Gifts From
Your Kitchen
In this happy season, homemade
food gifts offer a pleasurable and
practical answer to getting a grip
on holiday gift-giving.
The secret is a strategy that pro
duces delicious homemade gifts in
a minimal amount of time.
Make these recipes early in the
season, if you like.
KIWI FRUIT JELLIES
2 pounds kiwi, peeled and
chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup sugar
Puree kiwi, juice, and sugar in
food processor. Line Bxlo-inch
pan with wax or parchment paper.
Pass the liquid through a food mill
or fine strainer. Pour into large
saucepan. Add 2 cups sugar, bring
to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 3
minutes. Add 2 tablespoons
unsaltcd butter, still stirring 3 more
minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in
1 cup liquid pectin. Pour into pre
pared pan and pectin. Pour into
prepared pan and allow to set over
night in cool place. Cut into pretty
diamonds and roll in superfine
sugar. Store in cool place in air
tight cans with wax paper between
layers. Keeps one week. Makes 2
pounds.
Donna Lencoski
Latrobe
SNACK MIX
'A cup butter
V* cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 cup blanched whole almonds
3 cups bite-size crispy rice
squares
1 pound salted cocktail peanuts
1 cup golden raisins
1 3-ounce can chow mein
noodles
'A cup sesame seed ,
3'A -ounces flaked coconut
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat butter, soy sauce, and sea
soned salt in large skillet over low
heat until butter is melted. Stir in
almonds. Cook, stirring constant
ly, 5 minutes. Stir in cereal, pea
nuts, raisins, noodles, and sesame
seed. Cook, stirring constantly,
until noodles begin to brown,
about 10 minutes. Stir in coconut.
Spread half of the mixture in a
15xl0-mch jelly roll pan. Bake 10
minutes. Cool on paper toweling.
Repeat with remaining mixture.
Store in airtight container at room
temperature until ready to package
as gifts. Will keep up to one month.
Recipe Topics
If you have recipes for the topics listed below, please
share them with us. We welcome your recipes, but ask that
you include accurate measurements, a complete list of ingre
dients and clear instructions with each recipe you submit.
Send your recipes to Lou Ann Good, Lancaster Farming,
P.O. Box 609, Ephrata, PA 17522. Recipes should reach our
office one week before publishing date.
December 22- Cooking For The Holidays
29- Friendship Dough Recipes
5- Celebrate Beef Month
12- Warm Up With Soup
January
Home On The Range
LEMON CURD
1 cup sugar
'A cup butter, chopped
Grated peel of 2 lemons
Juice of 3 lemons
3 eggs, beaten
In double boiler, combine all
except eggs. Cook over low heat
until butter melts. Stir in eggs, but
don’t allow to boil as eggs will
curdle. Stir over heat until thick
ened. Pour into sterile jars, refrig
erate. Use as a filling in tart shells
or as a spread on muffins. Makes 1
pint.
Donna Lencoski
Latrobe
CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
VA cups whipping cream
1 pound semi-sweet chocolate,
broken in pieces
'/: cup unsalted butter
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
'A teaspoon orange extract
Cocoa
Place whipping cream in 3-quart
heavy saucepan. Heat until cream
just begins to boil, stirring fre
quently. Remove from heat. Stir in
chocolate and butter until melted.
Stir in sugar. Cool to lukewarm;
stir in orange extract. Refrigerate,
covered, 2 hours. To form, shape
approximately 1 tablespoon into
ball. Work with half of mixture at a
time. Keep remaining half
refrigerated. Dust hands lightly
with cocoa white shaping, repeat
as needed. Roll ball into cocoa.
Store in covered container in
refrigerator until ready to package
as gifts. Will keep up to 3 weeks.
PISTACHIO FUDGE TARTS
2 eggs, beaten
Vi cup light com syrup
'A cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dash salt
'A cup semi-sweet chocolate
morsels, melted
1 cup pistachios, coarsely
chopped
Pastry for single crust 9-inch pie
Cut pastry into 4 (6-inch) cir
cles; fit circles into 4-inch tart
pans. Combine all ingredients
except semi-sweet chocolate and
pistachios: stir in chocolate then
V* cup pistachios. Pour into pastry
shells; sprinkle with remaining
pistachios. Bake at 375 degrees for
25 to 35 minutes or until center is
set. Cool on wire rack. Makes 4
(4-inch) tarts.
Chocolate truffles, cranberry nut coffee cake, tarragon cream dressing, raspberry
butter, and Swlss-bacon spread are gifts to present with pride.
CANNED
APPLESAUCE CAKE
3 /« cup shortening
3/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups applesauce
154 cups raisins, optional
V* cup chopped nuts, optional
3'/j cups flour
'A teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
114 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
Cream shortening with sugar.
Beat in eggs and applesauce. Sift
together flour, baking powder,
soda, salt, and spices. Blend into
applesauce mixture. Add and mix
chopped nuts and raisins, if
desired.
Fill nine, clean, greased wide
mouth jars half full with prepared
batter. Bake open jars about 45
minutes in an oven at 325 degrees.
When done, quickly remove one
hot jar at a time and clean its seal
ing edge. Immediately apply and
firmly tighten a two-piece, wide
mouth canning lid. The lid will
form a vacuum seal as the jar cools.
Jars of cooled cake may be
stored with other canned foods or
placed in a freezer. The cake is safe
to eat as long as jars remain vac
uum scaled. These cakes make
attractive gifts. The cake is deli
cious and provides a conversation
piece.
Pat Greene, Biglerville
Norma Miller, Spring Mills
Sandy Merwine, Ashland
CHEESE LOG
Soften and mix with mixer:
1 pound Velveeta cheese
8 ounces cream cheese
Add:
A teaspoon garlic salt
Form into log or ball. Sprinkle
with paprika.
Janice Lehman
Myerstown
HERB BUTTERS
Basil:
'A cup butter softened
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves,
minced
Mixed:
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon each finely minced
parsley, sage, oregano, rosemary
Garlic:
Vi cup butter
4 cloves garlic, crushed
Featured Recipe
Pennsylvania Lamb and Wool Queen Arlisa Snavcly is convinced
that those who taste lamb, will love it.
She said, “I meet a lot of people who have never tasted lamb. When
they do, they are surprised how good it tastes.”
The Lancaster County teen, raises registered Shropshire sheep and
has won numerous top awards at farm shows and Keystone Interna
tional Livestock Exposition. For many years, she has enjoyed watch
ing the queen coronation and is delighted to assume responsibilities to
promote lamb and wool.
She promotes wool by wearing it and by participating in several lead
line competitions. To read more about this well-qualified sheep
spokesperson, look for a feature on her in this section. And don ’ t forget
to try this recipe, one of Arlisa’s favorites.
LAMB BALLS WITH SOUR CREAM
1A pounds ground lamb
A cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
'A cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons parsley
'A teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons dill
A teaspoon lemon juice
Mix meat and other ingredients. Roll into balls. Saute meat balls
until lightly browned. Remove from pan and pour off excess fat.
Sauce:
VA tablespoons butter
'/i cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon paprika, optional
'A teaspoon thyme
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute onion in 'A tablespoon butter. Add paprika and thyme; bring
mixture to a boil and add chicken broth. Bring to a boil again and thick
en slighdy with cornstarch and water mixture.
Add meatballs, sour cream, dill, and salt and pepper. Heat but do not
boil. Serve on rice.
'A teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped
parsley
Mix all butters. Roll into cylin
ders with wax paper and refrig
erate until firm. You can also roll
into small balls or put into molds.
Donna Lencoski
Latrobe
(Turn to Page B 8)