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Posts: 1,836Hello all!
With holiday seasons fast approaching (and it being a time for family & FOOD 
) I thought it may be fun to share our favorite holiday recipes. We all have that one favorite thing we make year after year ...that family favorite that folks look forward to and request. I love those old favorites...BUT each year I like to try something new or tweak an old recipe. Since we've got such a large group from all over the world I thought it might be fun to share our favorites....maybe they'll become someone else's favorite too! :hug:
So, each person share that one well loved recipe. Main dish, appetizer, casserole, veggie dish, bread, drink/punch, dessert, candy.....just share that favorite.
I'll start it off.
This is the one that people always ask me to make....(This is the original recipe. Over the years I've tweaked it to fit my diet restrictions, but this is the original. I think I found it online 7 or 8 years ago!! It's almost a dessert it's so rich and yummy. You can cut the white sugar down a little and it won't hurt the recipe at all)
INGREDIENTS
5 sweet potatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake sweet potatoes 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they begin to soften. Cool slightly, peel, and mash. **(you can just microwave if it's easier)**
In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, and heavy cream. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of course meal. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until topping is crisp and lightly browned.
Serves 8
**(I always double the recipe, still using a 9x13 pan)**
:hug:
~Chrissi
this link may help with measurement conversions that may arise. http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/gram_calc.htm
Dolls N DreamsWhat a wonderful idea!!! I love holiday cooking.
This is something really tasty and easy!!!
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 can eagle brand milk
1 c. chopped pecans
1 small box black cherry jello
1 large carton Cool Whip
1 large can cherry pie filling
Mix above ingredients, chill and serve.
Everyone loves this at Thanksgiving and Xmas, I never can make enough!
Even people who hate coconut and nuts -- including my very picky kids, who loathe both! -- absolutely LOVE this easy to make recipe. I probably whip up five or more batches each holiday season!
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand condensed milk (sweetened)
1 (6 oz.) package, semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (I use walnuts)
Preheat oven to 350 (325 if using a glass pan.) In a 13x9 inch baking pan, melt butter. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over butter. Pour condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Top evenly with chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts. PRESS DOWN gently (I use a spatula). Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting into bars.
(image courtesy eaglebrand.com)
Swan Valley BearsHere's a recipe for
. I make this every year for Thanksgiving dinner. Very yummy.
Graham Cracker Crust
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
7 T melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
Mix all ingredients.
Press into bottom and 2 inches up side of spring form pan.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Cool slightly
Filling
3 8oz pkgs cream cheese
3 T flour
1 t pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, flour and pumpkin pie spice until soft and creamy. Add canned pumpkin, then eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in sugar until it is all incorporated. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 45 - 50 minutes or until center jiggles slightly when pan is gently shaken (center will set upon standing). Remove from oven and increase temperature to 450 for topping.
Topping
1 pint sour cream
2 T sugar
In small bowl, stir together sour cream and sugar. Spread over top of cake. Return cake to oven for 5 minutes or until cream is set. Transfer to wire rack. Let cool completely before removing from pan. Refrigerate covered for 24 hours.
Chrissi
What perfect timing. I am just planning a mini scrapbook/recipe book about my family's potluck dinners. We always get together on Christmas night and there are some recipes that are ALWAYS there, no matter what. I thought it would be kind of cool to journal them for the next generation.
My extended family all have Christmas tea (dinner) together and as we celebrate Christmas in the middle of summer, it's usually cold meat/barbecue and salads and desserts. For my whole life the dessert has always included my aunt's meringues, fruit salad, spanish cream and christmas snow.
It's now my task to make the Christmas snow. It's a completely hideous, heart-attack inducing throwback to the 60s - but it just wouldn't be christmas without it. I can only justify eating it, by the fact that we only have it once a year! In honour of my sister (who the last few years has been in the UK at christmas) I hide a little container in the back of the fridge and have it for breakfast on Boxing Day - something she taught me way back when - it tastes soooo much better that way!
Christmas Snow...
300ml cream
Heaped 1/4 c chopped red glace cherries (these MUST be red and not green and must be real cherries not those fake jelly ones)
1/4 c crystallised ginger chopped
A 200g bag of regular sized pink and white marshmallows - if you can find the drier chewier marshmallows rather than the super fluffy ones, they are perfect
One can crushed pineapple (I think 400g).
Dump pineapple into a bowl - chop cherries and ginger finely and soak in pineapple mixture.
Using kitchen scissors dipped in icing sugar chop marshmallows into halfs or thirds depending on their size.
Whip cream to just past the soft peak stage. Fold in the fruit and marshmallows. Chilll in fridge for a couple of hours to allow the ginger flavour to permeate the whipped cream. Perfect with fruit salad to offset the disgusting creaminess of the pudding!
Vermont Harvest PrimitivesWow...all these are great. I don't have time right now to dig out a recipe...but i will be back tomorrow with one. I AM NOW STARVING>>>>>I HOPE YOU ALL ARE HAPPY>>>:)
Doreen
Jare Hares & BearsI'll leave the cooking up to you all.
If I spend time in the Kitchen it is to dye fabric.
Most of the time it is frozen dinners for me. 
Posts: 1,836I'm going to try each of these!! I get hungry just reading them
Since we have so many Chocolate Lovers out here...and with Halloween just around the corner with possible parties this upcoming weekend.......I thought I'd add one more recipe to this thread. This is the easiest Fudge to make, with the best outcome consistently. I worked with a girl who was a choc-o-holic and she loved this fudge.
You can play around with the "nut" part too. Leave them out or add another kind. One year I added mini marshmallows and made a rocky road fudge. I usually leave the nuts out..and go for plain.
Easy (hazelnut if you like) Fudge
2/3 Cup evaporated milk
1 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup halved hazelnuts
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp hazelnut liqueur (optional) (or if you're changing the recipe up..you can add orange, mint, etc)
1) Generously grease (butter) a 8 inch square cake pan
2) Combine the evaporated milk, sugar, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer gently, stirring, for about 5 minutes
3) Remove from heat and add the nuts, chocolate chips, and liqueur if using. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted.
4) Quickly pour the fudge mixture into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Let Cool. (Lick that spoon!! :dance: )
5) When the fudge is set, cut into 1 inch squares. Store in an airtight container, separating layers with wax paper.
:hug:
~Chrissi
Jellybelly BearsOh cool fudge!!! I want a good recepie for that..not something we have ever tried coz of my diabetes, but I want to make some really nice stuff...we buy the yummiest fudge from a place called Harhndorf in the Adelaide Hills. Don't get there tha often tho 
Swan Valley BearsI hope you can read this (if not let me know). I made this last night and brought it to a dinner party. It's one of my all-time favorites. Very yummy and great for the holidays. This is a page from a cook book I made for my daughters. Once they moved out of the house, they were always calling and asking for some recipe or the other that I made while they were growing up. So, I compiled a little cook book for them for their birthdays (both in July). There are about 40 recipes. I made each recipe card on Print Shop by Broderbund then had it laminated and bound for them. I've since had to put two more together for my daughter's girlfriends.
Chaska, MinnesotaWell it may not sound good but it really is delicious:
Beef Brisket Recipe
Preheat oven at 325 degrees.
1 can of coke
1 jar of Heinz Chili Sauce
1 pkg Lipton Onion soup (dry)
1 ½ lb of beef brisket
Mix three ingredients together and pour over beef brisket. Put in heavy pot with cover. Cook slowly for 3-4 hours or until it shreds with knife and fork. Place shredded pieces back in sauce.
Serve over buttered egg noodles.
Another recipe that is always a hit and always requested is:
Banana Cream Pie
-1 Pre-made piecrust – i.e. Graham Cracker or Shortbread Cookie (found in baking section of grocery store)
-1 pkg of instant banana cream pudding
-1 ½ cups of cold milk
-1 pkg of cream cheese (room temperature)
-2 cups of powdered sugar
-1 banana
-1 Cup of cream and enough powered sugar to taste
With electric mixer -beat cream cheese and 2 cups of powdered sugar together until smooth. Spread mixture on bottom of piecrust. With electric mixer, beat milk and instant pudding together for 2-3 minutes (until it thickens). Slice fresh banana on top of the cream cheese layer. Pour pudding on top of bananas.
beat the cream with enough powdered sugar to taste until it is whipped cream. I use about four tablespoons. Spread on top of pie. Put in refrigerator for about ½ before eating. You could slice fresh bananas on top of sliced pie just before serving.
Posts: 3,177PENPENS'S DELIGHT
1 PenPen
1 large reclining sofa
1 widescreen tv
2 fluffy slippers - one for each foot
1 large bottle of white wine, opened by El Tel, chilled to perfection and served in a wine glass that goes chiiiiiing rather than thud when you clink two of them together
3 bags of chilli Doritos
2 great dvd's..........preferably with George Clooney in them but settle for anything that has a bit of eye candy in it
1 fleecy dressing gown smelling of Comfort Fabric Softener
Mix all of the above together and allow to sit completely motionless for 4 hours in a warm centrally heated room - et voila! A Happy Woman
PenPen 
Swan Valley BearsPenny, I'm definately fixing your recipe tonight. However, I'll substitute red wine and Nacho flavored Doritos. I hope that will be OK.
Country BearsAhhh Pen that's sounds wonderful!! :dance: Love ya!! :hug:
Pumpkin & Pickle BearsAww PenPen, can I join ya??!!
There are some great recipes here...I especially like the Gingerbread Coffee Cake...umm, gingerbread and coffe...ummmmm......gonna have to make that now!
I love your recipe, PenPen!
I like seeing different recipes. We might have to try some.
Posts: 1,836I'm substituting the Clooney for a pinch of Matthew McConaughey
:hug:
~Chrissi
