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Christmas

Sweets

Terrific Truffles

Terrific Truffles

Print Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes + 1 hour to chill

Ingredients

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3 c powdered sugar
  • 12 oz semisweet chocolate
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 c crushed peppermint candy, flaked coconut, or ground nuts

Instructions

1

Beat cream cheese; add powdered sugar gradually.

2

Melt chocolate and stir until smooth.

3

Add chocolate and vanilla to cream cheese. Refrigerate one hour.

4

Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in peppermint, coconut, or nuts.

Sweets

Terrific Truffles

Terrific Truffles

Print Recipe
By Prep Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3 c powdered sugar
  • 12 oz semisweet chocolate
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 c crushed peppermint candy, or flaked coconut, or ground nuts

Instructions

1

Beat cream cheese, and add powdered sugar gradually.

2

Melt chocolate and stir until smooth. Add chocolate and vanilla to the cream cheese. Refrigerate one hour.

3

Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in peppermint, coconut, or nuts.

Dessert/ Sweets

Sugar and Spice Pear Pie

Sugar and Spice Pear Pie

Print Recipe
By Prep Time: 35 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5 large pears, peeled and sliced
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 4-1/2 teaspoons quick-cooking tapioca
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
  • Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine first nine ingredients. Let stand 15 minutes.

2

Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust; trim pastry even with edge. Sprinkle with pecans and brown sugar; fill with pear mixture. Dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in pastry.

3

Bake 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes

Optional: Substitute maple sugar for the sugar and brown sugar. Source: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/sugar-and-spice-pear-pie/

Cookies/ Snacks/ Sweets

Candy Cane Cookies

Candy Cane Cookies

Print Recipe
Prep Time: 50 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c butter
  • 1/2 c shortening
  • 1 c powdered sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 c flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp red food coloring
  • 1/2 c crushed peppermint candy
  • 1/2 c sugar

Instructions

1

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix butter, shortening, powdered sugar, egg, and flavorings. Blend in flour and salt. Divide dough in half; blend food coloring into one half.

2

Take 1 teaspoon of dough from each color. Roll each piece into a 4-inch rope. Place ropes side by side and twist together. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and turn the top down to form a candy cane shape. Bake 9 minutes. Mix together crushed candy and granulated sugar. Sprinkle cookies with candy mixture immediately after baking.

Cookies/ Snacks/ Sweets

Gingerbread Men

Gingerbread Men

Print Recipe
Prep Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 c butter
  • 1 c sugar
  • 1/2 c dark molasses
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 5 c flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • chocolate chips, cinnamon candies, and/or raisins

Instructions

1

In a saucepan, cream butter and sugar. Add molasses and spices. Mix well. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool.

2

Stir in well-beaten eggs and vinegar. Sift flour and baking soda and stir into molasses mixture to form a smooth dough. Chill several hours.

3

Divide dough into six portions. Roll out and cut with cookie cutters. Place on baking sheets and decorate with chocolate chips, cinnamon candies, or raisins.

4

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Cookies/ Sweets

Date Filled Cookies

Date Filled Cookies

Print Recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes plus chilling overnight Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped dates
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 Tbs quick tapioca
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups butter
  • 2/3 cup sour milk
  • 1 tsp soda
  • 3 cups flour
  • 3 cups quick oatmeal
  • 2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1

For date filling, boil together until thick: dates, sugar, water, and quick tapioca.

2

Mix brown sugar, white sugar, and butter. Add vanilla and soda to the milk. Add milk and flour alternately to the sugar mixture. Add oats. Refrigerate overnight.

3

Roll our a small amount of dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut with a four-inch cookie cutter. Spread filling on half the round, fold the other half over, and press the edges together.

4

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.

Dessert/ Sweets

Cheesecake

Cheesecake

Print Recipe
Serves: 12 Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs; (1 individual package)
  • 2 T sugar
  • 6 T melted butter
  • 24 oz cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 c sugar; or 2 5/8 c powdered sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp lemon or orange extract
  • 1 pint sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 T sugar

Instructions

1

Grease a 9 - inch springform pan and dust sides with graham cracker crumbs.

2

In a food processor, combine the 1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs, 2T sugar, and 6 T melted butter. Pat this mixture into the bottom of the springform pan to make a crust. Chill the crust while preparing the filling.

3

With a mixer, beat the cream cheese, then add 1 1/2 c sugar or 2 5/8 c powdered sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp lemon or orange extract. Pour into crust.

4

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put a pan of hot water on the lower rack in the oven. Bake the cheesecake for 75 minutes, or until the middle is set.

5

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Allow the cheesecake to cool for 15 minutes while the oven is heating.

6

Mix together sour cream, 1 tsp vanilla, and 2T sugar. Spread on top of cheesecake.

7

Bake for an additional 10 minutes at 450 degrees.

8

Turn off the oven and open the oven door, but don’t remove the cheesecake until it’s cooled.

Cookies/ Sweets

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

Print Recipe
By Prep Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate; chopped
  • 1/2 cup red-and-white striped hard peppermint candies or candy canes
  • 2 ounces white chocolate

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 metal baking pan and line the bottom with a long strip of parchment paper, leaving overhang on both sides.

2

Whisk flour and salt together.

3

Beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then egg yolk. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just to blend.

4

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into prepared baking pan, spacing evenly. Using moistened fingertips, press dough to form an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Pierce dough all over with a fork.

5

Bake the cookie base until it’s light golden brown and slightly puffed and edges begin to come away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; immediately sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Spread the chocolate over the top of the cookie in a thin, even layer. Immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candies over.

6

Melt white chocolate in a double boiler. Use a fork or small squeezable bottle to drizzle white chocolate all over the cookies. Chill until the white chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

7

Use the parchment overhand to lift the cookie from the pan. Cut cookie into triangular pieces.

Notes

Variation : Substitute chopped peanut brittle or peanut butter cups for the peppermint candies.

Sides/ Vegetable

Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole

Print Recipe
Serves: 6 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2.0 pints green beans
  • 0.5 c milk
  • 10.75 oz cream of mushroom soup
  • 1.0 tsp soy sauce
  • 0.125 tsp black pepper
  • 1.0 can french fried onions

Instructions

1

Combine beans, milk, soup, soy sauce, pepper, and half of the fried onions in a 1 1/2 quart casserole.

2

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

3

Top with remaining onions and bake 5 minutes longer.