Alright, where are all the Christmas recipes!! I mean come on you guys. I want to see rum balls and fruit cake and egg nog and (fill in fattening seasonal favorite). I will keep all responses (and I better get quite a few from this crowd or I'm going to be pretty disappointed) in \cts.$users.cistim.xmas ttfn, Tim McShane FROM: FRANCIS_SUE @SVLDEV Hi Tim - I looked through my recipe folder in mail and came up with these selections from previous years that some folks may not have seen. Sue HEIRLOOM EGGNOG from Los Angeles Times circa 1976 (an overnight recipe) 12 Eggs, separated 8 oz. Granulated Sugar 16 oz. spirits (bourbon, rum, brandy, or combination) (If no spirits, better use more milk) 32 oz. Milk 2 tsp. Vanilla 32 oz. Heavy Cream Nutmeg to sprinkle on top Beat egg yolks until light. Add sugar and continue to beat until well blended and sugar is dissolved. Beat in spirits. Stir in milk and vanilla. Chill overnight (to mellow). Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Whip cream. Fold egg whites and whipped cream into egg yolk mixture, leaving a few mounds of whipped cream to float on top. Grate fresh (or sprinkle grated) nutmeg over top. Makes about 24 punch cup servings. FRUIT CAKE, NATURALLY Here is a fruitcake recipe for those of us who are not fond of the candied fruit that most recipes call for. This is a large recipe (11 pounds) but you can cut it in half easily or freeze the extra for later. Combine in a large bowl and let sit several hours or overnight the following cut-up fruits: 1 lb. each raisins and pitted dates 4-1/2 lb. combination of dried apricots, dried apples, figs, pineapple, pears, prunes, papaya, etc. 2 cups (16 ounces) sherry, apple or orange juice Cream together: 1 lb. butter 2 cups (16 ounces) honey Add and beat well: 12 eggs Then add: 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. mace 2 tsp. nutmeg 2 lb. shelled almonds or other nuts 1/2 tsp. cloves 4-1/2 cups white or whole wheat pastry flour 1 tsp. allspice 2 Tbs. each grated orange and lemon rinds When mixed, combine with fruits and mix well (easiest to do with hands). To bake, seleted small cans, bread pans, ring mold or tube pans. Cut 2 sheets of brown paper to fit the bottoms. Butter paper and sides of pan. Fill about 2/3 full with patter. Smooth and decorate tops with somes of the dates, nuts, and pineapple. Bake at 250 degrees F. for 2 to 3 hours, depending on the size of the pan. Put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven along with the cakes. When cool, remove from pans (or leave in) and wrap air tight. It will be easier to cut if chilled first. You may wrap the cakes with cheese cloth and from time to time, drizzle with a little rum, brandy or sherry. Keep in foil or air-tight tin. Cakes keep up to a year and are good for gifts. A Wassail Cup - for about 10 people! This is another Olde English traditional recipe for Christmas! 4 oz (100g) Sugar 3 cinnamon sticks or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 pint Pinapple Juice (sugar free is best) 1/2 pint Orange Juice ( ditto ) juice of 2/3 lemons 5fl oz (125) Sherry (Dry is good) 3 pints (1.25 -1.5 litres) Ale slices of lemon/orange Method Boil up sugar, cinnamon and fruit juice together for 5 minutes. Pour the sherry and Ale into large pan and strain the fruit juice mixture into it. Heat gently but don't boil. Garnish with orange/ lemon slices. Serve whilst steaming! A warming and unusual fruit cup which I do on Boxing Day morning after we've all been out for a walk and come in cold and tired. Its a wonderful reviver! SPRINGERLE A southern German Christmas cookie, the Springerle is an anise-flavored, white rectangle with a bas-relief picture stamped or rolled on it. (The pictures are attractive, but the cookies taste just fine without them.) Made according to traditional recipes, they can turn out like little white bricks. This recipe makes a lighter, moister version. Ingredients: 2 cups Sugar (U.S. = 8 oz.) 4 Eggs 3 to 3 1/2 cups sifted Flour 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder (double-acting) 1 teaspoon Vanilla 1 to 2 teaspoons crushed Anise Seed Equipment: Double boiler, or large mixing bowl and saucepan Rolling pin and pastry board or cloth Springerle board or roller (found in department stores and gourmet shops during the Christmas season). Cookie sheets Procedure: Place sugar and eggs in the top of a double boiler over hot, but NOT boiling water. Stir them together and heat to lukewarm, stirring lightly 3 or 4 times to prevent them from cooking at the bottom. When the mixture is a lukewarm, bright yellow syrup, beat it at high speed until it is light, fluffy, and cool. (It will almost triple in bulk and look like partially whipped cream.) Stir in vanilla. Sift flour and baking powder together. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture a quarter at a time, GENTLY folding it in. Sprinkle a half cup of flour onto the pastry cloth. Turn the dough onto the cloth and knead in enough flour--about 1/2 cup more-- to stiffen the dough. Roll it to about 1/3 inch thickness. Lightly dust with flour or powdered sugar to prevent the board (or roller) from sticking to it. You might also want to let it sit a minute or two to let the surface dry slightly. Flour the board lightly. Press the board (or roll the roller) firmly on the dough to make an imprint. If the dough is too soft (sticks to the board or roller), knead in some more flour. Cut the imprinted dough into cookies and set them aside on baking sheets to dry in a cool place for 8 hours or so. This keeps the pictures from distorting during baking. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (145 C). Grease baking sheets and sprinkle them with crushed anise seeds (dump seeds into a paper bag or place seeds between waxed paper sheets and roll with rolling pin). Place cookies on sheets (they can be fairly close together) and bake about 15 minutes or until the lower part is light yellow. Cool thoroughly. The cookies should be stored airtight for a while to allow the anise flavor to permeate them. Because this recipes makes moister cookies, they age faster than the hard ones. If they still do come out hard, then for the last few days of storage add an apple wedge or two to add some moisture and a hint of apple flavor. Orange Pastry for Mince Pies This light, crumbly, and very rich pastry really compliments mincemeat very well. For 24 mincepies you will need the following: 1lb (400g) Plain Flour 8oz (200g) Butter 4oz (100g) Lard grated rind of one large Orange Orange Juice Method Cut the fat into the flour and rub in with fingertips until resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in grated rind. With a knife stir orange juice into pastry until it just begins to stick together if necessary add a spot of COLD water. Gather into a ball wrap in foil or plastic and leave in Fridge for at least 1/2 hour before using. Persimmon Bread 1 cup seedless raisins 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 c. brandy 1/2 tsp. salt 2 c. firmly packed brown sugar 1 tsp. cinammon 1/2 c. white sugar 1 tsp. nutmeg 2 c. ripe persimmon pulp 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger 1 c. vegetable oil 1 c. chopped walnuts 4 eggs 4 c. unsifted white flour Butter and flour for pans Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Plump raisins in brandy, set aside. Mix together sugars with persimmon pulp and oil. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. sift together the dry ingredients, add to egg mixture. Add raisins and walnuts. Pour into 4 buttered/floured 7-inch loaf pans. (I used mini foil loaf pans, about 6" by 3", and had 5 in all.) Bake for an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Gravenstein Apple Bread 3 c. white flour 1 can (1 lb.) Gravenstein applesauce 2 1/2 tsp. cinammon 1 c. salad oil 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda 5 large eggs 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 Tbsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 c. raisins 2 c. granulated sugar 2 tsp. packed brown sugar In a bowl, mix together first 5 ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine next five ingredients. Beat on low till well blended, then at high for 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients to batter, beat on low till well mixed. Stir in raisins. Spoon batter into 2 well-greased 5- by 9-inch loaf pans (again, I used the mini loaf pans). Evenly sprinkle each loaf with some brown sugar. Bake at 325 degrees until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool in pans for 15 minutes, then remove from pans and cool on a rack. Can refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze them for later. Liqueur-soaked Pound Cake 1 1/2 c. (3/4 lb.) butter or margarine, at room temp. 3 3/4 c. powdered sugar 6 large eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 2 3/4 c. cake flour Liqueur syrup (recipe follows) In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter till creamy. sift powdered sugar, gradually add to butter. Beat till light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well each time. Add vanilla. Gradually mix in cake flour. Butter 4 loaf pans, each about 3 1/2 by 7 (I used 5 mini foil loaf pans). Dust them with flour. Scrape batter evenly into pans; smooth the tops. Bake at 300 degrees until toothpick comes out clean, about 50 minutes. cool in pans for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the eadge of each pan, turn cake out, then immediately return cake to pan. With a wooden skewer or a fork, poke 1-inch deep holes all over top of cake about 1/2 inch apart. Immediately pour equal amounts of the syrup over each cake. Let cool for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and serve, or wrap securely and keep in refrigerator up to 1 month or the freezer for 6 months. Bring to room temperature before serving. Liqueur syrup 2 c. sugar 1/2 c. light corn syrup 3/4 c. water 1 1/4 c. rum or almond-, hazelnut-, or orange-flavored liqueur Combine first 3 ingredients in a 2- or 3-quart saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and stir slowly till mixture simmers. Continue heating, WITHOUT stirring, till mixture boils, then cover and boil till sugar dissolves and mixture is clear, about 1 minute. (Don't stir while it's boiling, either.) Remove from heat and uncover. Let stand about 5 minutes to cool slightly. Stir in the rum or liqueur. Use; or cool, cover, and let stand at room temp. up to overnight. (I found this made a LOT of syrup...you might want to double the cake recipe in order to use it all. This makes 3 1/2 cups of syrup. or you can always just soak those cakes!) Copied By: MCSHANE_TIM @CTS SENT: 88-12-05 15:45 FROM: HERBERT_BRANDY @ORINDA TO: MCSHANE_TIM @CTS SUBJECT: COSIG:?Christmas Recipes? In Reply to: 88-12-05 10:08 FROM MCSHANE_TIM : COSIG:?Christmas Recipes? Tim: I put all of my Christmas recipes (mine as well as my favorites from the last couple of years here at Tandem) out for you on-line... They are at: \ORINDA.$ROLL.BKHXMAS.* Enjoy!! B.