Name: Gingerbread Sleigh Pt 1
Ingredients: 1/2 c Shortening; 2 1/2 c All purpose flour; 1/2 c Sugar; 1/2 c Molasses; 1 Egg; 1 tb Vinegar; 1 ts Baking powder; 1 ts Ground ginger; 1/2 ts Baking soda; 1/2 ts Ground cinnamon; 1 ts Ground cloves; 1 oz Clear red hard candy,; Finely; Crushed; 2 Egg whites; 3 c Sifted powdered sugar; 1/2 ts Vanilla; 1/4 ts Cream of tartar; 2 8-3/4 inch long red and; White striped candy canes; (3/4 inch diameter); 6 3-1/2 inch long red and; White striped candy sticks; 4 Green striped square hard; Candies and 4 red striped; Square hard candies; (from a bag of mixed hard; Candies); 2 sm Red gumdrops; 2 lg Red gumdrops

In distinct contrast to the widespread conservative fallacy of the eighties, the sharpest challenge of modernity is not secularism, but secularization. Secularism is a philosophy; secularization is a process. Whereas the philosophy is obviously hostile and touches only a few, the process is largely invisible and touches many. Being openly hostile, secularism rarely deceives Christians. Being much more subtle, secularization often deceives Christians before they are aware of it, including those in the church-growth movement. How else can one explain the comment of a Japanese businessman to a visiting Australian? “Whenever I meet a Buddhist leader, I meet a holy man. Whenever I meet a Christian leader, I meet a manager.”

Os Guinness

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Eggs, Dairy	Indo	Holidays, Cookies	4	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1/2	c	Shortening
2 1/2	c	All purpose flour
1/2	c	Sugar
1/2	c	Molasses
1		Egg
1	tb	Vinegar
1	ts	Baking powder
1	ts	Ground ginger
1/2	ts	Baking soda
1/2	ts	Ground cinnamon
1	ts	Ground cloves
1	oz	Clear red hard candy,
		Finely
		Crushed
2		Egg whites
3	c	Sifted powdered sugar
1/2	ts	Vanilla
1/4	ts	Cream of tartar
2		8-3/4 inch long red and
		White striped candy canes
		(3/4 inch diameter)
6		3-1/2 inch long red and
		White striped candy sticks
4		Green striped square hard
		Candies and 4 red striped
		Square hard candies
		(from a bag of mixed hard
		Candies)
2	sm	Red gumdrops
2	lg	Red gumdrops
		Silver drages (for
		Decorating only; do not eat)
		(Silver Dots?)
1		4-1/2 inch long red and
		Green striped candy stick or
1		5-3/4 inch red and green
		Striped candy cane
		to make the royal frosting; Combine egg whites, powdered
	2	hours.

INSTRUCTIONS

ROYAL FROSTING
MATERIALS
Beat shortening in a mixing bowl with electric mixer on medium to high
speed for 30 seconds or till softened.  Add about half the flour, the
sugar, molasses, egg, vinegar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda,
cinnamon, and cloves.  Beat till thoroughly combined.  Beat in remaining
flour.  Cover and chill 3 hours or till easy to handle. Cut and bake the
cookies as directed.
sugar, vanilla and cream of tartar in a small mixing bowl. Beat with
electric mixer on high speed for 7 to 10 minutes or till the mixture is
very stiff. Keep the bowl covered with wet paper towels at all times to
prevent the frosting from drying as you work. The frosting can be
refrigerated overnight in a tightly covered container. Stir before using.
Makes 2 cups. Cutting and Baking
Enlarge the pattern pieces on heavy paper. For back of sleigh:  Line a
baking sheet with foil. Using a floured rolling pin, roll one-fourth of the
dough 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick on the foil lined baking sheet. Lay pattern for
back of sleigh on dough. Using a sharp knife, cut around pattern and cut
out design. Carefully remove excess dough; reserve for re-rolling.
Carefully spoon crushed candy into holes.  Bake in a 375 oven for 5
minutes.  Remove from oven and add additional candy.  Bake 5 to 6 minutes
more or till edges are lightly browned.  Lay pattern on hot cookie and trim
side and bottom edges if necessary.  Let cool completely on baking sheet.
Remove foil.
For the other pattern pieces.  Roll half the remaining dough to 1/8 to 1/4
inch thickness on an ungreased baking sheet.  Lay remaining pattern pieces
on dough, leaving at least 1/4 inch of space between pieces. Cut around
pattern pieces and remove excess dough.
Bake in a 375 oven for 8 to 10 minutes or till edges are lightly browned.
Lay pattern pieces on hot cookies and trim edges, if necessary. Let cookies
cool 2 minutes, loosen with spatula but do not remove from pan. Cool
completely.
Remaining dough: On a lightly floured surface roll dough to 1/8 inch
thickness.  For wreath, cut out a 2 inch round; cut out center with a 1
inch cutter.  Cut remaining dough as desired.  Place on an ungreased baking
sheet.  Bake in 375 oven 8 to 10 minutes or till edges are lightly browned.
Let stand on baking sheet 1 minute.  Cool completely on rack. Decorate as
desired.  Makes about 16 cookies.
Decorating pieces. Fit a decorating bag with a #3 writing tip; fill with
royal frosting. Working on a waxed-paper-covered work surface, outline the
red candy windows on the back of the sleigh. Let dry. (White) Add a few
drops of red food coloring to 1/2 cup Royal Frosting; spoon into decorating
bag fitted with #4 writing tip. Outline kick board; pipe swirl design in
center.  Outline both sidepieces of sleigh. Fit #6 writing tip on white
frosting bag.  Pipe a line inside red line on top edges only. With red
frosting, pipe series of dots 1/4 inch apart inside white line. Pipe a loop
from front edge to center of line of dots and on to back edge of each
piece.  Place silver dragees on soft frosting with edges touching. Let dry
From: Pat Stockett                    Date: 12-14-96 Cooking
Posted to MM-Recipes Digest  by Helen.Peagram@salata.com (Helen Peagram) on
98

A Message from our Provider:

“God is glorified by a thankful heart.”

Where once there was trust, with joy, honesty and spontaneity, now there might be aloofness, guardedness, even resentment. To make matters worse, attempts at reconciliation can be ignored or even refused. That is when, it seems to me, it is time to turn away. Turning away is not our first response, of course. But it must be a valid, if undesirable, option. After all, we can’t force people to be open, to talk, to reconsider. Until the Holy Spirit changes hearts — I have reluctantly concluded that there really is a time to turn away. Yes, it is a defeat for the gospel. But what else can one do? All that’s left is trusting the Lord, referring the matter to the judgment seat of Christ, who alone sees all things perfectly... Sometimes all one can do is not make a situation worse. That’s hard. But the Lord can do amazing things with brokenhearted people who have nothing left but a longing for His glory in this messy world.

Ray Ortlund