Over the River and Through the Woods (8 page)

Ruth’s Peanut Butter Cookies

Submitted by: Valerie Higgins

Phoenix, Arizona

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter

½ cup vegetable/canola oil

1 Tbsp water

2 eggs

1 box yellow cake mix

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients until mixed thoroughly. Drop teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes (or 13-14 minutes if using cookie scooper/tablespoons) or until brown around the edges. Yield about 2 dozen.

Valerie’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Submitted by: Valerie Higgins

Phoenix, Arizona

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked, quick cooking oatmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups milk chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, beat all ingredients except chocolate chips and nuts until well mixed, occasionally scraping sides.

Slowly mix in chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop by spoonful onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Yield about 2 dozen.

To save time, you can line baking sheet with parchment paper, transfer all of the dough onto paper, flatten and bake about 13-15 minutes. Cut with pizza cutter.

Meg
’s Russian Teacakes

Submitted by: Valerie Higgins

Phoenix, Arizona

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

¾ cups finely chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, and pecans work well)

Additional powdered sugar to coat cookies.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add flour, salt, and nuts. Mix until dough holds together.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1” apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until set, but not brown (10-12 minutes).

Roll in powdered sugar while warm.

To make ahead of time, layer powdered sugar and cookies in airtight container.

Sour Cream Cut Out Cookies

Submitted by: Julie Hill

Dolthan, Alabama

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup sour cream

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 pinch salt

Directions:

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg and sour cream. Stir in the baking soda and salt. Gradually add the flour until the dough becomes difficult to stir. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until dough is no longer sticky. Roll the dough one-fourth to one-half thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place cookies 1 and a half inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 F degrees. Cookies should be lightly browned at the edges. Remove from cookie sheets to cool.

Frosting Recipe:

2 C. Confectioners sugar

2 T. Milk

1 t. vanilla

Mix:

Place confectioners sugar, vanilla and ½ milk in bowl and mix together.  Gradually add remaining milk, 1 t. at a time just until mix reaches consistency desired.

And add food coloring to make it the colors you want.

Arroz con Leche y Canela

Submitted by: Becky Lee Silva-Carranza

Elsa, Texas

Rio Grande Valley

Christmas Tradition:

One of the best desserts I inherited in my Hispanic culture! (You guys might know it as rice pudding?)

Prep Time:

About 30mn

Ingredients:

2 cups of rice

4 cups of water

1 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

4 cinnamon sticks cut in 1/4 pieces

4TBSP butter

Directions:

In pot boil rice, water, butter, and cinnamon sticks.

After water starts evaporating add milk and sugar.

Cook until rice is soft and fluffy.

Add sugar to desired sweetness.

Old Fashioned Bread Pudding with Brandy Sauce

Submitted by: Felecia McHone

Whitwell, Tennessee

Christmas Tradition:

A favorite recipe! I make it for my Papa every year (he has no choice but to share LOL).

Our favorite holiday traditions are playing Dirty Santa and Bingo.  Games all family members young or old can play...together.

Ingredients:

3 cups cold biscuit crumbs (make the day before if possible)

2 cups sugar

3 cups  scalded milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

5 large beaten eggs

1 cup raisins

Combine:

Mix sugar, milk, vanilla and eggs together.  Pour over the biscuit crumbs and let them soak 10 minutes or so.

Add:

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Heat butter until melted and remove from heat.  Mix in brown sugar and pecans

Grease 9x13 pan, Preheat oven to 350 degrees, pour bread mixture into prepared pan.  Sprinkle raisins over mixture. Top with brown sugar mixture.  Bake 40-45 minutes.

Brandy Sauce:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 egg, beaten

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup Brandy

Combine:

Heat 1st 4 ingredients until sugar is melted.  (Make sure and mix well before heating so egg doesn't cook separately).  When sugar is melted, remove from heat and add Brandy.  Pour over warm bread pudding.

Serve warm.

Peanut Butter Stackers

Submitted by: Stephanie Shaw

Rowlett, Texas

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter

Honey Wheat Ritz Crackers (Any other round cracker will work)

Chocolate or Vanilla Almond Bark

Directions:

1. Spread peanut butter on crackers. Place second cracker on top, and press lightly until peanut butter goes to the edge of the crackers.

2. Melt almond bark in microwave, double boiler, or fondue pot.

3. Carefully drop each "sandwich" in the chocolate and submerge so that it's fully-coated. Remove with a fork or tongs and set on wax paper or parchment paper to cool.

Note:

Ingredient amounts will vary, depending on how thick you like the outer chocolate coating, and how much peanut butter you like. But note that if you use an entire box of Ritz, you'll likely need at least 1.5 packages of almond bark. Otherwise, you can use less crackers if you'd like to use just one package.

Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

Submitted by: Stephanie Shaw

Rowlett, Texas

Ingredients:

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 c. butter (softened)

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 pkg. (13 oz) mini peanut butter cups unwrapped

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 and spray mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Combine sugar, brown sugar, butter, and peanut butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping the bowl often, until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low and add flour, baking soda and salt. Beat well, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.

3. Shape dough into 1" balls. Place each ball into muffin cup. Bake 11-13 minutes, until lightly browned.

4. Remove from oven, press peanut butter cup into center of each cookie. Cool 30 minutes and remove from pans.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Sweet Potato Pie

Submitted by: Stephanie Shaw

Rowlett, Texas

Ingredients:

CRUST

1 cup brown sugar  

1/3 cup flour  

1 cup chopped nuts (pecans preferred)  

1/4 cup butter (melted)

SWEET POTATO MIXTURE

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (can use canned to save time, just drain)

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs (well beaten)

1/2 cup butter, melted (1/2 cup)

Directions:

1. Combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a mixing bowl in the order listed. Mix thoroughly.

4. Pour mixture into buttered baking dish.

5. Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture.

6. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving.

Fudge

Submitted by: Sabrina Leeder

Toronto, Canada

Christmas Tradition:

This is my mom’s fudge recipe! It’s so simple and always a huge hit!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

1tsp of vanilla

Directions:

Mix all together in a glass bowl and place in Microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring once they start to melt.

Once it's all melted, spread into a square pan lined with wax paper.

Place in fridge until hard. Turn out and cut into squares or other shapes.

Brandy Snaps

Submitted by: Vicki Gillespie

Chichester, West Sussex

Christmas Tradition:

Christmas isn't Christmas without my dad’s brandy snaps!

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 ounces golden syrup

2 oz butter

2oz caster sugar

2oz plain flour

1 level teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

1. Warm together in a pan the syrup, butter and sugar, until all are melted, but not too hot. Sieve flour and ginger mix in.

2. Well grease a large baking sheet and place on it teaspoons of the mixture, well apart to allow for spreading, no more than four at a time.

3. Bake in a moderate oven gas 3, 325f 160c for about 8-10 minutes until golden.

4. Remove tray onto a damp cloth on table and have ready a large wooden spoon, with the handle greased. Leave for a few seconds for brandy snaps to become firm enough to lift from tray with palette knife. Roll each one quickly round the spoon handle and slide off onto a wire rack to cool.

5. Repeat until all of the mixture is used will make about 24.

6. For the filling whip 350ml of double cream and fold in 1 teaspoon of brandy pipe into brandy snaps and eat until your sick!

Happy Holidays! xxx