Eggnog Bread

16 Servings

2 T Sugar
1 pk Active dry yeast
2 1/2 c All-purpose flour
2 T Butter
1 t Salt
1/4 t Nutmeg
3/4 c Eggnog,at room temp.*

Place ingredients in the Bread Maker according to your manufacturers’ directions. Then adjust by adding flour or liquid as needed.

Candied Pickle Sticks

8 Servings

1 qt Pickles,Sour Or Dill; Drain
3 c Sugar
1/4 c Pickled Sweet Cherry Peppers
2 t Onion,Instant, Minced
1 t Celery Seed
1 t Mustard Seed
1/2 t Dried Hot Peppers,Crushed

NOTE: The pickled sweet cherry peppers should be coarsely chopped.

Remove the tips from the pickles. Cut the pickles into medium sticks, drain.

Mix the pickles and the remaining ingredients in a glass bowl
and cover.

Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Stir the pickle mixture until all the sugar is dissolved. Pack the pickles in small
jars and add the syrup to cover them.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before using but no longer than 2 weeks.

Makes 1 quart of candied pickle sticks.

Candied Pineapple

6 Servings

1 c Sugar
1 cn (20 ounce) pineapple,Slices
-packed in own juice
and 1/3 cup juice,Drained reserved
2 T Light corn syrup
Sugar

In 3 qt casserole, combine 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup reserved juice and the corn syrup. Arrange five pineapple slices in single layer over sugar mixture.

Microwave on High 8-12 min. or until sugar dissolves and slices are glossy and transparent on edges, turning over and rearranging every 4 minutes.

Remove slices to wire rack and cool.

They will become more transparent as they cool. Add remaining slices to the hot syrup and repeat as above. When slices have cooled completely, coat with sugar.

Cover with wax paper and let stand on wire rack at least 24 hours to dry.

Recoat with sugar. Slices will be slightly sticky.

Store in airtight container with wax paper between layers no longer than 2 weeks.

M&M Christmas Ornaments

TREE ORNAMENTS =================
Plastic wrap
Pkg.’s M&M’s
Pipe Cleaner
Ribbon
CHRISTMAS WREATH ===============
Same ingredients as ornament
– but also a wire coat
– hanger

TREE ORNAMENTS: Cut plastic wrap into 6-inch squares. Gather corners and twist tightly. Secure with pipe cleaner.
Cluster individual balls into one large one, connecting each ball with the adjoining pipe cleaner. Tie “curling” ribbon around the cluster to form a loop at the tops. Tie two 10-inch strands of ribbon at the bottom and curl. Hang on the tree with the loop ends.

M&M CANDY WREATH: Make cluster balls the same way as the candy tree ornament clusters, using plain or peanut M&M’s. Form a circle from a wire coat hanger, the hook forms the hanging loop. Attach cluster balls to the hanger with pipe cleaners. Tie a large bow at the top of the wreath.

Choco-Almond Confections

1 1/4 c Blue Diamond Natural,Chopped
-Almonds,toasted
1 oz Squares milk chocolate
1/2 c Orange juice
1/2 c Granulated sugar
3 c Crushed lemon,orange, or
-vanilla wafers
2 T Curacao (or orange juice)

In blender or food processor, finely grind 1/4 cup of the almonds; set aside. Combine chocolate with orange juice and sugar in saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and mix in crushed wafers, Curacao and the chopped almonds.

Chill mixture at least one hour.

Form into small balls; roll in the ground almonds.

Refrigerate in air-tight container for several days for best flavor to develop.

Makes about 3 dozen.

LEMON LINZER COOKIES

1 recipe basic cookie mix 1 lg egg
1 tsp grated lemon zest (colored part of peel)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 c seedless raspberry jam

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

In large bowl of electric mixer, combine cookie mix, egg, lemon zest and lemon juice. At low speed, beat until mixture forms a dough.

Divide dough in half. Working one half at a time, on lightly floured surface, with lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough 1/8″ thick; cut out with 3″ round cookie cutter, cut out centers of half of the cookies. If desired, reroll dough centers for additional cookies.

Transfer dough rounds and rings to prepared baking sheets. Bake 8 min or until cookies are golden; transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

With 1 tsp jam each, cover flat sides of rounds. Place a cookie ring, flat side down, on top of each filling-topped round. Dust tops of cookies with confectioners’ sugar.

Cold Pumpkin Souffle

8 Servings

2 c Heavy (whipping) cream
1 can (30 ounces) pumpkin-pie
-filling
2 Envelopes plus 1 teaspoon
-unflavored gelatin
1/4 c Bourbon whiskey (or 1)
-Tablespoon vanilla extract

For garnish: lightly sweetened whipped cream, chopped pistachio nuts, ground cinnamon.

1. Have a 1 1/2-quart souffle dish or 2- to 3- quart serving bowl ready.

2. IF USING SOUFFLE DISH: Tear off a piece of foil or waxed
paper 4 inches longer than the circumference of the souffle dish. Fold in thirds lengthwise. Fit around outside of dish with 2-inch collar extending above the dish. Fasten over lapping ends to each other with cellophane tape or paper clips.

3. Beat cream in a large bowl with electric mixer just until soft peaks form when beaters are lifted.

4. Put 1/2 cup pumpkin-pie filling in a small saucepan. Stir in gelatin. Place over low heat and stir 3 to 4 minutes until almost boiling and gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.

5. Put remaining pumpkin-pie filling in a large bowl. Stir in hot gelatin mixture then bourbon and 1/2-cup whipped cream. Fold in remaining whipped cream until blended.
6. Pour into prepared dish or serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

7. BEFORE SERVING: Remove collar. Spread top of soufflé with whipped cream. Score lightly with knife and sprinkle with cinnamon. Press nuts into sides of souffle or if serving from a bowl, sprinkle over whipped cream.

Makes 8 cups, 12 servings.

Cranberry-Nut Bread

1 1/3 c  Flour
1 t  Baking soda
1 1/4 t  Salt
3/4 c  Sugar
1    Orange,grated peel only
6 T  Butter,cut into 1″ pieces
2 lg Eggs
1    Orange,Juice only
1 1/4 c  Fresh cranberries,chopped
1 c  Walnuts (or pecans),chopped

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350F.

Grease a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan and line with a strip of wax paper, greased; or place 18 paper muffin cups in muffin tins. Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Put the sugar and orange peel in a bowl, food processor or mixer, along with the butter, eggs and 1/2 cup of the orange juice. Beat or process until smooth. Add the cranberries, nuts and the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Pour into the pan or cups.

Bake 1 hour for the loaf and 30 minutes for the muffins. Remove from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 1 Loaf or 18 Muffins

Coffee Nog

2 Servings

8 oz Fresh brewed coffee
1/2 c Cream
1 Egg yolk
1 T Brown sugar
Nutmeg

Combine sugar and egg yolk, beat well. In a small saucepan heat cream. Slowly whisk in egg/sugar mixture and when blended, remove from heat. Do not boil. Pour coffee into your favorite cups and top with cream mixture.

Cold Pumpkin Souffle

8 Servings

2 c Heavy (whipping) cream
1 can (30 ounces) pumpkin-pie
-filling
2 Envelopes plus 1 teaspoon
-unflavored gelatin
1/4 c Bourbon whiskey (or 1)
-Tablespoon vanilla extract

For garnish: lightly sweetened whipped cream, chopped pistachio nuts, ground cinnamon.

1. Have a 1 1/2-quart souffle dish or 2- to 3- quart serving bowl ready.

2. IF USING SOUFFLE DISH: Tear off a piece of foil or waxed
paper 4 inches longer than the circumference of the souffle dish. Fold in thirds lengthwise. Fit around outside of dish with 2-inch collar extending above the dish. Fasten over lapping ends to each other with cellophane tape or paper clips.

3. Beat cream in a large bowl with electric mixer just until soft peaks form when beaters are lifted.

4. Put 1/2 cup pumpkin-pie filling in a small saucepan. Stir in gelatin. Place over low heat and stir 3 to 4 minutes until almost boiling and gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.

5. Put remaining pumpkin-pie filling in a large bowl. Stir in hot gelatin mixture then bourbon and 1/2-cup whipped cream. Fold in remaining whipped cream until blended.
6. Pour into prepared dish or serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

7. BEFORE SERVING: Remove collar. Spread top of soufflé with whipped cream. Score lightly with knife and sprinkle with cinnamon. Press nuts into sides of souffle or if serving from a bowl, sprinkle over whipped cream.

Makes 8 cups, 12 servings.