Favorite Christmas recipes

[Ironhorse]

Now's the time to share those secret, favorite cookie, pie, cake, main and side dish recipes that you cook for the holidays. The grandkids and I will start baking Christmas cookies soon (thank goodness for my Kitchen Aid mixer!). One recipe we like is the Wedding Cookie Recipe. Not difficult to make and they make nice little bites to grab as you're running by the counter, LOL!

Wedding Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (You can use margarine, but they don't taste nearly as good as when you use real butter)
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups finely ground almonds
4 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for rolling


Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Cream butter or margarine in a bowl, gradually add confectioners' sugar and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add almonds and vanilla. Blend in flour gradually and mix well.
Shape into balls (or crescents) using about 1 teaspoon for each cookie. Place on ungreased cookie sheets, and bake for 15-20 min. Do not brown. Cool slightly, then roll in the extra confectioners' sugar. Makes about 6 doz.

[Ironhorse]

INGREDIENTS
7 quarts plain popped popcorn
2 cups dry roasted peanuts (or you can use almonds or pecans)
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans. Add the nuts to the popped corn if using. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat. Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated.

Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes. Line the counter top with waxed paper. Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.

[Ironhorse]

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, divided (or almonds, pecans or peanuts if you choose)
1 (6 ounce) package chocolate chips


Butter a 9 inch square baking dish, and set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the sugar and corn syrup until smooth. Heat to 290 degrees F using a candy thermometer.

When the temperature has been reached, stir in 1 cup of the walnuts, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into the prepared pan, and allow to cool. When the toffee is cooled, remove from the pan, and place onto waxed paper. Melt chocolate chips in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, or in the microwave, stirring frequently until smooth.

Spread half of the melted chocolate onto one side of the toffee slab, and sprinkle with half of the remaining nuts. Allow to cool until set, then repeat with the other side. Break into bite size pieces when set.

[Nascar8Fan]

This cake has been my husband's favorite since he was a little boy. My mother-in-law finally gave me the recipe because she got tired of making it for him for every occasion! He now only gets it (the cake) on Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is a definately MUST try!! :hungry:


Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Cake


DRY BATTER MIX
1 Cup – Brown Sugar
1 Large Bag - Chocolate Chips
2 Tablespoons – Flour
1 Teaspoon – Cinnamon
1/3 Cube – Softened Butter
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Mix all
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WET BATTER MIX
1/4 Pound – Softened Butter
1 Cup – Sugar
3 – Eggs
1 Small – Sour Cream
1 Teaspoon – Vanilla
1 Teaspoon – Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon – Baking Powder
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Mix all of wet batter and then add: 2 Cups – Flour (one at a time)
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Butter pan
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Alternate batters wet / dry until all mixed.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

[Ironhorse]

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. mint extract
1 large egg white, beaten

Combine flour, baking soda and cocoa together in a bowl and mix. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, applesauce, extracts and egg white and beat with a hand mixer until well blended. Combine flour mixture with sugar mixture to form dough. Roll into a log and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for about 1 hour until firm. Slice into quarter inch pieces and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Cool and serve.

***You can use your favorite sugar and egg substitutes. This menu is already on the healthy side because applesauce is used in place of cooking oil.