Betty Mitchell’s Tarts
This is an old recipe which came from Betty’s family. It was just called ‘The Recipe’, and Betty uses it to fill some of the most delicious tarts we’ve ever eaten!
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tbsp. cream
1/2 cup butter
Cook in double boiler until thick and you can put it in a sealer and keep it for a few days in the refrigerator. Bake your tart shells and when they are cool, fill them.
Brenda’s Easy Toffee
This is very simple to make and really yummy. We’ve made it every year since we first tasted it. I added grated orange rind last year and that was really good too.
2 lb. butter
2 lb. brown sugar
2 cups corn syrup
2 tins condensed milk
Grated peel of 1 orange (optional)
Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook without stirring to firm ball about 245º F. Pour the toffee into a buttered cookie pan and cool. Cut into pieces about 1 1/4 x 3/4 and wrap with waxed foil. ( You can get “Christ massy” foil from craft stores with a plastic lining on the back side )
Cherry Slice
Barb’s favourite of Gram’s many squares.
2 1/2 cup flour
4 large tbsp. white sugar
1 cup butter
2 tsp. salt
Rub together (well)-crumb-like
Scald 2/3 cup milk, and cool
Soak 1 pkg. yeast in 1/3 cup water to which a tsp. of sugar has been added. Make a well in flour mixture and add liquids and 4 egg yolks which have been slightly beaten. Turn onto floured board and knead 15 times. Divide in half and roll to jelly roll pan size. Spread on a 20 oz. can cherry pie filling and cover with the other half rolled to size. Pinch edges together. Let stand 15 minutes Bake in 375ºF oven. Spread with thin icing made with hot milk, icing sugar, butter and vanilla.
Christmas Divinity Fudge
This came from one section of an “Encyclopaedia of Cooking” we got back in the Sixties for 99¢. It’s really a pretty candy as well as delicious.
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/8 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup candied cherries-halved
1/4 cup candied citron
Heat sugar, water, syrup and salt stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil to 255º F. In large bowl beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; pour the syrup mixture into them, beating with a whisk until mixture holds up in peaks. Add vanilla, almond extract and fruits. Pour into greased 8 inch square pan or drop from the tip of a spoon onto waxed paper. Remove candy from pan before cutting. Makes about 1 1/2 lb.
Gram’s Cranberry Loaf
I can’t remember a Christmas without this. One of our oldest traditions. Freezes perfectly, so make a few extra loaves.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soda
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tbsp. butter - softened
in 2 tbsp. hot water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Grated rind of 1 orange
2 cup cranberries-raw-
cut in half with scissors
Mix dry ingredients, then mix liquid ingredients and add to dry mixture. Add the walnuts, rind and cranberries and mix well. Bake in loaf pan for 1 hour and ten minutes at 350 ºF. Chill overnight before serving.
Cranberry-Nut Muffins
These make a nice light breakfast when we know we’ll be eating like little pigs the rest of the day.
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
2/3 cup orange juice
a
cup vegetable oil
1 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 cup pecans
In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and baking powder. In another bowl, beat eggs. Add orange juice and oil; stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened; batter will be lumpy. Fold in cranberries and pecans. Spoon into 12 greased or paper-lined muffins cups ( will be almost full). Bake at 375º for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Will freeze well.
Verna’s Mincemeat Tarts
Verna Lien is second only to Grandma for supplying classic family recipes
14 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. grated lemon peel
1/4 c. rum
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tbsp. flour
Mincemeat
Unbaked tart shells
Soften cheese. Add beaten egg and beat until smooth. Blend in sour cream. Add lemon peel and rum. Mix sugar and flour. Add to cheese mixture and mix well. Place about 1 tbsp of mincemeat into tart shells. Cover with cheese mixture. Bake at 375 ºF for 20-30 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 dozen large or 2 dozen small tarts.
Fruit Cake Cookies
Part of Barb’s Christmas baking. Another great Canadian Living ® recipe.
1 cup raisins
1 cup candied cherries coarsely chopped
1 cup candied pineapple
1 cup brazil nuts
1/2 cup Crisco
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Combine fruit and nuts. Mix well. Cream shortening, sugar, eggs and flavourings until light and creamy. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture until blended. Add fruits. Mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake @ 350º For 10 minutes.
Gram's Three-Way Fudge
Gram made every family a candy package for Christmas until she was 88 and moved out of her own apartment.
Basic syrup:
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup Pacific evaporated milk
1/2 cup margarine
Use a large pot. Put on high heat and bring to a full boil. Turn down heat and keep stirring occasionally and boil for 15 minutes. Test in cold water till it forms a medium hard ball.
For chocolate fudge:
If pot is large enough add to syrup; if not, have ready in a mixing bowl:
1 sm. pkg. chocolate chips
1 sm. pkg. butterscotch chips
1 jar marshmallow creme
1/2 cup raisins or chopped
walnuts
1 large tsp. vanilla
Mix well until all chips are melted, then pour into a 9x13 pan.
Gram uses Pam on her pans but margarine will do.
Butterscotch Fudge:
Add to syrup:
1 large or 2 small pkge. of
butterscotch chips
1 jar marshmallow creme
1/2 cup slivered almonds or
1/2 cup fine coconut
1 large tsp. vanilla
Peanut Butter Chip Fudge:
Add to syrup:
1 large pkg. peanut butter chips
1 jar marshmallow creme
1/2 pkg. “Nut Nibs”
1 large tsp. vanilla
Follow directions above. Grease or 'Pam' pans well. Let stand in pan till firm enough to cut. Turn out so the bottom can dry; store in a tight container. Candy can be made ahead and frozen, but put a lock on your freezer.
Grandma’s Presidential Christmas Cake
Quite a project, but it’s the best.
1 lb. butter
2 cups brown sugar
12 eggs
4 cups flour (divided)
1 cup grape jelly
1 cup grape juice
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
Grated rind of 1 orange
2 lb. seeded raisins
2 lb. sultana raisins
2 lb. pitted dates
1 lb. candied pineapple
1 1/2 lb. candied citron
1 lb. candied cherries
1 lb. candied peel
1/2 cup brandy ( or fruit juice)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 lb. chopped pecans
1 lb. slivered almonds
4 tbsp rose water
Sprinkle the almonds with rose water and set aside. Combine all the fruit and peel and sprinkle with brandy or juice. Let stand 20 minutes then dredge with 1 cup of flour. Meanwhile, cream butter and sugar, add slightly beaten eggs, jelly, juice, melted chocolate, spices and orange rind. Add remaining flour and blend well. Add the fruit and nuts. Transfer to well greased and paper lined fruitcake pans, loaf pans or tube pans and bake at 300 ºF for 2-3 hours. Baking time depends on the pans used. Test for doneness by inserting toothpick. Wrap well and refrigerate a few days before serving.
Grandma's Date Bars
Because these were my favourites, I got a box in my Christmas “Care Package” every year.
1 cup walnuts
1 lb. dates
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup flour
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup sugar.
Combine walnuts, dates, baking powder and flour. Combine eggs and sugar and add. Bake 40 minutes at 350ºF. Roll in powdered sugar when cooled. These are best after being stored in an air-tight container a few days.
Honey Almond Bars
From Canadian Living again. They were in the 1986 Christmas Special and became a tradition instantly.
3/4 cup unsalted butter (divided)
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
a
cup liquid honey
2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 tsp almond extract
Cream together 1/2 cup of butter and the icing sugar. Stir in flour and salt. Pat evenly into ungreased 9x9 square pan. Bake @ 350 ºF for 12-15 minutes until golden.
Meanwhile, in saucepan, melt remaining butter. Stir in honey and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and remove from heat; stir in almonds and extract and spread evenly over the hot baked base layer. Return to oven for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Cut into 36 squares while still hot, let cool in pan.
Marbled Brownies
Trudy and Barb discovered these. Rich, yet not as sweet as other brownies.
1 Duncan Hines Double Fudge Brownie Mix
1 (3oz.) cream cheese
5 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. vanilla
Soften cream cheese and butter and beat together. Add sugar, eggs and flour and beat until smooth. Mix brownies as directed. Pour half the brownie mix in 9 x 13 pan. Pour all the cream cheese mixture over the brownie mix. Spoon remaining brownie mix over the cream cheese. Swirl the two mixtures together with a spatula or knife. Bake @ 350ºF for 35-40 minutes.
Shortnin’ Bread
I cut these with a very small round crinkle cutter and make them every Christmas. A pecan or a walnut tacked on with a dab of maple flavoured icing is good.
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Powdered sugar to dust cooled cookies
In mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour by hand, mixing well to form a ball. Roll on lightly floured board. Cut small. Bake on an ungreased sheet for 20-25 minutes at 325º.
Don’t forget extras for Santa!
Mexican Orange Candy
We’ve been making this at the Lien house every Christmas since I found the recipe in the 60's. Our first batch is always a failure, but we always try again. ( See the notes after the recipe )
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups rich sweet milk
2 cups sugar
Grated rind of 2 oranges
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup pecans
Melt 1 cup sugar in a very large kettle while the milk is scalding in a double boiler. When the sugar is melted to a rich yellow, remove the kettle from heat and add the hot milk all at once stirring. It will boil up quickly so be sure to use a good-sized kettle. Add 2 cups of sugar to this mixture, stirring until dissolved; cook without stirring until it forms an almost hard ball (248ºF). Just before it is done add grated orange rind, salt, butter and pecans. Beat until creamy, drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper or pour onto a buttered platter to cool.
Notes:
I’ve read the general instructions on candy-making in the Joy of Cooking and the following seem like they would apply to this recipe. I’ll be trying these this year for the first time so I don’t really know if they’ll help:
Never scrape the dregs from the kettle when forming the candy. The candy that coats the kettle has reached a higher temperature and will have sugared.
Don’t beat the candy until it’s cooled to 110 ºF. That would mean you should add the rind, etc. after removing the kettle from the heat. Then let the mixture cool to 110 º before beating.
Patt's Cheesecake Squares
Patt has trouble getting this out of the house when she makes it to “take out”. So will you.
1 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
Filling:
2 large packages. cream cheese
1 cup berry sugar
1 beaten egg
1 tsp. vanilla
12 Maraschino cherries
Mix the first 3 ingredients well, reserve 1/2 cup for topping, line baking pan and bake for 10 minutes at 350ºF. Let cool. Cream cheese (By hand, don’t use mixer) then gradually add sugar and mix well. Add beaten egg and vanilla. Add maraschino cherries cut in halves. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes.
Maxine’s Ginger Sparklers
Maxine is famous for her decadent treats
2 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
Granulated sugar
Add soda, salt and spices to flour and stir to blend. Cream brown sugar, butter, molasses, and egg together. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture. Shape into 1" balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place 2" apart on greased baking sheet. Bake at 375º F. for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. (5 dozen).
Rum 'N Butter Mincemeat Cookies
Maxine Zutz again. Is it just us, or do 75% of her recipes contain Rum? Maxine never uses the frosting.
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 jar ED Smith mincemeat (or any mincemeat with pure rum and brandy)
1 cup chopped nuts
Frosting
(Maxine doesn’t use the frosting)
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
6 Tbsp. light cream
1 tsp rum extract
1 cup sifted icing sugar
Pecan halves, optional
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix well and set aside. Cream butter in large bowl with electric mixer until light. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in mincemeat and nuts. Add dry ingredients; stir until well combined. Drop small spoonfuls of batter 2 inches apart, onto greased baking sheets. Bake 1 dozen at a time, at 350º F. for 14 - 15 minutes, or until well done. Remove to wire racks. Cool completely.
Frosting
: Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add brown sugar. Bring mixture to boil; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Stir in cream and extract. Gradually blend mixture into icing sugar and beat until smooth and slightly thickened. Spoon frosting over cookies. Decorate with pecan halves, if desired.
Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
Linda Hobbs sent us this from Ontario. She’s one of the “Other Bricks”. Seems like all Bricks must love eating.
Crust
1 Pkg Cake mix
1/2 cup Margarine or Butter (softened)
1 egg
1/4 cup Chopped Pecans
Filling
8 oz pkg cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup powdered fruit sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
16 oz whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Heat oven to 350º F. In large bowl combine cake mix, margarine and 1 egg at low speed until crumbly. Add pecans; mix well. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9 inch pan. Bake for 5-8 min or until crust is just set. (Crust will not be browned.) In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and egg; beat until smooth. Add nutmeg to cranberry sauce and blend well. Carefully pour cream cheese mixture over crust. Spoon cranberry sauce in 3 rows length-wise in pan. Pull knife through cranberry sauce and into cream cheese mixture to form swirls. Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes or until cream cheese mixture is set. Cool completely. Cut into bars or squares.
Stella’s Chocolate Pecan Crisps
We got two new recipes from the Davies in Salmon Arm, BC. Check out her Cheese Krispies too.
2oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cup soft butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
pecans halves for garnish
1/4 cup of sugar with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Melt Chocolate. Cream butter and sugar and beat until fluffy. Stir in vanilla and cooled chocolate, then stir in flour and chopped pecans. Form into 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar. Press pecan halves on the tops and bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees.
Cheese Krispies
Stella Davies again. We already tried this one out!
1 pkg (1/2 lb) McLaren’s Imperial Cheese
1 cup butter
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
4 cups Rice Krispies
With mixer, combine the first 3 ingredients. Add the flour, mustard, salt and sugar and mix well. Then lightly fold in by hand the Rice Krispies. Make small balls, and press down with a fork. Bake on floured cookie sheet 10 min at 350º F.
Watch carefully as they brown quickly.
Mrs. Beebe’s Brazil Nut Cake
Lillian Beebe is an old friend of Grandma’s and is Verna’s Mom. This just has to be delicious!
1 pound shelled Brazil Nuts
1 pound pitted dates
1 cup maraschino cherries
3/4 cup sifted all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
vanilla
Put nuts, dates and cherries into a large bowl. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt over nuts and fruit. Mix until nuts and fruits are well coated. Beat eggs until foamy, add vanilla, stir into nut fruit mixture until well mixed. Turn into greased waxed paper lined pan. 9 1/2"x5 1/4"x2 3/4" bake in a slow oven, 300º F for one hour 45 minutes.