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HOLIDAY RECIPES

Turkey Cranberry Wreath (from Rachel Bardwell)

Great way to use some of your leftover Thansgiving turkey.

Ingredients:

2 packages Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls

1/4 cup mayonaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup (4oz) cream cheese

2 tablespoons honey dijon mustard

2 cups cooked turkey, or chicken, chopped (about 12 oz)

1/2 cup of chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1/4-1/2 cup celery, sliced

3 tablesppoons fresh parsley

1/2 cup craisins

4-8 ounces Swiss Cheese

1/4 - 1/2 cup walnuts

egg whites from 1 egg

salt and pepper, to taste

Directons:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. Line up on big round pan (pizza pan) in circle.

Mix mayonaise, sour cream, cream cheese, mustard and black pepper in large bowl. Add turkey, celery, parsley and cranberries to bowl. Grate cheese into bowl. Mix filing and scoop filling onto cresent dough.

Coarsely chop walnuts using food chopper; sprinkle most of the walnuts over filling, bring pointy ends of triangles over filling.

Separate egg into small bowl. Beat egg white lightly; brush over dough. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts over the ring. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

*This is so delicious! My niece, Rachel, gave me this recipe, and she also makes it with ham, and adds horseradish and extra garlic.

*When I made this, I had about a cup of stuffing left from our Thanksgiving dinner and I added it to the filling. I always use more garlic than a recipe calls for...

Sugarplum Cookies

Not the same as the sugarplums that dance in children's heads.

Ingredients:Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup shortening

2 cups powdered sugar

¾ cup sugar

3 tablespoons water

1 egg

2 ½ cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 ounces filberts

Flaked coconut

Directions:

Blend all ingredients, except nuts, at low speed. (Add 2-3 tablespoons milk if needed.) Shape around nuts and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Cool.

For the glaze, stir 3 tablespoons water into powdered sugar.

When cookies are cool, dip in glaze and sprinkle with coconut.

CHRISTMAS BREAD

Ingredients:

1 package dry yeast

Glaze:

¼ cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

½ sifted powdered sugar

¾ cup warm milk (105-115) degrees)

1 tablespoon milk

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon rind

1/2 cup butter

4 cups all purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

½ cup raisins (I used craisins!)

½ cup chopped almonds

½ cup chopped red and green candied cherries

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Combine warm milk, sugar, salt, lemon rind in a bowl; mix well.

Cut butter into flour with pastry blender in a large bowl until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add yeast mixture and egg to milk mixture, mixing well. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour and 15 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down. Add raisins, candied cherries, and almonds; knead until dough is smooth and elastic (about 8 to 10 minutes). Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Roll each of the portions into 20-inch ropes, and place them side by side on a greased baking sheet; braid ropes. Tuck ends under to seal. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Mix egg yolk and water and brush top of dough with this mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until braid sounds hollow when tapped. Cool and drizzle with glaze (mix powdered sugar and milk to make glaze).

HOLIDAY DAINTIES

Ingredients:

¾ cup chocolate chips

1 tablespoon butter

1 egg, beaten

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 cup chopped nuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large package miniature marshmallows

Coconut

Directions:

Melt chocolate chips in double boiler. Add butter, egg, powdered sugar, nuts, and vanilla. Pour mixture over marshmallows. Shape into two logs; roll in fine coconut. Refrigerate. Slice when ready to use. Keep refrigerated.

This was always a favorite of mine. My mother always made them with the colored miniature marshmallows, but I couldn't find them this year, so I used white, which is just as good!

Eggnog Truffles

Ingredients:

8 (1 ounce) squares premium white chocolate

½ cup sifted powdered sugar

¼ cup butter, softened

¼ cup refrigerated eggnog

2 tablespoon dark rum

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup finely chopped nuts

1 ounces vanilla-flavored candy coating

Directions:

Melt white chocolate in a glass bowl according to package directions. Add powdered sugar, butter, and eggnog; stir gently until mixture is smooth. Add rum and nutmeg, stirring just until blended. Cover and freeze at least 2 hours.

Let truffle mixture stand at room temperature 1 to 2 minutes to soften, if necessary. Using 2 small spoons, shape mixture into 1” balls. Quickly roll in nuts. Place on a wax paper-lined jellyroll pan; cover and freeze until firm.

Melt candy coating according to package directions. Remove truffles from freezer; reshape into balls, if necessary. Using two forks, quickly dip each truffle into melted coating. Place on wax paper to harden. Store truffles in freezer up to one week.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups canned pumpkin

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ cup vegetable oil

1 ½ teaspoons salt

4 cups sugar

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

6 eggs

1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg

4 ¾ cups all purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons cloves

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

2 cups chocolate chips

½ cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, oil, sugar and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; stir into the pumpkin mixture until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the loaf should spring back when lightly pressed.

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin

1 egg

½ cup butter flavor Crisco

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup white chocolate chunks

½ cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Blend pumpkin, egg, Crisco, and sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to first mixture. Dissolve the baking soda in milk and add to batter. Stir in white chocolate, nuts and vanilla.

Drop by the teaspoonful onto lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake at 370 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.