It’s Beginning To Taste A Lot Like Christmas
Posted: November 28, 2012
Amish Cook
I hope everyone had a happy, healthy and blessed Thanksgiving holiday. It’s hard to believe there’s only a month left before 2012 is history. I thought I’d share a few family favorites you might enjoy during the upcoming Christmas season. Try these three:
White Christmas Cut-Out Cookies
1 cup shortening
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
½ cup cream or milk
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon vanilla
5 cups flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Mix in cream, soda, salt, extract and flour. Roll out dough, almost paper-thin, then cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Because the cookie dough is thin, these do not need to bake long. Cool and decorate with candies or frosting.
Homemade Holiday Peanut Butter Fudge
4 cups granulated sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup evaporated milk
¾ cup water
1/3 cup chunk-style peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, syrup, salt, milk and water. Bring mixture to a boil, cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover and cook, without stirring, until a bit of the mixture dropped in cold water forms a soft ball (232 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm (110 degrees). Add peanut butter and vanilla. Beat until mixture thickens and loses its gloss. Pour into a buttered 8-by-8-by-2- inch pan. Cool.
Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese
½ cup oleo, softened
¾ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup mini-chocolate chips
Graham crackers or chocolate graham crackers
Beat together cream cheese and oleo until smooth.
Mix in powdered sugar, vanilla and brown sugar. Stir in chocolate chips.
Cover and chill for 2 hours. Shape into a ball and serve with graham crackers.
To learn more about the Amish Cook column visit amishcookonline.com.
White Christmas Cut-Out Cookies
1 cup shortening
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
½ cup cream or milk
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon vanilla
5 cups flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Mix in cream, soda, salt, extract and flour. Roll out dough, almost paper-thin, then cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Because the cookie dough is thin, these do not need to bake long. Cool and decorate with candies or frosting.
Homemade Holiday Peanut Butter Fudge
4 cups granulated sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup evaporated milk
¾ cup water
1/3 cup chunk-style peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, syrup, salt, milk and water. Bring mixture to a boil, cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover and cook, without stirring, until a bit of the mixture dropped in cold water forms a soft ball (232 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm (110 degrees). Add peanut butter and vanilla. Beat until mixture thickens and loses its gloss. Pour into a buttered 8-by-8-by-2- inch pan. Cool.
Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese
½ cup oleo, softened
¾ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup mini-chocolate chips
Graham crackers or chocolate graham crackers
Beat together cream cheese and oleo until smooth.
Mix in powdered sugar, vanilla and brown sugar. Stir in chocolate chips.
Cover and chill for 2 hours. Shape into a ball and serve with graham crackers.
To learn more about the Amish Cook column visit amishcookonline.com.