Christmas Recipes From Grandma Thu, 9 Dec 2004, at 9:40 p.m.
This news letter is printed here at Recipes From Friends with permission from host Judee.

Each Holiday Season I look forward to making some traditional dishes that brings back wonderful memories of meals at my Grandmother's home. Tonight we have recipes, I am sure, some of you will remember. We hope you enjoy the recipes we chose to share.
Host Food Judee

Welcome Back Around Our Kitchen Table. Tonight, we're moving over to Grandma's Kitchen~Can you smell the molasses cookies baking? How about her famous Christmas Ham roasting? That's right, tonight we're in Grandma's Christmas Kitchen (we even have a couple of Grandpa's recipes tonight!), sharing old time recipes and memories. So, fill up that eggnog cup, get comfy and remember your family's holiday traditions with us all!

Tonight we will start with punch and an appetizer.

Sausage Balls

1 lb. Hot Sausage
10 oz. Grated Cheddar Cheese
3 cups Bisquick

Mix all ingredients by hand in a large bowl. KNEAD WELL! Shape into small (ping pong ball size) balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
***End of Recipe***

Grammy Faith's Mustard Sauce

This is perfect with pork, and is served every year with our Christmas ham.

2 tablespoons mustard powder
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup cream
1/3 cup vinegar
1 egg yolk

In the top half of a double boiler or a medium metal bowl, stir together the mustard powder, white sugar and flour until blended. Gradually stir in the cream so that no lumps form. Place over a pot of simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Measure vinegar into a cup, and drop the egg yolk in it. Whisk together with a fork, then quickly stir into the mustard mixture until well blended. Let stand over simmering water until ready to serve. This sauce can also be reheated over simmering water if there is any left over.
***End of Recipe***

Here is another ham sauce recipe.

MUSTARD MOLD FOR HAM

3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 envelope knox gelatin in 1/4 cup warm water
4 eggs
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 pint whipping cream

Mix first four (dry) ingredients and set aside.

Beat eggs. Add vinegar, gelatin, and dry ingredients. Pour into sauce pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, (about 5 minutes). Do not boil. Cool until room temperature and fold in whipped whipping cream. Pour into mold and refrigerate until set. A small ring mold works best. Excellent with baked ham.
***End of Recipe***

BOURBON HAM

10 - 12 lb fully cooked Ham
1 cup orange juice
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Bourbon
1 Tablespoon ground cloves
Place ham in heavy plastic bag. Mix ingredients - pour over ham. Enclose ham in bag. Refrigerate overnight.

Bake:
Reserve marinate. Put ham in baking pan. Bake at 325 for about 1-2 hours, or until heated through. Remove skin and shave fat to 1/4 inch. Score fat into 1 inch diamonds. Insert whole clove in each diamond. Baste with marinate. Cook 1 hour more.
***End of Recipe***

Grandma's Five Cup Salad

It seems like every Grandma has a version of an ambrosia or chilled fruit salad. This is one of them, and is always on our Christmas table.

1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup flaked coconut
6 ounces sour cream
Combine the oranges, pineapple, marshmallows, coconut, and sour cream. Stir till mixed well. Refrigerate till cold. Serve.
***End of Recipe***

Green Beans with Almonds

"This is one of those dishes that tradition has snatched. Most everyone has a green bean dish on the menu for the holidays. The almonds are a nice detour from the usual ingredients." Original recipe yield: 6 to 8 servings.

2 pounds fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
2 slices bacon
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Remove both ends of beans, break in half, and wash thoroughly. Place in a large pot and add water 3 to 4 inches from the top. Add bacon and cook until tender. Remove bacon from cooking water and discard. Remove beans and place in a large bowl, add almonds and toss. Serve Hot.
***End of Recipe***

Grandma's Corn Pudding

5 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn
2 (14.75 ounce) cans cream-style corn

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.

In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add melted butter, sugar, and milk. Whisk in cornstarch. Stir in corn and creamed corn. Blend well. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish.
Bake for 1 hour.
***End of Recipe***

Gram's Gingerbread Cookies

1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tsp. soda in 1/2 cup hot water
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
5 cups flour (or more)
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream shortening, add sugar gradually, then molasses and egg. Combine soda and hot water and add to mixture. Stir in flour sifted (or just mixed together) with salt and spices. Blend thoroughly.

Chill several hours. Roll out and cut into whatever shapes you want.

Bake at 350 8-10 min.

Ice with royal icing, or decorate before baking with cinnamon candies, nonpareils, etc., or after baking with decorating icing.

Royal Icing

2 2/3 cups sifted powdered sugar
4 Tbsp. warm water
2 Tbsp. meringue powder
1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Beat sugar, water, powder and lemon extract in a medium bowl with electric mixer 7 to 10 minutes or until stiff. Spoon icing into a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe icing on cookies, outlining features of gingerbread men and decorating tops. Allow icing to harden. Store in airtight container.
***End of Recipe***

GRAM'S BEST CARAMELS

Put equal amounts of:
eagle brand sweetened condensed milk (approx 1&1/3 C each):
brown sugar
white sugar
light corn syrup
butter or margarine

Cook to between soft ball and firm ball stage (approx 275 f).
Pour into a greased 9"x 13" pan an set aside to cool (Gram puts it in the refrigerator).

When cool cut into squares of desired size and wrap each piece in handy wrap.

Variation:
Put a layer of chopped walnuts on bottom of greased pan before pouring caramels in pan.
***End of Recipe***

BACARDI RUM CAKE

Cake:
1 cup chopped or ground pecans or walnuts
1 18 1/2 oz. pkg. yellow cake mix
1 3-3/4 oz. pkg. Jell-0 Vanilla Instant Pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup liquid cooking oil - Wesson or the like
1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum (80 proof)
* If using yellow cake mix with pudding already in the mix: Omit instant pudding, use 3 eggs instead of 4, 1/3 cup oil instead of 1/2 cup.
* If you want a cake that has a lighter rum taste, use less rum.
Glaze:
1/4 lb. butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum

Cake:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 10 inch tube or 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. Mix all cake ingredients together using mixer, for 2 minutes. Pour batter over nuts. Bake 1 hour. Cool. Invert on serving plate. Prick top. Spoon and brush glaze evenly over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb glaze. Repeat till glaze is used up.

Glaze:
Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in rum.
Hint: For faster preparation - you may split cake horizontally, and spoon 2/3 of glaze evenly over both cut halves. Spread seedless raspberry jam over bottom half. Put top half back on. Brush top and sides of cake with remaining glaze.
***End of Recipe***

PLUM PUDDING
Yield 8 to 10 servings
½ cup of fine cracker crumbs
7 cups of milk
8 eggs
¾ cup of lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated nutmeg
2 cups of raisins
1-tablespoon flour

Mix the cracker crumbs and 1 cup of milk. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Add the remaining milk to the crumbs and beat vigorously to make a thin batter. Beat the eggs to a froth and combine with the milk mixture. Add the lemon juice and nutmeg. Dust the raisins with 1 tablespoon of flour. Either fold them into the batter or scatter them evenly over the bottom of the two well-greased baking dishes measuring 9 by 12. Add the batter, distributing it evenly in both dishes. Set the puddings on the lowest rack in your oven and bake for 1hr and 35min. test the center with a toothpick to make sure it has set before you take it out.
***End of Recipe***