Choice recipes surface during the holidays

I enjoyed tasting the finalist recipes over the weekend from the Holiday Best contest that the Southeast Missourian sponsored. There were so many good entries that it was difficult to narrow them all down to three or four, but after much tasting and deliberating the job was finished. Thanks to all who entered. We talked about the contest for next year, and I know it will be a popular one.

I was in a meeting recently with Marilyn Sedgwick of Sikeston, Mo., and she brought a delicious dessert to share with everyone, and I thought you might enjoy it as much as we did. It is a little work, but well worth it. This recipe makes three 8-by-8-inch pans or 1 jelly roll pan plus one 8-by-8-inch.

Harvest Tort

1/2 cup milk

1/2 stick butter, warm in microwave but do not boil, butter does not have to be completely melted

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 package dry yeast

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

Mix 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast well. Add milk to butter and add this mixture to flour and the 1 egg. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups flour while mixing. Use dough hook on mixer if available. Turn out on lightly floured board and knead for 5 minutes. Use additional flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.

Spray pans with a nonstick cooking spray. Divide dough and press into pans. Peel and slice a large mixer bowl full of apples, preferably Jonathan. Mix in 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon mace and a dash of salt. Pour over apples and gently toss together. Spread over dough. You will want at least two layers of apples, so add more if needed.

Mix:

2 (8-ounce packages) cream cheese, regular or light

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 egg

1/4 cup sour cream

Mix well. Spread over pans in diagonal stripes, leaving about 1-inch space between for the caramel stripes.

Using a 1-pound bag of Kraft caramels, peel paper off of each one. Place in microwaveable dish and add 1 tablespoon milk. Heat at 30-second intervals stirring after each 30 seconds until completely melted together and liquid. Pour or spoon over apples between the cheese strips. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes until apples in center bubble and cheese is light brown. Be careful not to overbake the dough. This does freeze well.

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I recently visited with Rodney and Pam Pensel and like many of my conversations with people, it quickly turned to food. Rodney was telling me about this fabulous soup they had recently made and knew other readers would like to enjoy it as well. It sound great, and I can't wait to try it.

Pumpkin Soup

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium onion

2 ribs celery

2 medium potatoes

1 tablespoon coriander

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

Dash of nutmeg

3 cans pumpkin

5 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 pint half and half

Heat oil in Dutch oven. Add onions and celery and sauté 5 minutes. Add carrots and potatoes and sauté five more minutes. Add spices. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add stock. Bring to a boil, and then allow to gently simmer for 20 minutes. All to cool slightly and mix in half and half.

Madeline Godwin, a friend of mine from the Senior Center, shared this recipe with me and said it is good this time of year.

Holiday Salad

2 small packages raspberry gelatin

1 cup boiling water

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 orange, seeded and ground up, peel and all

1 No. 2 can pineapple chunks, drained

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce, lightly beaten and broken up

1 cup chopped nuts

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add cold water and stir well. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Pour into a serving bowl and chill until set.

Mildred Windeknecht of Scott City sent in this soup recipe that has a lot of ingredients but she says is very good.

Yuletide Soup

1/4 cup lentils

1/4 cup red beans

1/4 cup pinto beans

1/4 cup great northern beans

1/4 cup black eye peas

1/4 cup lima beans

1/4 cup split green peas

1/4 cup pearl barley

Ham bones, ham hocks or turkey carcass

1 large onion

1 large can tomatoes

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Salt and pepper

Wash beans thoroughly, place in large container. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Boil 2 minutes. Let stand 1 hour. Drain and add 2 quarts water and desired meat. Simmer 1/2 to 2 hours, covered. Remove bones. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer about 30 minutes more. Serves 10-12.

An Altenburg, Mo., reader sent in several recipes that you may want to add to your collection.

Soft Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups oats

1 cup raisins

Cream together the margarine, and both sugars. Add vanilla and eggs. In a separate bowl combine flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add in small batches to the creamed mixture. Stir in oats and raisins. Pecans may also be added. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until very lightly browned.

Ham Loaf

2 pounds ground pork shoulder

1 pound ground cured ham

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Shape into a loaf in a baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees until done.

Thanks for all of the great mail. Have a wonderful week and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.