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Christmas Recipes

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WhiteOak's Favorite Christmas Recipes

By the time autumn gets here until after Christmas, I cook up a storm. It is around this timeof the year when the weather is cool and inspiration sets in for bringing back some old time traditions!

I love to cook! But I really enjoy cooking and giving baked goods as presents or making a plate of baked goods for my husband to take to work for the guys. Back in the day before Christmas became so commercialized, people often use to bake and make gift baskets for friends and families. The baskets would have baked goods, jars of canned items, homemade kitchen towels. These items were priceless, and people enjoyed receiving the gifts as much as they did making them.

So I decided to create a lens with some of my favorite recipes and share them with all of you. Some of them are my original creations, some are modified recipes and some are old time favorites! Enjoy!!

This photo came from Photobucket- suzee1224

Crockpots and Mixers
Melt in your mouth Sugar Cookies
Creme Brule Sugar

An Angel Box

When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be a Brownie or a Girl Scout. But because of finances I was never allowed to join either, not to mention we were never in one place for very long. One time during our stay in a little town; I attended a Sunday School Class and they were having a "Mission Weekend Camping Trip"! I had never been camping before so I did not have one piece of camping equipment, but the people sponsoring this Mission Trip had extra supplies so they had stuff I could use. I cannot remember if there was a charge for the weekend or not, but somehow I was able to go. I earned a little Mission badge to sew on my shirt, it was one of the proudest days of my life!

When I was exploring around Squidoo the other day, I noticed that Jewelsofawe had written a lens called: The Path to a Mission. This is a blurb in the opening of the lens:

This lens is about my daughter and her mission trip she wants to go on. It will be on the island of Kauai in Hawaii.

She goes to a Christian school and she is trying to get enough money to go to this mission with some of the students at her school. The trip will be in March. She is doing a number of different things to earn the money to go there.

They will be going to a small school on the island. They want to spread the Word of God.

The second I read that opening, it took me back to the day when I went on my Mission Camping Trip. Then my thoughts went to - Wouldn't it be wonderful to try and help Jewels daughter raise a few extra dollars, and what better way to do that then to put up an Angel Box and have Santa Claus spread the word!! The link to the lens is: The Path to a Mission If you get a moment, please stop by and take a look around, it sounds like a wonderful opportunity for a child for many reasons!!

Merry Christmas!!

Artwork ©WhiteOak-2009

Rose Cranberry Drop Cookies

Rose Cranberry Drop Cookies

I called the original recipe "Fairy Rose Cookies" because one day while I was making one of my Inspirational Faeries, this recipe came to me. I have altered it for Christmas and to be honest these cookies will melt in your mouth. They have become one of my favorite cookies. Enjoy!

Soak ¼ cup of Rose Petals in a ½ cup of warm water for 30 minutes.
Soak ¼ cup of Craisins (sweetened dried cranberries) in ½ cup of water for 30 minutes.

Chop the craisins in a coffee grater until they are real fine, set aside
Strain the Rose Petals, set water aside and again in the coffee grater chop the rose petals real fine.

Cream together:

1 stick of unsalted margarine (softened at room temperature)
1 stick of regular margarine (softened at room temperature)
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 tablespoons of Rose Water

Mix in:

Chopped Craisins
Chopped Rose Petals
¼ cup of Mini Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Slowly Add:

2 cups of all purpose flour to mixture

Blend all of the ingredients together. Use a 1 inch cookie scoop and drop the cookie mix onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until cookies are a light golden brown. Let them completely cool.

Make a Glaze: (optional)

½ cup of Powder sugar
1 to 1 ½ teaspoon of Rose Water
(You may have to add a few more drops of Rose Water, but start out with the smallest amount)

Put glaze into a zip lock baggie, snip a corner and drizzle over cooled cookies.

Save the rest of your Rose Water in the refrigerator, it will keep for a few days. Try adding it to noodles for a delicious taste.

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Crockpots and Mixers

Melt in your mouth Sugar Cookies

I purchased a container of Creme Brule sugar from a local store that has four different flavors-one including a buttered rum sugar. That is one I used for my recipe.

Ingredients

Cream Together:
1 stick butter
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon of vanilla
1 1/2 cup of sugar
2-egg whites
Add:
1 teaspoon No-Sodium Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon No-Sodium Baking Powder
2 3/4 cup of All-Purpose Flour

Instructions

By using a handmixer be sure to mix this stiff dough until creamy. Use a 1 inch scoop and place the ball on a lined cookie sheet with parchment paper. Flatten and sprinkle with a flavored sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Printable Version

Creme Brule Sugar

Christmas Recipe Books

Homemade Apple-Butter

This makes great Christmas Gifts

This recipe will make (8) 1/2 pint jars of apple butter. GREAT to give as a small gifts or place in gift baskets.

Ingredients

5 lbs. apples-peeled
cored and diced
1 3/4 cup of packed brown sugar
1/2 cup of apple juice
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of allspice
1/2 teaspoon of cloves

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients into a large crock pot, cover and cook on high for about 4 hours. Use a potato masher and mash the apples in the crock pot-do not worry if they all do not mash that is not important at this moment.

Cook the mashed apples for another 2 to 3 hours making sure the apples are completely tender. Use a hand blender and puree the apples until they are smooth and creamy. You want the apples to be thick, but not clumpy-remember the apple butter will thicken as it cools. If by chance it is too thick, you can thin it by adding a little more apple juice and mixing it very good.

For this recipe, I used 8-1/2 pint canning jars. Make sure your jars are washed good, and you have new seals. I have spoken to others who reuse their canning seals but I personally do not do that. Place the jars, the lids and the seals into a pot and heat them up. Fill with the jars one at a time with the apple butter, place the seal on the jar and lightly place on the lid. Be extra careful and make sure there is no apple butter on the rim of the jar, this can cause bacteria. Place the filled jars back into your canning pot, cover the pot and water bathe for 25 minutes. I put enough water in the pot to cover the jars half way.

Set a towel on your counter, and place the jars on it once the 25 minutes is up. The best sound is hearing the jars "Ping" one by one. Afterwards, tighten the lids and allow setting there until they are completely cooled.

Printable Version

Just in case...

you are wondering why apple butter is called apple butter when it obviously is not butter, nor does the recipe have butter in it, is because:

This is something they called it back in the early 19th century because it refers to the thick, soft, consistency like butter and it spreads easily on bread.

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Cranberry Holiday Bread with Spread

(I chop my cranberries and nuts up in a food processer, if you rather have chunky nuts and cranberries you do not have to grind them fine)

Ingredients

2/3 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cup chopped cranberries
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup canola oil
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons No Sodium Baking Soda
1 teaspoon No Sodium Baking Powder
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups of all purpose flour

Instructions

Mix your ingredients in a bowl. Lightly spray a load pan with a non stick cooking spray. Bake on 350 degrees for 1 hour.

The Spread

1 small container of low fat cream cheese
¼ cup of chopped walnuts
¼ cup of chopped cranberries
Mix together until well blended.

This bread goes great with breakfast. It is just a festive treat served with coffee or tea.

Printable Version

Cooking Goodies!

Low-Sodium Chocolate Drop Cookies

I kid you not-these cookies are addictive!!

Ingredients

Cream together:
2-sticks of no-salt butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups of Brown Sugar
2-egg whites
1/8 cup of decaffinated coffee (it enhances the chocolate)
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1/3 cup coco powder
1/2 teaspoon of *No Sodium Baking Powder
1-teaspoon of *No Sodium Baking Soda
I use a hand mixer and blend all of this together until it is creamy. Slowly begin to add
2 3/4 cup of all purpose flour

Instructions

When everything is mixed together real good stir in 1/2 cup of semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Use a 1 inch scoop and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Pre-heat the oven on 350 degrees and cook 15 minutes.

If you try this recipe, PLEASE leave a note in the guestbook telling if your liked them or not. Enjoy!!

**You can purchase No Sodium Baking Powder and Baking Soda at: Healthy Heart

Printable Version

Wanted to share some neat lens...

Linda's Victorian Garden

WhiteOak's Photography