INGREDIENTS

3 cups Chopped Pecans
2 cups Chopped candied pineapple
3/4 cup Chopped candied cherries
1/3 cup Chopped candied orange peel
1 3/4 cups Plus 3 tb, all-purpose flour
1 cup Butter, room temperature
1 cup Sugar
5 Eggs
1 tb Vanilla extract
1 tb Lemon extract
1/2 ts Baking powder
1 pn Salt
Powdered Sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 250 deg F. Grease and flour 12 cup bundt pan or tube cake pan. In large bowl, mix pecans and fruits with 3 tb flour. In another large bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Stir in vanila and lemon extracts. Sift 1 3/4 cups flour with baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to batter; stir until blended. Mix fruit mixture into batter.

2. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and testr inserted into centre comes out clean, about 2 1/2 hours. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool. (Can be prepare 2 weeks ahead; wrap in foil and store at room temperature.) Dust with powdered sugar.

 
INGREDIENTS
4 cups milk
5 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups light rum
4 cups light cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

1.) Combine milk, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and cinnamon in a saucepan, and heat over lowest setting for 5 minutes. Slowly bring milk mixture to a boil.

2.) In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together until fluffy. Whisk hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs. Pour mixture into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, or until thick. Do not allow mixture to boil. Strain to remove cloves, and let cool for about an hour.

3.) Stir in rum, cream, 2 teaspoon vanilla, and nutmeg. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

 

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1 pinch salt

 

DIRECTIONS

1.) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

2.) Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown; stir occasionally.

 

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons strawberry jam
1/4 cup green decorator sugar (optional)

 

DIRECTIONS

1.) In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir flour mixture into the butter mixture until well blended. Refrigerate dough for three hours.

2.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease several cookie sheets.

3.) On a floured surface, roll out 1/2 of the dough at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut dough into star shapes using a 3 to 4 inch star cookie cutter. Using a 1 to 2 inch star cookie cutter, cut a star into the center of half of the big stars. Sprinkle colored sugar on the cookies with the center cut out if desired. Put onto prepared cookie sheets about 1 inch apart, and bake for 6 to 8 minutes.

4.) After cookies cool completely, spread 1 teaspoon of preserves in the center of each cookie that does not have a star cut out in the middle. Place a cookie with a cut-out on top of the layer of preserves. Pack cookies in a covered tin to preserve freshness.