With Christmas right around the corner, it’s time to share some delicious recipes. Christmas brings back lots of childhood memories. Memories of all the Christmas cookies, candies, pies and of course, the presents!

This week we have a variety of recipes from different church cookbooks from near and far, and Mrs. Esther Avers has some recipes to share as well. If you’re reading this digitally, you see that “Avers” and “recipes” are highlighted with links back to my previous articles. If your thumbing through a paper (thank you!) you’ll have to go back to the first two weeks of November 2020 to check out Esther’s recipes there.

First up is a Stollen recipe. I have to tell you a story before I give you this recipe. Though this isn’t my mom’s recipe, I remember her making Stollens for my dad’s department that he managed. Along with other goodies, each employee got a big box full of Christmas goodies.

The boxes were well received in his department but the “political correctness” and “fairness” were hard at work in liberal Madison, Wisconsin in 1982. He was told by upper management to never give Christmas boxes of homemade goodies again because the “other departments” didn’t receive those boxes and that’s “NOT FAIR”. Long live generosity and the Christmas spirit!

Christmas Stollen

This recipe is from Esther Avers. It makes three stollen. Feel free to give them out in your neighborhood or at work. Enjoy!

Ingredients For The Dough Base

• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup lard or butter ( Esther, you have my baking heart)
• 3 tbsp sugar

Mix as for pie crust.

Ingredients

• 3 eggs yolks separated, keep the 3 egg whites and set aside for the moment
• 1 cup milk
• 2 packages of dry yeast
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1 cup sugar

Take your two packages of yeast and dissolve them in the 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Then add the three beaten eggs and the dissolved yeast in the water to the dough and mix together but as little as possible. ( If your a tactile person hold yourself back or you’re going to ruin the dough!-m) Now divide the dough into 3 parts. Roll out each dough ball thin.

Take the three egg whites and beat together till stiff, then one cup of sugar and mix together. Spread this mixture out on the dough. You can sprinkle cinnamon on top of the egg mixture if you like. Now add to that any fruit or nuts of your choice and roll up like a jelly roll.

Place rolled dough on a greased cookie sheet and let rise in a warm, moist place and let rise for 3 hours (go wrap some Christmas presents or send out some more Christmas cards) and then bake at 325° until done (golden brown). Once cool frost with powdered sugar icing and decorate.

Now for a delicious treat, Caramels (yep it’s spelled correctly, how you pronounce it is up to you!). These are fun to make. Enjoy!

Caramels

Ingredients

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 3/4 lb butter or oleo (PERISH THE THOUGHT ON THE OLEO)
• 1 pint light Karo syrup
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• kettle or a big pot
• candy thermometer

Directions

Mix together in a large kettle, stirring in a large kettle till it comes to a boil. Cook until 250 °F or forms a firm ball in cold water. Remove from heat, add 1 cup nuts and 1 tsp vanilla. Pour into large greased jelly roll pan to cool. Cut into squares and wrap in wax paper.

Caramels make great little gifts. Nothing says love like homemade caramels.

Pecan Tarts

Ingredients

Dough:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 oz. cream cheese
• 1 c. flour

Filling:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Cream butter and cream cheese. Add flour. Make 24 balls and press into the bottom and up the sides of small muffin tins. Mix filling ingredients and fill each muffin cup. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.

Next week I will share more great holiday recipes! Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and the Happiest and Healthy New Year.