Christmas Scents!

The Maine House is beginning to look and smell alot like Christmas! We decided to begin by creating a fresh pomander bowl to welcome our family and friends as they arrive to celebrate the holiday season! We place this grand creation on top of our hallway sideboard. Ahhh...fresh orange, clove, cranberry and pine! Make this fragrant holiday arrangement with pomanders, pinecones, and holiday greens displayed on a transferware plate. Score patterns on the oranges with a citrus stripper or channel knife, make pilot holes with a small nail, then stud the oranges with whole cloves.

Estelle's Cranberry Orange Ring
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1‑1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
3/4 cup orange juice
2 cups chopped mandarin orange slices
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup whole cranberries, chopped


Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 12-cup tube pan; set aside.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cloves in large bowl. Add orange peel; mix well. Set aside. Combine orange juice, mandarin orange bits,egg, oil, vanilla and orange extract in medium bowl. Beat until well blended. Add orange juice mixture to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened. Gently fold in cranberries and pecans. Do not over mix.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes (35 to 40 minutes if using frozen cranberries) or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 to 20 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature. Estelle's drizzles a warm orange glaze over this cake ring by just mixing powdered sugar and orange juice.

Estelle's Breakfast Cranberry Orange Ring
Ring
1 pack Cranberry-orange relish ,well drained
¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
Dough
2 packs Pillsbury crescent rolls
Glaze
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine relish and cinnamon in Batter Bowl. Separate dough into triangles; spread each with 1 tsp relish mixture. Roll up triangles and curve each to form a crescent. Place 8 crescents end to end in circle on baking sheet. Form an inner circle using 5 crescents; place the remaining 3 crescents in the center to form a circle. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly. Combine glaze ingredients in small bowl. Drizzle over warm coffee cake.

Hot Cranberry Cinnamon Cider
3 quarts unsweetened apple juice or cider
1 quart cranberry juice
2 to 3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick (3 1/2 inches)
 Combine the apple juice, cranberry juice, cloves, and cinnamon stick in a large kettle; bring to a boil.
 Boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the cloves and cinnamon stick before serving. Serve warm.

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world,

 and behold,

 everything is softer and more beautiful."

Norman Vincent Peale