Homemade for the Holidays - Part 2

In my last article, I discussed how one way we can bypass some of the commercialism of the season is by making homemade gifts. Not only can it be a more frugal option, but it also can be a blessing to the recipients. I have fond memories of the goodie boxes my mother-in-law prepared for family at Christmas time. They were filled with various treats to feast our eyes and taste buds on. She would try to include items that she knew were well liked. There just seems to be something special about a person taking the time to thoughtfully put together a basket of goodies just for you. This is exactly what the Blessing Baskets are about that I discussed in the previous article.

Today, I'm sharing a couple of my holiday recipes that could be used in the Blessing Baskets. Others have also contributed some of their favorites as well. Feel free to give these a try. Enjoy!

Hot Cocoa Mix in a Jar
Marilyn Waddington

Ingredients:

• 8 cups powdered milk
• 2 1/2 cups non-dairy creamer
• 4 cups Nestle Quik
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

To make a cup of hot cocoa, add 4 tbsps. OR 1/4 - 1/3 cup of mix to 1 cup water.

Bon-Bons
Karen Lowe

These can be filled with different items such as marshmallows or cherries. Here's an Oreo filling that is absolutely scrumptious.

Oreo Filling:

• 1 pkg. cream cheese
• 1 pkg. Oreo cookies (we have used a generic brand)
• 1 lb. bag powdered sugar (you won't use the whole bag)

Crush the Oreos until they're as small as you can get them. Set aside. In a bowl, use a mixer to blend the cream cheese and about 1/3 of the bag of powdered sugar until creamy. Add in cookies. Mix together. We usually use the mixer for this as well. It is very thick. You want to get a creamy texture, not chunky.

Now take 1 pkg. chocolate bark and melt it. Be sure to keep a close eye on it, stirring constantly. You don't want to overcook the chocolate. Once the chocolate is melted, you're ready to make the bon-bons.

Spread wax paper on the counter. Form the Oreo filling in balls. These are very rich so you probably want to keep the balls small. Dip the balls into the melted chocolate and lay on wax paper. Once the chocolate has harden, I will sometimes cut away any excess chocolate from each bon-bon to make them look better. These need to be kept in the refrigerator. That is it! How easy is that? You will not believe how delicious these are.

Scones
Karen Lowe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole grain flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 3/4 cups oats, uncooked
• 1/2 bag chocolate chips (I usually use semi-sweet)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup oil OR a little less than 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce plus 1 tbsp. oil OR 1/3 cup chilled butter cut in small pieces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together. Cut in oil until mixture is crumbly. Mix in oats and chocolate chips. Fold in milk. Do not overmix. Put mixture on a floured surface and roll out to about 1-2 inch thickness depending on how tall you want them to be. Cut in triangles and gently place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Christmas Mincemeat Bars
Beverly Goodrich

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. soft butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsps. molasses
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. cloves
• 3 tbsps. hot water
• 1/4 cup almonds, sliced or chopped
• 1/4 cup seedless raisins, cut in two
• 9 oz. package Mincemeat, broken up

Mix thoroughly the butter, sugar, eggs, molasses, and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir in hot water. Then stir in almonds, raisins, and mincemeat.

Spread thinly in two greased 13 x 9 pans (or one 17 x 11 pan with an edge). Dough will puff and fill in any holes as it bakes. Bake until when touched lightly with finger, no imprint remains - about 12-15 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Remove bars from oven and spread immediately with icing mixture. When cold, cut into 1 1/2" by 2" squares.

Icing Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 3 tbsps. hot milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring

This recipe calls for dry mincemeat in a package, but you can also use canned mincemeat. Just use 9 oz. (about 1/3 of a 27 oz. jar). If you use the canned, you could probably omit the hot water, but I added it anyway to make the batter easier to spread.

Gingerbread Biscotti
Marilyn Waddington

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter, no substitutions
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 cup slivered almonds, optional
• White chocolate to dip cooled biscotti in

Form two rolls 3-4 inches wide and 1 inch high. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. Cool. Cut in inch wide strips. Bake at 300 degrees for 8 minutes. Turn. Then bake 8 minutes longer to dry. Cool. Dip one flat side in chocolate.

Gather the family around. Head to the kitchen. Build some memories together as a family while you design and craft each basket of goodies. Happy baking to all and to all a good night!