Holiday Recipes

Theresa Brennan of Wake Forest submitted two recipes that she often makes for the holidays. “Both are family favorites and very easy,” she notes. Below is her recipe for Pecan Tassies.

Pecan Tassies

1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 3 oz Philadelphia cream cheese
1 cup flour
Combine margarine and softened cream cheese until well blended. Add flour and mix well. Chill.
Combine the first three ingredients below and mix well. Then stir in the pecans.

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Divide dough into 24 balls. Press into mini muffin pans. Fill each cup 3/4 full of brown sugar mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan.

Another family favorite submitted by Theresa Brennan, Wake Forest :

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

1 Ready Crust Chocolate Pie Crust (6 oz)
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Chocolate Glaze (see directions below)*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. With mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy; gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla; mix well.

 Arrange raspberries on bottom of crust. Slowly pour cheese mixture over fruit. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool.

 Pour chocolate glaze lightly over cheesecake; chill. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate leftovers. 

* Chocolate Glaze

In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt 2 (1 oz) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate with 1/4 cup whipping cream. Cook and stir until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat.

Jennifer Shy of Raleigh submitted the following recipe for an easy but elegant relish.

Cranberry Relish

1 bag cranberries
1 small orange
1 tart apple (optional)
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
¼ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice
¼ tsp finely grated ginger root

Cut orange into quarters lengthwise (with peel), then cut the quarters crosswise and put in food processor. If using apple, core the fruit and put in food processor. Add cranberries and blend. Place in medium bowl and add remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cheri Vigna, art director, shares a recipe her mother always made at Thanksgiving. You can add whatever you like to it for your own personal twist — like chestnuts or celery. You can add or decrease ingredients such as apple, onion and currants as you like. But it is the sweet-tart combination that makes it good.

Iola’s Wild Rice Stuffing for Turkey (or Chicken)

1 bag of seasoned stuffing bread (Pepperidge Farm is good)
1 cup dry wild rice, then cook until done
1 large sweet onion, diced in ¼-inch cubes
1 large tart green apple, diced in ¼-inch cubes
1/3 cup currants
¼ pound butter melted
About 2 cups liquid from cooking neck and giblets

Smash the bread cubes until there aren’t any large chunks. Place the smashed bread in a large bowl. Add onion, apple, cooked rice, currents and butter. Stir. Add enough liquid so the mixture is just moist. Save the remaining liquid for your gravy. Stuff turkey and, if there is any left, you can put in a casserole dish to bake for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Robin Hutchison, marketing director and advertising sales, submitted several wonderful dishes: Fresh Cranberry Casserole, Turkey Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole, Roasted Asparagus and Cheese Pit.

Fresh Cranberry Casserole

Great side dish at Thanksgiving and Christmas or to perk up a leftover dinner
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup quick oatmeal, uncooked
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
3 medium apples, diced
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 stick butter

Combine sugars, oatmeal, flour and cinnamon. Add fruit and nuts, mixing well. Spread in casserole. Top with butter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Submitted by Robin Huchison, marketing director

Turkey Casserole

Great for leftover Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey

4 cups turkey (or chicken) cut up
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 box Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice, cooked
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sauteed in butter
1 can Campbell 's Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Scant salt and cracked pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup light cream

Mix turkey, mushrooms, rice and cheese. Put into casserole dish. Mix all other ingredients and pour over chicken and rice Sprinkle with a bit more grated cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until bubbly throughout.

Freezes well before baking.

Submitted by Robin Hutchison, marketing director

Sweet Potato Casserole

8 sweet potatoes, boiled
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon orange rind
1 teaspoon lemon rind
Pinch of salt
Orange extract
Fresh nutmeg
Cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten well
1/2 cup regular sugar

Remove skin from potatoes and add butter. Place in mixer and beat until very light. Add all ingredients except for eggs, continuing to beat until cool. When potatoes are cool, add eggs and beat at least 5 more minutes.

Pour into a greased oblong oven-safe baking dish and cover with topping:

1 cup pecans with brown sugar, flour and a little soft butter added to form crumble topping.

Cook at 350 F for at least 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Submitted by Robin Hutchison, marketing director

Roasted Asparagus

Rinse and snap off the tough bottom stems of asparagus; pat dry. Line up in a flat baking pan and brush with olive oil. Don't stack the asparagus on top of each other; use more than one pan if necessary. Sprinkle with kosher salt and lemon/pepper seasoning. Roast at 500 degrees for 9-10 minutes until tender but still firm.

Remove from oven and spritz with Balsamic Vinegar spray for a little extra

zing! Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Submitted by Robin Hutchison, marketing director

Cheese Pit

Great for Christmas morning breakfast/brunch with fruit or a green salad

5 to 6 slices buttered white bread, cut into cubes
3/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
5 eggs, beaten lightly
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper

Alternate bread and cheese in buttered casserole. Mix milk, mustard, salt and pepper into eggs. Pour over bread and cheese. Let stand several hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until bubbly. Serves 4-5.

Candi Griffin, advertising sales, shares a recipe with the comment that her in-laws never liked stuffing until they ate this one!

Cranberry-Pecan Stuffing

1 cup dried cranberries
½ cup orange juice (or Grand Marnier)
1 pound mild ground pork sausage
2 cups coarsely chopped celery
¾ cup chopped onion
¼ cup butter
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme

can chicken broth
6 oz package stuffing mix
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and set aside.

Brown and crumble sausage in a large skillet. Drain, saving 2 tablespoons drippings.

Cook celery and onion in drippings 10 minutes on medium-high heat. Stir constantly. Add butter and next four ingredients. Cook an additional 3 minutes or until butter melts.

Combine cranberry mixture, sausage, chicken broth, stuffing mix, orange rind and pecans. Stir well. Spoon stuffing mixture stuffing into a lightly greased 11 x 17 baking dish. Bake covered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. Bake additional 10 minutes uncovered or until lightly browned.

It’s not Thanksgiving without Sweet Potato Casserole, according to editor Crickett Gibbons’ husband. Regardless of where dinner is enjoyed, this dish needs to appear on the table.

Sweet Potato Casserole

1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups sweet potatoes (canned work well)
2 eggs
¼ cup butter
1 cup sugar (or less)
salt
½ cup milk

Mix above ingredients in a bowl and spread in the bottom of an ungreased casserole dish. For topping, mix together:

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter

Add to top of casserole and bake one hour at 350 degrees F.

Mia Prior, advertising designer, found a recipe for a side dish several years ago that her family enjoys at Thankgiving.

Thanksgiving Orange Cups

6 navel oranges, cut in half crosswise
7-8 sweet potatoes, peeled
1 stick butter
Grand Marnier liqueur, to taste
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown sugar to taste, usually a few tablespoons
12 pecans for garnish

Scoop out all the orange pulp and squeeze the juice. Save juice and orange shells, but discard pulp. Boil sweet potatoes until soft and ready to mash. Drain potatoes, add butter and mash. Add juice and liqueur to taste. Mix with electric beater until consistency of soft mashed potatoes. Add cloves, nutmeg, salt and pepper. You can add some brown sugar to sweeten it.

Scoop mixture into orange halves. Dot the top with pecan. Orange cups can be made a couple of days early, but keep them refrigerated.

When ready to serve, heat in baking dish at 325 degrees F until warm, about 15 minutes.

Makes 12 servings.

Sue Chen, new business development, makes a delicious and seasonal quick bread recipe.

Pumpkin Bread

Mix first four ingredients in a large bowl:

3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup cooking oil
2/3 cup water

Mix dry ingredients together and add to first mixture:

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cloves
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Stir in 2 cups pumpkin. Mix well.

Bake at 350 F for 60 minutes. Test for doneness with toothpick. Makes two

Regular-size loaves or five small loaves. (Bake small loaves approximately 35 minutes.)

Sissy Anlyan, in advertising sales, shares her yummy dessert that’s easy to make — and eat!

Apple Dessert

1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 teaspoons water
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
6 golden delicious apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Peel and slice apples. Place sliced apples on the bottom of the dish. Mix remaining ingredients and sprinkle over apples. Bake for 45 minutes.

At Web editor Odile Fredericks’ house, gingerbread girls and boys are a holiday tradition. This recipe can be doubled and tripled. The Fredericks also bake the pieces that are left over and try to guess what they are. No waste!

Gingerbread Girls, Boys, Space Aliens and Other Creations

½ cup molasses
¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon milk
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon powdered ginger

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter some cookie sheets. Heat the molasses to the boiling point; add the sugar, butter and milk. Mix the flour with the baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Add to the first mixture and blend well. Add a few tablespoons of water, enough so that the dough holds together and handles easily. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap it in a piece of waxed paper and refrigerate it until it’s cool.

Remove dough from fridge, unwrap it, and roll or pat it until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Cut it into gingerbread girls, boys and other shapes. Add pieces of dough to form different creations, pressing firmly so the dough holds together. Decorate as you like, pressing on miniature M&Ms, sprinkling with colored sugar, etc. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes.

Monica Paynter of Youngsville submitted a nontraditional holiday dish. Her family spices up the holidays with a little Mexican flare. This recipe is fast, simple and delicious.

Taco Pie

1 pie shell (for meat pies)
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
2 cups of cheese
1 lb ground beef, browned and seasoned with taco seasoning (to taste)

Brown ground beef and add taco seasoning. Stir in corn, black beans and kidney beans, and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Barbara Eyster, of Durham, developed this recipe with her daughter.

Holiday Crinkles Cookies

1 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients together, blend in vegetable oil and eggs, then add buttermilk. Refrigerate cookie dough prior to baking. Roll cookies in small balls, dipping dough first in sugar (you can use colored sugar) and then in powdered sugar, before placing on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 8-10 minutes at 350 degree Fahrenheit until top of cookie appears done. Let cookies rest on cookie sheet for a few minutes prior to removing. (Note You must refrigerate cookie dough for several hours or overnight.

Barbara Eyster, of Durham, has made this pie for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Apple Pecan Pie

6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
1/2 cup of crushed pecans
1 15 ounce refrigerated pie crust [two-crust]

Mix together apples, teaspoon of brown sugar, orange juice and lemon juice and let sit for 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of white sugar 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon , salt and nutmeg and stir together. Fold in the pecans and pour into pie crust. Cover with second pie crust. (I use small cookie cutters to design a shape on the top crust. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes. Cover the outside of the pie with foil to prevent burning. (If you have any extra pie dough, you can use a cookie cutter to make different shapes on the top of the pie.)