Franz Skarbina: Weihnachtsmarkt in Berlin, 1892
Translation: Christmas Market in Berlin
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
Translation: Christmas Market in Berlin
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
Christmas ornaments
(nonedible bread dough)
Bread dough – Ornaments
½ c. salt
1 c. warm water
2 c. unbleached flour
Dissolve salt in warm water. Mix in flour. Knead for 5 minutes. Form into desired shapes, using cookie cutters or your own designs. ( Years ago my children made ornaments of Nativity characters. Put dough through a garlic press to make hair). Put wire loop in to hang ornament or poke a hole with a straw. Bake at 325 degrees for an hour or until hard.
*****
Cut-out Sugar Cookies
(Use sugar cookie dough from the refrigerator section)
Decorate with frosting of different colors:
1 c. powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp. milk ½-1 tsp. vanilla or food colorings
Sugar sprinkles or other decorations – let the kids decide!
*****
Microwave Fudge
1 can Eagle Brand condensed Milk
12 oz package chocolate chipa
1 tsp. vanilla
Nuts to taste
Microwave for 5 to 6 minutes
Pour into foil lined and buttered 8x8 pan. Let firm up and cut into squares.
*****
Gingerbread Cookie Kids
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened ¾ c. firmed packed brown sugar
½ c. molasses 1 egg
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 ½ cups Quaker Oats, uncooked
1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground nutmeg ½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt Frosting or decorated icing, assorted candies
Beat together butter and sugar until creamy. Add molasses and egg; beat well. Add combined flour, oats, spices, baking soda and salt; mix well. Divide dough into two portions for easier handling. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
Heat oven to 340 degrees. Roll out dough to ¼ “ thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut with five-inch gingerbread cookie cutter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 8-10 minutes or until cookies are set. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, remove to wire rack.
Cool completely. Decorate cookies as desired. Store in tightly covered container. Makes about 20 five-inch cookies.
*****
Sharon’s Christmas Candy
1 lb. White chocolate wafers
Melt chocolate in microwave for 20 sec. Stir. Repeat heating for 20 sec., stirring until chocolate is melted. Usually takes 60-80 seconds.
Add “bits” – can be finely chopped nuts or bits of peppermint, or expresso, etc. (others can be purchased at candy stores). Spread thin on wax paper and cool. When cool, break into bite size pieces.
*****
Dottie’s White Christmas Snack Mix
3 cups bite-size wheat or rice cereal 2 c. broken chocolate graham crackers
3 c. pretzel sticks 1 c. min. marshmallows
1 c. dried cranberries 1 c. whole or slivered almonds
1 lb. white chocolate baking pieces 1/3 c. whipping cream
1 T. light corn syrup ½ tsp. almond extract
In a very large bowl, mix cereal, graham crackers, pretzels, marshmallows, cranberries, and nuts; set aside. Line a very large baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper; set aside. In medium saucepan, over low heat, melt white chocolate, whipping cream and corn syrup; remove from heat and stir gently until smooth. Stir in almond extract.
Pour warm mixture over dry ingredients. Toss gently until dry ingredients are coated.
Immediately spread onto prepared sheet. Cool 1 hour. Let stand up to 12 hours. Seal in plastic bags for longer storage or decorated bags for gifts. Makes 14 to 16 cups.
*****
Jam Thumbprints
A fun project for young kids!
½ c. ( ¼ lb.) butter at room temperature
1/3 c. sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
About ¼ c. jam (your choice of flavor or flavors)
In a bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla until well blended, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
With mixer on low speed, beat flour and salt into butter mixture until well blended. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill until dough is form but still pliable, about 30 min.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place 1 inch apart on a buttered 12 x 15 baking sheet. Press your (or your child’s) thumb into the center of each cookie to make a ½ inch deep imprint. Spoon about ½ tsp. jam into each. Bake cookies in a 325 degree oven until lightly browned on bottom, 12-15 min. Put on rack to cool. Makes about 16 cookies.
*****
Karen’s Cranberry Mold
2 c. boiling water 1 pkg. raspberry jello (6 oz.)
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 c. sour cream
Boil water. Then add jello. Stir in cranberry sauce. Refrigerate until slightly thickened.
Beat in sour cream. Pour into mold. Refrigerate until set.
*****
Karen’s Punch
2 c. water
½ c. sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
Simmer above for 15 minutes. Then cool.
Add:
3 c. cranberry juice
2 ¼ c. ready made orange juice
¾ c. lemon juice.
Chill.
Add 2 bottles lemon-lime soda when serve.
*****
Karen’s Green Apple Chicken Salad
2 large green apples
2 T. lemon juice
3 ½ c. cubed cooked chicken
1 ½ c. cooked rice
1 c. mayonnaise
½ c. almonds, sliced
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 small red onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. curry powder
Core and dice apples. Combine with lemon juice. Stir in rice and chicken.
Blend mayonnaise, almonds, onion, curry, salt and pepper. Sir into apple mixtures.
Mound salad on greens. Sprinkle with a little curry powder.
(nonedible bread dough)
Bread dough – Ornaments
½ c. salt
1 c. warm water
2 c. unbleached flour
Dissolve salt in warm water. Mix in flour. Knead for 5 minutes. Form into desired shapes, using cookie cutters or your own designs. ( Years ago my children made ornaments of Nativity characters. Put dough through a garlic press to make hair). Put wire loop in to hang ornament or poke a hole with a straw. Bake at 325 degrees for an hour or until hard.
*****
Cut-out Sugar Cookies
(Use sugar cookie dough from the refrigerator section)
Decorate with frosting of different colors:
1 c. powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp. milk ½-1 tsp. vanilla or food colorings
Sugar sprinkles or other decorations – let the kids decide!
*****
Microwave Fudge
1 can Eagle Brand condensed Milk
12 oz package chocolate chipa
1 tsp. vanilla
Nuts to taste
Microwave for 5 to 6 minutes
Pour into foil lined and buttered 8x8 pan. Let firm up and cut into squares.
*****
Gingerbread Cookie Kids
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened ¾ c. firmed packed brown sugar
½ c. molasses 1 egg
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 ½ cups Quaker Oats, uncooked
1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground nutmeg ½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt Frosting or decorated icing, assorted candies
Beat together butter and sugar until creamy. Add molasses and egg; beat well. Add combined flour, oats, spices, baking soda and salt; mix well. Divide dough into two portions for easier handling. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
Heat oven to 340 degrees. Roll out dough to ¼ “ thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut with five-inch gingerbread cookie cutter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 8-10 minutes or until cookies are set. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, remove to wire rack.
Cool completely. Decorate cookies as desired. Store in tightly covered container. Makes about 20 five-inch cookies.
*****
Sharon’s Christmas Candy
1 lb. White chocolate wafers
Melt chocolate in microwave for 20 sec. Stir. Repeat heating for 20 sec., stirring until chocolate is melted. Usually takes 60-80 seconds.
Add “bits” – can be finely chopped nuts or bits of peppermint, or expresso, etc. (others can be purchased at candy stores). Spread thin on wax paper and cool. When cool, break into bite size pieces.
*****
Dottie’s White Christmas Snack Mix
3 cups bite-size wheat or rice cereal 2 c. broken chocolate graham crackers
3 c. pretzel sticks 1 c. min. marshmallows
1 c. dried cranberries 1 c. whole or slivered almonds
1 lb. white chocolate baking pieces 1/3 c. whipping cream
1 T. light corn syrup ½ tsp. almond extract
In a very large bowl, mix cereal, graham crackers, pretzels, marshmallows, cranberries, and nuts; set aside. Line a very large baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper; set aside. In medium saucepan, over low heat, melt white chocolate, whipping cream and corn syrup; remove from heat and stir gently until smooth. Stir in almond extract.
Pour warm mixture over dry ingredients. Toss gently until dry ingredients are coated.
Immediately spread onto prepared sheet. Cool 1 hour. Let stand up to 12 hours. Seal in plastic bags for longer storage or decorated bags for gifts. Makes 14 to 16 cups.
*****
Jam Thumbprints
A fun project for young kids!
½ c. ( ¼ lb.) butter at room temperature
1/3 c. sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
About ¼ c. jam (your choice of flavor or flavors)
In a bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla until well blended, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
With mixer on low speed, beat flour and salt into butter mixture until well blended. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill until dough is form but still pliable, about 30 min.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place 1 inch apart on a buttered 12 x 15 baking sheet. Press your (or your child’s) thumb into the center of each cookie to make a ½ inch deep imprint. Spoon about ½ tsp. jam into each. Bake cookies in a 325 degree oven until lightly browned on bottom, 12-15 min. Put on rack to cool. Makes about 16 cookies.
*****
Karen’s Cranberry Mold
2 c. boiling water 1 pkg. raspberry jello (6 oz.)
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 c. sour cream
Boil water. Then add jello. Stir in cranberry sauce. Refrigerate until slightly thickened.
Beat in sour cream. Pour into mold. Refrigerate until set.
*****
Karen’s Punch
2 c. water
½ c. sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
Simmer above for 15 minutes. Then cool.
Add:
3 c. cranberry juice
2 ¼ c. ready made orange juice
¾ c. lemon juice.
Chill.
Add 2 bottles lemon-lime soda when serve.
*****
Karen’s Green Apple Chicken Salad
2 large green apples
2 T. lemon juice
3 ½ c. cubed cooked chicken
1 ½ c. cooked rice
1 c. mayonnaise
½ c. almonds, sliced
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 small red onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. curry powder
Core and dice apples. Combine with lemon juice. Stir in rice and chicken.
Blend mayonnaise, almonds, onion, curry, salt and pepper. Sir into apple mixtures.
Mound salad on greens. Sprinkle with a little curry powder.
*****
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