Holiday Recipes: Christmas Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball, and More!

By Kevin Williams

These are two holiday recipes given to me by an Amish woman in Michigan. Give them a try!

WHITE CHRISTMAS CUT-OUT COOKIES

1 cup shortening

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

½ cup cream or milk

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon extract

1 tablespoon vanilla

5 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Mix in cream, soda, salt, extract and flour. Roll very thin, almost paper thin. Cut out with cookie cutters of your own preference. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes or until the edges are golden, the cookie dough is very thin so they do not need to bake long. Cool and decorate with candies or frosting.

HOMEMADE HOLIDAY PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

4 cups granulated sugar

¼ cup light corn syrup

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup evaporated milk

¾ cup water

⅓ cup chunk-style peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, syrup, salt, milk, and water. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, and cook 2 minutes. Uncover and cook without stirring until a little of the mixture dropped in cold water forms a soft ball (232 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm (110 degrees). Add peanut butter and the vanilla. Beat until mixture thickens and loses its gloss. Pour into a buttered 8x8x2- inch pan. Cool.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESE BALL

1-8 ounce package of cream cheese
1 /2 cup oleo, softened
3 /4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 /4 teaspoon vanilla
3 /4 cup mini-chocolate chips
Graham crackers or chocolate graham crackers

Beat together cream cheese and oleo until smooth. Mix in powdered sugar, vanilla, and brown sugar. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Shape into a ball and serve with graham crackers.