Over the River and Through the Woods Read online

  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

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nbsp; 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

  Dave's Chocolate Cream Pie

  Submitted by: Julie McIntyre

  Garden City, Michigan

  Christmas Tradition:

  I make it for my father-in-law every year for Christmas every year.

  Ingredients:

  1 whole bag milk chocolate chips

  1 half bag bittersweet chocolate chips

  8 ounces of whipping cream

  ½ cup of coffee (left over from morning pot)

  2 eggs

  Salt

  1/3 cup sugar

  Premade pie shell

  Whipped Cream

  Chocolate curls (to garnish)

  Directions:

  Melt chocolate chips over double boiler with heavy whipping cream and coffee.

  Remove from heat and add 2 egg yolks, set aside.

  Use the egg whites in a separate bowl and add a pinch of salt and sugar. Beat until fluffy then add in 1/3 cup heavy cream and beat until it resembles whipped cream.

  Fold in cooled chocolate mixture. Pour into a premade pie shell and bake according to pie shell directions.

  When done stick in freezer to cool. Pullout 2 hours before serving and top with whipped cream and chocolate curls!

  Pumpkin Bars

  (With Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting)

  Submitted by: Tiffane Sloan

  Peru, Indiana

  Ingredients:

  Cooking spray

  4 eggs

  2 cups white sugar

  1 cup vegetable oil

  1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

  2 cups all-purpose flour

  2 teaspoons baking powder

  2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  3/4 teaspoon salt

  1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

  1 cup butter, softened

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  4 cups confectioners' sugar

  1 pinch ground cinnamon, for dusting

  Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a large jelly roll pan with cooking spray.

  2. Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer until foamy; add white sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin. Beat on medium speed until incorporated, 2 minutes.

  3. Mix flour, baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Beat flour mixture into egg mixture on low speed until just combined, 1 minute. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

  4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool completely.

  5. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a bowl with an electric hand mixer until creamy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar; beat until smooth. Spread frosting evenly over cooled pumpkin cake; sprinkle with cinnamon.

  Christmas Sugar Cookies

  Submitted by: Brenda Lunt

  Taylor, Arizona

  Ingredients:

  1 cup granulated sugar

  1 cup powdered sugar

  2 cups shortening

  3/4 teaspoon vanilla

  1 large egg, beaten

  4 1/3 cups cake flour

  3/4 teaspoon baking soda

  3/4 teaspoon baking powder

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  sugar, for decorating

  Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.

  2. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and shortening using an electric mixer.

  3. Mix on slow speed 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

  4. Increase speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes.

  5. Slowly add vanilla and beaten egg while mixing.

  6. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, mixing on slow speed until just blended. Do not over mix.

  7. Scoop with an ice-cream scoop and roll in sugar.

  8. Place directly on cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with palm of hand.

  9. Bake at 375° for 9-10 minutes. Cookies are done when small cracks appear and are pale golden. Ideally, the edges do not brown.

  Cinnamon Rolls

  Submitted by: Connie Weatherford

  Taylor, Arizona

  Ingredients:

  1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45

  degrees C)

  2 eggs, room temperature

  1/3 cup margarine, melted

  4 1/2 cups bread flour

  1 teaspoon salt

  1/2 cup white sugar

  2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

  1 cup brown sugar, packed

  2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

  1/3 cup butter, softened

  1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese,

  softened

  1/4 cup butter, softened

  1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1/8 teaspoon salt

  Directions:

  1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.

  2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

  3. Roll dough into a 16x21-inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with
sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

  4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

  Roll Out Buttermilk Cookies

  Submitted by: Jennifer Maxwell

  Delphi, Indiana

  Ingredients:

  1 cup Buttermilk

  4 teaspoons baking powder

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon vanilla

  1 cup shortening

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  1 egg

  2 cups sugar

  5 cups flour

  Directions:

  Mix together above ingredients & let set in refrigerator for 2 hr. Roll out to about ½ “ thick cut with cutters. Bake at 375 degrees, until very lightly browned (about 7 minutes). Remove from baking sheet and let cool.

  Frosting:

  8 oz cream cheese

  1 lb powdered sugar

  2 sticks butter

  Mix well together. Spread on cookies.