We love the holiday season, aside from it finally being cold enough to wear all our woolies, it’s so great to spend time with family and friends. And while we visit with our loved ones we tend to be eating, or making delicious things to eat. Our Woolery team members wanted to share some of their favorite holiday dishes with you this year.
First up we have Natalie with her favorite Monkey Bread recipe. Natalie notes that the original recipe called for raisins but, “No raisins are in my recipe because that is poison.” Fair enough Natalie, we’ll keep them out.
Natalie’s Christmas Morning Monkey Bread
Ingredients:
- Granulated sugar – 1/2 cup
- Cinnamon – 1 teaspoon
- 2 cans large size biscuit dough
- Brown sugar – 1 cup firmly packed
- Butter – 3/4 cup melted
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 cup large fluted tube pan.
- Mix sugar and cinnamon in a large plastic food storage bag.
- Separate dough into 16 biscuits, cut each into quarters. Shake in sugar bag to coat. Arrange in the pan.
- In a small bowl mix brown sugar and butter. Pour over the biscuit pieces.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn upside down on to serving plate, pull apart to serve. Serve warm.
Next up we have Nancy, who loves to make candy this time of year. Nancy is sharing her Buckeyes recipe with us, which are a local favorite. She insists that hers are the best around, and it’s all in the chocolate. Let’s find out her secret!
Nancy’s Best Buckeyes
Ingredients:
- Butter – 1/4 pound
- Peanut butter – 1 1/2 cups
- Powdered sugar – 1/2 pound
- Vanilla – 1 teaspoon
- Semi-sweet or bitter chocolate – 8 oz
Nancy would like to note that because there are so few ingredients, it is really important to make sure that they are the very best quality. Nancy suggests natural peanut butter (just roasted peanuts and salt), very good butter (no margarine), and the best vanilla. It’s also important to pick the finest chocolate you can find according to your taste, (Nancy likes to use 70% dark).
Instructions:
- Mix the butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Chill after mixing, then shape into balls about 3/4″ in diameter. Chill again while you melt the chocolate.
- In a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, melt the chocolate.
- Impale the centers of the peanut butter balls on a toothpick and dip into the chocolate, leaving a penny sized circle uncovered at the top.
- Transfer these to a parchment covered sheet and when you are done dipping smooth over the tooth pick holes.
- Chill until firm and store in an air-tight container in a single layer.
Finally we have a family recipe from our owners, Wave and Perri. This recipe has been served at every McFarland Family Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner since 1977. It belonged to Perri’s mother, Carolyn Gaertner Patberg.
McFarland Family Christmas Cranberry Salad
Ingredients:
- Raspberry jello mix – 2 packs
- Hot water – 1 cup
- Cold water – 1 cup
- Whole berried cranberries – 1 can
- Sour cream – 8oz can
Instructions:
- Dissolve both jello mixes in hot water. Add cold water. Add cranberries.
- Place in refrigerator and when the jello is just beginning to solidify, add sour cream.
- Place entire mixture into jello mold pan or serving dish of your choice. Refridgerate until firm.
Happy Holiday wishes from our family to yours!
Wave, Perri, and the entire Woolery team
thewooleryguy 