Favourite Holiday Recipes - Special Treats and Delights

[pacific breeze]

OK, holiday season is coming. So let's start a collection of our favourite recipes -- food we make only on special occasions. I have to look a few of mine up, but I plan to post some Norwegian and other family treats.

So post away, people!

[Algernon]

Okay, PB...when I get the Springerle recipe, this is where it'll go. These are only made at Christmastime in my family.

[pacific breeze]

Great!

[BlueEyesCryin]

Bourbon Balls

2C finely grnd gingersnap cookies
2C finely grnd graham crackers
1.5C confectioner's sugar
1C grnd pecans
1C flaked coconut
.5C raisins
1T grated orange peel
3T corn syrup or honey
.5t vanilla extract
.5C bourbon (I use more and add more dry ingredients)
2T melted butter

Puree all (only 3/4C confectioner's sugar) and roll into 1.5 inch balls. Then roll in the remaining confectioner's sugar. Let sit for 2 or 3 days. Can be frozen.

These are wonderful! I look forward to making them every year.

[pacific breeze]

Will you post the recipe, please Lala? And Blue, those balls sound fantastic. I used to make rum balls but they're not anywhere near as decadent as your recipe. Now I just have to buy some bourbon....

[pacific breeze]

Incredibly Easy Brandied Cranberry Sauce

Buy one bag of fresh cranberries (or frozen if you can't get fresh but fresh are better).

Put in a small but deep baking pan. Add two cups granulated sugar and mix until dissolved. OPTIONAL: add 1/3 cup brandy or to taste. Stir well again.

Cover pan with foil and place in pre-heated 350 degree oven. Cook for about 45-50 minutes or until berries are tender. Let cool, remove from pan and refrigerate in jars or bowl.

I usually make this a couple of days ahead so I don't have to bother with it the day of the big meal. It keeps well in the fridge for about 3 weeks, longer if you add the brandy.

[Algernon]

Springerles

These have a special place in my heart. They've been a Christmas treat in my family for generations. My German anscestors brought the recipe with them at the turn of the century. A spingerle mold is, in my eyes, essential, which looks like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Wooden-M...ayphotohosting ......but, you can still make them without a mold (they just won't look pretty!)

The Springerle rolling pins do not work as well as the flat molds. Okay, well anyway, to the recipe:


4 eggs (if small use 5)
1 pound of confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. anise oil flavoring
1 tsp. baking powder
4 1/2 cups flour

Directions
1. Beat eggs until light (about 15 minutes).
2. Stir in sugar and beat until well combined. Add anise oil and lemon juice and beat.
3. Add the flour which has been sifted with the baking powder a little bit at a time and mix well. You do not want the dough to be sticky. My mom said she adds 2-3 tablespoons milk to get the right consistency.
4. Chill one hour.
5. Roll out on a floured board with regular pin to ½ in thick. Use spingerle mold to make imprints, then cut around edges of prints with a sharp knife (if you don't have a Spingerle mold, just cut into rectangles).
6. Arrange cookies on cookie sheets that have been greased. (I use waxed paper on big trays.)
7. Leave exposed to air for AT LEAST 30 minutes (my grandma always made these late at night and let them sit out until morning).
8. Bake on greased cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 7 - 15 min. depending on the thickness. You can sprinkle the sheets with anise seeds for extra flavor, but my family's never done that...sounds good, though!

Notes:
These cookies are white; when they are baking and just barely begin to turn a tiny bit brown -- take 'em out now! When cool, store in covered containers for 2 to 3 weeks. This will bring out the flavor and is supposed to soften them up, but to be quite honest, I like them a little hard. They are great for dipping in coffee or chocolate milk...but I like gnawing on them the best.

Enjoy~!

[SVZ]

i love how all recipes have the same format you know? it's nice

[pacific breeze]

Thanks for the cookie recipe, Algernon. They will definitely be on the menu this Christmas.

[SVZ]

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 1 hr 10 min
Makes: 18 servings, 1 slice each

1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix, any variety
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
4 eggs
1 container (8 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, chopped
18 small candy canes, coarsely crushed (about 1 cup), divided
1 tub (8 oz. ) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed



PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil and water in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, scraping side of bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 2 min. or until well blended. Stir in chopped chocolate and 2 Tbsp. of the crushed candy canes. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

BAKE 50 min. to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min. on wire rack. Loosen cake from side of pan with spatula or knife. Invert cake onto rack; gently remove pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

PLACE 1 of the cake layers on serving plate. Spread evenly with 1 cup of the whipped topping. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and side of cake with remaining whipped topping. Garnish with remaining crushed candy canes. Cut into 18 slices to serve.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories 360

Total fat 18g

Saturated fat 7g

Cholesterol 55mg

Sodium 360mg

Carbohydrate 48g

Dietary fiber 1g

Sugars 31g

Protein 4g

Vitamin A 4%DV

Vitamin C 0%DV

Calcium 6%DV

Iron 10%DV

[SVZ]

Prep Time: 40 min
Total Time: 40 min
Makes: About 16 servings, 3 rum balls each

60 NILLA Wafers, finely crushed (about 2-1/2 cups crumbs)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup finely chopped PLANTERS Pecans
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. MAXWELL HOUSE Instant Coffee
1/4 cup rum
1 cup BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut, toasted



MIX wafer crumbs, sugar, pecans, butter, corn syrup and cocoa in large bowl.

ADD instant coffee granules to rum; stir until coffee granules are dissolved. Add to crumb mixture; mix well. Let stand 15 minutes.

SHAPE mixture into 1-inch balls; roll in coconut. Place in airtight container with sheet of wax paper between each layer of balls. Store at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories 250

Total fat 16g

Saturated fat 6g

Cholesterol 15mg

Sodium 120mg

Carbohydrate 24g

Dietary fiber 2g

Sugars 16g

Protein 2g

Vitamin A 4%DV

Vitamin C 0%DV

Calcium 0%DV

Iron 4%DV

[SVZ]

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 4 hr 15 min
Makes: 16 servings

2 baked 9-inch round white cake layers, cooled
2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Brand Gelatin, any red flavor
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Brand Lime Flavor Gelatin
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed



PLACE cake layers, top sides up, in 2 clean 9-inch round cake pans. Pierce layers with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals.

STIR 1 cup of the boiling water into each flavor of dry gelatin mix in separate bowls at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Carefully pour red gelatin over 1 cake layer and lime gelatin over second cake layer. Refrigerate 3 hours.

DIP 1 cake pan in warm water 10 seconds; unmold onto serving plate. Spread with about 1 cup of the whipped topping. Unmold second cake layer; carefully place on first cake layer. Frost top and side of cake with remaining whipped topping.

REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Decorate with fresh raspberries, if desired. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories 220

Total fat 6g

Saturated fat 3g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 280mg

Carbohydrate 39g

Dietary fiber 0g

Sugars 27g

Protein 3g

Vitamin A 0%DV

Vitamin C 0%DV

Calcium 6%DV

Iron 2%DV

[pacific breeze]

Please post more of your favourite "special" holiday recipes. Pretty please!

[pacific breeze]

These are easy cookies that my mother makes at Christmas. They are good plain, or in the nut, almond and chocolate versions.


Holiday Butter Cookies

1 1/4 c. butter or margerine
1 c. icing sugar, sifted
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. all purpose flour

Cream butter gradually, beat in sugar and vanilla. Add flour a third at a time to creamed mixture. Use dough to make any of following cookies:

Pecan shorties. Stir 11/2 cups chopped toasted pecans into dough, form into 1” balls and press on to ungreased cookie sheet and flatten with fork. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Cool. Makes about six dozen cookies.

Almond Cookies - stir in one cup of ground almonds into dough. Form into 1” balls and shape into crescents. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Chocolate Nut Tipped logs - form dough into 1” balls. Shape into 2” long cylinders. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake for 12-15 mins. Dip each end into melted and cooled semi-sweet chocolate squares or chips. Dip into finely chopped walnuts. Makes 5-6 dozen cookies.

[Algernon]

^^^Oooh! I am going to try all three versions!!! I like simple, good recipes.

Hey, PB, I found this if you didn't feel like baking my Springerles:
http://www.forheavensake.org/detail.aspx?ID=538

You could just order some!