This year I am presenting recipes for an American Christmas from Dennis, the new human resources manager at petticoated.com, and his wife, who has kindly typed out the recipes, and who does most of the cooking. They live in rural upstate New York, have been married for over thirteen years, and love each other more than ever. Dennis is one of my special ‘Friends of PDM’ and has long been an active supporter of the site.

‘This is one of the most important days for our family:  it is kind of a Thanksgiving-Christmas-Reunion all mixed into one day. That is probably why we have so much food. I try to make something that each person likes, and I am usually successful. You will notice as you read my recipes that they are very simple and down-to-earth, nothing really fancy, just old fashioned, down-home cooking.

‘I roast the duck, venison and turkey at the same time. First I prepare all three, the venison being the largest of the three that goes in the night before the dinner party .and than first thing in the morning I put the other two on the top shelf in the oven. We have a lot of food so I don't really need to make a whole lot, just enough for everyone to have a taste. The ham is baked ahead of time and than sliced and microwaved the last minute.

‘We usually eat around 2:00 pm, after we have opened our gifts, so I can have the meats out of the oven by 1:00pm and put the scalloped corn, green bean bake, and rolls into the oven. The breads, cookies and pies are all made up ahead of time, so all I have to do is make the relish trays, deviled eggs, and potatoes.

‘At the very last minute I make up the punch so the children won't be drinking it all up, and not be hungry at dinner time’.

ROASTS

Roast Leg of Venison
Night before - Wipe the venison clean, take any dry skin off that shows.  Put a package of onion soup mix on the leg and rub it all over. Place in a roaster, Slice several onions and put into the roaster with the meat. Cover the leg with water, put foil over the pan, and then put the lid on the roaster. Bake at 250F for 6 to 10 hours. I usually get the roast in by midnight, and check it at 6.00am when I get up to put the other meat in the oven.

Roast Wild Duck
Buy a large baking bag for roast pork. Wipe the duck clean and salt and pepper it.  Place rice in the cavity of the duck and place the duck in the bag along with the spices. Place the duck and bag in a large enough pan so that it can be covered with foil. Pour water in the pan, (this is for moisture only). Cover the pan with foil. Bake at 250F for 5 or 6 hours. When done, discard the rice.

Roast Turkey with Bread Stuffing
I buy a small turkey, clean it and use stove top stuffing. Bake at 250F for 5 or 6 hours.

Ham with Pineapple and Brown Sugar Glaze
I use a small ham. Put it into the baking pan that is going to be used, score it, and put cloves all around the top of it. Then I mix 1 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon mustard, and spread it over the entire top. Than I put whole pineapple on top, and put half a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple. Put about 1 cup water in the bottom of the pan, cover with foil, and bake at 250F for 5 or 6 hours.

Cranberry Sauce
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2  12-ounce bags cranberries
2 small boxes strawberry gelatin

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add cranberries and cook until cranberries pop open and become soft, and mixture is thick and syrupy. Put through strainer. Cool. Dissolve gelatin in 2 cups boiling water. Chill until jelly but not set. Add to cranberry sauce, and you may add 1/2 cups chopped nuts at this time if you wish. I don't do this because too many of the children don't care for nuts.

VEGETABLES

Mashed Potatoes/Giblet Gravy

Scalloped Corn / Green Bean Bake / Candied Sweet Potatoes

RELISH TRAY

Relish Tray :
Dill pickles
Hot mixed pickles
Green olives
Black olives
Celery sticks
Carrot sticks
Broccoli bits
Cauliflower bits

Deviled Eggs :
2 dozen eggs
Salad dressing
Mustard

Hard boil the eggs, peel and slice lengthwise, scoop out the center and mash, add salad dressing (you can use mayonnaise if you prefer) and mustard. Add salt and pepper if you so desire. I like to pipe my egg yolk out into the egg white because it looks so much neater, but it isn't necessary. Top with decoration if you like. I use little slices of pickles, and pimento from the centers of the olives. Sprinkle lightly with paprika.

BREADS

Dinner Buns
1 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup scalded milk
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks, beaten
3 1/2 cups flour

Mix, knead, and let rise until double. Roll into small balls. Put in a 9inch x 12inch pan and let them double again. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Banana Bread
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons soda
4 eggs
6 large mashed bananas
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream shortening and sugar; sift flour. Measure and sift again with soda and salt. Beat eggs into shortening. Add flour and bananas alternately, about 1/2 at a time. Form into loaves and bake at 300F for about 1 1/2 hours. Makes 2 loaves.

Pumpkin Bread
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup water
3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups pumpkin
2 teaspoons soda

Mix well. Bake in 3 greased loaf pans at 350F for 1 hour.

Pineapple-Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup salad oil
2 teaspoons vanilla

Blend with a mixer. Continue beating until thick and foamy.

Then stir in with a spoon:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Then add:
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup well-drained crushed pineapple

Bake at 350F for 1 hour or more. Makes 2 loaves.

COOKIES AND CAKES

Moravian Christmas Cookies
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dark karo syrup
1 egg
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon soda

Blend sugar, shortening, and karo, beat and add egg. Sift dry ingredients, and mix well. Roll out and cut into fancy shapes. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. When cool decorate with boiled icing.

Christmas Butter Cookies
1 cup soft butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/4 cups flour

Cream butter until it resembles whipped cream. Slowly add sugar beating well after each addition. Add flour
gradually and blend thoroughly. Wrap in waxed paper and chill over night. Knead dough slightly on floured board, and form into a smooth ball. Roll to about 1/8 inch thick, and cut into fancy shapes. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake at 350F for about 12 minutes. When cold decorate with butter cream icing.
NOTE: These are one of my favorites; I have had them every year as far back as I can remember.

Almond Macaroons
1 cup almond paste
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg whites
Salt

Rub paste until smooth, then gradually work in the sugar until well mixed. Add a pinch of salt and beat in one egg white at a time, mixing thoroughly. Let stand for 20 minutes. Drop teaspoonfuls on lightly buttered baking sheet. Bake in a slow oven at 300F for 25 to 30 minutes until surface is dry. Keep in cool place overnight.

Sugar Cakes
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup thick milk

Mix eggs and butter well. Then add milk and soda. Mix in enough flour to make a soft dough, just so you can
roll it out. Cut into any shapes you wish. Sprinkle with sugar, and bake in a moderate 350F oven. Do not over bake these, because they easily become dry.

Belsnickel (Christmas Cakes)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt

Pour melted butter over sugar and beat until creamy, add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift dry ingredients and add to the cake mixture. Chill for an hour. Roll out on a floured board, cut into desired small shapes. Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 400F for 8 to 10 minutes.

Gingerbread Men
Send hubbie down to buy them from the local bakery. You’ve done enough work for today!

SWEET PIES

Apple Crumb Pie
Pecan Pie
Shoo Fly Pie
Mincemeat Pie
Lemon Pie

HOLIDAY PUNCH

Dennis’s wife writes:

‘My Holiday Punch is cranberry juice cocktail, ginger ale, and vanilla ice cream. Our little ones go hog wild over it, and that is one thing where we very seldom have any left over’.

These recipes have a very American flavour – American cuisine has a rustic charm evocative of red gingham, neat log cabins, and the peaked bonnets and orderly farms of the Pennsylvania Dutch.

Not all the dishes here are accompanied by a recipe, but you will find recipes online. ‘Shoo fly pie’ is a very moist molasses pie of Dutch and German parentage; naturally enough flies are attracted to it. It is often eaten for breakfast.

I would like to thank Dennis and his wonderful wife for sending in this American cornucopia.
Susan