Writers in the Kitchen with Favorite Christmas Recipes

The holidays and food just seem to go together, don't they? Christmas foods bring back memories of  people, places, scents, of previous years. We're delighted to share some of our authors' favorite recipes with you. (Be sure to check out Elizabeth Noyes' recipe for Snickerdoodles that we posted earlier this week!)

From Betty Thomason Owens:

Christmas Oatmeal Cookies

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks, softened)
1 cup light brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped, dried cranberries
3 ½ cups oatmeal
1 cup white chocolate morsels

Heat oven to 350°

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, combine softened butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until well blended. Add flour mixture and mix on low (or use a spoon) to blend. Add cranberries, oatmeal, and chocolate morsels.

Drop by tablespoonsful onto a cookie sheet (sprayed with pam or lined with parchment paper), leaving about 3 inches between each one. Bake 6 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies stand about 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

From Fay Lamb:

"My favorite recipe on any occasion is one that I don’t have to cook."

From Jerusha Agen, when asked if she had a favorite Christmas recipe:

"I do! But it’s a coveted secret. They’re simply called Bun Bars, and they’re to-die-for!"

From Julie Arduini:

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

1 12 oz bag peanut butter chips

1 12 oz bag milk chocolate chips

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, divided in half

1/4 cup butter, divided.

Take the peanut butter chips, half the milk and butter and place in microwave safe bowl. Put on for two minutes, check after one minute, stirring. Sometimes it's done before two minutes. Pour into 13x9 dish.

Take the milk chocolate chips, the other half of milk and butter and place in separate microwave safe bowl. Repeat microwave directions from above. When everything is melted and stirred, pour on top of peanut butter mixture. Let set in fridge, cut into squares and enjoy!

From Sheryl Holmes:

Long tradition has been to fix an egg soufflé the day before Christmas, so that on Christmas morning, all a tired mother has to do is stick it in the oven and pout her feet up while the hustle and bustle of morning delights and excitement exude the house.  The warm cheesy aroma fills the house as it bakes, and everyone enjoys without a lot of fuss in the kitchen!

Christmas Morning  EGG SOUFFLE:

1 (8 oz.) sharp Cheddar cheese
16 slices of white bread, crust removed and cubed
6-8 eggs
3-4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. cornflakes
1/2 c. melted butter
(Left over ham roast is best, deli ask for chunks).
Butter 8 slices of bread sparingly and place in well greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Layer with cheese. Butter 8 additional slices of bread and place on top of cheese. Beat eggs and add milk and mustard. Beat until well mixed. Pour over everything.

Cover with foil and place in refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, pop it in the oven, uncovered. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees until golden brown. Serves 8. (fancy add-ins would be sautéed mushrooms , chopped bacon bits, or fresh herbs of your choosing – fresh French tarragon is a favorite of mine!)

Today's the last day to get Jerusha Agen's This Dance, FREE on Kindle! The other books in the series are available in print and Kindle formats, so look for This Shadow and This Redeemer to complete the set.

Join more of the Five Golden Days of Christmas here:

Friday's Blogs:

PNP BLOG: 2014 Favorite Nonfiction Books

WIP BLOG: Writers in the Kitchen with Favorite Christmas Recipes

Sheryl Holmes: Give Hope: Weep and Laugh

PNP BLOG: Writer’s Goal to Make God Tangible

WIP BLOG: Military Influence on Writer’s Life

Tracy Ruckman: 20 Favorite Christmas Movies of Authors

Julie Arduini:  Christmas Concert Memories

Fay Lamb, On the Ledge: Ho, Ho, Help           

Thursday's Blogs:

PNP: Fictional Christmas Memories – and a Few Real Ones Too

WIP: 2014 Favorite Fiction

Betty Owens: 1920s Christmas Traditions

Sheryl Holmes: Give Hope: Send Balloons

PNP: Movie Reviews Safe for Family Viewing

WIP: Variety of a Storyteller

Tracy Ruckman: Surrender is Key to Writers

Julie Arduini: Christmas Pictures and Ugly Sweaters

Fay Lamb: On the Ledge: A Special Gathering

Sheryl Holmes: Created to Crave

Wednesday's Blogs:

PNP: Treasured Christmas Ornaments of Authors and Characters

WIP: A Writer’s Sweet Tooth: Christmas Cookies

Sheryl Holmes: Give Hope: Be His Hands, Lips, and Feet

PNP BLOG: Writing and Teaching Romance Easier than Living It

WIP BLOG: The Unstoppable Power of Words

Tracy Ruckman: Immersed in the 1920s as Historical Fiction Writer

Julie Arduini: Christmas Music

Fay Lamb: On the Ledge: Miracle at 1782 Ayshire Drive

Tuesday's Blogs:

PNP BLOG: Does Your Nativity Set Have Personality? 

WIP BLOG: Authors and Characters Dream of Christmas Vacations 

Sheryl Holmes BLOG: Give Hope: Dump an Omelet in the Trash

PNP: Cancer Survivor and Mom of Nine Offers Hope All Year Long

WIP: Romantic Suspense Author Living on Faith 

Tracy Ruckman: Christmas at Rumi Rancho

Julie Arduini: The Focus of Christmas

Betty Owens: Authorview: Elizabeth Noyes

Fay Lamb: On the Ledge: A Very Special Mom

Monday's Blogs:

PNP: Writers’ Favorite Christmas Songs

WIP: Writers Play Secret Santa on Characters

Sheryl Holmes: Give Hope: Carry!

PNP: Rare Rabbits in Bolivia

WIP: Just Don’t Take Her Chocolate!

Tracy Ruckman: Romance, Suspense, Cruises, and Retirement: An Author’s Life

Julie Arduini: Christmas Present Memories

Fay Lamb: On the Ledge: Is that All?

Debra Butterfield Interview with Elizabeth Noyes

Tonight, we're having a Facebook Party and we'd love for you to come, 7-9 PM. It's a "drop-in, stay as little or as long as you want, come as you are" party! We're giving away books, jewelry, Christmas ornaments, a Nativity, gift cards, and more - hope we'll see you there. 

The Art of Nuance and Nana's Carrot Cake

[UPDATE: The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt is now available on Kindle! Only 99 cents for a limited time!]

Yesterday, Joan Campbell posted Chapter Nine Part One of The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt on her blog. Today, she posts Part Two.

Author Jennifer Fromke wrote the tenth and final chapter of The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt. Here, she shares her favorite memory and recipe. Over on her blog, she gives us a special treat and a special announcement, so head over there as soon as you read her post here! 

The Art of Nuance

by Jennifer Fromke 

My Nana never learned the art of nuance. She said what she thought, often without filters. Especially toward the end of her life. It’s one of my favorite things about her.

A couple years before she died, I was blessed to see her during the Christmas season. I opened the gift she brought for me and found an old pair of candlesticks. I looked up at her and she shrugged, saying something like this: “Well, I figured I have so much stuff I don’t need anymore, I might as well start giving it all away.” I had to laugh. Those candlesticks are in use in my house today.

The Christmas before she died, Nana’s Christmas gift blew me away. It was another gift from her “stuff” but this time it yanked my heart - hard. I opened the box and drew out an old velvet envelope - remember when jewelers used those? I tipped it, and a string of huge freshwater pearls slipped into my hand.

I knew these pearls well. Each pearl has its own shape, and is about the size of a thumbnail. I loved it when Nana wore these pearls and I had admired them for years. The best part is, I don’t think I ever told her how much I loved them.

I’m not a crier. It takes an incredible book/movie/moment to draw actual tears from my eyes. But holding those pearls in my hands turned me into a puddle. I still tear up when I lift them from my jewelry tray and slip them over my head.

I wear them periodically throughout the year, but somehow, I love wearing them best at Christmas. Maybe it’s because growing up, Christmas Eve was always spent at Nana’s house. Maybe it’s because she gave them to me for Christmas. Maybe it’s because this particular Christmas gift meant so much - from my Nana’s neck to mine, those pearls connect me to a sweet lady I love and who I know sits in Heaven today, awaiting my arrival.

Oops! Just teared up again. Sheesh! I promise, I’m really not a crier! J

In honor of Nana, I’m sharing her recipe for Carrot Cake. Simply the best one ever. She used to serve it on Christmas Eve as a birthday cake for Jesus. The youngest grandchild always blew out the candles for Jesus. I was the oldest grandchild, so I don’t remember ever doing it. Still love this cake.

 Nana’s Carrot Cake

2 c flour

1-1/4 c vegetable oil

3 c grated carrots (finely grated)

2 c sugar

2 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

4 eggs

2 tsp salt

4 eggs

2 tsp cinnamon

Sift flour into a bowl and add oil, stirring slowly and constantly (a mixer is best)

Add carrots and mix well.

Add the rest of the ingredients, mix, pour into 3 layer pans – buttered and fitted with buttered waxed paper in the bottom.

Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and cake pulls away from edge of pan.

Icing

1 8oz brick cream cheese

1 stick butter

2 tsp vanilla

1 box powdered sugar (3-1/2 cups)

½ c toasted pecans

Soften cream cheese and butter

Mix well and add sugar.

Stir and blend. Gradually add vanilla.

Spread on cooled cake. Sprinkle with chopped nuts or decorate with pecan halves. (I leave the nuts off because that’s how I liked it as a kid.)

Store in refrigerator (icing will melt at room temp)

I would also recommend making 1-1/2 times the icing – it’s just barely enough and you have to be frugal with it. If you make extra, you’ll have plenty, plus you can dip pretzels in the extra icing for a snack the next day. J

About Jennifer:

Raised in Michigan, Jennifer Fromke served tours of life experience in Wheaton, Minneapolis, and St Louis. Ten years ago she landed in North Carolina.

When forced to separate from the laptop, she can be found with her nose in a book, one hand around a latte, and the other hand stirring something on the stove. Soul food for Jennifer includes laughing with her family and teaching Bible studies.

She is a lover of words, mother of three, and wife to one extraordinary man. In 2010, she won the ACFW Genesis Award for women’s fiction. That award-winning novel, A Familiar Shore, was published by Write Integrity in March 2012.

A Familiar Shore is part of our Give One Get One Free sale through tomorrow! 

The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt

Grace takes delivery of a package and her life is turned upside down by nine sealed mystery envelopes from her late grandmother. Grammie’s instructions require Grace to take the journey of her lifetime, not only to far off places, but also into the deepest parts of her heart. As she follows the trail laid out for her and uncovers her family’s darkest secrets, Grace is forced to confront the loss and betrayal that has scarred her past and seek the greatest Christmas Treasure of all.



Chapter One by Joan Campbell
Chapter Two by Ruth O'Neil
Chapter Three by J. A. Marx
Chapter Four by Deanna Klingel
Chapter Five by Marji Laine
Chapter Six by Sheryl Holmes
Chapter Seven by Fay Lamb
Chapter Eight by Debbie Roome
Chapter Nine by Joan Campbell

Come on over to Jennifer Fromke's blog for a special announcement, a contest, and more!

Jennifer is the Featured Guest today at Magnificent Hope's Christmas Party! Come on over and join the fun!

[UPDATE: The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt is now available on Kindle! Only 99 cents for a limited time!]

Favorite Christmas Recipe: Stollen

[UPDATE: The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt is FREE on Kindle December 14-17 - Grab Your Copy Here!]

Yesterday, Debbie Roome posted Chapter Eight Part One of The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt on her blog, today she posts Part Two.

Also today, Joan Campbell posts Chapter Nine Part One. Here, she shares one of her favorite Christmas recipes.

Favourite Christmas Recipe: Stollen

By Joan Campbell

The German Christmas cake known as ‘stollen’ was—and continues to be—a firm favourite in my household at Christmas time. My Dutch mother always makes quite a few of them, some to keep and some to give away as gifts. I’m not a keen baker, and have in fact never made a stollen myself, although my teenage daughter helped my Mom a few times, and assures me that it’s a ‘piece of cake’.

To diminish the disgrace of posting a recipe that I’ve never made, I did a bit of research into the history of the stollen, and it was fascinating. The stollen was first created in the Saxon Royal court in the early 1400’s. At that stage it probably didn’t taste half as good as it does now because of the papal ban on eating butter during Advent. It took 40 years of petitioning a string of popes in order to finally have the ban lifted. In 1491 Pope Innocenz VIII issued a letter (known as the "butter-letter") where he stated that the Dresden bakers would be allowed to use the richer ingredients, on condition that they pay a ‘fine’ which would be used to build churches. One bite of stollen and you know the fine was totally worth it!

The rolled form of the stollen represents the shape of the swaddled baby Jesus, and the fruit and raisins represent the gifts that the Wise Men brought him. My mother claims that the dusting of icing sugar represents snow, but not even Wikipedia could confirm that.

Anyway, I hope I’ve enticed you enough to try your hand at making this historical and delicious Christmas cake.

Stollen 

(Makes 2 Stollen of about 800 grams each)

Cake
180 gr Butter
250  gr Creamed cottage cheese
160 gr Sugar
2         Eggs (plus 1 extra for egg wash)
500 gr Flour
15 ml Baking Powder
10 ml Mixed Spice
Salt & few drops of Vanilla Essence
200 gr Cakemix (coat with thin layer of flour)
30 gr Sultana’s
Almonds (slivered)
Mixed peel
Cherries (+/-12)

Marzipan - mix together:
200 gr ground almonds
200 gr sugar
1 large egg
lemon peel
almond essence

Mix cake ingredients, then split into two equal parts.
Roll into thin sheets, apply egg wash, and grate Marzipan mix over the dough. Carefully roll each sheet into a loaf, then brush with egg. Bake on greased baking sheet for 45 minutes (180 deg Celcius)

Dust with icing sugar.

About Joan:

Joan Campbell is a South African mother of two teenage daughters. She spends a great deal of time lost in the world of the Fantasy Trilogy she is writing, but emerges every now and again to cook for her family. Several of her short stories have been published in various anthologies, including one in Life Lessons from Grandparents, published by Write Integrity Press. (This book is available in our Give One Get One Free Sale!)

Her first collection of stories, “The King’s Quiver” is available in digital format. Joan loves to travel, and her chapter in “The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt” was inspired by her recent trip to Kenya. She and her husband are involved in the worship team at their church. Read more about Joan and her upcoming books on her website.

“The King’s Quiver” has been described by renowned author Susan Mathis as “creative, authentic and unique.” It is currently available as a free download from Joan’s website.

The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt

Grace takes delivery of a package and her life is turned upside down by nine sealed mystery envelopes from her late grandmother. Grammie’s instructions require Grace to take the journey of her lifetime, not only to far off places, but also into the deepest parts of her heart. As she follows the trail laid out for her and uncovers her family’s darkest secrets, Grace is forced to confront the loss and betrayal that has scarred her past and seek the greatest Christmas Treasure of all.

Chapter One by Joan Campbell
Chapter Two by Ruth O'Neil
Chapter Three by J. A. Marx
Chapter Four by Deanna Klingel
Chapter Five by Marji Laine
Chapter Six by Sheryl Holmes
Chapter Seven by Fay Lamb
Chapter Eight by Debbie Roome
Chapter Nine by Joan Campbell

Come join all the fun at Magnificent Hope's Christmas Party!

An All-Together Christmas and Mom's Orange Pudding

[UPDATE: The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt is FREE on Kindle December 14-17 - Grab Your Copy Here!]


Yesterday, Fay Lamb posted Chapter Seven Part One of The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt on her blog. Today, she posts Part Two.

Today, Debbie Roome posts Chapter Eight Part One on her blog. Here, she shares with us her favorite Christmas memory and one of her mom's recipes.

An All-Together Christmas

by Debbie Roome

Christmas has always been a special time for me. It’s a day for family and friends, good food and lots of fun. My most memorable Christmas in recent years was in 2009. My parents and sister from South Africa were visiting us in New Zealand and during the build up to Christmas Day we took advantage of every Christmas event we could think of. Together we went to Christmas in the Park, the Santa Parade and the Grotto. We drove around looking at homes sparkling with Christmas lights and lingered at store windows with a life-size nativity story. The week before Christmas we went to a community party at our church and on Christmas Eve we sang carols with friends and family. On Christmas Day itself, we had a huge family lunch. My five children and daughter-in-law were with us and we had a wonderful day, celebrating, telling stories, pulling crackers and laughing at silly jokes. It was bittersweet in a way, not knowing if our lives would ever intersect like this at another Christmas … but we made the most of it.

Mom’s Orange Pudding

My mother loves to cook and bake but somehow those skills escaped me and jumped to my younger daughter. This is Mom’s orange pudding recipe that is nice and light after a heavy Christmas lunch.

2 eggs
½ cup sugar
¾ cup orange juice
1 dessert spoon gelatin
½ cup milk

Beat egg yolks with sugar. Add orange juice and gelatin which should have been dissolved in ½ cup of boiling water. Add beaten egg whites and cold milk and refrigerate until set.


About Debbie:

Debbie Roome was born and raised in Africa and moved to New Zealand in 2006. Writing has been her passion since she was six years old, and she now works at it full time. Her first novel, Embracing Change, was released in 2010. Her latest novel, Contagious Hope, was released in October by Write Integrity Press. Recent nonfiction books include Cyber-Bullying is Never Alright: Dealing with the Pain of Cyber-Abuse and Magnitude 7.1 and 6.3. She also has stories in a number of anthologies and over 500 articles on various websites. In the last few years, Debbie has received a number of awards for her writing as well as placing in many competitions.

Contagious Hope is available in our Give One Get One Sale going on through Saturday!

The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt

Grace takes delivery of a package and her life is turned upside down by nine sealed mystery envelopes from her late grandmother. Grammie’s instructions require Grace to take the journey of her lifetime, not only to far off places, but also into the deepest parts of her heart. As she follows the trail laid out for her and uncovers her family’s darkest secrets, Grace is forced to confront the loss and betrayal that has scarred her past and seek the greatest Christmas Treasure of all.

Chapter One by Joan Campbell
Chapter Two by Ruth O'Neil
Chapter Three by J. A. Marx
Chapter Four by Deanna Klingel
Chapter Five by Marji Laine
Chapter Six by Sheryl Holmes
Chapter Seven by Fay Lamb

Debbie is the Featured Guest today at Magnificent Hope's Christmas Party! Come on over and join the fun!

Traveling Christmas and Dynamite Stuffing - My Favorite Christmas Memory and Recipe

[UPDATE: The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt is FREE on Kindle December 14-17 - Grab Your Copy Here!]

Yesterday, we posted the first part of Chapter 4 of The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt on the Pix-N-Pens blog. Today, we've posted Part Two.

Chapter Five was written by the winner of our Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt chapter contest, Marji Laine. She has posted part one of her chapter over on her blog, and she'll post part two tomorrow. Here's her favorite Christmas Memory and Recipe.

Traveling Christmas

by Marji Laine

Christmas is one of my favorite seasons. It’s so hard to choose just one memory. The best part of the holiday is spending time with my family. Laughter, singing, delicious food, and thought-filled gifts make this holiday so special. But a few years stand out in memory. One was the year before I married my sweet hubby – yes, taxing the gray cells to remember that far back. I went with his family to Kansas and we traveled back down to Dallas on Christmas day, reaching my mom’s house late that evening. That year, my mom had outdone herself with gift buying, requiring us to create an assembly line, singing the whole time moving the presents from under the tree into the family room where we had enough room to open them. After a couple of hours unwrapping packages, we snatched some sleep and rose pre-dawn to drive to Red River, New Mexico for a few days of skiing, ten of us in all. The best part about the holiday wasn’t the gift-opening, though that was fun. The best part was spending a solid week together; singing, laughing, skiing, snow-mobiling, and just enjoying each other’s company.

Dynamite Stuffing

I'm taxing my brain for a good recipe to share. We do have yearly dishes: Apple Crumb Pie, Pumpkin Bread, Green Bean Casserole, and Deviled Eggs. Most of them are short-cut dishes - I'm so not a cook! But I have been taught to make a dynamite stuffing that I love.

Ingredients:

1 loaf of stale bread
2 cups of celery - chopped
2 cup onion - chopped
1 stick of butter
1 egg
1 tsp each of salt, sage, pepper
2 tsp of parsley - chopped

Step 1: (We usually do this step in front of a movie!) Pull the bread into half-inch to inch-sized squares. I've since been taught that this is called cubing, but it was always pulling to me.

Step 2: Melt butter in the microwave with celery and onion on high for 3 minutes (cover while cooking). Stir and repeat until celery is tender.

Step 3: Blend seasonings into the celery/onion mixture and add the egg, beating it all together. Fold in the bread, stirring it well so that the mixture is fully absorbed and the vegetables are evenly spread through the bread. It will be rather dry. No worries. The juices from the bird are what make this work.

Step 4: Stuff it inside your turkey cavity and cook as directed. If you want to bake this as a casserole, press the bread mixture into a dish, then pour a full cup of chicken stock over the top of it to let it soak in and saturate. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350° for an hour.

Mmmm! I love it with turkey gravy, but it's moist enough to eat without. I'm not sure how many it officially serves, but we have 10-12 at our place and all of us eat on it - rarely leftovers.

About Marji:

Marji is a home-schooling mom of four with the oldest at UT Dallas. When she can't indulge in her passion for story-telling, she's transporting teenage volleyball players, teaching writing classes at a local co-op, and directing the children’s music program at her church. She loves acting in musical comedy, has directed many stage productions, leads a worship team, sings in her church choir, coordinates high school classes for a large home-school group, scrap-books, crochets, and designs Love Story books for newlyweds. She invites readers to unravel their inspiration, seeking a deeper knowledge of the Lord’s Great Mystery that invites us all. You can find her hanging around her website, Facebook page, or you can follow @MarjiLaine on Twitter. 

Find her on the web:

Website 
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt

Grace takes delivery of a package and her life is turned upside down by nine sealed mystery envelopes from her late grandmother. Grammie’s instructions require Grace to take the journey of her lifetime, not only to far off places, but also into the deepest parts of her heart. As she follows the trail laid out for her and uncovers her family’s darkest secrets, Grace is forced to confront the loss and betrayal that has scarred her past and seek the greatest Christmas Treasure of all.

Chapter One by Joan Campbell - Part One, Part Two
Chapter Two by Ruth O'Neil - Part One, Part Two
Chapter Three by J. A. Marx - Part One, Part Two
Chapter Four by Deanna Klingel - Part One, Part Two
Chapter Five by Marji Laine - Part One, Part Two

Marji's the Featured Guest today at Magnificent Hope's Christmas Party! Come on over and join the fun!