Reindeer Cookies

Vanilla wafer for muzzle
2 small pretzels for the antlers
1 red hot candy for the nose
1 large round cookie (hard) for head
2 eyes found in the cake decorating isle
chocolate frosting to cover large cookie and to "cement" the rest on to the cookie.

Party Pitas

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c mayo
1/2 tp dill weed
1/4 tp garlic salt
8 whole wheat pita pockets
3
c fresh baby spinach
2 lb shaved cooked ham
1 c thin Monterey Jack cheese slices

Mix first four ingredients, add shaved ham. Spread on pita bread. Layer with spinach and cheese. Cut into 6 wedges. Makes 48 wedges.

Turkey Tetrazzini (from McCall's Cooking School Cookbook)

Sauce
3/4 c butter or margarine
3/4 c all-purpose flour
salt
1/8 tp nutmeg
1 quart milk
2 c turkey stock
4 egg yolks
1 c heavy cream
1/2 c dry sherry

1 lb pkg thin spaghetti
6 c leftover cooked turkey or chicken, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
12 oz whole mushrooms (drain if canned)
8 oz sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)

Make sauce: Melt butter in large saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in flour, 3 tp salt and nutmeg until smooth. Gradually add milk and turkey stock; bring to a boil, stirring constantly; boil 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

In a small bowl, with wire whisk or wooden spoon, beat egg yolks with cream. Beat in a little of the hot mixture. Pour back into saucepan of sauce mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is hot - do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in sherry.

Meanwhile, in 8-quart kettle, bring 6 quarts water to boiling; add 2 tablespoons salt and the spaghetti; cook as directed on label; drain in colander. Return spaghetti to kettle. Add 2 cups sauce; toss lightly until spaghetti and sauce well combined.

Divide spaghetti in half and place in two 12-by-8-by-2 baking dishes, arranging around edges. Add 2 cups sauce to the turkey and mushrooms, mix well. Spoon half of turkey mixture into center of well. Spoon half of turkey mixture into center of each dish. Remove rest of sauce for later use. Sprinkle cheese over spaghetti in each dish. Cover with foil; refrigerate 1 hour or overnight. About 1 hour before serving, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, covered, 45 minutes. Reheat sauce; spoon over spaghetti in each dish. Serves 12.

To freeze: Line baking dish with foil; assemble as directed. Fold foil over to seal and freeze right in dish. When frozen, lift out of dish and remove dish from freezer. To serve: Unwrap, let stand 1 our to thaw. Bake, covered, for 1 hour at 350, or until bubbly.

Sweet-Sour Hamballs

4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c chopped onion
1-1/2 c soft breadcrumbs
2 lb ground ham
1 lb ground pork

16 oz crushed pineapple, undrained
1 c brown sugar
1/4 c French's mustard
2 Tb cider vinegar

Mix the first half together with your hands. Shape into 1-1/2 inch balls and place on ungreased 13 X 9 inch baking sheet.

Place rest into a blender and pulse until smooth. Pour over hamballs. (may be frozen at this stage, thaw then bake)

Bake uncovered @ 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, basting occasionally.

Satin-Top Brownies (Better Homes & Gardens, October 1958)

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2  eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 sq. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 cup sifted enriched flour or 2/3 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Combine sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and smooth. Stir in chocolate. Sift together flour and salt; add to chocolate mixture. Beat until smooth. Stir in nuts. Spread in greased 8x8x2-inch pan.

Bake in moderate oven (350) about 30 minutes. While warn, cut into squares. Cool before removing from pan. Makes 16 brownies.

Oatmeal Cocoa Chippers

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp  baking soda
1/2 tsp  salt
1 cup margarine, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2  eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels (12-oz)
2 cups old-fashioned uncooked oats
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a larger bowl, combine margarine, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate morsels, oats and walnuts. Drop by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes for chewy cookies, 12 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Let stand 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheet, Cool completely. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Snickerdoodles (Pam Waterman's recipe)

1-1/2 cups sugar
2                eggs
1 cup  soft shortening
2-3/4  cups flour
2 tsp   cream of tarter
1 tsp   baking soda
1 tsp   salt
3 tsp   cinnamon
2 TB   sugar

Mix together shortening, sugar and eggs. Sift together flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt. Stir into sugar mixture. Chill thoroughly (overnight).

Roll into balls ( the size of cherry tomatoes). Mix 2 TB of sugar with 3 tsp of cinnamon. Dip top of cookie ball into cinnamon sugar mixture and place dipped side up on a ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 until lightly brown on underside of cookie. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Peanut Butter Cookies (Fannie Farmer)

Preheat oven to 350.

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1           egg
1/2 tsp  vanilla
1/2 tsp  salt
1/2 tsp  baking soda
1    cup flour (preferably pastry)

Cream butter and margarine together. Beat in sugars. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Arrange by spoonfuls on cookie sheets. Press flat with a floured spoon or mark with a floured fork. Bake until firm (about 10 minutes). Makes about 60 cookies.

For a holiday cookie:
Press a Hershey's Kiss into the center of each cookie as soon as the cookies are removed from the oven. Move to a cookie sheet to cool.

Over Seas Fudge (Grandmother Brown's [Goff's] recipe)

1 lb.  confectioners' sugar
3 Tb  top milk (heavy cream)
3 sq.  bitter sweet chocolate
1       egg, well beaten
1 Tb  butter
1 tsp  vanilla
pinch of salt

Melt chocolate and butter in top of double boiler. Add beaten egg, milk, salt and vanilla. Gradually add sifted confectioners' sugar, beating well between additions. If necessary, add 1 more tablespoon (max) of top milk. It will be quite stiff. Spread in an 8 X 8 buttered pan.