Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Straight from the old church cookbook, this recipe is always good, especially for potlucks or Easter dinners. And since my dad asked for it the other day, I figured I would post it on Needs More Butter for easy accessibility.
Crust:
3/4 C butter, softened
3 T sugar
2 2/3 C chopped, crushed pretzels (not too fine)
Creamy layer:
8oz [...]

Shortbread Hearts

2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C sugar
dash of salt
1 C cold butter, cubed
1 T cold water
1 t almond extract
1/2 lb dark chocolate candy coating, melted
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water and almond extract until mixture forms a ball.
On a lightly floured [...]

Apple Cranberry Bread

Sarah made this recipe years ago and I fell in love with it instantly. I’ve made it so many times that I was forced to take a year off. Fortunately, the tradition resumes in 2009. Thanks, Sarah, for this delicious recipe. I almost always double my batch.
Ingredients

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 T. canola or vegetable oil
1-1/2 [...]

Kroppkaka

Kroppkaka is old-school Swedish food and one of my very favorite family food traditions. It’s basically a potato dumpling stuffed with bacon and allspice. It can be eaten plain but is much yummier cut in slices and fried in (lots and lots of) butter. We don’t get kroppkaka very often — maybe once every couple [...]

Papa Morehead’s Cinnamon Rolls

What you are about to read is one of the great treasures of the Morehead estate. Ever since I was a kid, my father — who gave us permission to post this recipe — has made a batch of these cinnamon rolls for special occasions (e.g., Christmas, Thanksgiving).
He’ll usually do all of the preparation the [...]

Divinity

My mom makes several batches of divinity every Christmas. Since we are celebrating Christmas with my dad’s side of the family tomorrow, she is making her first batch tonight.
Ingredients

2 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cups walnuts or pecans, broken (optional)

Directions

Stir the sugar, corn syrup, and water over [...]

Wassail

I quadrupled the batch this time (recipe is for a single batch). I think it’s the first time I’ve actually filled up my biggest pot.
2 quarts apple juice
1 pint cranberry juice
3/4 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon allspice
1 small orange
8 to 12 whole cloves.
In a large crockpot combine apple and cranberry juices, then sugar. Mix well. [...]

Peppermint Kisses

Tanya Dunn made these treats one year for a Christmas party and I begged for the recipe. I like to underbake the cookies just a bit for an even chewier texture. Also, don’t forget the cooking spray!
2 egg whites
2/3 C sugar
1/4 t salt
1/2 t vanilla
2 T candy canes (or 2 candy canes), crushed
1/2 C chocolate [...]

Butter-Baked Masterpiece

Via Bad Banana Blog.

Spiderweb Cookies

I found these cookies on the pages of the October Good Housekeeping. I chose to use storebought sugar cookie dough, and plastic spider rings, and then I made the royal icing.
Wilton’s Royal Icing Recipe:
3 Tablespoons Wilton Meringue Powder
1 lb. (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar (about 1lb.)
6 Tablespoons warm water*
Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 [...]