Linda's Holiday Treats and Recipes!

Holidays and Cooking

Forget cooking, I love to bake. I love finding new holiday recipes and making my tried and true ones.

Friends eagerly await for me to make my marbled orange fudge which is like a creamsicle, Snickerdoodles and my choconut caramel candy along with many others.

I usually will spend a couple days baking and dividing up the loot to pass out to friends. I always assure everyone there’s no calories in them. After all, I’m a fiction writer!

So here’s a few of my favorite recipes including Orange French Toast which is great for Christmas morning.



Marbled Orange Fudge

1 1/2 tsp plus 3/4 cup butter--divided
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 pkg vanilla or white chips
1 jar marshmallow creme
3 tsp orange extract
orange food coloring


Grease 13x9 pan with 1 1/2 tsp butter. Combine sugar, cream and remaining butter. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 4 min. Remove from heat, stir in chips and marshmallow creme until smooth. Remove 1 cup, set aside. Add orange extract and coloring to remaining mixture. Stir until blended. Pour into pan. Drop reserved marshmallow mix by tablespoonfuls over top. Cut through mixture with a knife to swirl. Cover and refrigerate until set. Cut into squares.

try chocolate and mint, chocolate & coconut and put coconut in the coconut part, lime extract and vanilla, peppermint, maybe even cinnamon!


Orange French Toast

1 1/2 cups orange juice, divided
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
8 1in. thick slices French or Italian bread
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg


Mix 1 cup juice and eggs. Lay bread slices in batter (turn to soak both sides well). In skillet lightly coated with butter or oil., fry bread on both sides until golden brown and heated through. Heat maple syrup, remaining 1/2 cup orange juice, cinnamon and nutmet. Serve with French toast.


Cinnamon Apple Swirl Salad

1/3 cup red cinnamon candy "red hots"
2 pkg. lemon jello
2 cups boiling water
1 can applesauce
1/4 cup cream (evaporated milk can be used)
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 3-oz pkg cream cheese
chopped nuts

Dissolve candy and jello in the boiling water. Stir well so candy melts then stir in the applesauce. Chill until partially set and pour into an 8-inch square pan. Now mix cream cheese, milk and mayonnaise until smooth. Swirl it gently into jello mixture to make a swirl effect. Sprinkle chopped nuts over the top. Chill until firm and cut into squares.

Linda