Fun challenge #6 - food!

[Monica]

No matter what eating lifestyle you have, there are always those dishes, treats, snacks that are a must-have at the holidays. Let's share recipes and photos of them!

I plan to do my baking the end of this week and over the weekend, so I'll share more than, but I did make one family standby at Thanksgiving that was a tradition for decades in my family: my mom's homemade dilly bread. It's about a 6 hour process from start to finish, as it has to rise 3 times, but it's well worth the effort. I'll find a photo and post later.

[pbp908]

I try to always make my great grandmother's Applesauce Cake. I can't always get the black walnuts for it but it's a standby and it's really the only thing that I make by a recipe. Dressing, gravy, potato salad, sweet potato souffle, etc. - no recipe. I wing those.

If anyone's interested, message me your email address and I'll send the recipe. It makes a ton of cakes. I guess it had to since she had 13 children!

[pamcook]

I would love the recipe. What a treasure!

Peanut Butter Blossoms and No Bake Oatmeal cookies are a tradition in our family.

[jmp1022]

One of my favorites is haystacks. But they're good anytime.
Spritz cookies, fudge, and divinity.

[Debbie AZ]

Neapolitan Dessert. Pie crust is first layer, then chocolate pudding, then strawberry jello with cream cheese, then Dream Whip topped with slivered almonds or walnuts. It’s an all day process but everyone always asks for it.

[pamcook]

I forgot to mention “real” peanut butter fudge. Not of the fake kind made with marshmallow fluff *shudder*.

Debbie - that pie is new to me. Any idea where it originated?

[Monica]

I don't do marshmallow fluff fudge. My recipe is really simple: Chocolate chips (or whatever other type you want), real vanilla extract, sweetened condensed milk, and walnuts. I usually add peppermint extract to mine because I love chocolate mint fudge. I've also made it using the peanut butter chips mixed with chocolate, or simply adding crunchy peanut butter. Crushed candy canes is another good addition.

We do Spritz cookies, boiled cookies (also known as no bake), Tassies (mini pecan pies), thumbprint cookies, cherry cordials (my mom), seven layer bars... then whatever else catches my fancy from the pile of recipe cards.

Okay, I evidently dorked and didn't take a picture of the dilly bread. But I do have a picture of the coffee cake I made, another favorite year round!

[Keitha]

We have a few family favourites that get made each year: my Mom's hard sauce, Candy Cane Brownies, Cheesy Potato Casserole, Sugar-Cinnamon Pecans, Sausage Sourdough Tarts. I was just thinking today it's time to make a Cranberry Coffee Cake.
I was excited to find a recipe for Bailey's fudge recently, but the inclusion of Marshmallow creme turned me off. If anyone has a real recipe for Bailey's fudge I'd be interested in it.

[Monica]

Keitha, per Google:

Easy 4 Ingredient Baileys Fudge Recipe
This fudge has the perfect balance of chocolate and Irish cream flavor with no harsh alcohol bite. I used milk chocolate chips for a creamier fudge, but dark chocolate would be incredibly decadent – especially if you topped it with a sprinkle of sea salt!

Ingredients to Make Baileys Fudge
2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup Bailey’s
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

How to Make Baileys Fudge
1. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and add the sweetened condensed milk.
3. Heat for 30 seconds and stir well for 30 seconds to dissolve the chocolate chips. You may need to reheat for another 20 seconds to fully melt the chocolate chips.
4. Once the mixture is smooth, add in the Baileys and optional vanilla.
5. Fold the fudge mixture out into the loaf pan and smooth flat with your spatula.
6. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
7. Pop the parchment paper out of the loaf pan and cut the Baileys fudge into 1 inch squares. Store in a sealed container.

[Debbie AZ]

I forgot to mention “real” peanut butter fudge. Not of the fake kind made with marshmallow fluff *shudder*.

Debbie - that pie is new to me. Any idea where it originated?

I got it from the Mom of a friend of mine in Nebraska back in the 70’s. It’s made in a 9x13 cake pan.

[troublesmom]

My favorites are a zucchini bread recipe that I got from a friend many years ago. The hardest part is shredding the zucchini. Each recipe makes 2 loaves and I put raisins and nuts in it along with the cinnamon & nutmeg. I also make a great fudge - it does have jarred marshmallow in it but it makes a huge 9 x 13 pan full of fudge and it was a recipe from Mamie Eisenhauer many, many, many years ago. It takes chocolate chips and German Chocolate in it. It also freezes well.

Pam P I would love that applesauce cake recipe.

[pbp908]

I made the cakes yesterday and it hit me that I'm the 4th generation of my family to make them! I'll try to remember to take a photo tomorrow.

[EDelValle]

My Dad made a great fudge that required him to
stir the hot mixture for quite some time but it
was almost solid as you poured it from the pot.
I sat and wrote down everything he did while
making it one year and still could not get it right.
One year my sister called from his home and put the phone
near the pot and told me that was the sound of him
making fudge just for her, na na na na na na!
She is such a W...H!

[troublesmom]

Pam have you ever done it like the fruitcake? Do you make your own applesauce? It really sounds great, thanks for the recipe.

I try to always make my great grandmother's Applesauce Cake. I can't always get the black walnuts for it but it's a standby and it's really the only thing that I make by a recipe. Dressing, gravy, potato salad, sweet potato souffle, etc. - no recipe. I wing those.

If anyone's interested, message me your email address and I'll send the recipe. It makes a ton of cakes. I guess it had to since she had 13 children!

[pbp908]

Cheryl, my mom did it like fruitcake, adding the candied fruits. I use the recipe as-is because of the memories it brings back. I don't make my own applesauce as all of our apple trees have been cut down. The remaining peach tree will soon follow it along with the pears. The orchard became so neglected it wasn't worth saving.

I did manage to take a photo of the large cake. The small ones went fast! The color is dark because of the applesauce and the brown sugar, which semi-caramelizes on the side of the cake.