Classic Christmas treats: Caramel crunch popcorn
Ingredients
1-1/3 cups sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 cups popped corn
1 cup pecan halves, toasted
1 cup whole unblanched almonds, toasted
Directions
In saucepan, combine sugar, butter or margarine, and corn syrup. Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling, stirring occasionally, till mixture turns caramel color. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Pour syrup over popped corn and nuts on a shallow buttered baking pan. Separate into clusters with two forks. Store in tightly-closed bag or container.
Makes about 2 pounds of caramel crunch popcorn.
Lemon European cake recipe
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground mace
1 cup milk
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon peel
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup broken walnuts
Directions
Cream together butter or margarine and sugar; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and mace; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in lemon peel and juice, vanilla, raisins and nuts, blending lightly.
Turn into greased 10-inch fluted tube pan. Bake in 325 F oven for 1 hour 15 minutes or till done. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool on rack. Drizzle with lemon glaze.
Lemon glaze: Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to one cup sifted confectioners’ sugar. Stir in enough milk to make glaze desired consistency.
Gumdrop nut wreath recipe
1 package hot roll mix
1/2 cup snipped red and green gumdrops
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Prepare roll dough from mix according to package directions. Stir in gumdrops and nuts. Cover and let rise in warm place till double, 30 to 45 minutes. Punch down; divide dough in half. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Roll each half into a rope about 24 inches long.
Twist together; transfer to greased baking sheet and form into a ring. Cover and let rise until almost double, 30 to 45 minutes. Bake in 375 F oven for 25 to 30 minutes. (Cover with foil after first 20 minutes if browning too quickly.) Cool. Frost with confectioners’ sugar icing; decorate with gumdrops.
For holly: use red gumdrops for berries; roll green gumdrops flat with rolling pin and trim to leaf shapes.
