RECIPES: Christmas Favorites

Christmas Cake

2 (8 oz.) containers candied cherries

1 (8 oz.) container candied mixed citrus peel

2 cups raisins

1 cup dried currants

1 cup dates, pitted and chopped

2 (2.25 oz.) packages blanched slivered almonds

1/2 cup brandy

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter

2 cups packed brown sugar

6 eggs

3/4 cup molasses

3/4 cup apple juice

In a medium bowl, combine cherries, citrus peel, raisins, currants, dates, and almonds. Stir in brandy; let stand 2 hours, or overnight. Dredge soaked fruit with 1/2 cup flour.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Grease an 8x8x3 inch fruit cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again. In a small bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together molasses and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately with flour mixture, making 4 dry and 3 liquid additions. Fold in floured fruit. Turn batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan, and lift off paper. Cool cake completely, then wrap loosely in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.

-- Carol Branch

Christmas Breakfast Sausage Casserole

1 lb. ground pork sausage

1 tsp mustard powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups milk

6 slices white bread, toasted and cut into cubes

8 oz. mild Cheddar cheese, shredded

Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown; drain.

In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cover, and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until set.

-- M.K. Meredith

Christmas Egg Puff

1/4 cup butter or margarine

12 eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 cups cottage cheese

4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the butter in a 9x13 inch baking dish and put the dish in the oven while it preheats.

In the container of a blender, combine the eggs, flour and baking powder. Cover and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into a large bowl and fold in the cottage cheese and Monterey Jack cheese. Pour over the melted butter in the dish.

Bake in the preheated oven until firm in the center, about 30 minutes. A knife inserted into the center should come out clean.

-- Dorothy Meier

Christmas Pork Roast

1 (4 lbs.) boneless pork loin roast

1 tsp whole cloves

1 apple, sliced

2 (16 oz.) cans whole berry cranberry sauce

1 (16 oz.) can chicken broth

2 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

1 orange, zested

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place pork roast into a roasting pan; push whole cloves into the meat. Cover the roast with apple slices.

Mash cranberry sauce in a bowl with a potato masher; stir chicken broth, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger into cranberries. Pour about half the cranberry mixture over the pork roast. Cover with a lid or a sheet of aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Pour remaining cranberry mixture over roast. Sprinkle orange zest over the cranberry sauce.

Return to oven and roast until cranberry mixture forms a glaze and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat reads at least 145 degrees, about 30 more minutes.

-- Stephamie Grigg

German Christmas Gingerbread

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups packed brown sugar

3 eggs

2/3 cup honey

1/4 cup orange liqueur

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup orange juice

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 cup raisins

1 cup blanched slivered almonds

Whisk together the flours, baking powder, and spices.

In a large bowl, cream the butter or margarine with the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, then the honey, orange liqueur, sour cream, and orange juice. Beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, and then stir in the raisins and almonds. Turn batter into a greased and floured tube pan.

Bake cake at 350 degrees for 80 minutes, or until it tests done with toothpick. Transfer to a rack to cool.

--Tina Hanners