Festive Holiday Treats

The smells of fall baking have been replaced by peppermint and chocolate at my house as holiday treat season is underway! There is nothing I love to give more than treats from my kitchen. Each year, I pull out my well-worn family favorite recipes and add one or two new ones into the mix. This month, I’m sharing two tried-andtrue treats and a special bonus from a beloved Alabama Farmers Federation cook.

Despite traditional fruitcake being frowned upon by many, fruitcake cookies are a shining star on any holiday cookie platter. In fact, this is one of my most requested holiday recipes. While most fruitcake cookies call for shortening, I like to use butter to add a more homestyle flavor. Mix that with the best candied fruit you can find, and you’re sure to win over even the most stalwart fruitcake haters.

I prepare and package countless batches of peanut brittle each Christmas. It’s the perfect make-ahead gift folks across generations are delighted to receive. Microwave Peanut Brittle tastes just like my mom’s old-fashioned recipe but incorporates using a microwave for far less fuss.

Last, but certainly not least, I’m honored to share a recipe from Federation member Linda Finney, the organization’s former Alfa Health manager. Finney and her family hail from Elmore County, where her Cracker Brittle, originally shared in the December 1997 Neighbors, is the stuff of legends. Chances are you’ve had some version of this before. If you haven’t, it’s popular for a reason, so get ready to be impressed. Sweet toffee is baked onto saltine crackers that are then topped with chocolate. That sweet and salty combo gets me every time.

I hope you have a delicious holiday season with lots of memory-making in store. You know, I always say we Southerners have a special way of telling folks we love them: We cook for them. And the holidays are the perfect opportunity to share that love. May the warmth of your heart be rivaled only by the warmth of your kitchen.

Merry Christmas, y’all.

Cracker Brittle

By Linda Finney, Elmore County

Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 10 mins Makes 40 to 50 pieces

Ingredients

40-50 saltine crackers 1 cup butter 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 2 cups (12 ounces) chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter or vanilla morsels

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 F. Line jellyroll pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Lightly spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place saltines in a single layer on the foil.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes once bubbles form. Drizzle over saltines.

Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with morsels, using a spatula to spread melting chips. Cool in refrigerator. Peel crackers from foil and break apart. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Stacey Little is a foodie, recipe developer and cookbook author whose Southern Bite blog helps families put simple, down-to-earth food on the table while preserving Southern cooking for future generations. See more recipes at southernbite.com.

Old-Fashioned Fruitcake Cookies

Prep Time Cook Time Makes 5 mins 25 mins 4 dozen

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 3/4 cup sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup diced candied pineapple 1 cup diced candied red cherries 1 cup diced candied green cherries 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Stacey’s Recipe Notes If you find the cookies spread too much, a 30-minute rest in the fridge before baking helps. Keep the dough chilled until you scoop it out onto the cookie sheet. Prep Time Cook Time 5 mins 9 mins

Ingredients

1 cup sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1 1/2 cups raw peanuts 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Instructions

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe glass bowl, stir together sugar and corn syrup. Microwave the mixture 4 minutes. The sugar will boil. Carefully add peanuts and butter; use a heatproof utensil to stir to combine.

Return bowl to the microwave and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until caramel colored. The mixture will need to reach 300-310 F, the hard crack stage.

Remove from microwave. Add vanilla and baking soda, and stir quickly to combine. The mixture will foam up. Stir just enough to get all the baking soda combined, but don’t over stir. The foam gives the brittle a lighter honeycomb texture. Stirring too much will work out all those bubbles.

Quickly and carefully pour mixture onto the prepared pan. Use a silicone spatula sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to spread brittle evenly. Allow to cool completely before breaking into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Stacey’s Recipe Notes

Different wattage microwaves take varying amounts of time. I used a 1650-watt microwave to develop this recipe. This variance will happen in the last cooking after you’ve added the peanuts and butter. I recommend having a candy or instant-read thermometer to ensure the sugar mixture gets to 300-310 F. This hard crack stage in candy making will give you the crunchy sugar texture you want.

Instructions

Heat oven to 300 F and line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.

Use a mixer to cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla extract, almond extract and lemon extract; mix well.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix well. Fold in candied fruit and pecans.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet about 3 to 4 inches apart. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until just golden brown. Allow to cool about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for a few days or in the refrigerator for longer. Cookies can be wrapped tightly and frozen for a few months.