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Festive Holiday Feast

Hal & Jean Ward,
Realtors^TM
Coldwell Banker Preferred Properties
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Mixed Nuts with Rosemary

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon dried crumbled rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
3 cups mixed nuts (pecans, cashews, and hazelnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter with dried rosemary, salt, and cayenne. Pour this mixture over 3 cups mixed nuts, tossing to coat them. Bake the nuts on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Gelatin Christmas Trees

1 small box lime flavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 (16 ounce) can fruit cocktail and juice
9 pointed paper cups
Cottage cheese or sour cream

Dissolve lime gelatin in the boiling water.

Soften unflavored gelatin in the cold water; add to first mixture and stir well. Add fruit cocktail and juice; stir. Cool at room temperature.

Rinse the paper cups with water and stand in glasses, pointed side down. Pour cool gelatin mixture into cups. Chill until firm.

To serve, carefully unwrap the paper cup. Place gelatin tree on salad plate. Surround with cottage or sour cream. Trees may be decorated with sour cream or whipped cream in a decorating tube, if desired.

Gift of the Magi Bread

1/2 cup softened sweet butter (do not substitute)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 medium or 3 small)
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup coconut
1 cup semisweet mini-chocolate chips
2/3 cup sliced almonds, divided
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1/2 cup chopped dates

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 loaf pans and set aside.

In a mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract (I sometimes use coconut or pineapple extract for extra flavor).

Combine flour, baking soda and salt and add to the creamed butter mixture alternately with the bananas. Stir in mandarin oranges, coconut, mini-chocolate chips, 1/2 cup almonds, cherries and dates; mix well to combine.

Pour into prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle with remaining almonds (I like more almonds on my bread). Bake 50 to 55 minutes (45 minutes is what I bake it at; it will depend on your oven) or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool 10 to 15 minutes on a wire rack before removing from pans. Cool completely.

Deluxe Cornbread Stuffing

6 cups crumbled cornbread
2 cups white bread cubes, toasted
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pound bulk pork sausage
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 large tart apples, diced
1 cup diced celery
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 3/4 to 2 1/4 cups chicken broth

In a large bowl, combine bread, pecans and seasonings; set aside.

In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage until browned; remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.

Add butter to drippings; sauté apples, celery and onion until tender. Add to bread mixture. Stir in sausage and enough broth to moisten. Spoon into a greased 3-quart baking dish; cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Uncover and bake for 10 minutes. Or use to stuff a turkey; bake according to recipe.

Yields 10 to 12 servings (about 11 cups).

Baked Ham

1 cooked ham, half or whole
Ground cloves, to taste
1/2 cup brown sugar
Maraschino cherries
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 apple
Pineapple rings

Place cooked ham in pan. Rub in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and sprinkle with cloves. Pare and cut apple in eighths, place around and over ham. Sprinkle brown sugar over apples. Decorate with pineapple rings and maraschino cherries. Cover and bake for about 1 hour at 350 degrees F; baste frequently.

Eggnog Custard Pie

Filling
3 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups eggnog (not canned)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
1/2 to 1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons brandy or rum (or use extracts)
Nutmeg

Prepare pie crust according to package directions for a filled 1-crust pie, using a 9-inch pie pan. (Refrigerate remaining crust for a later use). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add remaining filling ingredients. Blend well. Pour into pie crust-lined pan. Cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove foil, then bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cover edge of crust with strips of foil during the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking if necessary to prevent excessive browning. Cool completely.

In a small bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioners' sugar and brandy. Beat until stiff peaks form. Garnish with nutmeg. Store in refrigerator. Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Happy Holidays from Ideal Living Media!

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