Be sweet, make a special treat
The holidays are the sweetest time of the year. There are cookies to bake, pies to pop in the oven and cakes to frost or dust with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar.
Norma Shiero of Parrish once asked readers to share their cookie recipes with her. Now she is returning the favor with three sweet-to-eat holiday desserts. Two of those recipes are for Janie Schrantz of Woolmarket, Miss., who had asked for a jellyroll made from a cake mix.
Those recipes came from a Duncan Hines cookbook.
"I wrote to you some time ago asking for cookie recipes," said Shiero. "Since then I have been in the hospital three times, once for a total knee replacement. I look forward to your column each week."
While Shiero has been recuperating, friends have given her cookbooks, which she loves.
"My cookbook collection has grown so much. One of them is a White House cookbook that was copyrighted in 1903; that's 112 years ago," she said. "That book includes cooking, household recipes, menus, table etiquette, care of the sick and health suggestions. It also has pictures of some presidents and their wives, even the White House kitchen."
Readers, if you have favorite holiday recipes, please send them to me quickly. There is only one more column before Christmas. Hard to believe, I know.
BLUEBERRY JELLY ROLL
1 package wild blueberry muffin mix (with the can of blueberries)
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup blueberry preserves
Confectioners' sugar
Whipped topping
Fresh blueberries for decorating
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash blueberries with cold water and set aside to drain.
Line a 13-by-9-by2-inch pan with wax paper. Using a strainer or sifter, sprinkle
confectioners' sugar evenly over a towel.
Stir dry muffin mix and sugar together in a medium bowl. Add eggs, water and vanilla extract. Blend ingredients until all are barely moistened. Beat 1 minute on high speed if using a portable mixer; medium speed if using a stand mixer. (There will be small lumps in the batter.) Spread batter evenly in pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Loosen edges with a knife and turn cake out onto towel. Remove wax paper and trim edges. While hot, roll cake and towel from narrow end. Place on rack 30 minutes. Unroll gently and spread with preserves.
Reroll without the towel. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, using sifter or strainer, and slice. Decorate each slice with fresh blueberries and crown with whipped topping. Serves 6 to 8.
-- Submitted by Norma Shiero
HOLIDAY BERRY LOG
1 package wild blueberry muffin mix (with the can of blueberries)
1 package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water
1 egg
1 cup fresh cranberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Confectioners' Icing:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 5 drops green food coloring
1 to 2 teaspoons milk
Wash blueberries and set aside to drain. Dissolve yeast in warm water (about 105 to 115 degrees) in medium bowl. Add muffin mix and egg; stir to form a stiff dough. Knead on a well-floured board (use about 1/2 cup flour) 150 times. Place in a greased bowl. Cover; let sit in a warm place free from drafts 30 minutes while preparing the filling.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop enough cranberries to make 1/2 cup. Place remaining whole cranberries in a small saucepan with 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil; let simmer 5 minutes. Set aside for decorating. Combine1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl; add chopped cranberries, nuts and drained blueberries. Mix well.
With greased fingertips, knead dough in a bowl 20 times. Place dough on a well-greased cookie sheet and pat into a 12-by-6-inch rectangle. Spoon filling over dough and roll like a jelly roll.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For Confectioners' Icing, combine confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, green coloring and 1 teaspoon milk in a small bowl. Add more milk, if necessary, for desired consistency. Decorate roll with icing and then the whole cooked cranberries. About 12 servings.
-- Submitted by Norma Shiero
Shiero also shares a cookie recipe that has nice spice for the holidays. It is an easy-does-it one.
CARROT CAKE COOKIES
1 package (about 18 ounces) spice cake mix
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 egg lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded carrots (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
Prepared cream cheese frosting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
Combine cake mix, flour, oil, water and egg in large bowl. Stir in carrots, walnuts and raisins until well blended.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Remove cookies to wire rack; cool completely.
Spread cookies with frosting before serving. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
-- Submitted by Norma Shiero
Almost au gratin
"I have a recipe for a similar dish to crab meat au gratin handed down from an aunt about 40 years ago," said Cindy Evans of Bradenton. "It's very tasty and was one of my favorites until I started looking at fat grams. My aunt made the dish in individual ramekins and spooned it over yellow rice."
SCALLOPS AU FROMAGE
1 pound scallops
1 can crabmeat
1 can mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped onions
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Dash hot sauce
1/4 cup margarine
2 tablespoons sherry
1 can Cheddar cheese soup
Brown scallops, onion and mushrooms. Combine crabmeat, milk, sherry, lemon juice, hot sauce and soup. Pour over scallops in baking dish and bake approximately 45 minutes. (I didn't record the oven temperature. Maybe 350 degrees would work OK.)
-- Submitted by Cindy Evans
Breakfast sausage recipe
Now that Shiero gave readers three recipes today, she needs help.
"Does anyone have a recipe for breakfast sausage that uses poultry seasoning? I lost it," she said. "I made it for breakfast in the elementary school cafeteria when I worked there. They don't do this anymore."
Readers, do you have this recipe or a similar one? If so, please share.
Another au gratin
"I have looked for years for the recipe for the Fisherman's Wharf crab meat au gratin," Kathy Polite said. "Do you know anyone that might have this delicious dish?"
Readers, do any of you have this recipe? Or a similar one? Please e-mail or mail it to me.
Andrea Yeager, can be reached at ayeager51@cableone.net and at Cook's Exchange, P.O. Box 4567, Biloxi, MS 39535-4567.
This story was originally published December 15, 2015 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Be sweet, make a special treat ."