CANDY CANE CHOCOLATE FUDGE

2 cans 14 oz each sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup crushed candy canes
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbs unsalted butter
4 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

Line two 8" square baking pans with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang.

In a saucepan, combine chocolate chips and milk. Cook until chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the butter, vanilla, and salt and stir until the butter has melted.

3 cups of sugar
1 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of butter
2 squares of chocolate
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of black walnuts
1/2 cup of figs, chopped
1/2 cup of raisins, chopped

Mix the sugar, milk, butter and chocolate. Cook until a soft ball forms when
tested in cold water. Stir frequently during cooking.
When fudge is done, remove from fire and set in a cool place.
Do not disturb for 20 minutes or more.

Add other ingredients. Beat until very stiff. Place in a buttered plate.
Take the fudge up in hands and knead for 5 minutes.
Pat into a shape 1" thick.
Cut in cubes.

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
24 caramels, unwrapped
1 tablespoon milk
3/4 cup pecan halves
3 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening

Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, stir together cookie mix, butter, egg and 1/2 cup chopped pecans until soft dough forms. Press evenly in ungreased 8-inch square pan.

Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until golden brown.

1 cups butter
1 cups water
1/4 cups coca
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 tablespoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
whole bag chopped pecans
Frosting

1/2 cup butter
1/4 coca
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1 box (one pound) confectioners' sugar, sifted (4 1/4 cups sifted)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Cake: Combine butter, water, and cocoa in saucepan over medium heat; heat until butter melts. Add sugar, flour, salt, eggs, soda, sour cream, and vanilla;mix well.
Pour into a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan.

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup hot water
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat shortening at medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs and molasses, mixing well.

Combine flour and next 4 ingredients; add to shorting mixture alternately with flour mixture. Mix after each addition.

8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 onion
1/2 c. chopped black olives
1/2 c. chopped pimento stuff green olives
1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tbsp. tabasco
1 bunch parsley

Mix together above ingredients except for parsley. Shape into a ball and chill for one hour.
Finely chop parsley flowers.

Roll cheese ball in parsley and serve with crackers.

1 1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. flaked coconut
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. Land O Lakes Spread
3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
Flaked coconut, if desired

In medium bowl combine oats, coconut and walnuts; set aside.

In 2 quart saucepan combine sugar, milk, spread and cocoa. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a full boil (3 to 4 minutes).
Remove from heat. Stir in oats, coconut and walnut mixture.
Quickly drop mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Cool completely. Store in refrigerator.

1 C. powdered sugar
1 egg white
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Beat egg white, sugar and cream of tartar until very thick. Beat in vanilla.

Spoon frosting into cake decorator bag. (Size of hole in tip determines the thickness of the snowflake.)

Draw a snowflake design the size you want on a piece of paper with a small dark, felt tip pen.

Place the pattern under a sheet of wax paper.

Squeeze frosting onto the waxed paper, following the lines of the design.

Let harden overnight, then gently remove the waxed paper backing.

16" styrofoam cone
5 bunches fresh parsley
Plastic wrap
1/2 lb. (or more) med. sized shrimp shelled, deveined and cooked
1 dozen cherry tomatoes
Ripe pitted olives
Stuffed green olives
1/2" cubes of assorted cheese
Decorative toothpicks

Wash and dry parsley.
Using decorative toothpicks, secure parsley sprigs to styrofoam cone, working around and down to completely cover cone with parsley.
Cone should appear to be covered with parsley leaves. (Stems should not show.) This step may be done the day before the party.

8 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. blue cheese
1 tbsp. chopped green pepper
1 tbsp. diced pimento
Chopped walnuts
Minced parsley

Combine cheeses; add green pepper and pimento.
Roll into ball then roll in walnuts.
Garnish with parsley and serve with crackers.

2 pkgs. Refrigerated crescent rolls
2 tbsp. melted butter
2 oz. cream cheese
1 C. confectioners' sugar
Red and green sugar
1 tsp. grated orange peel
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. orange juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slice 2 packages of crescent rolls (do not unroll) into 11 equal pieces and flatten.
On ungreased cookie sheet, arrange 10 pieces into a triangle to form tree. Use last piece to make trunk. Combine butter, sugar, and grated orange peel; brush on dough.

Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cream the cream cheese with powdered sugar and orange juice.

1 (16 oz.) can whole cranberries
1 (21 oz.) can apple pie filling
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cube of butter
1/2 C. chopped walnuts, almonds or granola

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Dump cranberries into an ungreased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Dump apple pie filling into pan.
Spread mixture evenly and spread dry cake mix on top.
Cut up butter and dot top of cake. Sprinkle nuts and/or granola over cake.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Your favorite cookie icing, sprinkles, etc.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter until creamy.
Stir in egg and vanilla. Mix in flour and baking powder.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Roll out on a flat surface, half of the dough at a time. With your favorite Christmas-themed cookie cutters cut into the dough.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden.
Cool and decorate.

Pre-made sugar cookie dough
2 (8-oz) bags sour-ball candies or Life Savers of assorted colors

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove dough from the refrigerator.
Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into various shapes. Cut out a shape from the center of each cookie.
Be careful not to cut too close to the edges, or the cookies will break.
Place the cookies on the lined baking sheet. Gather up scraps,
re-roll, and cut, always working with chilled dough.

1 C. butter
2 C. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla or lemon extract
1 C. sour cream
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
6 1/2 C. flour, divided

Frosting
2 2/3 C. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 egg whites, unbeaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients except 1-cup flour. Save for rolling out dough. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Roll out in small quantities and cut with cookie cutters.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
Mix frosting ingredients together and whip until frosting stands in peaks.
Frost cookies.

1 C. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 C. margarine (no cholesterol)
1 (3 oz.) pkg. light cream cheese
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. lemon flavoring
1 C. powdered sugar

Combine flour and baking powder. Beat margarine and cream cheese together with mixer; add sugar and flavoring and beat until fluffy.
Add flour mixture and beat until well mixed.
Chill overnight. Shape into 1 inch balls; place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
Remove and cool slightly.
In a plastic bag pour powdered sugar and shake a few cookies at a time.

1 C. Butter or margarine
1/2 C. Sugar, powdered; sifted
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 1/2 C. Flour; sifted
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3/4 C. Pecans, chopped

Cream butter in large bowl. Add sugar, cream until light. Stir in vanilla. Sift flour and salt; mix in. Stir in nuts.
Shape into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 15 minutes at 350.

Roll in powdered sugar straight out of oven. Roll again when cool.

Yield: about 36 cookies

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
6 ounce pkg. semisweet chocolate chips

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl blend together the butter sugar, beat in the egg yolk, milk and vanilla add the flour mixture, mix to combine.

Divide dough into two parts; put one part into the fridge to cool. Melt chocolate in microwave and add to second half of dough.

24 Ritz Crackers
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 cups butterscotch morsels

Spread half the crackers with peanut butter and top with remaining crackers. Melt morsels in the top of a double boiler.
Dip Ritz sandwiches into the melted butterscotch.
Place on wax paper for coating to set.

Yield: 1 dozen cookies

1⁄2 cup and 2 tbsp. butter
2 cup chunky peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cup powdered sugar
3 cup Rice Krispies
18 oz. Chocolate chips
1⁄4 bar paraffin

Melt butter and peanut butter together. Mix in sugar and vanilla. Stir in Rice Krispies, using your hands, and form the mixture into balls.
Melt the chocolate and paraffin in a double boiler.

Dip the balls in the chocolate-paraffin mixture. Place them on a cookie sheet, which has been covered with waxed paper.
Pop into freezer for 5 minutes to set.

2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup coconut
1 cup nuts, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, finely chopped
1 cup dates, chopped
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Granulated sugar

Beat egg whites until stiff. Beat in sugar; fold in the remaining ingredients, except the cherries.

Place into an ungreased 8x8 inch pan; bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Put into a bowl and add the cherries.
Shape into small balls; roll in granulated sugar.

Cool and store in tightly covered container.

1/3 C. butter (margarine)
1/2 lb. marshmallows
Food coloring
5 C. Kix, Cheerios, or Trix

Melt first 2 ingredients over hot water; add food coloring. Measure cereal into large greased bowl.
Pour marshmallow mixture over cereal and stir gently until well coated.
If making Christmas trees, pack into greased cone-shaped drinking cups or tree or wreath molds.
Different colors and molds can be used.
Decorate with colored candies or colored sugar.

1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup molasses
2 tablespoon vinegar
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. Soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
Raisins

Thoroughly cream shortening, sugar and salt. Stir in egg, molasses and vinegar. Beat well. Stir together the rest of the dry ingredients. Stir into molasses mixture. Chill about 2 hrs.

On lightly floured surface roll to 1/8 thickness. Cut with cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet. Make eyes and buttons with raisins.

1/2 lb. butter
2 cup flour
2 cups chopped pecans
5 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar, vanilla and water.
Sift flour and salt together and stir into mixture. Add pecans and mix well.
Using portions, size of small walnut, roll into crescent shape.
Bake in slow oven, 325 degrees, about 20 minutes.

While still warm, roll in powdered sugar.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons almond flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

Mix well the shortening and butter, sugar, egg, almond and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt and add to shortening mixture. Divide dough in half.



Cup oatmeal
Glitter- any color you like
Small length of red ribbon
Small see-through plastic ziplock baggie

A reindeer note (see below)

Put the oatmeal in the plastic bag. Add the glitter.
Tie the plastic bag closed using the red ribbon.

Write or type the "Reindeer Note" (see text below).

Attach the note to the bag.
Reindeer Note:
"A special treat from me to you,
Listen close and I'll explain what to do.
Please do not eat this reindeer food.
For you to eat, it is not good.
Save this bag for the 24th of December,
Before you go to bed, please remember:

Candy Cane Chocolate Fudge

2 cans 14 oz each sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup crushed candy canes
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbs unsalted butter
4 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

Line two 8" square baking pans with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang. In a saucepan, combine chocolate chips and milk. Cook until chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the butter, vanilla, and salt and stir until the butter has melted.

1/4 cup finely crushed peppermint candies (12 candies)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup finely crushed peppermint candies (12 candies)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 325ºF.

Mix 1/4 cup crushed candies and 1/4 cup powdered sugar; reserve. Mix butter, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup crushed candies and the vanilla in medium bowl. Stir in flour and salt.

6 cups cauliflowerets
1/4 cup diced white onion
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
10 whole ripe olives
1 bay carrot

In a large saucepan, cook cauliflower in a small amount of water for 6-7 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain well. In a medium saucepan, saute onion in butter for 2 minutes. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes, stirring

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
4 oz. maraschino cherries, well drained, diced small
2 Tbs. dry minced onion
1/3 cup green peppers, diced small
1 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
3/4 cup finely crushed pecans
1/4 tsp. seasoning salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

In bowl, blend cream cheese, cherries, green pepper, onion, pineapple, seasoning salt, garlic powder. Divide into two balls, wrap in saran wrap and chill 4 hours or overnight.
Put crushed pecans in pie plate and roll balls in until covered.
Chill.
Serve with favorite crackers.

Taste of Home Magazine