Thanks so much for this timely posting. Looking forward to finding a great Christmas cookie and icing recipe here.

Merry Christmas!

Not typically traditional, but we have a lot of elderly, cardiac patients in my fam. I made a version of this delicious veggie-based side dish at Thanksgiving, and they asked me to bring it again!

https://www.delicious.com.au/recipes/broccoli-slaw/wY7mxAVv?r=recipes/collections/ah9554ye

It’s gonna be COLD! This is the best clam chowder, if I do say so myself. Make it ahead without the cream, refrigerate and reheat it when you are ready, then add in the cream just before serving.

3-10oz cans shelled whole baby clams (Cento)
8oz clam juice (Snow’s)
16oz chicken stock
16oz half and half
1/2lb smoked bacon, diced 
1 leek, tops removed but use some of the tender inner green leaves, sliced into 1/8” rings, rinsed well 
5 (2-1/2lbs) medium red potatoes, peeled & cubed ½”
½ cup celery, diced
½ cup baby carrots, diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
6 Tbsp flour
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp thyme
8 dashes of Tabasco 

Pour the canned clam juice (reserve the clams) into a 6 qt Dutch oven, add the bottled clam juice, the potatoes and add ½ of the chicken stock to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer about 10 minutes.
While the potatoes are going, sauté the bacon over medium heat until just crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the leeks to the hot bacon fat, stirring for about five minutes. Add in the celery and carrots, stirring 2 minutes more, then remove all with a slotted spoon and set aside. You should still have about 2-3 tablespoons of bacon fat left in the sauté pan, lower the heat, add in the garlic and flour and stir a few times for about 3-4 minutes, do not let it brown. Move the sauté pan off the heat.
Add the vegetables, bacon, and bay leaves to the potatoes and simmer about 10 minutes until the potatoes are al dente, or to your liking. Remove the bay leaves.
Stir in the flour-garlic roux, a spoonful at a time until dissolved. Add the cream, clams and bacon. Add the black pepper, Tabasco and thyme. Let it come to a simmer, stirring often and add more chicken stock to thin if necessary. Do not let it boil or the cream will break. Done!

Love that old recipe card! My grandmother worked for the Civil Service as a secretary so her typing skills carried through her retirement. I have her recipe box and most of the cards are type written – was faster I suppose.
All of the recipes slant down at the end of the cards since the card was too short to remain under the paper holder. ❤

She was a superb cook so I’ll dig out a recipe and post here later. Thank you for doing this!

Well-worn hand-written index cards … my mom fed us kids well from a similar collection.

This recipe was from my grandmother and is a tradition at our home at Christmas time. Every year, I make these cookies with my two daughters, and even their husbands get involved. This is a very stiff dough, but no eggs, and I love to eat the dough uncooked. Because the dough has no eggs, it travels well. One of my daughters took an uncooked package of dough on a plane trip home and was stopped by TSA. They said it looked like plastic explosive. Everyone laughed when after inspection, my daughter broke off a piece and ate it.

1C Margarine or Butter, at room temp
1C Sugar
1C Honey
6C Flour, Sifted
2tsp Baking Soda dissolved in 4TBSP hot water
Directions: Cream butter/Margarine. Add Sugar and Honey. Beat well. Add flour to the sugar mixture, alternating 1C flour with 1TBSP water/Baking Soda. Blend well. Divide into 3 packages, wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blend.

Roll very thin, about the thickness of a skewer, less than 1/8″ thick. Use cookie cutters to make shapes and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Parchment paper will also work.
Bake at 350 for approximately 5-1/2 to 6-1/2 minutes depending on the oven. These will brown quickly. Remove from the pan quickly to prevent overcooking.

We do not ice these, we put a sugar glaze on them and add sprinkles.
Boil 1C sugar and 1C water until reaching 230F. (About 15 minutes)
Stir in 1/C Powdered Sugar until dissolved.
Brush on with a pastry brush and add sprinkles as desired while the glaze is sticky. If the glaze hardens, add a bit of warm water to make it spread easily.

One of my most cherished things… handwritten recipes from my mom. scraps of paper in all shapes and sizes…some with food stains.

My mom was not orderly, we would have to coax her into telling us the recipes.

Here’s the recipe for the Christmas cookies my Grandma used to make … Best in the World!

And no, my Grandma was not Mrs. Velzy … this recipe came from one of the newspapers in Buffalo, NY years ago, possibly the early 1970s or even earlier.

Mrs. Velzy’s Puffy Christmas Cookies
 
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 and ¼ cups butter
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 cups flour
 
Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well.

Sift flour with cream of tartar and baking soda. Add alternately to creamed mixture with milk. If mixture is too sticky, add up to ½ cup more flour.

Chill dough at least 3 hours. Roll dough between 1/8 and ¼ inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters.

Place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Don’t let cookies get too brown.

Remove from sheets and cool. Frost and trim with colored sugar, jimmies, sprinkles, or silver dragees.

NOTE: Here’s the frosting Grandma used: She mixed the following three ingredients together in a bowl: confectioner’s sugar, butter, and water.

Lobster Stew, I grill the lobsta first – i think the shells being grilled over wood coals gives off a slight nutty flavor.

My MeMe used to make a special/favorite dish for each grandchild for Christmas dinner. What a feast! She made butter beans with okra on top just for me. There were six other grandchildren, plus turkey and pork ham, so it was a very big meal!

Send that to Lizzy Warren.

This recipe makes a BIG pie, 12-16 servings! I generally skip the topping, and the baking time can vary with ovens. I wish I could give credit where due, but I don’t remember – possible Southern Living.

PUMPKIN RUM CHEESECAKE

1 cup crushed gingersnaps (about 15 cookies)
1/4 cup ground pecans
1/4 cup melted margarine

24 ounces softened cream cheese
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups canned pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons rum flavoring
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Optional topping:
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon rum flavoring
chopped pecans

Crust:
Combine gingersnaps, ground pecans, melted margarine.
Press onto bottom of 9 inch springform pan.

Combine cream cheese and sugar in large mixing bowl, beat with electric mixer until combined well.
Add eggs, pumpkin, spices and flavoring.
Pour into crust lined pan, sprinkle with additional nutmeg if desired.

Bake in 350 oven for 70-90 minutes, until center appears nearly set when shaken.
Cool 10 minutes, loosen from pan sides,
Cool 30 minutes more, remove sides of pan.
Cool completely, chill at least 4 hours.

Topping (on cold pie):
Beat whipping cream and 1/4 tsp rum flavoring until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spread over cheesecake, sprinkle with additional pecans.

A Southern tradition for an appetizer are these “melt-in-your-mouth” Cheese Pecan Wafers.
This recipe makes a lot of dough, and it is a kin to shortbread dough–very stiff. (It is helpful if you own a Kitchenaide Stand Mixer…but anyone with strong arms can easily make these!)

CHEESE PECAN WAFERS:

1 lb BUTTER–softened (Can be either salted or unsalted butter…no big deal)
1 lb Sharp Cheddar Cheese–grated on the fine side of your box grater
1 cup toasted Pecans, chopped fine
1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Tsp Salt

4 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

In a large bowl, mix together the Butter, grated Cheddar cheese, chopped Pecans, Cayenne Pepper and Salt–Until well blended. Gradually mix in Flour. As you get to the end of adding your flour, the dough will be quite stiff. Use your hands to finish mixing the last addition of flour. As you incorporate the last of flour, the heat from your hands will help the dough come together. Form the dough into logs about 1 inch thick, and 10 – 12 inches long. Wrap each log in waxed paper, and refrigerate until firm–about 5 hours.

(You can also let the logs coast in the fridge for several days! This recipe makes right many wafers. You can make a sheet pan of them and wind up with 80 wafers using just 2 of the logs.) You can save the other logs to make for other parties!

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. Prepare a sheet pan, lined with parchment paper.

Unwrap chilled logs of dough and using a sharp knife, slice the logs into 1/4″ wafers. Place wafers on the sheet pan. The wafers can be put very close to each other. They will not expand much at all.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until firm and slightly browned on the edges. Remove from oven and allow the wafers to cool a for a minute before removing from pan. Place baked wafers onto a rack. They can be stored in an airtight container.

These wafers are kind of addicting, and are a huge hit served alongside charcuterie platters, with soups, with cocktails, etc. Because this recipe makes a lot of dough to be made into the logs, and can be kept in the fridge for quite a while…I ALWAYS have the logs on hand whenever we have company! An instant appetizer fresh from the oven

Enjoy. And a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Bon Appetite magazine, December 1991

Triple Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1& 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter room temp
7 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
8 ounces semi sweet chocolate , chopped, melted, cooled
1 cup milk chocolate chips (6 ounces)
1 cup chopped walnuts toasted
walnut halves
Melted semi sweet chocolate (optional)

Position rack center of oven preheat to 350 degrees. Grease heavy large cookie sheets.

Combine flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.

Using electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and eggs in another bowel until smooth. Stir in 8 ounces of melted chocolate. Stir in dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

Drop dough by tablespoon onto prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.. Press walnut halves onto each cookie. Bake until cookies look dry and cracked but feel soft when lightly pressed, about 11 minutes. Let cookies stand on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack an cool completely.

If desired, dip fork tines into melted semi sweet chocolate. Wave fork over cookies, drizzling melted chocolate in zig zag pattern. Let stand until chocolate sets.

Enjoy! and Merry Christmas!

Recipe for disaster:

Allow your children to invite your ex-wife to your house for your family Christmas celebration.

One of my favorites is: “sweet potato cranberry pie.” (Sweet Potatoes taste a lot like Pumpkin but are much easier to manage.) Boil sweet potatoes until soft, then add them, peel and all, to the blender. Add egg, milk or cream, sugar or molasses to taste, salt, spices (allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger) to taste, and cranberries. Chopped walnuts optional. 1/4 tsp tapioca starch optional. Blend or mix well. Dot the top with more cranberries. Cook 425ºF for twenty minutes then reduce heat to 350ºF for about 40 minutes more until a knife comes out clean. Drop-dead easy to make but always a crowd pleaser. Typically makes two deep-dish pies. Also good using blueberries.

Rum Balls

I make Rum/Kahlua/Baileys Irish Cream/Whiskey/Bourbon Balls

This is off the top of my head. It takes about 45 minutes for the process. If the balls sit in an air tight container, they get better after two weeks.

1 Cup finely chopped Pecans
2 Boxes of Vanilla Wafers finely chopped
2 Cups Powder Sugar
1/4 Cocoa Powder
1/4 Cup dark Maple Syrup
2/3 Cup of Rum (or what ever you want)

Roll in small balls (I use a tea spoon to get the right size) in powder sugar (some use cocoa, others colored sugar)

I add a little more Maple Syrup if it is too dry (or Rum).

Makes about 60 balls (55 since you will eat 5 in the process)

You can use corn syrup, but I have been avoiding that for 10 years. Same with the Vanillia Waffers. The organic ones do not have high fructose corn syrup. I heard someone used honey instead of Maple Syrup. Not sure how that would turn out.

STOP it I’m gaining weight just reading these things.
Merry Christmas and a GOD Bless to all the wonderful cooks in my life and yours

I like to make Beef Bourguignon at Christmas or sometimes for New Year’s day because it slow cooks, is very forgiving of time lines, and fills the house with the most wonderful fragrance. It is really just beef chuck stew (or the blade cut) cooked with a bottle of red wine, carrots, mushrooms, garlic and small onions. I don’t have any special tricks for this recipe. Julia Child has a famous recipe and so does Ina Garten . I think Ina’s is easier if you want to follow one.
The beef comes out very tender and flavorful.

1 tablespoon good olive oil 8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac
1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen whole onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced
For serving: Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions
WATCH

Watch how to make this recipe.

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
3. Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
4. Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
5. Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.
6. To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

These are a family favorite and part of the fun is that none of our guests have any idea what the “secret” ingredient is that makes them so creamy and delicious…sometimes I tell them but most of the time I don’t! We had a rather pretentious young man from our church over one year and he couldn’t stop eating them. I finally told him what was in them when he made some remark about having a “Brie” mindset while being forced to live in a “Velveeta” world!!

Fudge Balls

1 cube butter

4 oz. Velveeta cheese (yes, really!)

3 ½ cups powdered sugar

¼ cup baking cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil

(Melted together)

½ cup white chocolate chips

2 teaspoons Coconut Oil

(Melted together)

Mix sugar and cocoa together in large bowl. Melt together butter and cheese over low heat. Pour into bowl and then add vanilla. Stir all ingredients together and then let cool.

Once mixture is cooled, shape into small balls and roll into first chocolate mixture.

Place onto wax paper lined tray and put into fridge.

When completely set, melt together second chocolate mixture and drizzle over the balls in a decorative pattern.

Store in refrigerator

Here is a pretty good TURKEY CHILI recipe
2 TBSP Vegetable Oil
1.5 lbs Ground Turkey
2 Large Onions, Chopped
10-15 (depending on taste) Jalapeno Peppers, minced (remove ribs and seeds for milder heat)
7 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 28 oz Can Tomatoes
2.5 lbs Cooked Red Beans
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1/8 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 Cup Dry Red Wine
2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp Red Pepper
1 TBSP Oregano
1 TBSP Ground Cumin
1 tsp Ground Basil
2 Bay Leaves
1 Can Black Olives, sliced
1/2 Cup Chopped Parsley
Salt to Taste

1. In a large Dutch oven, saute ground turkey with onions in oil
  until cooked.

2. Add peppers and garlic. Saute briefly.

3. Add tomatoes, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and wine. Stir well.

4. Add the spices and the remaining ingredients.

5. Simmer for one hour.

6. Serve with raw onions and grated cheddar cheese if desired.  

Serves 10-12

My mother’s recipe for grasshopper pie. My grandmother didn’t like us kids eating any because it has some adult beverages in it. But Mom let us, and it’s delicious. Merry Christmas!

Feuerzangebowle (German Fire-Tong Punch)

In stainless steel stockpot..
Mull 2 bottles Merlot with…
1 finely sliced orange
1 finely sliced lemon
1.5 cups fresh OJ
0.5 cups lemon
7 Cinnamon sticks (not powder)
7 Whole cloves

Simmer for 20 minutes

Transfer to heat -resistant glass punch bowl with tea candle underneath holder.
Place slotted metal tray over top of bowl
Place Zuckerhut (sugar hat) sugar cone on its side on tray.
Soak with Don Julio 151 Rum or Austrian Spiced Rum Stroh 160
Ignite zuckerhut with match
Pour ladles of rum over cone intermittently to let it carmelize and drop and sputter into wine
Serve in heat resistant mugs.
Prost!

(Optional, watch “Where Eagles Dare” (1968)

What a beautiful thing to say. Yes our Mother and Mother in law’s are a gift from God. There was no way of knowing when you are 8, 10, 12, 21 yrs old what these women knew, and knew they could not tell you about, cause you had not lived like they had, yet. Oh my, I am so guilty of getting rid of things, including my Mom’s recipes….cause I was mad at my Dad for what he did, or whatever, stupid girl. I had to go back and find these recipes, too proud to ask my lesbian or other sister, but alas I found what I knew was pretty close if not, right on. And here we go, giving cookies to people I love and clients. Just because my immigrant German great grandmother had recipes that she gave my Nana and my beautiful Mother, who I miss so much, especially at this time of year. God Bless you Menagerie, thank you for giving me a place where things are still a bit normal! God bless all the Treepers and God bless America, I just love this place, it’s where I grew up and my whole life happened. I want Jesus to come soon, cause it is getting so dark, and I am beginning to fear. But I know that I will not fear because I trust in The Lord. Soiled recipes are like an artifact now…wish I still had mine!

Salted Caramels

2 cups of heavy cream
2 1/4 cups of sugar
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups of light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring the cream sugar butter and corn syrup to a boil continue to boil until 248°F is reached on a candy thermometer. Swirl pan every so often to evenly heat. When the temperature reaches 248°F, remove from heat and stir in the salt and vanilla. Immediately pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with salt flakes. Allow 6 to 8 hours or 24 hours to sit.

Note: stop at 235-240 degrees for a more melt-in-your-mouth experience..

Not my family recipe, found on the internet and I’ve made it many times. It’s easy and addictive.

Happy Holidays everyone.

Menagerie, God bless you!

Scottish Shortbread

1 lb butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar. Mix in salt, egg and flour one cup at a time. Press into two ungreased round cake pans. Smooth the top. Prick surface with a fork to release steam. Bake one hour at 350. Slice hot from the oven into one inch squares and cook in the pan. Enjoy.

Anybody have a very old recipe for Sweet Potatoe Pons? It’s a semi sweet, rolled nearly flat yummy kind of almost glazed like not sticky plastic type texture. Farmers & field workers used to carry into the fields for lunch. They kept well in the Southern heat of summer. My mom’s recipe passed with her, it was handed down at least from the Civil War era if not before. Nothing I’ve found online has come close.

Also a boiled black water gravy with boiled chicken, green peppers & onions. Was another wayback throwback recipe that past with my mom. The seasoning was amazing. Meal looked terrible but, poured over rice. It would simply blow your mind.

My mom’s family was Southern white sharecroppers. When I was young in the 70s. Family & Neighbor dinners were a mixed bag of common culture of white & colored folks who worked, cared, & shared amazing meals together. I would give anything if I’d been smart enough to speak to these old cooks & get recipes. Many were old slave & hard time recipes passed by word of mouth I tried a little before my mom passed but, everything was always a pinch of this, a pinch of that. Mom would say like I was supposed to know. Now traditions and memories of amazing food with God Blessed people & times are gone. I cannot be the only Southern boy that grew up in a similar community like this?

From my sweet mom:

Cranberry-Orange Bread

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
2 tablespoons corn oil
3/4 cup orange juice
1 egg
1 cup cranberries, cut in half (This was always my job 🙂

heat oven to 350 degrees and grease 9x5x3 inch pan. Mix liquids together and then beat in dry ingredients. Stir in cranberries. Bake about one hou.

When I was growing up we alternated Chrismas Eve dinner. It was a clash of cultures. Italian vs Scandinavian. In terms of preference the Italian always won out with the kids section. We’d have Italian Wedding Soup with french toast croutons vs Lutefisk. Ugh. I can still smell that odorous fish. Once my Grandfather died ( I was around 12) we reverted to the Italian custom. We also reverted to the custom of Homemade turkey/spinach filled Ravioli for Christmas dinner. We fought over the raviolis. There was never enough since there were 9 kids in my family.

I make this almost every year. The recipe is at least 100 years old.

Suet Pudding (Little Grandma)

1  C Raisins
1  C Currants
1  C Suet, chopped or ground (suet is beef fat)
1  C Brown sugar
1  C Sour milk
1  tsp baking powder
1  tsp soda
2  C Flour, about, to make thick batter

Combine ingredients. This will make enough for 2 1lb coffee cans. Put batter into cloth bags (Muslin) in coffee cans. Do not fill more than 2/3 full (for expansion). Stand cans in kettle of boiling water. Boil 1 hour. Add more boiling water as needed.

Brandy Hard Sauce (Little Grandma)
1 C. Butter, softened
2 C. Confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
¼ C. Brandy

Cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in vanilla and brandy. Makes about 2 cups. Refridgerate.

The hard sauce is served with the suet. Take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before using so it is a bit softer and easier to scoop.

Scotch eggs – as appetizer or Christmas morning snack. People love these.

1lb pound bulk pork sausage (if you like spicy, Jimmy Dean’s is nice)
Salt and pepper to taste
6 hard-boiled large eggs
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4  of bread crumbs (panko are tasty)
Divide the sausage into six portions; flatten and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Shape each portion around a peeled hard-boiled egg. Roll in beaten egg, then in bread crumbs. Place on a rack in a baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 30 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, turning every 10 minutes. Alternatively, place in air fryer at 400 for 30 minutes. Bon appetite. 

Perfect timing, Menagerie!

Sis & I are presently @350F, doing our best in churning out Gramma’s Swedish Christmas coffee bread & tea cakes for loved ones…

What joy it brings to cook for those who appreciate it!

Here’s a recipe I came up with and it always is a hit when I make it this time of year:

Cherry Choco-Nut Cake

1 pkg Betty Crocker Cherry Chip cake mix
1 pkg (4 serving size) JELLO Vanilla flavor pudding
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp cinnamon

Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, yogurt, and eggs in large bowl. With electric mixer at low speed, blend just to moisten, scraping sides of bowl often. Then beat at medium speed for 4 minutes. Add pecans and mini chips. Pour batter into 2 greased and sugared 9×5 loaf pans. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of batter.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center of cakes comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans. Cool in pans on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on wire racks.

You’ll get nothing but rave reviews and requests for the recipe.

I cannot believe no one has mentioned the classic 1950’s green beans/mushroom soup casserole. Canned beans, can of mushrooms soup, shredded cheese on top and add sprinkle of canned French onions.
Is an acquired taste but…

Other Moms (my grandmother) Frozen Fruit Christmas Salad:

1–3-Eggs, 3/8 cup white vinegar, 3/8 cup sugar– Mix and cook in a double boiler for 2 minutes
2–Add 3T butter to cooked mixture, 3cups of diced canned pineapple, 3 cups of white grapes or cherries, 3 oranges sliced– ( Canned mandarins(Drained) work well)1-1/2 cup of heavy cream whipped( Fold whipped cream into mixture), 3 cups of mini marshmelows
3– Place in refrigerator tray and freeze
4– After frozen remove from freezer 30 minutes before serving and cut into squares and place 1 square on a piece of lettuce for each serving.
Remember it’s name is “Other Mom’s frozen Salad” This recipe has met the test of time.

I love this post. I’ll add some recipes on Wednesday but if you are looking for an easy version of the classic no bake cookies made with peanut butter, oatmeal and cocoa, this is my go to version now. We made these on the stove top back in the 60ies.

https://crockpotladies.com/crockpot-no-bake-cookies/

Not a recipe. A story about a recipe.

My family was in the dairy business. Every year we would make and sell boiled custard from Thanksgiving to Christmas. My dad and his brothers took my grandmother’s recipe and scaled it up to make 500 gallons. The scaling did not work exactly so it took three batches to get it right. The two bad batches were fed to some very satisfied hogs. It used lots of fresh eggs, over two milk cans full, broken by those of us that worked in the dairy. In addition, we used frozen egg yolks, cane sugar, real vanilla extract and lots of cream and whole milk. It was very rich.

When we sold the dairy, my uncle held out the custard recipe. The first Christmas, there were complaints from the community wanting to know where the custard was. The new owners asked to buy the recipe. My uncle told them they did not really want it and refused. They kept offering more and more until my uncle said okay and sold it to them. In a couple of days they were back complaining that they could not make the custard and sell it as the ingredients were much more expensive that anyone was willing to pay. Me uncle said, “I told you you did not want it.”

<b>Smoked Turkey Parts</b>

This year, I decided to butcher the turkey before cooking. In the past, I had smoked the turkey whole, upright on a ceramic “beer can”. <A href=https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2020/10/21/planning-for-thanksgiving-2020/#comment-7119121>2020 post</A> I don’t like running experiments on family dinners, so I did a practice run a few weeks ago. Worked great.

<b>If you’ve never smoked a turkey before, don’t let a family feast be your first try.</b>

Rub:
2 TBSP thyme
1 TBSP sage
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp sweet hungarian paprika
2 tsp coarse salt (kosher)
1.5 tsp freshly cracked pepper
1 tsp turbinado sugar
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder

** This is just a ratio, it isn’t enough to do a bird. Double it for a turkey of about 10 to 12 pounds, you’ll want triple for a turkey more than about 14 pounds.

Mix the rub, set aside.

Thaw your turkey, then cut it up. Check youtube videos for butchering turkeys. You want to remove both legs, then both breasts, then both wings. Discard the carcas (into the stock pot). Rinse and dry the parts, refrigerate. I recommend doing this the day before so that you can make stock (a second stock) and gravy (youtube Food Wishes Turkey Wing Gravy) in advance.

Pre-heat your smoker to 225. You may have enough room to cook some sides alongside or above the turkey – never below it.

You want your turkey chunks covered with the rub on all sides. To help it stick, and to help crisp up the skin, spray with cooking spray before sprinkling. Don’t actually rub it on, just sprinkle it.

You can put it right on the racks in your smoker, or you can use trays with raised grates if you have them.

The dirty secret of smoking meat is that it is done when it is done, and it doesn’t care when you want it to be done. Expect 25 minutes per pound (of the original turkey’s weight), but monitor the internal temperature and remove parts when they are done. Have some way to keep the meat hot until meal time.

I didn’t keep notes when I developed this, but I think the rub recipe is mostly derived from this recipe: https://mrecipes.com/smoker/poultry/turkey-sweet-potatoes/

<b>Rotisserie Cranberry Pork Loin</b>

2/3 cup DRY cranberries
1/3 cup sugar (I use turbinado, but granulated sugar is fine)
1/4 cup dry onion flakes
2 TBSP coarse salt (kosher)
2 tsp grocery store “poultry seasoning”
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

zest from an orange
olive oil
1 whole pork loin – not tenderloin

First, measure your grill and rotisserie to find out the biggest piece of meat you can fit. Trim the narrow end of your pork loin if it is too long to fit, and unless you’ve got a monster grill, it’ll be too long when you buy it.

You mix the rub in a blender. Because of this, you need the cranberries to be DRY. I buy two bags of craisins which are “dried” cranberries, and I run them in my dehydrator for about 5 days. They still seem soft when you take them out of the dehydrator at that point, but after letting them cool, they clink almost like marbles. If they are too wet, they’ll make a gooey mess in the blender.

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a blender, pulse until the cranberry flakes are smallish, and the mixture is somewhat uniform.

The night before, rub your loin with olive oil, zest the orange and rub that on. Then sprinkle with the rub. Wrap in plastic wrap (2 layers to be safe) and rest in the fridge over night.

In the morning, load it on your rotisserie rod with forks, thread a thermometer probe through the bushing, balance the assembly, and start it up. Plan on about 20 minutes per pound and be ready to check it often and adjust the heat as needed to make hit your target temperature at the right time. I cook to 170.

You want to cook it as low and slow as you can, but don’t be too concerned if it burns a bit.

Original recipe derived from this page: https://www.foodiewithfamily.com/cranberry-dry-rub/

By the way, I am in Minnesota. If I can grill for Christmas in the snow (this year will test me), you can grill for Christmas wherever you are.

(Most of this post was originally written in 2018, for that year’s Christmas recipe thread, which I cannot find now. The pork loin hasn’t changed, but I don’t smoke turkeys whole any more, so that part was re-written quite a bit.)

Pecan Pralines.

This is the only candy I can not resist. So, I had to learn how to make it. This is a combination of the Pecan Praline recipe from the Ursaline Nuns in New Orleans and my personal short cuts. I think it took about 4 batches before I got the knack for when to pour the candy. Don’t fret, if it hardens on you just put it back on the burner at a lower temp to melt it.

1 cup light brown sugar – firm packed
1 cup white granular sugar
1/2 cup half and half
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
3 TB butter (salted or unsalted)

put sugars, half and half and butter in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil using medium heat. (I use a pot with a thick bottom for even heating ) Rocking a metal spoon on the bottom of the pot, you can feel the granular sugar grit on the bottom. Once the sugar is dissolved and you can’t feel the grit of the sugar, add the pecans.
Stirr the mixture until the temperature reaches 239 degrees F.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool – once the candy stops boiling, start stirring. Stirr until the candy thickens but doesn’t lose its gloss ( When stirring, the candy will rapidly cover the gaps where you see the bottom of the pot. Once the candy cools enough where there is a sleight delay before the gaps are covered. This is when you need to pour the candy. Too soon and the candy is a thin puddle – It still tastes wonderful)

When candy is cooled enough to set, pour patties out onto waxed paper. You need to be quick as the candy sets while it is still hot enough to burn your fingers. You will have at least 6 – 8 large praline patties. I use that metal spoon to help speed the pouring process.

These threads are my favorites!

Thank you, Menagerie, for the reminder to go through the box of my grandmother’s recipes and make copies for my mom and niece!

My favorite recipe was an in-person lesson taught by my great-grandmother, grandmother and great-aunt when I was 8: How to make apple sauce. I got to pick the apples, wash, peel, core and grate them. Then cook them in a cast iron pan and watch them turn green due to a chemical reaction! My initiation into a family tradition that apparently bore memories from when my grandmother had her mom, grandma and great-grandmothers do the same “cooking lesson” with her (and theirs before that). Had not thought about it, time to make it again!

A Christmas beer and how to enjoy it:

Great Lakes Christmas Ale

Rim your beer glass with a little water and dip the top of your glass in a bowl of brown sugar.

Pour your beer in the glass and finish with cinnamon on the foamy top.

Great Lakes is sold in Ohio and the nearby region.

I was wondering if anyone makes sauerbraten? My Mom always made it for New Years Day, she had potato dumplings (Panni potato dumpling mix)) with a butter toasted bread cube in the center and gingersnap gravy! I attempted to make it one year and after the laughing and mocking decided I would not make it again. She used beef but if she could find a hunter that had venison, that was the preferred meat.

Cherry Almond Balls
3/4 C butter softened
1/2 C xxx sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 C all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C chopped almonds
60 green and red candied cherries
additional xxx sugar

1. In a small bowel, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Combine flour and salt, gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in almonds
2. Roll 1 tsp of dough around each cherry. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake @ 325 for 20 plus minutes until light brown. Cool slightly and roll in xxx sugar.

They are pretty and not too sweet

That card looks like it could be my mom or grandmothers writing.

Thanks for the smiles.

Appetizer.

Us kids used to devour this.

Put a block of cream cheese in a shallow dish or deep plate and let it warm up a bit.
Make up or buy your favorite ketchup like cocktail sauce and completely cover that block of cream cheese.
Cover that with your favorite shredded crab meat or lobster or shrimp or imitation versions of same.
Pour a bit more cocktail sauce in a line right down the middle.
Garnish with some finely chopped green onions and maybe a bit of black olives if you like.
Serve with your favorite crackers.

This is so easy, looks so festively green, red, and white, and is so satisfying with some sparkling white wine or champagne.
The only tip needed is to make sure your seafood is well drained/dry otherwise water will pool after a while.

This is my special sauce for our holiday roast beef. It is smooth and creamy with a little kick to it. Originally it was made with sour cream, but the heavy cream makes it buttery good. We serve it in a bowl with a spoon alongside the beef platter.

8oz prepared horseradish
16oz heavy cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
3/4 tsp. Tabasco

Line a fine-mesh sieve with a coffee filter. Strain the horseradish for two to three minutes, or until reduced to 3/4 cup. Press on the horseradish with a spoon or squeeze the filter to extract all the liquid.
In a mixing bowl, whip the cream with a wire whisk until it thickens to the consistency of sour cream. You can do this in an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, but watch carefully so that the cream does not overwhip. Stop before the soft peak stage.
Add the horseradish, mustard, salt, pepper and Tabasco. Whisk until thickened. The sauce should be moist and the consistency of whipped cream.
Refrigerate for at least one hour, then serve immediately or transfer to a covered storage container and refrigerate for up to one day.