Two Hour Nut Roll

This is truly a two hour nut roll, but it is SO worth the effort. This bread is a sought after, much anticipated food of our family Christmas celebration. My mother introduced this bread into our family in the 1960's, and I have been making it for my own family since 1989.

Recipe:

6-7 cups flour

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 packages yeast

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

1 cup margarine

3 eggs, room temperature

In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of flour, sugar, salt, and undissolved yeast. Combine sour cream, water, margarine in a saucepan and heat over a low heat until warm (120 -130 degrees). Gradually add to dry ingredients. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Add teh eggs and 1 cup flour. Beat 2 minutes on high. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto foured board. Knead a few times to forma ball. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Roll out 1/4 dough 14x12, add 1/4 nut filling (see below), rollup, seal edges. Place on greased cookie sheets, sealed side down. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until double. (1 hour)

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Cool on wire racks. When cool, drizzle with 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 Tablespoon of milk.

Nut Filling: Melt 1 cup butter on low. Stir in 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup vanilla. Add 7 cups GROUND (not finely choppped, but GROUND) pecans.

Pumpkin Eggnog Waffles

This seasonal breakfast waffle is our traditional Thanksgiving weekend breakfast as well as our traditional Christmas morning breakfast. We use fresh pumpkin for the best flavor, but when we run out, we switch to store-bought canned pumpkin. We use eggnog from the refrigerator section of our grocery when it is in season. If we want to enjoy these waffles other times of the year, we use the canned eggnog found in the baking section of our local grocer. The recipe may also be made with milk, but I hasten to say that it will not be nearly as rich tasting.

Recipe:

2 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger

4 eggs, separated

2 cups eggnog

1 cup pumpkin (fresh or canned)
1/4 cup melted butter

Toasted pecans, applesauce, REAL Maple syrup for topping options


Combine the list of the above ingredients through the ginger in a large bowl.

Combine egg YOLKS, eggnog, and pumpkin in another large bowl.

Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, stirring until just moistened.

Stir in butter.
Beat egg whites at high speed until they form soft peaks.

Fold egg whites into the pumpkin mixture.

Bake in a pre-heated waffle iron.

Top with real maple syrup, pecans, and/or applesauce.

Serve warm.

This makes enough to feed our family of 6: Dad, Mom, two teen boys, one pre-teen boy, and a young girl.