The Amish celebrate the season through their baking and culinary creativity. You won't see brightly wrapped presents under the tree (most Amish don't even put up a Christmas tree), but you will find the season marked with decadent fudge, candy and pies made only during this time of year. Enjoy!
AMISH CHRISTMAS COOKIES
3 cups of flour
3 tablespoon of milk
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of cream or tartar
½ teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 ¼ cup of butter
* Mix dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and stir until you get a soft dough. Roll out thinly. Cut in any shape desired. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes until the cookies are golden brown around the edges. Let cool and decorate as you wish. These cookies taste great for weeks.
AUNT EMMA'S BLACK WALNUT HOLIDAY FUDGE
2 squares of unsweetened chocolate
⅛ teaspoon of salt
¾ cup of milk
2 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of light corn syrup
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of coarsely chopped black walnuts
* Cut chocolate into pieces and combine with milk in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until milk is scalded and chocolate is melted. Stir in corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Place over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, wipe off. Cook without stirring at a fairly low boil to the soft ball stage.
* Remove from heat. Add butter without stirring. Cool to lukewarm. Add vanilla and beat until candy loses its gloss and begins to thicken. Quickly stir in walnuts. Turn at once into a lightly buttered 8 inch square pan. While warm, mark in 18 inch pieces. When cool and firm, cut.
* Makes 1 ½ pounds. If black walnuts are not available, use chopped walnuts and add a few drops of black walnut extract along with the vanilla.