Christmas Recipes Round 1

Ok folks, here is the first round of recipes! I'm missing a few of the bar recipes (including the chocolate vanilla custard bars-my FAVORITE!), the gingerbread cookies, the sugared pecans, the meringues, divinity candy, double chocolate frosted cookies, raisin filled cookies, and sweet breads but we just have SOOOO many good recipes that we love and use that I just ran out of time when I was typing them up! Now if you try any of these recipes out and have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments or shoot me an email. Some of these go many generations back in our family and we've made them so many times that we sort of make them on autopilot, I am by no means an expert in baking but I will certainly do my best if you have any questions!

Canadian Cnakien / Russian Tea Cakes

1 cup butter
2 cup sifted flour
5 T powder sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 T water
1 t vanilla

Cream butter. Work in sifted flour & sugar. Add vanilla & water. Add nuts. Shape dough in to balls & put on baking sheet. Chill. Bake at 400 degrees until brown (12-15 minutes). While warm, roll in powdered sugar.
Makes approximately 4 dozen


Pine Bark

Unsalted saltines
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
Chocolate chips
Chopped pecans

Line cookie sheet with nonstick foil. Cover with unsalted crackers touching each other. Boil 1 cup butter & 1 cup brown sugar for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Pour over crackers & bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. While still hot, sprinkle with chocolate chips & spread. Sprinkle with finely chopped pecans. When cool break into large single serving size pieces & refrigerate.


Santa’s Sleigh Mix

2# white chocolate
2 T vegetable oil
3 cups Crispix cereal (or rice chex)
2 cups Rice Krispies
2 cups peanuts, lightly salted
2 cups raisins
2 cups pretzel sticks, broken
2 cups m&ms, optional
Holiday sprinkles

Line 2 cookie sheets with nonstick foil. Mix cereals, peanuts, raisins, pretzels & m&ms in a large bowl. Melt chocolate and oil. Pour over cereal mixture and toss to coat. Pour mixture evenly onto cookie sheets. Add sprinkles, allow to cool & harden. Break into chunks. Store in airtight container.


Holly Wreaths

30 large marshmallows
1 stick butter
3 ½ cups cornflakes
½ t vanilla
2 t green food coloring

Put in double boiler until melted. Add cornflakes & stir well. Use 2 buttered spoons to form wrings (about 2 ½ inches) on waxed paper or nonstick foil. Decorate with red hots (cinnamon candies). To serve cut around each wreaths waxed paper/nonstick foil and & store still attached to the foil/nonstick foil. Holly wreaths will be a bit sticky but the absolute deliciousness totally makes up for it.


Chocolate Delights

4 (4oz.) pkgs = 3 cups chopped walnuts
1 stick butter, melted
2 cups coconut
1 cup Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 ½ boxes powdered sugar
12 oz. pkg choc chips
1/2 stick (4oz.) paraffin

Mix all ingredients except paraffin and chocolate chips. Chill, roll into 1 inch balls. Chill on cookie sheet covered in waxed paper. Melt chocolate and paraffin in top of double boiler. Dip into melted chocolate and place back onto waxed paper, allow to cool before removing. Store in refrigerator.


Buckeye Candy

1 ½ sticks butter
1 lb powder sugar
1 lb. jar peanut butter
½ stick (4oz.) paraffin
12 oz. pkg chocolate chips

Mix butter, powdered sugar & peanut butter together. Roll into small balls & chill in refrigerator on waxed paper covered cookie sheet. Melt chocolate & paraffin in double boiler. Stir until both are melted, then lower heat to simmer. Dip ball ¾ of the way into the chocolate chips (using a toothpick). Leave a small exposed circle at the top of the ball to look like a buckeye. Place back onto waxed paper, allow to cool before removing. Store in refrigerator.


Hopscotch Crunchies

6 oz. butterscotch chips
½ cup peanut butter
3 oz. chow mein noodles
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Melt butterscotch chips & peanut butters in a double boiler. Remove from heat & stir in chow mein noodles & marshmallows. Drop by tsp onto waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Chill until set.
Makes about 30.


Creamy Chocolate Fudge

4 ½ cups sugar
1 large can (12 oz) evaporated milk
¾ cups butter
1 1lb giant Hershey bar, chopped
2-6 oz. pkgs Nestle chocolate chips
1 pt. marshmallow cream fluff
2 t vanilla
2 cups pecans, chopped

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, Hershey bar, chocolate chips & marshmallow fluff until all is dissolved with mixer. Add 2 t vanilla and 2 cups nuts. Pour into large jelly roll pan that has been well buttered. Let stand in refrigerator at least 24 hours before cutting.

Date Nut Bars

¼ cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
¾ cup flour
¼ tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 cup dates, chopped
1 cup nuts, chopped

Mix in order listed above. Spread in pan lined with nonstick foil. Bake about 35 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown. Cut in small bar shaped pieces and roll in powdered sugar while warm.


Snickerdoodles

1 cup softened butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
2 ¾ cups flour
2 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Mix butter, sugar & eggs together, sift flour, cream of tarter, baking soda & salt and add to creamed mixture. Chill dough. Roll into balls. Then roll in mixture of 2tablespoon sugar & 2 tsp. cinnamon. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies


Gingersnaps

¾ cup butter
1 cup sugar
¼ cup light molasses
1 egg, beaten
2 cups flour
2 tsp soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger

Cream butter and sugar. Add molasses and egg; beat well. Sift dry ingredients & add to creamed mixture. Chill dough, roll into balls & dip into sugar. Bake at 375degrees for 15 minutes
Makes 4 dozen cookies


Spritz Cookies

2 ¼ cups flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Optional: 1 tsp of almond or peppermint extract
Add green or red food coloring for a festive touch

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. With a pastry blender or 2 knives cut shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture is full of fine lumps. Measure the egg in measuring cup. Add water if it doesn’t measure ¼ cup. Add egg and vanilla and beat mixture well. Bake at 375 degrees, 10-12 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. After baking remove from cookie sheet immediately.
Makes about 5 dozen

Peanut Butter Cookies

½ cup butter
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 ¼ cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
Hershey kisses, unwrapped

Mix butter, peanut butter, sugars, and egg thoroughly. Blend all dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Chill dough. Roll into small balls. Bake on lightly greased baking sheets for approximately 10-12 minutes, at 375 degrees. Remove from stove approximately 2 minutes before done cooking. Press chocolate Hershey kiss into center of the cookie, place back into oven & bake for approximately 2 minutes until done cooking (watch closely so that the Hershey kisses don’t melt all the way!).
Makes approximately 3 dozen.


Oatmeal Crinkles

1 ½ cups flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp soda
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups oatmeal
12 oz ( 2 cups) holiday chips: white chocolate with red & green stripes
2 cups candy coated red and green miniature chocolate candies (size of a miniature chocolate chip)

Cream butter & brown sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together and add to cream mixture. Add oatmeal & mix well. Chill dough. Form into small balls & roll in powder sugar until heavily coated. Put half on top of cookie. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Optional: can add coconut or various flavors of chips before chilling for variety.


Drop Sugar Cookies

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Approximately 5 cups flour

Cream sugar and butter together. Add well beaten eggs and milk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Roll out & cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 375 degrees.