On Strike for Christmas (28 page)

The original shortbread recipe called for 4 cups of flour, but with that you wind up adding extra butter and/or a tablespoon of water to get the dough to hold together, so Joy just starts with less flour. If the dough feels sticky you can always add more flour.

1. Mix the flour, butter, and sugar together until it holds in a ball like pie crust, then divide into 3 balls. Turn onto a large ungreased cookie sheet and flatten into circles about ¼ inch thick and 5 inches wide. Poke full of holes with a fork, then cut into pie wedge sections with a sharp knife. (This will make it easier to get the cookies apart once they're baked.) You should get about 6 wedges per circle.

2. Bake at 350° F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut them again after you take them out of the oven and let them cool.

3. Melt white chocolate according to package instructions. Then frost the shortbread from the tip to the middle. If desired, you can top each cookie with a teaspoon of flaked coconut. Let the white chocolate harden completely before storing.
Makes about 18 wedges.

(In Loving Memory of Anne Bates, Who Died Way Too Young)

1. Cream together shortening, sugars, egg, water, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients and the oats to the egg-sugar mixture. Add cut-up gumdrops. Form into 1-inch balls and roll in coconut, if desired.

2. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake the cookies at 350° F. for 12 to 15 minutes.
Makes about 2 dozen. (Joy thinks. It's very hard to get an accurate count when people keep snitching the dough and snatching cookies the minute they come off the cookie sheet. She suggests doubling the recipe.)

Cream butter and sugar. Add salt, vanilla, flour, and walnuts and mix. Roll into 1-inch balls and bake at 350° F. for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. (Watch these carefully. Don't overbake them.) Cool on rack. After they are cool, roll in powdered sugar.
Makes 2 dozen.

(Adapted from a Recipe Courtesy of Susan Abbe)

1. Toast the pecans by placing them on a lightly greased baking sheet and into a 350° F. oven for about 15 minutes. Stir the pecans at the end of each 5 minutes of baking time. Take from oven and set aside to cool.

2. Place the cranberries in a bowl with hot water to cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, oil, orange peel, cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, vanilla, orange extract, and salt. Blend. Add the flour, pecans, and drained cranberries and stir into a stiff dough. Turn out onto a heavily floured surface and knead until smooth, counting your kneading turns. Knead about 20 turns. Add more flour if needed to reduce stickiness.

4. Divide dough in half. Form each half into a 2-inch-diameter log with a slight hump going down the middle. (These actually look a little like mini bread loaves.) Put them on a large cookie sheet greased lightly with cooking spray and bake them at 350° F. for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Let cool for 10 minutes. (Make sure you cool them for the full 10 minutes or they won't cut well!)

5. With a spatula, carefully transfer the logs to a cutting surface. Using a serrated knife, cut them on the diagonal into ½-inch-thick slices. Return the slices, cut side down, to the baking sheet. Bake until brown at 350° F. about 20 minutes more. Cool on wire racks. When cool, melt white chocolate slowly in a heavy pan and dip one whole side of each biscotti in the chocolate, scraping off the excess as you remove each from the pan. Return the biscotti to wire racks and let them stand until chocolate is hardened.
Makes 16 to 24.

(Formerly Mrs. Moyle's Figgy Pudding; In Loving Memory of Florence Moyle)

1. Sift dry ingredients together and mix with dried fruits. Add grated apple and carrot. Add melted butter and egg and stir in lemon juice.

2. Steam in the top of a medium-size double boiler for about an hour or so. The pudding will remain a little moist, but just be sure the center is a little bit firm. It will firm up a little more when it cools. Wrapped in foil, it will keep well for several weeks in your refrigerator.

3. To serve, heat the pudding in the top of a double boiler. Should be served hot. Makes 6 to 8 servings, depending on how much they eat.

In a small saucepan cream together the butter, flour, and sugar. Add dash of salt and the nutmeg. Pour in a small amount of hot water to make a paste, then slowly add 2 cups boiling water to make a sauce of the desired thickness. If desired, add lemon juice to taste. Serve hot with the pudding.
Serves 6 to 8.

 

Happy Holidays and Happy Eating!