Ingredients

• 300ml (½ pint) Milk
• 225g (8oz) Flour
• 175g (6oz) Dried Figs
• 150ml (¼ pint) Brandy
• 110g (4oz) Suet
• 110g (4oz) Prunes
• 85g (3oz) Raisins or Sultanas
• 50g (2oz) Dried Apricots
• 50g (2oz) Dates
• 25g (1oz) Dried Apples
• 1 tbsp Honey
• ¼ tsp Ginger
• ¼ tsp Cinnamon

Directions

On the day before making the pudding, place the dried apricots, prunes and apples to soak in water and place the raisins or sultanas to soak in the brandy.
Remove the stones from of the dates and prunes.
Butter a large pudding basin.
Sift flour into a bowl.
Stir in suet and mix to a fairly soft dough with cold water.
Turn out on to a floured surface.
Lightly knead until smooth.
Roll out two-thirds of pastry into a round and use to line a well-greased 2-pint pudding basin.
Melt the honey and stir in the ginger and cinnamon.
Add to the soaked fruits and brandy mixture.
Mix well and place into the pastry lined bowl.
Moisten edges of pastry with water.
Cover with lid, rolled from remainder of the pastry.
Press edges well together to seal.
Cover securely with greased greaseproof paper or aluminium foil.
Steam steadily for 2 hours.
Ensure that the water does not evaporate, topping it up from time to time with boiling water.
Turn out onto a plates.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 1 large orange
• 1 large tart apple such as Granny Smith
• 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 thin slices peeled ginger

Directions

This easy relish can be made several days early and kept in the refrigerator, where it will become even tastier as the flavors mellow.

Quarter unpeeled orange and remove seeds. Cut orange into 1-inch pieces. Quarter and core unpeeled apple and cut it into 1-inch chunks. In a food processor, combine orange, apple, cranberries, sugar and ginger. Process until finely minced. Transfer to an airtight container, cover and store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Serves 10 to 12.

Source: Corpus Christi Caller-Times – Corpus Christi, Texas

Ingredients

• 2-3 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. dalt
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 5 cups sifted flour
• 2 Tbsp. vinegar
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Cup shortening
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. cloves

Directions

Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in egg, molasses, and vinegar. Sift together dry ingredients and blend into creamed mixture. Chill 3 hours. Roll doll on lightly floured surgace 1/8 inch thick. Cut into shapes. Bake 375 5-6 min.

Cool slightly on cookie sheet and remove from rack. Makes about 5 doz.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. shortening
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon each of cloves, ginger and cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy, stir in molasses.

Sift the dry ingredients together. Stir them into shortening mixture in 3 parts alternating with a 1/4 cup of water each time. Dough will be stiff. Refrigerate overnight.

Cut dough into 3 pieces. Knead to warm dough slightly, then roll each piece out about 1/4 inch thick. Cut cookie out with a gingerbread pattern of your choice. Use a drinking straw to punch hole in center if ornament will be hanging.

Place cookies on cookie sheet and bake 20 minutes, turn oven off and let cool in oven. Remove from cookie sheet and place on rack to dry for about 3 days to totally harden.

These cookies are purely for decorative purposes and not to be eaten.

If you wish you can seal cookies with 3 coats of clear acrylic and decorate with colorful acrylic pains when dry.

Ingredients

• 1 pound pecans
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp. cold water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cloves

Directions

Beat egg whites and cold water until frothy. Add nuts all at once. Mix dry ingredients together, add to nuts and stir again. Grease a 9x13in. pan with butter.Pour in nuts and spread them. Bake at 250 for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.