Chapter 6 - Christmas Cooking

Christmas Dinner

Turkeys come in almost any size now, so that the bird can really be tailored to the size of the crowd you'll be having for Christmas. From as little as four pounds to as much as twenty-four, the turkey roasted the traditional way is tender and juicy, a mouthwatering brown.Roast Turkey

Stuff turkey just before roasting. Allow ¾ to 1 cup stuffing per pound ready-to-cook weight. Stuff wishbone cavity and skewer neck skin to back. Tuck wing tips behind shoulder joints. Rub large cavity with salt. Spoon in stuffing. Shake bird to settle stuffing; do not pack. Close opening by placing skewers across it and lacing shut with cord. Tie drumsticks securely to tail. (If opening has band of skin across, push the drumsticks underneath, and you won't need to fasten opening or tie legs.)

Grease skin thoroughly. If you use a meat thermometer, insert it in the center of the inside thigh muscle adjoining the cavity. Place bird breast up on the rack (but breast down if using V-rack) in shallow roasting pan and leave in this position for entire roasting time.

Cover with loose "cap" of aluminum foil, pressing it lightly at drumstick and breast ends, but avoid having it touch top or sides. Roast at constant low temperature.

When turkey is about two-thirds done according to turkey roasting chart, cut the cord or band of skin so heat can reach inside of thighs. (For chart, see page 136.)

About 20 minutes before roasting time is up, test doneness by pressing thick part of drumstick between fingers (protect hand with paper towel). Meat should feel very soft. Also move drumstick up and down; it should move easily or twist out of joint. (If you use a meat thermometer, it should register 190° to 195°.) When turkey is done, remove from pan and keep warm while you make gravy from pan drippings. Let turkey stand 20 minutes before carving. Carving will be easier and slices neater.

If you need to save time, roast your king of birds in aluminum foil.

Foil-Wrapped Roast Turkey

Tie drumsticks to tail. Press wings to body so tips are flat against sides of breast. Use heavy aluminum foil. Place turkey, breast up, in center of foil. (Foil should be wide enough to have 5 to 6 inches extending beyond leg and breast ends of bird; if it isn't, join 2 pieces together with drugstore or lock fold, pressing to make leak proof joining,) Bring one end of foil snugly over top of turkey; bring opposite end up, lapping over first (overlap should be 2 to 3 inches). Now fold foil down snugly at breast and legs; then press ends up (ends should be high enough to prevent drippings from running into the pan and burning).

Place foil-wrapped bird, breast up, in bottom of shallow pan (broiler pan is convenient); do not use rack. Roast at constant high temperature.

When turkey has cooked to within 25 to 20 minutes of total cooking time given in the foil-wrapped turkey roasting chart, remove from oven. Quickly slit foil with scissors or knife and fold away from bird to edge of pan. (If you use a meat thermometer, insert it in center of inside thigh muscle adjoining cavity.) Return turkey to oven. Continue roasting till turkey is tender (test doneness in usual ways meat thermometer should register 185° to 190°). When turkey is done, lift from foil to warm platter. Pour drippings in skillet; concentrate by simmering if you want to increase flavor and color; use in making gravy.

SStuffing For The Holiday Bird

Stuffing the traditional turkey is a just-before-the-roasting ritual. You can get the crumbs and seasonings ready a night ahead, but don't combine with the liquid ingredients. Use bread that is a day old or older. If the bread is fresh, first dry it out or toast it in the oven. Allow ¾ to 1 cup of stuffing per pound of the ready-to-cook weight of the bird. Some families who really love stuffing and feel they couldn't ever have enough of it demand a double recipe. Bake the extra in a greased casserole, a pan, or aluminum foil. If you like, baste the stuffing with pan drippings or giblet broth as it bakes. There are two main types of stuffing, the moist and the fluffy. The difference is that a liquid (broth, water or milk) is added to the moist stuffing. The fluffy kind is made from medium-dry bread, the moist from day-old or dry bread. You may use crumbs or cubes, from white, whole wheat, or corn bread.

Clam Stuffing

¼ cup clam liquor
½ cup melted butter or margarine
½ teaspoon pepper ⅛ teaspoon mace
1 (9½-ounce) package thin corn wafers, rolled
1 (7-ounce) can minced clams, drained
 
Combine all ingredients. Toss together lightly. Use for filling neck cavity of turkey and choose another kind of stuffing for the body cavity.

Giblet Stuffing

4 cups dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons chopped onion, if desired chopped, cooked giblets
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning, if desired sage to taste
⅓ cup melted butter or margarine giblet broth to moisten

Combine bread, onion, giblets, and seasonings; add butter and sufficient liquid to moisten. Toss gently to mix. Makes 4 cups stuffing, or enough for 4- to 5-pound chicken or capon. Double recipe for 10-pound turkey.

Walnut Stuffing

6 cups dry, medium bread crumbs
⅔ cup walnuts, whole or halved
2 cups diced celery ½ cup chopped celery leaves
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup melted butter 1⅓ cups water, or enough to moisten
 
Mix together crumbs, walnuts, celery and leaves, and seasonings. Add eggs and butter, then enough water to moisten; toss lightly. Makes enough stuffing for a 10-pound turkey.

Orange-Pecan Stuffing

56 shredded wheat wafers, finely rolled
¼ cup melted butter or margarine
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup hot water
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup grated orange peel
1½ cups finely chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup chopped pecans l½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon poultry seasoning  

Toss crumbs lightly with melted butter or margarine. Combine orange juice and hot water. Stir into egg. Add egg mixture and remaining ingredients to crackers; blend well. Stuff body cavity of turkey. Makes 6 cups stuffing.

Liver And Mushroom Stuffing

¾ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper
¾ cup butter
6 cups dry bread cubes
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 pound finely diced liver
¾ pound chopped mushrooms salt and pepper
3 eggs, beaten
1¼ cups water
 
Add water to bread cubes and let stand. Sauté liver, mushrooms, celery, and green pepper in butter until tender. Add this to moistened bread cubes and mix thoroughly. Add seasonings and eggs. Mix thoroughly. Makes enough stuffing for 12- to I4-pound turkey.

Basic Stuffing Guide

Poultry weight                  4 lbs.       6 lbs.       10 lbs.     12 lbs.           20 lbs.
( ready to cook)
Shortening                       ¼cup       ½ cup      ½ cup      ⅔cup             1 cup
Chopped onion                ½ cup      ⅔ cup      1 cup       l⅓ cups         2 cups
Chopped celery               ½ cup      ⅔ cup      1 cup       l⅓ cups         2 cups
Soft bread cubes             6 cups     9 cups     15 cups   l⅛ gal.           l⅞ gal.
½" square
or
Number of ⅝" fresh         6             9             15           18                 30
bread slices
Salt                                 ⅔tsp.       l tsp.        1½tsps.   2tsps.            1 tbsp.
Pepper dash                    ⅛tsp.       ¼tsp.       ¼ tsp.      ½ tsp.
Poultry seasoning             l⅓ tsps.   2 tsps.     1 tbsp.     1⅓ tbsps.      2 tbsps.
Water, broth or milk        ⅓ cup      ⅔ cup      1 cup       l¾ cups         2 cups
Average number cups      4             6             10           12                 20
of stuffing
"American Institute of Baking

Gravy For The Turkey

A turkey dinner isn't complete without a savory brown gravy. This one is so smooth and tasty that it's a good excuse for another helping of stuffing or mashed potatoes.

After removing turkey to a warm platter, leave crusty bits in pan and pour liquid into a measuring cup. When fat comes to the top, skim it off. Then, for each cup gravy, measure 2 tablespoons of fat back into roasting pan. Add 2 tablespoons flour for each cup gravy; blend thoroughly. Cook over low heat till frothy, stirring constantly. For richer flavor and color, brown the flour to a light tan. Add 1 cup lukewarm liquid (meat juices from roasting turkey plus giblet broth, milk, or water) for each cup gravy. Cook till thick, stirring constantly and scraping bottom and sides of pan to blend in the crusty bits. Simmer about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into hot gravy boat.

Perhaps your family likes a rich cream gravy better or you'd like to try it for the first time this year. Cream gravy made from the drippings of your holiday turkey can be extra special. Follow these simple directions for an easy way to make good cream gravy.

Pour fat and meat juices from the meat pan into a 2-cup measuring cup, leaving crusty particles in the pan. Fat will rise to the top of the cup, and meat juices will stay at the bottom. Skim fat off. Measure ¼cup fat for 2 cups of gravy, and put measured fat into meat pan.

Add enough milk to the meat juices in cup to make 2 cups and pour into a jar with a screw top. Measure ¼ cup flour into the jar. Screw on lid and shake until the ingredients are well mixed.

Pour milk mixture into pan, stirring slowly to blend thoroughly. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the gravy is thickened and bubbly. Simmer a few minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and serve in heated gravy boat.

Then, of course, there are those, men especially, who will hear of nothing for the bird but giblet gravy, with its wonderful meaty flavor.

Giblet gravy is made using the same method as for cream gravy, except for preparation of the giblets. To prepare giblets, cover the heart, gizzard, and liver with water and simmer in a covered saucepan until tender. Remove giblets. Save the stock and combine with meat drippings for more flavorful gravy. Dice the giblets and add to the gravy when you add the fat. Proceed as for cream gravy.

Directions For Carving A Turkey

1. Place bird's legs to your right. Carve side away from you. To remove leg, cut down from breast to the joint. Pull to loosen leg from the socket. Cut all free tissue.

2. Hold drumstick up at right angles to plate. Cut meat to bone. Anchor thigh with knife, press leg down till joint snaps. Cut through joint. Slice thin.

3. To remove wing, stick fork in meaty part of wing. Cut at angle 1 to l½ inches above where wing joins body. When you hit joint, run knife through cartilage.

4. Insert fork in opposite rib section or with tines astride keel bone. Cut breast in K inch strips. Put tines of fork on slice before severing
it, for steady hold.
 
Chop and beat them all well together, mix them with the Yolk of an Egg, and stuff up the Breast; when you have no Sewet, Butter will do; or you may make your Force-Meat thus: Spread Bread and Butter thin, and grate some Nutmeg over it; when you have enough roll it up, and stuff the Breast of the Turkey; then roast it of a fine Brown, but be sure to pin some white Paper (i.e. grease-proof) on the Breast till it is near enough. You must have a good gravy in the Dish, and Bread-Sauce, made thus: Take a good piece of Crumb, put it into a pint of Water, with a blade or two of Mace, two or three Cloves, and some Whole Pepper. Boil it up five or six times, then with a spoon take out the Spice you had before put in, and then you must pour off the Water (you may boil an Onion in it if you please) then beat up the Bread with a good Piece of Butter and a little Salt.

Butter Baked Turkey

Stuff turkey with your favorite stuffing. Truss with skewers and strong cord. Soften ¼ pound butter. Spread over entire turkey, especially on tops of drumsticks, breast and wings. Place turkey on rack in shallow pan, breast side up. Cover entire turkey with a cheesecloth moistened with melted butter. Brush frequently with melted butter during roasting. Roast according to following schedule. When turkey is done, remove from roasting pan to serving platter and let stand about 15 minutes before carving.

More Of The Turkey

( From Mrs. Glasse The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, 1775)

The best way to roast a Turkey is to loosen the skin on the Breast of the Turkey, and fill it with Force-Meat, made thus: Take a Quarter of a Pound of Beef Sewet, as many Crumbs of Bread, a little Lemon peel, an anchovy, some Nutmeg, Pepper, Parsley and a little Thyme.
 
8 to 10 pounds             325° F.               3 to 3½ hours
10 to 14 pounds           325° F.               3½ to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds           300° F.               4½ to 5 hours
18 to 20 pounds           300° F.               5 to 6 hours
20 to 25 pounds           300° F.               6½ to 8 hours

Time and temperature chart for turkey

Festive roast duck

Roast Duckling

Select a duckling, 3½ to 5 pounds ready-to-cook weight, or 5 to 7 pounds dressed weight. Clean duckling; remove wing joint and tip, leaving only meaty second joint. Rub inside with salt and stuff lightly with Orange Stuffing. Do not truss or prick the skin. Close opening with skewers and lace with cord. Place, breast side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Do not add water. Roast uncovered in slow oven (325°) l½ to 2 hours for moderately done, 2 to 2½ hours for well done. Meaty part of leg should feel tender (use paper towel), and it should be easy to move leg up and down. For a pretty shine, about 30 minutes before duckling is done, brush with Honey Glaze: Combine 2 tablespoons honey and 1 teaspoon kitchen bouquet. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Orange Stuffing For Duck

¾ cup diced celery
1 tablespoon grated
½ cup boiling water
orange peel
¼ cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely
⅓ cup butter or margarine
chopped parsley
4 cups toasted bread
1 teaspoon salt
cubes (measure after toasting)
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 cup diced fresh oranges
¼ teaspoon pepper
 
Cook celery in boiling water until tender. Drain. Saute onion in butter until limp; combine with celery and remaining ingredients. Toss lightly. Spoon into body of a 4 to 5 pound duck. Close opening with skewers and string. Place duck on a rack, breast side up in a baking pan. Cook in a moderate oven (350° F.) about 2 hours or until skin is brown and crusty. Makes 4 servings.

Roast Duck With Swedish Raisin Stuffing

2 tablespoons melted
butter 1 cup peeled, grated, raw apple
1 4-pound duck
⅓ cup sifted flour
2 cups water
parsley sprigs
orange slices
½ cup raisins
2 cups cold cooked rice
⅛ teaspoon ground
cardamom 1 teaspoon grated
orange peel salt 1 tablespoon instant
minced onion

Rinse and drain raisins. Combine raisins with rice, cardamom, orange rind, ¾ teaspoon salt, onion, butter, and apple. Mix lightly. Stuff mixture loosely into body cavity of duck; close opening with lacing pins and string. Roast duck in a moderate oven (325° F.) about 2 hours or until browned and crispy. Transfer duck to a hot platter. To make gravy, skim fat from drippings, saving ½ cup fat. Blend ¼ cup fat with the flour. Add drippings from pan and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Season to taste with salt. Cut duck into quarters. Pile hot stuffing on a platter. Arrange duck pieces on top. Garnish with parsley and orange slices. Makes 4 servings.

Cranberry Relish

1 teaspoon dry mustard
½teaspoon cloves
1 cup blanched almonds, slivered
⅓ cup diced candied ginger
1 pound cranberries
2 oranges, cut up
1 cup sugar
1¼ cups light com syrup
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Force cranberries and oranges through food chopper, using medium blade. Add remaining ingredients, and mix well. Store in refrigerator. Let stand several hours before using, to blend flavors. Makes 6 cups.

Ginger-Coated Sweet Potato Balls

4 large sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
¼cup cream
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup finely chopped nuts
15 ginger snaps, rolled into medium crumbs (1 cup)
6 marshmallows

Cook sweet potatoes in skins in boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Peel. Mash thoroughly. Stir in butter, cream, salt, nuts, and ¼ cup of the crumbs. Shape into balls, with a marshmallow in center of each, making sure marshmallow is well covered. Dredge balls in remaining crumbs. Bake in a very hot oven (425° F.) 10 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Spiced Apple And Sweet Potato Casserole

½ teaspoon nutmeg
⅓cup pineapple juice
¼cup butter or margarine parsley flakes
1 (18-ounce) can sweet potatoes, sliced
1 (20-ounce) can sliced apples
¾ teaspoon cinnamon

Arrange sweet potato slices and apples in alternating layers in an 8-inch square baking dish, sprinkling each layer with cinnamon and nutmeg. Add pineapple juice. Dot with butter or margarine. Cover and bake in a moderately hot oven (375° F.) 15 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 20 minutes. Garnish with parsley flakes. Makes 6 servings.

Delicious apple and potato casserole

Plum Pudding

¾ cup shortening
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup raw grated carrots
¼cup milk
1 cup sifted flour
1 teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
½cup (1 envelope)
instant mashed potatoes
1 cup chopped walnuts
⅔ cup mixed candied fruits and
peels 1 cup raisins

Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Stir in potatoes, nuts, fruits, and raisins. Cream together shortening, spices, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Blend in carrots and milk. Add floured fruits and mix well. Pour into a well-greased l½-quart mold. Cover tightly. Place on a rack in a deep kettle. Add enough boiling water to reach about ⅓the depth of the mold. Steam 2 hours. Turn out on a serving plate, Serve with rum-flavored hard sauce. Makes 12 servings.

Hard Sauce

Cream ¾ cup butter, 3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon cream, dash of salt, and 2 teaspoons rum extract. To serve sauce in orange shells: Cut around center of small whole oranges with sharp knife, and scoop out center. Pile sauce in shells; sprinkle with a little grated orange rind. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Cherry Hard Sauce

1 egg white
⅓ cup butter, melted
¼ cup sour cream
l½ cups confectioners' sugar dash of salt
⅛ teaspoon almond extract
⅔cup canned , light sweet cherries, pitted

Beat egg white until stiff. Fold in remaining ingredients and chill well. Serve cold over hot steamed pudding.

Cranberry Ice

¾ cup sugar
1 cup ginger ale
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 egg whites
1 pint cranberry juice cocktail

Combine ½ cup of the sugar with cornstarch and mix thoroughly. Add to cranberry juice cocktail. Heat, stirring constantly, to boiling and cook 5 minutes. Cool; add ginger ale and freeze in ice tray until mushy. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add remaining sugar gradually and beat until stiff and glossy. Turn mushy cranberry mixture into chilled bowl. Quickly fold in egg whites. Spoon into paper baking cups in muffin pans. Freeze until firm. Serve in paper cups in a bed of ice. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Christmas Cherry Pie

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
¼ cup cold water
2 cans (1 pound) red sour pitted cherries
1 cup sugar, divided
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup whipped cream
1 9-inch baked pie shell
2 tablespoons cornstarch
 
Soak gelatin in cold water. Pour one can of cherries with liquid in a saucepan. Add ½ cup of the sugar and heat, but do not boil. Add gelatin and salt and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add lemon juice. Chill until mixture begins to thicken. Fold in whipped cream and turn into baked pie shell. Chill about ½ hour. Drain second can of cherries. Measure liquid and add enough water to make 1 cup liquid. Combine remaining sugar and cornstarch. Stir in cherries. Cool. Spread over filling in pie shell. Chill thoroughly. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Holiday plum pudding

Christmas cherry pie

Steamed Date Pudding

1¼ cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons double acting baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 package dates, finely sliced
¼ cup shortening
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 egg
¾ cup milk
1 teaspoon Angostura bitters

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Mix ¼cup of flour mixture with dates. Cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine milk and bitters. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Fold in dates. Pour mixture into greased l1/2-quart mold; cover tightly. Place on rack in deep kettle. Pour boiling water to half the depth of the pudding. Cover; steam 2 hours. Unmold; serve with hard sauce. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Mincemeat Pie

2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup shortening
¼ cup cold water
2¾ cups prepared mincemeat (28-ounce jar)
¾ cup chopped tart apples
 
Sift together flour and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives, until mixture is the consistency of coarse corn meal. Sprinkle water over mixture, a tablespoon at a time, tossing lightly with a fork.  Shape into a ball with hands and chill for a while. Divide dough in two portions. Roll one-half out on a lightly floured board into a circle about ⅛-inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim crust about ½inch beyond edge of plate. Combine mincemeat and apples and pour into shell. Roll out remaining dough to a diameter of about 10-inches. Cut into strips about ¾-inch wide; weave a lattice top over filling. Trim ends even with lower edge of pastry. Fold bottom edge up over strips and flute with fingers. Bake in a very hot oven (425° F.) 10 minutes, lower temperature to 350° F. and continue to bake for about 25 minutes.

Easy-to-make fruit pie

Pineapple Cranberry Pie

¾ teaspoon salt
l½ tablespoons tapioca red food coloring pastry for 2-crust pie
1 cup sugar
¾cup water
2½ cups crushed pineapple
l½ cups raw cranberries

Boil sugar and water together 5 minutes. Drain the crushed pineapple, adding syrup and cranberries to the boiled mixture; cover; cook till cranberries pop. Add pineapple, salt, tapioca and red food coloring. Cool slightly. Pour into a 9-inch unbaked crust. Finish with lattice pastry and flute edges. Bake for 10 minutes at 450° F., then at 350° F. for 20 minutes more.

Holiday chiffon pie

Cranberry Chiffon Pie

l½ cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
⅓cup melted butter
⅓ cup confectioners sugar
1 cup evaporated milk, divided 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
24 marshmallows
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1½cups strained cranberry sauce

Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and confectioners' sugar and press into a 9-inch pie plate. Chill. Put ⅔cup of the evaporated milk in the freezing tray of refrigerator. Freeze until ice crystals form around the edge. Soften gelatin in cold water. Combine marshmallows and remaining milk in a saucepan and melt over low heat. Add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Add orange juice and peel, and chill until mixture thickens. Pour crystallized milk into a chilled bowl. Whip with chilled beater until milk stands in peaks. Add lemon juice and whip until stiff. Fold in cranberry sauce and gelatin mixture, Turn into crumb crust and chill for several hours until set.

Cranberry Souffle Salad

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup very hot water
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 (1-lb.) can whole cranberry sauce
1 orange or apple, peeled and diced, or one
8½-ounce can pineapple tidbits
¼ cup chopped walnuts

Mix gelatin with sugar and salt. Add hot water. Stir until dissolved. Add mayonnaise, lemon juice, and lemon rind. Blend with rotary beater. Pour into refrigerator tray and quick-chill in freezing unit 10-15 minutes, or until firm about 1 inch from edge but soft in center. Beat until fluffy. Fold in cranberry sauce, fruit, and walnuts. Pour into molds and chill until firm. Un-mold on lettuce. Top with mayonnaise. Makes 6 servings.

Cranberry souffle salad

Eggnog Christmas Salad

¾ cup chopped celery
1 package raspberry-flavored gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 (10-ounce) package frozen cranberry relish, thawed
1 (No. 2) can crushed
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons lime juice
1½ cups prepared eggnog

Drain juice from crushed pineapple into saucepan. Heat to boiling. Soften gelatin in lime juice. Add to boiling pineapple juice and stir until dissolved. Cool. Add eggnog and chill until partially set. Fold in drained pineapple and celery. Pour into a 5-cup mold. Dissolve raspberry gelatin in boiling water. Add cranberry relish. Chill until mixture begins to thicken. When eggnog layer is firm, pour raspberry gelatin on top. Chill until set. Unmold and garnish with crisp greens.

Party Cheese Log

½ cup chopped walnuts
3-5 ounces Bleu or Roquefort cheese
8~ounce package cream cheese
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon pimiento

Heat oven to 350° F. Spread walnuts in a shallow pan and toast, stirring occasionally, until golden (about 8 to 10 minutes). Blend cheeses; stir in garlic salt, pimiento, and green pepper. Chill until firm; then shape into log. Roll in toasted walnuts and chill again, until serving time. Garnish with a sprig of holly, and serve with different kinds of crackers.

Party cheese log

Holiday hors d'oeuvres platter

Christmas Feast On Fewest Calories

Traditional meal with all the trimming ~ is slimming!

Our dinner for 6 is a memory-making menu that won't add weight. Planned for gourmets who want to rise to an occasion and rise from it. And the secret will be confided to the cook. Guests who diet and guests who don't will find it a savory banquet that is completely satisfying and delicious, but magically low in calories. All by way of a hostess* clever hand in the kitchen, each serving adds up to 510 calories, or 1,000 less than anyone would predict.

The merry meal begins with sea food in rosy tomatoes under a frosting of creamy cottage cheese a fitting overture with ocean tang and holiday brilliance. A sumptuous roast turkey comes next, lording it over the dressing all spiced with thyme and rosemary and nuggeted with mushrooms and water chestnuts but there is to be no bread! There will be cranberry-apricot sauce; there will be vegetables.

For dessert, orange crepes of a blissful flavor bide in a chafing dish. And we depart from tradition only in one way the turkey, first broiled, then baked, comes to the table already carved. As tantalizing aromas rise, who could bear the suspense otherwise?

Lobster-And-Crabmeat Cocktail

Red, white and festive . . . our first course, a lobster- and-crabmeat cocktail cupped in tomato. Slice off tops of 6 small tomatoes, scoop out insides, wrap hollowed tomatoes in plastic film and chill in refrigerator. Now for the meat of tasty crustaceans. Bone 1 cup cooked crab-meat with zeal. Add to it 1 cup cooked lobster meat, bite size. Marinate both for ½ hour in ¼cup tarragon vinegar, then chill. Half an hour before dinner, lightly salt insides of tomatoes. Fill with sea food. We'll spoon over it Creamy Cottage-cheese Dressing. Combine in electric blender or put through sieve ½ cup cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons skimmed milk, 1 teaspoon grated onion, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ¼teaspoon salt, dash of pepper. Blend until smooth. Chill. A most refreshing dressing. And it brings calorie count up to only 71 per serving.

Roast Turkey With Mushroom Dressing

Have butcher cut an 8-pound bird into 8 pieces. In shallow roasting pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter with ½teaspoon seasoned salt, ½ teaspoon meat tenderizer, ¼ teaspoon pepper. Rub all turkey pieces with this savory seasoning, place in pan, then broil until they are bubbling and gold on both sides, about 20 minutes. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour in moderately hot oven, 375° F. Meanwhile, the dressing. Cook until tender in ½ cup chicken stock 4 cups chopped fresh mushrooms, 4 cups chopped celery. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon rosemary, ½ teaspoon thyme, ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Remove from heat and stir in ⅔ cup coarsely chopped water chestnuts, ¼ cup flour. Uncover the bird and put the dressing around the turkey. Re-cover and continue roasting another hour or until done. Spoon dressing into center of hot platter. Arrange turkey on top. Brush with pan juices and garnish with crisp fans of cauliflower, radish roses, and parsley. Enough here for 6-8 servings, only 224 calories per serving.
 Pearl Onions To Bedeck Green Beans

We tell you an art here. After you peel 1 cup of the tiniest white onions, pierce the ends crisscross it keeps them from coming apart while they cook. Simmer them gently in salted water for 10 minutes. Drain. Place 2 packages frozen cut green beans in saucepan; join the onions to their emerald companions. Cook together in boiling salted water 8-10 minutes for a courtly blend of flavors, and only 70 calories per serving.

Tangy Cranberry-Apricot Sauce

Nothing's missing not even the noble cranberry. And here the color of the sauce is brilliant, the flavor profound. Dissolve 2 packages lemon-flavored low-calorie gelatin dessert in 1/2 cups hot water. Add 6 non-caloric sweetener tablets and stir patiently until they dissolve. Open 1 medium-sized can water-packed apricots and measure 1 cup apricot juice (add water if liquid doesn't make a cup) to stir into gelatin mixture, then chill it until thick and syrupy. Meanwhile, cut apricots into medium-size pieces, grind 2 cups fresh cranberries with the coarse blade of the grinder, add 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and blend all into gelatin when it is thick enough. Stir only a bit, then chill. Each serving: 18 calories.

Orange Crepes Suzette

Our Elysian finale is going to be after-dinner pancakes fragrant with orange, luscious with strawberry, steeped in sauce set for the cockles of the heart. The recipe: Sift together into a bowl ¾ cup flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt. Beat together 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, 1 egg, grated rind of 1 orange. Stir into the dry ingredients until smooth. Bake on a hot, lightly greased griddle until golden on both sides. If you use a level measuring tablespoon to a pancake, count on 20 cakes. Cakes may be made ahead. For the sauce, open 1 small can mandarin orange sections. Pour the liquid into a saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and heat with strips of rind cut from 1 orange. When removing rind from orange, use a light hand only the colored part has the flavor you want. Cook gently until liquid thickens and rind is tender. Remove rind; it has worked wonders. Add 2 teaspoons cornstarch to ¾ cup orange juice and add to the saucepan along with 1 teaspoon rum extract. Heat again until mixture thickens and add orange sections, and sliced strawberries if you wish. Stop kitchen work here if you plan to finish with a flourish at the dining room table! Next step: Reheat sauce, and warm pancakes in slow oven. In a chafing dish put a round of the little pancakes, heap sauce over, more pancakes, more sauce, and heat them together for 4 or 5 minutes until flavors swim together. When piping hot, serve. Servings of 3 cakes each come to only 124 calories.

With the crepes comes coffee, hot and dark, and the feast is at a fullness, the day at a peak, the compliments rise like a carol, the satisfaction is sound as a bell. Rest ye merry, everywhere, today with not an extra pound to carry into tomorrow!

Christmas Baking

There's nothing like a day of Christmas cookie baking to establish the holiday spirit in your house. Bake on a day when the family's all at home. Let the children try to figure out how to get the most cookies out of the circle of dough, and let the decoration be inspired.

Gather the family around and let them pitch in to offer advice, help decorate as things come out of the oven, and act as official tasters. The pastry tube is handy for marking delicate lines. You'll want to tint some of the frosting with food coloring for gay holiday touches.

Fitting plastic cookie cutters on the dough is a job that the children will think is a game. Try rolling them on a rubber pastry tray with a ball-bearing rolling pin.

A flash of the rolling pin and the cookies are cut: the cutters have no handles. Lift them gently out of the dough and set them in flour to wait for the next cutting.

Ease the cookies onto the cookie sheet, to preserve their holiday shapes. If the dough seems too soft, chill it (tray and all) in the refrigerator or the freezer.

Divinity Drops

¼ cup chopped seedless raisins
¼ cup chopped candied cherries and citron halved candied cherries
2 cups sugar
½ cup water
½ cup light corn syrup
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
½ teaspoon vanilla
 
Combine sugar, water, and syrup in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Continue boiling, without stirring, until a little of the mixture dropped in cold water forms a hard ball (265° F. on a candy thermometer). A few minutes before syrup is ready, beat salted egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Add syrup slowly, beating constantly. Then beat until mixture becomes very stiff and loses its gloss. Add vanilla and chopped fruit; drop from tablespoon onto waxed paper. Shape; decorate with halved cherries. Makes 20.

Danish Rings

Danish Rings

2cups sifted flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
1 egg
¾cup soft butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅔ cup almonds, finely ground

Combine all ingredients; knead on lightly floured board until dough no longer clings to hands. Cut off small pieces of dough, and roll on floured board with palms of hands to size of pencil. Cut in 5-inch lengths, and form rings, crossing the ends. Bake in 350° F. oven for about 20 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.

Place cutters without handles on dough and press with a rolling pin, to shape many cookies at once

German Spritz

2¼ cups sifted flour
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon baking powder
few grains salt
1 Cup butter or margarine
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla red and green candied cherries
¼. cup semisweet chocolate pieces confectioners' sugar frosting
¼ cup chopped nuts

Sift dry ingredients. Cut in butter with pastry blender. Break egg into measuring cup. If it does not measure ¼ cup, add water to make K cup. Add with vanilla to first mixture; beat well. Fill cookie press halfway. Using crown design, press onto chilled cookie sheets. Decorate crowns with cherries. Refill press. Using star design, press dough onto sheets in 2-inch strips. Bake in hot oven, 400° F., about 10 minutes. Remove at once to racks. Barely melt chocolate; spread a little on one end of cooled sticks. Spread other end with frosting; sprinkle with nuts. Makes about 5 dozen.

German Spritz

Holiday Cookies

2½ cups enriched all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
¾ cup sugar
l egg
1 teaspoon almond or lemon flavoring gumdrops, candied fruit, red sugar or multicolored decorating candy

Sift flour, measure; add baking powder and salt, sift again. Cream shortening, add sugar gradually and cream until light. Add egg and flavoring. Add flour mixture, about a third at a time; blend well. Fill cookie press with mixture and form cookies on ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. To make Christmas wreaths or candy canes, use the star plate with the press held in a slanting position instead of upright. Use the flower-forming plate for fancy round shapes and the Christmas-tree plate for the small tree shapes. Decorate cookies with small bits of gumdrop, red sugar, candied fruit or multicolored decorating candy. Bake in hot oven, 400°, for 6 to 8 minutes. Makes about 6 dozen.

NOTE: This dough may be used for refrigerator cookies. Shape dough into a roll, chill; cut in ¾ inch slices and bake as directed. Danish Ginger Stars

1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon each ginger and cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves thin confectioners' sugar frosting
1 cup butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
⅓ cup molasses
⅔ cup light corn syrup
4½ cups sifted flour

Cream butter and sugars together. Add molasses and corn syrup; mix well. Add sifted, dry ingredients; knead until smooth. Chill several hours until firm enough to roll. Roll out on lightly floured board to less than ⅛-inch thickness. Cut with floured 2-inch, star-shaped cutter. Bake on cookie sheets in moderate oven, 350° F., about 8 minutes. Cool on racks. Decorate with frost-Makes about 12 dozen.

Fruit Cookies

⅓ cup strained honey
½ cup brown sugar
l egg
l½ teaspoons lemon juice, fresh, canned, or frozen
l½ cups flour, enriched all-purpose
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
⅓cup seedless raisins, chopped
¼cup candied pineapple, chopped
¼ cup shelled walnuts, chopped
 
Heat honey in small saucepan till it just comes to a boil; remove from heat, add sugar and stir until thoroughly dissolved, Beat egg in 2-quart bowl until light and fluffy; add lemon juice and honey-sugar mixture; blend well. Sift flour; measure, add soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; sift into bowl containing the egg-sugar mixture; then add raisins, pineapple and walnuts; mix all together well. Chill thoroughly for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.

Roll out ¼ inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut into bars about 1 to 3 inches. Bake in moderate oven, 375°, for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool. If desired, frost with confectioners' frosting. Makes about 3 dozen. To make Santa Claus cookies: Cut dough into 3¾ inch rounds with cookie cutter and place on well-greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Cut 2 inch triangles and press onto rounds to form Santa's cap. Bake as directed. Cool. Frost Santa's cap with white confectioners' frosting, then sprinkle peak with red decorating sugar; add white beard of frosting, sprinkle with shredded coconut. With small bits of frosting attach raisin eyes, red gumdrop nose, strip of gumdrop for mouth. Makes about 12 Santas.

Fruit cookie dough can be used to make Santas

Swiss Almond Drops

1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate pieces, finely ground
l½ teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
l½ cups sugar
½ cup sifted flour
l½ cups almonds, blanched, toasted, ground

Beat eggs and salt well; gradually add sugar, and continue beating until very thick and lemon-colored. Add remaining ingredients, and mix well. Chill about 1 hour. Drop by half teaspoon-fuls onto foil-covered cookie sheets. Bake in moderate oven, 325° F., about 25 minutes. Makes about 7 dozen.

Swiss almond drops

Stuffed Date Drops

11/4 cups sifted enriched flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½teaspoon soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½cup sour cream
1 recipe Golden Frosting
1 pound (about 70)
pitted dates 1 3-ounce package pecan or walnut halves
¼cup shortening ¾ cup medium-brown sugar
l egg

Stuff dates with nut halves. Cream shortening, sugar till light; beat in egg. Sift dry ingredients; add alternately with sour cream to creamed mixture. Stir in dates; drop onto greased cookie sheet (a date per cookie). Bake in hot oven (400° ) 8 to 10 minutes. Place on rack to cool, Top with Golden Frosting: Lightly brown ½ cup butter or margarine; remove from heat; gradually beat in 3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, ¾ teaspoon vanilla. Slowly add water till of spreading consistency, about 3 tablespoons. Makes 5½ dozen cookies.

Christmas Cookies

Here are some cookies to hang on the tree, so festive and beautiful that they ought to be looked at a long time before they're gobbled up. The basic recipe is simple and standard, but the canes and three-dimensional stars that are the result will amaze the children and establish your reputation as a Christmas cook.
3 cups all-purpose
 flour 1 teaspoon baking
powder ¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon milk
¾ cup shortening
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs

Sift flour, measure; add baking powder and salt; sift again. Cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well each time; stir in vanilla and milk. Add dry ingredients and mix until well blended; wrap dough in waxed paper and chill about 2 hours. On lightly floured board roll dough ⅛ inch thick; cut out in your choice of shapes. Bake on greased cookie sheet in moderate oven (375° ) for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool thoroughly on rack.

Ornamental Frosting

1 egg white
1¼ Cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla
food coloring

Beat 1 egg white until stiff but not dry; add 1¾ cups sifted confectioners' sugar, ¼ teaspoon vanilla; blend well. Stir in few drops water until mixture is right consistency for spreading. To pipe through decorating tube, add a little more sugar. Makes about 1 cup white frosting. For colored frostings: To small amounts of white frosting add a few drops of food coloring to make green wreaths, red berries, etc.

Twist strips of dough and shape into canes

Candy-Cane Cookies

Make Christmas Cookie dough. Before chilling dough, divide and add about ½ teaspoon red food coloring to half of it. When chilled, pinch off pieces of dough and roll each into ropelike strips 6 inches long and about ½ inch thick. To make canes, lay a red and a white strip next to each other; starting in middle, twist the two straps together to each end. Then bend one end to resemble cane; with skewer make small hole near top for hanging it up. Bake as directed for Christmas Cookies.

3-D Cookie Stars

Set star patterns (Figs. A and B) on rolled Christmas Cookie dough and cut around them with point of sharp knife, cutting half the cookies with pattern A and half with pattern B. With a skewer make small hole in the A cookies (Fig. A). Bake as directed for Christmas Cookies. When cool, first string wires through holes in cookies. Then slide the 2 parts of stars together (Fig. C), using a little blue ornamental frosting in the slits to hold stars in place. Let stand a few minutes until set, then spread all over with the blue frosting. Let stand until frosting has set. With a little white frosting in decorating tube, pipe lines around edges, then while still moist use tweezers to put on silver dragees (Fig. D). Hang, by the wires, from your Christmas tree.

Star pattern

Sleigh pattern

Slide stars together

Ornament star cookies to use as Christmas tree decorations

Reindeer pattern

Cookie Sleigh And Reindeer

Here are more ornamental cookies; these make up a cookie centerpiece that's just right for any kind of children's party any time during the holidays. When the party's over, every crumb can be eaten up or taken home to treasure for as long as temptation can be resisted. The outlines for sleigh and reindeer can also be traced and used for other Christmas decorations; the reindeer would make a fine start for a Christmas card for the children to make. Prepare rolled cookie dough, using cookie mix or your own recipe for plain, rolled cookies or gingerbread men; roll out ⅛ to ¼ inch thick, Use cookie cutters for figures of Santa and Christmas trees.  Cut out 2 cookies for Santa and 2 for each of trees. For sleigh and reindeer, make patterns by tracing outlines (Figs. A and B) onto cardboard; cut out. Lay cardboard patterns on cookie dough, cut around them with a sharp knife. Cut 2 pieces for sleigh, 8 reindeer. Bake cookies, placing Santas on cookie sheet so that one faces right and one left.

Combine cookies to make a centerpiece, good for a children's party

Prepare ornamental frosting: Beat 1 egg white until stiff; blend in 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar; add about 1 tablespoon water until of spreading consistency. Tint 2 tablespoons of frosting red with food coloring for Santa, ¼ cup yellow for sleigh, the rest green for trees. Cover one side of each Santa and tree cookie with frosting. Frost one side of each sleigh piece, trim with red cinnamon candies; turn over and frost other side.

Prepare frosting for trim: Cream ½ cup vegetable shortening, gradually add 2 pounds sifted confectioners' sugar alternately with 6 or 8 tablespoons milk or water to give good spreading consistency.

Tint ¼ cup brown, using ¼ teaspoon instant coffee. Tint ⅓ cup green, using food coloring.
 
Leave rest white. Put Santas and trees together sandwich fashion with white frosting. Trim with cake decorator, using brown frosting to trim reindeer, green to outline sleigh and white on Santa. Decorate with red cinnamon candies, silver dragees, and colored sugars.

Cut base for centerpiece of heavy corrugated cardboard or plywood, 24 by 9 inches. Cover with rest of white frosting. Arrange cookie figures in frosting before it dries. For seat of sleigh, make pile of graham crackers; fill with extra cookies or candies.

Short-Cut Baking

Just before the holidays, there's always more to do than there are hours on the clock. You can give yourself a head start on last-minute baking jobs by making treats that can be stored in the freezing compartment of your refrigerator. If your freezing space is limited, choose for storing the foods that save the most time. Here are hints for freezing, and some new packages that make it easy.

Bake pies in paper plates with metal rims, cool, and pack in plastic boxes with tight covers. To thaw, remove and heat 45 minutes in 350° oven. Or, they can be frozen before they are baked; in this case cut vents in top crust when ready for oven, bake 15 minutes extra.

Bake pies beforehand, and freeze in plastic boxes

Bake cookies, and freeze in plastic containers

Coffeecakes, rolls, muffins or loaves keep best if baked before freezing. Cool, then wrap and seal in aluminum foil, plastic film, or other moisture-vapor-proof paper, or put in a plastic bag. To thaw, let stand at room temperature in package or heat in foil in moderate oven.

Cookies for the holidays are baked, cooled, and decorated. Put in freezer on cookie sheet for 15 minutes to set frosting, then pack in shallow plastic container, cover tightly, and freeze. When ready to thaw, remove cookies and lay on flat surface, cover with waxed paper, and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.

Have lots of cranberries during the holidays; they make all sorts of tasty things with their unusual flavor, and we tend to forget them during other seasons.

Surprise everyone with these different dishes; their color, too, couldn't be more suited to the decoration of the table.

Seal breads in aluminum foil, and freeze

Currant Loaf

1 tablespoon grated orange rind
¾ cup currants
3 cups biscuit mix
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
1¼ cups orange juice

Combine biscuit mix and sugar; add egg and orange juice and beat well. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Add grated orange rind and currants. Divide batter into three well-greased, clean tin cans (one-pound size), filling slightly more than half full. Bake, uncovered, in moderate oven (350° F.) 45-50 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from cans; cool thoroughly before slicing. Note: Batter may also be baked in greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.

Dark Fruit Cake

½ cup shortening
⅛ teaspoon soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon cloves
⅔ cup sugar
½ square unsweetened chocolate, melted
½ cup molasses
3 eggs
1 cup sifted flour
¾ cup milk
3 cups seedless raisins, lightly chopped
1 cup sliced, candied cherries
l½ cups sliced, candied pineapple
1 cup thinly sliced citron
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sliced, blanched almonds
2-cups biscuit mix
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon melted butter or margarine

Cream together shortening, soda, salt, and spices. Gradually blend in sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in chocolate and molasses. Add eggs one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add flour alternately with milk, and stir thoroughly after each addition. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Line the bottom and sides of a greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with brown paper; grease paper well. Pour batter into pan. Bake in a very slow oven (275° F.) 3½ hours or until done. Cool cake in pan 30 minutes. Remove from pan and finish cooling. Remove paper from cake and wrap in aluminum foil to mellow. Makes one loaf cake.

Snowballs With Cranberry Sauce

Prepare white-cake mix according to package directions. Pour into 8 greased custard cups. Cover each with foil. Put on rack in large kettle, with about 1 inch of hot water, cover, and steam about 25 minutes. Turn out of cups, and serve hot with Cranberry Sauce: Cook 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups cranberries, and cook until skins burst. Stir in 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with a little cold water, and

bring to boil. Makes 8 servings.

Christmas Wreath Ring

½ cup milk
l½ cups canned cling peach slices
2 tablespoons candied cherry halves

Combine biscuit mix, ¾ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix ¾, cup melted butter with milk; stir into dry ingredients, mixing until barely moistened. Turn out on a lightly floured board; knead lightly 10 times. Shape into a roll about 16 inches long. Transfer to lightly greased baking sheet and join ends of roll to make a ring. Flatten roll to make a wreath about ¾-inch thick. Crimp edges. Using edge of large spoon, make depressions in the dough at 1/2-inch intervals. Brush dough lightly with melted butter. Bake in a very hot oven (450° F.) for about 15 minutes. While wreath is baking, drain peach slices. Remove wreath from oven, sprinkle with K cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Arrange peach slices and cherries over dough. Return to oven for 3 minutes. Brush with melted butter before serving. Makes 8 servings.

Holiday Nut Roll

1 cup milk
l½ cups chopped nuts
¼ cup each chopped candied cherries, citron
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
⅛ teaspoon salt

Combine sugars, corn syrup, salt, and milk in saucepan. Bring to boil, and cook, without stirring, until a small amount of the mixture dropped in cold water forms a soft ball (236° F. on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat, and let stand until lukewarm. Then beat until thick and mixture loses its gloss. Add ½ cup nuts and fruits. Shape into long roll, 2½ inches in diameter. Roll in remaining nuts; wrap in damp cloth. Makes l¾ pounds.

Stollen

1 egg, beaten
2½ cups sifted flour
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup finely chopped citron
2 tablespoons chopped, candied orange peel
¼ cup milk
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons shortening
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup warm, not hot, water
1 package of cake yeast, active dry or compressed

Scald milk; stir in sugar, shortening and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Measure water into a large mixing bowl (warm, not hot, for active dry yeast; lukewarm for compressed yeast). Add yeast and stir until dissolved. Blend in milk mixture. Add egg and half the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour. Turn dough out on lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl; brush top with butter. Cover; let rise in a warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch down and turn out on lightly floured board. Spread fruits over dough and knead to distribute them evenly. Pat the dough into an oval about 10 x 14 inches; spread with butter. Fold in half the long way. Press folded edge firmly so it won't spring open. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with butter. Let rise about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. Bake in a moderately hot oven (375° F.) for 40 to 45 minutes. Frost with confectioners' sugar frosting while warm.

Cake Trees

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
¼ cup soft butter
¼ cup light cream
1 teaspoon rum extract
3 cups flaked coconut red cinnamon candies
½ cup chocolate morsels
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Blend sugar, butter, light cream, and rum extract. Stir in coconut. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Chill thoroughly, and shape into cones l¾ inches high. Press green-tinted coconut onto sides of trees, decorate with red cinnamon candies. In a small dish, blend over hot water (not boiling), chocolate morsels and vegetable shortening. Remove from heat and dip bottoms of trees into chocolate. Chill on waxed paper.

Stocking Cakes

A Christmas stocking cake is a real charmer for each child in the family. Make your own white cake, from a mix if you like, in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. When cool, cut in half lengthwise, and place pieces 3 inches apart on a serving plate. (You need not move them, and they will make a handsome dessert centerpiece.) Measure four inches up from each lower left corner, and cut diagonally to the lower right corner to make a triangle. Move this triangle around to the opposite corner, to form the toe of the stocking. Cover thickly with frosting and decorate with candy, shredded coconut, and a name spelled out in icing. Arrange cookies at the top, to look like gifts in the stocking.

 
Holiday stollen

Cupcake Fruitcake

Cream 1 cup shortening and 1 cup sugar together. Add 5 eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition. Sift together l½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt and l¾ teaspoons baking powder. Add alternately with ¼ cup unsweetened pineapple juice to first mixture. Dust the following fruit with ½ cup flour: ½ cup chopped candied cherries; l¼ cups chopped candied pineapple; ¼ pound each finely cut citron, orange and lemon peel; ½ cup each chopped pitted dates, chopped dried figs, chopped dried apricots; and ½ pound white raisins. Add fruit, ½ pound flaked coconut and 2 cups sliced blanched almonds to batter. Mix only to blend. Bake in paper baking cups in muffin pans at 275° F. for 50 minutes. Makes 32 two-inch cakes.

Cookie cutters come in many holiday shapes 

Baking Hints And Gadgets

Don't overlook the gadgets for Christmas baking that you can find in the stores. There are cake-size Christmas tree pans; a gala layer cake results with no need to cut the shape out of square layers and have snips left over. All your artistic talents can be expressed in decorating the tree.

Save time with a plastic cutout tray

Easy-to-make decorated cake tree

Decorator set

A springerle rolling pin makes pictures in the dough

If you're using a recipe that makes a heavy batter (butter-cake type), in most cases the pan or mold should be filled two-thirds full.

Cookie cutters come in all sorts of holiday shapes, and perhaps some new ones have been added that you've never seen.

Plastic trays are available with holiday cutouts, and many cookies can be stamped out in one swoop.

A rolling pin with a waffle surface gives an unusual design to cookie dough, and will cause whatever sprinkles you use for decoration to fall into interesting patterns.

As a cookie wheel rolls, it cuts shapes in the dough cookie press makes many duplicates quickly Rosette irons fashion delicious cookies

There's a cookie wheel that turns out shapes as you spin it over the dough. It's fascinating for children to watch, and you may find yourself making twice as many cookies just for the fun of it.

A small forest of tiny trees, or a caravan of camels, pops out of a cookie press. They're fine for the cookie jar, or for children's parties and gifts.

Rosette cookies are as pretty as they are rich and delicious. A pair of Swedish irons lets you fry them as stars and bells. Drain them on a paper towel and powder them with confectioners' sugar.

Candied fruitcake

Candied Fruitcake

Sift 2 cups sifted flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt into large bowl. Add 1 pound candied pineapple, coarsely cut (2½ cups); 1 pound ¢ 2 cups) whole candied cherries; and 1¼ pounds pitted dates, coarsely cut (3½ cups). Mix well with hands to coat each piece of fruit with flour. Beat 4 eggs until frothy; gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Add to fruit, and mix well. With hands, mix in 2 pounds (8 cups) pecan halves. Grease, and line with brown paper, two 9-inch clamp or clampless springform pans; grease paper. Divide dough into pans, and press down firmly with fingers. If necessary rearrange fruit and nuts to fill any empty spaces. Bake in slow oven, 275° F., about 1¼ hours. Let cakes stand in pans about 5 minutes. Turn out on racks, and pull off brown paper. Cool.

French Biiche de Noel

French Bclche De Noel

1 tablespoon cocoa
2 teaspoons brewed coffee
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
¼ cup sugar melted unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon pistachio nuts, finely chopped
5 eggs
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
cocoa and confectioners' sugar, mixed half and half (2 tablespoons of each)
⅔ cup butter or margarine
½ cup confectioners' sugar

Line the bottom of a jelly roll pan (11 x 7 inches) with heavily coated, greased and floured wax paper. In a bowl beat the eggs and sugar until thick and lemon-colored (about 10 minutes with electric beater). Fold in cocoa. Pour the cake mixture into pan. Bake in a moderately slow oven for 25 minutes. Place a sheet of brown paper on a rack. Coat heavily with a mixture of cocoa and confectioners' sugar. Turn cake upside-down on the coated paper. Remove waxed paper; trim edges of cake. Roll as for jelly roll, lifting the brown paper as you roll the cake. Let stand on rack until cold. Unroll carefully. It's a very thin roll at this point. Combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and coffee to make a mocha cream icing. Spread a thin layer on the cake. Beat the heavy cream and sugar until thick. Spread over the mocha cream. Re-roll the cake. Spread the remaining mocha cream over outside of roll. Roughen it up a bit to look like a log. Brush with melted unsweetened chocolate. Sprinkle with pistachio nuts. Refrigerate.
 
French Almond Cookies

¾ cup butter
1 egg white, slightly beaten
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon almond
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon extract
⅛ cup blanched almonds, finely chopped
2 cups flour
⅛teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
 
Cream butter; add ¼ cup sugar and flavoring; beat until light. Add sifted flour and salt. Chill several hours, or until firm enough to roll. Roll to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut in 1 x 2-inch strips with pastry wheel. Put on cookie sheets. Brush with egg white. Mix 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and almonds. Sprinkle on cookies. Bake in moderate oven, 350° F., for 8 minutes. Makes about 6 dozen.

Sesame Cookies

2½ cups sifted cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
⅛teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup soft butter
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla Seed such as sesame, anise, or caraway

Sift dry ingredients; cut in butter. Add egg yolks and vanilla; blend. Chill several hours. Roll to ⅛-inch thickness on floured board, and cut in fancy shapes. Put on cookie sheets, and sprinkle with seed. Bake in hot oven, 400° F., about 8 minutes. Makes about 8 dozen small or 4 dozen large cookies.

Swedish finger cookies, French almond cookies

Sesame cookies

Pfeffernusse

1 cup soft butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
½ cup each molasses and dark corn syrup
3 eggs
l½ teaspoons crushed cardamom seed
1 teaspoon crushed anise seed
¼ teaspoon black pepper
5½ cups sifted flour
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon soda

Cream butter, sugar, molasses, and corn syrup; add eggs, and beat until light. Add flavorings and sifted flour, salt, and soda; mix well. Let stand in refrigerator overnight. Shape into rolls about ¾-inch diameter. Cut in 1-inch lengths, and put on end on cookie sheets. Bake in moderate oven, 350° F., about 20 minutes. Store 1 week before eating. Makes about 12 dozen.

German Leckerli

1 teaspoon soda
water
grated rind ½ lemon
1 cup unblanched almonds, sliced thin
2¾ cups sifted flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup honey
½ cup chopped, candied orange and lemon peel
l½ teaspoons cloves
1½ teaspoons nutmeg
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Heat ½ cup sugar and honey to boiling. Remove from heat; add peel, spices, and soda dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water. Add remaining ingredients. Knead until well blended. Boll dough to ¾-inch thickness. Place on greased wax paper on cookie sheet. Bake in moderate oven, 325° F., about 25 minutes. Turn out on wire rack, and remove paper at once. Turn right side up. Cook remaining ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup water until mixture spins a thread. Spread on Leckerli. Cut in diamonds. Store airtight at least 1 week before using. Makes about 5 dozen.

Pfeffernusse

German Leckerli

Swedish Finger Cookies

½ cup soft butter or margarine
½ cup sugar
1 egg, separated
½ teaspoon almond flavoring
1½ cups sifted cake flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unblanched almonds, grated
12 sugar cubes, crushed
 
Can be frozen. Cream butter and sugar; add egg yolk, and beat until light. Add flavoring, sifted flour, and salt, and half the almonds; mix well. Chill several hours. Divide dough into fourths. Working with finger tips on lightly floured board, roll each fourth into a 12-inch strip, finger width. Cut strips crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Beat egg white slightly with fork, and brush on cookies. Dip in remaining nuts and crushed sugar cubes, mixed. Place, dipped side up, on cookie sheets. Bake in 375° F. oven, 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.

Snowflakes

Bon Bon Cookies

½ cup soft butter
¾ cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla food coloring,
if desired
l½ cups sifted flour
⅛ teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350° F. Mix butter, sugar, vanilla, food coloring. Blend in flour and salt thoroughly with hand. If dough is dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons cream. Wrap level tablespoon dough around filling (cherry, date, nut, chocolate bit). Bake on ungreased baking sheet 12 to 15 minutes, until set but not brown. Cool.

Dip cookies in Icing: Mix 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add food coloring. Decorate with colorful toppings. 20 to 25 cookies.

Delicious bon bon cookies

Snowflakes
1¼ cups sifted flour
½ teaspoon baking Powder
 ½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup soft shortening (part butter)
½ cup sugar
1 egg
¼ teaspoon lemon extract or
½teaspoon vanilla

Mix thoroughly shortening, sugar, egg, flavoring. Sift together dry ingredients and stir in. Chill 1 hour. Heat oven to 400° F. Roll dough Js-inch thick on lightly floured board. Keep dough chilled, rolling only ¼ at a time. Cut with star cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 6 to 8 minutes until delicately brown. Decorate when cool with Shiny Glaze. Makes 4 dozen.

Shiny Glaze

⅛ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon lemon extract or vanilla food coloring, if desired
3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
4 teaspoons light corn syrup
¼ cup hot water

Mix all ingredients until smooth and glossy. Cover. Stack cookies on rack in pairs with points of top star between points of bottom star. Place rack over pan. Pour 1 teaspoon glaze over snow-flakes. While glaze is still soft, transfer cookies to wax paper and decorate as desired. Let snowflakes dry before storing. Success Tip: Add few drops of hot water to thin glaze as necessary. Decorate before glaze dries.

Walnut Sticks

(use your favorite flavor jam)
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
1 recipe pastry (using 1 cup flour) or
1 stick pie crust mix
¼ cup red jam or jelly wamuis

Heat oven to 450° F. Roll pastry thin, into approximately a 12-inch square. Spread half with jam and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Fold crust over the filling, and roll lightly again. With a sharp knife, cut into strips about ¼ inch wide. Twist the strips like ribbon candy and arrange on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 10 minutes until golden brown and remove immediately to a cooling rack. This will make about two dozen 6-inch sticks, delightful both warm and cold. Shape the sticks into canes before baking.

Peppermint Candy Cookies

½ cup sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 teaspoon milk
½ cup confectioners' sugar
1 drop red food coloring
1 cup butter or margarine )
 ½ cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2½ cups sifted flour
½ cup chopped nuts
½ cup crushed, pink
peppermint stick candy

Cream together butter and ½ cup confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Gradually add flour and nuts and mix thoroughly. Chill. Combine peppermint candy and ½ cup confectioners' sugar. Reserve. Blend together cheese and milk until smooth and creamy. Gradually add ½ cup confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons of the peppermint stick candy mixture and food coloring and blend well. Shape cookie dough into balls, using a rounded teaspoonful for each. Make a hole in center of each and fill with about ¼ teaspoon of the filling. Seal. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a moderate oven (350° F.) 12 to 15 minutes, until set but not brown. While warm, roll in remainder of peppermint candy-sugar mixture. When cool re-roll in candy mixture.

Snowman Buns

1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 eggs
¼ cup soft shortening currants
¾cup warm water (not hot-110 to 115° F.
1 package active dry yeast
3½ cups sifted flour
⅓ cup sugar

In mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add half of flour, sugar, salt, nutmeg, eggs, shortening. Beat 2 minutes, medium speed on mixer or 300 vigorous strokes by hand. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl frequently, Add remaining flour and blend in with spoon until smooth. Cover with cloth and let rise in warm place until double in bulk (about 45 minutes). (If kitchen is cool, place dough on a rack over a bowl of hot water and cover completely with a towel.) Stir down by beating 25 strokes. Turn onto lightly floured board. Cut dough into 12 equal parts, one for each snowman.

To Form Snowmen:

Body: Use ½ of each piece of dough. Shape a 4-inch long oval.

Head: Use a little more than ½ of remaining dough. Shape round ball. Press currants in deeply for eyes; add tiny piece of dough for nose.

Arms: For arms, make two 2-inch pencillike rolls.

Delicious snowman buns

Place snowmen 3 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Let rise in warm place until double (about 45 minutes). Brush with 1 egg, beaten. Heat oven to 350° F. (moderate). Bake about 15 minutes, until brown. Makes 12.

Appetizing candy cane rolls

Candy Cane Rolls

¼ cup warm water (not hot-110 to 115°)
1 package active dry yeast
¾ cup lukewarm milk
¼cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
 ¼ cup shortening
 3½ to 3¾ cups sifted  flour
 1 cup quartered, red  candied cherries, if  desired

In mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Stir in milk, sugar, salt. Add egg, shortening, and half of flour; mix with spoon. Add rest of flour and cherries; mix with hands. Turn onto lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and blistered, about 5 minutes. Round up in greased bowl; bring greased side up. Cover with damp cloth. Let rise in warm place until double in bulk, l½ to 2 hours. (If kitchen is cool, place dough on rack over bowl of hot water and cover with towel.) Punch down; round up. Let rise again until almost double in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes. Divide in halves. Roll each into rectangle, 12 x 7 inches. On the long side, cut twelve 1-inch strips. Twist and place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet, shaping like canes. Press ends of canes firmly on baking sheet. Brush with melted shortening. Cover and let rise until double, about 1 hour. Heat oven to 375° F. (quick moderate). Bake about 12 minutes, or until brown. While warm, frost with a confectioners' sugar icing. Add red icing stripes after white icing is set. Makes 24 canes.

Holiday Walnut Bread

1 egg
3 cups biscuit mix
½ cup sugar
1¼ cups milk
l½ cups chopped walnuts

A holiday favorite

Heat oven to 350° F. Mix first 4 ingredients. Beat hard 30 seconds. Stir in crunchy walnuts. Pour into well greased loaf pan 9x5x3 inches. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until toothpick stuck into center comes out clean. Crack in top is typical. Cool before slicing. To store, wrap in foil.

Quick Panettone

1 package yeast
1 cup warm water
l½ tablespoons light com syrup
2½ cups sifted flour
1 egg
3 egg yolks
¾ stick (six tablespoons) soft butter
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup thinly sliced citron
1 cup seedless raisins

1. Soften yeast in water in the bowl of a mixer.

2. Add corn syrup and half the flour. Mix on low speed, then beat on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining flour, egg, and egg yolks; mix and then beat for three minutes. Leave beater standing in batter. Place bowl in a pan of warm water, let stand until batter has doubled in bulk, about one hour.

3. Beat batter for three minutes at medium speed. Add butter in small pieces, sugar, and salt and beat until well mixed and elastic. Remove beater.

4. Fold in citron and raisins. Turn into two greased six-cup cans or molds. Set in a warm place to rise again until the batter reaches tops of cans, about seventy minutes.

5. Using a piece of wax paper, make a collar for each can, allowing it to extend three inches above top of can. Set a pan of water on bottom shelf of oven and preheat to 425 ° F.

6. Bake loaves on shelf with water ten minutes. Then lower heat to 350° F. and bake until panettone has browned well and shrunk slightly from sides of cans, about fifty minutes longer.

7. If a glazed top is desired, about fifteen minutes before bread is done brush tops of loaves with slightly beaten egg white mixed with a little water. Remove collars and cool on a rack. Yield: Two loaves.

Easy-to-make walnut bread

Food That The Children Will Love To Make

Participation in Christmas activity is a fine source of holiday joy, and it can happen in the kitchen as happily as anywhere else in the house. There are lots of good things to make which are so simple and yet intriguing that the children can make them with excellent results. They're wonderful for munching and wonderful for giving; some are inexpensive enough so that the children can invite their friends in often for treats during the holidays.Peanut Butter Balls

¼ teaspoon cinnamon about
2 tablespoons lemon juice shredded coconut
1 cup raisins
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup confectioners' sugar

Cut up a cup of raisins into small pieces. Mix with ½ cup peanut butter and ½ cup confectioners' sugar. Stir in ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and about 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Form into 30 small balls. Roll each ball in shredded coconut.

Rolled Cookie Faces

3½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
Chocolate bits

Sift together 3 ½ cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Beat together 1 cup butter and 1 cup sugar. When sugar and butter are fluffy, beat in 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and the sifted flour and salt. Wrap dough in waxed paper and chill overnight. Then roll thin and cut into 2 inch circles.

Put on an ungreased cookie sheet. Make faces with chocolate bits. Bake 10 minutes at 375°

Panettone

Gum Drop Walnut Bread

Make batter for Holiday Walnut bread, except use 1 cup chopped walnuts and add 1 cup chopped gum drops (except black ones). To get round loaves, bake in cans. Divide batter between three well greased 8-ounce (2 cup) cans (or No. 2 size cans), filling cans slightly more than half full. Bake, uncovered, about 45 to 50 minutes until toothpick thrust into center comes out clean.

Peanut butter balls are easy to make

Easy Christmas Mints

3 egg whites
6 cups confectioners' sugar food coloring various mint extracts

In a large bowl, beat 3 egg whites until stiff. Slowly blend in 6 cups sifted confectioners' sugar. Divide candy into three bowls. Tint 1 red, 1 green, and 1 yellow. Flavor each with one of various mint extracts. Roll each mixture out between pieces of waxed paper. Cut patties with the mouth of an olive jar or, for tiny mints, a thimble.

Use chocolate bits to make faces on vanilla cookies

Let dry overnight.

(For a fascinating way to make Christmas Mint Trees from this recipe, see page 63 in Gift Packages.)

Sugar Frosted Apricots And Prunes

apricots prunes
egg white, beaten
sugar

Dip little clusters of the dried fruits in beaten egg white. Drain off the excess egg white; now, dip in confectioners' sugar. Place on paper toweling to dry, then arrange fruits on a platter.

Frosty Stuffed Figs

dried figs
walnuts or pecans
confectioners' sugar

Slit side of soft whole dried figs and fill center with broken walnuts or pecans; press closed. Dip bottom of figs in sifted confectioners' sugar.

Buttered Honey Nuts

Spread 6 ounces shelled, unsalted nuts on a cookie sheet. Bake in slow oven, 300° F., 15 minutes. Mix 1 tablespoon each honey and butter, and pour over nuts. Stir until nuts are completely coated with the honey mixture. Store in airtight container until ready to pack. Makes 11/3 cups.

An olive jar will cut out Christmas mints

Frosted dried fruits

Peanut Brittle

l¾ cups shelled roasted
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon butter peanuts
⅛ teaspoon salt

Rub hulls from nuts; arrange on a buttered, shallow pan. Add salt to sugar, and heat in skillet until melted and caramelized, stirring constantly. Add butter; spoon mixture over peanuts, spreading to distribute syrup evenly. Let stand until cold. Break up. Makes l¼ pounds.

Easy-to-make peanut brittle and buttered honey nuts

Popcorn Stars

¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla green food coloring
8 cups popped corn
 ½ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water ½ cup sugar

Combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water and bring to a boil. Cook till a few drops form a firm ball in cold water. Add butter, flavoring, and green coloring and pour over corn, stirring syrup through with two forks. Grease hands and mold corn into star shapes or press into a kitchen funnel for trees. Using the same method, you can also make star shapes or wreaths with ring or jelly molds.

Frost ice cream cones with instant frosting mix and decorate with candy sprinkles or chocolate bits

Stuffed Dates

A tasty holiday delight for all. Split open dried dates and remove pit; stuff with peanut butter. Even children who have never liked dates will love this delicious, unusual combination.

Try stuffing dates with nuts, candied fruits, or marshmallow. Roll them in sugar or sprinkle them with shredded coconut.

A tasty treat so good to eat! 

Christmas Candy

Candy is an institution at Christmas. People who resist it the rest of the year will eat it happily during the holidays. And those who don't make much candy, ordinarily, find themselves right in the kitchen turning out batches of sweet treats for family, friends, and neighbors, as gifts of loving thoughtfulness.

Sugared Walnuts

¼ teaspoon salt 2 to 3 cups walnuts, halves or large pieces
l½ cups sugar
½ cup liquid (see flavors below)
1 teaspoon white corn syrup

Cook first 4 ingredients to soft ball stage (236° to 240°). Remove from heat; add walnuts. Stir till creamy. Turn onto foil. Separate walnuts. Spiced: ½ cup water, 1/2 teaspoon each nutmeg, cloves, 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Minted: ½ cup milk, green food coloring. ¾ teaspoon mint flavoring stirred in after cooking. Orange Sugared; ½ cup orange juice, 1½ teaspoons grated orange rind.

Divinity Snowballs

1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts, candied cherries, and candied ginger
1 can flaked coconut
3 cups sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
⅔ cup water
2 egg whites
⅛ teaspoon salt

Cook sugar, corn syrup, and water until a small amount of mixture forms an extra-hard ball when dropped in cold water (265° F. on candy thermometer). Beat egg whites and salt until stiff. Pour cooked syrup slowly into beaten egg whites, beating at high speed. Beat until mixture loses its gloss. Add vanilla, nuts, and fruit. Stir until it holds its shape. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper, shape into small balls. Dip your hands into a bowl of cold water before shaping, and work fast so that the candy does not cool. Roll in coconut.

Sugared walnuts are so easy to make

Quick Coconut Drops

1 tablespoon butter grated rind of one orange
1 can flaked coconut candied cherries
1 package coconut-cream pudding mix
l1/2 cups sugar
½ cup evaporated milk

Combine all ingredients except coconut and cherries. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly about 3 minutes or until a soft ball forms when a small amount is tested in cold water. Cool slightly and add coconut; beat until mixture is somewhat thick. Drop in small balls onto waxed paper, and top each with a piece of cherry.

Candied Cranberries

Wash 2 cups large, firm cranberries; drain well, and spread in bottom of buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with 1M cups sugar, and cover tightly. Bake in moderate oven, 350° F., 1 hour. Stir once to distribute sugar. Let cranberries cool in syrup. Lift out onto waxed paper. Sift a little sugar over berries. Let stand until dry and firm.

Candied Grapefruit Peel

Cover peel of 1 large grapefruit with cold water. Bring to boil, and cook until tender, pouring off the water and adding fresh cold water several times. Drain, and with scissors, cut peel in thin strips. Boil 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water until it spins a thread. Add peel, and cook over low heat until syrup has been absorbed. Roll each strip in sugar. Let stand until cold.

Frosted Orange Slices

For each large seedless orange, thinly sliced, combine one cup sugar and ¼ cup water in a large skillet and heat until sugar is dissolved; season, if you like, with whole cloves and pieces of stick cinnamon. Arrange orange slices in flat layers in the skillet. It's best to do just one or two layers at a time. Simmer gently until the oranges are well cooked; the peels will look translucent. Drain slices on a wire rack. You can reuse the syrup for the next batch, adding a little more sugar and water as needed. Dry slices overnight, then cut them in half. Mix ¾ cup confectioners' sugar with enough water to thicken; heat just enough to dissolve the sugar; do not boil. Dip half slices, one by one, in frosting; drain; return to rack to dry.

Pecan Pralines

l¼ cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
l1/2 cups unbroken pecan halves
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ cup light corn syrup
⅛ teaspoon salt

Pecan pralines a favorite of all!

Combine the sugars, corn syrup, salt, and milk in saucepan. Bring to boil, and cook without stirring, until a little of the mixture dropped into cold water forms a soft ball (236° F. on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat, and let stand until lukewarm. Add vanilla and pecans, and beat with spoon until mixture begins to thicken and loses its gloss. Drop from tablespoon onto waxed paper, and spread to form patties about 4" in diameter. Let stand until firm. Then wrap in cellophane. Store in airtight container until ready to pack. Makes 12.

Vanilla Caramels

1 cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sugar
1 cup light com syrup 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1. Mix ingredients except vanilla in a heavy two-quart saucepan and cook, stirring and scraping, to 249° F. (a firm, caramel-like ball in cold water). Add vanilla.

2. Turn into an oiled 9 x 9-inch pan and cool Cut into squares and wrap in waxed paper or use for caramel pecan rolls. Makes 2 pounds.

Jelly Candies

¾ cup sugar
1 cup canned applesauce granulated sugar
1 package strawberry or lime-flavored gelatin
⅔ cup shelled walnuts

Combine sugar and applesauce in 1-quart saucepan. Bring to boil over moderate heat and boil 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add red or green gelatin and stir over low heat until thoroughly dissolved. Remove from heat, add walnuts; mix well. Pour into greased 8-inch-square pan; chill until firm. Cut into 36 squares, roll in sugar, and let stand on rack at room temperature 6 to 8 hours until dry. Roll again in sugar; pack between layers of waxed paper in covered container (not airtight).

Jelly candies can be tinted in holiday red or green

Caramel Pecan Rolls

 
To prepare caramel pecan rolls, cool almond divinity in pan, turn it onto a board, then cut it into rectangles.

Place prepared caramel coating immediately in a pan of hot water. Drop pieces in the. caramel; turn to a

Drop caramel-coated candy into mixed whole and chopped pecans. Toss nuts over caramels; press them into candy.

The pecan roll is best when cut into half-inch slices for serving. Leave it whole when candy is to be stored.

Caramel Pecan Rolls

2 pounds vanilla caramel mixture

1 pound almond divinity 1 pound pecans

1. Cool and cut the almond divinity into 2xl-inch rectangles.

2. Coarsely chop one cup of the nuts. Mix with the remaining whole pecans. Set aside.

3. Cook vanilla caramel mixture until it reaches 246° F. Stand in a pan of boiling water to prevent hardening. Add boiling water as needed to keep the caramel soft.

4. Drop a piece of the divinity into the caramel; turn with a fork to coat completely. Rub against side of the pan to remove any excess caramel and drop into the pecans.

5. Toss pecans over candy, pressing them gently into coating. Cool, cut into half-inch slices. Left over divinity may be cut up and chocolate-coated. If any caramel remains, turn into oiled pan for plain caramel, adding pecans if desired.

Chocolate-coated divinity: Melt a six-ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate pieces and one teaspoon butter in a small saucepan over hot water. Stir until smooth. Dip tops of divinity squares into it; sprinkle with nuts.

Coconut Creams

3 cups sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
l½ cups milk
2 cups flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Cook sugars, milk and coconut to 238° F. (soft ball in cold water), stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm.

2. Beat with wooden spoon until candy is thick and creamy and almost holds its shape when dropped from spoon. Add vanilla. Spread in an oiled 9 x 9-inch pan; cool; Cut.

Yield: About two pounds. Coconut Cherry Creams: Use one cup candied cherries and an equal amount of flaked coconut.

Quick Candy Creams

Basic recipe:
l¼ cups sifted confectioners' sugar
½package (l½ ounces) cream cheese dash of salt