Holiday Recipes - tried and true

My little sister requested some recipes from Thanksgiving - in order to have a Christmas reenactment :) Enjoy!!!

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients:

12 ounces chocolate wafers, crushed (or use boxed Oreo crumbs)
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 Cups whipping cream
2 eggs
10 T. powdered sugar
Chocolate curls/shavings to garnish


Directions:

Combine wafers and butter. Press on bottom and sides of a greased spring form pan. Chill.

Melt choc. chips in double boiler (or microwave). Add whole eggs. Mix well. Add egg yolks. Mix well. Add vanilla.

Beat 2 cups cream until soft peaks form. Add 6 Tbsp. powdered sugar and beat until stiff.

Beat egg whites until stiff.

Fold whipped cream and whites into chocolate mixture until well blended. Pour into crust. Chill overnight.

May be frozen at this point. (Texture of mousse is better when slightly frozen)

Whip remaining 2 Cups of cream and 4 Tbsp of powdered sugar until stiff.

Loosen crusts from sides of pan with knife. Top with sweetened whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate curls or shavings.

Cranberry Walnut Relish

Ingredients:
12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
3/4 C. white sugar
1 (12 oz) jar orange marmalade
1 Tbsp. Lemon juice
3/4 C. chopped walnuts, toasted (toast for about 9 minutes)

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cranberries in a shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar, cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
2. remove from oven and sprinkle with toasted walnuts. Re-cover and bake for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and stir in marmalade and lemon juice. Mix well. Coll to room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Not-Yo-Average Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp white sugar

1/4 C. onion, diced

1 C. sour cream

3 (14.5 oz) cans French style green beans, drained

2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 C. Ritz or Club crackers

1 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Melt 2 tbsp butter in skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour and stir until smooth. Cook for one minute. Stir in salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans and stir to coat.

3. transfer mixture to casserole dish. Spread cheese over the top. In separate bowl - toss crackers and remaining butter and sprinkle on top.

4. Bake for 30 minutes of until golden and bubbly.

Rolls, Rolls, Rolls

Scald: 1 1/2 Cups Milk

Add: 1 stick butter

1/2 C. + 2 T. sugar

2 tsp salt

Make sure butter melts. Set aside until it is room temp. If in hurry put it in fridge or freezer. If you don't let it cool, it will kill the yeast.

White it is cooling, prepare the yeast. Make sure it's in a bowl that it can expand in.

Yeast mixture:

1/2 C. warm water - 110-120 degrees

2 pkg yeast (4 1/2 tsp)

Sprinkle the yeast to form a light covering on top of the water. Sprinkle a little bit of sugar on the yeast to "feed" it. Let it rise.

Beat:

3 eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add milk mixture after it's cool - then add yeast.

Add:

6 Cups flour, mix well

Place foil on top of bowl and refrigerate overnight. It will rise at least double. 4 hours before baking, mold dough in the shapes you desire. (balls, crescent, sweet, etc)

Rise for 3 hours. Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes. Do NOT over bake.

For crescent rolls, divide into 3 sections. Roll into circle, top with melted butter, cut triangles with pizza cutter. Roll up and bake.

Holiday Cranberry Cake

INGREDIENTS

3/4 C. butter

1 1/2 C. sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

3 C. flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1 /2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 C. sour cream

1/2 C. chopped walnuts, toasted

1 (16 oz) can whole cranberries

DIRECTIONS

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in almond extract. Sift together the dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture, alternating with sour cream. Beat well after each addition. Spoon 1/3 batter into greased and floured bundt pan. Spread 1/2 the cranberry sauce and 1/2 the nuts over the batter. Repeat, ending with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes- or until done. Drizzle with glaze, below.

GLAZE:

3/4 powdered sugar

1 T. orange juice

1/2 tsp almond extract