Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Christmas Reflections: Ten



The Tastes of Christmas


These are a few of my favorite Christmas recipes.


Martha Washington Creams

2 lbs. sifted confectioners' sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups flaked coconut
1 stick butter (not margarine)
3 cups chopped pecans
1 jar drained maraschino cherries (pat dry with paper towel), snipped or chopped finely
Dipping chocolate

Mix all ingredients together; shape into balls; chill until hard. Dip chilled balls in dipping chocolate and let cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Haystacks

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chunky natural peanut butter
2 cups chow mein noodles
Microwave the chocolate chips and peanut butter just until melted. Stir together. Add chow mein noodles and toss to coat. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper or parchment. Chill in refrigerator. Story in airtight container.

Black Walnut Cream Cheese Fudge

1 six-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 ounces original cream cheese (not low-fat) at room temperature
2 tablespoons milk or cream
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon black walnut extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped black walnuts (can substitute walnuts or pecans)

Butter a 9 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan well; set aside. Melt chocolate chips in double boiler over hot, not boiling, water. Cream the cream cheese and milk together. Gradually add powdered sugar. Blend in melted chocolate chips, vanilla, and salt. Stir in black walnuts. Press mixture into pan. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill overnight or until firm. Cut into squares.

Dale's Date Delight


1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups sugar
2 cup dates, snipped
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 eggs, separated
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg yolks until light and lemon colored. Slowly beat sugar into the yolks. In medium bowl, mix other dry ingredients (pecans, dates, and graham cracker crumbs). Stir dry ingredients slowly into egg yolk mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add baking powder to the beaten whites. Fold gently into yolk mixture. Pour into an ungreased baking dish. Bake 30--45 minutes, depending on the size of the baking dish. Serve with whipped cream or hard sauce.
Special Note: Dale's Date Delight rises quite a bit, so use a baking dish or casserole that allows head room.

Hard sauce: In a medium-size bowl, using mixer set at medium high speed, beat one stick of unsalted butter (softened), with 1 cup confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Add 3 tablespoons dark rum. Serve on Dale's Date Delight or your favorite bread pudding recipe.

Bleu Cheese Ball
1 eight-ounce pkg. regular cream cheese (not low fat)
1 eight-ounce pkg. "1/3 less fat" cream cheese
1 four-ounce pkg. bleu cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
Bring cheeses to room temperature. Cream together in a medium mixing bowl. Form into a ball. Refrigerate until firm. Roll in nuts until well-covered. Gently press nuts into cheese ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve with assorted crackers. I prefer plain ol' whole-grain saltines, myself.

Note: Check back. I may add some more recipes before Christmas.

6 comments:

  1. Sharon,

    These recipes sound so yummy! I want to try the black walnut cream cheese fudge. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. I've really enjoyed the Christmas reflections series! Could you clarify the cracker crumbs in Dale's Date Delight--soda or graham? They all sound so good! Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Perhaps either would work, but Dale used soda cracker crumbs. So did I when I made it. I found this tucked in the corner of a page of my collected recipes and was ecstatic, because I remembered it from childhood. It was in my mama's meticulous handwriting.

    I'm glad you've enjoyed "Christmas Reflections."

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  4. Yum-O, I'm going to have to try these. I love you blog pictures and layout. Beautiful! Have a very Merry CHRISTmas and a Happy New Year!

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  5. We've always made a variation of the haystacks with butterscotch morsels instead of chocolate. And last year I used white chocolate and added some peanuts. YUM!

    Thanks for sharing, Sharon, it all sounds scrumptious.

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  6. Lisa, it's amazing that something so simple can be so good. There are many variations. I've used half choc/half bscotch bits with the pbutter, and that's good, too.

    Thank your for commenting. I hope you're having a wonderful Christmas.

    All is quiet here, now. I'm watching NIM'S ISLAND. When that's over, I get to begin Jill Eileen Smith's MICHAL, having finished Beverly Lewis' MISSING yesterday.

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