CHOCOLATE CHIP DATE CAKE

Combine and let cool:
1 cup cut up dates
1-1/4 cup boiling water
1 t baking soda

Cream together:
3/4 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (1 at a time)

Sift together and add to other two mixtures:
1-1/2 cup flour
2 t cocoa
1/4 t salt

Pour into greased and floured 9 X 13 baking dish.

Sprinkle over batter:
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 package chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or plain.

Surprisingly good combo with the dates and chocolate!  Easy to make too.

BUCHE DeNOEL (YULE LOG)

Decorate with candy holly leaves - Bake at 375 for 14-16 minutes.  Serves 12

6 eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground ginger
1/8 t ground cardamom
1/4 t cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 t vanilla
confectioners sugar
cream frosting filling or whipped cream

Separate eggs, placing yolks into medium-size bowl and whites into bowl of electric mixer.  Let eggs come to room temperature, one hour.

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 15 X 10 X 1" jelly roll pan.  Line pan with wax paper.

Sift cocoa, flour, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom onto wax paper.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy.  Gradually beat in 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, beating well after each addition.  Continue beating until stiff peaks form when beater is slowly raised.  Set aside.

Using same beaters with electric mixer on high, beat egg yolks with remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar until thick and lemon colored, about five minutes.  Add vanilla, beating to combine.  Fold cocoa mixture into egg yolks.

Gently fold chocolate mixture into whites until no white streaks remain.

Pour batter into prepared pan spreading evenly.

Bake in preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until cake springs back when gently pressed in center with fingertip.

Meanwhile, sprinkle confectioners sugar over a tea towel.  When cake is baked, immediately invert onto sugar-covered towel.  Remove pan.  Then carefully peel away wax paper from cake bottom.  Roll up cake lengthwise with tea towel.  Please seam side down on wire rack to cool.

Prepare coffee cream frosting and filling.

Gently unroll cake and tea towel.  Cake will remain slightly curled.  Spread top of cake with one-third of coffee cream frosting and filling.  Gently re-roll cake without towel.

Cut each end off cake using parallel diagonal cuts.  Reserve ends to use as "knots".  Gently left cake, seam side down, onto serving plate.  Place a "knot" on each side of log with the diagonally cut side facing away from log.  Spread remaining frosting over log and "knots" leaving all spiral ends exposed.  For bark effect, run tines of dinner fork gently over frosting.

Garnish with "holly leaves" and "chocolate mushrooms".

Coffee Cream Frosting and Filling:
Dissolve 2 t instant coffee granules in 1 T boiling water.  Let cool.  In medium-size bowl combine 2-1/2 cups confectioner sugar, 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened, and coffee mixture.  Beat until light and fluffy, 3 minutes.

Holly leaves:
Split candied angelica to make single thickness.  Cut out 1" long leaves.  Arrange on cake in groups of 3.  Position 3 small cinnamon red-hot candies for berries at base of each leaf group. (If angelica is not available, substitute jellied spearmint leaf candies, halved.)

Okay, a lot of directions, but this is really not hard and it's really delicious!  Makes a great centerpiece at Christmastime!  I just cut some green jelly candies to look like leaves and used the red-hots for the berries.  I didn't bother with the chocolate mushrooms cuz it was never explained what that was.  Anyway, the cake is cute enough without it, and the subtle coffee flavor was great!   Just follow the directions, and it will turn out fine.

DOUBLE CHEESE FONDUE

1/2 cup Sauterne or other dry white wine
1/2 clove garlic, minced
2 slices (2-oz. each) natural swiss cheese, cut or torn into pieces
2 T flour
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
french or italian bread cubes

Simmer wine and garlic in saucepan or fondue pot.  Combine cheese and flour.  Gradually blend into wine.  Heat until cheese melts.  Stir now and then.  Blend in soup.  Heat, stirring until smooth.  Makes 2 cups.

I made this in my official fondue pot which hardly ever sees any action.  It was nice to have fondue for a change, and this cheese fondue was pretty tasty.  It was just hard to clean the pot afterwards!

CRULLERS (Scandinavian Rosettes, deep fried, Christmas)

2 eggs
2 t sugar
1/4 t salt
1 cup milk
3 t lemon extract
1 cup sifted flour
shortening or salad oil
powdered sugar

Beat eggs, sugar, salt, milk, and lemon extract together until mixed but not foamy.  Beat in flour.  Batter should be smooth and like thick cream.  Let stand 2 hours.  Heat oil or shortening to 370.  For each rosette, preheat iron in oil, then dip hot iron in the batter.  Don't let batter come over top edge or iron.  Lowewr iron into oil for 30 seconds or until golden brown.  Remove and loosen with fork.  Drain.  Store in airtight container to keep crisp.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.  Makes 40.

This recipe card was actually inside the little box with the frying irons, a couple different designs.  I've been putting off making this just because it seemed like sort of a hassle.  I remember her making these when I was little, and they always turned out so pretty.....mine, not so much!  I could not get the hang of making these rosettes, and they kept getting stuck in the iron which is just a big mess.  I finally just dribbled the batter into the hot oil funnel cake style, dusted with powdered sugar, and served.  Of course they taste great, and nobody was any the wiser that that's not what they were supposed to look like!  Oh, well.  I will keep this card, though, in the box in case down the road one of my daughter-in-laws or granddaughters wants to have a crack at it! (Whoever masters this skill gets to keep the kit!)