I am presenting a wonderful array of sweets to enjoy or give as gifts. This month’s recipes include Pumpkin Bread, Poppy Seed Muffins, Ruby Red Cake, an Easy Coconut Pie and a Sugar Plum Cake.

Merry Christmas and enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups canned pumpkin
3 cups unsifted flour
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup water or milk
1 cup salad oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 eggs
1 cup pecans and 1 cup raisins, if desired

Combine sugar, shortening and eggs. Mix with electric mixer. Add pumpkin, water and dry ingredients. Divide batter into three greased loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Poppy Seed Muffins

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
5 tablespoons poppy seeds

Cream sugar and butter. Add orange peel. Add eggs, beating well after each egg. Combine dry ingre- dients and add to mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Fold in raisins, pecans and poppy seeds. Pour batter into greased muffin pans or paper liners in muffin pans. Fill about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Ruby Red Fruit Cake
4 eggs (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white Karo syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups pecans
4 rings candied pineapple
1 pound candied cherries

Beat eggs and add sugar, Karo syrup and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Cup up pecans, candied pineapple and candied cherries. Add to mixture. Bake in greased and floured tube pan for 2 hours at 225 degrees.

Makes a 4 1/2-pound cake. Cool and wrap in a gauzed cloth soaked in whiskey or apple juice for a couple of days.

Coconut Pie (no crust)

4 whole eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/2 stick margarine (melted)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coconut

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into greased Pyrex pie plate. Bake 30 minutes (10 minutes at 350 degrees and 20 minutes at 325 degrees).

Sugar Plum Cake

2 cups sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 cup Wesson oil (it has to be Wesson)
2 small jars baby food strained plums with tapioca pudding
1 cup nuts (1/2 pecans and 1/2 walnuts)

Grease a bundt pan heavily. Coat thoroughly with sugar. Mix above ingredients in order listed. Bake for 1 hour in 350-degree oven. Cool in pan, then turn out on rack. Great to freeze.

This cake is moist and wonderful.

Note: I do not ice the cake, but you may drip a powdered sugar icing on top.