Holidays/2 recipes

No-bake coconut bon-bons loaded with pecans and sweetened condensed milk, dipped in a glossy chocolate shell. A classic holiday candy that's simple to make and even harder to stop eating. Makes 2 dozen.

Vinson's pecan pie is a classic Southern double-batch recipe with whole pecans, Karo corn syrup heated to blend smooth, eggs, and vanilla. Makes 2 pies for holiday tables.

Anise almond biscotti are twice-baked Italian cookies with toasted almonds and warm anise seeds. Crisp, dunkable holiday treats that keep up to 4 weeks. Makes about 2 dozen.

No-bake chocolate truffles shaped like tiny mice with almond ears, dragee eyes, and licorice tails. A fun holiday treat kids love to make and eat. Makes 2 dozen.

Old-fashioned steamed persimmon pudding with cinnamon, rum, walnuts, and raisins. A dense, moist holiday dessert steamed for 2 hours in a pudding mold for a rich, spiced fruit pudding.

Dense fruitcake layered with applesauce batter, citron, and nuts. Molasses and warm spices add depth. This slow-baked cake takes 2 hours at low heat for proper moisture and texture. A holiday classic.

Old-fashioned divinity candy with holiday, chocolate, and ginger variations. The classic Southern white candy: cloud-light, melt-on-your-tongue texture, made by streaming hot syrup into beaten egg whites.

"A tall, impressive cake that showcases the flavors and smells of the holidays. A three-layer extravaganza with a touch of molasses and shredded apple to keep it moist. It fills the house with a fragrance that beats the most expensive holiday-scented candle. It will be talked about long after the party is over." Source: The Pastry Queen Christmas, by Rebecca Rather

"This cake is a rich, dark, moist fruit cake, very flavorful at Christmas. Try icing with almond paste for a more festive touch. This recipe is started in October or November so as to let it mellow before the holidays. I remember very well my mother storing her fruit cake in an old butter churn that belonged to my grandmother and great grandmother. I wish that I had that old crock."

Holiday gingerbread cutout cookies made with molasses, brown sugar, and warm spices. Dough chills for 1 hour, rolls to perfect thickness, then cuts into festive shapes ready for decorating.

Chewy oatmeal cookie dough shaped into snowmen and decorated for the holidays. A fun winter baking project for kids that makes four big cookie snowmen.

I got this recipe from "TheSouthernLadyCooks.com" Here's a blurb from her website: "These rolls will melt in your mouth. I have made them for years and they are wonderful. My family looks forward to these rolls during the holidays. I think this recipe was on a box of grits years and years ago."

White chocolate orange buttercream for a holiday Buche de Noel, made with egg yolks, half-and-half, and Grand Marnier. Part 1 of a stunning Christmas log cake topped with toasted almonds and cranberries.

Southern boiled custard eggnog made from scratch with 8 egg yolks, cream, vanilla, and nutmeg. Spiked with whiskey or served virgin, this silky holiday drink serves 12.

Classic coffee Irish cream liqueur with whiskey, Kahlua, and sweetened condensed milk ready in 1 minute. Shake, chill, and serve this creamy homemade holiday cocktail.

Fruitcake drop cookies with brandy, candied cherries, dates, candied pineapple, and nuts. All the holiday fruitcake flavor in a bite-sized cookie that bakes in 12 minutes.