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Page 20 December 1988 Cassiar Courier

NEIGHBOUR’S KITCHEN

Karren Campbell

Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without family and
special friends on hand to Join in the celebrations. Trad-
itional recipes come forth in our planning and prepara-
tions to lend a festive glow to the holiday gatherings.

The following recipes are a Christmas collection,
some from “dear old Mom”, and some from friends and
neighbours. Hopefully some of these recipes may suit the
demanding schedules we all find ourselves in.

WHITE CHRISTMAS CAKE
3c. flour % Ib. blanched almonds, halved
¥% tsp. salt 1% c. butter or margarine

2 tsp. baking powder 4 eggs
% Ib. seedless raisins 1c. sugar
% Ib. glazed cherries J c. undrained crushed pineapple
44 lb. candied citron, chopped J tsp. vanilla extract

Set oven for very low, 275 degrees F. Grease a
9” tube pan. Line pan completely with waxed paper and
grease paper liberally.

Sift together. flour, salt and baking powder. Mix
raisins, cherries, citron and almonds in bowl, dredging
with % c. of the sifted dry ingredients.

Cream butter until smooth. Add the sugar very
slowly and continue creaming until very light and the
sugar is dissolved. Add the eggs one at a time and beat af-
ter each addition, until mixture is fluffy. Stir in vanilla.
Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately
with the crushed pineapple, stirring until smooth after
each addition. Begin and end with the flour mixture.

Turn into the prepared tube pan. Bake for 2% hr.
or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. In-
vert the cake onto a wire rack, remove pan and peel off
paper. Cool thoroughly, wrap in foil . Store before
serving to daeee the flavour.

FAST AND FABULOUS FRUITCAKE

2% c. flour ; 2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 c. (28 02. can) mincemeat 1 can sweetened con-
2c. mixed candied fruit densed milk

1c. walnuts, coarsely chopped 1 tsp. baking soda

Glazed cherries (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a 9’’ tube
pan and line with waxed.paper and grease again (or use a
generously greased and floured 10” Bundt pan).

Sift together flour and baking soda and set aside.
Ina large bowl combine eggs, mincemeat, condensed milk,
fruit and nuts. Add dry ingredients and blend well. Pour
into prepared pan.

Bake 1 hr. 50 min. Cool 15 minutes, then turn
out of pan and remove waxed paper. If desired, garnish

with glazed cherries.
To store cake, cool thoroughly, wrap in foil, and

refrigerate or freeze.

WUD Wu
SUN

TANNING SALON

has been opened at the

Rec. Centre.
For more information, or to
book appointments, call the
Rec. Centre- 778-7224 or
contact Kathy Propp

Zingara Gem & Gold

778-7776

NO BAKE FRUIT.BALLS

Allow at least a week for flavours to mellow in this
spirited confection of dried fruit, graham cracker crumbs
and brandy.

1 6-0z. pkg mixed dried fruit bits
4% c. brandy

% c. com syrup
Confectioners sugar

% c. chopped nuts
% c. softened butter
2% c. graham cracker crumbs

In a small bowl, stir together fruit bits, nuts and
brandy. Let stand I hour. In medium bowl, beat butter
and corn syrup until blended. Gradually beat in crumbs
until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add fruit mixture
and mix well.

Shape in %” balls, wetting hands if mixture be-
comes dry. Roll balls in sugar. Store in air-tight BOM:
up to one month, or until ready to use.

YIELDS 60 BALLS.
MINCEMEAT POINSETTIAS

1 c. butter

1 8-02, pkg. cream cheese
2 Tbsp. white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

Ys tsp. salt

Mincemeat

Candied cherries, halved

Cream butter and cream cheese until light and
fluffy. Beat in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Combine flour,
baking powder and salt; stir into creamed mixture to form
stiff dough. Cover and chill. Roll out 1/8 ” thick on
lightly floured surface, Cut into 3” squares.

Place on lightly buttered cookie sheet. Cut from
comers halfway to centre. Place one spoonful of mince-
meat in centre of each square. Bring every other point of
dough to centre; pinch to hold in place. Press cherry half
Bake at 375 degrees F. for 12-14 minutes.

in centre.
YIELDS 40 POINSETTIAS
QUICK EGGNOG
(Individual Serving)
1 egg, separated 1 Tbsp. sugar
4% c. cream or evaporated milk Dash of salt

Whisky, rum or brandy to taste

In small bowl, beat egg yolk until light. Slowly
beat in sugar, cream, liquor and salt. Whip egg white sep-
arately until stiff, then fold lightly into other ingredients.
Pour into a glass and sprinkle with nutmeg.

SHAKLEE
beauty,
health and

household
products

full stock

available

CONTACT: Gayleen Connolly

779 Malozemoff
Cassiar, BC

778-7515

CHRISTMAS EGGNOG
6 egg yolks 1 c. maple syrup or fine granulated sugar
lc. rum 1 c. Grand Marnier
Grated rind of 1 orange 44 c. brandy
6c. milk J vanilla bean

3 c. heavy cream 6 egg whites, beaten stiff

Beat egg yolks and maple syrup or sugar with elec-
tric beater, until creamy and light. Keep beating as you
add the Grand Marnier, rum and brandy. Cover and chill
for about 2 hours. Add the vanilla bean to the milk and
let stand for the same time. When the time is up, remove
the vanilla bean from the milk and slowly add the milk
(while stirring) to the egg yolk mixture. Whip the cream
and gently fold in until it is well blended. Then fold in the
beaten egg whites.

At this point, the eggnog can be covered and will
stay perfect for 12-24 hours. Sprinkle a bit of nutmeg
over each serving.

Pour any leftover eggnog into a container, cover
and freeze. Serve it as a frozem eggnog for dessert, or
thaw out and serve as a drink.

“SERVES 20.
BREAD AND PARSLEY STUFFING

Spread 6-8 slices of brown or egg bread on a
baking sheet. Place in preheated 400 degree F. oven until
golden brown. Remove a slice from the top of a large
garlic clove and rub both sides of the bread with it; this
may take 3-4 cloves of garlic.

Dice the bread and place in a bowl with 1 c. fresh
parsley; 6 green onions, finely chopped; ¥% tsp. thyme; and
the grated rind of 1 lemon.

Salt and pepper the inside of the turkey. Fill with
stuffing and roast according to recipe.

ENOUGH TO STUFF A 4-5 LB. BIRD.
DOUBLE FORA 10-12 LB. TURKEY:

TRANSPORT LIMITED

... And to all a Bright
‘Holiday Season! Thanks..

aE

ree

Christmas Breads

CHRISTMAS STOLLEN

This recipe is the version used in Dresden, the
home of Christmas Stollen. Because of the high butter
content, the butter cannot be kneaded in in a melted state
as is usually done with yeast doughs; instead, it is softened
and mixed with a small amount of flour.

J vanilla bean 7-8 c. flour
2 Tbsp. active dry yeast 1 2/3 c. lukewarm milk
4%. sugar 2 eggs
Grated rind of I lemon J tsp. salt

1% c. softened butter 1% c. (roughly) flour
2 1/3 c. raisins % c. chopped blanched almonds
% c. diced candied lemon peel 1-3 jiggers rum
% c. diced candied orange peel 14 c. butter for brushing
Vanilla sugar for dredging on loaves
loaves, made from 1 c. sugar

and pith of 1 vanilla bean

Cut open the vanilla.bean and scrape out the pith
with the tip of a knife.

Sift the flour into a bowl. Make a depression in
the centre, sprinkle in the yeast, and dissolve it in the
lukewarm milk. Sprinkle a little flour over the yeast-
milk mixture and let stand 20 minutes, covered.

Add the sugar, eggs, vanilla pith, lemon rind, and
salt to the fermenting yeast-milk solution and beat to
form a firm dry dough. Let the dough rise 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, knead together the butter and flour to form
a soft dough. Work this into the risen yeast dough.
Let the dough rise once more for 15 minutes.

Combine the raisins, almonds, candied lemon and
orange peel. Pour the rum over them and let steep a
while.

Quickly work the fruit mixture into the yeast
dough and let the dough rise again 10-15 minutes.

Shape the dough.into two balls and roll them into
narrow. rectangles about 12 inches long. With a ‘rolling
pin, flatten the rectangles in the centre so as to produce
fairly thick raised borders on the long sides. On the short
ends, tuck in the dough somewhat to even the edges, then
fold lengthwise into the well-known Stollen shape.

Line a baking sheet with buttered parchment
paper, place the Stollen on it, and let rise 20-30 minutes,
covered with a cloth. They should increase markedly in
volume.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the
Stolien about 60 minutes on the bottom shelf of the oven
and test with a wooden pick to be sure the dough is baked
all the way through; no dough should cling to the surface.

Melt the butter; brush the still-warm Stollen with
it on all sides and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. The coating

of butter and sugar preserves the succulent fresh texture
of the Stollen and helps_prevent them from drying out.

MAKES TWO STOLLEN

YULE LOG

The French Christmas cake called Buche de Noel
in France is always made from a light sponge sheet filled
with a chocolate-, coffee-, or nut-flavoured buttercream.
The log is garnished with the widest variety of decora-
tions: sometimes chocolate leaves, sometimes green holly
leaves, or meringue mushrooms.

For the sponge layer:

8 egg yolks % c. sugar
J large pinch of salt Grated rind of 1 lemon
5 egg whites % c., roughly, flour

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

For the buttercream:
I%c. sugar

7 egg yolks

1% c. butter

¥% c. water
3 oz. semisweet chocolate
¥%c., generous, cocoa

For the garnish:

Marzipan leaves _ Meringue mushrooms

Stir together the egg yolks with 1 Tbsp. sugar, the
salt, and the lemon rind; the mixture should: be smooth

uu ~ indian

“but not frothy- or-over-aerated, REINS byte

Karen Taplin

Beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar.
Fold the egg yolk mixture into the stiffly beaten whites.
Combine the flour and cornstarch, sift, and ey, stir
into the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking
sheet with parchment paper or silicone paper and spread
the batter evenly over it, preferably with an offset-blade
spatula or a cake cutter. Bake on the centre shelf of the
oven for about 8-10 minutes, but check after 6 minutes
to be sure the sponge layer is not becoming too dark.
When the sponge layer is done, turn it out onto a damp
cloth and allow to cool, covered with another cloth.

Boil the sugar and water to the soft-ball stage
(240 degrees F.). Beat the egg yolks until very light and
foamy, then trickle the sugar syrup down the side of the
bowl in a very thin stream, continuing to beat vigorously
as you do so.

Melt the chocolate over hot water in a double
boiler or bain-marie arrangement.

Cream the butter with the cocoa and chocolate
until very light and combine with the egg yolk mixture.
Spread the sponge sheet evenly with half the buttercream,
roll up, and very thinly spread the outside with the butter-
cream.

Spoon the remaining buttercream into a pastry
bag fitted with a small star tip and decorate the cake with
piped strips of the mixture. The remaining garnish is up
to individual fancy.

The log will yield 16-18 individual slices.

PANETTONE

A tale like something from Grimm is told concer-
ning the origin of this Italian Christmas bread: In Milan
there once lived a poor pastry-cook with a fabulously
beautiful daughter whom he watched over like the apple
of his eye. A noble youth by the name of Ughetto della
Tella also found the fair Adalgisa toothsome. To win her,
he entered into her father’s s service and became @ confec-
tioner in his shop. He won the old man’s good graces
when he invented a Christmas cake that made the trio

rich (and forever famous) overnight: the world-renowned :

panettone.

The characteristic shape of the cake often presents
difficulties. But it can be baked in a ringshaped or spring-
form pan with no loss of quality or flavour; or use a
saucepan of the right size.

5c. flour 1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1c. milk % c. plus 2 Tbsp. butter
% c. sugar J level tsp. salt
Grated rind of 1 lemon 1 large pinch nutmeg
6 egg yolks 1/3 c. diced candied orange peel
% ¢. diced candied lemon peel 1 c. raisins

2/3 c. chopped blanched almonds

Sift the flour into a bowl. Make a depression in
the centre, sprinkle in the yeast, and dissolve it in the
lukewarm milk. Sprinkle alittle flour over the yeast-milk
mixture and let stand 15-20 minutes, until small fissures
are clearly visible on the surface. ;

Melt the butter and add the sugar, flavouring, and
egg yolks. Beat this mixture until somewhat light and
frothy, add to the yeast-milk solution, and stir to form a
smooth, light dough until blisters form, Let rise 20 min-
utes, covered with a cloth.

Combine the candied orange and lemon peel with
the raisins and almonds and knead into the dough. Let
rise once more in a warm place for 15-20 minutes, covered
with a cloth.

Line a baking sheet with silicone paper and place a
baking ring on it. Line the edges of the ring with lightly
buttered parchment. paper and turn out the dough into
it. Let rise again 20-25 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the cake
on the bottom shelf of the oven for 80-90 minutes.
Check with a wooden pick to see whether the cake is
baked all the way through; no dough should cling to the
surface.

Panettone is not a durable bread meant for ex-
tended storage, but a breakfast loaf for feast days. How-

ever, an unsliced loaf can tee JO a else li ee if

i ee

wrapped in foils = = 2 FASS S

The Sourdough’s Lament

A white haired man sat alone by his fire,

lost in a world of his own. Softly he

spoke as if to himself, and his words |

remember still. It seems such a

shame to go through life and never know

the love of a wife,

no children’s laughter or squeals of delight, and I’ve
longed for it with all of my might. For long have

! wandered this world alone, no mate was at my side.
No bright-eyed girl with bouncy curl to love with honor
and pride. Never once have | said, “I love you so”,

but | wish | had the older | grow, and soft on

my pillow at night in my bed,

The warm tears flow for the life that I’ve led.

It makes me sad to think what I’ve missed, no

loving face turned up to be Kissed, no fireside do we

set and share, the tears and joys of a life well spent.

No children to tuck into bed at night,

and the one thing that gives all parents delight.

These are things I’ve never had, when a sweet voice

says, “I love you dad.” No starry eyes on a Christmas
morn. It’s just as if | was never born. When | leave

this world with no copy of me, my life as a man is
nothing it seems, cause my Wife is a fantasy, and _

my Children just dreams.

Patrick Sumners

A Whatif Poem

While we were sitting in our chair

Some Whatifs were partying in our hair;
They pulled and tugged all day long
And sang their favourite Whatif song.

Whatif the world blows up?

Whatif | break my teacher’s cup?
Whatif | lose my hair?

Whatif the back falls off my chair?
Whatif Damian grows very tall?
Whatif Mark gets so very small?
Whatif Chrissy gets short and fat?
Whatif Jason buys a cat?

Whatif Tricia doesn‘t know what to wear?
Whatif Derek forgets his underwear?
Whatif Leigh goes out with Trevor?
Whatif Jayson gets very clever?
Whatif Jennifer breaks another arm?
Whatif Dubo buys a farm?

Whatif we never have a reunion?
Whatif Steven joins a union?

Whatif Bradley forgets how to climb?
Whatif David commits a crime?
Whatif Daniel forgets his French?
Whatif Tammie falls into a trench?
Whatif Mrs. Yakiwchuk joins drag racing?
Whatif Steven gives up girl chasing?
Whatif Tannice learns how to fly?
Whatif we all choke and die?

And after all these hectic things,
We really wonder what Grade Seven brings.

Grade Seven Class