The Everything Family Christmas Book (65 page)

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup butter

1¼ cups solid vegetable shortening

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

6 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large bag chocolate chips

2 cups coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Grease a large baking sheet.

3. Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt.

4. In a large mixing bowl, beat together shortening, sugar, and butter at medium speed, until light and fluffy.

5. Beat in vanilla and eggs.

6. Using low speed, beat in flour ? cup at a time, beating until dough forms.

7. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

8. Bake cookies in batches until golden, approximately 10–12 minutes.

9. Let stand until cool.

Red Velvet Cake

Delightful and delicious! And the color couldn’t be more Christmas appropriate!

Cake:

½ cup solid vegetable shortening

1½ cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 ounces red food coloring

2½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Icing:

1 cup milk

5 tablespoons flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease two 8” cake pans.

3. In a large bowl, beat together shortening, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.

4. Add eggs to the mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Mix in food coloring.

6. Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.

7. Pour batter into prepared pans; smooth tops.

8. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 30 minutes.

9. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool. After 20 minutes, carefully use a spatula to turn cakes out onto rack to cool completely.

10. Slice each layer in half horizontally.

11. In top of double boiler, cook milk and flour over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Let cool.

12. In a medium bowl, beat sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add milk mixture. Mix until combined.

13. Cool icing completely before using. Spread icing evenly on top and sides of cake.

Snowball Cake

A winter wonderland for the senses!

l package yellow cake mix

3 large eggs

⅓ cup vegetable oil

1¼ cups water

1 teaspoon almond extract

½ cup coarsely chopped crystallized ginger

¾ cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted

1 (12-ounce) can prepared white creamy frosting

Shredded, sweetened coconut

Filling:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

½ cup sour cream

3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease and flour a medium-sized Bundt pan.

3. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil, water, and almond extract.

4. Mix for 2–3 minutes until mixture attains a uniform consistency; fold in ginger and almonds.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan.

6. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, approximately 50 minutes. Cool in pan 25 minutes. Remove and cool on rack for an additional 2 hours.

7. Put in freezer until hard enough to cut. Using either a cake divider or a very long serrated knife, slice cake horizontally into 2 layers. Remove and set aside the top. Hollow out bottom half, leaving ½”–¾” on the sides and bottom.

8. Beat cream cheese, sour cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract in large bowl until smooth.

9. Spoon filling into hollow of cake. Replace top.

10. Spread prepared white frosting over top and sides of cake.

Special Christmas Oatmeal Cookies

A classic, but with extra goodies for a special time of year. The more extra goodies you add to these cookies, the better they are!

1 stick butter or margarine

4 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

¼ cup water (4 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup chocolate morsels

Macadamia nuts, walnuts, and raisins in desired amounts

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease a large baking sheet.

3. Beat butter and shortening together until mixture is smooth.

4. Beat in sugar, egg, water, and vanilla until light and fluffy.

5. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

6. Drop mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.

7. Bake cookies in batches until golden, approximately 12–15 minutes.

8. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Springerle

A great present for coffee lovers—you can’t find a better cookie to have with coffee! For gift giving, wrap springerle in a basket with a bag of gourmet coffee beans.

3 large eggs

3 cups granulated sugar

3 cups flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons ground aniseed

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Beat eggs and blend in sugar.

3. Add flour, baking powder, and aniseed and mix to form a dry dough.

4. Place dough in a large zipper-style plastic bag, pressing out as much air as you can before sealing. Press the dough together into a large ball and chill in the refrigerator in the bag.

5. After 1 hour, remove dough from refrigerator and form into 1” balls. These can be baked as is, or carefully flattened with a 2¼” cookie press after being dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

6. Bake on greased cookie sheets for approximately 12 minutes, or until bottoms are beginning to brown. Makes 4½ dozen cookies.

7. Let cookies cool on a wire rack, then store in airtight container.

Trifle

A holiday treat that’s likely to become a tradition at your house after the first time you serve it. There are countless variations on this recipe, so don’t be afraid to experiment with some of your own.

1½ dozen ladyfingers, split in half

¼ cup sherry

1 dozen almond macaroon cookies, broken in pieces

¼ cup toasted almond slices

¾ cup fresh strawberries, sliced

¾ cup fresh blueberries, sliced

¾ cup fresh peaches, sliced

1 cup custard (see separate recipe below)

1 pint whipped cream

Custard:

3 large eggs

¼ teaspoon salt

½ stick butter

1¼ cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

1. In a trifle bowl, arrange ladyfingers.

2. Sprinkle sherry over ladyfingers.

3. Add one layer of macaroon cookie pieces and half of the toasted almond slices.

4. Add one layer of strawberries, peaches, and blueberries. Top with custard and whipped cream. Garnish with more almond slices.

Custard:

5. Scald milk in top of large double boiler.

6. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, flour, and salt at medium speed until light and fluffy.

7. Add egg mixture to scalded milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.

8. Add vanilla and butter.

9. Place a piece of wax paper directly over top of surface. Cool for 30 minutes.

Wish Cookies

You’ll wish you’d made more!

10 graham crackers, crushed

½ cup butter or margarine, melted

½ cup chopped almonds

6 ounces chocolate chips

½ cup sweetened, shredded coconut

1 can condensed milk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter with graham crackers. Mix well.

3. Press crumb mixture into bottom of a 13” × 9” pan.

4. Sprinkle nuts, then chocolate chips, and coconut (in that order) over cracker crumbs.

5. Gently pour condensed milk over top.

6. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until golden brown.

7. Let cool before cutting.

Brandy Cocoa

A mellow and delicious drink for the holidays.

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

⅓ cup granulated sugar

1½ cups boiling water

4 cups whole milk

3 teaspoons brandy

1. In a saucepan, scald milk.

2. In another saucepan, mix cocoa, sugar, and enough boiling water to make a smooth paste.

3. Add remaining water and boil 1 minute, then add to milk.

4. Mix well; add brandy, then beat mixture with egg beater for 2 minutes.

5. Serve in large mugs.