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Merry Christmas to you from Marie, Sue, Gloria and me, Me you know, but the others are the gals that open your letters to the Open Line and know you as well as I do. Thank you for the recipes that should make this the best bulletin yet and the happiest of holiday seasons to you. A special thank you to Mrs. A. P. Stevens of Ottumwa, Iowa for our first recipe ...... a Christmas Recipe.
CHRISTMAS RECIPE
Take the crisp of a December night, add two generous parts of snow, stir in air so clear it twinkles. Into a generous heart, mix the wonder of a little girl, the sparkle of a young boy's glance, the love of parents, and set gently before the chimney side. Add the light touch of a reindeer's hooves, a sprig of holly, and scent of fir. Set the mixture to rise in the warmth of a dream of good will to men. It will be almost ready to serve when it bubbles with warmth and good feeling. Bedeck with the light of a star set in the East. Garnish with shining balls of gold, silver and red. Serve to the tune of an ancient carol in the middle of the family. Leftovers last for years.
FUDGE NOUGATS
2 cups sugar
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup evaporated milk
1½ cup chocolate chips
¾ cup all purpose flour
1 cup finely crushed graham-crackers
¾ cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine sugar, butter or margarine, and evaporated milk in a sauce pan and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Spread in a well buttered 12 by 8 or 9 by 9 inch pan. Cool. Cut in squares. Makes 40 pieces. (Mrs. Rose Stone, Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
CANDY BALLS
3 small packages chocolate chips
1 can Eagle Brand Milk
1 pint jar (6½ ounces) Marshmallow
Fluff
1 cup nuts
Large marshmallows, white or colored
Mix chocolate chips, Eagle Brand milk and marshmallow fluff in top of double boiler until melted. Add nuts, when melted. Put large marshmallow on a two prong fork and with small spatula, completely cover each marshmallow and put on wax paper to set. (Ruth Davis, Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
DOUBLE CRUNCHERS
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white granulated sugar
½ cup shortening
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup crushed corn flakes
1 cup oatmeal
½ cup coconut
Cream sugars and shortening. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, soda and salt and mix well. Stir in corn flakes, rolled oats and coconut. Shape into balls, place on greased cookie sheets and flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in flour. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 350°. Cool and stick together with this filling:
Chocolate Filling: Melt one cup chocolate chips with ½ cup powdered sugar and one tablespoon water. Blend in a three ounce package of cream cheese and beat until smooth.
QUICK AND EASY PEANUT BRITTLE
Combine 2 cups sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a heavy frying pan over medium heat and cover for four minutes. Remove cover and stir until sugar begins to color. Then add one teaspoon vanilla and pour over nuts spread out on a greased cookie sheet.
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MINT SURPRISE COOKIE
3 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 unbeaten eggs
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
Walnut halves
Foil Wrapped Chocolate Mint Wafers
Cream butter, sugar, brown sugar and blend in eggs, water and vanilla. Add sifted dry ingredients. Cover and leave in refrigerator at least two hours. Enclose each wafer in about one tablespoon of chilled dough. First press down small piece of dough on cookie sheet, then place mint on top of pressed dough. Top mint with more dough, pressed flat, and seal edges. Place on greased cookie sheet two inches apart and place walnut half on top of each cookie if you wish. Bake for ten to twelve minutes in 375° oven. Makes about 2½ to 3 dozen large cookies. (Violet Shellenberger, Luzerne, Iowa)
CANDIED ORANGE PEELS: Wash four large naval oranges. Cut rind in one inch pieces one-fourth inch wide. Put in sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to boil, but don't boil. Pour off that water and repeat two more times. Add one cup sugar for each cup peels. Cover with cold water and boil until syrup cooks up. Stir occasionally. Spread on buttered platter or aluminum foil and roll in sugar. Dry thoroughly before packing away in air-tight containers.
CHRISTMAS FRUIT BALLS
1½ cup prunes, cooked and
pitted
1½ cup pitted dates
¾ cup dried apricots
½ cup raisins
1 cup walnuts
¼ cup sugar or an equal
amount of artificial sweetener
¼ cup concentrated orange
juice, thawed
Flake coconut
Put prunes, dates, apricots, raisins, and walnuts through food chopper using coarse blade. Add sugar or artificial sweetener and form into one inch balls. Roll in coconut and freeze. (Mrs. Robert F. Tuma, LeCenter, Minnesota)
BLACK WALNUT LAYER CAKE
2/3 cup caramelized sugar
6 tablespoons boiling water
1 cup soft butter
2 cups sugar
3 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup strong coffee
1 cup black walnuts (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 egg whites
Cook 2/3 cup sugar over moderate heat in a heavy skillet until caramelized. Add boiling water and simmer mixture for ten minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Cream butter and 1 cup of sugar. Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with coffee. Stir in black walnuts, vanilla, and the cooled caramelized sugar. Beat egg whites until they hold a shape and gradually beat in the other cup of sugar until meringue is shiny and holds a sharp peak. Fold into batter gently. Bake in four greased and lightly floured 8 inch cake pans for 20 to 25 minutes at 350°. Frost with brown sugar icing and sprinkle with black walnuts. (Olive Mae Lease, Sumner, Iowa)
CHRISTMAS MACAROONS
2 egg whites
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups nut meats, coarsely chopped
½ scant teaspoon salt
Beat egg whites very stiff, adding brown sugar gradually while beating. Sprinkle salt over nuts and fold into egg mixture. Drop by small spoonfuls on buttered tins and bake in moderate oven about ten minutes. Hickory Nuts or English Walnuts are best.
QUICK AND EASY FUDGE
4 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
2 scant cups flour
1 stick oleo
4 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
Bring sugar, cocoa and water to rolling boil for three minutes. Blend flour, margarine and peanut butter together like pie crust. Combine with boiled mixture and beat till smooth. Add vanilla and beat till smooth. Pour into greased sheets and cool.
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HONEY BALLS
1 cup shortening
¼ cup honey
2 cups sifted flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
Cream shortening, add honey and cream well. Add dry ingredients, then vanilla and chopped nuts. Roll in balls the size of hickory nuts and bake on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in 300° oven. While hot, roll in powdered sugar. Roll in powdered sugar again when cool.
FRUIT FILLED REFRIGERATOR COOKIES
1 cup butter or shortening
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon soda
¾ teaspoons salt
Cream butter, add sugar and cream thoroughly. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each addition. Sift flour with cinnamon, soda and salt and add to creamed mixture. Divide in half. Roll each part ¼ inch thick. Cover rolled dough with filling as made below:
1 cup pitted dates, cut in small
pieces
½ cup sugar
½ cup chopped nuts finely
cut
½ cup water
Cook dates, sugar and water until dates are soft. Add nuts and cool. Roll like jelly roll. Allow to stand in refrigerator over night. Slice thin and then place on greased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 400°. Makes about 4 dozen. (Mrs. Sam Whitish, Montfort, Wisconsin)
STAR COOKIES
Sift 1¾ cup sifted flour, 1 teaspoon soda and ½ teaspoon salt. Blend ½ cup margarine and ½ cup peanut butter together. Add ½ cup white sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 egg and 2 tablespoons milk to margarine mixture gradually and in order given, then add flour mixture. Roll in small balls dip in white sugar. Bake 8 minutes at 375° on ungreased pan. Remove from oven and press chocolate star onto each cookie. Return to oven for two minutes. Makes five dozen.
HOLIDAY CRANBERRY BREAD
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
Nuts, as desired
Juice of one orange and grated
rind
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Boiling water
1 cup cranberries, halved
Sift dry ingredients. Combine juice, rind, butter or margarine and water to make ¾ cup liquid. Add beaten egg to liquid and mix. Add cranberries and nuts. Make rather shallow in center. Let stand 20 minutes then bake at 350° for 60 to 70 minutes. (Victor, Iowa)
SOUR CREAM FUDGE
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup Sour Cream
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate,
cut into pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup broken nutmeats
Mix sugar, sour cream and chocolate in sauce pan. Heat at low flame until sugars are dissolved. Boil uncovered to 236° (soft bait stage), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla without stirring and pour immediately into a shallow pan. Cool to lukewarm and then work with a wooden spoon until creamy. Add nuts when candy begins to stiffen. Press fudge into a buttered pan. Makes 1¼ pounds. (Mrs. L. R. Lamb, Durant, Iowa)
SNOW BALLS
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
2 egg yolks
1 cup chopped nutmeats (English
Walnuts)
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
Cream sugar, butter, and egg yolks and beat well. Add nutmeats and crushed pineapple. Add stiffly beaten egg whites. Spread between vanilla wafers, using four. That's three layers of the filling between four vanilla wafers. Let stand in refrigerator overnight. Next morning, whip one pint of whipping cream and frost all around the vanilla wafers. Put shredded coconut on top. Top with maraschino cherry.
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PUMPKIN CHIFFON CAKE
2 cups cake flour
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup vegetable oil
8 egg yolks
½ cup water
¾ cup canned pumpkin
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup egg whites (about 8)
Sift together dry ingredients. Make well in center, add in order: Vegetable oil, egg yolks, water and pumpkin. Beat until satin smooth. Add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat until holds stiff peaks. Pour egg yolk batter in a thin stream over entire surface of beaten egg whites, gently folding to blend. Bake in ungreased ten inch tube pan. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes, then 350° for ten minutes, Invert and remove when cool. (Mrs. Allen Armbrecht, Cedar Rapids)
CHOCOLATE CHIFFON CAKE
1¾ cup flour
1¾ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup cooking oil
7 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
¾ cup boiling water
½ cup cocoa
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Add cocoa to boiling water. Stir well. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, sugar, soda and salt. Make a well in sifted dry ingredients. Add oil, egg yolks, and vanilla and cooled cocoa mixture. Mix thoroughly. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat until whites form very stiff peaks. Fold egg yolk mixture gradually into beaten egg whites and stir just till blended. Pour into angel food cake pan. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes, then 350° for ten minutes.
CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKE: Prepare one package cooked chocolate pudding. Blend one package devils food cake mix into the hot pudding. Pour into greased and floured 9 by 13 inch cake pan. Sprinkle with ½ cup chocolate pieces and ½ cup chopped nuts. Bake at 350° 30 to 35 minutes.
PFEFFERNUESSE
¾ cup strained honey
¾ cup unsulphured molasses
¼ cup shortening
1 large egg
4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon double-acting baking
powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
seed
½ teaspoon ground black
pepper
¼ teaspoon ground anise
seed
Heat honey and molasses (do not boil) in a saucepan large enough for mixing the dough. Add shortening. Cool. Beat in egg. Sift remaining ingredients together and gradually stir into honey mixture. Let dough stand 30 minutes to stiffen enough to handle. Moisten hands and shape dough into ¾ inch balls. Bake on lightly greased cookie sheets in a preheated moderate oven, 350°, 13 to 15 minutes. Frost with Pfeffernuesse Frosting. Yield: 11 dozen.
PFEFFERNUESSE FROSTING: Combine 1 large egg white, 2 teaspoons light corn syrup, and ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom in a one quart mixing bowl. Gradually beat in 1½ cups sifted confectioner's sugar, using an electric or rotary beater. Place 12 to 14 Pfeffernuesse and 2 tablespoons frosting at a time in a mixing bowl. Stir with a fork until all are lightly covered. Repeat using all cookies and frosting. Lift out with fork onto a wire cooling rack. Have a pan, wax paper or foil underneath to catch frosting that drips through the wire. Let stand until frosting has hardened.
PEPPER NUTS
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2½ cup flour
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Grated lemon rind
Sift dry ingredients into large mixing bowl. Add butter and eggs and grated lemon rind. Mix well. Knead with hands until dough is smooth. Let rest about one hour. Form into small balls and bake on greased cookie sheet at 325° until golden brown. (Note: this is a shortened version of original recipe above. In German, Pfeffernuesse means pepper nuts)
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LEBKUCHEN
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
½ cup honey
½ cup sour cream
2½ cups flour
2 teaspoons soda
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup finely chopped candied
fruit
Cream butter, eggs and sugar. Add flour and soda which have been sifted together with spices. Add fruits. Either chill and then roll and cut or drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375° until golden brown. (Mrs. Jane Setzer, Amana, Iowa)
FRUIT CAKE
2 pounds dates
½ pound candied red cherries
½ pound candied pineapple
1 pound walnuts
1 pound Brazil nutmeats
¾ cup sugar
1½ cups flour
½ teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 well beaten eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Prepare fruit and nuts and leave whole except pineapple. Place dates, cherries, pineapple, walnuts and Brazil nutmeats in a large container. Sift sugar, flour, soda, baking powder and salt and add to fruit and nuts. Mix well. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well so egg coats all of the fruit and nut mixture. Bake at 200° for two hours or a little longer. This recipe will make two to three cakes depending on the size of the pans. Store in cool place. (Janice J. Koch, Tripoli, Iowa)
VANILLA FUDGE
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
¼ cup light syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine all but vanilla and cook to 234° (soft ball). Cool to 110°. Add vanilla and beat until mixture thickens and loses gloss. Pour into an 8 by 8 by 2 inch greased pan. Cut into squares. Makes 1½ pounds.
GUMDROP CHEWS
3 eggs
1 tablespoon water
2 cups brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup cut up candy orange slices
¾ cup flaked coconut
½ cup walnut meats
2 cups flour
There is no shortening in this recipe. Beat eggs and water till foamy. Mix together all ingredients and bake in a 15½ by 10 l/2 inch cookie sheet at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool and cut into bars. A large bag of chocolate chips can be substituted for the orange slices. (A Goldfield, Iowa listener)
UNBAKED COOKIES
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup sugar
¾ cup melted margarine
30 graham crackers, rolled fine
2½ cups small marshmallows
1 cup nuts
4 tablespoons coconut
Cook eggs, sugar and margarine in a heavy pan, stirring constantly, until thick. Cool mixture slightly and pour over remaining ingredients. Mix all ingredients real well and spread in a small size cake pan. Refrigerate for two hours and cut into squares. They can be frozen. (Mrs. Merle Rippel, Mount Auburn, Iowa)
CHOCOLATE PEANUT CLUSTERS
1 package of chocolate pudding (cooked)
1 cup sugar
1 cup salted peanuts
½ cup canned milk
1 tablespoon butter
Mix all ingredients except peanuts in a heavy saucepan. Cook and stir to full all-over boil. Lower heat and stir while mixture boils slowly three minutes. Take off heat and beat awhile. Then add nuts all at once. Beat until candy starts to thicken. Drop quickly on waxed paper. Makes about 24 clusters. (Ruth Chelf, Iowa City, Iowa)
FRUIT CANDY: Boil 2 cups brown sugar, 2 cups white sugar, 1 cup cream and ½ cup butter until it forms a soft ball in cold water. Then add 1 cup dates, 1 cup figs, 1 cup nuts and 1 cup coconut. Let boil five minutes longer. Beat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour into buttered pans. (Ruth Chelf)
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CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW COOKIES
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup cocoa
½ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup milk
Miniature marshmallows
Sift flour, salt, soda and cocoa. Cream shortening and sugar and add egg, vanilla and milk with dry ingredients. Bake at 350° for eight minutes. While hot, press three miniature marshmallows in center and bake two minutes more (no longer). When cool, frost. This dough will be crumbly and will have to be pressed into shape with your hands. (Miss Faye Reinier, Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
HOLIDAY FRUIT NUT BREAD
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 bananas, mashed
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
¼ cup nutmeats
¼ cup chocolate chips
¼ cup maraschino cherries
Cream butter and sugar and add beaten eggs, then mashed bananas. Sift flour, salt and soda together. Stir just to moisten then stir in nutmeats, chocolate chips and maraschino cherries. Bake in a greased 9 by 5 by 3 inch loaf pan at 350° for about 40 minutes. (Mrs. Floyd W. Harper, Cedar Falls, Iowa)
CHERRY CHEW BARS
3 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup sweetened Eagle Brand milk
1½ cup miniature marshmallows
½ cup broken walnuts
4 ounce bottle red maraschino cherries,
cut up
Mix all ingredients together and pat into an 8 by 8 inch pan and chill.
ICING:
Mix 5 tablespoons butter, 1 cup
brown sugar and boil three minutes. Cool and spread on bars. Refrigerate
and cut in bars. (Mrs. Harper)
FRUIT CAKE
1 pound raisins
2 cups water
½ cup lard
1 cup cold water
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon soda
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup nutmeats
1 scant cup orange juice
Grated rind of one orange
½ cup diced maraschino cherries
4½ cups flour (or enough
to make a stiff dough)
Boil raisins and 2 cups water until raisins are tender (about 5 minutes). Add lard and stir until melted. Add 1 cup cold water and cool. Add sugar, spices, dates nuts, orange juice and rind, cherries, and flour. Bake in moderate oven in small well greased pans. At 325°, it will take an hour or more depending on the size of pan used. (Mrs. Earl Krogmeier, Donnellson, Iowa)
DATE SQUARES
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup finely cut dates
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Mix vegetable oil with brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix and beat well. Sift baking powder, salt and flour together. Blend into sugar and egg mixture. Stir in dates and nuts. Turn into 8 by 8 by 2 inch baking pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes. Will make 25 squares. (Mrs. Joe Rodts, Moline, Illinois)
UNBAKED CHOCOLATE ALMOND COOKIES
Mix one eight ounce package Philadelphia Cream Cheese, 1 ounce of melted semisweet chocolate, ½ teaspoon almond flavoring, dash of salt, 3 cups powdered sugar and 2¼ cup quick roiled oats. Mix together and make into small balls. Roll in shredded coconut or crushed walnuts. (Mrs. Harper)
