from Mary Knippel—

Holiday Banana Bread

1 cup sugar

½ cup softened butter

2 eggs

11⁄3 cup mashed bananas

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup chopped walnuts

¼ cup chopped maraschino cherries

¼ cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and banana. Sift together flour, soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture, then fold in walnuts, cherries and chocolate chips.

Bake in greased loaf pan (or four mini pans) for 1 hour.

from Liz Scott—

Rolled Cinnamon Bread

This recipe is based on a cinnamon bread recipe from Beard on Bread by James Beard, but with a little twist.

2 packages active dry yeast

1⁄3 cup granulated sugar

3⁄4 cup warm water

11⁄4 cups warm milk

11⁄2 tablespoons salt

1⁄4 cup softened butter

5-6 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons melted butter

4 tablespoons cinnamon

4 tablespoons sugar

Combine yeast, sugar and water in a bowl and let proof for five minutes. Heat milk for 30 seconds in the microwave. Add salt and butter. Add milk mixture to yeast mixture and blend well. Add 5 cups flour, one cup at a time, until stiff dough forms. Knead for 5-7 minutes in a standing mixer or 10 minutes by hand, using the rest of the flour to keep dough from sticking, until it is smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and put in a buttered bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl and let sit in a warm place until dough doubles in size.

Punch down the dough. Cut into two equal pieces and roll out into 7×20-inch rectangles. Brush each rectangle with melted butter. Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle evenly over the two rectangles. Roll up tightly, tuck ends under, and put into buttered 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Let rise until dough is just above tops of pans.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Bake for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 F. and continue baking 20 or 25 minutes or until tops are browned. Cool on racks.

Cranberry Amaretto Jam

I’m addicted to this jam! It’s wonderful with turkey or pork, made into a tart, or swirled into hot oatmeal on a cold winter morning.

6 ¼ cups (2 bags) cranberries

1 cup water

5 cups sugar

1⁄3 cup amaretto

Put the berries and the water in a large saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add the sugar and boil gently for at least 10 minutes, until the mixture starts to jell. (To test for jell, put a small spoonful of the jam into the freezer for 3 minutes, then remove the spoon. If the jam doesn’t run off the spoon, it is jelled.)

Remove the pan from the heat.

from Gwen O’Neill—

Cuban Chicken

This recipe is from my cousin who married a native Cuban. It’s a simple dish and doesn’t require complicated additions to the meal. Although there are a lot of ingredients, nothing could be easier or create a more wonderful smell of cheer throughout the house. It’s a great recipe for an open house because you can increase the size of the pot very easily.

2 broiler-fryer chickens cut in pieces  (I recommend skinless parts)

5 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 onion chopped

½ green pepper chopped

2 cans (15 ounces) tomato sauce

4 bay leaves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup raisins

1 cup pimento stuffed olives sliced

1 teaspoon vinegar

salt to your taste

Put everything in dutch oven, cover and bring to boil. Simmer for 1 hour turning occasionally. Be sure to keep the chicken covered with sauce. Serve with rice.