Over the River and Through the Woods (7 page)

No Bake Oatmeal Cookies

Submitted by: Lisa Markson

Phoenix, Arizona

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks butter

3 tbsp. cocoa

2 cups oatmeal

3/4 cup sugar Ingredients

Mix:

Cream together sugar and butter. Add water and mix. Beat in vanilla. Add cocoa and mix. Stir in oatmeal. Beat until blended. Roll into snowball shape. Roll in powdered sugar. Lay snowballs on waxed paper. Place in refrigerator overnight.

Christmas Coffeecake

Submitted by: Raquel Auriemma

Foxborough, Massachusetts

Christmas Tradition:

This is the coffeecake that my family makes every year. Growing up, it was just the Christmas Coffeecake, but after my sister and I got married, the husbands’ requested that it be the holiday coffeecake, and sometimes I think they want to make up holidays so we'll make it.

When we were kids, tradition was on Christmas morning we could get up and open our stockings, but no touching the gifts until my parents got up. Once they were up, they'd open their stockings and then we'd go out and start the coffeecake.

My mom and older sister usually did the base and I made the topping. Then it would go in the oven and we'd go open the gifts. When the timer went off, we returned to the kitchen to get the coffeecake and some OJ. We'd eat it warm out of the oven and then after we finished, we'd continue unwrapping gifts.

So, here's the recipe:

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9" square pan.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup oil

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix:

Combine sugar, oil and egg. Add milk and beat thoroughly. In separate bowl, combine baking powder, flour and salt. Add to sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Pour into pan.

Topping:

1/2 cup granulated brown sugar

2 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp oil

2 tsp cinnamon

Mix:

Combine all with a fork.
  Sprinkle on top of batter.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cherry Delight

Submitted by: Tiffani Delerosa

Odessa, Texas

Christmas Tradition:

My favorite holiday tradition is opening our Christmas pajamas before bed on Christmas Eve. My sisters and I did it every year growing up and I have now passed that tradition on to my own daughters. My husband and I even participate by buying each other pajamas for our Christmas Eve gift. The girls know what they will be getting, but they are still excited every year to see what kind they will get.

Ingredients:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups of crushed pineapple, drained

1 can of cherry pie filling

1 12 ounce tub of Cool Whip

Mix:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Chill for at least an hour.

Banana Logs

Submitted by: Kandi Potter

Conway, Arkansas

Christmas Tradition:

This is actually my hubba hubba’s favorite desert. They are from his aunt’s family. It sounds different but it is good. Much love!

Ingredients:

1 cup of sugar.

1/3 cup of vinegar

1/3 stick butter

1 egg

Peanuts (for garnish)

Mix:

Combine egg & sugar in saucepan, and then add vinegar. Bring to boil for 30 seconds. Remove from stove and mix in butter. Let cool completely. Crush peanuts. Pour mixture over bananas and sprinkle with peanuts.

Romanian Cozonac

(nut filled)

Submitted by: Alina Stoica-Mann

Downey, California

Christmas Tradition:

I was born and raised in Bucharest, Romania, and grew up on this sweet bread that was often filled with nuts, rahat/lokum or raisins. My favorite was the nut filled one...the more filling the better!

My grandma would make it on special occasions, usually Christmas and Easter. It always smelled so comforting in the kitchen with the aroma of orange/lemon peel, rum, butter, etc. To this day, this sweet treat can be found in every household during Christmas time.

Ingredients:

10 oz (or about 2 1/2 cups) ground walnuts (or a mixture of nuts you have on hand.)

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup rum/ vanilla (*I use .5 oz extract)

1 tsp orange extract

2 tsp orange peel

1/2 tsp ground espresso (optional...just intensifies the chocolate flavor)

1/4 cup cocoa (optional)

* I used extract and cut down on the amount...I will use .5 oz rum extract for the bread dough, and .5 oz rum extract for the filling...that is a total of one bottle (1 oz) of rum extract. I sometimes add a splash or two of vanilla as well).

Directions
:

1. In a saucepan, melt sugar in milk.

2. Add walnuts and keep stirring every so often... until thickened (10-15 minutes)

3. Add cocoa and flavorings. Cook some more to the point that the filling is paste-like. (I think that if the filling is to
o wet it can cause quite a bit of steam in the final baking stage...causing the cozonac to fall).

4. Set aside to cool...
it should thicken even further as it sits.

Sweet Bread Dough Recipe:

(for 2 loaves)

4-5 cups bread flour (more like 5 cups)

1 cup milk

3 eggs

2 1/2 tsp instant yeast (you could use rapid rise)

3/4 cup (170 grams/6oz) of butter*

3/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

lemon/orange peel( I use about 1 TBS orange and 1-2 tsp lemon peel)

rum/vanilla extract ( I use .5 oz rum and a splash of vanilla extract)

* I like to use salted butter, and skip the pinch of salt

Additional:

~1 beaten egg (for brushing the top of the loaves)

Directions:

1. Prepare your loaf pans by buttering and placing a piece of buttered parchment paper at the bottom to ensure that the loaf will not stick in the final baking stage

2. In a saucepan, heat milk, butter and sugar.

3. Let cool till just warm.

4. Add beaten eggs and blend to incorporate. Add flavorings lemon/orange peel, rum/vanilla.

5. In mixer bowl, add 2 cups flour and instant yeast. Mix to incorporate the yeast into the flour. Add the wet ingredients and knead for 3 minutes on medium speed.

6. Add rest of flour and knead for an additional 7 minutes using a dough hook. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise till almost doubled... in a warm environment. I usually let mine rise in a warm oven. This can usually take from 1 1/2- 2 hours or so...keep in mind to let it rise to almost double in size.

7. Oil your counter space and plop the dough onto it.

8. Cut the dough in half to yield two equal parts.

9. Roll one part into a large rectangle (11x14 approximate) and spread nut filling to within 1/2 inch of the edge.

10. Roll dough in pinwheel fashion...(I now, just braid the dough.)

11. Place rolled loaf in prepared pan and repeat with the remaining loaf. Brush the top of the loaves with a beaten egg.

12. Let rise in a warm oven till the dough reaches the top of the pan...approximately 40 minutes or so, (this definitely depends on how warm or cold your house is. You don't want it to over rise as it will deflate in the final baking stage from all the heavy filling).

13. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, then place a sheet of aluminum foil lightly covering the tops. They will over brown and burn if you don't do this. Bake for an additional 30-35 minutes...or until nicely golden brown all over. Let cozonac cool down a bit in the pan and then remove from pans (you can lay the cozonac on its side and switch from side to side) to cool completely.

14. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. (optional)

Sugared Pecans

Submitted by: Cameron & Wendy Winkler

North Riverside, Illinois

Christmas Tradition:

My house is the spot for Christmas morning. A cinnamon French toast bakes in the oven and the counter is filled with morning treats from fresh fruits to these candied treats.

With everyone in their new Christmas jammies (it’s tradition to receive a new pair of pajamas Christmas Eve), we all gather in the living room with our Christmas breakfast as the kids open up their presents and we wait for our turn to open ours.

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to share our holiday!

Ingredients:

16 ounces pecans or walnut halves

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

1. Turn slow cooker to HIGH about 15 minutes in advance. In hot slow cooker, stir together the nuts and butter.

2. Add the powdered sugar, stirring to blend and coat evenly. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to LOW and remove lid; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 2 to 3 hours, or until the nuts are coated with a crisp glaze.

3. Transfer the nuts to a bowl.

4. In another small bowl, combine the spices; sift over the nuts, stirring to coat evenly.

Let cool before serving.

Pecan Pie

Submitted by: Valerie Higgins

Phoenix, Arizona

Christmas Tradition:

When my sister, Dawna, and I were younger, we used to have a small, tabletop, artificial Christmas tree that we would decorate. Our parents would put a few presents under this tree as well as in our stockings. At least one movie or game would be included so we would have something to keep us busy while our parents slept. After they woke up, we would finally be able to open the presents under the large Christmas tree. After all the presents were opened, we would fix biscuits and gravy for breakfast and go about our day.

After our family dinner, we would do the White Elephant gift exchange. Presents of about $20 value would be wrapped and placed off to the side. Numbers were drawn to determine who would go in what order. The first person would go to the pile of gifts and open a present. The next person can either go to the pile, or steal the present that was already opened. If the present is stolen, the person who had the present stolen from can steal a different present, or go back to the tree. The person cannot steal the present back right away. Each present can be stolen up to 3 times. After the third time it is stolen, the gift is out of play. The process is repeated until each person has gone.

Crust:

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp sugar

¼ tsp salt

½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼” cubes

3 Tbsp cold water

Directions:

In a large bowl or stand mixer, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold butter and cut in by hand. If using stand mixer, add butter and coat with flour and turn mixer to medium-low. Mix/cut the butter until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal and is no larger than the size of peas. Add water and mix until the dough pulls together.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Pat dough into ball and form into a disk. Lightly flatten the disk with 6-8 gentle taps with a floured rolling pin. Roll dough out to about 1/8” thick, turning dough a quarter turn with each pass of the rolling pin.

To make clean up easier, make the dough slightly thicker on the bottom to prevent filling from seeping through. Transfer dough to 9” deep dish pie pan. Set aside.

Filling:

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

½ cup dark corn syrup (or brown sugar corn syrup)

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

1 ¼ cups pecans (chop pecans to make up ¾ of the cup)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, stir together eggs, sugar, corn syrups, butter, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in pecans and pecan pieces.

Add mixture to pie crust. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean from  between center and edge. Cool on wire rack.