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Wednesday, December 24, 2014
About Christmas Eve on the Farm
At the Mcclure Home Northern Colorado 1940s and 1950s
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he tree was in the corner of the living room, lights showing off all the decoration that were careful places on the branches. Some were old treasured ornaments, but usually every year Mom bought a dozen new pretty up-to-date ornaments just to keep up with the times. My Grandma and Grandpa Cogswell had a tree between the kitchen and living room in their warm basement house. The earliest memories I have of that tree is the very old ornaments that were shaped like birds - I loved the red cardinals. There were blue birds, robins and yellow-black medowlarks scattered on the branches. But the most interesting of all were all the small candles, setting in gold holders, clipped to the branches of the tree. The candles were never lit. My 4 year old eyes starred and my hands lightly touched all the beautiful ornaments intertwined with gold rope. I still think Grandma’s tree was the prettiest tree I have ever seen in my 70-some years! I can remember all the Christmas Eve’s at our farm home with presents under the tree, creating excitement in the minds of my brothers and sisters. I tried to guess what was under the tree for me - and even pinched and shook a few when Mom was not looking! The tradition at our house (I tried to carry this on with my family) was Christmas gift exchange to every one on Christmas Eve. Grandma and Grandpa Cogswell, Uncles, Les and Marvin, Moms sister, Aunt Ruth and Uncle Norman (before kids) would arrive around 3 in the afternoon at our house, loaded down with gifts. They were stacked under the tree. I could not keep my eyes off all the beautifully wrapped, hand tied bow, packages. Commercial bows and scotch tape was not available. Can you imagine having to wrap a gift today without those conveniences? Grandma and Mom were very good at wrapping gifts the old fashioned way. The different smells coming from Moms big kitchen was mouth watering. Mom was making her famous home made chicken noodle soup. Noodles were made the day before and dried on dish towels, laid out on the table top. Mom made the very best noodles!! She made Chili from the hamburger that was ground at the meat lockers where Dad took one of his cows to be butchered. The beans were from his field, thrashed, sacked to be sold or bartered for groceries. My sisters and I had the job of sorting out the rocks, dirt, sticks in the beans. Mom would be so embarrassed if someone got a rock in her Chili! AND it was usually our Uncle Guy, Dads brother, that stayed
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A merry, sharing Christmas to all Readers’ ‘over-the-moon’ recipes for holiday treats
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uring Christmastime, two years ago, I introduced you to Caroline Kennedy’s “over the moon” Cranberry-Coconut Balls Dipped in White Chocolate. Caroline recipes have appeared many times in this column, and if you’ve tried them, you already know that any recipe that comes from Caroline is a keeper. Her cranberry-coconut confection recipe has become such a favorite, that I’ve selected it to be one of just two treats that will be left at my house for Santa this year, with the other being Barbara Freitag’s Double Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti. Barbara, who is also from Bluffton and an excellent baker, shares a recipe for biscotti that is baked with the flavors of cocoa and bittersweet chocolate chips and is then dipped in vanilla white candycoating and covered with crushed peppermint candies. (For a “real chocolate fix,” Barbara recommends dunking the biscotti into hot cocoa, so you ‘ll find a favorite recipe of mine for hot cocoa here, too.) Barbara’s biscotti is as visually attractive as it is addicting, so if you plan to give some away, be sure to have ex-
Kitchen Ade Sue Ade
Photos by Sue Ade unless otherwise indicated
tra copies of the recipe on hand – believe me, folks will ask for it. Treats like these, made from the recipes of others, reminds us that the true spirit of the holidays lies in the delight of giving and sharing. May your heart and home be filled with all the joys of a sharing season. Merry Christmas and happy holidays, one and all. Sue Ade is a syndicated food writer with broad experience and interest in the culinary arts. She has worked and resided in the Lowcountry of South Carolina since 1985 and may be reached at kitchenade@yahoo.com.
Says Barbara Freitag of her Double Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti, “For a real chocolate fix, dunk in cup of hot cocoa!”
Double Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti
On Christmas Eve, and through the rest of the holiday season, enjoy “over the moon” treats such as “Double Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti” and “Cranberry-Coconut Balls Dipped in White Chocolate,” – a cross between a no-bake cookie and a candy-like fruit and nut confection.
Hot Cocoa
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa coa with sugar and salt; gradually stir ½ cup sugar in water. Bring mixture to a boil and Pinch salt boil for one minute, stirring constant½ cup water ly. Lower heat and add milk (again 3½ cups milk stirring constantly), until mixture is ½ teaspoon vanilla extract well combined and heated to serving Sweetened whipped cream, for temperature. (Do not allow mixture topping to boil.) Remove from heat. Whisk in Crushed peppermint candies, for vanilla, whisking until foamy. Serve garnish (optional) topped with sweetened whipped cream and crushed peppermint canIn a 2-quart saucepan, combine co- dies, if desired. Makes 4 servings.
Hot cocoa, topped with a cloud of whipped cream and crushed peppermint candies, is even better when enjoyed with a side of Double Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti.
Recipe courtesy Barbara Freitag, Bluffton, S.C. “This cookie freezes well.” – Barbara Frietag
For biscotti ½ cup butter, softened 2/3 cup sugar ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon peppermint extract 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
For dipping 8 ounces vanilla-flavored candy coating, melted ¼ cup crushed peppermint candies Lightly grease two cookie sheets or one extra-large cookie sheet. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs and peppermint extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Use a wooden spoon to stir in remaining flour and bitter-
sweet chocolate. Divide dough into four portions. Wrap each in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Chill for 30 to 60 minutes or until dough is easy to handle. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap each dough portion and shape into a 7-inch roll. On two cookie sheets place rolls 4 inches apart (Note: On extra-large cookie sheet, I staggered all four portions on one sheet.) Flatten each roll until about 2 inches wide. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cookie sheets on wire rack for 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Using a serrated knife, cut loaves diagonally into ½-inch slices. Place slices, cut side down, on cookie sheets. Bake for 5 minutes. Turn slices over and bake 5 to 7 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack. Cool. Dip one side into melted vanilla candy coating or frost top of biscotti and place on waxed paper. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy while frosting is still wet. Let stand until coating is set. Makes about 42 cookies.
See B-2 for Divinity ingredients for last week.
See ABOUT, page B-2
Cranberry-Coconut Balls Dipped in White Chocolate Recipe courtesy Caroline Kennedy, Bluffton “You don’t have to bake these.” – Caroline Kennedy 4 cups finely chopped dried cranberries or cherries (chop in food processor) 4 cups shredded coconut 2 cups chopped toasted pecans 1 (14-ounce) can fat free sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
White Dipped Balls 1 (12-ounce) package white va- “I’ve had this recipe in my files for nilla chips (Hershey’s Premier White years, from my dear friend Betty Chips) Mansfield in Nashville, Tenn. I sub2 teaspoons canola oil stituted the dried apricots for cranberries, or cherries, and added Line rimmed baking sheets with dipping in white chocolate — to the parchment paper; reserve. Chop cran- moon!” – Caroline Kennedy berries or cherries by pulsing in food processor until finely chopped. In a all of the chips are melted — there large bowl, combine cranberries, co- should be a few chunks left. Stir until conut, pecans and condensed milk; it is smooth and chips are completely mix well. Shape mixture into 1-inch melted. (Approximately 60 seconds balls; reserve on baking sheet while total.) Be careful not to overcook. preparing white vanilla chips. Put Working quickly, dip balls in melted white vanilla chips in a microwave- mixture with a fork to coat, allowing safe bowl with canola oil. Microwave excess coating to drip off before placon HIGH power checking at 20 sec- ing on prepared sheet. Let stand until ond intervals, stirring each time. coating is set. Store in refrigerator. Stop heating when most, but not Yield: 8 to 10 dozen balls.
Coming soon to United States: Cuba Libre, with real Cuban rum By JENNIFER KAY Associated Press
MIAMI — U.S. rum aficionados are abuzz over the possibility of mixing a Cuba Libre with authentic Cuban rum, now that they will be able to bring home liquor distilled in the communist nation. Relaxed limits on what licensed U.S. travelers can bring home mean that Americans will be able to enjoy small quantities of the liquor at home. But, with the embargo still in place, the rum won’t be flooding bars or the market. And it’s unclear what the AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File news means for industry tiIn this Aug. 7, 2009 photo, a bottle of Havana Club rum, center, sits on a shelf for sale at Pantry tan Bacardi, which was driven II Liquors in Miami. U.S. rum aficionados are abuzz over the potential for making Cuba Libres from its Cuba headquarters by with Cuban rum, now that Americans visiting the Caribbean island will be allowed to bring home the 1959 Castro revolution. In rum distilled there for the first time since the embargo took effect 55 years ago. the past, Bacardi has left the C
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door open for a return to its homeland. But company representatives wouldn’t give details when asked Thursday what, if any, plans it has if the more than 50-year-old embargo on Cuban goods ends, now that President Barack Obama is working to normalize relations with the country. “We hope for meaningful improvements in the lives of the Cuban people and will follow any changes with great interest,” the company said in a statement. Bacardi said it’s waiting to see what effects thawing U.S.-Cuba relations may have. In 1997, Bacardi bought the legal rights to the recipe and name of Havana Club, a popular rum created in 1935 by a Cuban family who eventually fled the
Castro revolution. Bacardi used the recipe and name for a rum it distilled in Puerto Rico. But the name would become tangled in a long-running U.S. trademark fight with French wine and spirits maker Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard, in partnership with state-owned Cubaexport, already had been selling Havana Club rum, distilled in Cuba, in other countries. Nearly 20 years of legal arguments followed. Ultimately, a court ruled that Bacardi would be allowed to continue selling its Havana Club in the U.S. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review that decision, giving Bacardi’s Havana Club rum its final green light See RUM, page B-2