The Everything Family Christmas Book (64 page)

5. Pour fudge into prepared pan.

6. Chill overnight.

Lemon Bars

Simple to make, and always a big hit at family gatherings.

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

½ cup butter, softened

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

¾ cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

Confectioners’ sugar (for dusting)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease an 8” × 8” × 2” pan.

3. Mix together flour and confectioners’ sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until coarse crumbs form.

4. Pat crumb mixture into prepared pan.

5. Bake crust until golden, approximately 10–12 minutes. Set aside.

6. In a large bowl, combine beaten eggs with sugar and lemon juice. Beat until thickened.

7. Beat in flour and baking powder.

8. Pour batter over prepared crust.

9. Return pan to oven; bake lemon bars until set, approximately 20–25 minutes.

10. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool.

11. Sift confectioners’ sugar over top and let cool. Cut into 1” squares.

Maple Bells

One of the perennial symbols of Christmas—and a darned good cookie, too.

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease a baking sheet.

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

4. Beat in eggs and maple syrup. Beat in cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.

5. At low speed, beat in flour until dough forms.

6. Shape dough into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

7. On a floured surface, roll out dough to ?” thickness; using bell-shaped cookie cutters, cut-out cookies. Place cookies in batches on prepared baking sheet.

8. All large pieces should be baked together and all small pieces should be baked together, so that each batch will cook evenly.

9. Bake cookies until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes.

Meatless Mince Pie

A real holiday treat!

½ cup cooked rice

½ cup seedless raisins

½ cup currants

½ cup honey

2 tablespoons chopped orange sections

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon butter

⅛ teaspoon cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon nutmeg

Sprinkling of granulated sugar

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Prepared, uncooked double-layer pastry shell

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

2. Grease a medium-sized pie pan.

3. Mix together rice, raisins, currants, honey, orange, lemon peel, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

4. Fit shell into prepared pie pan. Spoon rice mixture into shell. Cover with remaining dough and press edges together to seal. Brush pie with beaten egg white. Sprinkle with sugar.

5. Bake pie until crust is golden, approximately 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F; bake about 30 minutes more. Check frequently; do not scorch or overcook!

6. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool.

Old-Fashioned Christmas Tea Cakes

Sometimes the old recipes are the best.

l cup margarine

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon nutmeg

3½ cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease a baking sheet.

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

4. Beat in eggs and nutmeg. Beat in flour ½ cup at a time, beating until blended and smooth.

5. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto floured surface. Roll cakes out to ¼” thickness.

6. Place cakes 1” apart on prepared baking sheet.

7. Bake cakes in batches until golden and set, approximately 10 minutes.

8. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool.

Pecan Pie

Irresistible at any time of the year, but a special favorite during the holidays! The pecans will float to the top, forming a firm crust that will brown nicely.

Prepared, uncooked pie crust to fit standard pie pan

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 cup coarsely chopped pecan pieces, toasted

½ cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Place pie crust in greased pie pan (or, if crust comes in aluminum pie pan, use that); put in oven and brown slightly, 5–10 minutes. Remove.

3. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Add sugar, pecans, vanilla, corn syrup, and salt. Mix well.

4. Pour filling into prepared crust.

5. Bake pie until top is set, approximately 40–45 minutes.

6. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool.

Peppermint-Flavored Candy-Cane Cookies

Cool and refreshing.

1¼ cups margarine

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

1 large egg

3¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

Pinch of red food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease a baking sheet.

3. Beat together margarine and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.

4. Mix in vanilla, salt, and egg. On low speed, beat in flour ½ cup at a time, until dough forms.

5. Shape dough into a ball and divide in half.

6. In a small bowl, mix red food coloring and peppermint extract.

7. Knead food coloring mixture into one half of dough.

8. With lightly floured hands, roll 1 teaspoon of plain dough into a 4” rope.

9. Repeat rolling process with red dough. Braid ropes together and shape as a candy cane. Pinch ends together to seal.

10. Repeat with remaining dough.

11. Place cookies at least 1” apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake in batches for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

12. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool. Let stand until cool (about 20 minutes).

Peppermint-Twist Brownies

Brownies with a special twist—peppermint! Package them for gift giving in a round tin with red bakers’ waxed paper between layers.

1 cup flour

⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

3 large eggs, room temperature

½ cup peppermint candies, broken into pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease bottom and sides of 8” × 8” pan and then sprinkle with a little extra cocoa (instead of flour).

3. In a large bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, salt, peppermint extract, and baking powder.

4. In a smaller bowl, cream together butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time. Slowly add mixture into dry ingredients. Mix well.

5. Place half the batter into the pan, spreading to cover the bottom. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candies evenly over the batter. Place the remaining batter on top to cover the candies.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.

7. Makes 9 large or 12 small brownies.

Pfeffernusse/Peppernuts

Offer this updated version of the traditional peppery German treat to the person on your Christmas list who just can’t get enough heat—but start early, because they take three weeks to gain full flavor. Don’t forget the apple slice that the recipe includes, or cookies will become quite hard!

3 large eggs

½ cup dark brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground cardamom seeds

¼ cup finely ground almonds

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Zest of one lemon

Confectioners’ sugar, approximately 1 cup

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Break eggs in large bowl and beat with a fork until frothy.

3. Add sugars and beat until well mixed.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the flour with the rest of the dry ingredients, except the confectioners’ sugar.

5. Slowly combine dry mixture with egg mixture.

6. Blend in lemon juice and zest.

7. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 1 hour.

8. With floured palms, roll the dough into 1” balls.

9. Bake for 10–15 minutes on greased or nonstick cookie sheets, or until bottoms are just beginning to brown.

10. As each batch comes out of the oven, roll immediately in powdered sugar and cool on a wire rack.

11. As soon as cookies are cool, place in an airtight container with 1 apple slice. Change apple slice every few days. After 3 weeks, flavors will have had a chance to blend, and cookies are ready for giving. Makes 3½ dozen.

“Perfect Every Time”
Chocolate Chip Cookies

Make a lot—they disappear quickly!

2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar