To those of us who collect cookbooks, like other people who collect vintage toys or baseball cards, cookbooks are our treasures.  And we haunt the shelves of used book bookstores, and thrift stores looking for those special old issues. I have found vintage cookbooks with snippets of paper tucked between pages, seemingly marking the owner’s favorite recipes. Many of my finds have personal notes and greetings inside the cover, marking a birthday, graduation, marriage, or just to say that someone is special!

I read cookbooks like others read novels, and I get excited when I find a new-to-me book like the one titled Classic Christmas Recipes, published in 2001 by Publications International, Ltd., Louis Weber, CEO. The chapter titles keep with the theme of Christmas, such as Merry Main Dishes, Yuletide Soups and Salads, Santa’s Favorite Sides, and Sleighful of Cookies and Candies. The photographs are so realistic that you can almost smell and taste the foods displayed.

The recipes this month are from that little Christmas cookbook. Hope you will enjoy using them during the holidays. This first one is for fruit cake, but don’t shudder until you read it. If there are some candied fruits that you are not fond of, just replace them with those you do like to make the 1 1/2 cups.

Holiday Fruit Cake

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounces) package (good) graham crackers, finely rolled (about 5 cups crumbs)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup seedless raisins

1 cup pitted dates, snipped

12 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) mixed candied fruit

1 cup walnut pieces, chopped

1/2 cup orange juice

1/3 cup light corn syrup

Directions:

Mix crumbs, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, raisins, dates, candied fruit and walnuts in large bowl. Blend orange juice and corn syrup in small bowl; add to crumb mixture, blending until moistened. Press firmly into foil-lined 8 1/2×4 1/2×2 1/2-inch loaf pan; cover tightly. Store at least 2 days in the refrigerator before serving; Cake will keep several weeks in the refrigerator. Makes 1 (8-inch) loaf.

Raspberry Almond Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients:

1 package (good) sugar cookie mix (such as DUNCAN HINES Golden Sugar Cookie Mix)

1 egg

1/4 cup vegetable oil 

1 tablespoon water 

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/3 cups sliced natural almonds, broken

Seedless red raspberry jam

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine cookie mix, egg, oil, water and almond extract in large bowl. Stir until thoroughly blended. Drop half of dough by level teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. (Dough will spread during baking to 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches.) Place broken almonds on waxed paper. Drop remaining half of dough by level teaspoonfuls onto nuts. Place almond side up 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake both plain and almond cookies 6 minutes or until set but not browned. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Remove to cooling racks. Cool completely. Spread bottoms of plain cookies with jam; top with almond cookies. Press together to make sandwiches. Store in airtight container. Makes 6 dozen sandwich cookies

Note: Other seedless jams can be used, but red raspberry is perfect for the holidays.

Pushed for time for a holiday gift or dessert? Here are a couple of quick ideas. Bake a loaf of your favorite Pumpkin Bread and let it cool, and glaze it with Maple Pecan Glaze. Be sure to let the glaze harden before wrapping the loaf. Next, bake your favorite chocolate cake and serve squares with Eggnog Sauce.

Maple Pecan Glaze

Ingredients:

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup (1/2 pint) whipping cream

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

In saucepan, combine maple syrup and whipping cream; bring to a boil. Boil rapidly 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened; stir occasionally. Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

Eggnog Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold water

1 1/3 cups milk

1/4 cup sugar

3 egg yolks, beaten

1/4 teaspoon each brandy and vanilla extracts

Several dashes ground nutmeg

Directions:

Stir cornstarch and water in saucepan until smooth. Add milk, sugar and egg yolks. Beat with whisk until well blended. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in extracts. Cool completely. Sprinkle nutmeg over top. Makes about 1 3/4 cups sauce

Note: Garnish each cake serving with a maraschino cherry and a couple of mint leaves to give it a holiday look.

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