Sugared Almonds and Pecans
Linda Hartzler
Minonk, IL
Makes 28 ¼-cup servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Baking Time: 1 hour
1 egg white
1 Tbsp. water
1-2 tsp. cinnamon, according to your taste preference
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 lb. almonds and/or pecans
1. In a large bowl, beat together egg white and water until fluffy.
2. Stir in cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, and nuts.
3. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet with sides.
4. Bake at 200° for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
5. Cool completely before storing.
Pretzel Treat
Sheila Heil
Lancaster, PA
Makes lots!
Prep Time: 10 minutes per 8-oz. bag
Baking Time: 4-6 minutes per cookie sheet
1 bag Hershey Kisses or Hershey Hugs
1 bag waffle-shaped pretzels
1 bag M&Ms
1. Unwrap Hershey Kisses.
2. Preheat oven to 170°.
3. Place pretzels in a single layer on a baking sheet.
4. Top each pretzel with 1 Hershey Kiss.
5. Bake for 4-6 minutes, until chocolate feels soft when touched.
6. Remove from oven. Quickly press an M&M candy into the center of each Hershey Kiss.
7. Allow to cool before storing.
8. Refrigerate if necessary.
Tips:
1. Use green and red M&Ms for Christmas.
2. Use multi-colored M&Ms for birthdays.
3. This is a good activity for children or senior adults who need supervision!
4. To share as gifts, place handfuls of these pretzel treats into clear or colored plastic wrap and tie with colorful ribbon.
Cheesy Pretzels
Kim Jensen
Thornton, CO
Makes 16 pretzels
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Baking Time: 20 minutes
1½ cups flour
⅔ cup milk
½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
kosher salt
1. In a large bowl, mix the first 7 ingredients with a fork until blended.
2. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. With your hands, roll each portion into a rope about 12-14” long. Lay them on greased cookie sheets, forming each into a pretzel shape as you do so.
3. Brush each pretzel lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle with salt.
4. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Tip: You can substitute onion or garlic salt for the kosher salt.
Fiddle Sticks
Cova Rexroad
Kingsville, MD
Makes 20 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Baking Time: 10 minutes
2 cups pretzel sticks, broken in half
1½ cups raisins
1½ cups lightly salted peanuts
½ cup pecans, optional
12-oz. pkg. white chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. butter
1. Mix together pretzels, raisins, and nuts in a large mixing bowl or 9 x 13 baking pan.
2. Place in a warm 200° oven for about 10 minutes.
3. Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler over hot water, or in the microwave (50% power for 1 minute; stir; 50% power for 30 seconds; stir. Continue microwaving at 50% for 30-second time periods, stirring between each one, until the mixture is melted).
4. Pour melted chocolate and butter over the warmed pretzel mixture. Stir well to coat.
5. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool.
6. Break up and serve or store.
White Chocolate Crunch
Becky Harder
Monument, CO
Makes 20 ½-cup servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5-10 minutes
1 whole block of white chocolate
6 cups Chex cereal
2 cups M&Ms
2 cups small pretzels
1. Chop the white chocolate block into pieces. Place in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 2-3 minutes. Stir. Heat again at 50% power for 15 seconds. Stir. Continue heating for 15-second periods, following each by stirring, until the pieces around the edges are melted and the center of the bowl feels hot. Let stand for a minute and then stir. If solid pieces remain, continue the heating for 15-second periods, followed by stirring.
2. When the chocolate is fully melted, stir in cereal, M&Ms, and pretzels.
3. Spread out on waxed paper and let harden.
4. Break into chunks/pieces to serve.
Crunchy Peanut Bark
Doyle Rounds, Bridgewater, VA
Makes about 60 pieces
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Standing Time: 4-6 hours
2 lbs. white confectionery coating
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups crisp rice cereal
2 cups dry roasted peanuts
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1. Place confectionery coating in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50% power for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue microwaving at 50% power for 30-second periods until the coating is melted.
2. Stir peanut butter, rice cereal, peanuts, and marshmallows into melted coating.
3. Drop by heaping tablespoonsful onto waxed paper.
4. Let stand on counter for several hours until very dry. Store in refrigerator or freeze. The bark keeps well.
Notes:
1. White confectionery coating can be found in the baking section of most grocery stores. It is sometimes labeled “Almond Bark” or “Candy Coating.” It is often sold in bulk packages of 1-1½ lbs. in disc or block form.
2. I always make this special snack at Christmas. It’s a great give-away gift.
Party Mix for a Bunch
Barbara Yoder
Christiana, PA
Makes 80 cups!
Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
12-oz. box Rice Chex
12-oz. box Corn Chex
17-oz. box Crispix
12-oz. bag cheese curls
1-lb. bag small pretzels
10-oz. box Ritz Bits
1 box Wheatables
1 box White Cheddar Cheez-its
1 lb. mixed nuts
12.5-oz. box goldfish crackers
16-oz. jar dry roasted peanuts
2 pkgs. Hidden Valley Ranch dry salad dressing mix
1 bottle butter-flavor popcorn popping and topping oil
1. Pour all ingredients, except oil and salad dressing mix, into a large garbage bag.
2. Add some oil and salad dressing mix. Tie bag shut and shake.
3. Continue to add oil and salad dressing mix, shaking after each addition until well blended.
Tips:
1. Place one garbage bag inside another to cut down on possible leaks.
2. You can freeze the finished Mix.
3. If you can’t find the popcorn popping and topping oil, you can substitute 1 cup olive oil and 1 Tbsp. butter flavoring.
A Tip —
When measuring honey, corn syrup, or molasses, first lightly spray the measuring cup with non-fat cooking spray. The liquid will slide right out.
Caramel Popcorn
Janelle Reitz, Lancaster, PA
Starla A. Diem, Denmark, SC
Makes 12 1-cup servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 75-80 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
12 cups popped plain popcorn, unsalted, airor oil-popped
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
half a stick (¼ cup) butter
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. vanilla
1. Place popped popcorn in two 9 x 13 greased baking pans. Preheat oven to 250°.
2. Combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt in a heavy saucepan.
3. Cook 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly, bringing mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil 4 minutes. Do not stir.
4. Remove from heat. Add baking soda and vanilla. Pour over popcorn, stirring to coat evenly.
5. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
6. Cool on waxed paper. Break apart into pieces. Store in tightly-covered container.
Variation: For a real treat, add 1½ cups broken cashews to the popcorn in Step 1.
— Dawn Derstine
Souderton, PA
Sweet Snack Mix
Ruth Ann Penner
Hillsboro, KS
Makes about 20 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2-5 minutes
Cooking Time: 2-3 hours
14 cups popped popcorn
3 cups crisp rice cereal
2 cups salted peanuts
1 lb. white almond bark
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1. In a large bowl, combine popped popcorn, cereal, and peanuts.
2. Place bark and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 1 minute. Stir. Heat on high for 15 seconds. Stir. If the mixture isn’t yet melted, continue heating on high for 15-second periods, stirring between each.
3. Pour melted mixture over popcorn mixture, stirring to coat.
4. Spread on waxed paper. Allow to stand for at least 2 hours.
5. Break up and store in an airtight container.
Tip: Look for the almond bark in the baking section of the grocery store.
Granola Bars
Barbara Kuhns
Millersburg, OH
Kim Stoll
Abbeville, SC
Lydia Stoltzfus
East Earl, PA
Christine Weaver
Reinholds, PA
Makes 20 servings
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5-10 minutes
2 cups (1 pkg.) graham crackers, crushed
5 cups dry quick oats
4½ cups crisp rice cereal
1½ sticks (¾ cup) butter
½ cup peanut butter
¾ cup honey
2 10-oz. pkgs. marshmallows
1 cup M&Ms, frozen
1 cup chocolate chips, frozen
1. In a large bowl, combine crushed graham crackers, dry oats, and crisp rice cereal.
2. In a saucepan, combine butter, peanut butter, and honey. Stir frequently, heating until butter is melted.
3. Add marshmallows. Heat until marshmallows are melted, stirring constantly.
4. Pour over dry mixture. Mix well.
5. Add M&Ms and chocolate chips. Mix well.
6. Press onto a greased baking sheet. Cut into 20 pieces.
1. Add 1 cup each of any of the following to Step 1: grated coconut, almonds, raisins, other dried fruit.
— Lori Showalter
New Hope, VA
2. Add 2 tsp. vanilla to Step 2.
— Julie Newman
Sidney, BC
3. Add 1 cup all-bran cereal, ¼ cup sunflower seeds, and ¼ cup sesame seeds to Step 1.
— Frances Schrag
Newton, KS
— Esther Zimmerman
Ephrata, PA
Salted Peanut Squares
John D. Allen
Rye, CO
Makes 20-24 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour
16-oz. jar salted peanuts
3 Tbsp. butter
10-oz. pkg. peanut butter chips
2 cups miniature marshmallows
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1. Cover the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 baking pan with half the salted peanuts.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter and peanut butter chips.
3. Stir in marshmallows and milk. Heat until melted.
4. Pour over peanuts.
5. Top with remaining peanuts.
6. Chill. Cut into squares.
Peanut Butter Clusters
Ruth Ann Gingrich
New Holland, PA
Makes 4-5 dozen pieces
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 3-5 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
2 cups light corn syrup
2 cups peanut butter
2 cups sugar
1 12-oz. box cornflakes, or
12 cups cornflakes
1. Mix corn syrup, peanut butter, and sugar in a large saucepan.
2. While stirring constantly over medium heat, bring to a boil.
3. Immediately remove from heat and stir in cornflakes until coated evenly.
4. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.
5. When fully cooled, store in airtight container, placing a sheet of waxed paper between each layer.
Tip: You must stir constantly in Step 2 so the mixture doesn’t burn. As soon as it reaches the boiling point, remove from heat!
Cranberry Clusters
Edwina Stoltzfus
Narvon, PA
Makes 24 clusters
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2-4 minutes
Standing Time: 1 hour
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
⅔ cup craisins
⅔ cup peanuts
1. Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave at 50% for 15 seconds. Stir. Continue microwaving at 50% for 15-second periods, followed by stirring, until the chips are melted.
2. Stir in craisins and peanuts.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let stand until set.
Variations: Use white chocolate chips instead of chocolate chips, cashews instead of peanuts, and raisins or dried cherries instead of craisins.
Honey Milk Balls
Sherry Goss Lapp
Lancaster, PA
Makes 28 balls
Prep Time: 10 minutes
½ cup honey
½ cup peanut butter
1 cup powdered milk
1 cup dry quick oats
1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together honey and peanut butter.
2. Stir in milk and oats, mixing well.
3. Roll mixture into small balls. This is a great, healthy snack that children can help to make.
Easy Fudge
Barbara Tenney
Delta, PA
Makes 36 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 12-15 minutes
⅔ cup evaporated milk
1⅔ cups sugar
½ tsp. salt
1½ cups mini marshmallows, or diced large marshmallows
1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup chopped nuts
1. Place first 3 ingredients in saucepan. Mix and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously.
2. Boil 5 minutes and remove from heat.
3. Add remaining ingredients and stir until marshmallows and chocolate chips melt.
4. Pour into a buttered 9 x 9 pan. Cut into squares while still warm and chill.
Variations: Replace chocolate chips with peanut butter chips.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
Meredith Miller
Dover, DE
June S. Groff
Denver, PA
Makes 36 servings
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Chilling Time: 4-6 hours, or overnight
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups confectioners sugar
1. Mix together butter, peanut butter, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Stir in sugar.
2. Line an 8 x 8 pan with waxed paper. Pat mixture into pan.
3. Refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight.
4. Cut into small squares.
Tip: It’s easier to mix these ingredients together using your clean hands rather than a spoon. Since this is such a simple recipe, my siblings and I enjoyed making this candy by ourselves at a very young age. The hardest part was to wait until it got firm. We often ate our share (and more) before then. We also served it at quite a few parties.
— Meredith Miller
Dover, DE
Raspberry Truffles
Dawn Ranck
Lansdale, PA
Makes 18 balls
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Freezing Time: 2½-3 hours
Standing Time: 1 hour
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. whipping cream
1⅓ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
7½ tsp. seedless raspberry jam
6 ozs. white or dark coating chocolate
2 Tbsp. solid shortening
1. In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, cream, and chocolate chips. Cook over low heat 4-5 minutes, or until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in jam. Transfer to freezer container. Cover and freeze 20 minutes.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto foil-lined baking sheets. Freeze 15 minutes.
4. Roll into balls. Freeze until firm.
5. Melt chocolate and shortening together, stirring frequently. Dip balls. Place on wire rack over waxed paper. Let stand until firm. Store in refrigerator.
Fruity Yogurt Ice Pops
Paula King, Flanagan, IL
Makes 10 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Freezing Time: 8 hours, or overnight
2 16-oz. cups strawberry yogurt
8-oz. can unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
1 Tbsp. honey
1. Combine yogurt, pineapple, and honey in a blender or food processor, blending until smooth.
2. Pour into 10 plastic molds or 3-oz. paper cups. Top with holders or insert wooden sticks.
3. Freeze until firm, about 8 hours or overnight.
Tip: You can use other flavors of yogurt and other fruits. Just make sure you use the correct amounts of each.
Mochaccino
Jenelle Miller
Marion, SD
Makes 10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
12 Tbsp. freshly ground coffee
10 cups water
¾ cup nondairy powdered creamer
½ cup chocolate syrup
½ cup caramel syrup
⅓ cup sugar
crushed ice
whipped cream and additional syrup, optional
1. Brew coffee (with 10 cups water) in coffeemaker. Pour into a 2-qt. pitcher.
2. Add creamer, syrups, and sugar. Whisk together. Cool in refrigerator.
3. To use, place 1 cup coffee mix in blender with 1 cup crushed ice. Blend for 1 minute.
4. Pour into a tall glass. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with syrup, if you wish.
Tip: Coarsely crushed ice blends better than finely crushed ice.
3-2-1 Lemonade
Tabitha Schmidt
Baltic, OH
Makes 1 gallon
Prep Time: 15 minutes
3 lemons
2 cups sugar
water and ice to make a gallon
1. Thinly slice lemons, discarding tips.
2. Place in a one-gallon pitcher and add sugar. Stir thoroughly until lemon slices are well-covered with sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Add ice and water to make one gallon.
4. Serve immediately or within hours, putting a lemon slice in each glass if desired.
Tips:
1. If you have left-over lemonade, remove the lemons if you won’t be using it within 24 hours. The rinds can turn bitter if left in too long.
2. To get the maximum flavor from the lemons, mash the sugar and lemon slices together (Step 2) until well blended.
Mint Lemonade Concentrate
Stacy Schmucker Stoltzfus
Enola, PA
Virginia M. Eberly
Loysville, PA
Makes about 2 quarts of concentrate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1-2 hours
2 cups fresh tea leaves (stems are okay to use, too)
1 qt. water
1½ cups sugar
12-oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate
6-oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate
1. Wash tea leaves and put in a large bowl.
2. Combine water and sugar in a saucepan. Boil for 10 minutes.
3. Pour over tea leaves. Cover and let cool. Squeeze water out of leaves, remove them, and compost.
4. Add juice concentrates to tea. Stir until thawed.
5. To serve, mix 1 part concentrate to 3 parts water.
Tip: At the end of the growing season, I make quantities of the concentrate and freeze it to use in the winter.
Mint Tea
Carol Eberly
Harrisonburg, VA
Makes 1 gallon
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Steeping Time: 10 minutes
4 cups water
3 Lipton family-size tea bags (only Lipton!)
8-10 stalks fresh mint tea, or 2 Boston’s mint tea bags, or 8-10 stalks dried mint
1¼ cups sugar
1. Heat 4 cups water to boil in the microwave or on the stove.
2. Remove from heat and add family-size tea bags and mint tea or tea bags.
3. Let steep at least 10 minutes.
4. Remove tea bags and mint.
5. Add sugar. Stir until dissolved.
6. Add enough water to make a gallon.
7. Serve over ice in glasses.
Tip: In the summer when the tea grows, I cut it off and dry it for use in the winter.
Indian Tea
Terry Stutzman Mast
Lodi, CA
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Steeping Time: 5-10 minutes
4 cups water
3 black (regular or decaf) tea bags
3 whole cloves
1” piece of gingerroot, chopped
3 pods cardamom, opened for seeds
1 stick cinnamon, chopped
6-oz. can evaporated skim milk
¼ cup sugar
1. Bring water to a boil in a covered saucepan. Turn off heat.
2. Place tea bags in to steep for 5 minutes. Keep covered.
3. In a tea ball or muslin bag (tied shut) place cloves, gingerroot, cardamom seeds, and chopped cinnamon. Place into steeping tea.
4. After 5 minutes, remove tea bags. (If you prefer a stronger tea, allow the tea bags to steep a few more minutes until tea is darker.)
5. Stir in evaporated milk.
6. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved.
7. Remove tea ball or spice bag and serve.
Red Velvet Punch
J.B. Miller
Indianapolis, IN
Makes 24 8-oz. servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
8 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1 cup each, thawed frozen concentrate of orange juice, lemon juice, and pineapple juice
2 cups grape juice
block of ice
2 qts. ginger ale
lemon and lime slices
1. Mix all ingredients together in large punch bowl.
2. When well blended, add a block of ice.
3. Just before serving add 2 quarts ginger ale.
4. Garnish with slices of lemon and lime.
Tip: Instead of a solid block of ice, substitute an ice ring with slices of citrus and cherries imbedded in the ice.
Sugar-Free Holiday Nog
Norma I. Gehman
Ephrata, PA
Makes 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
7 cups skim milk, divided
1-oz. pkg. instant sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
1-2 tsp. vanilla, or rum, extract, your choice of amount
sugar substitute equivalent to 4-8 tsp. sugar, according to your taste preference
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1. Combine 2 cups milk, pudding mix, extract, and sugar substitute in a bowl. Mix according to directions on pudding package.
2. Pour pudding mixture into a ½-gallon container with a tight-fitting lid. Add 3 cups skim milk and shake well.
3. Add evaporated milk and remaining skim milk, shaking well after each addition.
4. Chill and serve.
Strawberry Refresher
Helen R. Goering
Moundridge, KS
Makes 1 gallon
Prep Time: 20 minutes
10-oz. pkg. frozen strawberries
6-oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate
8-oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
3 qts. ginger ale
fresh strawberry slices, if available
1. Place frozen strawberries, frozen lemonade concentrate, and crushed pineapple, into blender. Blend on high speed.
2. Pour into punch bowl.
3. Add ginger ale just before serving.
4. If serving in a punch bowl, garnish with fresh strawberry slices.
Orange Julius
Janet Derstine
Telford, PA
Arlene Leaman Kliewer
Lakewood, CO
Krista Hershberger
Elverson, PA
Makes 3-4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
6 ozs. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup water
1 cup milk
½-1 tsp. vanilla, according to your taste preference
½ cup sugar
12-14 ice cubes, or 3 cups crushed ice
1. Mix all ingredients in blender.
2. Serve immediately.
A Tip —
Keep hot dishwater in the sink so you can clean up the kitchen as you go and while the food is baking or cooking.
Orange Crème Smoothie
Dale Peterson
Rapid City, SD
Makes 2 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
2 cups milk
½ cup plain or vanilla yogurt
½ cup frozen orange juice concentrate
4 tsp. sugar or honey
1 banana, sliced
1. Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor.
2. Serve cold.
Variations:
1. Add 4-6 ice cubes to the blender to make the smoothie slushy.
2. Make the smoothie without adding any sweetener.
— Annabelle
Unternahrer
Shipshewana, IN
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Ann Bender
Fort Defiance, VA
Makes 4-5 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
1 banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup sugar, or honey
½ cup pineapple, crushed
or cubes
1 tray of ice cubes
1 cup yogurt, optional
peaches or blueberries, optional
1. Place ingredients in a blender in the order listed.
2. Blend until ice is dissolved (1-2 minutes).
This is exceptionally good—and welcome—on a hot day or night.
