Christmas Party Recipes

Grandma's Christmas Party Recipes Make Get-togethers Special

Fruited Snowballs

3 tablespoons evaporated milk, 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 3/4 cup cut citron, 3/4 cup coarsely cut red candied cherries, 1/2 cup coarsely cut pitted dates, flaked coconut.

In a saucepan, combine milk and sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in fruits. Chill thoroughly. Grease hands and shape chilled mixture into balls by rolling between palms of hands. Roll balls in coconut. Top with candied cherry half. Chill until firm. Makes about 2 dozen.

Rich Butter Crisp Squares Recipe

This is an excellent Christmas party recipe; you will enjoy eating these delicious squares. They are so rich and good tasting.

Put into saucepan 1-1/4 cups butter, 2-1/4 cups sugar, 1/2 cup water, and 1 tablespoon salt. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, heating the mixture very slowly, else the butter will cook out. When it boils, add 1/4 pound unblanched almonds and cook slowly, stirring gently as possible until the almonds are done. This can be determined by cutting one. It should be slightly brown. If using a thermometer, cook to 298ºF. Add 1 teaspoon soda, 1/4 pound blanched, roasted almonds and 1/4 pound walnut dust, made by chopping English walnuts very fine and sifting them.

Pour candy on a greased, marble slab, turn and roll mixture with a rolling pin, working it into a square shape, about 1/4 inch in thickness. Crease into squares while warm.

When candy is cool, brush over with melted milk chocolate (plain dipping chocolate may be used), and coat with fine-chopped nuts, preferably Brazil nuts, although blanched and browned almonds can be used.

Penoche Candy Recipe

A favorite candy: Three cups brown sugar, 1 cup cream, 1 teaspoon butter. Boil without stirring until a little dropped in cold water will harden like glass, then take off the stove and stir rapidly. Flavor with vanilla or any other extract liked. Nuts may be added. Pour on buttered plates and cut in squares when it is hard.

Gum Drop Cake Recipe

Of all the Christmas party recipes, what could be more Christmas-like than a colorful gum drop cake? Decorate with gum drops after frosting. You could also make Christmas cupcakes.

One pound seedless raisins which have been boiled 5 minutes, drained, and cooled; 1 cup applesauce sweetened and cooled; 1 pound gum drops, cut in small pieces with scissors dipped in hot water (do not include the black ones); 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 3 cups flour; 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon soda, dissolved in a little hot water.

Sift dry ingredients, cream butter and sugar thoroughly. Add well-beaten eggs. Add one cup flour gradually, then applesauce and raisins, then remaining flour gradually. Mix in gum drops and lastly add soda as above. Bake two or two and a half hours in a slow oven. Do not cut for at least 10 days! It keeps beautifully and is delicious. --Fairfield

Deep Dish Ruby Pie Recipe

This easy pie recipe makes a seasonally red pie that is delicious and perfect for any occasion.

2-1/2 cups cranberries, 1-3/4 cups sugar, 3 sliced bananas, 1/2 cup hot water. Stem and wash cranberries. Add sugar and water. Cook in covered saucepan until berries stop popping (5 minutes). Put one-third of berries in deep pie plate well rubbed with shortening. Add layer of bananas. Make alternate layers of cranberries and banana, then cover with a flakey pastry. Fit on pastry tightly. Slash top. Bake in hot oven 450ºF for 15 minutes.

Pastry: Sift 1-1/2 cups flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in 1/2 cup shortening for pie crusts. Add 4 to 6 tablespoons cold water (only enough to hold mixture together). Roll out on lightly floured board.

Date Shortbread Recipe

This vintage Christmas party recipe makes a nice change from date squares.

One of the neighbors was asking the other day for a recipe for "oatmeal crumb cake." I wonder if she didn't mean what I call date shortbread? This is my favorite recipe for this delicious cake. It has been used over and over again with great success.

One pound dates (stoned). Cover with water, add 1/2 cup sugar and juice of 1/2 lemon, boil until soft and cool.

Make your cake with 2-1/2 cups flour, 2-1/2 cups coarse oatmeal, 1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 level teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well with the hands. Grease an oblong pan. Divide mixture into two, and pat into the bottom of the pan. Spread the date mixture over first half, then spread other half over top. Bake 35 minutes in moderate oven.

Frozen Cranberry Whip Recipe

Cook 1-1/2 cups cranberries in the same amount of water, and when soft, strain them. Add 3/4 cup sugar to the strained juice, and boil hard for 2 minutes, then cool. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and place on refrigerator tray. When frozen to a mush, fold in 1 cup whipped cream and continue freezing.

Festive Candle Cakes Recipe

What a neat idea for a party table!

A festive little "candle cake" with a lighted taper in each, set at each place will cause exclamations of joy. To make them use any good cake mixture. Bake in individual tins, and when cold ice nicely and garnish with nuts, tiny candies, bits of angelica or anything you choose, placing the tiny red candle in the very center.

Spiced Gingerbread

Take 3 lb of flour, 1 lb of butter, 1 lb of moist sugar, 4 oz of candied lemon or orange peel cut small, 1 oz of powdered ginger, 2 oz of powdered allspice, 1/2 oz of powdered cinnamon, 1 oz of caraway seeds, and 3 lb of treacle.

Rub the butter into the flour, then add the other ingredients, and mix in the dough with the treacle. Make it into nuts or cakes, and bake in a cool oven.

Fun Nuts, Laughing Nuts

This old-time Christmas party recipe makes "hot" little treats that will be a hit with your guests.

1 lb of gingerbread dough, 3 oz of butter, 3 oz of sugar, 1 oz of cayenne pepper. Mix all together, pin out in a sheet, one-eighth of an inch thick. Cut them out the size of a penny. They are very hot tasting!

Have any kind of sponge cake baked in a rather thin sheet. Cut this into small oblong pieces, the shape of a domino. Frost the top and sides of them. When the frosting is hard, draw the black lines and make the dots with a small brush that has been dipped in melted chocolate. These are particularly good for children's parties, but everybody loves them.