KEZW Holiday - Recipes

Brandied Orange and Cranberry Sauce (Makes 4 cups) 

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready in: 25 Minutes

Ingredients :
2/3 cup orange zest
2 cups water
2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cups cranberries
1 tablespoon brandy
 
Directions :
In a small pan over medium heat, combine the orange zest and water. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving zest and 1/3 cup liquid. To the reserved liquid, add the sugar, orange juice and lemon juice. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes uncovered, stirring often. Add cranberries; increase heat to high and boil for about 5 minutes or until the cranberries have popped and a small spoonful of sauce sets on a cold plate. Remove from heat, stir in brandy. Pour into sterilized jars leaving 1/2 inch space from top. Seal with wax and store in refrigerator. 

Sweet Potato Casserole

Candied Walnuts

Cheddar and Bacon Log 

Appetizer Sausage Balls in Blankets 

Cheese Straws

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Directions:
** 1. Line 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper. In small saucepan, melt vanilla chips over low heat, stirring constantly.
2. Using 6 pretzels, form a circle on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet, placing side of pretzel with 1 hole on outside of ring. Remove 1 pretzel from circle; dip inner section (side with 2 holes) halfway into melted vanilla chips. Place dipped pretzel back into circle formation. Continue with remainingpretzels in circle.
3. To form top layer of wreath, dip 6 additional pretzels, one at a time, in coating. Place over first circle so that coated holes overlap 2 pretzels. 
4. Repeat to make 5 additional wreaths. Refrigerate wreaths 15 minutes or until coating is firm.
5. Weave 1 piece of string licorice through coated holes in each pretzel. Tie bow with licorice ends.

**MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS: Line 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper. Place vanilla chips in 2-cup microwave-safe measuring cup. 2. Microwave on MEDIUM for 2 to 3 minutes or until melted, stirring once halfway through cooking. Stir until smooth. Continue to step #2.

Pumpkin-Pecan Braided Bread

European Candied Stollen Bread

Ingredients:
4 cups milk
5 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups light rum
4 cups light cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:
Combine milk, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and cinnamon in a saucepan, and heat over lowest setting for 5 minutes. Slowly bring milk mixture to a boil. In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together until fluffy. Whisk hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs. Pour mixture into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, or until thick. Do not allow mixture to boil. Strain to remove cloves, and let cool for about an hour. Stir in rum, cream, 2 teaspoon vanilla, and nutmeg. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

German Chocolate Fudge

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
12 (1 ounce) squares German sweet chocolate
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
4 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:
Combine chocolate chips, German sweet chocolate and marshmallow creme in large bowl. Combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk and salt in heavy skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour hot syrup over chocolate mixture. Stir with wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in pecans. Spread into buttered 10x15 inch pan. Let stand until firm; cut into squares.

Hot Buttered Rum Batter (Tom and Jerry's)

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound butter
1 pound brown sugar
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Blend in brown sugar and confectioners' sugar. Remove from heat, and whisk in the ice cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour mixture into a plastic container, seal, and freeze. In a coffee mug, measure 1 tablespoon Hot Buttered Rum Batter and 1 fluid ounce of rum, then fill cup with boiling water. Stir, and sprinkle top of drink with nutmeg.

Perfect Rib Roast

INGREDIENTS:
1 (5 pound) standing beef rib roast
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:
Allow roast to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Combine the salt, pepper and garlic powder in a small cup. Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan so that the fatty side is up and the rib side is on the bottom. Rub the seasoning onto the roast.

Roast for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Turn the oven off and leave the roast inside. Do not open the door. Leave it in there for 3 hours. 30 to 40 minutes before serving, turn the oven back on at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) to reheat the roast. The internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F (62 degrees C). Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving into servings.

Gingerbread Men

INGREDIENTS:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1 cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons warm water
1/4 cup raisins for decorating

DIRECTIONS:
In large bowl, cream shortening, sugar, egg and warmed molasses. Dissolve baking soda in warm water and add to egg mixture. Beat until smooth. Mix in flour, spices and salt until well blended. Cover and chill for 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Roll out dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch on a floured surface. Cut out gingerbread men using cookie cutters and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Use raisins to make eyes, noses and buttons. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm. Let cool on wire racks.

Baklava

INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 pound chopped nuts
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.

Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

Amish Caramel Corn

INGREDIENTS:
7 quarts plain popped popcorn
2 cups dry roasted peanuts (optional)
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans. You may use roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans. Add the peanuts to the popped corn if using. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat. Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated.
Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes. Line the counter top with waxed paper. Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.

Best Peanut Brittle

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 cup peanuts
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking soda

DIRECTIONS
Grease a large cookie sheet. Set aside. In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads. Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter or margarine and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet. With 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14x12 inches; cool. Snap candy into pieces.

Real Irish Cream

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup heavy cream
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 2/3 cups Irish whiskey
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

DIRECTIONS:
In a blender, combine heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, Irish whiskey, instant coffee, chocolate syrup, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Blend on high for 20 to 30 seconds. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Shake well before serving.

Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons diced onion
1 teaspoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 apple - peeled, cored and diced
1 pears - peeled, cored and diced

DIRECTIONS:
In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard and salt. Process until well blended. With machine still running add oil in a slow steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds and process just a few seconds more to mix. In a large serving bow combine the romaine lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, cashews, dried cranberries, cubed apple and cubed pear. Toss to mix then pour dressing over salad just before serving and toss to coat.

Butterscotch Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
1 (10.75 ounce) loaf day-old bread, torn into small pieces
4 cups milk
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, combine bread, milk, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and butterscotch chips; mixture should be the consistency of oatmeal. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven 1 hour, until nearly set. (It should have a "thigh wiggle" or wiggle as much as a well endowed thigh.) Serve warm or cold.

Cranberry, Sausage and Apple Stuffing

INGREDIENTS:
12 cups white bread cubes, baked until slightly dry
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/4 cup butter
6 cups coarsely chopped leeks
4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 cups chopped celery
3 tart apples - peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
1 1/3 cups chicken stock
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Saute; sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, crumbling coarsely, for about 10 minutes. Remove sausage to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Empty pan of grease. Into the same pan melt the butter. Add the leeks or onions, apples, celery and poultry seasoning. Saute until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the rosemary, dried cranberries and cooked sausage. Mix all with the dried bread cubes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Moisten with the chicken stock. Stuff turkey with about 5 cups for a 14 pound turkey. Add additional chicken stock to moisten stuffing if needed. Remaining stuffing can be baked in a covered buttered casserole at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes to brown top.

"Coquito" - Tropical Coconut Eggnog

INGREDIENTS:
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14 ounce) can cream of coconut
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup white rum
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
In the top of a double boiler, combine egg yolks and evaporated milk. Stirring constantly, cook over lightly simmering water until mixture reaches a temperature of 160 degrees F (71 degrees C). The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer mixture to a blender, and add cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, rum, water, cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla. Blend for about 30 seconds. Pour into glass bottles, and chill overnight.

German Red Cabbage with Apples

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium head red cabbage, cored and sliced
2 large tart apples, peeled and sliced
1 medium sweet onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
6 whole peppercorns
2 whole allspice
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water

DIRECTIONS:
In a Dutch oven, toss cabbage, apples and onion. Add water, vinegar, sugar, butter and salt. Place the peppercorns, allspice, cloves and bay leaf on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and stir with kitchen string to form a bag. Add to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/4 hours. Discard spice bag. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir in cabbage mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.