Author: David Knight

• Butter the sides and bottom of a baking dish.
• Add sugar, evaporated milk and butter to a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat to 230°F by candy thermometer, or soft-ball stage.
• Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients rapidly and whisk together.
• Pour into the buttered pan, being careful not to scrape the sides of the cooking pan. Allow to cool at room temperature.

• Combine sugar, syrup and water and cook over low heat until boiling. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
• Remove cover and cook to soft-ball stage, 230–232°F.
• Beat egg whites and salt until stiff. Pour half of the sugar mixture over egg whites.
• Cook remaining syrup until hard-ball stage. Add to egg mixture, beating constantly.
• Add vanilla and nuts. When mixture begins to lose its gloss, drop by teaspoon onto wax paper.

• Cream margarine, pumpkin and sugar until well blended. Add egg.
• Mix dry ingredients together and add gradually to pumpkin mixture, mixing well.
• Drop by spoonful onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 375°F for 10–12 minutes.

Cream Filling

• Scald milk with vanilla.
• In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour, salt and egg yolks, stirring until well blended. Add milk gradually.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly without scraping the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 3 minutes.
• Pour into a bowl and allow to cool, stirring occasionally.

Puffs

• In a heavy saucepan, combine water, butter, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat and add flour at once. Stir briskly with a wooden spoon until dough is smooth.
• Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until dough leaves the side of the pan and forms a ball.
• Remove from heat and add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
• Spoon dough onto a greased baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 45 minutes, or until puffs are dry and golden. Cool, split and fill with cream.

• Cream butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, corn starch and flour together.
• Chill mixture for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
• Form into small balls and flatten. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
• Frost cookies with butter frosting.

• Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in lukewarm water. Cover and allow to rise.
• Cream shortening and 1 1/4 cups sugar. Add eggs and cooled scalded milk, alternating with flour sifted with salt and nutmeg. Add yeast mixture.
• Knead until smooth. Add fruits and flavorings. Cover and let dough rise to double. Knead again.
• Shape dough into ropes about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. For each stollen make one rope 3 feet long and two ropes 2 1/2 feet long. Braid, bringing the braid to a point at either end.
• Place braid on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes or until brown.

• Mix sugar, corn syrup, water, cornstarch, butter, and salt. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Cook without stirring until a small amount dropped into cold water forms a hard ball, or the mixture reaches 256°F on a candy thermometer.
• Remove from heat, add vanilla, and pour into a pan.
• When cool enough to handle, butter your hands and pull the taffy until satiny and stiff; the color will lighten.
• Pull into 1/2-inch-wide strips, cut into pieces about 1 1/2 inches long, and wrap in waxed paper.

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a heavy 10 x 15-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment paper.
• Beat eggs on high speed until very thick and lemon-colored. Gradually beat in sugar. On low speed, beat in water and vanilla.
• Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together. Gradually add to the egg mixture, beating just until smooth.
• Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake 12 to 15 minutes, until the top springs back when touched and a toothpick comes out clean.
• Immediately loosen and lift the cake from the pan using the parchment. While hot, roll the cake from the short end using the parchment and let cool completely, at least 30 minutes.
• Whip cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar to soft peaks.
• Gently unroll the cooled cake, spread filling evenly over it, then roll it back up without the parchment. Wrap seam-side down in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

• Combine water, butter, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat and bring to a rolling boil.
• Reduce heat to low. Add flour and stir vigorously until the mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and rest 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add eggs one at a time, stirring until combined.
• Heat oil in a medium skillet or 1-quart saucepan to 350°F.
• Spoon dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe 1-inch strips over the pan, cut with a knife, and drop into the hot oil without overcrowding.
• Fry until golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon or spider, and drain on paper towels.
• Mix sugar with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Toss warm churro bites in cinnamon sugar and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Stir the cookie ingredients together until smooth. Scoop 1-inch balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• For the classic shape, form each dough ball into a short log. Roll in sugar if desired, flatten with a fork in a criss-cross pattern, and pinch both sides inward.
• Bake 12 minutes, then cool on the tray 1 to 2 minutes before transferring.
• For the filling, beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly beat in powdered sugar, then add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
• Spread about 1 tablespoon filling on the bottom of one cookie and top with another to make a sandwich.