Another Holiday Recipe

By popular demand, well at least from Grammy:

Kay Sullivan's Cranberry Bread

Mix together:
4 c flour
1 t salt
3 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 c sugar

Add 2 eggs

Put in measuring cup then add to mixture:
juice and grated rind of 2 oranges
4 T Shortening
enough boiling water to make 1 1/2 cups

Add
2 c quartered cranberries
1 c chopped walnuts

Pour mixture into two loaf pans, greased and floured and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
Deliver to your children's teachers, if you truly want to follow Grammy's traditions.

Christmas Cookies

A long standing Christmas tradition is baking cookies! I can remember years when finishing the cookies seemed like an insurmountable burden, as it was my mom doing most of the work with only limited help from her young children. Then, as we got older, we did a lot of the work for her. Now, I've pared the choices down to my favorites -- Mexican Chocolates, Viennese Crescents and Chewy Noels -- and force my kids into labor. Another batch I also make is Christmas Cut-outs, but in my opinion, these are just for the kids to have fun with, since they don't have the flavor of the other types. Last year, I discovered the easiest and quickest cookie that became a new tradition, Rolo-Pretzel Sandwiches. So, choices for every taste and any amount of time. Enjoy!

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES

(Source: Christine Heard)

11/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 c sugar

1 1/2 t vanilla

1 large egg

1/4 t salt

1 large pinch finely ground black pepper

1 large pinch cayenne

3/4 t cinnamon

3/4 c cocoa

1 1/2 c white flour

Thoroughly beat softened butter. Add sugar and cream well. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add spices and salt; mix well. Add cocoa and mix well. Add flour and mix with your hand; batter will be very stiff. Put flour on a board. Shape dough into a cylinder about 2” by 10”. Wrap in wax paper. Freeze until firm (or up to several weeks). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the roll in slices that are 1/4” to 1/3” thick. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet 1-1/2” to 2” apart. Bake 10-11 minutes until almost firm to touch. Do not overcook. Cool briefly before removing from pan to cooling rack.

(Comments from Christine: These unbelievably delicious and fairly easy-to-make cookies are a Christmas favorite in my family. They came from a chocolate recipe book in a house I was cleaning … well worth a day’s pay! I always double the recipe so as to have plenty or to keep a roll in the freezer for another time.)

Viennese Crescents

1 c butter

1/4 c sugar

2 c flour

1 c finely chopped almonds

1 t vanilla

confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Stir in flour, almonds, and vanilla. Shape into small crescents (3x1x1/2). Roll in confectioner's sugar. Bake for 35 mintues. Cool on wire rack, then roll in confectioner's sugar again.

Chewy Noels

2 T butter melted in a 9x9 pan

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 c brown sugar

5 T flour

1/8 t baking soda

1/8 t salt

1 c chopped walnuts

confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs and vanilla together. Mix in rest of ingredients, except confectioner's sugar. Add to pan with melted butter. Bake 25 minutes. Turn out onto waxed paper and dust lightly with confectioner's sugar.

Christmas Cut-Out Cookies

1 c margarine (I like Imperial for baking)

2/3 c sugar

1 1/4 t salt

2 t vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 c flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, Beat margarine and sugar together. Beat in salt, vanilla, and eggs. Add flour. Form into a flat circle, wrap in waxed paper, and chill. Roll out (uses a lot of extra flour usually) and cut out with cutters. Decorate by brushing with egg white and sprinkling on colored sugar or holiday sprinkles. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. (Dough can be frozen.)

Rolo-Pretzel Sandwiches

1 bag Rolo candy, unwrapped

1 bag square pretzels (regular are fine also)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Place pretzels on cookie sheet, top with an unwrapped Rolo. Bake for 4-5 minutes until Rolos are soft. Top with another pretzel. Cool slightly (though best when eaten while warm). Options for topping: instead of another pretzel, use a M&M (red and green) or pecan. So fast, so easy, so good!

Irish Roots

These recipe are all time favorites of mine because they are new takes on Irish classics. Despite the carb content, they are healthy due to the whole grain and vegetables, and they taste delicious. I recommend a slice of the bread toasted with some of Clucky/Christine's raspberry jam (if you're lucky enough to have a jar)!

Colcannon

(source: Good Food Book by Jane Brody)

1 pound potatoes, washed and peeled

1 pound green cabbage, shredded or chopped (about 4+ cups)

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 c milk

1 T butter

1/3 -1/2 c shredded, sharp Cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender but not mushy. Drain, reserving water. Boil cabbage and onion for 5 minutes in the potato water. Drain. Mash potatoes with milk and butter until smooth. Add cabbage and onion mixture. Mix two-thirds of cheese into potato mixture and season with salt and pepper. Put potato mixture into a greased casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Heat in moderate oven (between 325 and 425 degrees) until warmed through.

Brown Soda Bread

(source: Cooking Light)

2 1/2 c of whole-wheat flour

1/2 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c steel cut oats

2 T brown sugar

1 T wheat germ

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

2 c buttermilk

1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flours and next six ingredients (through salt). Combine buttermilk and egg; add to flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Spoon mixture into a greased loaf pan. Bake for one hour and five minutes or until a pick inserted in center comes out clean. Invert onto wire rack to cool.