Category Archives: Christmas

Country Christmas Bread

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Add a luxurious touch to any meal and fresh-bake your own wheat bread in a new form. Spread dough into a tube pan, sprinkle with fragrant fennel, anise or caraway seeds and let the tantalizing aroma fill your kitchen while it bakes high, light and golden.

For 1 ring you will need:
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
1 cup milk
3/4 cup butter or margarine, cubed
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup mashed potatoes
4 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups all-purpose flour
Egg white
All-purpose flour
1 to 2 Tbsp. fennel, anise or caraway seeds

Preparation:
1. Combine yeast and sugar in large bowl. Stir in warm water. Set aside for 5 min.

2. Combine milk and butter in saucepan. Place over low heat. Heat until it reaches 105° to 115° (butter need not melt completely).

3. Pour into yeast mixture along with the salt, mixing well. Beat in eggs. Stir in mashed potatoes until smooth and thoroughly blended.

4. With wooden spoon, beat in flours, 1 cup at a time, until dough forms. Knead for 10 min., adding flour as necessary. Place dough in oiled bowl, turning once. Cover and let rise in warm place for 2 hrs.

5. Punch dough down. Knead again for 5 min. Spread in oiled 10-inch tube pan. Cover and let rise 1 hr.

6. Brush with beaten egg white. Dust with flour. Sprinkle with seeds. Baked at 375° FOR 1 TO 1 1/4 hrs. Remove from pan. Cool on wire rack.

Tips: Bread can be baked in 2 loaf pans for 45 min. or until done. Two medium potatoes will yield about 3/4 cup mashed.

©MCMLXXXIV My Great Recipes. All Rights Reserved. Printed in Holland.

Eggnog and Holiday Raisin Cake

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1 1/4 cups shortening
1 1/4 cups honey
6 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 cups mixed diced candied fruits
2 cups candied pineapple pieces
2 cups raisins
2 cups golden raisins
1 cup halved candied cherries
2 cups broken pecans
1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup brandy

Preheat oven to 250F. Place shortening and honey in mixing bowl and beat until creamy; beat eggs well and add to mixture; mix flour, baking powder, salt and spices; add to mixture and beat vigorously to mix thoroughly.

Blend in fruits, nuts, and liquors. Line 10-inch tube pan with 2 thickness greased heavy brown paper. Pour batter into tube pan and place in shallow pan of water.

Bake in bottom half of oven 4 1/2 hours or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Yield: 36 thin slices.

Copyright© 1977 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Christmas-Cake Cookies

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2 pkg (8-oz size) pitted dates, coarsely chopped
3 colored candied pineapple slices (4 oz), cut in thick wedges
1 jar (4 oz) candied red cherries, quartered
1 can (4 oz) toasted slivered almonds
1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz pkg) whole Brazil nuts, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sherry
1 1/4 cups unsifted all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or regular margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg

1. In medium bowl, combine dates, pineapple, cherries, almonds, Brazil nuts, and sherry; mix well. Let stand at room temperature, 1 hour.

2. Sift flour with baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. In large bowl, with electric mixer at medium speed, beat butter, sugar, and egg until light and fluffy.

4. With spoon, stir in flour mixture until well combined; stir in fruit mixture.

5. Refrigerate, covered, 6 hours or overnight.

6. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

7. Drop dough by level tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheets. If desired, decorate with bits of candied peel.

8. Bake on middle rack of oven, 14 minutes, or just until golden brown. Remove cookies to wire rack; cool completely.

9. Store cookies in airtight container. (A slice of bread in container helps keep cookies moist. Replace bread often, to prevent mold.)

Makes about 5 to 6 dozen.

©Copyright 1973 by The McCall Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Steamed Holiday Pudding

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1 cup Gold Medal Flour*
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups raisins
2 cups currants
3/4 cup finely cut-up citron
1/2 cup each cut up candied orange and candied lemon peel
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
2 cups ground suet (1/2 pound)
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup currant jelly
1/4 cup fruit juice

Grease well 2-quart ring mold or turk’s head mold. Measure flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, mace and nutmeg into large bowl. Stir in fruits, nuts and bread crumbs. Mix suet, brown sugar, eggs, jelly and fruit juice; stir into flour mixture. Pour into mold; cover with aluminum foil.

Place rack in Dutch oven and pour boiling water into pan to level of rack. Place mold on rack; cover Dutch oven. Keep water boiling over low heat to steam pudding 4 hours or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (If it is necessary to add water during steaming, life list and quickly add boiling water.)

Unmold; cut into slices and serve warm with your favorite hard sauce. 16 servings.

*If using self-rising flour, decrease soda to 1/2 teaspoon.

©Copyright 1971 by General Mills, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Party Cheese Ball

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1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup minced onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Finely snipped parsley
Small crisp crackers

Place cheese in small mixer bowl; let stand at room temperature until softened. Blend in onion and Worcestershire sauce on low speed. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, scraping side and bottom of bowl frequently. Cover; chill 3 to 4 hours.

Shape mixture into 1 large ball or into 36 one-inch balls. Roll ball(s) in parsley; place on serving plate. Cover; chill 2 hours or until firm.

Arrange crackers around cheese ball and serve as a spread. To serve small balls, insert a wooden pick in each and serve with crackers. 1 large ball or 36 small balls.

Cheesy Christmas Ball: Shape mixture into 1 large ball; do not roll in parsley. Decorate ball with cuts of pimiento, green pepper and sliced pimiento-stuffed olives. Trim base of ball with tiny cocktail onions and pimiento-stuffed olives. Top ball with sprig of green leaves, evergreen or holly.

Greet your New Year’s Eve hostess with a gift of a cheese ball and packaged snack crackers.

©Copyright 1973 by General Mills, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

White Fruitcake

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1 can (3 1/2 oz) flaked coconut
1 1/4 cups light raisins
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped candied cherries
1 2/4 cups cubed candied pineapple
2/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted dates
1 cup dried currants
1 jar (8 oz) diced mixed candied fruit
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
1 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup coarsely chopped blanched almonds
2 3/4 cups sifted* all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butter or regular margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
Dash salt
5 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice

1. Lightly oil 10-inch tube pan. Line bottom and sides with heavy brown wrapping paper; lightly oil paper.

2. In very large bowl, toss coconut, fruits, and nuts until well mixed. Sift 1/4 cup flour over them; toss, coating evenly.

3. Preheat oven to 275F. In large bowl of electric mixer, at medium speed, cream butter until light. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.

4. Add salt. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition; beat until very light and fluffy. At low speed, alternately blend in remaining flour (in fourths) and orange juice (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour.

5. Pour batter over fruit-nut mixture. With hands, mix until fruits and nuts are evenly distributed through batter.

6. Turn into prepared pan, packing lightly. Bake 3 hours, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

7. Cool cake completely in pan on wire rack. Remove from pan; peel off paper. Decorate as desired. Makes 7-pound cake.

*Sift before measuring.

©Copyright 1973 by The McCall Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.