The Flavors of the Christmas Season
So often we associate delicious flavors with the holidays and we wanted to share some specialties that are favorites in our family. We hope they will become favorites with yours! 1 ½ c. all purpose flour 2 tsp. Orange extract 1 ¾ c. sugar 2 Tablespoons orange zest, divided ¾ tsp. Salt 1 c. powdered sugar 1 c. butter, softened 2 Tablespoons orange juice 4 eggs, beaten ¾ tsp. Baking powder Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; add butter, eggs, extract and one tablespoon zest. Beat mixture until well blended; pour into a 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden and center is set. Remove from oven; pierce entire top with a fork. In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, orange juice and remaining zest; spread over brownies. Cool completely; slice into squares. 2 c. sugar 2 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice 1 c. light brown sugar 2 c. (12 oz. Package) white morsels ¾ c. (1 ½ sticks) butter 1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme 2/3 c. evaporated milk 1 c. chopped pecans ½ c. canned pumpkin 1 ½ tsp. Vanilla extract Butter bottom and sides of a 13 x 9 inch pan and set aside. Combine sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, pumpkin, butter and spice in a medium, heavy duty sauce pan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 9 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees (soft ball stage). Remove from heat. Quickly stir in morsels, marshmallow crème, nuts and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously until combined (approximately 1 or 2 minutes). Immediately pour into prepared pan. Let stand on a wire rack for 2 hours or until completely cooled. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Store fudge in a tightly covered container. Makes about 48, 2 piece servings. 2/3 c. packed dark brown sugar 2/3 c. molasses (unsulphured) OR dark Karo syrup (for lighter cookies) 1 ½ tsp. Ginger 1 ½ tsp. Cinnamon 1 ½ tsp. Baking soda ½ tsp. Salt 2/3 c. Butter (11 Tablespoons) 1 tsp. Ground Cloves 1 egg, beaten ½ tsp. Allspice 4 c. flour Measure 4 cups of flour and set aside. Combine sugar, syrup, spices and salt in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. In the same pan, using a wooden spoon, stir in soda and butter until butter melts. Stir in beaten egg very quickly to prevent it from cooking. Then add flour and mix well. Pour dough onto a large plate to cool. When cool, cover and chill until firm enough to handle (approximately 1 to 2 hours), then roll on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thickness and cut into shapes. Pre- heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Decorate with Frosting OR Icing as desired. Makes about 36 (depending on the shapes chosen). * *Dough may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks before rolling out to bake; to use, simply set plate out on the counter for about an hour or more before trying to roll it out so it can soften and become flexible again. Decorating frosting: In a small bowl, beat 1 egg white with 1 cup plus 2 or 3 Tablespoons confectioners sugar until smooth and of proper consistency. Add food coloring or flavoring as desired. Use a pastry tube with a fine point to apply to cookies. Decorate with raisins, sprinkles or candy as desired. Store in a container that seals tightly. Icing: In a small bowl, stir 1 cup of confectioners sugar with a dash of salt, food coloring (if desired), flavoring (orange or vanilla are a delicious accent for the gingerbread) and 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk (or orange juice, if using orange flavoring). Stir until smooth and spread on cookies. Decorate with sprinkles, colored sugar, raisins or candy as desired. When the icing is firm on the cookies, they can be stacked and stored in a tightly sealed container. I use wax paper between the layers of cookies to prevent them from sticking together. Gwynne Catholic Vitality Publications
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