Caramel Rolls

Put 18 frozen Rhodes dinner rolls in a buttered bunt pan.  Sprinkle ½ box dry butterscotch pudding mix (not instant pudding) over rolls.  Melt ½ c. butter with ½ c. brown sugar; pour over rolls (add nuts and raisins, if desired).  Cover with aluminum foil and then a towel.  Let set overnight in the oven.  Bake in the morning (after removing the towel, not the foil) at 350° for 30 minutes.  A cookie sheet under the pan to catch the caramel drippings might be a good idea.

Meringue Cookies

Beat 3 egg whites with 1 c. sugar until very stiff; add ½ tsp. of any flavoring (usually peppermint) and coloring; fold in 6 oz. small chocolate chips (minis).  Place on ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 375° — put it in oven, then turn it off and leave overnight without opening the door.

Almond Pinecones

• 1¼ c. whole natural almonds
• 18 oz. package cream cheese
• ½ c. mayonnaise
• 5 slices crisp bacon crumbled
• 1 Tbsp. chopped green onion
• ½ tsp. dill weed
• ⅛ tsp. pepper

Spread almonds in single layer in shallow pan.  Bake at 300° for 15 minutes, stirring often, until almonds just begin to turn color.  Combine soft cream cheese and mayonnaise, mix well, add bacon, onion, dill weed, and pepper.  Mix well.  Cover, chill overnight.  Form cheese mixture into shapes of 2 pinecones on serving platter.  Press almonds at angle in rows.  Overlap rows until covered.  Garnish with artificial pine sprigs (1½ c.)

Cranberry Bread

Mix together:

• 2 c. flour
• 1 c. sugar
• 1½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt

Add, combining only until dry ingredients are moist:

• 1 beaten egg
• ½ c. orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. melted shortening
• 2 Tbsp. hot water

Fold in:

• 1 c. whole cranberries
• ½ c. chopped walnuts (optional)
• grated orange rind (some)

Bake in greased and floured loaf pan for 70 minutes at 325°.

Medieval Gingerbread

• 1 lb. honey
• Bread crumbs (approximately one pound,
• unseasoned, finely ground, not soft)
• Ginger (up to 1 Tbsp.)
• Cinnamon (up to 1 Tbsp.)
• Ground white pepper (up to ½ tsp.)
• Pinch of saffron (if desired)
• Few drops of red food coloring (if desired)

Bring the honey to a boil and skim off any scum.  Keeping the pan over very low heat, add the spices, adjusting the quantities to suit your taste.  Add the food coloring if you want it red.  Then begin to slowly beat in the bread crumbs.  Add just enough bread to achieve a thick, stiff, well-blended mass.  Remove from the heat and turn the mixture onto a lightly greased (cooking spray works fine) square or rectangular baking sheet or shallow pan, ½- to 1-inch thick.  Take a rolling pin and spread the gingerbread evenly out into the pan.  Turn the pan over on wax paper or parchment paper, and tap gently until the gingerbread falls from the pan.  Turn the gingerbread over once again, then cut into 20 small squares to serve (or stars or diamonds).  Decorate with small candy (optional).

Maria’s Traditional Stollen (German Christmas Sweet Bread)

Makes 4 small loaves.

Needs 8 hours of fridge time — so do the first part the day before you eat it.

Day 1

4½ tsp. yeast (≈2 pkgs.), dissolved in large bowl with 1½ c. warm water

Add…

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 7 eggs
• 1 egg yolk (save the white for glaze)
• 1 c. melted butter
• 2½ c. flour

Beat with electric mixer for 5-6 minutes.

Stir in (with spoon)…

• 4½ c. flour
• 1 c. slivered almonds
• ½ c. raisins
• 1 8-oz. container of mixed candied fruit (cherries, citron, etc.)
• Grate finely a lemon (to get as much grated lemon peel as possible)

• Very sticky — did not kneed — just mix thoroughly.
• Let sit in bowl with tea towel over it to rise in warm place for 2 hours (if it doesn’t look like it rises much, that is okay).
• Plop on sheets of saran wrap; wrap and place in a bowl.  Put into fridge overnight.

Day 2

• Take out of fridge — let sit for an hour.
• Divide in to 4.  Take one section at a time on floured counter.
• Press in to oval with hands.
• Melt ¼ butter.  Spread melted butter on the oval.
• Fold one side of oval shape onto the other side, the long way.
• Repeat process with other 3 ovals.
• Place the 4 “folded over” ovals close together on greased (Pam^™) cookie sheet.
• Take egg white from yesterday, mix with 1 Tbsp. of water.  Brush over tops.
• Let rise for an hour.
• Preheat oven to 380°.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• Can lightly glaze with confectionary sugar mixed with milk.

The Best Cookies You Could Ever Possibly Imagine

Total Prep & Baking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus 24 hours to chill the dough

Yield: 18-20 large cookies

• 2 c. minus 2 Tbsp. cake flour
• 1 2/3 cups bread flour
• 1½ tsp. baking powder
• 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
• 1½ tsp. coarse salt
• 2½ sticks (1¼ c.) unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1¼ c. light brown sugar, packed
• 1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 lbs. bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60% cacao content (regular chocolate chips are acceptable, but you will not get the gooey texture the fèves will provide)
• sea salt or fleur de sel, for sprinkling

1. Sift together the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

2. In the bowl of your mixer, cream together your butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.  Add in the vanilla and mix.  Gradually add in the dry ingredients, until just moistened.  Fold in your chocolate until evenly added throughout the dough.  Press plastic wrap against the dough, making sure it is completely covered, and refrigerate between 24 and 72 hours (I left mine for 36 hours).

3. When you are ready to bake, bring the dough to room temperature so that you can scoop it out, and preheat your oven to 350°.  Line and/or grease your baking sheets.  Scoop your dough onto the sheets.  I used a #40 ice cream scoop, which is about the size of 2 Tbsp., but you can make them even larger, if you like.  Do not press the dough down — let it stay the way it is.  Sprinkle the cookies lightly with a bit of fleur de sel or sea salt.  Bake 10-12 minutes for smaller cookies (mine took about 11 minutes), or 18-20 minutes for larger cookies.

4. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on your baking sheet, then move them to another surface to cool completely.  You can enjoy these warm, room temperature, or cold.  Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Grandma’s Cookie Recipe

• 2 c. butter
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 c. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 c. brown sugar
• 24 oz. chocolate chips
• 4 eggs
• 1 8-oz. Hershey bar, grated (freeze bar before grating)
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 c. of chopped nuts
• 5 c. blended oatmeal (measure and blend in blender to a fine powder)
• 1 tsp. salt

Cream butter and both sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Add chips, chocolate, and nuts.  Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 6 minutes at 375°.  Makes 112 cookies, but the recipe can be halved.

Peppermint Bark

• 8 oz. white chocolate, chopped or chips
• 4 red & white peppermint sticks, 6 inches long (King Leo sticks or Red Bird)
• 2 drops peppermint oil or extract

Melt chocolate. 

Place the peppermint sticks in a heavy, zip-locked plastic bag and crush them finely.  There are many methods to choose from — find something hard like a rolling pin, and then take turns whacking and rolling the peppermints!  This can prove to be extremely beneficial, even pro-active, during the holidays.  When the peppermint sticks resemble the size of crushed ice, stop whacking.  When chocolate is melted, stir in peppermint oil.  Next stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the crushed peppermint pieces and spread mixture out, about ¼-inch thick, on a cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat).  It may not fill the pan completely.

Sprinkle the remaining peppermint pieces over the top.  Let sit at room temperature until hardened, about 2 hours, or refrigerate for 30 minutes to harden more quickly.

Once hardened completely, use your hands (or the trusty “whacker”) to break in to pieces.  Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks — if they last that long!

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients for cake part:

• 3 eggs
• 1 c. sugar
• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
• ¾ c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°.  Set out all ingredients, including cream cheese filling, to bring to room temperature.  Mix all ingredients together and pour onto a greased cookie sheet.  If using a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, double all ingredients, including cream cheese filling.

Bake for 12-18 minutes (oven times vary; pan size/cake thickness will determine bake time).  Let cool until it is touchable but still very warm.  (The cooler the cake, the greater potential there is for cracking.)  Place a clean towel/cheesecloth on counter, then place wax paper over the towel.  Sprinkle powdered sugar over wax paper (to prevent sticking), and then dump the cake out onto the wax paper.  Using the wax paper and towel for support, say a prayer, and begin to gently roll your cake long side to long side, with wax paper rolled into it as well, until it has been rolled up.  Place the roll into the fridge for one hour or the freezer for 20-30 minutes to set it.  If it cracks, all is not lost!  Allowing it to set and cool will help it gel together, almost sealing itself back together.

While the roll is cooling, mix up the filling.

Ingredients for filling:

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 4 Tbsp. butter (⅛ a stick)
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Blend all ingredients until soft and smooth (don’t forget to double if cake ingredients were doubled!).  Unroll pumpkin roll slowly, and gently spread filling all over.  Reroll cake (making sure not to roll your wax paper back into the roll!).  Dusting the area with powdered sugar will help the cake not stick.  Wrap with wax paper and store in the fridge.  Foil is good for helping the roll hold its shape — add a holiday ribbon and you are ready to go!  (Remember, a roll with a crack or two still tastes the same!)  Slice and serve once filling has set and cake has chilled.  Enjoy!

Reindeer Munch (aka Christmas Crunch, Santa Surprise, Jingle Junk)

• 1½ c. pretzels
• 2 c. bite-sized square rice and/or corn cereal
• 2 c. round toasted oat cereal
• 1 c. peanuts, almonds, or mixed nuts
• 10 oz. vanilla flavored candy coating (or use white chocolate)
• 1 c. candy-coated pieces

Line a baking/cookie sheet with wax paper.  Make sure all dry items are bite-sized and mix everything but candy coating and candy pieces together and set aside.  Melt candy coating or white chocolate in a saucepan (or double boiler) over low heat.  Stir continuously until melted OR microwave coating for 1½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.

Quickly pour melted coating over cereal/nut mixture and toss to coat.  Add candy pieces and toss.  Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet in an even layer.  Cool completely.  Break into pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature.  There are many ways to vary this recipe and make it your own.  Add or omit any ingredient.  Have fun inventing and munching on your own creation of this Christmas time crunch!

Hot Cider

Mix in crock pot:

• ½ gal. apple juice or apple cider
• 1 qt. cranberry juice
• ¼ c. lemon juice
• ¾ c. orange juice
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 8 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks

Let simmer until hot.