Cooking During The Holiday Season

Traditionally served in Eastern Europe during the Christmas season.

Christmas Cake
By: Jennifer A. Wickes

1/2 pound butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sultanas (Golden raisins)
1/2 cup currants
3 eggs
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
5 ounces candied fruit peel
1/2 lemon - zest
sherry
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice (cinnamon, nutmeg etc.)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.

Sift spice with flour and salt. Add some of the flour mixture to the fruit.

Fold the remaining flour into the butter mixture. Gently fold in the fruit, lemon rind and marmalade. Then, add the sherry.

Put mixture in a prepared tin (lined with grease-proof paper).

Bake at 325 or less for about 1 1/2 hours, and then reduce the temperature to 275 until done.

Serving Ideas: Instead of sherry, try rum.

Serve with creme anglais or with a slice of cheddar cheese, melted, on top.

This is traditionally served in Britain at Christmas.

Christmas Oyster Soup (Soupe Aux Huitres De Noel)
Public domain recipes converted from Meal Master format

2 carrots -- medium, peeled & grated in long thin shreds
1/2 cup celery -- finely diced
1/4 cup butter - melted
4 cups milk -- or ½ milk, ½ cream
4 cups oyster
salt and pepper -- to taste

Peel and grate in long thin shreds, the carrots and add finely diced celery. Melt butter in saucepan and add the vegetables. Stir. Cover and simmer over very low heat for 20 minutes, without browning the vegetables. Add milk (or use 1/2 milk, 1/2 cream); bring to a boil. Heat oysters in enameled cast iron pan over medium heat; do not boil. Pour into milk and serve. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The soup should be served as soon as ready, otherwise it tends to curdle.

The milk and vegetables can be prepared ahead of time and the oysters heated and served at the last minute.
Yields: 4

This is traditionally served in Quebec at Christmas time.

Christmas Sugar Cookies
By: Jennifer A. Wickes 1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Grease a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream margarine and sugar together until white and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, and mix well.

Divide the mixture into 3 and roll out one. Use Christmas shaped cookie cutters and lift

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