White Fruitcake

3 c. white sugar
1 lb. butter
1 t. cinnamon
2 fresh coconuts (peeled and shredded)
11 large eggs
5 c. AP flour
2 t. vanilla
1 lb. candied pineapple, diced
1 lb. candied red cherries
1 lb. candied green cherries
3 c. chopped black walnuts (or 4 c. mixed nuts)
2 lbs. white raisins

Cream sugar, butter and eggs, beating well. 
Roll nuts, raisins, and fruit in flour.  Fold into cake batter. Add coconut and mix well. Bake 2 1/2 hours at 250 in 2 tube pans. This makes 2 LARGE cakes.

Mom received this recipe from our neighbor, Callie White, many, many years ago.

Christmas Tree Punch

4 bags constant comment tea
4 cups boiling water
1/2 cup of simple syrup (use fresh ginger in your syrup if you have some)
3/4 cup of white cranberry juice
1/2 cup of fresh lime juice
1 1/2 cups of white rum
2 bottles of sparkling wine or champagne (chilled)
1 cup of frozen cranberries
1 bunch of rosemary
1 cup of thinly sliced limes

Freeze 1 cup of fresh cranberries.  Brew tea by steeping tea in 4 cups of
boiling water for 10 minutes.  Place in refrigerator to cool.

In small punch bowl or glass pitcher, combine simple syrup, white cranberry
juice, fresh squeezed lime juice and rum.  Add the chilled iced tea and
stir.

Right before serving, add the chilled sparkling wine, frozen cranberries and
rosemary sprigs to the bowl.  Add ice if needed.

Christmas Chex Mix

Christmas Crack Chex Mix

Ingredients:

• 1 12.8-ounce box Rice Chex cereal
• 1 12-ponce box Golden Grahams cereal
• 1 7-ounce bag shredded coconut
• 1 4-ounce bag slivered almonds
• 1 1/2 cups butter (3…yes 3…sticks of butter)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups corn syrup

Directions:

Combine Rice Chex and Golden Grahams, coconut and almonds in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.

In a large sauce pan, cook butter, sugar and corn syrup to the “soft ball” stage…about 234 degrees on a candy thermometer. Pour over cereal mixture and stir until all is well coated. Pour mixture out onto 2 large cookie sheets to cool. Stir it around occasionally to prevent clumping. Store in an airtight container.

CK's Moose Munch

30 oz. Crunch and Munch® (any caramel corn) (4---7.5 oz boxes)
1 cup Nuts (almonds or cashews)
12 oz Semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 oz White chocolate chips
2 tsp Crisco, divided

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Set aside.
Place semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 tsp of Crisco in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir. Continue until chips look shiny. Remove from microwave and stir until all chips are melted.
Quickly stir in 1 box of popcorn and 1/2 cup of nuts, if using. Note that popcorn does not have to be perfectly covered with chocolate. Spread onto the prepared cookie sheet, separating kernels as much as possible. Cool completely and break into pieces.
Repeat the process with the white chocolate chips and remaining Crisco. Stir in a second box of popcorn with another 1/2cup of nuts, if using. Add the white chocolate chips and put on the 2nd cookie sheet as described above.
When both pans of chocolate covered popcorn have dried, combine the white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate and the remaining 2 boxes of popcorn. Combine the nuts with the popcorn. Store in airtight container out of the heat.

** I added the nuts into the chocolate and white chocolate mix. They are coated with the choc/white choc also.**

Go Nuts with Vickie

2 egg whites
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 lb nuts (cashews, pecans, or almonds)
1 1/2 cup of sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Combine egg whites, water and vanilla and beat until frothy. Pour nuts into mixture and coat the nuts well. Combine cinnamon and sugar then pour over nuts. Coat nuts well. Bake for 45 minutes at 275 degrees. Turn nuts every 15 minutes. Cool on wax paper. Go nuts!

Turtle Pretzel Sticks

1 bag caramels -- (14 oz.)
2 teaspoons water
Nonstick cooking spray
1 bag pretzel rods -- (10-ounce)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I like to use milk
chocolate)
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening (not butter)
1 cup very finely chopped pecans

Unwrap caramels and place in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Add water. Microwave on High (100 percent) power 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute, until caramels are melted and smooth. (For ease of stirring, coat spoon with cooking spray.)

Coat a sheet of foil with cooking spray. Dip half of each pretzel into hot caramel; twirl to coat. Let excess drip from pretzel, and then place on coated foil.

Place chocolate chips and shortening in a clean 2-cup glass-measuring cup. Microwave on High for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until shortening melts, stirring after 1 minute. Stir until chocolate melts. Dip caramel- coated end of pretzel sticks in chocolate; roll tips in nuts. Refrigerate immediately. Remove from refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 24 pretzel sticks.

These make a wonderful treat to give to your guests if you have a Christmas party. Put them in a clear bag (approved for food) and close with a Christmas ribbon or colorful twist tie.

Christmas Gorp

1 & 1/2 c. white chocolate baking morsels
3/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. plus 2 T. butter
1 T. honey
1/4 t. ground cinnamon (optional)
8 c. Crispix (or other crispy corn and rice cereal squares
1 8 oz. pkg. pretzel-flavored fish-shaped crackers (3 cups)
1 & 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 c. salted, roasted almonds with skins
2 c. red and green candy-coated chocolate pieces
1 & 1/2 c. sweetened dried cranberries (or raisins)

Combine first 4 ingredients and cinnamon, if desired, in a heavy saucepan. Cook over med. heat, stirring until morsels and butter melt. Place cereal and crackers in a large bowl; add melted white chocolate mixture. Stir until well coated. Let cool slightly.

Place powdered sugar in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add coated cereal mixture in batches; seal bag, and toss well to coat. Combine sugar-coated cereal mixture, almonds, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Stir gently to blend. Store in an airtight container.