Betty J

Okay, I will post the Candy recipe first. I guess it is not a real candy but a sweet nibble.

Apricot Balls

Mince or finely chop 1 lb of dried apricots and combine with 1 cup of crushed cornflakes, 1 cup coconut and 1 tin of condensed milk.
Mix well and roll into balls and coat with coconut. keep refrigerated in an air tight container. They improve in flavour if kept for several weeks.
I like to put the apricot balls onto a tray and put them in the refrigerator to set before putting them in a container, then they keep their round shape. I also keep mine in the freezer so as to not be tempted.
I have made these every Christmas and on special occasions for almost 50 years. I believe this recipe came from my Mother-in-law.

Betty J

This is a very old recipe for a Christmas Pudding which is a long standing tradition for our Christmas Day dinner. I believe that this receipe goes back several generations on my husband’s family side. I have been making this pudding every year for almost 50 years. We serve this pudding hot on Christmas day along with custard (laced with a little rum) along with fresh fruit salad, ice cream, cream,& jelly.

Christmas Pudding

½ lb. Shredded beef suet (or butter) Butter is mainly used these days.
½ lb. brown sugar
½ lb. currents, raisins & sultanas
½ lb. white bread crumbs
¼ lb. plain flour
¼ lb. citron or lemon peel
1 tea spoon baking powder
2 ozs chopped almonds
6 eggs
1 large Granny Smith apple grated
Grated rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon
4 table spoons rum or brandy
¼ tea spoon salt

Mix cleaned fruit, chopped peel, almonds and grated rind in a basin. Add rum or brandy, cover and leave overnight to soak.
Mix sifted flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a basin with breadcrumbs, suet or butter and grated apple and add soaked fruit. Moisten with beaten eggs. Place in a greased basin and steam for 6 hours. Boil for a further 2 hours before serving.

Pudding may also be boiled in a cloth. I prefer to place an oven bag in the pudding basin and place the pudding mixture into the oven bag and tie the bag with string. This keeps the pudding shape and once cooked the pudding can be lifted out once cool and placed in the refrigerator until re boiling on Christmas day (I place the pudding back in the basin before boiling). I usually make this pudding several weeks before Christmas. I am hoping to make mine this coming week. This mixture makes a large pudding or you can divide it to make smaller puddings.

NZquilter

Awww! That sounds really good, Betty J! I'm going to copy that one down and give it a try this year. My brother-in-law keeps asking what is a Christmas pudding, so this year I'm going to see what I can do to show him. Thanks!

Betty J

http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/pudding.shtml

This link will give an explanation to the origins of the Christmas Pudding. I almost forgot that when we were young and before decimal currency in Australia our small coins i.e. threepences and sixpences were silver coins and were always put in the pudding when it was being mixed. Great delight when we got a coin in our piece of pudding. I was married in 1966 (the year decimal currency arrived) so I have never put coins in the pudding as our 5 cent coins are not silver.

My husband tells the story of his sister swallowing her coin and he gave her his to stop her crying. Still generous to a T.

dotcomdtcm

I have received a lovely package from RedGarnet222. I have read the instructions AGAIN and I see that the opening date is Dec 3, 2 pm. I will be away, so I'll post photos after my Dec 5 return. Thank you Sandy! Your wrapping is very special too.

RedGarnet222

You are so welcome dotty! I was glad to get your name. How fun it was knowing it was you I was making for.

lynnie

red, i had a piece of pumpkin fudge, I was so heavenly. So much flavor, now I want more.

JNCT14

Mailed my package on 11-3!

JNCT14

I love recipes from different countries so I will share a recipe for Kourabiedes, which is a traditional Greek cookie that my mother in law makes for the holidays. I took the recipe off Food Network because my mother in law doesn't measure ANYTHING so "....how much flour do I add, yiayia? As much as it needs...."
Anyway this is as close as I can get.

3/4 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Toast the walnuts until golden brown and fragrant, about 6 minutes. Let cool, then chop about half of the nuts (you should have about 1/2 cup chopped). Pulse the remaining nuts in the food processor until finely ground (about 1/4 cup ground).
Stir the flour, baking powder, salt and nuts together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In another medium bowl, beat the butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla and orange extracts together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture gets light and fluffy, about 10 minutes.
At low speed, stir in the nut mixture to make a crumbly dough. Cover the bowl and set dough aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or coat with nonstick spray.
With a tablespoon, scoop out 1-inch pieces of dough and roll into balls between the palms of your hands. Pinch the ends of the balls to make a football shape. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies set and start to brown, about 18 minutes.
Remove cookies from the oven.
Put the confectioners' sugar in a bag, and add 5 to 6 of the warm cookies to it. Very gently toss the cookies to coat with sugar. Remove them from the bag and cool cookies on a rack. Repeat with remaining cookies. Serve.
Busy baker's tips: Dough can be frozen for up to 2 weeks. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Baked cookies can be wrapped in plastic, then aluminum foil, for up to 2 weeks. To serve, let cookies come to room temperature before dusting with confectioners' sugar.

Irene C.

Yesterday I received my package from Dotty. I put it in the closet away from temptation.......keeping me from peeking.
Thank you Dotty!