Holiday Baking

The holidays are upon us, or at least the sales at the supermarket for holiday baking are. So it's time to plan out holiday treats. I have five recipes that I will be using: Butter Cookies, Pizzelles, Biscotti, Cream Cheese Spritzers, and Fudge. The first recipe is my own, not sure where it is from. The second is from one of my mom's old customers, who always made her pizzelles when she would drop off the woman's hearing aid. The woman was from Italy and was 94 years old when she gave it to my mom, they are the best I've ever had. The last two are recipes are from my mother-in-law's recipe collection, and my husband's favorites. Everyone loves the fudge, it is the best I have had outside of Douglas Fudge in Wildwood, NJ. Get out your Fat Pants my friends, it's time for holiday goodness!

Fudge

4 ½ cups sugar

½ lb butter or margarine

1 1/3 can evaporated milk

1 ½ teaspoons cocoa

4 6-oz pkg chocolate chips

1 12oz jar marshmallow crème

1 ½ cup nuts (optional)

Combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk and bring to a hard boil, stirring often. Reduce to low heat and boil for 9 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat; take ¼ cup of mixture out. Stir cocoa into removed mixture; add the chocolate chips and cocoa mixture to the boiled ingredients and stir well. When chips are melted, add the marshmallow crème (and nuts, if using). Stir well and pour into two 9x12-inch pans; let cool for 2 hours. Score and cut; put into covered containers. Yield: 5 pound fudge.

Butter Cookies

2 ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. orange juice

1 tsp. vanilla

colored sugar/sprinkles for decoration

Combine ingredients. Beat at low speed, 1-2 minutes. Cover, refrigerate 2 hours. Roll out dough with rolling pin, cut with cookie cutter, decorate with sprinkles and/or colored sugar. Preheat oven to 400F, bake 6-10 minutes.

Pizzelles

3 ½ cups flour – sift 3 times

1 ½ cups sugar

6 Jumbo eggs

2 Tablespoons vanilla

2 Tablespoons anisette (the alcohol)

4 Tablespoons baking powder

2 Sticks Marjorine, melted (NOT BUTTER)

Preheat pizzelle iron. Mix well together. Drop approximately 1 tablespoon mixture on iron. Bake approximately 30 seconds. Makes approximately 6 dozen.

Cream Cheese Spritzes

1 package (8oz) cream cheese cut in chunks, at room temperature

1 cup butter or margarine, cut in chunks, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

for decoration: red/green candied cherries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F, have cookie sheets ready. In a medium-sized bowl or in food processor beat or process cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually mix in flour until well blended. Spoon 1 cup dough at a time into cookie press or pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Press dough in 2-inch wreath shapes 1 ½ inches apart on cookie sheet. (Optional: Gently press a cherry in center of each wreath.) Bake 8-10 minutes until edges and bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to racks to cool. Makes 54.

Italian Biscotti

6 eggs

1 ¾ cups sugar

1 tsp lemon or vanilla or anise

5 to 6 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease cookie sheet, set aside. Mix all ingredients – will be very sticky. Take about 1 cup of mixture and mold into oval shape. You should be able to place two loaves on a cookie sheet. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Remove, cut into slices and put back in oven to toast on each side.