Christmas Desserts

Christmas Plum Pudding

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
6 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup chopped citron
1-1/2 cups pitted prunes, chopped
1/2 cup dark raisins
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups fine bread crumbs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Whipped cream for garnish

Cream the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer. Beat the eggs in, one at a time.

Grease and flour a soufflé dish, about 7 x 4 inches. Add the heavy batter and bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Serve warm by spooning out or cool and cut into pieces.

Garnish with the whipped cream. Serves 8.

Steamed Christmas Pudding

"The variations on this are endless because the filling can be any combination of mincemeat, pumpkin and/or cranberry sauce.

1-1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup prepared mincemeat pie filling
1/2 cup whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

Grease one 2-quart lidded pudding mold. Sift together the flour, sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, butter, mincemeat, cranberry sauce and pumpkin. Add to flour mixture and mix until smooth; pour into pudding mold.

Place a rack in the bottom of a large pot, over medium heat, and fill 1/2 way up with boiling water. Place the pudding on the rack. Steam for 2 1/2 hours.

Check the pan occasionally and add more water if needed. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. When firm, place the pudding mold on a rack outside of the water for 10 minutes and unmold.

Prepare a sauce by blending together the sour cream, cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar. Spoon dollops over warm pudding and serve.

Festive Rice Pudding

1 cup uncooked white rice
2 (15 ounce) cans crushed pineapple
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
6 maraschino cherries

In a saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

In a large bowl combine the cooked, cooled rice, sugar, pineapple and marshmallows. Fold in the whipped cream. Chill for 4 hours.

Spoon the rice mixture into 6 dessert dishes and place a cherry on top of each.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

3 beaten egg yolks
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1 envelope plain gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
3 stiffly beaten egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 (9-inch) baked pie shell

Combine first 7 ingredients. Cook in double boiler until thick, stirring constantly. Soak gelatin in cold water.

Mix into hot mixture. Chill until partially set. Beat egg whites; add sugar, and beat until stiff. Fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour into cooled pie shell and chill until set. Garnish with whipped cream.

Peppermint N' Chocolate Cheesecake

1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
3 tbls. margarine, melted
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
2-8 oz. containers soft cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
1/4 cup crushed peppermint candy
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
2-1.45 oz. milk chocolate candy bars, finely chopped

Combine crumbs and margarine. Press onto bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

Bake at 350* for 10 minutes. cool

Soften gelatin in water. Stir over low heat until dissolved. Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add gelatin, milk, extract and peppermint candy, mixing well until blended. Chill until thickened but not set. Fold in whipped cream and chocolate; pour over crust. Chill until firm. Garnish with additional whipping cream, whipped, and combined with crushed peppermint candy.
 

Old Fashioned Custard Pie

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
3 eggs, plus 1 yolk beaten(use white for the crust)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg white
1 can evaporated milk, plus enough whole milk to make 2-1/2 cups, scalded
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Stir well. Blend in the scalded milk. For more yellow color, add few drops yellow food coloring.

Line pie pan with pastry and brush inside bottom and sides of shell with egg white to help prevent a soggy crust. Pour custard mixture into piecrust. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

To scald milk, heat until it just starts to bubble, not boil.

Mincemeat Cake

This very rich cake just may become a family holiday-
favorite.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (9 ounce) package condensed mincemeat, crumbled

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8 inch, round, cake pans.

Cream butter or margarine in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs one at a time, beating mixture well after each addition.

Dissolve soda in buttermilk, stirring well. Mix flour into creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix well after addition. Stir in crumbled mincemeat. Spoon batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes. Remove layers from pans, and cool completely.

This is good with a caramel frosting.

Magic Pumpkin Pie

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
1 (15 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large bowl, blend all ingredients except pie shell. Turn mixture into pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees F for 50 to 55 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean; cool.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour and serve with whipped cream or topping.

Kentucky Christmas Jam Cake

This is a traditional Kentucky Christmas Cake. The pecans may be soaked in bourbon several days before the cake is made.

Yields 20 servings.

1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup blackberry preserves
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 10 inch tube pan and set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs separately, beating well after each. Sift together soda and flour; add alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture. Mix well. Add jam, pecans, coconut and raisins. Mix well and pour into prepared pan. Bake for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Holiday Cranberry Glazed Cheesecake

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
Three 8 oz. packages cream cheese
1-1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup dairy sour cream
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. finely shredded orange peel
2 tbl. orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine melted butter or margarine with the graham cracker crumbs. Pat evenly into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides on a 9 inch spring form pan.

In a large mixer bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, scraping bowl and beaters. Add eggs, sour cream, cornstarch, orange peel, orange juice and vanilla. Beat at low speed just until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake at 325* for 55-60 minutes or until firm around the edges. Cool 5 minutes. Loosen sides of cake from the pan with a spatula. Cool 30 minutes longer. Remove sides of pan. Cool completely. Spread with Cranberry glaze. Chill until serving time.

Cranberry Glaze:
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel.

In a medium saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Add whole berry cranberry sauce and finely shredded orange peel.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the mixture comes to a full boil. Boil 1 minute. Cool.

Fancy Fruit Cake

2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter
1-1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tbl. brandy
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup diced mixed candied fruits
1/2 cup halved candied cherries
2 tbl. molasses
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/2 cups snipped, pitted prunes
Walnut paste

Resift flour with baking powder and salt. Cream butter with sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Blend in flour mixture alternately with milk. Stir in brandy, walnuts, and mixed fruit. Stir cherries into 2-1/3 cups batter; turn into greased and floured 8 inch round pan.

Stir molasses, spices and prunes into remaining batter; turn into second pan. Bake 300 degrees about 65 minutes, until edges pull from sides of pan. Cool 15 minutes; turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Walnut Paste
Put layers together with walnut paste:
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar,
3 tbls. unbeaten egg white
dash of salt
Grate or blend fine, Mix with walnuts, stir in egg white and salt.

Frosting:
6 tbls. butter
4-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a bowl beat butter until smooth, beat in powdered sugar, about 1/2. Add the milk and vanilla. Gradually beat in remaining powdered sugar, beating till of a spreading consistency.

Christmas Cooking and Baking

Cooking Notes