Berlin Bread

20 Servings

2 Eggs
2 T water,Warm
9 oz Sugar
2 1/2 oz Apple preserves
1/2 c Rum
1 pn allspice,Ground
3 t Cinnamon
2 1/2 oz chocolate,Grated
9 oz Flour
1 t Baking powder
4 1/2 oz Whole almonds (or hazelnuts)
1 1/4 oz Candied lemon peel,diced

1. Whisk the eggs and water until frothy, then add sugar, a little at a time. Continue whisking until the mixture is thick and creamy.

2. Mix and sift together the flour and baking powder.Add to the eggs and mix well, and then gradually add in the apple preserves, flavoring, spices, nuts and candied peel.

3. Spread the mixture about 1/4 inch thick in a greased baking sheet. Preheat oven to very hot for 5 minutes. Bake at moderate hot oven (375F) for 15-20 minutes.

4. Make an icing with 3 1/2 oz confectioners sugar and 1-2 T. hot water or milk. Ice the bread while it is still hot, and slice into 1 x 2 inch slices.

Brownie Cakes In A Jar

2 CANNING JARS,wide mouth
1 c ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1 c SUGAR
1/2 t BAKING SODA
1/4 t CINNAMON (optional),Ground
1/3 c BUTTER,or MARGARINE
1/4 c WATER
3 T UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER
1/4 c BUTTERMILK
1 EGG,beaten
1/2 t VANILLA EXTRACT
1/4 c WALNUTS,finely chopped

Every recipe technique is the same, just different ingredients…

Sterilize, two 1-pint straight-sided wide-mouth canning jars
(specifically made for canning jams and jellies) lids and rings
by boiling for 10 minutes (keep the lids and rings in the hot
water until ready to use); set aside.

In a small bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and
cinnamon, if desired. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine butter or margarine, water and cocoa powder; heat and stir until butter or margarine is melted and mixture is well blended.

Remove from heat; stir in flour mixture. Add buttermilk, egg and vanilla; beat by hand until smooth. Stir in nuts.

Pour mixture into the prepared canning jars; place jars onto a cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a pick inserted deep into each cake comes out clean.

Remove cakes from the oven, one at a time. Place a
lid, then a ring onto the jars and screw down tightly. USE HEAVY-DUTY MITTS, the jars ARE HOT!! Place jars onto your counter to cool.

You’ll hear a “plinking” sound. If you miss the sound, wait until the cakes are cool and press on the lids, they shouldn’t move at all, that means they’ve sealed.

Store cakes in a cool, dark place. They should last up to a year.

If you’d like to decorate them, place a wad of cotton in the center of each lid, then place a piece of decorative cloth, about 3-inches larger in circumference than the lid, (cut with pinking shears) on top of the cotton.

Screw the ring back on (by this time the rings can
be removed as the lids should be sealed). Use your imagination when decorating–a hot glue gun works wonders (dried flowers, ribbon, etc). These make WONDERFUL Christmas gifts.

Buttermilk Pecan Pralines (Cook ‘em Horns)

3 c Sugar
1 Pinch of Salt
3/4 c White Corn Syrup
2 c Pecan Halves
1 t Baking Soda
1 c Buttermilk
2 T Butter

In a large saucepan, (5 or 6 Quart size) combine sugar, baking soda, salt, buttermilk and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat to medium-low, continue cooking until mixture becomes caramel-colored and reaches soft ball stage (238 degrees).

Remove from heat, add butter and pecan halves. Beat until thick enough to drop from a spoon onto waxed paper.

If mixture becomes too hard, return to heat and add small amount of water. Stir until smooth.

Makes 44 to 48 Pralines

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.

Cheesecake With Cranberry Jewel Topping

1 1/2 c Vanilla wafers, crushed
1/4 c Sugar
6 T Butter, melted

FILLING
========================
1/2 c Whipping cream
1 pk Vanilla powder
1 1/2 lb Cream cheese, room temp.
1 c Sugar
1 pn Salt
4 lg Eggs

TOPPING
========================
12 oz Fresh (or cranberries)
-Frozen
3/4 c Sugar
1/2 c Cranberry juice concentrate
1/4 c Water

Preheat oven to 350 F.

CRUST: Wrap the bottom and outsides of 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil. Lightly butter inside of pan and set aside.

Combine cookie crumbs, sugar and butter. Press mixture onto bottom and halfway up sides of prepared springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes on center rack of preheated oven. Set aside, but do not turn off oven.

FILLING: Using electric mixer, blend together all ingredients. Add eggs and mix just until well-combined. Pour filling into prepared crust.

Bake until center is just set, about 50 minutes. Refrigerate cake immediately, and leave until thoroughly chilled (at least 6 hours or overnight).

TOPPING: Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Strain mixture through a sieve set over a lage bowl, pressing firmly with the back of a spoon to force as much of the liquid through sieve as possible. Spoon warm topping evenly
over cold cake. Refrigerate until topping is set, at least 2 hours.

(Can be prepared 1 day before serving. Store covered in
refrigerator.)

To serve, pipe rosettes of whipped cream around edges of cake.

Garnish with whole cranberries.

Cherry Vanilla Fudge

3 c Sugar
1/2 t Salt
1 c Light cream
1/2 c Milk
1/4 c Light corn syrup
2 T Butter (or margarine)
2 t Vanilla
1 c Candied cherries, quartered

1. Combine sugar, salt, cream, mil, corn syrup and butter in a large heavy saucepan.

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to boiling. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until candy thermometer reaches 238F. (soft-ball stage)

3. Remove from heat, leaving thermometer in the saucepan. Cool to 100F.

4. Add vanilla. Beat briskly until fudge thickens and begins to lose its gloss. Stir in cherries.

5. Pour into buttered 8″ square pan. Cool. Cut into squares when firm.

Makes 1 3/4 pounds

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.

Chocolate Brittle

1 lb Butter
1 lb Sugar
1 lb Almonds
1 lb Walnuts,finely chopped
1 lb Semi-sweet chocolate
1 c Walnuts,whole

In a saucepan cook butter & sugar, boiling 5 minutes.

Stir in almonds & cook 10-20 minutes or until nuts begin to pop & turn brown.

Pour into a shallow pan & let cool. Melt chocolate & pour over mixture in pan. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts.

After mixture hardens, turn over and sprinkle bottom side with walnuts.

Break candy into pieces.

—

Chocolate Butterscotch Fudge

1 c Sugar
15 oz Sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c Water
6 oz Semisweet chocolate pieces
6 oz Butterscotch flavored pieces
1/4 c Butter (or regular
-margarine)
1 t Vanilla
1 c walnuts,Chopped

Combine sugar, sweetened condensed milk, water, chocolate and butterscotch pieces in 3 quart heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly, to soft ball stage (234F)

Remove from heat.

Combine butter and vanilla in mixing bowl. Pour hot mixture into bowl. Beat with electric mixer at high speed until mixture starts to thicken. Stir in walnuts.

Spread into greased 9 inch square baking pan.

Cool and cut in 1-1/2 inch squares.

Makes 36 pieces.

Chocolate Wreath Cake

12 Servings

3 c All-purpose flour
1 T Baking powder
1 T Baking soda
1 1/2 t Salt
3 c Sugar
3 c Water
6 oz Semisweet chocolate
-finely,Chopped
1 lb Unsalted butter,softened
3 Large eggs,lightly beaten
2 1/4 c Confectioners’ sugar
1/2 t Vanilla extract
-Few drops green food colori
Fresh raspberries,dried
-cranberries,or cherries,
-for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan with a non-removable bottom.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium pot, combine the sugar and water and bring them to a boil.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the chocolate and 1 stick of butter. When the chocolate and butter have completely melted, whisk the mixture to combine completely. Whisk in the beaten eggs.

Pour about half the chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk vigorously to thoroughly combine the ingredients and remove any lumps. Working quickly, add the remaining chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

In a medium bowl, cream together the remaining 3 sticks of butter and the confectioners’ sugar, until light and fluffy.

Remove 1/3 cup of the icing, place in a small bowl, and color
it with a few drops of the green food coloring. Put the remaining icing in a pot, add the vanilla.

Over low heat, stir the icing until it becomes a pourable consistency. (If it overheats, causing the butter to separate, put the icing in the refrigerator to chill and stir to bring it back together.)

Pour the icing over the cooled cake so that it drips down the center and outside. Cluster the red berries in groups of 3 on top of the cake. Fill the green icing into a pastry bag fitted with a leaf tip and pipe a few leaves around each cluster of berries.

Serves 12 to 16.

ROLLED SUGAR COOKIES

1 recipe basic cookie mix 1 large egg 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.

In large bowl of electric mixer, combine ingredients; at low speed, beat until mixture forms a dough.

Divide dough into thirds. Working with one third at a time, on lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8″ thick; cut out with 3″ cookie cutters. Transfer to prepared baking sheets. Bake 8 min or until golden. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool; if desired, decorate with icing, candies and colored sugars.

Makes 3 dozen.