Hope you enjoy these long-standing holiday recipes - from my family to yours!
A long time family favorite cookie. Great for cookie exchanges.
CHRISTMAS GUMDROP COOKIES
1 c. margarine, room temperature
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp. each: salt, baking powder and baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. coconut
2 c. quick oats
2 c. gumdrops (not spice drops), cut into quarters
**see tip below
1 c. (toasted) chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease cookie sheet. In large bowl, combine margarine with sugars; beating until smooth. Add eggs; beat well. Add flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add remaining ingredients and mix until blended. (You may have to break up the sticky gum drops by hand as you add them). Drop onto prepared cookie sheet and bake 12 - 15 minutes. ** Tip: Dip knife (scissors work great too) in hot water when cutting up the gumdrops. Yield: about 8 dozen
A favorite of my dear mom's. A simple, quick, pretty and tasty treat.
CHURCH WINDOW CANDY
1/3 c. margarine
1 - (12 ozs) pkg. semi sweet chocolate chips
1 - (16 ozs) bag colored mini marshmallows
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. shredded coconut
Melt margarine and chocolate chips together. (I do it on medium power in the microwave, being careful to stir often). Cool slightly. Stir in marshmallows and nuts. On two long pieces of waxed paper, sprinkle coconut in a line on each. Drop mixture into a roll on top of the coconut; sprinkle with more coconut on top before wrapping up tightly in the waxed paper; refrigerate. When chilled, remove paper and slice into pretty slices.
I'm very excited to share that this ham recipe is going to be in an upcoming Gooseberry Patch Cookbook - Church Potluck Favorites - in the new year.
CROCKPOT MAPLE BROWN SUGAR HAM
1 - 7 - 8# fully cooked ham
1 c. pineapple juice
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. (sugar free) maple syrup
Remove ham from packaging; discard flavoring packet and if using a bone-in, discard plastic cap.
Pour pineapple juice in bottom of large (7-qt.) slow cooker.
In small bowl, combine brown sugar and maple syrup. Place ham into the crockpot, flat side down, then pour brown sugar mixture over the ham.
Cover and cook on low for 4 - 5 hours. (Internal temp should be 140 degrees).
Be sure to baste ham a couple of times while cooking. Remove ham to cutting board and allow to stand about 15 minutes before carving.
A very special sweet and salty dish!
PINEAPPLE PRETZEL SALAD
1-1/2 c. pretzel sticks (broken in half)
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 (8 ozs) cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 (20 ozs) crushed pineapple, drained
1 (8 ozs) frozen whipped topping, thawed
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl add pretzel sticks, melted butter and sugar together. Stir until pretzels are well coated. Pour mixture onto foil-lined baking pan. (The nonstick is great!!) Bake the pretzels about 8 minutes, checking to make sure they're not getting over done. (The sugar/butter mixture will bubble up over the pretzels).
Remove from oven; pour onto another sheet of foil and spread out to cool, making sure they're not sticking together. Set aside until salad is ready to serve. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together using an electric mixer. Add pineapple and stir until combined. Fold in the whipped topping. Just before serving mix half the candied pretzels into salad; top with remaining pretzels.
Do me a favor? Make an effort to see the good in folks this holiday season. We all have our struggles. We all are fighting something. And when the world has turned you cold, try to be better than that. Know the joy of helping someone who can do nothing for you. Offer a random act of kindness. Donate to a food pantry. Help a neighbor. Invite someone who is lonely to your holiday celebration. We all need reminders every now and then.
Enjoy a beautifully blessed CHRISTmas season. And a very happy New Year too! Hope to meet you here again in 2017!
No comments :
Post a Comment