Microwave Peanut Brittle

I found this recipe in our newspaper and wanted to share, but I bet many of you have already had this in your collection of Christmas recipes. Merry Christmas!

Microwave Peanut Brittle

1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts

1 cup white sugar

1/2  cup light corn syrup

1 pinch salt (optional)

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

Grease a baking sheet, and set aside. In a glass bowl combine peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Cook in microwave for 6 to 7 minutes on High; mixture should be bubbly and peanuts browned. Stir in butter and vanilla; cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.              

Dessert -Fresh Apple Cookies

Santa will be looking for cookies so we need to start cooking some for him.

FRESH APPLE COOKIES

1/2 cup shortening

1 & 1/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup finely chopped unpeeled apple

Vanilla frosting (recipe follows)

Cream shortening; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg and milk; beat well. Combine flour, soda, salt, and spices; add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir in raisins, pecans, and apples. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls, 1 & 1/2 inches apart, onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Frost with vanilla frosting. Yield: 4 & 1/2 dozen.

Vanilla Frosting:

1 & 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 & 1/2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl; beat until smooth. Yield: enough for 4 & 1/2 dozen cookies.

Dessert -Cranberry Date Cake

Sweets are my weakness and that's why it is so hard for me to shed these extra pounds. This is a recipe that I clipped from the newspaper. This one has a glaze.

CRANBERRY DATE CAKE

2 & 1/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup cranberries ( Some coarsely chop their cranberries)

1 cup nuts (pecans or walnuts)

1 cup chopped dates

2 tablespoons grated orange zest

Combine all the above and add the following

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup cooking oil

Mix well and pour into a sprayed or greased and floured tube or Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes (check with toothpick at 50 minutes). Cool for 10 minutes in pan, remove and cool thoroughly. Make a glaze of :

1/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup powdered sugar

Pour over cake

Bread -Strawberry Bread

My cousin's wife gave me this recipe. I remember baking it years ago.

STRAWBERRY BREAD

3 cups flour

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. cinnamon

2 c. sugar

1 & 1/4 cup oil

2 cups frozen strawberries thawed

4 eggs, well beaten

1 & 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Sift together dry ingredients. Fold other ingredients in dry ones. Bake at 3 50 degrees for 1 hour. Makes 2 loaves

Dessert -Mama's Teacakes

This is a clipping from the newspaper. It was submitted by a family that enjoyed their mama's teacakes.

MAMA'S TEACAKES

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 or 3 eggs

2 & 3/4 to 3 cups flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, beat well. Add vanilla, then dry ingredients. Roll out. Cut in shapes. Bake at 350 to 375 degrees until brown. They said that their mama rolled these out on a floured cloth and cut them with a glass as a cutter. She sprinkled them with sugar, sometimes cinnamon and sugar, before she baked them.

Dessert -Sock it to Me-Cake

This is a great cake and one I know you will want to try.

SOCK IT TO ME-CAKE

1 box Duncan Hines Butter Cake Mix

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup of cooking oil

1/2 pt. sour cream

4 eggs, one at a time

1 cup of chopped nuts

Mix above then set aside

Mix 2 teasp. cinnamon

2 Tsp. brown sugar

Pour 1/2 of cake batter into tube pan and sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Pour in the remaining batter. Cook at 325 about 1 hour.

Appetizer -Crunchy Cheese Biscuits

Posting Christmas party recipes is the goal since we all are looking for something different, quick and easy, or a recipe that we have misplaced. This one is another shared one from a friend.

CRUNCHY CHEESE BISCUITS

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup all-purpose flour, measured before sifting

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon salt

Tabasco & Worchestershire sauce to taste

1 cup rice cereal bits

Blend all ingredients except cereal bits by hand in a bowl until thoroughly mixed. Work in cereal bits. Pinch off into tiny ball about the size of a nickel. Place on ungreased baking sheet, press down with fork, and bake at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until faintly colored. Yield: about 48 balls

Dessert -Tiny Pecan Tarts

I have made these before and they are very good. Great to serve at a party and Christmas party food is on in demand about now.

TINY PECAN TARTS

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

Combine cream cheese and butter;blend in flour, chill about 1 hour. Shape into balls about 1 inch in diameter and press into tiny ungreased muffin tins.

Filling:

1 egg

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Beat egg with wooden spoon; add brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Mix well and stir in pecans. Pour into prepared shells and bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes, cool before removing from pans. Yield about 20

Drink -Christmas Fruit Punch

Christmas hot drinks are great to serve on a cold December night. My mother served this at many Christmas parties that we had during my years of growing up.

CHRISTMAS FRUIT PUNCH

1 qt. cranberry juice

20 oz. pineapple juice

1 (6 0z) frozen lemonade (thawed and undiluted)

1 cup apple juice

1 cup orange juice

4 (3 inch sticks) cinnamon

3 whole nutmeg

1 & 1/2 teaspoon ginger

Pour top 5 ingredients into a 30 cup electric percolator. Place cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in percolator basket. Perk through complete cycle. Let stand 1 hour. Serve hot

Dip -Long and Difficult Hot Sauce Recipe

This quick and easy hot sauce recipe will be great with corn chips. Soooooooo Simple

LONG AND DIFFICULT HOT SAUCE RECIPE

1-16 oz. jar Pace's Picante sauce--Medium

1-15 oz. can Hunt's Tomato Sauce Special

Mix-------Chill--------Serve with corn chips

Dip -Layered Nacho Dip

Dips can be a big hit at any party or to munch while watching a game on television. Here's a dip that is sure to be a hit.

LAYERED NACHO DIP

1-16 oz. can refried beans

1/2 pkg. (1.25 oz.) Taco seasoning mix

1 carton (6to 8 oz.) avocado dip

1-8 oz. carton sour cream

1-4.5 oz can ripe olives, drained and sliced

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 small onion, chopped

1 & 1/2 cups (6 oz.) grated Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers

Combine beans and seasonings mix. Spread bean mixture evenly in large, flat, rectangular dish (12x8x2"). Layer remaining ingredients in order listed. Serve with large corn chips.

Bread -Poppy Seed Bread

Christmas baskets can be fun to put together for family and friends. It is fun to find and put together the goodies that fill the basket. This bread would be a wonderful addition to any basket or to serve with coffee.

POPPY SEED BREAD

3 c. flour

1 & 1/2 t. salt

1 & 1/2 t. baking powder

2 & 1/2 c. sugar

1 & 1/2 c. milk

1 & 1/8 c. oil

1 & 1/2 T. Poppy seeds

3 eggs

1 & 1/2 t. vanilla extract

1 & 1/2 t. almond extract

Mix all ingredients and pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes approximately. Take bread out of pan and place on foil for wrapping and pour glaze over and wrap while hot.

Glaze-Melt 3 T. margarine in small pan and add 3/4 c. powdered sugar, 1/4 c. orange juice, 1/2 t. vanilla, and 1/2 t. almond extract.

For smaller pans it makes 4 loaves-bake 50 minutes.

Dessert -Almond Joy Cake

Uh, oh, I am on a roll with chocolate. Here's another one.

ALMOND JOY CAKE

STEP 1- 1 chocolate cake mix with pudding in it (bake as directed)

STEP 2-Filling: 1 c. sugar

1 c. Pet milk

24 large marshmallows

Directions: Put this in sauce pan and cook stirring until marshmallows melt.

Add: 14 oz. pkg coconut. Pour over hot cake

STEP 3- Icing: 1 & 1/2 c. sugar

3/4 stick oleo

1/2 c. Pet milk

Mix in sauce pan and cook to a boil.

Remove from heat and add:

1 & 1/2 c. choc. chips. STIRRING until melted.

Add: 1 c. slivered almonds ( 1 3/4 oz. pkg)

POUR over top of cake and let cool.

Dessert -Earthquake Cake

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, I found another chocolate recipe this afternoon and wanted to share it with everyone.

EARTHQUAKE CAKE

1 chocolate cake mix

1 cup coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

1 (8 oz) cream cheese

1 lb. powdered sugar

Mix cake according to directions. Grease and flour a 9 x 12 pan and put 1 cup pecans and coconut in bottom. Pour in cake and top with cream cheese and powdered sugar which has been mixed together. Bake at 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

This is a good cake

Dessert -German Chocolate Pound Cake

Do you like chocolate? This cake would serve many and was shared by a friend.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

2 cups sugar

1 cup shortening

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. butter flavoring

1 cup buttermilk

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. soda

1 tsp. salt

1 pkg German sweet chocolate

Cream sugar and shortening and add eggs, flavorings, and buttermilk. Sift together flour, soda and salt and add. Mix well. Then add German Chocolate that has been softened in warm oven or in double boiler. Blend together well. Cook in 9"stem pan, that has been well greased and dusted with flour about 1-1/2 hours at 300 degrees. Place cake under a tight fitting cake cover, while still hot and leave covered until cold.

Dessert -Heath Bar Coffee Cake

Coffee cake with a cup of coffee may be something to serve your friends for a morning get together.

HEATH BAR COFFEE CAKE

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups flour

1 stick butter(some use oleo)

Mix sugar and flour. Cut or rub in the butter to make crumbs. Remove and reserve 1 cup of this mixture.

1 tsp. soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Dissolve soda in buttermilk. Mix in egg and vanilla. Mix with the crumbs left in the bowl. Pour into a greased 13x9x2 inch pan. Mix reserved crumbs, nuts and crushed candy and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 min.

1/2 cup minced pecans

6 Heath bars, crushed ( Some use a 6 oz. bag of Heath's Butter Brickle bits from Albertsons instead)

Dessert -Martha Washington Candy

Could not resist putting this recipe on this site too. It was also in the newspaper as a winning candy for this month. This Christmas candy sounds like it would be a hit.

MARTHA WASHINGTON CANDY

1 stick soft margarine

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 pounds powdered sugar

1 cup coconut

1 & 1/4 cups pecans

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 block paraffin wax

Stir together margarine and milk until smooth. Add sugar and mix well. Then add coconut and pecans. Chill dough at least 4 hours or overnight in refrigerator. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. In a double boiler melt chocolate and wax. Use a toothpick and dip chilled balls in chocolate. Cool on wax paper. Makes 5 to 6 dozen. Keep refrigerated.

Dessert -Chocolate Pecan Turtles

I feel the urgent need to post as many Christmas recipes that I can now so that they could be enjoyed during this festive time. This one was also in the newpaper as one of the best recipes judged this month.

CHOCOLATE PECAN TURTLES

1 can sweetened condensed milk (1 &1/3 cups)

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Pecans, about 2 to 2 & 1/2 cups, to desired thickness

1 (1 - pound) package of chocolate confectionery coating, semi-sweet or milk chocolate

Combine milk, sugars and corn syrup in a 3-quart sauce pan. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until all sugar crystals are dissolved. Stir frequently as caramel cooks. Cook to 236 degrees or until it forms a soft ball in cold water. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cool. Chop pecans coarsely. Add enough pecans to cooked caramel to make caramel firm enough to dip in chocolate. (Stuff caramel full of pecans) Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Melt chocolate confectionery coating in top of double boiler over hot water. Make small flat patties from caramel nut mixture. Drop into melted chocolate. Remove with dipping fork. Cool on wax paper.

Dessert -Almond Crunch

Christmas candies and cookies are so on the front lines now. This one was in the morning paper and looks like my kind of recipe. Easy!

ALMOND CRUNCH

12 double graham crackers

4 ounces sliced almonds (or 1 cup chopped pecans)

2 sticks butter

1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Place graham crackers on foil. Sprinkle almonds over the graham crackers. Bring butter and sugar to boiling point in heavy pan. Boil for 2 & 1/2 minutes. Pour over crackers and almonds. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool and break into pieces.

Dessert -Coconut Pound Cake

Here's a recipe that uses a cake mix. I have made it several times and love it. It is great to take to a Christmas party or for that matter any party.

COCONUT POUND CAKE

1 Duncan Hines butter recipe cake mix

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup oil

dash of salt

4 eggs

1 cup coconut

1 (8 oz) carton of sour cream

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Pour into a greased tube pan that has been sprinkled with sugar. NO FLOUR! Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. It might not take a full hour so check cake at 45 minutes.