posted
I am a recipe NUT, as well as loving nutty recipes (Mmm…pecans). I love to read recipe books like novels, but even more I love trying out new recipes. I know I'm not the only one around here, so let’s swap!
Give us your best, Hatrack! Post your holiday favorites for hors d‘oeuvres, entrées, side dishes, drinks, cookies, cakes, candies, pies, or anything at all that makes you sing "Hooray for the Holidays!" Feel free to include your recipe‘s history, why you love it, where to look for hard-to-find ingredients, or any other information that makes it so delectable. If your recipe is from a copyrighted source, just write about it and link to the recipe (if you can).
HORS D'OEUVRES DEVILLED EGGS This is the one dish my mom and I make for every get-together holiday, not just Christmas or Thanksgiving. I love them because they’re one way to prepare eggs that I would never make for breakfast. They’re easy to cook and separate a day ahead--just cover the split whites with plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can fill them with the yolk mixture and paprika the morning of your event. I recommend using eggs that are at least a week old, since the membrane will have separated a bit and make them easier to peel.
In a pan with water to cover, bring to boil: 6-8 large eggs (you may want extras if some are ugly after boiling) Allow to boil 10 minutes, then remove eggs to an ice water bath (it keeps the yolks from turning green). Bring to room temperature. Peel under cold running water. Slice in half lengthwise, separating the whites to an egg plate and the yolks to a small mixing bowl. Mash the yolks with a pastry blender or fork until like coarse crumbs and combine with: 3-4 Tablespoons Miracle Whip 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard 1 teaspoon pickle relish salt and coarse ground pepper to taste Pat eggs whites dry with a paper towel and fill each white half with a teaspoon of the yolk mixture. You can pipe them in with a pastry bag on the star tip if you want to get fancy. Top each egg with a light sprinkling of paprika. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 1 dozen.
PIES CLASSIC PUMPKIN PIE This is my Great-Grandma Ernestine’s recipe. It makes two 9-inch pies, but is easily halved.
For the crusts: Sift together into a large mixing bowl: 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt Divide in half: 2/3 cup plus 2 T chilled butter Cut first half into flour mixture with a pastry blender until like cornmeal, then cut in second half until pea-size. Add: 4 Tablespoons cold water Quickly press dough together with your hands. Use a minimum of handling. Divide dough in half and roll each half between two pieces of plastic wrap into a circle to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Remove top layer of plastic and flip dough circle into pie plate, pressing down to form to bottom and sides. Remove second piece of plastic. Trim and crimp crust edges.
For the filling: Combine and mix well: 3 cups pure stewed pumpkin (29 oz can) 3 cups milk (15 oz can evaporated milk plus 15 oz regular lowfat milk) 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 1 ½ teaspoon salt 4 large eggs ½ teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon allspice Pour into two unbaked pie crusts and place on center rack in an oven preheated to 350 degrees. Bake 40-50 minutes or until center tests done with a toothpick. If crusts brown too quickly, make a protective ring of aluminum foil to cover while baking. Cool on wire racks until room temperature. Serve each slice topped with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
COOKIES HELLO DOLLIES This is a bar cookie and my older brother’s favorite. They store well, and I’ll be sending him a tinful since he’s stuck on an Army base this year for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. The very chewy edge pieces are my favorite part.
Combine well and press evenly into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan: 1 cup graham cracker crumbs ½ cup melted butter Form layers over this by sprinkling evenly, ½ cup at a time: 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup butterscotch chips Followed by: 1 ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts 1 cup shredded coconut Pour evenly over the top: 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk) Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until top is golden and bubbly. Cool completely and cut into 1 ½ -inch squares. Stores leftovers in an airtight container.
Posts: 354 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
I hope more people have time to post recipes! I probably will after tomorrow. I'll be trying out some new ideas for my apple pie (I normally make 1 pumpkin and 1 apple pie) and I'm looking forward to trying my sister-in-law's pumpkin cake. If they're a success, I'll be sure to post recipes!!
Those hello dollies sound delicious! I'm going to have to try them!
Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
I think I started a thread a few years ago that might have some ideas for this, just a sec, I'll check.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
I have several recipes I've either recently refined or tried for the first time, but none of them are especially holiday related.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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erosomniac, the point really is to talk about why you like the recipe and/or what it means to you if it's a family tradition. Of course, it's also to let the rest of us see it so we can try it, too. If you're planning on making it for your holiday celebrations, post it!
Posts: 354 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
Obviously not just a Thanksgiving dessert, but definately in the top 5 of my favorite cookies. Apples + cinnamon = match made in heaven
Recipe for glazed apple cookies
1 1/2 C. brown sugar 1/2 C. soft shortening 1 egg, unbeaten 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 C. milk or apple juice 1 tsp cinnamon 2 C. flour 1 C. nuts 1 C. finely chopped apples
Sift flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Cream together shortening, sugar, and egg. Stir in 1/2 of flour mixture, then add the apples and nuts. Blend in milk or apple juice, then the remaining flour mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoons on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes. Spread with glaze as soon as cookies are removed from oven.
Maple glaze
Blend together 1 1/2 C powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon butter, 1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring or maple syrup (personally, I like the syrup more), 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 2 1/2 tablespoons milk.
Makes 3 dozen cookies
Posts: 104 | Registered: Jul 2006
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I just pulled the pumpkin pie out of the oven, I've got the dough for the rolls in the fridge to be baked tomorrow, and I'm about to embark on a margarita cheesecake. I'm a bit nervous about the last, but the other two look as traditional as always. Posts: 3932 | Registered: Sep 1999
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posted
I know that I've recently posted this recipe elsewhere on the web . . . where is it?
Ah! Here!
Esther's Cranberry Cake
1 1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce (1 can) 1 cup pecans or walnuts Freshly grated zest of one orange 1/3 cup orange juice (the juice of that same orange) 1 cup mayonnaise (a small jar) 3 cups self-rising flour 1 1/2 cups sugar
Grease and flour a 9" Bundt pan. Mix up sauce, nuts, mayonnaise, juice and rind. Then mix in the flour and sugar. Stir by hand until all well-combined. The batter will be thicker than you'd expect for cake batter. Dump it in the pan and bake for about an hour, or until it tests done.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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