In large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water, stir in wine. Refrigerate until slightly thickened, about 50 minutes. Stir in pie filling. Pour into a five cup mold or individual molds. Refrigerate at least three hours or until firm. Unmold onto lettuce lined serving plate. Garnish as desired...9 to 10 servings.


Cranberry Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/4 cups All-Purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon soda
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Filling:
16 oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons grated orange peel

Topping:
8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/3-cup sugar
1-teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off.

In large bowl, combine flour, sugar and soda. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in margarine until particles are the size of small peas. Stir in walnuts. Press crumb mixture in bottom of 9 inch greased springform pan or square pan. In small bowl, combine filling ingredients, spread over crumb mixture.

In another small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined. Pour over cranberry mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until set and light golden brown.

Cool; refrigerate several hours before serving.
9-12 servings


Creamy Pumpkin Pie

2 cups (1 16 oz can) pumpkin
1 can condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Whipped cream
Nuts
Pillsbury Ready Made piecrust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In large bowl combine filling ingredients, then pour into pie shell.

Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F., then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F., and bake 25-30 minutes. Pie is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool before cutting, serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping with or with out nuts if desired.

(Makes one nine-inch pie-double the recipe for two pies)


Gingerbread Men

1 cup Butter or margarine; softened
1/2 cup Brown sugar, firmly packed
1 Egg
1/3 cup molasses
3 cups Sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp Cinnamon
3/4 tsp Ginger
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1 1/2 cups Quaker Oats, uncooked (quick or old-fashioned)

Beat butter until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add egg; beat until light and fluffy. Blend in molasses. Sift together flour, soda, salt and spices. Add to creamed mixture; blend well. Stir in oats. Chill dough at least 1 hour. Roll out on lightly floured board to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with floured gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 10 to 12 minutes; cool. Decorate with confectioners' sugar frosting, red cinnamon candies, semi-sweet chocolate pieces and raisins.


Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Crust:
1 cup + 2 tbls all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt (if you use salted butter, leave out this salt.)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup chilled vegetable shortening
1 to 3 tablespoons ice water

Cheesecake Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla 1/4 cup diced candied ginger (optional)

Pumpkin Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 15-ounce can pumpkin (use plain pumpkin and not pie filling)
1 cup light cream or evaporated milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Crust:
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, pastry fork, your fingers or a mixer (or food processor), cut in the butter and shortening till the mixture is crumbly. Drizzle on the ice water a tablespoon at a time, tossing to distribute it well. As soon as the mixture is cohesive enough to stick together, gather it into a ball, flatten the ball into a 1-inch thick disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.

Remove the crust from the refrigerator, allow it to rest at room temperature till it's warm enough to work with (10 to 30 minutes). Flour your work surface, roll the crust into a 13-inch round. Transfer it to a 9 inch, deep dish (at least 1 1/2 inches) pie plate. Place the crust into the plate, then crimp the edges. If you're using a smaller pie plate, you may have too much filling - just put the extra in a smaller dish (like a custard cup) and bake.

Cheesecake Filling:
Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Allow it to warm to room temperature, then add the sugar and beat untill fairly smooth. Stir in the egg, vanilla and ginger, then spoon the filling into the pie crust.

Pumpkin Filling:
In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt and spices. Add the pumpkin, cream or evaporated milk, and eggs, whisk gently until smooth. (Don't overbeat, just be sure it's thoroughly combined.) Gently spoon the pumpkin filling atop the cheesecake layer, filling within 1/4-inch of the top of the crust. Note: Do this carefully at first, so as not to disturb the cheesecake layer. If you have left over filling, put the extra in a smaller dish (like a custard cup) and bake.

Place the pie in a preheated 425 degree F. oven, and bake it for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F., and continue to bake for 40 to 45 minutes, covering the edges of the pie with a crust shield or aluminum foil if they seem to be browning too quickly. The pie is done when it looks set, but still wobbles a bit in the center when you jiggle it. Remove the pie from the oven, allow it to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it untill ready to serve. Good topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Yields: 10 to 12 servings.


Three-Milk Cake (Pastel Tres Leches)

1 package of yellow cake mix
1 1/3 cups of water
3 eggs
1/2 cup of butter, softened
Topping (recipe follows)
Garnish (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Blend dry mix, water, butter and eggs at low speed for 30 seconds. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour batter into pan and bake until edges are golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and let it cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Prepare topping. Poke cake with a fork at ½ inch intervals. Carefully, pour topping over cake and let it sit until all the mixture is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

Garnish and store in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. It’s better if made 24 hours ahead and chilled.

Topping:
1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cups of milk
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Combine ingredients in a blender for about 2 minutes.

Garnish:
1 tub (8-oz) of non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
1 package (8-oz) of cream cheese, softened
1 can (16-oz) of crushed pineapple

Combine whipped topping and cream cheese in a mixer bowl. Beat for about 3 minutes.

Optional:
Instead of pineapple, you can garnish with:
Fresh strawberries and mint leaves, ½ cup of chopped walnuts or ½ cup of cherries.


Roast Turkey

12 lb Turkey
Salt
Dressing (such as the "Wild Rice and Sausage Dressing" below)
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees; remove giblets. Rinse turkey, pat turkey dry. Sprinkle cavity with salt. Fill neck cavity with dressing, pull skin and smooth to round; fasten with skewer. Tuck wings behind back. Fill body cavity loosely with dressing. Tuck legs under skin, or wire or tie together, tucking tail inside.

Place turkey on rack in roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer in to thickest part of thigh next to body cavity. Spoon butter or margarine over turkey, Bake at 350 degrees for 3 to 4 hours or until meat thermometer registers 180 to 185 degrees. Let stand, covered loosely with foil, 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

12 to 16 servings.

Tip: to prevent over browning, cover turkey breast with foil during last 1 ½ to 2 hours of baking.


Wild Rice and Sausage Dressing

5 cups water
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon, or 2 bouillon cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed
1 1/2 uncooked regular rice
1 lb pork sausage
1 1/3 cups chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped onions

In large saucepan combine water, bouillon and salt; bring to a boil. Add wild rice, cover and let simmer 20 minutes.

Add regular rice, cover and let simmer an addition 20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, in large skillet, brown sausage, celery and onions: drain.

Combine sausage mixture and rice mixture; use it to stuff turkey or Cornish game hen.

Make 16 ¾ cup servings.

(Bake unused stuffing in casserole in oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.)