Anna Sultana’s Kuchen Cookies, Pumpkin Cookies, Pumpkin Ginger Muffins and Potato Bread / Welcome, Ghosts

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers!
Happy Columbus Day to my American readers!
To everyone else… Have a great day, eh!

Thanksgiving Day has traditions, especially in the dinner department.
Covid-19 has affected supply chains and prices, but Thanksgiving does call for a bit of a nod to tradition, including its special meal.

It’s always hard to guess how much everyone wants to eat, so, to be on the safe side, we usually do cook a little extra of everything.
I mean, nobody wants to ration out veggies and trimmings during a family dinner.
It’s bad enough a turkey only has two legs.

Before prices became so ridiculous some of the leftovers were just tossed.
Well, no one wants to do that anymore.
Not at these prices.

One rule for lowering grocery prices is to buy what is in season and, if possible, local.
Another rule is to make use of leftovers.
Here are a few recipes Ma learned from her friends.
Back in the 60s moms didn’t let anything go to waste.
As moms back then said Waste not, want not.


Hints:



About the Kuchen Cookies…
There are many Kuchen recipes, for example, Blechkuchen is a sheet cake pastry, with variations. For example, if it is butter-based it is known as Butterkuchen.
Lebkuchen is a Blechkuchen commonly made during Christmas.

This Kuchen calls for apples, but it works with other fruits, too.
 If you don’t have fresh fruit you can use canned or frozen.
 All you need is 1 1/2 cups of fruit.

You could also use shortening instead of the butter or margarine.


About the Pumpkin Cookies…
Don’t have shortening? Use 1/3 cup oil.

You can scoop the insides from your Halloween jack-o-lantern, then steam, drain and mash.


About the Pumpkin Ginger Muffins…
You can use leftover baked squash or steamed pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin.

If you don’t like currants, leave them out. You can use raisins or walnuts, or both, instead.

You can bake a few muffins at a time. After filling the paper-lined tins place them on a cookie sheet in the freezer and freeze until solid. Remove the frozen batter in the paper cups from the tins and place in covered plastic containers. The frozen batter will keep in the freezer for up to six weeks.
When ready to bake, remove the paper cups from the freezer and place in a muffin tin, allow to thaw, and bake. 




About the Potato Bread…

Yeast is cheaper in the tin or a jar. I do hope you bought one.
A package of yeast has 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast.

If you’re planning on making this recipe add an extra cup of water to the pot of boiling potatoes and set it aside. If you salted the water when you boiled the potatoes, reduce the salt in the bread recipe.
Regular water will do if you don’t have leftover potato water.

For extra texture you can substitute a cup of barley or whole wheat flour for a cup of the white flour.




                       
                        Kuchen Cookies



Grease and flour a 15 x 11 inch cookie sheet with sides

Have on hand 1 1/2 cups fruit, for example: blueberries, sliced and peeled apples or peaches, sliced strawberries or plums, etc.

For Streusel:
Place in small bowl
1 Cup flour
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup margarine, softened
Mix with butter knives until crumbly.
Set aside.

For Batter:
Sift together into a medium bowl

3 Cups flour

1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder

Combine in a measuring cup
1 Cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place in a large bowl

1/3 Cup butter or margarine, softened

Cream, then add gradually
1 Cup sugar
Add
1 egg, beaten
Add
the milk / vanilla mixture
Gradually stir in the flour mixture.
Beat well.

Preheat oven 350º F

Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
Top with prepared fruit.
Sprinkle streusel over the fruit.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Slice and serve as bar cookies.
                      

                        Pumpkin Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen cookies  

Grease 4 cookie sheets                

Sift together
2 1/2 Cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Place in a large mixer bowl
1/3 Cup shortening
1 Cup sugar
Beat until fluffy.
Blend in
2 large eggs
1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla
Stir in
1 Cup canned pumpkin
Add
the flour mixture
1/2 Cup raisins
1/2 Cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375º F  

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
Bake about 15 minutes.
Remove cookies from pans and cool on racks.
                       
                       


                        Pumpkin Ginger Muffins


Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners

Sift into a medium bowl
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Place in a large bowl
3 ounces margarine or butter, softened
1/3 Cup granulated sugar
1/3 Cup firmly packed light brown sugar
Beat until light and fluffy.
Beat in
1 large egg
1/2 Cup canned pumpkin
Add the flour mixture alternately with
1/2 Cup milk
Blend well. Stir in
1/2 Cup currants

Preheat oven to 350º F  

With an ice-cream scoop, fill paper-lined muffin tins three-fourths full.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes.





                        Potato Bread


Grease three loaf pans     

Place in a large bowl
1/3 Cup warm potato water (about 110º F)
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast  
Let stand about 10 minutes, then stir.
Add
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon oil
3 Cups mashed potatoes
Mix well then stir in
6 Cups white flour
Mix well, adding more flour until no more can be added.
Place dough in an oiled bowl.
Rotates to cover surface with oil.
Cover with a cloth, set in a warm place to rise, about 3 hours.

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface.
Knead until it is smooth, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Divide the dough in three parts and put each piece in a prepared loaf pan.
Flatten to fill the pans.
Set in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 50 minutes.

When the dough is almost finished rising, preheat the oven to 375º F.   

Bake 60 minutes, or until bread tests done and is golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes.
Remove from pans.

                                                       ~~~
Thanksgiving and Columbus Day are events people mark as milestones.
But there are also personal milestones.
Today my Ma would have been 100 years old.
She died in 2009, and, a few days after she died, I started this blog.
At first it was just a place to write my thoughts.
Turning 60, deaths, thoughts… just another personal blog.

During the 90s Ma had gotten interested in the cooking shows.
I usually sent Ma the Christmas recipe brochures that I found in the stores.
She enjoyed reading and trying a new recipe or two.
I can't send recipes to her anymore, so, now I share her recipes on-line.


About a year after Ma had died, I had a dream and wrote this post about it.
Ma was still being Ma, having a hand in things…

I now believe in ghosts.

Up to now I never gave ghosts much thought. I've always enjoyed watching a spooky movie as much as the next person. But, I just thought of ghost flicks as wonderful flights of fancy.

You'd think I'd know better.

I was born a Catholic. Had Dominican nuns as teachers from kindergarten to grade 12. The good sisters did their job. I memorized the Baltimore Catechism and learned all about the Communion of Saints and how our dear departed, along with our guardian angel and saints with a vested interest (the ones we were named after) are looking over our shoulders trying to make sure we'd eventually join them. I received the sacraments and married in a church wedding ceremony.  

I've read saints' biographies. Lots of them mention having really chummy chats, while alive, with saints who had predeceased them. Saints don't lie, right?

So... why did it take 60 years for me to believe?


It started with the flu vaccine. I'd heard on Monday that the vaccination clinics would be running until October 23. I jotted a reminder on the calendar. I didn't give it another thought.

But Ma did.

First I had a dream of Ma having a cup of tea with me and asking me when I was getting my flu shot. The dream didn't seem that weird. Every year, since I'd turned 50, Ma asked if I'd gotten my flu shot yet. I just thought I was having a little flashback of when Ma was alive.

I liked the sharing tea part of the dream. Much cozier than using the phone which we had to do since she was all the way in New York and I am in Winnipeg.

Then, last night, I had the dream again.

I couldn't shake the feeling that I couldn't wait until tomorrow. All day the thought was nagging at me. Finally, at 3:00 p. m., I walked over to the clinic.

Hoo boy... There was a large sign:
The vaccination clinic would close October 22 at 4:00 p. m.
I had 50 minutes left.

I filled out the consent form and waited my turn. After I received my shot I had to wait 15 minutes, just in case there was an adverse reaction. As I was leaving I saw 2 people being turned away because they were too late.


Like I said, I now believe in ghosts.
And I love sharing a cup of tea instead of having to use the phone.
Bet Ma loves it, too.

Anna Sultana’s Peach Kuchen, Cabbage Soup and Pretzels / Henderson Has Scored For Canada

Fifty years ago today Team Canada played hockey against the Russians in the 1972 Summit Series.
Heading into the final game in Moscow the series was tied.
Paul Henderson scored in the final seconds to give Canada the victory.
Yes! Canada beat Russia!

Well, now we’re living in the late Covid-19 world, dealing with supply problems and record breaking inflation. We can handle it.
Henderson beat Russia and we can beat high prices.

While we’re strolling down memory lane, soft pretzels were a cheap snack fifty years ago.
In New York, during the 60s, we could buy them for a dime.
When we left in 1972 they were going for a quarter.
Now? Fuhgettaboutit! They cost as much as a cake.
Why pay that price when you can make your own?

One rule for lowering grocery prices is to buy what is in season and, if possible, local.
Kuchen is a German cake that is like a blend of cake and pie.
It’s easy to make and uses whatever you can find, or have in your cabinets or freezer.

Another easy, cheap recipe is Cabbage Soup.
Perfect for using what’s available during Autumn.

Here are a few of the recipes Ma learned from her friends.
Back in the 60s dimes had real value.
Ma figured why buy when I can make at home.


Fight on!!


Hints:

About the Kuchen…
This recipe also works with a pound of fresh plums, apricots or nectarines halved and pitted.
Place the rounded sides up on the cake batter.
You can also use a pound of cored and sliced fresh pears or apples.
If you don’t have fresh fruit you can use frozen cherries or berries.
All you need is 1 1/2 cups of fruit.

About the Soup…
The can sizes are approximations.
A bit more or less won’t affect the soup.
Same for the vegetables.
Frozen vegetables were on sale? Use them.
Use the recipe as a guide and adjust for what you have or is on sale.

Leftover soup can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

About the Pretzels…
Yeast is cheaper in the tin. It’s worth it.

Pretzels are a type of bread, and, like any bread, can be topped with whatever you want.
Don’t like - or have - coarse salt? Make a sweet pretzel.
Combine 3 Tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
After brushing the raw pretzel with hot water sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake and butter, same as the salt pretzels.

Want to make a meal out your pretzel?
After brushing the raw pretzel with hot water spread with tomato paste or pesto.
Bake and butter, then sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese while still hot.
A slice of mozzarella cheese would be nice, too.





                        Peach Kuchen

Have on hand an 8-inch square baking pan or a 10-inch pie plate

Place in a large bowl
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup butter or margarine, softened
Cream together.

Sift together into a medium bowl
1 1/4 Cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Add to the butter mixture and blend well.
Scoop out 1/3 cup of the mixture and set aside.

Drain
1 16-ounce can sliced peaches

Preheat oven to 375º F

Press remaining mixture into bottom of the pan or plate and about 1 inch up the sides.
Arrange peach slices in a single layer on batter.
Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
Bake for 15 minutes.

While the cake is baking place in a small bowl
1 egg
Beat well and stir in
1 Cup light cream
Remove the cake from the over and pour the cream mixture over the fruit.
Bake for another 30 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool before serving so that the custard will set.


                        Cabbage Soup

Chop
5 carrots
3 onions
1 large head cabbage
10 stalks celery
2 green bell peppers

Place in a large pot
the chopped vegetables
2 (16 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can cut green beans, drained
Stir in
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
8 Cups tomato juice
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
Add enough water to cover the vegetables.
Simmer until the vegetables are tender.
Season to taste and serve hot.


                        Pretzels

Pour into a large bowl
1 1/4 Cups warm (105° to 115°F) water
Sprinkle over the water
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
Stir and set aside for 5 minutes.

Stir in
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 Cups flour
Beat with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes.
Set aside for 5 minutes.

Stir in, 1/3 Cup at a time
1 1/3 to 1 2/3 Cups all-purpose flour
Add enough flour to make a firm dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 6 to 7 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.

Oil a large bowl.
Place the dough in the bowl and rotate it to coat the entire surface.
Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough is doubled in bulk, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Place oven rack in centre of oven.
Preheat the oven to 425° F

Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets with shortening or oil.

Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.
Knead for 2 minutes.
Divide the dough in half and put one half in the bowl and cover it.
Divide the remaining half into 6 equal pieces.
Shape into balls and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes.
Roll a ball of dough to make a rope 15 inches long.
Shape the rope into a large horseshoe, with the ends pointed away.
Take the first end and attach it near the centre of the bottom of the horseshoe.
Overlap the second end, forming into a pretzel shape.
Place the pretzel on the baking sheet.
Repeat for the other 5 dough balls, leaving space between them on the baking sheet.

Combine in a small bowl
1/4 Cup hot water
1 teaspoon sugar
Stir to blend well.
Lightly brush sugar water on the pretzels.
Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired.
Let rest for 10 minutes.
Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown.

While the pretzels are baking melt
3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine

Briefly knead the remaining dough and divide into 6 balls.
Shape into 6 pretzels and place them on the second baking sheet.

Remove the first batch from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
Immediately brush with the melted butter or margarine.

Bake the second batch and brush with butter as you did the first.
Serve warm.

                                                       ~~~
Canadians have been remembering what they were doing fifty years ago.
On September 28, 2012 I posted about what we did that day.
Not as history making as what Paul Henderson did, but major for us!

A few days ago I posted about how plans don't always work.
Well, sometimes not having a plan is the best plan.
I mean, sometimes there are greater forces at work.
We just sort of go along for the ride.
And it works out even better.

We had crossed the border into Canada the last day of June.
By July 18 we were in White Rock.
Our trailer was set up in a nice shady spot.
To make room in the trailer, we threw anything we could into the car's trunk.
Blankets, clothing, a coffee pot, etc.
Our car's trunk and the back seat were our storage units on wheels.

We didn't know what Canada would be like.
So we lived as tourists for a while.
Saw all the sights.
We became very used to the nice four lane highway from Vancouver to White Rock.

Our fellow campers at Hiawatha Trailer Park were friendly.
They were retired folks, snowbirds, and expert campers.
They lived by Marjorie Main's code in The Long, Long Trailer:
I'd like to know what a trailerite is good for if not to help another trailerite.

We joined the local Catholic church.
Father Leo was from the states.
We talked about life there, what we had studied.
Just the usual small talk.
Father Leo knew a local newspaper publisher who needed a fellow with Paul's skills.
By the end of August Paul had a job.

We decided to get our papers in order.
We chose a Thursday to go to the customs station.
Thursday was the day Paul had a later shift at the paper.
The paper was put to bed on a Wednesday, which always was a late night.

Mr. Hastings, Paul's new boss, had written a letter in which he said that Paul was one of the few people in Canada who could operate this certain kind of typesetting machine.
As no one had had the job before Paul, that sounded about right.

At that time Canadian immigration was on the point system.
Like passing a Math test.
At immigration, Mr. McGrath told us to cross the border to get our extra 10 points.
We drove to the border, and there wasn't a line-up.
The young U.S. customs agent took a quick glance at our trunk, and said, Oh, you must've been camping, right?
We said yes.
   
We had a coffee in Blaine, Washington, then drove back for our interview.
Mr. McGrath had a small TV in his office, which he turned off.
After a couple of questions, we were done.
We were allowed to stay in Canada!
 
We were sent out to the customs agent.
He was watching a small black and white TV.
He turned and asked what we'd brought across the border.
He was annoyed that we hadn't brought our trailer with us.
But he seemed distracted.
Handing us a piece of paper, he said, Make a list of what you've brought.
He then went back to watching the TV.
We wrote a list of all of our possessions.
It was a short list.

After we handed the list to the agent we drove back to White Rock.
We went to a coffee shop to get our bearings.
Everyone there was also watching TV.

By now we'd figured that folks were watching a hockey game.
There was much cheering.
But we were oblivious to the event.
When Paul went to work he found out what had everyone so excited.

On September 28 Team Canada hockey team had played against the Russians.
It was the 1972 Summit Series.
It was a historic game.
Paul Henderson had scored the 6-5 goal at 19:26 of the final period.
Some compared the excitement to the celebrations at the end of World War II.

Here's a shot... Henderson makes a wild stab for it, and falls...
here's another shot... right in front...
They score!  Henderson Has Scored For Canada!

Almost any Canadian who is old enough can tell you exactly what he or she
was doing on September 28, 1972.
Well, I know we can.

Paul had been told he couldn't work for pay without a work permit.
After a month the permit arrived and Paul received all his back pay.


Like I said, sometimes not having a plan is the best plan.
Paul later worked at Carolina Publications.
There he worked with Mr. McGrath's nephew Rick.
Rick worked as a reporter at The Richmond Review.
The Richmond Review was Carolina Publications main account.

On the 1972 Team Canada hockey team was Fran Huck.
Six years later Paul was working with Fran's ex-wife Barbara at The Winnipeg Free Press.

Coincidences or what?

Sometimes there are greater forces at work.
We just sort of go along for the ride.
And it works out even better than we could have planned.

Anna Sultana’s Coconut Cake, Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting, Boiled Frosting & Quick Fudge / Pink Full Moon

We’re living through very difficult times, what with all the fear and new rules for staying healthy.
We're not leaving our homes and are avoiding group gatherings to flatten the curve.

Stay the course and we'll get through this.

Physical distancing… flattening the curve… 

Welcome to Spring 2020.

This Sunday is Palm Sunday and on Tuesday we'll be seeing the Pink Full Moon.

At least these things we were expecting.

The name ‘Pink Full Moon’ comes from moss pink, or wild ground phlox, one of the earliest Spring flowers. 

Other names for this moon are: the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Full Fish Moon, because this is when shad swim upstream to spawn.

The moon will be completely full on April 7, and, since it’s a supermoon, it can appear as much as 14% larger and 30% brighter than a normal full moon.

According to space.com, April's supermoon will be bigger than the supermoon we had in March, since the moon will be closer to Earth.   

Get outside and enjoy it, but remember to practice physical distancing.

Easter is just around the corner, so it's time to make a nice dessert.

This Coconut Cake is Spring-like, and uses items - such as that bag of coconut - that have been forgotten on your kitchen shelves.

Going to grocery stores is getting risky, so it's a good time to shop our shelves.

The kiddies - and spouses - are expecting something chocolate.

I know fudge isn't really healthy.

I'm sorry, but sometimes one just has to indulge.

This is an easy recipe, so just make some and enjoy.
Don't count the calories. Everybody's putting on a few pounds this Spring.

While we're talking chocolate...

Here's a recipe for an easy fudge cake. 

Stay safe and well, everyone!

Hints:

Don’t have coconut milk? Use: 

2 Tablespoons water 

2 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon coconut or almond extract 

Cool cake layers in their pans on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. 

If you try to remove them sooner, they’ll be too warm and could break apart. 

After the 10 minutes, flip each cake out of its pan onto the cooling rack. 

Allow the layers to cool completely before frosting.

Don’t become impatient or panicked if you’re making the boiled frosting. 

It takes time, but the mixture will turn into a nice frosting.

If you’d rather make a buttercream frosting, here’s a good one: 

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

Place in a large mixer bowl

1 jar (7-oz) marshmallow creme (1 1/2 cups)

1 Cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoons milk

Beat on medium speed until blended. 

Add gradually while beating at medium speed 

2 1/4 Cups confectioners’ sugar

Beat until fluffy. 

You can beat in more milk, a few drops at a time, until it's thin enough to spread. 

While frosting, scrape off your spatula often to avoid getting crumbs on the cake.

About the fudge…

If you don't have unsalted butter, use what you have and don't add the salt.

                        Coconut Cake

Place the rack in the centre of the oven.

Grease 3 9-inch round pans with shortening and dust with flour

      

Preheat oven to 350º F          

Sift into a medium bowl

2 3/4 Cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Set aside. 

Place in a large mixer bowl

1 Cup butter or margarine, softened (or 6 ounces oil)

Beat with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. 

Gradually add 

2 Cups sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Beat 2 minutes longer. 

Add, one (or 1/4 cup) at a time, beating well after each addition 

4 large eggs (or 1 Cup egg whites)

Stir in 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

With mixer on low speed, alternately add (3 dry, 2 liquid)

the flour mixture 

1 Cup milk 

Beat just until blended. 

Divide batter evenly among the 3 pans.   

Bake until the cake layers are done, about 18 to 20 minutes.

A toothpick inserted in the centre of each should come out clean.

Yes, test each one. Trust me.

Let the 3 cake layers cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the pans and place the layers on the racks.

Let them cool completely.

                        Boiled Frosting 

Cut into small pieces

6 regular-size marshmallows

Place in a heavy 2-quart saucepan

1 1/2 Cups sugar

1/2 Cup water

Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat, until the mixture is clear. 

Cook, without stirring, to 240°F on candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. 

Place in large mixer bowl

4 egg whites (1/2 Cup)

Beat with electric mixer on low speed until foamy. 

Add 

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. 

Increase speed to high and gradually pour the hot syrup into the egg white mixture. 

Add the marshmallows, a few pieces at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and the frosting is thick enough to spread. 

                        Coconut Milk Mixture

Place in a small microwaveable bowl

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/4 Cup reduced-fat coconut milk (not cream of coconut)

Microwave on high 1 minute.

Remove from microwave and stir until the sugar dissolves. 

                        Assembling the Cake

Have on hand

2 to 3 Cups flaked coconut

Cut 2-inch-wide strips of wax paper.

Place a cake layer upside down on a serving plate.

Arrange the wax paper under the cake to protect the plate.

Brush half of the coconut milk mixture over 1 layer to within 1/2 inch of the edge. 

Frost with 1 cup of the frosting and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the coconut. 

Top with second cake layer. 

Brush with the remaining coconut milk mixture. 

Frost with 1 cup of the frosting and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the coconut.

Top with remaining cake layer. 

Spread the remaining frosting on the top and side of the cake.

Sprinkle the remaining coconut over the top and sides. 

Remove the wax paper strips.

                        Quick Fudge

Grease an 8-inch square pan

Quarter

16 regular-size marshmallows

Combine in a medium saucepan

1 2/3 Cups sugar 

2/3 Cup evaporated milk 

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Bring to a boil.

Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. 

Add

6 ounces milk chocolate chips 

Cook, stirring constantly, until the chips are melted. 

Remove from heat.

Stir in

the quartered marshmallows

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 Cup chopped walnuts 

Mix well. 

Pour into the prepared pan. 

Cool and cut into squares.

Would Santa Ever Find Me? by Margaret Ullrich

In 2004 I wrote this story and read it on our CKUW radio show '2000 & Counting - Older & Wiser'.  

For a while it was our annual tradition.  

I got a few e mails asking if I could post the original story. 

Here it is… Merry Christmas!

     

Change follows us from the cradle to the grave. When I was five years old I was hit with a megadose of change - I moved to another town, got a baby sister, got to go to kindergarten and got Santa Claus. 

     

Five years earlier my parents and I had emigrated from Malta to New York and settled in Corona.  We didn't have much choice.  Five of Pop's brothers and sisters lived in Corona. So, we had to live in Corona, too.  

     

Corona was a little slice of Italy on Long Island.  The store clerks were bilingual: English and Italian.  The grocery stores in Corona were stocked with Italian necessities.  Almost everything in all the other stores had been imported from Italy.  

Corona was where we learned how to be Americans.  

     

Nonni's children, Betty and Angelo, had married two of Pop's siblings, Joe and Helen.  So, Nonni was a double Grandma in my family.  Since all my grandparents were in Malta, Nonni treated me as a grandchild, too.      

     

Every Christmas Eve we gathered at Uncle Joe and Aunt Betty's home.  A whole corner of their living room was filled with Nonni's manger scene.  It was not just a shed with Mary, Joseph, three kings and one shepherd standing around Baby Jesus.  Nonni had a complete village with houses, trees, hills, paths, ponds and animals.  There were people walking around just minding their own business.  Some of the figures were really old and we couldn't play with them.  But each year Nonni added something new: a woman carrying a basket of eggs, a farmer carrying a head of cabbage, a man carrying a bundle of wood.  Nonni’s manger scene was better than any store window on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. 

     

Dinner was a feast.  Fish was traditional - eel for the parents, bluefish for the children.  There was also soup, pasta and vegetables, followed by ricotta pie, anise biscotti, pizzelle and cuccidati cookies, strufoli, creamy roasted chestnuts and torrone candy.  My favourite was the huge golden mound of strufoli: tiny doughnut balls covered with honey and multi-coloured sprinkles.  After dinner we played games and our parents talked until it was time to walk to the Midnight Mass at St. Leo's.  After Mass we returned to Uncle Joe's for some panettone a holiday bread made with butter, raisins, almonds and citron. 

Then Nonni would tell us to look at the manger scene for the surprise.  The blessed Bambino, Baby Jesus, had suddenly appeared!

     

Christmas Eve was a wonderful night.  But the big day for us children was January sixth.  The night before we had hung our stockings and waited for La Befana to bring us toys.  

     

For those unfamiliar with the story, La Befana was a little old lady who had been sweeping her house when the Wise Men knocked on her door.  They were looking for Baby Jesus and asked La Befana for directions.  They then invited La Befana to join them.  The old woman refused, saying she had work to do. 

     

When it was dark, a great light and angels appeared in the sky.  La Befana realized that the Wise Men weren't kidding about somebody special being born that night.  Broom in hand, La Befana tried to catch up with the Wise Men.  She never found them or Baby Jesus.  Every year she searches for Baby Jesus and leaves presents for good little boys and girls.  

     

La Befana took care of me for four years.  Then we moved to College Point so we could live closer to Lily Tulip where Pop worked.  Then it was time for my sister to be born.  While Ma was in the hospital I stayed with Aunt Betty, Uncle Joe and their daughters, Mary Ann and Carol Lynn.  It was nice living in Corona again.  The next day, Nonni diNoto took me to the local 5 and 10 and gave me a quarter.  

     

"Buy for sister."   

     

I didn't have any idea what a baby sister would want.  I liked westerns, so I grabbed a toy gun.  

     

"No.  Buy a rattle."  

     

A rattle?  That sounded boring, but I bought a pink plastic rattle.  

     

In those days children were not allowed to visit anyone in the hospital.  When Aunt Betty visited Ma, she gave the rattle to my new sister.  I waited outside the hospital and waved to the window of Ma's room.  When Aunt Betty returned she had a gift from my new sister for me: three pieces of chocolate.  

     

Well, wasn't that nice of her.  Not as nice as a toy gun, but maybe that was all she could get from where she'd been.    

     

After Rose was born we didn't go to Corona as often.  It was easier to walk to the local church instead of driving to St. Leo's.  I missed seeing my family.  

     

That September I started kindergarten in St. Fidelis School.  Some of the good sisters had wanted to travel and meet exotic heathens in far away places.  Well, they almost got their wish.  I was the first Maltese child they'd ever seen.  College Point had been settled by Irish and German families.  It was time for me to learn about America through their eyes.  

     

As Christmas approached, the windows of the German bakeries were filled with the most beautiful cookies I'd ever seen.  They were in all kinds of shapes: stars, angels, animals and wreaths.  They were decorated with coconut, jam, icing and tiny silver balls.  Some of my classmates brought in samples of their mothers' baking.  I brought some biscotti.  My friends were polite and tasted the dry, double-baked bread.  Then we ate the lebkuchen, pfeffernuesse, zimtsterne, and jam filled spitzbuben.  The stollen reminded me of panettone.  

     

I thought a German Christmas was delicious.  I planned to eat German and Italian holiday food every Christmas for the rest of my life. 

     

We helped Sister decorate the Christmas tree with sugar cookies which had been twisted into figure eights.  Then Sister told us to gather around her.  She was going to read us a story.  Sister showed us the picture of Santa Claus and his eight reindeer.  My friends were delighted.  

     

I was confused.  

     

I had never heard any of this before.  Santa was supposed to slide down a chimney and land in a fireplace.  We didn't have a fireplace.  We had a huge, oil-burning furnace in the basement.  Ma hung our stockings, along with all the other wet laundry, on a clothesline near the furnace.  It made awful noises and had fire in it.  If Santa landed in it he'd fry like a strufoli.  That would end Christmas forever.  I didn't think Santa would take such a risk for a total stranger.  The lovely cookies felt like lead in my stomach.

     

Sister talked about Santa checking his list of good little girls and boys.  Santa had a list?  I knew we were on the Registered Aliens list.  Every January the TV reminded Ma to fill out green cards so we wouldn't go to jail or Malta.  How could I get on Santa's list?  Could Santa get my name from the Alien list?  Did I need to fill out another card?  

     

The afternoon went from bad to worse.  Sister told us we could put our letters to Santa in the special mailbox in the classroom.  A letter?  What language did Santa speak?  He'd never heard from me.  I wasn't on his list.  What could I say?  

     

"Hi, you don't know me, but I'd like some toys."  I'd never written a letter to La Befana.  She just gave me toys.  Would Santa shoot La Befana if she came to College Point?  Oh, boy… I was in big trouble.     

     

In kindergarten we learned about God the Father, about how we should pray to Him and tell Him what we needed.  I didn't need another Father.  I figured if my Pop was always busy working, this guy who took care of everything in the whole wide world would really never have time for me. 

     

I needed a Grandma.

     

The next time we went to Corona I told Nonni about Santa Claus and that he was in charge of Christmas in College Point.  Nonni listened patiently as I explained the rules.

     

She repeated the main points, "Santa Claus.  A letter." 

     

I nodded.

     

"I fix.  I write letter to Befana.  She give to Santa.  No hard feelings.  Christmas come." 

     

I had my doubts.  Nonni had never been to College Point.  Maybe nobody ever had to change from La Befana to Santa Claus.  Maybe Christmas was lost forever, like some of the packages we never got from Malta.

     

On Christmas Eve we all gathered at Uncle Joe and Aunt Betty's home in Corona.  We had the Christmas Eve dinner.  Then we went to St. Leo's for the Midnight Mass.  Everything was familiar.  Latin and Italian.  Why couldn't we have stayed there?  

     

When we were leaving the church I saw a pale cloud in the sky.  It looked long and thin, with a sort of lump on one end.  For a moment I thought it looked like Santa and his sleigh with eight tiny reindeer.  I kept looking at that cloud.  It followed us from the church to Uncle Joe's house, where we had panettone.  When we left, the cloud was still there.  I watched from the car.  The cloud followed us from Corona to College Point.  

     

I never noticed clouds before.  Did clouds always follow people from one town to another?  Was it really a cloud?  Sister had told us that Santa had millions of helpers, tiny people called elves.  Could it have been an elf picking up the letter from La Befana?

     

Christmas morning, Pop was eating breakfast while Ma was cleaning Rose.  Ma sent me to the basement to get some dry diapers that were hanging by the furnace.  Being a big sister wasn't much fun.  I pulled down two diapers.  Then I noticed some lumps by the furnace.  I thought some clothes had fallen off the line.  I walked toward the furnace.  

     

But the lumps weren't clothes.  

They were boxes.  

They were wrapped.  

They were presents!  

They were for me!!

Santa had found me.

Tossing Christmas Cookies by Margaret Ullrich / Cookie Recipes

I also wrote the following essay about Christmas traditions for our CKUW radio show ‘2000 & Counting’.

Over the years our listeners asked for some seasonal stories to be repeated.

They seemed to like being reminded that we were all in the same holiday boat, a communal ship which made us feel like we were all sinking fast.

Ah… Christmas shopping, holiday baking and holiday customs… 

Why do we do it?

I don't know about you, but as far as I'm concerned, there are two questions no one should ever ask a woman. 

The first is "How old are you?"

The second is "Have you done your holiday baking yet?”

Why is it that, when the thermometer falls, we're supposed to bake?  

Does the Queen whip up a fruitcake before writing her speech?

I don't think so.  

Holiday baking has been with us an awfully long time. 

Did you know that ginger was popular in Greece over 5,000 years ago? The Egyptians were eating gingerbread when the great pyramid of Cheops was just a brick and a prayer. I wonder what their gingerbread men looked like.

A few years after Egypt's building boom, an English King and his hunting party got lost in a blizzard on Christmas Eve.  Well, they were clever lads full of English pluck, so they threw everything they had - meat, flour, sugar, apples, ale and brandy - into a bag and cooked it. Wallah!!  Plum pudding. The Iron Chef would've been proud.  

On Christmas Day in 1666, Samuel Pepys wrote in his diary that he had risen earlier than his wife Who was desirous to sleep having sat up till four this morning seeing her maids make mince pies.  

I really admire Mrs. P.  She just sat and watched her maids do the work, yet her husband felt guilty about her workload. How did she get him to suffer like that?   

Some Christmas carols seem a little too focused on food.  For example:

     Now bring us some figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer!

     We won't go until we get some, so bring it out here.

Those were somebody's friends?  Somebody should've called the cops.

Holiday baking has followed us into modern times. The 1970s was the decade of old time family television shows like The Waltons and memoir books. 

Have you ever browsed through a memoir book? It could make you weep. 

They reminded us of times like this...

Evenings when a cold blustery wind howled outside were perfect for sorting through recipes. They were cozy times. The children were sitting at the oak table helping Mama chop fruit and raisins. Papa was cracking and shelling nuts and crushing fresh spices in the grinder.

Isn't that sweet? Sentences like that convinced me that if we did things just like people did before television was invented, the world would be a kinder, gentler place.

We'll never know. Paul told me, in no uncertain terms, that he was too busy to grind nuts for a cake he didn't even want. 

Alright. Scratch Paul grinding his nuts. I bought ground nuts.

Step two... the batter had to be mixed. Back to that memoir...

When all the fruits were in, Grandmother called, 'Come, stir the batter!' 

We all took turns giving it a stir - clockwise for good luck - and made a wish."

I made a batter, there in the fruits and called out, "Come, stir the batter!"

Carl pointed to the electric mixer sitting on the counter and said that he was staying on the eighth level of his computer game, The Temple of Ra. He also told me, in no uncertain terms, that he was too busy to stir batter for a cake he didn't even want.

I stirred the batter, clockwise.

Don't ask what I wished.

It's been downhill ever since. Do you know about the charming Swedish custom of hiding a whole almond in a serving bowl of rice pudding? The lucky person who finds the almond has to get married or do the dishes. Either my husband or my son - the fink never confessed - managed to swallow the almond every time.

I tried the German version - whoever finds the almond receives a marzipan pig. By then Paul and Carl had their own tradition: swallowing the almond. I felt so guilty looking at that poor rejected pig. 

I started my own tradition and ate him... along with the cake.

There's a Christmas carol that goes: Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat...

Well, the goose isn't the only one.

                            ~~~~

Here are a few traditional Christmas cookie recipies. Enjoy!!!

Easy Sugar Cookies - Margaret Ullrich

Double Chocolate Brownies - Margaret Ullrich

Plain Peppernuts - Margaret Ullrich

Fancy Peppernuts - Margaret Ullrich

German Cookies - Margaret Ullrich

Anise Speculaas - Margaret Ullrich

Anise Biscotti - Margaret Ullrich

Gingerbread Cookies - Margaret Ullrich

Aunt Betty's Strufoli

Mrs. Kekelia's Pfeffernuesse

Mrs. Kekelia's Anise Springerle

Mrs. Kekelia's Zimtsterne

Enjoy BeaverTails during Canada’s 150th Birthday / Watch the Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower

I first tried BeaverTails when we went to Ottawa for our fortieth anniversary back in 2012. 

They are a Canadian treat, a flattened piece of dough that’s fried then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. 

That’s the classic version.

But they’ve gone very creative withe the toppings and you can enjoy yours topped with anything from chocolate or caramel sauce to fresh fruit.

We also enjoyed BeaverTails when we vacationed in Quebec City last Fall and here in Winnipeg during Festival du Voyageur last February.

BeaverTails are truly a Canadian favourite!

Angel Wing Cookies - Polish Chrusciki - is another doughnut recipe. 

They are delicate, perfect with a cup of tea, and were a great favourite at gatherings at St. Fidelis Church. When Ma saw us going for seconds - and thirds - she asked a neighbour for the recipe.

A Maltese doughnut recipe - Imqaret (Deep-fried Date Slices) - has a bit of heft to it, more like a jelly doughnut. Imqaret is fried with the filling, made from dates, already in it. There isn't any yeast in the dough.

Speaking of Jelly doughnuts, they were pretty popular when I was a kid in College Point. My German friends had plenty of jelly- or custard-filled doughnuts. They called the doughnuts bismarks, or Berliners, or long johns.

In Manitoba jelly doughnuts are called jam busters, while in Nova Scotia they are called Burlington buns.

Ah, doughnuts! who doesn’t love them!

Hints:

If you’re using a mixer you’ll need the dough hooks. 

If you don’t have the hooks, use a wooden spoon.

If you don't have a deep-frying thermometer, test the oil by slipping a bit of the dough into the oil.  It should sizzle and float to the surface in 1 minute.

You don’t want the oil too hot. If you see it smoking, take the pot off the heat to cool the oil before frying.

If you don’t want to deep fry, you can cook as you would pancakes, in a lightly greased pan. They will be a bit different, with a bumpy surface and unevenly brown colour, but you can add toppings to hide that.

If you want a bit of variety, you can also top with lemon and sugar, Nutella, maple syrup, melted chocolate, caramel sauce, toasted nuts, or jams or anything else that strikes your fancy.

                        BeaverTails

Makes 8 doughnuts

In a large mixer bowl place

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 Cup warm milk

1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Let stand about 10 minutes, until the mixture is foamy.

While the mixture is standing, melt

2 Tablespoons butter

Add

the melted butter

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 large egg

Beat at medium speed until just mixed.

Add

1 Cup flour

Mix the flour in - you’ll need the dough hook at this point.

Mix until the dough comes together and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.

Knead for about 6 minutes in the mixer

Turn out and knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes.

Use extra flour if the dough is sticky. You want it to be smooth, but not dry.

Lightly oil a bowl, then place the dough in it and cover with a damp towel.

Let the dough rest in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size. 

Punch down the dough and it place on a lightly floured flat surface.

Cut the dough into eight equal sized pieces.

Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough into an oval shape, about 1/4 inch thick.

Place the oval on a lightly floured baking sheet.

Repeat with remaining dough pieces.

Cover with a tea towel, until all the pieces have been rolled.

Keep the rolled out dough covered and leave to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

While the ovals are rising, make the Cinnamon Sugar Topping

Place in a medium bowl

1 Cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Mix well.

In a deep saucepan or deep fryer pour

2 inches vegetable oil

Heat to 350º F on a deep-fry thermometer or test with dough (see above).

Carefully slide 1 to 3 doughnuts into the hot oil.

You don’t want to crowd them and you want to be able to remove them as soon as they are done.

Fry on each side for 1 to 2 minutes, until each side is a light golden brown.

Remove the doughnut with a slotted spoon or a pair of tongs and drain on paper towels.

Dunk them in the cinnamon sugar topping and toss to coat (or see above)

Just before serving, sprinkle them with lemon juice (optional)

Best when fresh and warm.

About the sky this week and next, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

July 5 - Tonight, look to the south in the evening to spot star Antares and Saturn. You’ll be able to see them even though the Moon is nearly full. Antares is a star, so it will twinkle with a reddish hue, while Saturn, a planet, will glow with a steady golden light.

July 6 - The waxing gibbous Moon is at apogee, its farthest point from Earth in its orbit. An easy way to remember: Apogee has an “A” = Away.

July 7 - Look to the south right after sunset to see the waxing gibbous Moon, the planet Saturn and the Antares. They will be remain visible until well past midnight.

July 9 - Full Buck Moon at 12:07 a.m. The visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight. Learn how this Moon got its names.

July 12 to mid-August - Delta Aquarids meteor shower. On July 28-29 it peaks. Best viewing is looking to the south, after midnight until 3 a.m. This is a good year to view them at their peak as there won’t be any glare of the Moon! There’s a possibility of 10-15 meteors per hour. These showers cross paths with August’s Perseids.