CHRISTMAS WREATH BREAD, COOKIES AND PUNCH! :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HANUKKAH TO ALL OF YOU!!




Okay buddies,here I am again with my Christmas Wreath Bread,cookies and non-Alcoholic Punch!I chose some of the easiest recipes but very delicious and festive! Hope you try them and enjoy.

CHRISTMAS WREATH BREAD:



How To Bake The Wreath Bread:

Pre-heat the oven at 400F.


You Need:
I tube of Ready-bake Pilsbury Pizza Crust.Open the tube,spread it on the counter top and stretch lenghtwise.Sprinkle cinnamon pd,sugar pd and any nuts you like and press down a little.



Cut this into three parts and fold each into half as shown.Join the three ends and press down to seal.Braid these as shown or just twist them around each other if you don't know how to braid.Seal the end and transfer it to non-stick baking sheet.






Place a 9" round baking pan in the middle.Curl the braid into a circle around the pan bottom and bring two ends together and seal.




Remove the round pan, brush the bread with heavy cream or egg wash and sprinkle with colorful sprinkles.Place in the oven and bake for 15-17 mins or until golden but do not over bake.That's it ,cool it on the rack and enjoy!:)
You could spread some vanilla icing on top of the Wreath too.





Your Delicious Christmas Wreath Bread is ready to impress the guests!


Red and Green Christmas Cream Wafers:(Taste of Home)
Here is a wonderfully light, not very sweet wafers with sweet, colorful and festive frosty filling! Kids would love these cookies! :)




To make Wafers you need:
(Makes about 12-16 wafers)
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
White or brown sugar crystals for sprinkling.


For Frosting or filling you need:
1/4 cup softened butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla essence
1-2 tsp cream
1 drop each Red and Green food color

How To:
1. Mix all the wafer ingredients to make a dough,wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven at 375F.
2. Take the dough out,roll out to 1/4" thickness,cut out 2"rounds and place them on the baking pan.Sprinkle sugar crystals on top of half the cookies and prick all the cookies 3-4times with fork or tip of a knife.
3. Bake for 7-9mins,should be still white,take out and cool on a rack.
Filling:
1. Mix all the filling except color and divide into two bowls.Add red and green color to each and mix well.Take a unsprinkled wafer,put a dollop of red filling.
2. Take another sugared wafer, keeping with sugar sprinkle on top,press it on the frosted wafer.
3. Repeat with the color, and keep all the cookies in the fridge until frost sets.
They are ready to serve!:))


Chocolate Fudge and White Chocolate Christmas Fudge:(Taste of Home)

These are easy and delicious! It's chocolate, so how can you go wrong?!Even if you mess up,you still can eat the chocolate marbles!:D


You Need: (makes 2 pounds of Fudge)
1/4 cup butter
2 cups Confectioner's sugar
2/3 cup Milk
12 ozs white UNSWEETENED or Semi-sweet baking Chocolate chips or squares
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup chopped dried mixed fruit or berries

How To:
1. Line a 9" square pan with foil(must do this) and spray or butter the bottom.
2. In a heavy pan,add sugar,milk and butter on medium heat,bring to boil for 5 mins.
3. Turn it down to low,add chocolate chips and vanilla essence.Cook until they all melt,stirring often until slightly thick.
4. Take off the heat,add dry chopped mixed berries,mix and immediatly add to the foiled pan.
5. Chill in the fridge for atleast for 2 hours or until firmly set.
6. Take out, using the foil,lift Fudge out of the pan.Peel foil carefully,cut the fudge into 2" squares.They must be stored in the fridge to preveny melting.
To make brown Chocolate Fudge:
Follow the same method as above with Brown Unsweetened chocolate chips and add 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or Almonds and Raisins to make chocolate fudge! Enjoy.

Pilsbury's Ready-Bake Christmas cookies I baked for my daughter's friends.Some of her friends call me "mommy" and send me messages through her to bake cookies for them every holiday!:D




Here are some Holiday Red and Green NON-ALCOHOLIC PUNCH:


Too many Cranberry recipes did you say?! Hey, it's Christmas and it's good for you too! There are some Green Punch too! Have fun making them and enjoy.I didn't make all these except some which we love but I collected some easy one's for you.These recipes would help if you have a large family gathered at home to celebrate!


Warm Cranberry Punch (From ALL RECIPES)

You Need:
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3 1/2 quarts water
12 whole cloves
4 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks
3/4 cup orange juice
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups sugar

How To:
1. In large pan, combine cranberries, water, cloves and cinnamon. Bring to boil,cover, reduce heat and simmer 12-15 minutes. Strain cooked juice through fine sieve or cheese cloth.Add all the other ingredients and serve warm.Makes 25 servings.

Cold Cranberry Punch: (From Reader's Digest)


You Need:
2 cups cranberry juice
2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1 cup orange juice
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 lime, thinly sliced
4 cups ginger ale, chilled or seltzer or club soda for ginger ale for less sweet.
Ice cubes


How to:
In a large glass container,combine cranberry juice, pineapple juice, orange juice, strawberries, and lime slices,chill thoroughly.Just before serving,stir in ginger ale or Club Soda and add ice cubes.Makes 12 servings.

Green Punch:(cooks.com)


You Need:
6 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 (6 oz.) cans frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
2 c. chilled water or Club soda
Few drops green food coloring,
2 (28 oz.) bottles ginger ale, chilled
Ice cubes
Green Apple or green lime slices



How To:
1. Mix juice concentrates and water.
2. Add Green food coloring.
3. Just before serving, add ginger ale and ice.
4. Stir to blend. Garnish with few green apple slices or lemon slices if you like!
Makes about 15 servings.

Easy Kool-Aid Green Punch:(cooks.com)

You Need:
1 pkg. lime Kool-Aid
1 qt. water or Club Soda
1/2 c. sugar
1 (46 oz.) can pineapple juice
1 qt. ginger ale

How To:

1. Chill first 4 ingredients.
2. Add ginger ale. Makes about 5 quarts.

Apple-Cranberry Tea Punch: (From Taste of Home magazine)

You Need:
5 Tea bags
5 cups Boiling Water
5 cups unsweetened Apple Juice
2 cups Cranberry Juice
1/2 cup Sugar1/3 cup lemon Juice
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie spice( or throw in cinnamon,clove and little ginger)

How To:
1. Take a big bowl,put in tea bags ,whole spices if you are using and pour boiling water.Cover and let it steep for 5-10 mins.Discard the tea bags and spices.
2. Add all the other ingredients and stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Serve warm or chilled with ice cubes with a slice of lemon. Makes 3 quarts.


Hot Cocoa For a Crowd! ( Taste of Home)


You Need:
1 1/4 cup Baking Cocoa
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/4 quarts water2 1/2 quarts of milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla essence
1/4 quart Heavy whipping cream
Some whipped cream for topping
Some Cocoa or Cinnamon pd or grated Nutmeg, Chocolate gratings to garnish

How To:
1. Mix cocoa,sugar and salt,add water and bring it to boil,turn down the heat to low.
2. Whisk in the milk and cream,remove from heat and add in Vanilla.
3. Pour into mugs,put a dollop of cream and sprinkle with whatever you like.
Makes about 16 mugs of hot Cocoa.

Warm Chocolate Eggnog: (Taste of Home Magazine)

You Need:
1 quart store bought Eggnog
1/2 cup Chocolate Syrup
1/8 tsp Nutmeg pd
3 tsp Vanilla essence
Whipped cream to top.

How To:
1. Mix eggnog,syrup and nutmeg,heat through gently on low heat for 15mins,must not boil.Remove from the heat.
2. Stir in vanilla, pour into mugs and top with a dollop of whipped cream,sprinkle with nutmeg powder. Makes about 4 servings.

Apple Citrus Cider: (Taste of Home)

You Need:
2 quarts unsweetened Apple Juice
3/4 cup Pineapple Juice concentrate
3 tbsp Sugar
1 medium Lemon,thinly sliced
3 3" connamon sticks
6 whole all spice or 1/8 tsp allspice pd
6 whole cloves
4 cups or 3 12oz cans of lemon-lime soda

How To:
1. Bring all these except the last lemon-lime soda to a boil and lower the heat heat to simmer for 15 mins uncovered.
2. Fish out all the whole spices and add soda,simmer for 406mins on low heat,do not boil. Serve warm with slices of lemon as an option. Makes about 12 servings.

Enjoy!!

May Peace be with you all forever! Have a wonderful Christmas and Hanukkah with your families, laugh a lot and eat little less! ;D


We will be in Orlando,Florida from 24th for a week's vacation but I will post one on Wednesday 27th , a beautiful New Year goodie/my entry to JFI coconut which is in my draft already. See you all just before next year!!!:))