Lebkuchen

These cookies have been a family tradition for Christmas as long as I can remember. They are my father's favorite and both my parents now make these cookies together. They are a long involved process but worth it in the end. Don't let the amount of ingredients scare you, or the fact that you are using Potash and Baking Ammonia for making these. You will likely find these ingredients at a German specialty shop. Don't bother explaining what you are looking for in your local grocers, they will think you are off your rocker wanting to cook with Potash and Ammonia. In Winnipeg where I live you can find it at Market Place on Henderson Highway, or the Bake Oven on Edison Ave. (Try to read the recipe with a German Accent ;o) it is written the way my mom told it to me).

• 5 teaspoons Potash/ dissolve in 3/4 cup of warm water
  
• 1 tablespoon of baking ammonia/ dissolve in 3/4 cup warm water, let both stand
• (I know I know, what is with more recipes with baking ammonia and now Potash too! I will get lots of questions regarding this but have never had them without the baking ammonia or Potash. If nothing else this recipe is posted for our family. So we have it documented for future generations. I have looked for recipes to compare it too with out and all of the traditional recipes include these ingredients :-)
  
• 4 orange zest
• 1 lemon zest
• 3 cups of sugar
• 2-1/2 cups of liquid honey/ cook with the sugar and let cool
  
• 1 teaspoon of cloves
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 6 cups of flour/ mix with spices and zest
  
• 1/2 cup of oil
• 3 well beaten eggs

1. Mix all ingredients well with a wooden spoon.
2. Dough is very firm.
3. Add 4 -5 cups of flour again after dough is well mixed, total amount about 11 cups of flour.
   
4. Dough is now even firmer.
   
5. Let stand in refrigerator for 2 hours, knead well again.
6. Put in fridge over night.
7. Roll out on to floured counter and cut into circles.
8. Bake at 325 for 7-10 minutes.

Frosting:

• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1 egg white
• 3 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (optional)
  
• 1/8 of a teaspoon of cream of tar tar

1. Cook all ingredients including the egg white over a double boiler and beat for 5 - 7 minutes.
2. Icing it will be ready when it spins like a thread.

or alternate frosting

• 2 egg whites beaten stiff
• 2 tablespoon hot honey
• 1 1/2 cups of sifted icing sugar, don't cook and schmear over cookie.

Peppermint Cookies

Last Christmas a group of us attended the Christmas Tour put on by one of our local churches. If you all remember, Lovella was very busy preparing her home for this event. As we travelled through one home, the hostess served these small button-like peppermint cookies. We tasted...we looked at each other thinking...Can we ask for this recipe? I dared and was not sorry. The hostess most delightfully shared her Peppermint recipe. Anyone can make these delicious cookies. And you don't need to run out to Funk's to purchase ammonia...it's hard to find, all you need is peppermint extract.


Ingredients

• 1 cup whipping cream / heavy cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp. peppermint extract
• 3 cups flour

1. Cream together the heavy cream, sugar and egg. (do not whip the cream beforehand)
2. Add baking powder, peppermint extract and flour.
3. Mix together into a soft dough and roll out and use small cookie cutters.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or till bottoms are barely brown.
Ice with pale green icing and dust with coconut.

Just another one of those simple recipes to spark up your Christmas repertoire.

bread for the journey

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27 NIV

Peace is not an absence of conflict...

but an assurance that whatever circumstance we may find ourselves in...

we are safe in God's hands.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

~Horatio Spafford, 1873

May you experience the peace of knowing that 'it is well with your soul' during this advent season.

Cherry Squares

I got this recipe more than 25 years ago from a sweet elderly neighbor and it has become a yearly must for our family . . . a favorite of one of our kids. The texture is somewhat like a butter tart and I cut the pieces quite small, so it' s like eating a little candy bar.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c flour
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp flour
½ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup shredded coconut
½ cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 c maraschino cherries


Method:

1. With pastry blender, cut butter into flour and brown sugar until well mixed. It will be moist and crumbly.
2. Press into ungreased 9x13 pan. (one that has a lid, makes it easy for storage later)
3. Bake at 350F for about 12 min.
4. In the meantime, beat eggs slightly, add combined sugar, flour and baking powder,
   then the rest of the ingredients.
5. Spread over baked layer.
6. Return to oven and bake for 20 - 25 min., until golden brown.

Icing:
2 c icing sugar
2 Tbsp soft butter or margarine
½ tsp vanilla
4 – 6 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice

Beat together in small bowl to make a smooth spreadable frosting. Spread over cooled cake. Cut into 36 - 48 squares. I cut them up before freezing and then I can lift out what I need for a cookie platter.

Cover with lid or slip into plastic bag and freeze.

Seafood Salsa

Here's another take on chips and salsa just in time for all those holiday parties.

• 2 cups salsa - purchased or home made
• 1/2 cup imitation crab, chopped
• 1/2 cup small shrimp
• 1/2 cup diced fresh sweet peppers
• several dashes tabasco sauce or other hot sauce

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.
3. Serve with your choice of tortilla chips.

Almond Cookies

Years ago my SIL and I took a Chinese cooking course, taught by Mrs Wong. We had a wonderful time. She taught us how to make many dishes and then we all shared a meal together at each class. That was motivation enough not to miss a class:)
I am happy that she shared this cookie recipe, they are one of my favorites. They are the 'melt in your mouth' kind. They can of course be baked any time of year but I like to have them on my cookie platters at Christmas.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lard
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• whole almonds
• sesame seeds
• 1 egg for eggwash

Method:

1. Cream lard and sugar until fluffy. Add 1 egg and almond extract. Mix well.
2. Add flour and baking soda and blend into the creamed mixture.
3. Roll dough into approx 1" balls and place on cookie sheet. Press cookies down with a glass that has been dipped in flour, this prevents the dough from sticking to the glass.
4. Beat another egg for eggwash and brush on the cookies. Press an almond in the center of each cookie and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. The recipe says to bake at 300º for 20 minutes, then increase heat to 350º for another 8 minutes until golden brown.
6. I have changed that over the years and now find that in my oven it works well to bake them at 335º for 20 minutes.
7. Yields: 34 cookies

Chewy Chocolate Clusters

These tasty little no bake morsels, are so easy to whip up and with ingredients that we often have on hand. They are chewy, chocolaty and oh so melt in your mouth good.

• 1-12 oz pkg. chocolate chips
• 2/3 cups butter or margarine
  
• 1- 250 gm or small bag marshmallows
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups of rice crisp type cereal
• 1 cup of coconut

1. Melt chocolate chips, margarine and marshmallow, stirring constantly until smooth.
2. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.
3. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet or on to waxed paper.
4. Refrigerate til set.
5. Roll in extra coconut, just to make it look festive.
6. Now try to control yourself, they are addictive...;-).