The collective authors of Season’s Sweetings hope you enjoy this holiday gift from us! It’s a little bit of sweetness from our home to yours To thank you for reading and sharing our stories And for brightening our lives. For the best in Historical Romance… Amy Atwell Jacki Delecki Aubrey Wynne Karen Kay Brenda Hiatt Kathryn Le Veque Caroline Lee Kimberly Cates Cherie Claire Kristy McCaffrey Cheryl Bolen Lauren Royal Collette Cameron Linda Rae Sande Cynthia Wright Lucinda Brant Deb Marlowe Madeline Martin Deborah Simmons Monica Burns Eliza Knight Nina Beaumont Emma Prince Sydney Jane Baily Emmanuelle de Maupassant Tanya Anne Crosby Erica Ridley Terri Brisbin Glynnis Campbell Special Note We realize that we have readers all around the world, and we want you to know we haven’t forgotten you! Although these recipes are written in U.S. terms and measurements, any of these websites will give you a great online resource for instant measurement and temperature conversions… https://mykitchencalculator.com/kitchencalculator.html https://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/cooking/ https://www.thecalculatorsite.com/cooking/cooking-calculator.php From Amy Atwell… https://www.amyatwell.com Award-winning author Amy Atwell gives her imagination free rein in both contemporary and historical stories that feature smart women and noble men who find love while managing to mend their meddlesome families. Her book “Ambersley” has been listed on the Top 100 books on Amazon, BN.com, and Apple Books. This recipe was handed down from my German grandmother, who immigrated to the US as a child in the early days of the 20th century. While I often find these in bakeries, I don’t know many people who bake them from scratch. These have been included in our family cookie platters during the holidays for generations. ZIMTSTERNE (Cinnamon Stars) 3 Ts butter 1-1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 egg, separated 1 tsp lemon juice 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 2-1/3 cups flour 2-1/2 tsp baking powder 1-1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1. Cream butter, sugar, 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk (from the separated egg), and lemon juice until fluffy. 2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add these to the creamed mixture, then stir in the chopped walnuts. 3. If the dough is still wet when handling, you may want to refrigerate it for 30 minutes or more to make it easier to roll out. 4. Roll out dough in a thin layer, no more than 1/2 inch. Using small (1-inch) star cookie cutters, cut the cookies and transfer to a greased baking sheet. 5. Beat the remaining egg white until fluffy, then use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the unbaked stars with a thin coating. 6. Bake at 375° for 6-8 minutes. Adds a wonderfully nutty, spicy flavor to complement your other cookies, and the lemon gives it just a tiny bit of zing. From Aubrey Wynne… https://www.aubreywynne.com Bestselling and award-winning author Aubrey Wynne is an elementary teacher by trade, champion of children and animals by conscience, and author by night. She resides in the Midwest with her husband, dogs, horses, mule, and barn cats. Obsessions include wine, history, travel, trail riding, and all things Christmas. The Banbury cake originated in Banbury Oxfordshire by Edward Welchman in his shop on Parsons Street. The recipe changed over the years and became popular as a tea tart in the mid 1800s. This familiar English nursery rhyme helped seal the town’s fame. Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross, To see a fine lady upon a white horse, With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, She shall have music wherever she goes. BANBURY TARTS 1/2 cup butter, room temperature 1-1/2 cup granulated sugar 3 eggs 1 cup currants/raisins/figs, dried Zest of 1 lemon Juice of 1 lemon 1/8 cup of cream Pastry for 9-inch one crust pie 1. Preheat oven to 375°. 2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together thoroughly. Add eggs, currants, lemon zest, and lemon juice, stirring to mix well; set aside. 3. Roll out the pastry dough 1/8-inch thick. Tarts may be cut into any size. Place the cut pastry into regular or mini muffin pans so it forms a small shallow cup, then smooth the dough to remove any bumps. Brush with cream. 4. Stir the currant filling mixture. With a teaspoon, fill the tarts 2/3 full. Don’t allow the filling to drip onto the pan. It will make the tarts more difficult to remove. 5. Bake the mini tarts 15 to 20 minutes or until the pastry is a light brown. Remove from oven, remove from the muffin pans, and let cool on a wire rack. MEDIEVAL RECIPE: Take a peck of pure Wheat-flower, six pound of currants, half a pound of Sugar, two pound of Butter, half an ounce of Cloves and Mace, a pint and a half of Ale yeast, and a little Rose-water; then boil as much new milk as will serve to knead it, and when it is almost cold, put into it as much Sack as will thicken it, and so work it all together before a fire, pulling it two or three times in pieces, after make it up. From Brenda Hiatt… https://www.brendahiatt.com Brenda Hiatt is the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-five novels (so far), including sweet and spicy historical romance, time travel romance, humorous mystery and young adult science fiction. Brenda is passionate about embracing life to the fullest and enjoys scuba diving, Taekwondo, hiking, and traveling. This recipe goes back several generations in my family. (Not actually sure HOW many generations!) It’s a huge hit every year! SAND TARTS/(REGENCY) CHRISTMAS BALLS 1/2 cup softened butter 2 T. sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup chopped pecans 1 cup flour Powdered sugar (as needed) 1. Preheat oven to 300º. 2. Cream butter and sugar together and add all other ingredients except powdered sugar. 3. Form into balls about 3/4” diameter, roll in powdered sugar and bake for 30 min. 4. While still warm, roll again in powdered sugar. Makes about 2-1/2 dozen. Enjoy! From Caroline Lee… http://www.carolineleeromance.com/ USA Today bestselling author Caroline Lee has been reading romance for so long that her fourth- grade teacher used to make her cover her books with paper jackets, but it wasn’t until she (mostly) grew up that she realized she could WRITE it too. She writes #HistoryWithHeart and is really quite funny, to hear her tell it. Many years ago I was part of a Christmas cookie exchange and fell in love with these from another mom. I kept pestering her for the recipe, and she kept getting cagier and cagier about it. Finally she pulled me aside and said, “Look, these things are the simplest cookies in the world! Stop trying to make me look like a slacker in front of the group!” and I was hooked. I now make them every year! ROLO PRETZELS 20 square pretzels (although mini-pretzels work too) 20 Rolo candies 20 toppers (red/green M&Ms, pecan halves, or a second pretzel) 1. Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet. 2. Lay out 20 square pretzels (or 40, or 100, I’m not going to judge) 3. Unwrap similar number of Rolo candies (this is seriously the hardest part of the recipe) 4. Place one candy on top of each pretzel 5. Bake for ~3 minutes, just until chocolate begins to melt (you can tell when it get shiny) 6. Remove tray, and press the “topper” on top of the almost-melted Rolo (which smooshes it down into the pretzel) I like a second pretzel as the topper, for the maximum salty-sweet combo. Adding a pecan half will make it into a “turtle” cookie, but the red and green M&Ms are certainly the most festive. You know, in case you’re taking this to a cookie exchange and want to make it look like it took more than six minutes to make these cookies… From Cherie Claire… https://www.cherieclaire.net Cherie Claire grew up in south Louisiana, with mud between her toes and a rabid love of Mardi Gras. Born in New Orleans and now living in Cajun Country, Cherie is the award-winning author of The Cajun Series of historical romances, the Cajun Embassy series of contemporary romances and a paranormal mystery series featuring New Orleans ghost sleuth Viola Valentine. I love making pralines for the holidays because there’s nothing better than creamy, sugary goodness when the weather turns cool, combined with Southern pecans, harvested at this time of year. Pralines make wonderful holiday gifts, as well. LOUISIANA PRALINES 3 cups packed brown sugar 1 cup evaporated milk or whipping cream 2 T. corn syrup 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup butter 2 cup pecans 1-1/4 tsp vanilla 1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix brown sugar, evaporated milk, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. 2. Once a boil has been reached, cook until a candy thermometer reads 234°, stirring occasionally. 3. Remove from heat and add butter but do not stir. Cool until candy thermometer reads 150°, about 35 minutes. 4. Stir in pecans and vanilla with wooden spoon until candy thickens and butter and vanilla are well absorbed, but is still glossy, about 5 to 7 minutes.