Over the River and Through the Woods (9 page)

Dave's Chocolate Cream Pie

Submitted by: Julie McIntyre

Garden City, Michigan

Christmas Tradition:

I make it for my father-in-law every year for Christmas every year.

Ingredients:

1 whole bag milk chocolate chips

1 half bag bittersweet chocolate chips

8 ounces of whipping cream

½ cup of coffee (left over from morning pot)

2 eggs

Salt

1/3 cup sugar

Premade pie shell

Whipped Cream

Chocolate curls (to garnish)

Directions:

Melt chocolate chips over double boiler with heavy whipping cream and coffee.

Remove from heat and add 2 egg yolks, set aside.

Use the egg whites in a separate bowl and add a pinch of salt and sugar. Beat until fluffy then add in 1/3 cup heavy cream and beat until it resembles whipped cream.

Fold in cooled chocolate mixture. Pour into a premade pie shell and bake according to pie shell directions.

When done stick in freezer to cool. Pullout 2 hours before serving and top with whipped cream and chocolate curls!

Pumpkin Bars

(With Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting)

Submitted by: Tiffane Sloan

Peru, Indiana

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

4 eggs

2 cups white sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 pinch ground cinnamon, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a large jelly roll pan with cooking spray.

2. Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer until foamy; add white sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin. Beat on medium speed until incorporated, 2 minutes.

3. Mix flour, baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Beat flour mixture into egg mixture on low speed until just combined, 1 minute. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool completely.

5. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a bowl with an electric hand mixer until creamy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar; beat until smooth. Spread frosting evenly over cooled pumpkin cake; sprinkle with cinnamon.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Submitted by: Brenda Lunt

Taylor, Arizona

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

2 cups shortening

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg, beaten

4 1/3 cups cake flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

sugar, for decorating

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and shortening using an electric mixer.

3. Mix on slow speed 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

4. Increase speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes.

5. Slowly add vanilla and beaten egg while mixing.

6. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, mixing on slow speed until just blended. Do not over mix.

7. Scoop with an ice-cream scoop and roll in sugar.

8. Place directly on cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with palm of hand.

9. Bake at 375° for 9-10 minutes. Cookies are done when small cracks appear and are pale golden. Ideally, the edges do not brown.

Cinnamon Rolls

Submitted by: Connie Weatherford

Taylor, Arizona

Ingredients:

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45

degrees C)

2 eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup margarine, melted

4 1/2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese,

softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.

2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

3. Roll dough into a 16x21-inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Roll Out Buttermilk Cookies

Submitted by: Jennifer Maxwell

Delphi, Indiana

Ingredients:

1 cup Buttermilk

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup shortening

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 cups sugar

5 cups flour

Directions:

Mix together above ingredients & let set in refrigerator for 2 hr. Roll out to about ½ “ thick cut with cutters. Bake at 375 degrees, until very lightly browned (about 7 minutes). Remove from baking sheet and let cool.

Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese

1 lb powdered sugar

2 sticks butter

Mix well together. Spread on cookies.

Ginger Crinkles

Submitted by: Jennifer Maxwell

Delphi, Indiana

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1 1/3 cups sugar

¾ cup shortening

¼ cup light molasses

1 egg, slightly beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift flour with baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, ginger. Set aside.

With Electric mixer gradually add 1 cup sugar to shortening, creaming until very light & fluffy (about 5 minutes). Blend in molasses and egg. At low speed, beat in flour mixture.

Refrigerate 1 hr. shape dough into 1” balls. Roll in remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Place 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes (no longer), until golden brown. Let stand 1 minute before removing to wire rack to cool. Makes 4 dozen.

Peachocoscotch Cookies

Submitted by: Lacey Weatherford

Snowflake, Arizona

Christmas Tradition:

One of our favorite family traditions takes place on Christmas Eve. We invite our extended family to our house and hook my brother-in-law’s long, flat bed trailer onto his truck and we load it up with couches, chairs, and LOTS of blankets. The whole family climbs on and snuggles up together and we travel around town singing Christmas carols for the community.

Since we live in the mountains of Arizona, which often has snow at this time of year, we are FREEZING when we get back home. We all gather in the kitchen and have hot chocolate, my mother-in-law’s delicious homemade doughnuts, and cookies. This cookie recipe is one of my own—yes, I named it too—and it’s a family favorite! Everyone loves them! So, here you go—my personal cookie recipe:

Cream together:

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup peanut butter

Add:

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Mix well, then stir in:

1 small bag of Peanut Butter Chips

1 small bag of Milk Chocolate Chips

1 small bag of Butterscotch Chips

Fold together until evenly mixed. If you like nuts, you can add your favorite of those too.

Roll dough into one inch balls and place on an UNGREASED cookie sheet. Flatten with a spatula or fork. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees, or until nicely browned. Let the cookies cool in the pan before you remove them, as they are very tender while hot.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

About the Author:

Lacey Weatherford is the bestselling author of the popular young adult paranormal romance series, Of Witches and Warlocks, and contemporary series, Chasing Nikki and Crush.  She also writes under the pen name of Sydney Snow, releasing her first New Adult bestseller under that name, Tell Me Why.

Lacey resides in the beautiful White Mountains of Arizona.  She lives with her wonderful husband and children along with their dog, Sophie, and cat, Minx. When she’s not out supporting one of her kids at their sporting/music events, she spends her time reading, writing, and visiting with her readers on her social media accounts.

Visit Lacey’s Official Website:

http://www.laceyweatherfordbooks.com

Follow on Twitter:

LMWeatherford

Or Facebook:

Lacey Weatherford - Author

Other Books By

Lacey Weatherford

Of Witches and Warlocks series:

The Trouble with Spells

The Demon Kiss

Blood of the White Witch

The Dark Rising

Possession of Souls

Book of Shadows series:

Fire & Ice

Chasing Nikki series:

Chasing Nikki

Finding Chase

Crush Series:

Crush

Smitten

Anthology:

A Midsummer Night’s Fling

Faery Kissed

Under Adult Pen Name Sydney Snow

Fringe Novels:

Tell Me Why