DECEMBER 2008: Southwest Holiday Recipes

December and the holidays are upon us once again! We went on the hunt for some southwest holiday recipes and came up with two great ones from the "Gourmet Gringo" by Mari Meyers. Permission to reprint the recipes has been granted by Golden West Publishers, 4113 N. Longview Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85014.

JALAPENO CORNBREAD STUFFING

• 1/4 cup BUTTER
  
• 2 cups chopped ONION
  
• 1 cup finely chopped CELERY
  
• 2 APPLES, large dice
  
• 8 cups stale crumpled JALAPENO CORNBREAD
  
• 3 cups cubed WHITE TOAST
  
• 2 EGGS, beaten
  
• 1 cup (maybe more) CHICKEN STOCK
  
• SALT and freshly GROUND PEPPER
  
• 1/2 teaspoon SAGE
  
• 1/4 teaspoon POULTRY SEASONING
  
• PARSLEY or CILANTRO (optional)

Use a large (10-inch) skillet to melt butter and saute onion and celery until soft. Place in a large mixing bowl along with apples, crumbled cornbread and cubed toast. Toss to combine all ingredients.

Blend in beaten eggs and moisten with stock. Add seasonings and toss to mix thoroughly. Stuffing can be made a day ahead to settle flavors, but only should be added to fowl immediately before roasting.

Makes 12 cups.

MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES

cookies recipe,
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) BUTTER
  
• 3 tablespoons POWDERED SUGAR (1st amount)
  
• 1 cup sifted FLOUR
  
• 1 cup finely chopped WALNUTS
  
• 1/2 cup POWDERED SUGAR (2nd amount)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter with sugar in medium-size bowl. Gradually add flour and mix thoroughly. The dough will be crumbly like the corn meal stage of pie dough. Stir in nuts and chill.

Form teaspoons of dough into marble-size balls using your fingers (the warmth of your hands will help shape the dough). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Once shaped, cookies can also be flattened, if desired; they will bake in the same shape as formed before cooking.

Bake single cookie sheets at a time for 15 minutes each or until cookies are a pale golden color. Remove from cookie sheet with spatula. While still hot, roll in powdered sugar. Cool on wire cake racks.

Makes about 40 cookies.