Quilter's Christmas Cookbook by Louise Stoltzfus, Dawn J. Ranck

• Table of Contents
• Read an Excerpt

Table of Contents

Read an Excerpt

Introduction

This marvelous collection of holiday recipes proves once again that many people who quilt are also fine cooks. Here are choice dishes from quilters throughout North America-from Inverness, Florida, to Los Alamos, New Mexico; from Paoli, Indiana, to Pine Grove Mills, Pennsylvania; and from St. Mary's, Ontario, to Gridley, California.

We hope these recipes warm your heart, your hearth, and home. We hope you discover new dishes and rediscover old favorites. We hope you and your family find the fellowship and camaraderie which come from gathering around a table laden with good food.

A Quilter's Christmas Cookbook is the result of many hours of time given by many different people. Hundreds of you, the people of the quilting community, responded to our call for recipes, and then also agreed to help us test them.

To each of you, we offer our sincere thanks. Thank you for hand-copying your treasured holiday recipes and sending them to us. Thank you for graciously testing recipes at the height of summer when "Christmas" ingredients are often difficult to find and the temperature outside is considerably different than at the time of the holidays.

Thank you for telling us the name of the quilt you were working with at the time you submitted recipes. Those patterns, listed with your names, provide a kaleidoscope of original patterns, along with familiar and frequently used designs.

We also thank Phyllis Pellman Good and Esther Becker for their editorial and organizational assistance without which we could not have completed this project.

- Louise Stoltzfus and Dawn J. Ranck

Appetizers
Potato & Caviar Hors d'oeuvre

Susan L. Schwarz

N. Bethesda, Maryland

Americana Hearts

Makes 24 servings

6 medium red potatoes
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. red caviar

1. Do not peel potatoes. Cut into 24 1/4-inch slices. In a vegetable steamer, cover and steam potato slices for 12 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.

2. In a bowl combine yogurt and sour cream, stirring well. Spread this mixture to 1/2" thickness onto several layers of strong paper towels. Cover with additional paper towels and let stand for 10-15 minutes.

3. Carefully scrape yogurt mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a fluted tip. Set aside.

4. Combine the chives and parsley and press 1/2 tsp. herbs onto each potato slice. Pipe 1/2 tsp. yogurt mixture over herbs. Top with 1/8 tsp. caviar. Serve immediately.

Glazed Brie

Nancy Jo Marsden

Glen Mills, Pennsylvania

Tumbling Blocks Charm

Makes 10-12 servings

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts
1 Tbsp. whiskey or brandy
14-oz. round Brie, 5" in diameter
lemon juice
apple or pear wedges
seedless grapes
crackers

1. Mix together sugar, nuts, and liquor. Cover. Chill up to one week.

2. Place Brie onto 9" pie plate.

3. Bake at 500 degrees for 4-5 minutes until slightly softened. Sprinkle sugar mixture on top. Bake 2-3 minutes until sugar is melted and cheese is heated, but not melted.

4. Brush fruit wedges with lemon juice. Serve Brie with fruit wedges, grapes, and crackers.