Horton Chefs: Suzanne Rogers, John Ingle, Melissa Reeves and Susan Seaforth Hayes (Maggie, Mickey, Jennifer and Julie)

Suzanne Rogers' Cranberry Cream Cheese Salad
Ingredients:
1 (6 oz.) package of cherry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
2 large apples, peeled and grated
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 cups cooked or 1 (16 oz.) can whole cranberry sauce
Cream Cheese Topping (see below for ingredients/directions)
Garnish: halved pecans

Directions:
Dissolve cherry gelatin in boiling water. Add apples, chopped pecans. Cover and chill overnight until set.

Cream Cheese Topping
Ingredients:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (1 lb, 4 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (1/4 oz.) envelope whipped topping mix *
1/2 cup cold milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Blend cream cheese and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until stiff. Mix pineapple, whipped topping mix and milk in a separate bowl. Add remaining powdered sugar and vanilla. Gradually add in the cream cheese mixture. Place Cream Cheese Topping on the chilled gelatin mixture. Garnish with pecan halves. Cover and chill. Serves 12.
*Instead of using reconstituted whipped topping mix, 2 cups of frozen whipped topping (omit sugar, not vanilla) may be used.

John Ingle's Persimmon Cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups shortening
2 cups sugar (part brown)
2 cups persimmon pulp*
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour (sifted)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups raisins
2 cups chopped nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º F. Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs and beat. Add vanilla and persimmon pulp and stir well. Mix in flour, sifted with spices, soda and baking powder and stir well. Add fruit and nuts. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Enjoy!
*Let persimmons ripen until soft, squeeze as is into cups.

Melissa Reeves Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients:
2 refrigerated pie crusts
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cups milk
2 1/2 - 3 cups shredded chicken (already cooked)
2 cups frozen (thawed) mixed country vegetables

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425º F. Melt butter, add onion. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbling and thickened. Stir in chicken and vegetables. Pour into bottom pie dough and cover with top dough. Add holes for air and fancy edges if you prefer. Cook for 30-40 minutes.

Susan Seaforth Hayes' Knock Cinnamon Biscuits
"They are called 'knock' biscuits because you knock the dough canisters against the kitchen counter to open," explains Hayes.

Ingredients:
2 12 oz. cans of buttermilk biscuit dough
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup of sugar
1 1/4 Tbsp. of cinnamon

Directions:
Pre-heat oven according to directions on the dough package. Melt the butter in a dish. Mix sugar and cinnamon in another dish. Dip each uncooked dough round in the butter and then in the sugar-cinnamon mix. Stand the coated biscuits up in your 1 layer cake pan like a circle of poker chips. Dust the dough with more sugar and spice as your conscience will allow (but think lavish!). Serve hot and the sticky hands of your guests will give you applause!

Crane Chefs: Leigh Taylor-Young, Andrea Evans and Charles Divins (Katherine, Rebecca and Chad)

Leigh Taylor-Young's Christmas Chateaubriand
(Red Wine-Braised Beef Tenderloin with Red Pepper and Rosemary)
Ingredients:
2 pound center-cut beef tenderloin roast(chateaubriand), trimmed and tied
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. coarsely crushed black pepper
2 bacon slices
2/3 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 red bell pepper
1 1/3 cups beef or veal demiglace (available at specialty foods shops)
Garnish: fresh rosemary sprigs

Directions:
Pat tenderloin dry and rub with celery salt and black pepper. Cut bacon into 1 1/2-inch pieces. In a heavy kettle just large enough to hold tenderloin, cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until crisp and transfer with a slotted spoon to a small bowl. Pour off all but 1 Tbs. bacon fat. Increase heat to moderately high and brown tenderloin on all sides, about five minutes total. With tongs transfer tenderloin to a plate. To kettle add wine, bacon, and rosemary and boil mixture one minute. Return tenderloin to kettle and cook at a bare simmer, covered, turning occasionally, 25 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally two inches into center of beef registers 125°F. for medium-rare. With tongs transfer tenderloin to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. While tenderloin is standing, cut bell pepper into 1/4-inch dice. With a slotted spoon discard bacon from cooking liquid. Add bell pepper and demiglace to cooking liquid and boil sauce over moderate heat until slightly thickened and reduced to about 1 1/3 cups. Cut tenderloin into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange on a platter. Spoon some of sauce over tenderloin and garnish with rosemary sprigs. Serve remaining sauce on the side. Serves four.

Andrea Evans' Honey & Almond Biscotti
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
2 tsp. orange zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups almonds, lightly toasted

Sift together the baking powder, baking soda and salt in one bowl. In another bowl, combine the canola oil, sugar, honey, eggs, orange zest and vanilla. Add the dry baking soda mixture to the wet mixture and stir until smooth. Fold in the almonds. Cover and refrigerate for four hours. Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease and flour two large baking sheets. Divide the batter into thirds. Spoon two-thirds of the batter mixture onto one sheet and the remainder onto the second sheet. Smooth into logs about two inches wide and one inch high. Bake about 25 minutes until springy to the touch. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Cut logs crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on baking sheets and bake for five minutes. Flip cookies to the other side and bake until brown, about five minutes. Cool on wire racks and store at room temperature in airtight containers. Makes 36 biscotti.

Charles Divins presents Chad's Cornbread
"Chad always loved cornbread growing up, so here is the recipe for Chad Harris' Cornbread."

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cornmeal, self-rising
1 1/2 cups flour, self-rising
1 1/2 Tbs. of sugar
1 tsp. of salt
2 1/2 tsp. of baking powder 2 eggs
2 3/4 cups of buttermilk
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup of melted butter

Directions:
Mix cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder, then add eggs and buttermilk and chopped onions. Pour into skillet and bake at 350 to 375ºF. oven about 1 hour or until done. Take out of the oven and pour melted butter on top of cornbread and let set 10 minutes before cutting.