Traditions

I woke up this morning thinking about Christmas's gone by. Remembering the different things I used to do when I was a kid this time of year. It was usually christmas shopping, followed by baking, playing in the snow and even more baking:) Every year mom would bake oodles and oodles of cookies (which my brother and I got to decorate!) along with various goodies that my family has made as far back as can be remembered. I'm a bit of a non-conformist but looking back I value and enjoyed these little "traditions" that my family did every year. Just like clockwork. (grin)

So today I share with you some of my family's recipes that I make every year with my children, which was made when I was a kid and was even made by my mother before me. By sharing these "traditions" we connect our children to those loved ones that have gone on before.

BUTTERHORNS: 4 cups flour, 1 tablespoon yeast, 1/4 cup butter, 3 egg yokes (keep the whites in a separate bowl) 1/2 cup carnation milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix everything together, except the egg whites. Divide into 8 balls. Roll ball out (like you would a pie crust) in powdered sugar and cut into 8 wedges (like pie slices). On each wedge add a rounded teaspoon of filling (recipe follows) on the "large" edge of the wedge and then roll it up. Repeat these steps with the last 7 balls. Bake at 350 degrees on an ungreased baking sheet until filling is just lightly brown.

Filling: 3 egg whites, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup pecans, 3 cups sugar, 3/4 cup dates (chopped). Beat egg whites to "peaks". Add sugar and vanilla, stir by hand. Blend in rest.

POTATO CANDY: We always used left over mashed potatoes from a previous dinner. Put potatoes in a bowl and mix with powdered sugar. Flour surface with powdered sugar. Put "dough" onto floured surface. Roll out (rectangle shape) but make sure that you DO NOT roll out too thin. Spread peanut butter on "dough". Roll up like you would a jelly roll. Wrap in wax paper and chill for a couple of hours. When done being chilled, cut into slices.

BUCKEYES: 1/2 pound or two sticks of butter ( at room temperature), 1 pound of peanut butter. Mix together the butter and peanut butter and add 3 cups powdered sugar. Shape into balls and put in fridge. After being chilled for awhile dip in melted chocolate, but make sure not to cover the whole "ball" because you want to see some of the peanut butter "peeking" through. Hence, the reason it looks like a buckeye.

SNICKERDOODLES: 1/2 cup butter (softened), 1/2 cup shortening, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 3/4 cup flour, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon salt. In a separate bowl mix 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar, set aside. Mix all the ingredients together and shape into small balls. Roll each ball into the cinnamon/sugar mixture and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and I also hope that they help to weave wonderful holiday memories that you and your will remember for years to come.........