together broccoli and tomatoes. Arrange in a ring mold, distributing tomatoes throughout as best possible. Press gently into the mold with the back of a spoon. Cover with foil and place into a larger pan. (You could make ahead this far.) Fill the outer pan with boiling water about halfway up the ring mold. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through. Remove the ring mold from the larger pan. Place a serving plate on top of the ring mold. With one quick motion, invert the ring mold onto the serving plate, jiggling gently if needed to release the broccoli. Tuck any loose florets back into the wreath. Drizzle with the butter sauce and serve immediately.
5-MINUTE FUDGE WREATH~Rachel Ray's
Unsalted butter, softened
One 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (save the can)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I just use my cereal spoon)
One 8-ounce can walnuts, plus more for topping
1/2 cup raisins or dried currants (a couple of handfuls)
Candied red and green cherries (optional)
1. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with softened butter. Pour the chocolate and butterscotch chips, condensed milk and vanilla into a medium saucepan. Put the pan on the stove and turn the heat to low.
2. Cover the empty condensed-milk can with plastic wrap and put it in the center of the round cake pan.
3. Stir the chips and milk until they melt together, about 3 minutes. Have a GH (Grown-up Helper) move the pan off the stove if it's too heavy. Place the pan on a pot holder so it does not burn the kitchen counter. Stir in the nuts and raisins. Scoop the fudge into the cake pan all around the plastic-covered can in the center to form a wreath or ring shape. Let it be all bumpy and funky on top. Keep pushing the can back to the center if the fudge moves it away from there. Cut the red cherries in half with scissors and the green cherries into quarters. Use the green pieces to make leaves and the red to make holly berries. Decorate the fudge with several groups of holly berry sprigs made from the cherries and garnish with walnuts between the sprigs. (The fudge looks good left plain, too!)
4. Put the fudge in the fridge and chill until firm. Remove the can from the center, then loosen the sides and bottom of the fudge with a spatula. Cut the fudge into thin slices to serve.
PUMPKIN - DATE BREAD~Claudine
2 1/3 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
2/3 c margarine
2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 c water
2/3 c chopped Dates
2/3 c chopped walnuts
Mix together, pour in 2 greased bread loaf pans. Bake at 325° for 1 hr. Cool and remove from pan.
PUMPKIN ICE CREAM PIE
1 can (15 to 16 oz.) pure pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, depending on how spicy a flavor you enjoy*
1 quart (4 cups) of a lower fat vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, softened **
1 9-inch prepared graham cracker pie crust
Whipped topping, if desired
Mix the pumpkin, sugar and spice until well blended.
Quickly mix pumpkin mixture with the softened ice cream.
Pour into crumb crust and freeze, uncovered, until firm -- a couple of hours.
When pie is frozen, cover with plastic wrap and then cover with freezer-quality foil or place in a
freezer bag and squish out the air.
Thaw pie slightly at room temperature (about 5 to 10 minutes) before serving. Top with whipped topping, if desired.
* If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, for EACH TEASPOON of pumpkin pie spice, you can
substitute a combination of:
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
NOTE:
If you don't have either the nutmeg OR the cloves, you can increase the amount of the other spice to 1/4 teaspoon.
** Soften ice cream by placing the container in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to 20 minutes. Avoid repeatedly softening and refreezing ice cream as it gets icy.
OVERNIGHT EGGNOG FRENCH TOAST CRUNCH
BREAD
1 (20x2 1/2-inch) baguette, cut diagonally into 18 to 20 slices (1 inch)
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup purchased eggnog
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
TOPPING
1/4 cup butter, chilled, cut up
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1. Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange bread in single layer in dish.
2. Whisk eggs, eggnog, milk and nutmeg in medium bowl; pour over bread. Let stand 30 minutes.
Turn bread; sprinkle with cranberries. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Heat oven to 400ºF. With pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into brown sugar in medium bowl. Turn bread; sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Bake 15 minutes; sprinkle with pecans. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
HOLIDAY CHEESE BALL
2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese (not low fat)
1/3 of a green bell pepper (seeds removed and diced fine)
3 small green onions, green tops included, (diced fine)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (can use food processor with small batches of pecans) (divided use)
1/8 tsp seasoning salt ( Lawry's) (optional)
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, well drained
Unwrap the cream cheese and place in a mixing bowl. Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature in a mixing bowl. Add the diced bell pepper and onion and 1/3 of the finely chopped pecans and the seasoning salt and crushed pineapple. Use your hands to thoroughly mix and blend all ingredients making sure to bring up the ingredients from the bottom several times. Cover and refrigerate until ready to form into ball(s). Form the cheese ball mixture into as many balls as desired. (can make two balls of equal size from this recipe.) Roll the ball(s) in the remaining chopped pecans or sprinkle the chopped pecans on the ball(s) and pat into the surface. Make a small indentation in the top center of each ball and place a well drained maraschino cherry in the indentation for presentation, if desired. Serve with Ritz, Hi Ho or similar butter crackers. Allow the cheese ball to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to serving to allow the ball to come to spreading consistency.
Note #1:
The cream cheese will often cling to the bottom of the mixing bowl so it is important to make sure that the mixing process includes getting that cheese from the bottom blended with the other ingredients.
Note #2:
The cheese ball mixture can be made as much as a week ahead of forming into balls, so the mixture can be made well ahead of the time when needed without fear of spoilage or deterioration. Just keep covered and refrigerated until ready to make the cheese balls and cover with chopped pecans.
Note #3:
If the crushed pineapple (I like Dole) isn't well drained the cheese ball mixture will not firm up properly and the consistency while still very tasty will be somewhat moist or watery.
GRANNY CAKE
3/4 cup butter
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 6)
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Powdered sugar (optional)
1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan; set pan aside. In a medium bowl stir together flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and cloves; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add banana, undrained pineapple, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add flour mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Fold in pecans. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 70 to 75 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan. Cool thoroughly on wire rack. If desired, sift powdered sugar over cooled cake just before serving.
HOLIDAY PARTY PINWHEELS
2 pkgs (8 ounces ea) of cream cheese; softened
1 dry packet of salad dressing mix, ranch flavor
1/2 cup red bell pepper; minced
1/2 cup celery; minced
1/4 cup onions, green; sliced
1/4 cup olives; sliced
4 10-inch Tortillas
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and dressing mix until
smooth. Add red pepper, celery, onions, and olives; mix well.
Spread about 3/4 cup of each tortilla. Roll up tightly; wrap
in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Slice into
1/2 inch pieces. Yield: 15 Servings
