Gingerbread Men

1 cup butter
1 ½ cup sugar
3 T. molasses, light
1 egg
2 T milk

Cream all of the above together. Sift and add the following:

3 ¼ Cups flour
2 t. soda
½ t salt
2 t cinnamon
1 ½ t ginger
1 t. cloves
½ t cardamom

Roll the dough out and cut into shapes. Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes.

Candy Cane Cookies

Candy Cane Cookies

1 C shortening
1 C. powdered sugar
1 egg
1 ½ t almond extract
1 t vanilla
2 ½ C flour
1 t. Salt
½ t. Red food coloring
½ c crushed peppermint candy
½ c sugar

Heat oven to 375. Mix shortening, sugar, egg, and flavorings (vanilla and almond). Stir half of flour into shortening mixture. Work rest of flour in with hands. Divide dough in half. Blend food coloring in one half. Roll dough into snakes, how ever big you want, one at a time. Twist a red and white strip together and put into a candy cane shape. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9 minutes. Mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup crushed peppermint. While cookies are warm sprinkle with this mixture.

Peanut Brittle

Microwave Peanut Brittle

1 C. raw peanuts
1 C. sugar
½ C. white corn syrup
1/8 t. salt
1 T. butter
1 t. vanilla
1 t. soda

Stir first four ingredients in 1 ½ quart glass casserole dish. Cook 4 minutes on high (inmicrowave). Stir well. Cook 4 minutes on high. Add vanilla and butter. Blend well.Cook 1 minute. Peanuts should be lightly brown. Add soda carefully. Stir gently until light and foamy. Spread on a lightly greased cookie sheet. (Try to warm cookie sheet so brittle flows easier) Let cool. Break into pieces.

Dust Balls

Dust Balls or Russian Teacakes

1 C. Butter
¼ t Salt
1 t Vanilla
½ C. Powdered sugar
2 ¼ C Flour
¾ C Chopped nuts (opt’l)

Cream butter and sugar. Sift flour and salt. Add to the butter mixture. Work in well. Blend in vanilla and nuts. Form in 1 inch balls. Bake 14 minutes at 350. Roll in powdered sugar after removing from the oven. Cool.

Caramel Corn

Caramel Corn

Pop 9 quarts of popcorn.

Put in 2 9x13 pans.

Mix together and boil 5 minutes the following stirring occasionally:
2 C. Brown Sugar
½ C. White corn Syrup
1 C. Margarine

After 5 minutes are up add ½ t soda, pinch of cream of tartar, and a dash of salt. Pour over the popcorn (divide between the 2 pans) and mix well. Bake at 200 for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes.

Fudge

Fanny Farmer Fudge

4 ½ C sugar
1 (13oz) can evaporated milk
3 (6 oz) pkg Nestle Choc Chips
½ t salt
2 sticks butter
3 t. vanilla
1 C. Chopped nuts (opt’l)

Boil sugar and milk for 6 minutes. (Start timing when it starts boiling) STIR CONSTANTLY!! Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients except nuts. Beat 1 minute. Fold in nuts. Spread in a 9x13 pan and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate.

Peanut Blossoms

Peanut Blossoms

3 ½ cups flour
2 t. soda
1 t. salt
1 C. Sugar
1 C. Brown sugar
1 C. shortening
1 C. peanut butter
2 eggs
¼ c. milk
2 t. vanilla
96 Hershey kisses

Cream shortening and peanut butter. Add the sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and milk. Add the dry ingredients. Roll in balls. Roll the balls in sugar. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, immediately press a chocolate into the middle. Put on cooling rack.

Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cup butter, unsalted, room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 teaspoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

In a medium size bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla together with a spoon (or hand mixer) until smooth. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, then roll out on a floured board. Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter and put on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Cool completely. (For frosting, mix 2 cups powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons milk and half a teaspoon vanilla extract. Add a drop or two of food coloring as desired.)

Wild Rice Pilaf

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery (optional)
1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts (optional)
1 cup wild rice (raw)
2 1/2 oz package sliced almonds
3 cups chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a skillet than add mushroom, onion, rice, and almonds. Saute for a few minutes, then put in a 2 quart casserole dish and add chicken broth. Bake covered for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Cranberry Salad

Thanksgiving Classics! This one's from my maternal grandmother.

1 lb. cranberries
1 c. sugar
1 c. crushed pineapple, well drained
3 c. miniature marshmallows
1 c. whipping cream, whipped (or Cool Whip)

Grind the cranberries in a food processor or blender. Mix with sugar and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Then add pineapple, marshmallows and whipped cream. Mix and chill overnight for best results.

We usually double the recipe.