Christmas Recipes

Dec 16, 2010

Christmas Delight By Jean Campbell

Cranberry Coleslaw By Marilyn Meeks

Dulce de Leche Bars by Jean Campbell

No Bake Christmas Fruit Cake By Debbie Deline

Scones courtesy of Jennifer Whitehead

Christmas Delight By Jean Campbell 1/2 cup butter1/2 cup brown sugar1-1/2 cups flour1 egg yoke1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together and press lightly in a 7X11 pan. Sprinkle half a package of coconut over base; sprinkle 1 cup cut up dates; sprinkle one 16-oz package red and green candied cherries; sprinkle 1 cup pecans (not cut).

Cover with l/2 cup eagle brand milk. Bake until golden brown at 325° approximately 30 minutes. Watch closely after 20 minutes.

Cranberry Coleslaw By Marilyn Meeks 1 cup chopped cranberries¼ cup sugar3 cups finely shredded cabbage½ cup orange juice2 Tbsp. chopped celery2 Tbsp. chopped green peppers1 cup seeded, halved green grapes¼ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

Mix cranberries with sugar. Moisten cabbage with orange juice, add sugared cranberries, celery, green peppers and grapes. Toss lightly with mayonnaise or dressing. Chill ½ hour before serving

Dulce de Leche Barsby Jean Campbell

By request from the Bedford Open Mic, I took these squares called “Dulce de Leche” bars. Freezing is not recommended.

3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)1 tsp vanilla1 1/4 cups all purpose flour1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

Filling:

1 can Eagle Brand milk or Low Fat Sweetened Condensed milk1 bag Skor chipits toffee bits

Topping:

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips2 oz white chocolate for decoration (optional)

Preheat oven to 350oF.

Line a square baking pan with parchment paper so it hangs over the edge for easy removal. Beat together butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Mix in flour and crumbs. Press in pan. Bake 20 minutes until golden.

For the filling, pour the milk into a glass 8-cup measure and microwave on medium for 4 minutes, stirring after two minutes. Stir in toffee bits on medium-low or “Defrost” for eight minutes, stirring every two minutes or until thick. Pour over baked crust after crust has cooled.

For the topping, melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips and spread lightly over filling. Drizzle with white chocolate. 

No Bake Christmas Fruit Cake By Debbie Deline

I found this recipe for a Festive Refrigerator Fruit Cake 10 years ago. I’ve been making them ever since and everyone asks me for the recipe, so here it is.

3 cups miniature marshmallows2/3 cup evaporated milk½ cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed¼ cup chopped dates¾ cup raisins1 cup broken walnuts1 cup candied mixed fruits¼ cup candied red cherries4 cups graham cracker crumbs1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon nutmeg½ teaspoon cloves

Slowly heat the marshmallows, evaporated milk and orange juice, stirring until marshmallows melt. Remove from heat and combine with the dates, raisins, walnuts, mixed fruits, cherries, graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, mixing well. Press firmly into a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan lined with waxed paper. Cover tightly and chill 2 days. Frost top of cake with vanilla cream cheese frosting. Garnish with maraschino cherries

Vanilla Cream Cheese frosting

2 oz. cream cheese1 teaspoon milk1 ¼ cups icing sugar few drops of vanilla

Combine the cream cheese and milk, blending until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla. Mix well

Scones Courtesy of Jennifer Whitehead from her limited edition cookbook titled “From my Heart to Your Stomach: 20 Simple Recipes to help you get through Life”, 2006.

*A note on pronunciation. Some people pronounce scone to rhyme with cone, or alone. This is not acceptable. If you are now or have ever been a Presbyterian, you should know better. Scone rhymes with dawn as in “The spawn of Satan ate a scone upon the lawn and thought deep thoughts in the cold grey dawn.”

The preparation of scones requires a light hand; the use of force, like the use of reason in theology, is best kept to an absolute minimum.

2 cups flour½ cup sugar3 tsp baking powder½ cup butter½ cup raisins and/or currants, dried apricots, walnuts, dried cranberries, blueberries, or nothing at all then (enjoy with) strawberries, raspberries, jam, whipped cream or clotted cream2 eggs¼ cup milksugar and maybe a little grated nutmeg if you choose the apricot or blueberry option

Measure the flour, sugar, and the baking powder into a bowl. Cut the butter in quickly until the mixture has the texture of breadcrumbs. It is important to move fast while making scones. The dough must be gently encouraged, not abused. Too much force will make your scones tough and difficult to deal with. Crack the eggs into a measuring cup, beat them, check how much liquid egg there is, and cleverly use math to add the right amount of milk. Chuck this into the flour/sugar/butter mixture along with whatever else you’re adding and gently pat the mixture into a large ball. Separate the ball into two or three evenly sized lumps, flatten slightly and place them on a buttered cookie sheet. Divide each lump into six or eight wedges. Sprinkle sugar on top or brush with beaten egg if the non-violence of scone preparation is too much for you. Bake at 350 F for fifteen minutes or longer if the scones refuse to cooperate. These are good hot but are perfectly acceptable cold the next day for breakfast. I never had scones long enough to see if they were still edible after twenty-four hours.