Recipes shared among friends

Working at the senior center certainly does have its advantages. One is the sharing of classic, family favorite recipes. During the holiday season we are blessed with friends who share their baked and homemade treats with the staff and volunteers. After the plate of goodies arrives, I usually ask the person for the recipe. Knowing that, some of them come equipped and ready to share their cherished recipes.

Today I am passing along to you some of the recipes my friends have shared with me. Later in the column there are recipes where the names do not appear at their request. I do not know the origin or source of any of these other than what they tell me. Some are from family, others from neighbors and friends, but the original source is unknown.

Be sure to tuck these away for next year and add them to your treat trays. I don't think you will be disappointed.

In the mix of these recipes are two beverage recipes that do not disappoint! Both very good and worthy of sharing. You'll want to save those recipes as well.

Enjoy!

Dorothy Lancaster's White Fantasy Candy

• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 stick butter

Mix and stir constantly on medium heat.

Heat on medium high heat, bring to a rolling boil for five to seven minutes.

• Stir in 12 ounces white chocolate chips until melted and well blended.

Remove from heat and add:

• 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
• 3/4 cup dried chopped cranberries
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Stir in these ingredients. Pour into a buttered 9-inch square pan. Cool to room temperature. Cut into small pieces.

This candy keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks tightly covered. This candy freezes well.

Note: The fruit and nuts need to be chopped fine. You can use a 9x13-inch pan but the candy will be thinner.

Tim Ward's White Christmas Fudge

This fudge is a tangy sour cream fudge that makes a beautiful addition to a Christmas candy tray, especially when each square is topped with an additional walnut half.

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup dairy sour cream
• 1/3 cup white corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla or rum flavoring
• 1/4 cup quartered candied cherries
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Combine first five ingredients in a saucepan and bring slowly to a boil, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved.

Boil, without stirring, over medium heat to exactly 236 degrees, or until a little mixture dropped in cold water forms a soft ball.

Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Do not stir.

Add flavoring, beat until mixture starts to lose its gloss, about 8 minutes. Stir in candied cherries and walnuts; quickly pour into a shallow greased pan. Cool and cut into small squares.

Makes about 1 1/2 pounds of fudge.

Source: Tim Ward gave me this recipe a couple of years ago and we revisited it again this year. He was given the recipe many years ago by a neighbor friend.

Lynn Crocker's Christmas Caramels

Lynn makes multiple batches of these delicious caramels each year. We are friends from church and he always manages to slip a little zip-top bag full into Scott's hand every year just before Christmas.

• 2 sticks real butter, no exception
• 1-pound brown sugar
• 1 cup light Karo syrup
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• Splash of vanilla

Line an 8x8-inch pan with nonstick, easy release aluminum foil.

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir to combine. Add in light syrup then slowly start adding the sweetened condensed milk as you are gently stirring constantly.

Cook to 245 degrees. Remove from heat and add a splash of vanilla.

Pour into prepared pan and allow to cool to room temperature.

Turn out of the pan and cut into rectangles with a pizza wheel and wrap in squares of waxed paper. Yields 2 1/2 pounds caramels.

Dorothy Lancaster's Crispy Oat Cookies

My mother made this recipe, or one very similar to this, and I loved the cookies so much. We always had pecans from the farm which made the cookies so tasty.

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose four
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup regular old-fashioned oats, uncooked
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, and more if desired
• 1 cup crushed corn flakes or crispy rice cereal
• 1/2 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream and sugars together beating well. Add egg, oil and vanilla.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt to the creamed mixture. Mix well.

Stir in oats, and remaining ingredients.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls, or spoon out balls about 1-inch in size, onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with the tines of a fork. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes.

This is a large recipe and makes a lot of cookies.

Dara Drury's Date Cake

Dara got this recipe from her mother. It was Dara's favorite cake growing up in Nebraska.

Dara and I work together at the senior center, so we usually have this cake for her birthday in October.

• 1 cup pitted dates
• Water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the icing:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 stick butter
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray pan or grease pan, but do not flour the pan.

First cook dates for about 20 minutes in a little water. Blend sugar, oil and eggs with buttermilk and vanilla. Beat well. Add dates and pecans. Beat well.

Add all dry ingredients and beat well. Pour into a 9x13-inch greased pan, do not flour pan.

Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

For the icing: Boil all icing ingredients together for 10 minutes. Pour over cake while it is still warm but not too hot.

Let the icing cool 5 minutes before spreading on the cake. When the cake and the icing are cool, cut into squares and serve from the pan. This cake may be frozen.

JoAnn Compas's Mollasses Cookies

JoAnn and her family cook and make their own molasses each fall. I've seen pictures and the process is amazing. This is her family's recipe for cookies using their homemade molasses.

Step 1:

Mix together:

• 1 1/2 cups solid shortening
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 eggs

Step 2:

Sift together and mix with step 1.

• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Roll into large balls, dip into sugar and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, approximately 12 minutes. Do not overbake.

Pretzel Snacks

• 1 pound bag small pretzels
• 1 cup Orville Redenbacher's butter flavored popcorn popping oil
• 1 packet Ranch seasoning mix
• 1 tablespoon dill weed
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Onion powder, to taste

Put the pretzels in a large bag or sealable bowl. Combine the oil and seasonings, pour over the pretzels and seal container. Turn over and around every 15 minutes for an hour, then allow to sit overnight.

Adjust seasonings as you desire. You may choose to use more Ranch dressing mix or add other ingredients as you wish.

Liquid Custard

• 3 eggs, divided into yolks and whites separately
• 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 quart milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix sugar and cornstarch together, add milk and beaten egg yolks. Stir well. Cook over medium heat until slightly thick and coats the spoon.

Beat egg whites separately. Cool the cooked mixture, then fold in egg whites. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Serve and enjoy!

Christmas Punch

• 1 (3 ounce) box cherry or cranberry Jello
• 1 cup boiling water
• 6 ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate
• 1 quart cranberry juice
• 3 cups cold water
• 1 quart ginger ale, or cranberry flavored Sprite or ginger ale

Combine Jello and boiling water. Cool slightly. Add lemonade concentrate, cranberry juice, and cold water. Chill mixture well.

Before serving add 1 quart ginger ale or soda.

I like to add some orange juice to ours as well to give this that classic cranberry orange combination of flavors.

Cranberry Orange Cake

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel or zest
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease and flour a tube pan.

Mix all ingredients except nuts until well combined. Fold in the nuts.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Check with a toothpick to see if it's done, but don't overbake. Remove from oven and cool until you can easily turn our of the pan.

Make a glaze of powdered sugar and orange juice and ice cake when completely cool.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.