Holiday Treats

By Julie Wardell

Spiced Nuts

1 tablespoon egg white

2 cups pecans or raw peanuts

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Place nuts in bowl and stir in egg white until nuts are coated.

2. Mix cinnamon and sugar, then sprinkle over nuts, stirring until nuts are covered.

3. Spread nuts on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes at 300ºF (145ºC).

Surprise Cupcakes

1 package chocolate cake mix

paper muffin-tin liners

1 package (8 ounces/225 g) cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

dash salt

1 egg

1 cup chocolate chips

frosting (optional)

1. Prepare cake mix according to directions.

2. Place paper liners in muffin tin. Fill each 2/3 full with batter.

3. Beat cream cheese and sugar together, then mix in salt and egg. Add chocolate chips and stir well.

4. Drop one rounded teaspoonful of cheese mixture into batter in each muffin cup. Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 25 minutes or until done.

5. Cool and frost if desired. Store in refrigerator. Serve cold.

Yogurt Dip

2 cups plain yogurt

1 package ranch-style dressing mix

1 green pepper

Add dressing mix to yogurt to suit taste, then mix thoroughly. Serve in hollowed-out green pepper.

Relish Tree

Styrofoam cone

endive or lettuce

toothpicks

cherry tomatoes

cauliflowerets

carrot chunks

radishes

mushrooms

1. Begin at base and cover entire cone with endive or lettuce leaves, securing with toothpicks.

2. Decorate with vegetables speared with toothpicks.

3. Serve with yogurt dip.

Rocky Road Fudge

1/4 cup milk

2 cups milk chocolate chips

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup chopped nuts

dash of salt

1. Heat milk and chips in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chips melt.

2. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows, nuts, and salt.

3. Spread mixture in greased pan. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Cut into 1″ (2.5 cm) squares.

Stained-Glass Cookies

1 cup softened margarine

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 1/4 cups sifted flour

lollipops or other clear-colored candy broken into small pieces

clean string (optional)

1. Mix margarine, sugar, and eggs together in bowl.

2. Combine salt, baking soda, and flour, and add to sugar mixture a little at a time.

3. Knead dough, then chill several hours.

4. Spread waxed paper on table. Pinch off small ball of dough and place on waxed paper. Roll dough with hands into long strips. Repeat several times, storing remaining dough in refrigerator.

5. Cover cookie sheet with foil. Place a strip of dough on foil and form outline of bell, star, heart, tree, or other shape. If you wish to hang cookie, tie piece of string at top. Bake at 325ºF (160ºC) for 5–8 minutes.

6. Remove cookies from oven. Fill “windows” in middle with thin, even layer of candy pieces. Return to oven and bake about 8–10 minutes more. Watch closely to make sure cookies don’t burn!

7. After cookies cool and harden, peel off any foil that sticks to them. Enjoy!

Photos by Eldon K. Linschoten