Holiday classics

Home-baked cookies and
bars warm from the oven

By MELODY PARKER
Courier Lifestyles Editor

CEDAR FALLS

Life is too short to wait until the holidays to enjoy a plate of your favorite cookies or bars from the "Taste of the Season" bake sale at Sartori Hospital Auxiliary's Festival of Trees.

The festival begins Thursday and continues through Sunday at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center.

The overall theme for the 13th annual Festival of Trees is "The Enchanted Forest."

Exhibits at the GBPAC will feature the Gallery of Trees, creche display, gingerbread village, tablesetting display, children's gallery, stockings, porcelain dolls, the Sartori gift shop and silent auction.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Jingle Bell Jam is Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. in the center's lobby. Santa's Workshop takes place in the lobby from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, followed by a youth variety show in the Great Hall at 1 p.m.

Two Style Show luncheons will take place Thursday and Friday at the UNI Commons. The Teddy Bear Tea will take place at 2 p.m. at the Maucker Union Expansion.

The Gala will take place in the Maucker Union Expansion on Saturday, with dancing in the GBPAC lobby.

There is no admission charge to the exhibits.

Holiday food items, home-baked by several hundred auxiliary volunteers will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Auxiliary volunteers have offered to share a few of their festival classics, so after you've eaten all the treats purchased at the Festival, you can bake your own.

CHOCOLATE CASHEW BARS
Crust:

2 sticks margarine

2 3-ounce packages cream cheese

2 cups flour

Mix and pat into a greased 9- by 13-inch pan. Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes.

Topping:

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons margarine, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

1 6-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup cashew halves

Garnish:

Whole cashews

1/4 cup chocolate chips, melted

Whipped cream

While crust is baking, combine corn syrup, sugar, margarine, vanilla and eggs. Beat with wire whisk until blended. Stir in the 6 ounces of chocolate chips and cashew halves. Spread evenly over warm crust. Reduce heat to 350 F and bake 30 to 40 minutes. Cool.

Before serving, top with whipped cream and garnish with cashew dipped in melted chocolate.

-- Troyce Vich

STRAWBERRY COOKIES

1 1/2 cups chopped dates

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

5 tablespoons butter

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Red sugar

In a saucepan, mix dates, sugar, butter, eggs and slat and cook until thick. Cool slightly. Add vanilla, chopped walnuts and Rice Krispies. Using hands, shape into strawberries and roll in red sugar. Add green frosting leaves.

-- Mary Lou Knight

CARAMEL TURTLE BARS
Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup pecan halves.

Caramel layer:

2/3 cup butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine crust ingredients except pecans in large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well blended and particles are fine (about 2 or 3 minutes). Press mixture firmly into bottom of ungreased 13- by 9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle pecan halves evenly over unbaked crust. Combine 2/3 cup butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in 1 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and reaches 242 F on candy thermometer. Pour evenly over crust. Bake 18 to 22 minutes until bubbly. Remove and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes, then swirl chips with knife. Cool and cut into bars. Makes 36 bars.

-- Pam Lane

REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large package Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups

Cream together butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Chill dough. Form dough into 1–inch balls and press into miniature muffin tins. Bake in 375 oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and press mini Reese's into each cookie. Cool slightly before removing from tins. Makes 4 dozen.

-- Mary Lou Knight

PEANUT BUTTER BALLS

1 pound powdered sugar
1 stick margarine
2 cups peanut butter (creamy)
3 cups Rice Krispies
6 ounces chocolate chips
1 large milk chocolate bar
1/2 slab paraffin

Mix powdered sugar, margarine and peanut butter in a large bowl. Add Rice Krispies, kneading and mixing well. Chill for 2 hours. In a double-boiler melt chocolate chips and one chocolate bar and paraffin. Shape dough into tiny balls and chill in freezer until very firm. Spear balls with a toothpick and dip into melted chocolate. Let it drip a bit then slide off onto waxed paper. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

-- Mary Ellen Murphy

AUNT CECELIA'S TRADITIONAL
HOLIDAY FUDGE

2 cups (12 ounce package) semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups (4 ounces each) sweet baking chocolate
1 jar (8 ounces) marshmallow cream
2 cups broken walnuts
4 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch salt
1 can evaporated milk (check on size)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Combine chocolates, cream and walnuts in large bowl. Combine sugar, salt, butter and evaporated milk in heavy saucepan and heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Boil just under 6 minutes. Pour at once over ingredients in bowl and stir vigorously with wooden spoon until melted and creamy. Pour into buttered shallow pan (9- by 13- by 2-inch). Don't use a larger pan; best when thicker and creamy. Let stand a few hours to set. Store in covered pan.

-- Diane Nagle

ORANGE-GLAZED
POPPY SEED BREAD

3 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoon butter extract
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Glaze:

1/4 cup orange juice

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon butter extract

Beat together eggs, sugar, milk, oil and flavorings. Mix in flour, salt, baking powder and poppy seeds. Pour batter into 6 greased miniature loaf pans. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes. Mix glaze and drizzle on loaves while still hot.

-- Mary Lou Knight

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
WITH CRANBERRY SWIRL

3 cups (one package) cranberries
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Filling:

6 ounces imported white chocolate, finely chopped

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter insides of 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4-inch sides.

For cranberries: Combine all ingredients in heavy pan and cook, slightly covered, over medium heat for about 8 minutes until mixture slightly thickens. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and puree in food processor. Reserve 1/2 cup sauce for swirl cheesecake. To the remaining sauce add 1/2 cup sugar. Stir to dissolve. Let both sauces cool.

For crust: Blend crumbs, sugar and butter in food process or with pastry cutter. Press into prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

For filling: Melt white chocolate in double boiler until smooth. Cool slightly. Using electric mixer, blend cream cheese. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, and beat thoroughly. Gradually blend in white chocolate. Pour batter into crust. Gently drop reserved sauce for the swirl into batter. Use a knife to swirl sauce. Bake for 40 minutes or until sides puff up but center is not set. Cool and chill.

Garnish with cranberry sauce that has the added sugar. Can also garnish with white chocolate and whipped cream.

–- Cynthia Kenyon