Countdown to Christmas: Recommended Recipes

What would Christmas be without some special treats for the table? Quiltmaker’s Countdown to Christmas continues with recipes from our staff.

Shayla Wolf is QM’s newest staff member. She handles administrative duties and we’re happy to have her on our team. This recipe is a favorite at Shayla’s house.

Puppy Chow —or— Muddy Buddies!

9 cups Chex cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 1-gallon zippered plastic bags

Place cereal in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium microwavable bowl, add chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave on High for 1 minute and stir. Microwave 30 seconds longer and stir mixture until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour sauce over cereal and stir until evenly coated.

Spoon half of the mixture into each 1-gallon zippered plastic bag. Add 3/4 cup powdered sugar to each bag and seal. Shake the bag until everything is coated. Spread on waxed or parchment paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

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QM’s Editor-in-Chief June Dudley steers the ship for us here at the magazine. She shared a keeper from her recipe repertoire. This is one I am definitely going to try—maybe with some homemade gingersnaps.

Pumpkin Dip for Gingerbread Cookies

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. cool whip
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon (or to taste)
1 tsp. Nutmeg (or to taste)
1 tsp. Ginger (or to taste)
Gingerbread cookies or apple slices for dipping

Combine the ingredients and use as a dip for gingerbread cookies or apple slices.

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Eileen Fowler is Associate Editor for QM. She writes patterns, reviews products, plans kits and is our in-house Excel expert.

Eileen says, “Here’s a very simple recipe that has passed through several generations on my mother’s Irish side of the family. We consider it the ultimate comfort food (we cooked it up a lot in the winter—kept the kitchen warm)!”

Rice Pudding

1/2 cup white rice
1/2 cup sugar
1 quart milk
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Handful of raisins (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Combine the rice, sugar, milk and salt in a casserole dish. Pop it in a 350º oven. Stir occasionally during the first half hour. Add raisins and nutmeg.

Reduce heat to 300º and bake for another two hours. Serve warm with a little cream and a dash of nutmeg.

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I had a hard time choosing just one recipe to share, but I’m going with this favorite. Seriously yummy—it won’t last long.

Crunchy Banana Coffee Cake with Baked-In Topping

3 ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 cup butter
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk

Topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup coconut (more or less to suit yourself)
1/3 cup butter, very soft or melted
2 Tablespoons milk

Cream the butter, sugar and eggs. Add the bananas. Combine the dry ingredients and stir them in. Add the buttermilk.

In a separate bowl, combine the topping ingredients.

Spread the coffee cake batter in a greased 9″ x 13″ pan. Place spoonfuls of the topping over the batter. Bake at 350º for 25 to 35 minutes or until batter is cooked through.

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Thanks for joining us. Now it’s time to get cookin’!