Garlicky shrimp and grits casserole. Nobody in my family likes this southern dish from heaven, sigh. It makes me want it even more...

Refrigerator Yeast Rolls

1 quart of milk

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

Heat milk and add the shortening and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. When this has cooled to lukewarm, add 1 package of yeast that has been dissolved in a half cup of warm water and 6 cups of white flour. Mix by hand until all is incorporated.

Let rise in the pan until it is doubled in bulk. Then add the following

1 Tablespoon of salt

1 Teaspoon baking soda

2 Teaspoons baking powder

Mix by hand and add one more cup of flour. Place in a large covered container in the refrigerator at least over night When ready to bake stir down and add one more cup of flour, stir. Do not knead this dough, handle it as little as possible, using only as much flour as needed to roll out in the shape you want. I usually make into a jelly roll shape and spread melted butter before rolling into the jelly roll shape. Place in buttered pans and brush butter on the top. Let raise until doubled. Bake in a hot oven, 400 degrees until done, maybe 15 minutes. It depends on the size of the rolls. This dough will keep one week in the refrigerator. This makes a large amount but we always fix the whole amount for our holiday meals.

Sue

Sue, do you know if using a Kitchen Aide dough hook would work instead of mixing by hand? My shoulder can't take all that mixing action.

Mine is this:

Mexican Wedding Cakes
1 cup butter
¼ cup confectioners sugar
2 cups cake flour*
2 cups chopped pecans
2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar well. Add flour, pecans and vanilla. Shape into 1 inch balls. Bake on lightly greased baking sheet at 350° for 45 minutes. Roll in confectioners sugar while warm, and again when cool.

* I use regular flour.

It is just not Christmas without these cookies,

Sue, that recipe for Mexican Wedding Cakes looks yummy! How finely do you chop the pecans? Are they almost ground pecans? I'm baking for a fundraising bake sale and I think I will make these.

stacey_mb, I prefer the pecans not to be "like almost ground" but with a good sized small piece. Some older folks might like the ground up ones, but I've never tried that. I am a nut-lover.

Satine, I use my dough hook on my KA to make yeast rolls and bread and so far so good. Mine is an old hand me down and I love it ! It's over 40 years old and still chugging along. As for a favorite recipe. I really don't have a favorite. as it changes from yea to year.

Satine, do not use a mixer on this dough. It only takes just stirring in the dry ingredients and that does not take much mixing at all. Do not knead, do not use too much flour or they will be very tough. A light touch is needed for this recipe.

Sue

Sue_Va, I have copied your Mexican Wedding Cooky recipe. I was going to be looking one up to make for our Christmas. Thanks for posting it. I spent yesterday afternoon making a big batch of Jumbo chocolate chip cookies. I plan to take those to Great Grandson's birthday party.

Sue

I use the same recipe as Sue for my Butterball Cookies. By grinding the nuts fairly fine the cookies become melt in your mouth "butterballs". I do use cake flour but you can make cake flour yourself by removing two tablespoons of flour from each cup of flour and replacing it with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and sifting it a few times.

These cookies freeze really well also. I roll them in the sugar while warm, place then in Tupperware canisters with parchment paper between the layers and put them in the freezer. I've kept them for up to 2 months but they would probably last for 3.

Thank you for the link to the recipes! WOW - I'm drooling over reading some of those and now my stomach is growling ;)

I make cookies similar to Sue, called Pecan Meltaways. I use 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of cornstarch. Chill the dough for a couple of hours before forming in balls. They are a little delicate so you have to be careful taking them off the baking sheets or they will crumble. I use a cup of finely chopped pecans.

A lot of people don't like fruitcake....myself included. This is similar but just cherries, pineapple and pecan (or walnuts). I've made this cake a dozen times and getting ready to make one again today. I am posting a link to the original recipe, because I have trouble copying and pasting on this laptop.Cherry Pineapple Fruitcake

I like fruitcake, most any kind, but this fruit cake of Marilyn's really does sound good. I am going to write that one down! So many good recipes, so little time:)

Sue

Two favorites at my house, and for which I am famous, lol. They are polar opposites--pfeffernusse cookies, which are a traditional German sweet, and savory Chex party mix, which I think was invented in the 1960's--at least I remember it being the latest, and greatest, snack around that time.

ETA, I was curious enough to look up Chex Mix details:

History. Chex cereal was introduced in 1937 by Ralston Purina. By 1952, recipes for "Chex party mix"
appeared on boxes of Chex cereal. However, it was not until 1985 that
pre-packaged products were introduced commercially by Ralston Purina and
the trademarks registered to it. wikipedia

Another slightly different version of the wedding cookies is:

Snowball Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter

4 T powdered sugar (plus extra)

2 cups cake flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

no chopped nuts

Chill the dough and keep chilled while rolling the dough into small balls. Bake on parchment (not greased) at 350 for 10-15 minutes. The bottoms will be barely browned, just golden. Roll in more xxx sugar when cooled and then again. This cookie tastes even better the next day and later; I store them in an air tight container with extra xxx added.

Roquefort Grapes

10 ounces of pecans, toasted then given a medium/coarse chop

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/8 pound Roquefort cheese, room temperature

1 pound green seedless grapes, clean and dry (important)

Mix the cheeses until smooth and creamy, roll the grapes in the cheese to coat, then roll in chopped nuts. Place on sheet pan lined with wax paper, and chill until served.

Wonderful on an appetizer table and a great compliment to wines and cocktails.

Marilyn Sue....I bet you will like that fruitcake. Let me know. ;)

Marilyn, I shall have to find the pineapple cherry mix, probably have the other things, except for the time. I take breaks just coming here to the computer off and on!

Sue

I just use a container of cherries and one of pineapple...not the mix. Also, I have made it so many times and it never bakes in the time stated on the recipe. It always takes longer....have baked it in an oven and in a Nesco. So bake until it tests done.

Nita_Az makes it in a 9 x 13 pan and cuts it into squares. I did that one time when I took it to a pot luck. Made it a little less "scary"....to the people who don't like fruitcake. :))

I found a very old recipe for an apple fruit cake, dried apples and some molasses in it. I might post it one of these days and see if others think it would be good.

Sue

Thanks for the recipes- I have been wanting to make a fruitcake. My family loves grapes and cheese. I admit that I am too lazy to roll the grapes. Instead I serve the grapes and the cheese side by side.

Mama, my mother made the chex mix. My brother and I loved it. I would love to make it for my family but one grandkid has Celiac and another is allergic to fish. Worcestershire sauce is made with anchovies. I will play around with substitutions.

Marilyn's fruitcake is definitely the fruitcake for people who don't like fruitcake. Every, I don't care for fruitcake person, I've served it to has liked it. I like most all fruitcakes but I like Marilyn's best. Even the batter smells so good while mixing it.

My husband loves this . It's his mother's recipe and she would make it every year for him . I guess I need to step up and make him some now . I made it once but we tried to double the recipe I don't recommend that .

This is a copy of my mother in laws no bake fruit cake

Lucille’s Unbaked Fruit Cake:

1lb. graham crakers(or box of crumbs)

1/2lb. raisins

1/2lb. chopped dates

1 lb. mixed candied fruit

1/2 cup candied orange rind(optional)

1or2 sm.cont.maraschino cherries(if you really like cherries add 2)

2 cups nuts(or more if you have it and no need to chop)

1 tsp.cinnamon

1 tsp.allspice

1 large can evaporated milk

1lb. mini marshmellows(1bag)

Crush crackers and add chopped fruits.

Heat milk and add marshmellows. Do not allow to melt completely.

Pour this over dry ingredients.

Mix well and pack firmly into loaf pans.

Store in refrigerator a few days before serving.

*If you want to flavor with rum or bourbon poke holes in top with toothpick and slowly pour a jigger over top(just one!). These do have to "age" in the fridge so don't rush it. And they freeze well.

happy2b, are there cereal flakes and small cracker shapes made for Celiac sufferers? Would balsamic vinegar work in place of Worcestershire sauce? I'd suggest tamari/shoyu, but IIRC it's fermented with wheat.

For those who need a gluten-free, fish-free Worcestershire sauce, HERE is a recipe to make it at home.

Raven, my mother used to make that one.

Not all Worcestershire sauce has anchovies in it and you can do a MIY variation if you wanted, but Worcestershire isn't mandatory to Chex Mix, nor is gluten. Here's an "allergy friendly" version to cover dairy allergies, peanut allergies, soy allergies, fish allergies, gluten sensitivities etc. And you can of course use regular products if that allergen doesn't apply, for example, real butter instead of dairy-free.

(Multi-) ALLERGY-FRIENDLY CHEX MIX

4 Cups Rice Chex™

4 Cups Corn Chex™ (Note, all but 1 Chex™ is now gluten free)

1 Cup Pretzels (Need I specify GF pretzels when applicable?)

1 Cup Sunflower Seeds

6 TBS Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Butter

½ tsp. Sugar

½ tsp. Hot Sauce

1½ tsp. Seasoned Salt or copycat recipe found here

¾ tsp. Garlic Powder

½ tsp. Onion Powder

¼ cup Ketchup

Preheat oven to 250° F. In an ungreased large roasting pan (I use disposable), mix cereals, pretzels and sunflower seeds.

In a small bowl, melt the butter. Add the sugar, hot sauce, garlic powder, seasoned salt, onion powder and ketchup. Mix well.

Pour over the cereal mixture and stir to combine. All of the mix should be slightly damp.

Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. You will know it's done baking when the mix is no longer damp. (Can take closer to 2 hours - especially if you've doubled or even tripled the batch.)

Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Now of course common sense has to apply so the obligatory disclaimer: Read labels to be sure there's no hidden allergens in the products you use to make anything (Source)

As for my favorite Xmas recipe, I guess the cookies. The iced sugar cookies my cousin made. One of the few things she made well. She's one who wants recipes but won't share hers. Typical Xmas cookie. Roll out sugar cookies that are so soft but firm enough to hold together with the icing that isn't hard but firm enough you can stack the cookies with no problems. Don't have the recipe. Thought I had it one time but it's not in the book I thought contained it. I probably couldn't handle the work of rolling them out, cutting them and icing them these days anyway. So I settle for a box of "Lofthouse Cookies" as a substitute to cure my sugar cookie fix.

My very favorite is Peanut Butter Fritos

1 cup corn syrup(Karo syrup)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 large bag Fritos scoops

spread fritos out on a big jelly roll pan turning them them so most of the scoops sides are facing up.

in a sauce pan combine corn syrup and sugar and stir gently

cook only until little bubbles begin to form. do not cook too long or it will get too hard when it cools

remove from heat and mix in peanut butter until it melts.

pour over fritos in pan. good to eat immediately

Many in my family will not try them ...more for me

sweet and salty and caramel

I don't have a favorite for Christmas, because we never had a standard "must have". We did have neighbors during a certain period of my life who invited us over for dinner who made the same things every year -- and my favorite thing they served (the only thing I liked, actually) was the hot Brie in the crust that was brought out as an appetizer. Now that was to die for! (If you were wondering what the other things were, they were extremely tough brisket and boiled Brussels sprouts... probably fruitcake for dessert but mercifully I've forgotten...)

However, somewhere in the 90's (or late 80's) Dad discovered the Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes which is served on Christmas Eve. This rapidly became my favorite "tradition", and one I continue to uphold. The fish, and the recipes, will sometimes change depending on interest or availability!

My little mince meat pies. Altho I cheat and use the mincemeat that comes in a jar. However, my pie crust is fabulous.

Remember the big scare a few decades ago about salmonella found in raw eggs? A lot of recipes were published, modified for safety - acidifying the eggs, poaching lightly, etc.

I tried a cooked eggnog recipe and was wowed. Well, I love custards and eggnog is really just a thinned out custard, if you think about it. Over the years I've made changes, mostly cutting out the majority of sugar - I hate oversweet desserts - and no longer separating the eggs, because I dislike the foaminess of meringue mixed with the nog.

Always freshly grated nutmeg. I like a touch of allspice and of cardamon, too.

At this point I don't really use a firm recipe. I just toss in general proportions of ingredients and alter things as I go along.

A couple of years ago I experimented with non-dairy alternatives, and found coconut milk makes a very nice cooked eggnog, as well. Takes more eggs to thicken up, though.

Last year I discovered that using high-rye bourbon in place of cognac - I already use a mix of two very good rums, and the cognac was about a 1:3 ratio - was a great way to start using up a brand I decided I didn't like drinking straight.

It's expensive to make, probably 2x the cost of commercial stuff. I don't make a lot of it, takes time and it's a high-calorie treat.

Pattico....I read your recipe to my husband to get his reaction. We both agree that it sounds scary awful, lol. Who on earth invented something like that?

(Just gently teasing, please don't take offense!)

Disagree with rhizo. Sounds wonderful!

I make this and it is a winner!

Caramel Cheetos (Cheese Doodles)

2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup margarine - yes, for this one you must use margarine
1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 - 21 oz. pkg. Cheetos® - crunchy kind or cheese doodles

Mix sugar, margarine and corn syrup in pan. Bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and add soda. Stir until light in color and foamy.

Spray a roasting pan (deep 10 x 14) with Pam. Put Cheetos® in pan. Pour the mixture over Cheetos® and stir, coating each piece.

Place in oven at 250 degrees. Bake for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. Immediately, pour onto wax paper, or cookie sheets, sprayed with Pam.

(This is the hard part.) VERY QUICKLY spread out as thin as possible. If not quick and spread out as thin as possible, you will get a big hard glob. After about 5 minutes, pull/break these apart even more and loosen them from the wax paper. If you don't, you'll have wax paper stuck to them when you go to eat them.

You will regret it if you don't double the batch as guests are going to demand MORE! You can bake batches together and add an extra 20 minutes to bake time. I do them separately because of having to work so quickly to keep them apart at the end. The one batch can almost get too hard while working with the other batch.

I got this recipe from "Glenda" last year, and have made it numerous times, Love it!!
Aug 1. 2010

I'm with rhizo about the Fritos concoction and also about the Cheetos one above this. Putting so much sweetness and, worse, more grease onto already fat-laden products just doesn't sound good.

Thank you, Cynic, for the everything free Chex mix recipe!

We too have our standards moved forward from my and DH's childhoods. Snow ball cookies (Mexican wedding cakes) as made above only we use walnuts. Frosted fruit bars is DH's favorite; Fanny Farmer Fudge, LOTS of Chex mix--so simple and easy, Caramel corn, date filled cookies, mini cheese cakes, peanut-butter cups, toffee. Each year we try something new. Roasted/spiced almonds was our latest. One year we discovered angel candy...we are not much of decorator cookie makers. When my kids were little we did that chore at Thanksgiving, pumpkins, pilgrims,turkeys...too many BETTER treats to concentrate on at Christmas. I have no fancy fancy creations just fail proof, easy delish treats.

I have made Glenda's recipe before and it was a hit with everyone! Sweet and salty.

Sue

The favorite 'holiday' recipe here is this one. I only make it at Christmas
for obvious reasons.

PEANUT BUTTER MELTAWAYS

2- 12 oz bags white chocolate chips

1- 18 oz jar peanut butter

1- 12 oz bag chocolate chips (milk or dark)

Melt white chips in a large bowl in microwave on high power

stirring every 40 seconds for a total of about 3 minutes.

When smooth stir in peanut butter mixing well.

Pour into buttered 9 x 13 pan.

Melt chocolate chips, and pour over PB mixture and marble in.

Refrigerate till firm then cut into squares and remove to plate.

HINTS: use a metal pan, chill about an hour before cutting, use a very thin
knife/spatula for removal, be patient, store in refrigerator.

Many of the people I know that make this put it into the very small paper candy cups as soon as it is all stirred together rather than into a pan to be cut up when chilled.

.

Since do many love pecan pie

this is a great recipe for diabetics or those wanting to avoid sugar. You can not tell it is sugar free, I like it better than the real stuff.

Sugar free Pecan Pie

1 cup sugar free honey
1cup splenda
1tsp vanilla
9 inch deep dish pie shell
3 eggs
2 tbs butter
1 ¼ cup pecans

Pre heat oven to 350
In a large bowl combine the honey, eggs, splenda, butter and vanilla until well blended.
Stir in pecans and pour into deep dish pie shell.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cool
Top with dab of cool whip light if desired.

We found the sugar free honey at walmart where the regular honey is. It really looks and tastes like real honey.
Honey Tree's Sugar Free Imitation Honey, 12 oz

That honey is great on lots of stuff.

You're welcome Fun2BHere, let me know how it works out for you.

Ravencajun, that sounds really interesting. Pecan pie is a favorite of mine.

I was married for 15 years before my daughter was born. Once I became a mother, I tried to be a "super mom" and do everything I thought a mom should do. That included baking cookies. Odd because I didn't raise her eating a lot of sweets, and she wasn't (and still isn't) big on eating sugar. But, I liked homemade cookies and like everything else I do (all or nothing), I took to it in a BIG way. I had never liked store bought cookies particularly, and when baking, if the recipe called for margarine, instead of butter, then I wouldn't even try the recipe because I felt like their standards didn't measure up to mine. Cookie snob. ;)

I baked cookies and if they were really good, I added them to my permanent recipe files. I used to make cookie platters for my friends and neighbors at Christmas. Since I live in a super humid climate, and didn't have central heat, which might have helped take the humidity out of the house....always lived in very old houses...candy recipes could be difficult. But divinity seemed like it belonged at Christmas, but when I made it, it was more apt to be like marshmallow whip. This recipe is a meringue type cookie, but a little bit like divinity. (I said "a little bit"). I got it in one of those Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookie magazines that come out this time of year. Somehow or another, I lost the recipe, and I couldn't remember which magazine it was in, and over the years, some of the magazines had been tossed when I cleaned house. I searched for it on line for a long time, and decided I'd finally have to go on line and try to find the magazine, and buy it, but not knowing what year, I still couldn't be sure.

One day I searched for it, and it came up! I am sure this is much to do about very little to most people, but I was really happy to find it again.

Black Walnut Drops (I find black walnuts at Kroger.)

2 egg whites
2/3 c. sugar
1 c. finely chopped black walnuts
2 tbsp. flour

In
a small mixer bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add
sugar, beating until stiff. Toss the black walnuts with flour; fold
into egg whites.

Drop the meringue by rounded teaspoons onto prepared
cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 325 degrees until edges start to
brown.

Well that sounds pretty easy and really good! I hate when I can't find one of my tried and true recipes. I fear that I have lost a few in the flood.

lol I thought it ( fritos ) looked bad too when I first saw it.....

I dare you to try it....you might love it.

It really doesn't matter what it tastes like. That ingredient list is just too unhealthy for this gal. Some things just will never be eaten by me; I have no curiosity whatsoever.

Think this is called Kris Kringle, I can't remember where I got the recipe if you can call it that...I have no measurments but I use more cereal than the other stuff...Alert not a healthy snack.

Rice Chex

Corn Chex

Wheat Chex

Tiny pretzels

Cashews

M&M's

Melted white chocolate

Mix everything together except the melted white chocolate..spread it out on a large baking sheet and drizzle the white chocolate over it. Let sit until chocolate hardens and gently mix up again...store in airtight container or ziplock bags.

You can use a little or a lot of each ing. my hubs loves this stuff.

@cynic, mamagoose, and Fun2BHere, thanks for the substitutions for making the cereal snack. Absolutely going to use the recipe. Sorry I did not respond sooner.