(ENDED) Countdown Contest: 48 days till Christmas

[Tiggerific711]

My cheesecake recipe. I'm not allowed to bring anything else to our office parties!

Crust for Cheesecake
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 cup sugar
4 to 5 tbs margarine - melted

Grease bottom and sides of a 10 inch spring form pan. Combine crust ingredients and pat down firmly in bottom of pan. Place in freezer while making cake.


Cheesecake Filling
3 8oz creamcheese bricks - softened
1 cup sugar
4 medium eggs
1 pint sour cream
2 tbs flour
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

In largest bowl of an electric mixer, beat filling ingredients IN ORDER LISTED, adding each 1 by 1 and beating until throughly mixed.

Pour into prepared pan and bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 20 minutes. Then lower heat to 300 degrees and bake 40 more minutes. Turn off heat and let cool in closed oven for 1 hour. Cool on a rack to room temperature then refrigerate.

Remove from refrigeration 10 minutes before serving to cut through the crust easier.

[DarcyDog]

This is a family tradition every Thanksgiving. It is divine!

Yams and Apples

Canned yams
Apples

Slice yams about ?? thick. Peel, core, and slice apples as for apple pie. There are no exact amounts of apples or yams because you layer the sliced yams and sliced apples in alternate layers of the casserole dish until you are about an inch from the top. How much you need depends on the size of the casserole dish.

In saucepan, mix the following:

1 c. sugar
1 stick butter
1 c. orange juice
2 tbsp cornstarch

Stir constantly until thick and pour over yams and apples. Depending on size of dish, you may need to double the sauce recipe. The amount of sauce should just come to the top or slightly over the layered yams and apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

[spring]

Cucumbers and Sour Cream

Cucumbers peeled - 4 will make a few servings, but for holidays I use 6-8
Sour cream - I usually buy 8oz and use whatever is needed to moisten the cucumbers
Garlic Salt to taste
Paprika to sprinkle on top of the dish

Slice cucumbers very thin. I use a mandolin slicer. Put cucumbers in a bowl, cover and refrigerate. In a few hours I take them out and squeeze the cucumber slices to get out the liquid, putting the squeezed ones into another bowl. I continue doing this every few hours for a day or two (whenever you have time.) The more you do this, the more liquid you will get out. The slices become semi-transparent. Prior to putting the sour cream in, generously shake in garlic salt to taste. Then mix in sour cream to coat all the cucumbers. Sprinkle with paprika and serve!

This simple recipe is from my Austrian Great Aunt Bertha. She would make these every holiday. My Aunt Bertha has been gone a number of years now and my sister and I are the ones keeping up the tradition.

[tweety129s]

Monster Cookies:

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup raisins, optional
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

[OhMari]

Peanut butter balls.

I've been making these since I was a little girl.

6 cups of rice crispies
1 cup of powered sugar
Mix

Melt
2 cups of peanut butter
4 tbsp of butter.

Pour the peanut butter into the mixture of rice crispies and powered sugar.


You can use any kind of peanut butter, but if it is really runny, just add more rice crispies and powered sugar.

Mix it all together, then make balls.

Place on wax paper.

Melt any kind of chocolate.

When the balls have cooled, dip them halfway into the chocolate.

[luvdisney00]

I do a lot of cooking and baking over the holidays, but here is a really easy and delicious dip for company:

1 block light cream cheese
1 can Hormel Chili with beans
1 8oz bag of shreaded chedar cheese

Place cream cheese in a round baking dish and microwave 15 seconds until soft. Spread with a spatula all around the bottom of the dish. Heat chilli in a pot and spread over cream cheese. Cover with shreaded cheese and microwave until it melts. Serve with tortilla chips or scoops.

That's it! It's so fast, so easy and so good. I always put it out on my appetizer table and it always disappears.

[sunshinecindy]

I have an extremely easy one that my husband absolutely loves.

Easy Philly Pepper Dip

1 jar jalapeno jelly
1 philadelphia cream cheese
crackers


Place block of cream cheese in center of plate. Pour jalapeno jelly over the block of cheese. Surround with crackers. Dip and enjoy.

[lkturner]

Christmas morning breakfast

School Bread
Epcot Norway

2 pints water
3 ounces dry yeast
3 1/2 ounces sugar
2 1/2 ounces butter (melted)
1 teaspoon cardamom
2 pounds flour
1 whole egg
8 ounces shredded coconut
12 ounces vanilla custard

Heat water and butter to 95 degrees. Mix flour, sugar, cardamom, yeast, and egg together for five minutes until dough is stiff. Form it like a ball and place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let proof for 45 minutes, or until dough has doubled in size. Roll the dough out like a sausage and cut into five ounce pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and put them on a non-stick sheet pan and let them proof for 30 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes in 375 degree oven. Let cool.

Mix powdered sugar and water (use small amounts until proper consistency is achieved) to make icing and place in shallow pan. Form hole in bread using finger. Dip bread in icing (hole side down) and sprinkle with shredded coconut. Using pastry bag, squeeze vanilla custard inside of hole and swirl at top for decoration.

Vanilla Custard

1 2/3 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon corn starch

In heavy saucepan bring milk to a boil. Set aside. In bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until the mixture doubles by volume. Add the hot milk a few drops at a time to temper the eggs. Mix well after each addition. Place in metal mixing bowl and place over double boiler. Dissolve cornstarch in a little water and add in a thin stream while stirring constantly until it thickens to proper consistency. It must not boil. Cool by placing pan in ice bath.

[Sunni]

Enjoy! My family love this easy one.

Kielbasa in a Special Sauce

1 1/2 cup (14oz.bottle) of ketchup
1/2 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of whiskey
2 lbs. of thinly sliced kielbasa

1. Turn oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together the ketchup, brown sugar, whiskey and kielbasa in a casserole dish.
3.Cook for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stir the casserole dish every 15 minutes.

Can serve right away or let cool and refrigerate overnight or during the day and take off any gease there might be.

I usually put into a crockpot to serve for parties after I have baked it in the oven. It needs that baked taste.

Sometimes I double the sauce part and add only another 1lb of kielbasa.

[catnapfan]

I make this every Christmas Eve and my family just loves it!

Hot Crab Dip

8 oz. cream cheese
1 lb crab flakes
4 oz. sour cream
4 tbs. mayonaise
1/4 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tbs. yellow mustard
2 shakes garlic salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbs. worcestershire sauce
1/2 tbs Old Bay seasoning

Mix together all ingredients (except crab) until smooth. Fold in crab and spread evenly in 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle top with a little more cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees approximately 30 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Serve hot with crackers. (We prefer Club crackers with this dip.)