Holiday Snacks—Internationale!

Winter Strawberries

1 6-ounce package strawberry gelatin

1 cup ground pecans or walnuts

1 cup flaked coconut

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Red decorator sugar

About 1/2 cup blanched almonds, slivered

Combine gelatin, pecans, and coconut. Stir in milk and vanilla. Mix well. Chill one hour. Shape into strawberries and roll in red sugar. (If red decorator sugar cannot be found, make your own by putting white sugar in a jar, adding a few drops red food coloring, and shaking well.) Tint almonds with green food coloring (same method as for tinting sugar) and insert in tops of berries to form leaves. Faye Walch, Salt Lake City, Utah

Nippy Mexican Dip

1 cucumber

4 medium tomatoes

1 onion

1/4 green pepper

1 small clove garlic, pressed

1–3 hot yellow peppers (optional)

5–10 sprigs cilantro or parsley

1/2 avocado (or more)

1 stalk celery

1 carrot

1/4 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce

1 tablespoon catsup

Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime

Dash oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Finely chop or grind the first seven ingredients together. In a blender, mix the avocado, celery, and carrot, using a little juice from the chopped ingredients. Combine the chopped and the blended ingredients, add seasonings, and chill. This dip goes well with tortilla chips, crackers, or raw vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, or zucchini.

Jan Hagel Cookies

These crispy cookies originated in Holland, though this version is less sweet than the original. Nuts and seeds have been added for crunch and flavor—not to mention nutrition!

1/2 pound butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons water

1 cup fine whole-wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped or sliced almonds

1 cup sesame seeds

Glaze: 6 tablespoons brown sugar and 6 tablespoons water

Combine the butter or margarine, sugar, water, flours, and cinnamon to form a stiff dough. Divide the dough into two equal parts, and press into two 10″ by 15″ cookie sheets (size is important). Using the palm of the hand, keep pushing and stretching the dough until a thin layer reaches all sides of the pan. Press nuts into the dough in one pan and sesame seeds into the other. Sparingly brush the glaze on top. Bake the sheets one at a time in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for about fifteen minutes or until evenly and lightly browned. Remove from oven and cut into squares or diamonds while still hot. Store in airtight container in a cool place. Makes about ten dozen delicate cookies.

Belgian Cheese Log

(The basic ingredients of cheese and butter can be used as a starter for many other variations. Try substituting ground dried fruits, grated cheeses, sesame seeds, or other items.)

4 ounces cream cheese

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon “fines herbes”

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 teaspoon chives, chopped

Dried parsley for rolling

Soften cheese and butter to room temperature. Mix well and add the herbs, except parsley. Shape into a ball or log and roll in chopped parsley. Wrap in a double layer of waxed paper and chill, or use as a dip. (Above recipes from Karen Mergeler, Bear Valley, California)

Photography by Eldon K. Linschoten