Holiday Treats

[beth]

Put your favorite holiday recipes here. We can start out with Christmas and New Years goodies, then add other things that are appropriate for other holidays as the year turns.

I'd especially like to know what you guys outside the U. S. consider traditional for Christmas Dinner. Do you observe the 12 days of Christmas, and, if so, how?

Cookie and candy recipes are also welcome.

[beth]

In the U. S. - at least in my little corner - we do cookies.

These are good.

Orange Cranberry Cookies

11/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
21/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup chopped orange slice candies

Glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons orange juice

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, combine brown sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in oats, cranberries and chopped candies. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350°F. for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool 15 minutes or until completely cooled.

In small bowl, combine glaze ingredients, adding enough orange juice for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies.

[beth]

Here's another. Baked 2 loaves of this today. Easy and turned out really well. The house smells good and festive, too.


Apple Bread

1 cup oil
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups apples, diced
3 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)


Combine and set aside the oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Sift flour, cinnamon, soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to oil mixture gradually. Add apples and nuts. Bake in 2 regular loaf pans or 3 foil loaf pans for 1-1/2 hours at 300°F. Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.

[chefmate]

My mother's friend was skilled at making Divinity......I haven't had it in years and wouldn't know a good receipe if it bit me on the nose

[beth]

Clef, I've never made divinity, but have eaten and enjoyed it - albeit a long time ago.

Do you have a good recipe?


Russian Snowballs (aka Tea Cakes) are the melt-in-your-mouth variety of cookie. They go very fast so it's best to bake up several dozen. Fortunately, they are easy to make. I remember once I had to go to the kitchen in the middle of a party and bake a couple more cookie sheets full to satisfy the demand.

Use real butter. It makes a major difference in the taste of this cookie.

Russian Snowballs

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup finely chopped almonds or pecans


Heat oven to 350. Mix thoroughly butter, sugar and vanilla. Work in flour, salt and nuts until dough holds together. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until set, but not brown. While warm, roll in confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.