2011 Holiday Recipe Guide
4 whole eggs, well beaten
¾  C sugar
4 T flour (mixed into sugar)
1 1/3 C Green Label Karo® Waffle Syrup (can use dark)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maple flavoring
4 T butter, soft or melted
1 1/3 C chopped pecans
 Stir flour into sugar, and mix into the rest of the ingredients, adding pecans last.  I use a whisk to mix. Pour into 9″ unbaked pie shell and bake 45 – 50 minutes at 350°. Check at 40 minutes. 
If top is getting too brown, cover with a loose sheet of foil.  I use a “pie ring” to keep the crust from getting too brown but you can make your own with strips of foil.

2011 Holiday Recipe Guide
1 Baked pie crust
5 T sifted flour
1 C brown sugar
3 T butter
1½ C milk
2 egg yolks, well beaten
1 tsp vanilla
Combine flour, brown sugar, & butter, blend. Add milk & cook in heavy kettle, until thickened, stirring constantly.
Pour small amount of mixture over egg yolks, stirring vigorously. Return to kettle & boil 10 minutes longer or until thick. Add vanilla. Cool. Pour in to pie crust & top with meringue.
Meringue:
2 egg whites
4 T sugar
1/8-1/4 tsp. cream of tartar.
Brown in oven.

2011 Holiday Recipe Guide
¾ C flour
1/8 tsp salt
¾ C sugar
½ tsp baking powder
½ lb dates
½ lb nuts (walnuts or pecans)
½ lb candied pineapple
½ lb candied cherries
½ tsp vanilla
2 eggs separated
Mix dry ingredients with fruit and nuts. Stir in egg yolk and vanilla. Fold in stiflly beaten egg whites.
2 loaf pans, 8x4x2, lined with foil.
Press ingredients firmly into the pansm cover cakes with foil and bake at 275° for 13/4 hours. Remove foil and increase heat to 325° and bake 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool. Remove from foil; wrap and store in refrigerator.

2011 Holiday Recipe Guide
29 oz can pumpkin
4 eggs
13 oz evaporated milk
1½ C sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 C oleo
1 C chopped nuts
Beat pumpkin, eggs, milk, sugar and spices, pour in ungreased 9×13 pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Pour melted oleo over cake mix and sprinkle with nuts. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Top with whipped cream if desired.

2011 Holiday Recipe Guide

First Layer:
2 C flour
1 C melted margarine
1 C chopped pecans
Combine and mix all ingredients and press into 9×9 baking dish. Bake 15-20 min at 325°.  Allow to cool.
Second Layer:
2-8 oz pkgs cream cheee
2 C powdered sugar
2 C whipped cream
Combine and mix all ingredients and spread over first layer.
Thirs Layer:
4 pkgs butterscotch no cook instant pudding
6 C milk
1 tsp vanilla
Combine ingredients and beat until thickened. Spread on second layer. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with pecans.

2011 Holiday Recipe Guide
1 C granulated sugar
1 C brown sugar, firmly packed
1½ C margarine, softened
3 eggs
4 C sifted flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ lb dates, chopped
½ lb figs, chopped
1 C walnuts, chopped
Cream sugars with margarine. Add eggs, beat till fluffy. Add chopped dates, figs and walnut to sifted flour, salt, soda and cinnamon. Mix all ingredients well –till fruit and nuts are evenly distributed in the dough. (Dough will be stiff). Pack down into two loaf pans which have been lined with wax paper. Place in refrigerator or freezer till thoroughly chilled. Slice with sharp knife into thin slices and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 400° oven about 12 minutes.

2011 Holiday Recipe Guide
1 C all-purpose flour
1 C white sugar
¼ tsp salt
2 C cranberries
½ C chopped walnuts 
½ Cbutter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9” pie pan. Combine flour sugar and salt. Stir in the cranberries and walnuts, and toss to coat. Stir in butter, beaten eggs and almond extract. If you are using frozen cranberries, the mixture will be very thick. Spread the banner into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

There is the classic feta cheese, tomato and watermelon salad. There are various riffs on lemonade spiked with pureed watermelon. And, of course, there are innumerable variations on traditional fruit salad. But we wanted something more unique, more interesting.

Which, oddly, took us back to tradition. In some parts of the country, pickled watermelon rind is a staple. But in most of the U.S., the rind is just nature’s way of adding a handle. So we started there. Then we moved on to the sweet, juicy flesh, transforming it into a pudding fit for a tart.

Finally, we blended orange and elderflower liqueur with vanilla to create a delicious syrup for marinating strawberries and watermelon.

———

SWEET WATERMELON

RIND RELISH

This recipe calls for watermelon rind with the thin outer dark green skin removed. The easiest way to do that is to use a paring knife to cut away the red flesh, then use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin.

Start to finish: 1 hour

Makes 3 cups

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon whole allspice

4 cups watermelon rind, green skin removed, cut into 1/4-inch chunks

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

2 cinnamon sticks

2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into chunks

On a 6-inch square of cheesecloth, combine the cloves and allspice. Tie the cloth into a bundle.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the watermelon rind, sugar, vinegar, salt, cinnamon sticks, ginger and spice bundle. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, or until the watermelon rind is tender. Allow the watermelon to fully cool in the liquid. Remove and discard the spice bundle, cinnamon sticks and ginger. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Nutrition information per 2-tablespoon serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 35 calories; 0 calories from fat (0 percent of total calories); 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 80 mg sodium.

———

WATERMELON

PUDDING TART

Start to finish: 20 minutes, plus cooling

Servings: 8

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

5 tablespoons butter, melted

2 1/2 cups watermelon flesh

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 eggs

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar

Whipped cream

Heat the oven to 350 F. Coat a 9-inch removable bottom tart pan with baking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the butter, stirring until well mixed. Press the mixture into the prepared tart pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden.

Meanwhile, in a blender puree the watermelon until completely smooth. You should have 2 cups of juice. Strain the juice through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Add the lemon juice. Over medium-high heat, bring the juice to a simmer.

In a medium, heat-safe bowl, whisk together the eggs, cornstarch and sugar until smooth. In a slow and steady stream, pour the hot juice into the egg mixture while continuously whisking. Pour the mixture back into the pan and continue to cook, whisking until thickened. Pour the watermelon pudding into the baked tart crust.

Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding and refrigerate until cold. Serve with whipped cream.

Nutrition information per serving without whipped cream (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 180 calories; 90 calories from fat (46 percent of total calories); 10 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 75 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 1 g fiber; 100 mg sodium

———

MARINATED WATERMELON AND STRAWBERRIES

Start to finish: 2 hours 30 minutes (15 minutes active)

Servings: 4

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 vanilla bean

1/4 cup elderflower liqueur

2 tablespoons orange liqueur

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

2 cups cubed watermelon flesh

In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Use a paring knife to split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the pan, then add the pod. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat and cool fully. Remove the vanilla pod. Stir in the elderflower liqueur and orange liqueur.

In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries and watermelon, then pour the syrup over them. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Serve in glasses.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 170 calories; 0 calories from fat (0 percent of total calories); 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 37 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 0 mg sodium.

By ALISON LADMAN

For The Associated Press

• 1 1/4 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (8 crackers)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling

• 1 envelope (7 grams) unflavored gelatin
• 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 1 can (12 fluid ounces) Nestlé Carnation Evaporated Milk
• 1 cup (6 ounces) Nestlé Toll House Premier White Morsels
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped hard peppermint candies (about 24), divided

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
2. FOR CRUST:
3. COMBINE crumbs and sugar in pie plate. Stir in butter. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of prepared pie plate.
4. BAKE for 8 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.
5. FOR FILLING: PLACE gelatin in small bowl; stir in water. Let soften for 1 minute.
6. HEAT evaporated milk and softened gelatin in small saucepan over medium heat; stirring constantly with whisk until mixture is dissolved and hot. Remove from heat; stir in morsels and peppermint extract until completely melted and smooth. Pour into medium bowl. Refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cool to touch. Gently whisk in 2 cups whipped topping. Sprinkle 1/4 cup candies over bottom of crust. Pour filling over pie crust.
7. REFRIGERATE for 2 hours or until set. Spread remaining whipped topping over center of filling. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup candies. Serve immediately.

SOURCE:
Nestlé

Kimberli Escalera, Scottsbluff, NE

2½ C sweet apples

¼ C brown sugar

1 T corn starch

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cloves

¼ tsp salt

Put ingredients in sauce pan and stir. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, ½ cup water

Prepare pie pan and place crust in 450º oven for 5 minutes.

Bring ingredients to a boil, simmer 20 to 25 min or until apples are done

Remove from heat and add 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice.

Pour into pie crust. 

In large mixing bowl mix

1 egg

1 C pumpkin

½ C brown sugar

¼ tsp ginger

1/8 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cups evaporated milk

Pour over apple mixture cover edges of crust

Place in 375º oven for 1 hour or until knife inserted comes out clean.