Holiday cooking and baking is a tradition that dates back to the beginning of time and one that should be shared with each generation to come. There is just something about gathering in a warm kitchen as wonderful food is prepared that brings us all together. Here in the deep south I have mixed a variety of traditional with some new recipes to create a tasty feast that I am sure your family will enjoy. From my house to yours, we wish a very Blessed Christmas Day!!

Cow Country Christmas

Salad Greens With Apple & Brie
Walnut-Baked Brie
Beef Tenderloin With Peppercorns
Roasted Garlic & Butter Mashed Potatoes
Green Peas And Pearl Onions
Honey-Kissed Carrots
Fresh Fruit Ambrosia
Sour Cream Crescent Rolls
Peppermint Candy Cake
Buche de Noel
Old Fashioned Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Salad Greens With Apple & Brie

2 large Red Delicious apples, cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup apple cider, divided
4 slices bacon
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
6 cups salad greens, torn
Walnut-Baked Brie

Dip apple wedges in cider to prevent browning and set aside. Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat until crisp, remove bacon reserving 1 tbsp drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon and set aside. Add remaining 1/4 cup cider, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to drippings; cook dressing over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Just before serving, arrange greens, apple slices and warm Walnut Brie on plates. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Yield: 6 Servings

Walnut-Baked Brie

1 8 ounce round Brie
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted & coarsely chopped

Remove top rind from Brie. Cut cheese into 6 wedges; place on highly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese with brown sugar and walnuts. Bake at 450 degrees for 2 to 3 minutes or just until soft. Serve immediately on salad greens. Yield: 6 Servings

Beef Tenderloin With Pepper Corns

1 (5-6 pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed
3 tbsp Watkins Horseradish Mustard
1 tbsp Watkins Ground Sage
1 1/2 tbsp whole green peppercorns, ground and divided
1 1/2 tbsp whole white peppercorns, ground and divided
1 1/2 tbsp whole black peppercorns, ground and divided
2 tbsp butter, softened

Cut the tenderloin lengthwise to within 1/2-inch of 1 long edge, leaving edge in tact. Open tenderloin out flat and place heavy duty plastic wrap on the beef; then pounding meat to flatten slightly. Remove wrap and spread meat with mustard. Sprinkle sage, green peppercorns and 1/2 tsp each, of the black and white ground peppercorns over the mustard. Fold one side of the tenderloin back over and tie securely at 3-inch intervals with heavy string. Spread butter over the outside of the meat and sprinkle with remaining ground peppercorns. Place tenderloin on a rack in a roasting pan; inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part. Bale at 425 degrees for 45 minutes or until thermometer registers 145 degrees (medium-rare) or 160 degrees (medium). Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Yield: 12 Servings

Roasted Garlic & Butter Mashed Potatoes

2 heads garlic, unpeeled
Watkins Garlic & Parsley Grapeseed Oil
2 pounds red potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup refrigerate shredded Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp butter
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1/2 tsp Watkins Ground Black Pepper

Cut off tops of garlic, leaving heads in tact. Place on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with oil. Fold foil and seal, baking at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes and then remove outermost layers of the papery skin from garlic. Squeeze out soft garlic pulp and set aside. Bring potatoes, tsp salt and water a boil in a Dutch oven. Boil 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender, drain well. Return to pan, mashing potatoes and stirring in garlic, remaining salt, milk, butter and remaining ingredients. Mash until smooth. Yield: 8 Servings

Green Peas and Pearl Onions

3 pounds fresh peas in shells (3 cups, shelled)
1/2 pound frozen pearl onions
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp Watkins Ground Black Pepper
Pinch of Watkins Ground Nutmeg

Shell and wash peas, cover peas and onions with water in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 to 15 minutes or until peas are tender; drain. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, add flour stirring until smooth, continue cooking 1 minute stirring constantly. Gradually add milk continue cooking and stirring; about 3 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Spoon sauce over vegetables, toss gently. Yield: 6 Servings

Honey-Kissed Carrots

2 pound carrots, scraped and diagonally sliced
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup butter, melted
6 tbsp honey
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Watkins Ground Ginger
1/2 cup almonds, toasted

Cook carrots in a small amount if boiling water 8 minutes and drain. Combine carrot, raisins and next 4 four ingredients. Spoon into an ungreased 1-quart baking dish. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until carrots are tender. Sprinkle with almonds. Yield: 8 servings

Fresh Fruit Ambrosia

9 oranges, peeled, seeded and sectioned
2 good sized fresh pineapples, sectioned
1 cup honey
1 to 2 tsp Watkins Almond Extract
1 cup flaked coconut

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir gently. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Yield: 8 Servings

Sour Cream Crescent Rolls

1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounce carton) sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 pkgs active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 large eggs, beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
Butter, melted

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a sauce pan over medium heat; stir in sour cream and sugar and heat to 105-115 degrees. Combine yeast and warm water in a 1 cup liquid measuring cup, letting stand 5 minutes. Combine yeast mixture, sour cream mixture, and eggs into a large bowl. Combine flour and salt, gradually adding yeast mixture, stirring well. Cover and store in refrigerator at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Punch dough down and divide into 4 equal parts. Roll each portion into a 10 inch circle on a floured surface, brush with melted butter. Cut each circle into 12 wedges; roll up each wedge, beginning at wide end. Place on a greased baking sheet, point side down. Cover and let rise in a warm place 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden. Yield: 4 dozen

Peppermint Candy Cake

2/3 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 cups sifted cake flour
3 1/2 tsp Watkins Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups milk
1 tsp Watkins Vanilla Extract
4 egg whites
Peppermint Filling (recipe follows below)
1 cup crushed peppermint hard candy (36), divided
1/2 recipe White Cloud Frosting (recipe follows below)

Beat shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, continue beating for 5-7 minutes. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt add to shortening mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix at low speed after each addition until blended, stir in Vanilla Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form, gently fold into batter. Pour batter into three greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted neat the center comes out clean. Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool 10 minutes more. While warm, prick cake layers at 1-inch intervals with a fork. Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate; pouring 1/3 of the peppermint filling over layer and sprinkle with 1/4 Peppermint Candy, repeat with remaining layers. Frost top and sides with White Cloud Frosting; then sprinkle top and sides with remaining 1/2 cup candy. Yield: 16 servings

Peppermint Filling

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp Watkins Peppermint Extract

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add sugar, milk and extract; bringing to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Yield: 1 1/3 cups

White Cloud Frosting

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp Watkins Cream Of Tartar
1/8 tsp salt
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp Watkins Almond Extract

Combine first 4 ingredients in a heavy sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is clear. Cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches soft ball stage or your candy thermometer registers 240 degrees. While syrup cooks beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, continue to beat egg whites, adding hot syrup mixture in a heavy stream. Add almond extract, beat until stiff peaks form and frosting is thick enough to spread. Yield: 7 cups

Buche de Noel
(Traditional French Christmas Cake decorated to look like a tree log)

4 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup sugar divided
2 tbsp water
1 tsp Watkins Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup sifted cake flour
3 tbsp Watkins Baking Cocoa
1/2 tsp Watkins Cream Of Tartar
Dash of Salt
2 to 3 tbsp powdered sugar
Rich Chocolate Buttercream (recipe to follow)
1/2 cup chopped pistachios

Grease bottom and sides of a 15x10-inch jellyroll pan. Line with wax paper, grease and flour, set aside. Beat egg yolks in a large mixing bowl at high speed with an electric mixer 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Gradually ad 1/3 cup sugar, beating well. Add water and vanilla, fold in ground almonds. Gradually add cake flour and cocoa. Beat egg whites at high speed until foamy, adding cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form. Gently fold in egg yolk mixture. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Soft powdered sugar in a 15x10-inch rectangle on a cloth towel. When cake is done, immediately loosen from sides of pan and turn out onto the sugared towel. Peel off wax paper, and starting at narrow end, roll up cake and towel together; cool completely on a wire rack, seam side down. Unroll cake and remove towel. Spread cake with half of the Rich Chocolate Buttercream, carefully reroll. Cover and chill. Cut a 1-inch thick diagonal slice from one end of the cake roll. Place cake roll on a serving plate, seam side down; positioning the cut piece against the side of the cake to resemble a knot. Spread remaining Rich Chocolate Buttercream over cake. Score frosting with the tines of a fork to resemble tree bark. Garnish with the pistachios. Yield: 10 Servings

Rich Chocolate Butter Cream

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
2 (1 ounce) squares semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup butter, softened
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp Watkins Vanilla Extract

Place chocolate in the top of a double boiler and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cooking until chocolate melts, stirring often. Remove from heat. Beat butter a medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add chocolate, powdered sugar and remaining ingredients, beat until spreading consistency. Yield: 3 3/4 cups

Old Fashioned Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

6 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 1/3 cups sugar
4 cups milk
5 cups half and half
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp Watkins Vanilla Extract

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 25-30 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Cover and chill at least 4 hours. Stir in half and half, salt and vanilla, pour into freezer container of a 4-5 quart hand-turned or eclectic freezer. Freeze according to manufactures instructions.

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About the Author: LorrieAnn is a Single Mom to 5 wonderful kids. With 2 sons grown and out on their own, she resides in Florida with her 3 teenagers, 2 dogs, 2 cats and a bird. Along with her Home-Based Business, The Country Carousel, LorrieAnn also owns the HomeAndHeart Prayer List. Her hobbies include freelance writing for Christian Websites, Cooking & Baking, Gardening, Horses and anything to do with Ocean.

Check out her business: http://www.premierauctions.net
http://www.cowcountryliving.com
http://www.momandpopauctions.com

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