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While this bulletin is being prepared the last part of November for your use early in December and Christmas is still almost a month away as I'm writing this little note, I would like to take this opportunity and perhaps be the first to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with peace, prosperity, and happiness. This is our second big Christmas bulletin and again this year, we've filled the pages with favorite recipes from Eastern Iowa and even over in Illinois. While this year's bulletin is even bigger than last years, it still can't come close to holding the hundreds of recipes sent in and called in by Open Line listeners. I do want to thank each and everyone of you who sent in your favorite recipes and maybe someday one of yours will appear in one of our bulletins. Best wishes for the holidays with these holiday goodies from the "Best Of The Open Line."
DELICIOUS APPLESAUCE CAKE
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups sugar
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup sweetened applesauce
2/3 cup butterscotch morsels
½ cup nuts
1/3 cup butterscotch morsels
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup light cream
½ cup flake coconut
¾ cup nuts
The first group of ingredients is for the cake and the second group for the topping. Sift flour, cinnamon, soda and salt. Cream butter and sugar. Beat eggs and add applesauce to the eggs then add that to the cream mixture alternately with the sifted dry ingredients. Then add butterscotch morsels and nuts. Bake in 9 by 13 by 2 inch cake pan at 350 degrees for 30 or 35 minutes. While cake is baking, prepare topping melting butterscotch morsels, butter, and brown sugar over low heat. Stir in light cream, coconut and nuts. When cake is done, pour on topping and place under broiler till frosting gets bubbly, watching closely. Serve in baking dish or pan, (Mrs. Charles L, Smith, Lisbon, Iowa)
CHRISTMAS JELLO SALAD
3 packages Jello (Red, Lemon, and
Lime)
1 cup hot water
21 large marshmallows
2 small packages Philadelphia Cream
Cheese
1 small can crushed pineapple,
drained
1 package Dream Whip or whipped
cream
nuts and maraschino cherries (optional)
Prepare red jello in 9 by 13 inch pan and chill ahead of time. Mix lemon jello, hot water, marshmallows, and cream cheese in a large sauce pan. Stir until melted over medium heat and then let cool. Add pineapple and dream whip or whipped cream. Add nuts and cherries if used. Pour over red jello and let set until firm. Prepare lime jello and pour over prepared mixture and let set.
NATURAL FRUITS
Wash one cup each of figs, raisins, prunes, and dates and put through food grinder with one cup nut meats. Mix all together and mix thoroughly. Then roll in balls and roll in powdered sugar. Then chill in refrigerator. After fruit balls are chilled, melt baking chocolate and German Sweet chocolate in double boiler. Thin with milk. Dip chilled fruit balls in chocolate mix. Place on platter and again chill in refrigerator.
This is a third generation recipe and was sent to the Open Line by Mrs. Myrrh Hines, Dubuque, Iowa.
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HEAVENLY HASH ( CANDY )
1 pound milk chocolate
2½ cups miniature (baby)
marshmallows
1 cup coarsely broken nuts
Partly melt chocolate over heat. Remove and beat until smooth. Stir in nuts and marshmallows. Drop by spoonfuls on tray lined with wax paper.
DATE CHEWS
½ pound dates, cut up
1 cup sugar
2 eggs beaten
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups Rice Krispies
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cook dates, sugar, eggs, and butter slowly until thick. Add rice krispies and vanilla. Mix well. Let cool until it can be handled. Roll into small balls. Roll balls in chopped nuts or coconut.
BUTTERMILK CANDY
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon maple flavor
1 or 2 cups chopped nuts
Mix buttermilk, sugar, and soda and boil. Stir till, sugar is melted and boil until it reaches soft bell stage. Add butter, maple flavor and cool till lukewarm. Then beat till thick and add nuts: (Mrs. William Ball, Tipton , Iowa)
MALTED MILK NUT DAINTIES
2 cups dry malted milk
1 cup water
5 cups white sugar
3 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup broken nut meats
Dissolve malted milk in first cup of water. (Mrs. Mau uses chocolate.) Add sugar and the three cups of water which has been heated to boiling. Cook to 240 degrees or soft ball stage. Add vanilla and nut meats. Beat until mixture begins to set, then pour into a buttered pan. When cool, cut into squares. (Mrs. Walter Mau, Waterloo, Iowa)
SALTED PEANUTS PEANUT BRITTLE
½ pound salted peanuts
1 teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons water
1½ cups sugar
1½ cups light corn syrup
¼ to ½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
Put peanuts through a food chopper using medium blade. Set peanuts aside. Combine soda, vanilla and the 2 teaspoons water in a bowl and set aside for later use. Combine sugar, syrup, salt, and the ¼ cup water in a medium heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil over moderate heat and cook, stirring occasionally until 270 degrees (hard ball). Add butter and continue to cook until 300 degrees (hard crack), stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add soda and vanilla mixture. Quickly stir in nuts. Stir about a half minute. Scrape out on a well greased enamel table top or a very large metal tray. Spread to ½ inch thickness with a greased spatula. As soon as edges cool slightly, carefully pull out as thin as possible, 1/8 inch thick or less, When cool, break into pieces. Makes about two pounds. (Mrs. Donald D, Advise, Marion, Iowa)
ENGLISH TOFFEE
2 cups white sugar
2 cups butter
6 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon vanilla
Cook sugar, butter and water in a heavy pan over high to medium heat to soft ball stage (240 degrees) lower heat and cook to 300 degrees (hard crack stage) stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into 15 by 10½ by 1 inch pan or 2 (9x9x1-inch pans). Lay 10 small Hershey bars over top, and spread while warm. Sprinkle 1 to ½ cups finely chopped pecans or walnuts over top. Break into pieces when cool. (Mrs. Floyd Hoffman, West Branch, Iowa)
AFTER DINNER MINTS
Cream ½ cup oleo, ½ cup vegetable shortening and add ½ cup minus, 1 tablespoon water, 1¼ teaspoons salt, and 1 ¼ teaspoons flavoring. Add 2 pounds plus 2 cups confectioners sugar. Blend until smooth. Squeeze through pastry tube to desired shapes. May be frozen.
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DREAM BARS
22 graham crackers (crushed)
1 package chocolate chips
1 cup coconut
½ cup nuts (optional)
1 can condensed milk
Blend ingredients together. Bake in pyrex pan lined with wax paper at 350° for 20 to 25 min. Cut while warm and roll in powdered sugar. (Mrs. Dean Kuntz, Martelle, Iowa)
DATE COCONUT CANDY
2 cups walnuts
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
2½ cups coconut
2 eggs beaten
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grind: walnuts and dates in food chopper or chop fine by hand. Add sugar and 1 cup of the coconut and eggs and mix thoroughly. Drop by teaspoons in remaining coconut and shape into balls. Place on greased baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Makes 4 to 5 dozen. (Mrs. Ole Bakken, Decorah, Iowa)
HAWAIIAN FUDGE
2 cups white sugar
½ cup crushed pineapple
(drained)
½ cup cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup pecans
few drops of green color (optional)
Cook sugar, pineapple, cream, and butter to soft ball stage. Add Pecans and coloring if used. Beat till thick. Pour in 8 inch buttered pan. (Leila Minger, Garber, Iowa)
CHOCOLATE CHIP FUDGE
4 cups sugar
¼ cup butter
1 can evaporated milk
2 packages chocolate chips
1 pint jar marshmallow cream
1 cup nuts
vanilla to taste
Cook sugar, butter and milk, stirring occasionally. Boil nine minutes or to 226 degrees. Remove from stove and add rest of ingredients and beat (not too much). Pour into greased pan. Makes five pounds. (Mrs. Edward Shelangouski, East Moline, Illinois)
WHITE FUDGE
1 cup commercial sour cream
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup nuts or one of the
following variations:
Candied fruit
6 ounce package chocolate chips
6 ounce package butterscotch chips
Peppermint flavoring and green
coloring
Mix cream and sugar together in a heavy sauce pan which has had the sides greased to prevent crystallizing. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat to soft ball stage or 240 degrees. Add butter and mix in electric mixer four or five minutes at highest speed or until gloss disappears. Add nuts or variations and turn out in buttered 8 by 8 inch Pan and chill. Cut in squares. If peppermint flavoring and green coloring is used, add when butter is added. (Dan Hand, Olefin, Iowa)
ORANGE FUDGE
1 cup sugar
1½ cups milk
2 cups sugar
¾ generous tablespoons grated
orange rind
¾ stick (or 6 tablespoons)
butter or margarine
1½ cups chopped English
Walnuts
Melt the one cup sugar over a very slow fire in a heavy skillet or sauce pan and brown. Add milk. (This will crystallize but continue cooking and stirring until all, is dissolved and smooth) . Then add the other 2 cups sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until almost a hard ball stage. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Beat until very stiff and pour into a greased 9 by 9 inch pan to cool. (A Marion listener)
GRAHAM CRACKER FUDGE
2 cups sugar
1 cup cream or evaporated milk
1 tablespoon butter
1½ squares chocolate
1 pound miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped nut meats
3 cups graham cracker crumbs crushed
very fine.
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine sugar, cream or milk, butter and chocolate in a large sauce pan and boil to soft ball stage. Remove from stove and add remaining ingredients. Mix all together and pour on buttered pan. (Mrs. Arno Fasther, Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
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CANDY CANE COOKIES
1 cup soft shortening
1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1 egg
1½ teaspoons almond flavor
1 teaspoon vanilla
2½ cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red food coloring
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix shortening, sugar, egg, and flavoring well. Mix flour, and salt and stir into first mixture. Divide dough in half. Add coloring to half of dough. Take a teaspoon each of each color, roll each lightly and in strips four inches long. Place strips side by side. Twist strips together and place on sheet, turning top over like candy cane. Bake nine minutes. Makes four dozen. (Hazel Schaper, Chicago, Illinois)
OLD FASHIONED SOFT SUGAR COOKIES
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs plus enough milk to make
1 cup of liquid
1 teaspoon soda dissolved in ½
cup more of sweet milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 cups flour
Blend shortening, sugar, salt, vanilla and nutmeg. Add liquid (1½ cups in all) to shortening mixture and stir well. Sift flour with baking powder and add, beating well. Roll dough half at a time on well floured pastry board. Cut with large size cookie cutters. Place several seedless raisins in center of each cookie or sprinkle with a bit of sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. (Mrs. Walter Zahn, Urbana, Iowa)
SANDBAKELSER (SAND TARTS)
Mix ½ pound oleo, 1 cup chopped nuts, 2 cups sifted cake flour, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar together. Form in small balls and then shape into a crescent. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a slow oven, 300 degrees for 25 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar while warm. When cool, roll in powdered sugar again. (Mrs. Harry A Hahn, Wilton Junction , Iowa
CRISP SUGAR COOKIES
½ cup oleo
¼ cup peanut butter
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup shortening
½ cup powdered sugar
1 egg
2¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
Mix first seven ingredients well and add last three to that. Form in balls. Roll in white sugar. Flatten slightly. Bake on greased and floured cookie sheets at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes. Makes about 4½ dozen cookies. May be decorated with a nutmeat or an M & M candy. (Mrs. Lucille Wittig, Sioux City, Iowa
PECAN COOKIES
1 cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat thoroughly. Add pecans and flour and mix well . Use a teaspoon of dough per cookie and shape into balls on ungreased cookie sheets. Press each cookie gently with tines of a fork. Bake at 400 degrees about 8 to 10 minutes or until delicately browned. (Guy Wortman, Burlington, Iowa)
ANISE DROPS
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1¾ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons anise seed or 1 teaspoon
anise extract
Beat eggs until fluffy, add sugar, beating constantly and beat until almost white. Reduce speed of mixture and add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat well and add anise. Drop by teaspoons onto a well greased and floured cookie sheet. Let stand several hours to dry, even overnight if desired. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden, not brown. Store in containers, (Mrs. James Downey, Dubuque, Iowa)
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HONEY DROP COOKIE
1 cup sugar
1 cup honey
2/3 cup shortening
3 eggs
3¾ cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup commercial sour cream
1 cup chopped walnuts
¾ cups flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream sugar, honey, shortening, and eggs. On wax paper, mix flour, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Stir in walnuts, coconut, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoon on waxed baking sheet. Top each cookie with nutmeat half. Bake in 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
CHERRY COOKIES
2 cups flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs well beaten
juice and rind of ½ lemon
½ cup chopped nuts
½ cup chopped cherries (maraschino)
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream shortening and sugar, then blend all ingredients together. Shape in a small roll. Chill overnight. Next morning, slice and bake in a 400 degree oven. (A Lansing, Iowa, listener)
HOLIDAY NUGGETS
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup shortening
¼ cup butter
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ cup chopped English Walnuts
Sift flour and salt. Cream shortening, butter and powdered sugar thoroughly. Blend in vanilla, almond extract, and chopped nuts. Add dry ingredients gradually. Mix until dough is smooth and well blended. Shape into small balls on ungreased baking sheet. (1 tablespoon each). Flatten and bake on ungreased baking sheet. Bake a 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Roll in confectioners sugar while cookies are still hot.
TREASURE BARS
1 cup sifted flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup shredded coconut
½ cup chocolate pieces
Combine flour and ½ cup brown sugar, cut in butter. Press into greased 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking pan. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for about 12 minutes. For topping, gradually add brown sugar to eggs, beating till light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla. Add sifted dry ingredients. Stir in nuts, coconut, and chocolate pieces. Spread over baked crust. Bake 25 minutes more. Cool and cut in bars. Mrs. Orva McAtee, Coggon, Iowa)
ORANGE SLICE CAKE
3½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 pound orange slice candy, cut
up
1 8 ounce package pitted dates,
chopped
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 3¼ ounce package flaked
coconut
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon soda
½ cup buttermilk
Combine and Sift together flour and salt and set aside. Combine candy, dates, nuts, and coconut and ½ cup of the flour mixture and mix well to coat candy, etc. Cream the margarine or butter with a spoon and gradually add the sugar and beat well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Combine soda and buttermilk together and alternately with flour mixture. Blend well after each addition. Add candy mixture, mixing well. Turn into a 10 inch tube pan which has been greased and floured. Bake at 300 degrees for one hour and forty five minutes.
Mix well:
1 cup orange juice
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Pour over hot cake. Cool. Let stand in refrigerator overnight before removing from pan. (Mrs. Dale Hazlett, Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
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NUT LOAF
1½ cups flour
1½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 large (15 to 18 ounce) bottle
maraschino cherries, drained
2 pounds dates
2 pounds walnuts
1 pound Brazil Nuts
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Sift dry ingredients together. Add fruit and nuts. Mix well until well coated with flour. Beat eggs and stir in vanilla. Mix into flour and nut mixture. Spoon into 3 greased loaf pans and bake at 325 degrees for one hour. (Mrs. Henrietta Jun, Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
NO BAKE FRUIT CAKE
¾ cup milk
1 pound marshmallows
1 pound whole dates
1 pound graham crackers
1 pound whole nut meats
1 pound candied fruit
Combine milk and marshmallows and melt marshmallows in top of double boiler. Combine graham crackers and dates, nut meats, and fruit. Mix all together and add to marshmallows mixture. Pack in cans and store. It freezes well. The next day, you can take it out of cans and wrap. Makes about five pounds. (A Wyoming, Iowa, listener)
APRICOT NUT LOAF
1 cup sugar
¼ cup shortening
1 egg
¾ cup milk
1 teaspoon shredded orange peel
¾ cup orange juice
3 cups sifted flour
3½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped dried apricots
½ cup chopped California
Walnuts
Cream sugar and shortening and beat in egg. Blend in milk, orange peel, and orange juice. Add sifted dry ingredients. Stir in apricots and nuts. Pour into greased 9 by 5 by 3 inch baking pan. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 65 to 70 minutes. Cool. Remove from pan. Wrap in foil and store overnight before serving. (Mrs. Orva McAtee, Coggon, Iowa)
EGGLESS FRUIT CAKE
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
¾ cup shortening
1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts
1 cup dates, cut up
1 pound mixed candied fruit
3½ cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Put sugar, water, shortening, fruit and spices together in a large sauce pan and cook for five minutes. Let cool a little. Add soda dissolved in a little hot water. Let mixture cool more. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt and add to cooled mixture. Add nuts and beat well. Bake in a slow oven 45 to 50 minutes or until done. This makes a large ten inch angel food pan cake and will keep good. (Mrs. Richard C. Smith, Van Horne, Iowa)
HOLIDAY BANANA BREAD
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
½ cup nut meats
1¾ cups flour
2¾ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
l cup mixed candied fruit
¼ cup raisins
Sift dry ingredients and add nuts. Place shortening in bowl. Gradually beat in sugar. Add eggs, flour, and bananas. Fold in fruit and raisins. Bake 350 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes. Let cool ½ hour. Makes two small loaves. (This recipe is by Mrs. Paul Houston and is found in the Favorite Recipe Book of the Sacred Heart Church in Oxford Junction, Iowa, sent to us by Mrs. R. J. Barth of Oxford Junction)
SHORT-CUT FRUIT CAKE
Combine one pound each of dates, nuts, raisins and other candied fruit as desired with one box of ginger bread mix and one cup water. Mix ingredients together and pour into three small loaf pans or one large 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
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