Favorite Christmas Desserts

Our family has favorite Christmas foods that I make year after year. I find the tried and true are always most welcome at the dinner table. Here are just a few of our favorite desserts.

Humming Bird Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups mashed bananas
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 (8 oz.) can pineapple
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 ½ cup oils
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ cup chopped pecans

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt or tube pan. Bake for 1 ½ hours.
4. Cool in pan one hour before removing.
5. Allow to cool completely and frost if desired with cheese icing.

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup margarine, softened
• 1 (16 oz.) box powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Icing Method:

1. Cream margarine and cheese.
2. Add sugar and vanilla.
3. Beat till creamy and smooth.
4. I always add a little drained pineapple to the icing, and sprinkle coconut and pecans on top.
5. You can add any extra touch you want or leave it plain.
6. It is good either way.

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked, mashed Georgia sweet potatoes
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or allspice
• 9 inch pie crust, unbaked

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients well and put into crust.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

Now isn't that simple? You can't get anything much easier than that, and nothing is more delicious than Sweet Potato Pie with a big cup of coffee.

Cherry Salad: This is Called a Salad but we Eat it as a Dessert.

Ingredients:

• 1 16 ounce can of dark cherries, drained, save juice
• 1 can crushed pineapple, drained, save juice
• 1 large pack dark cherry jello
• 1 small bottle coke
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 8 ounce packages cream cheese, cut in pieces

Method:

1. Drain juice from the two fruits;
2. bring 1 1/2 cups to boil. (If you don't have enough juice add water.)
3. Dissolve jello in this.
4. Remove from heat, and add coke.
5. Chill in fridge, when it begins to set, add fruit, nuts, and cream cheese.
6. Let chill until firm, or overnight.

This is delicious. I make it every holiday.

Lemon Dessert

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large egg whites, Use yolks for something else.
• 1 large package lemon jello
• Graham cracker crust
• Graham cracker crumbs

Method:

1. Mix all together, except egg whites, and cool until thick.
2. Add 4 beaten egg whites, and 2 cups whipped cream to jello mixture.
3. Mix well and pour in crust, top with graham cracker crumbs.
4. Let set in fridge till firm, or over night.

These recipes are easy to make, and delicious. The preparation is so easy; I don't mind making them at all.

I had included our favorite Chocolate Pecan Tart but Triond wouldn't accept it because AJC had published it, so I took it out, and replaced it with the Humming Bird Cake, which is also one of our favorites.