With Christmas right around the corner, some of us are thinking of
baking. Thanks to readers who sent in recipes for last year’s Team
Resources contest.
On the weekend I enjoyed testing some recipes. Having a sweet tooth for
chocolate and saving Don from the sweets, I overdid it. I discovered no
matter how tasty the baking is, one really can indulge in too much
chocolate. This week I can’t look at chocolate, not even chocolate
milk. Here are some of my favourites.
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Black Forest fudge
Marnie says she makes this fudge every year. It is great for gifts,
potlucks, or to eat at home. Sometimes she makes various fudges, wraps
them up and gives a fudge potpourri as a hostess gift.
3/4 cup sweetened 175 mL
condensed milk
2 cups semi-sweet 500 mL
chocolate chips
1 teaspoon almond 5 mL
extract
2/3 cup red candied 150 mL
cherries
1/2 cup almonds, 125 mL
chopped
1/2 cup miniature 125 mL
marshmallows
Line a square pan with foil up and over the side of the pan. Butter the
foil.
In a large glass bowl, combine chocolate and milk. Microwave on high
for 11/2 minutes until melted, stirring once. Stir until smooth. Add
almond extract. Stir. Add cherries, almonds and miniature marshmallows.
Stir again. Pour into pan. Refrigerate until set. Lift from the pan,
cut into squares, and store in the fridge, well-wrapped.
– M.S., Calgary, Alta.
Black Forest brownies
1 3-ounce package 85 g
cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk 15 mL
1/3 cup icing sugar 75 mL
11/3 cups flour 325 mL
11/4 cups sugar 300 mL
1/2 cup vegetable oil 125 mL
1/4 cup cocoa 50 mL
2 teaspoons vanilla 10 mL
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 mL
3 eggs
1 19-ounce can 540 mL
cherry pie filling
2 squares semi-sweet
chocolate
Preheat oven at 350 F (180 C). Grease nine by 13 inch (33 x 22 cm) pan.
In small bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat cream cheese and milk
until just smooth. Gradually beat in icing sugar until blended. Set
aside.
Into large bowl, measure flour, sugar, oil, cocoa, vanilla, salt and
eggs. With spoon, mix ingredients until just blended. Spread brownie
batter evenly in pan. Drop heaping teaspoons of cream cheese mixture on
top of brownie batter. Swirl mixtures together to create a marble
design.
Bake brownies 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and spread cherry pie
filling over brownies. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes longer. Cool
brownies in pan on a wire rack.
Melt chocolate over low heat or in microwave until smooth. Drizzle over
cherry pie filling. Refrigerate until it is set. – S. K., Nipawin, Sask.
Grasshopper squares
My friend, Velma, made these delicious grasshopper squares. One of my
city friends couldn’t believe we farmers would have anything to do with
grasshoppers after the infestation we suffered this year. However, this
slice features a pretty green mint layer sandwiched between chocolate
cake and chocolate glaze. They look and taste wonderful.
Bottom layer:
1/2 cup hard margarine 125 mL
or butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, 250 mL
packed
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 mL
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 125 mL
1/4 cup cocoa, sifted if 50 mL
lumpy
1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 mL
1/8 teaspoon salt 0.5 mL
Middle layer:
2/3 cup hard margarine 150 mL
or butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar 500 mL
11/2 tablespoons milk 22 mL
1 teaspoon peppermint 5 mL
flavouring
5-6 drops green food colouring
Top layer:
1 cup semi-sweet 250 mL
chocolate chips
3 tablespoons hard 45 mL
margarine or butter
Bottom layer: Cream the margarine and brown sugar together in medium
bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add vanilla. Mix.
Add next four ingredients. Beat until moistened. Turn into greased nine
by nine in. (22 x 22 cm) pan. Bake in 350 F (180 C) oven for 15
minutes. Do not overcook. Cool thoroughly.
Middle layer: Beat all five ingredients together in separate medium
bowl. Spread over cooked and cooled bottom layer.
Top layer: Heat and stir chocolate chips and margarine in small heavy
saucepan on low until melted and smooth. Spread over middle layer.
Chill overnight until set. Cuts into 36 squares.
Source: Company’s Coming Home for the Holidays by Jean Paré.
A potluck salad
This brightly coloured and crunchy salad with a hint of Thai flavours
would be great for potluck parties.
Slaw special
Dressing:
1/4 cup white vinegar 50 mL
3 tablespoons cooking oil 45 mL
1 tablespoon dark 15 mL
sesame or cooking oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 mL
1 tablespoon minced 15 mL
onion flakes
reserved seasoning packet from instant noodles
Salad:
2 cups shredded savoy 500 mL
or green cabbage, packed
1 12-ounce bag of 355 mL
broccoli coleslaw (about
four cups/1 L) or broccoli stems and carrots, cut julienne
5 green onions, chopped
11/2 cups fresh sugar 375 mL
snap peas, sliced diagonally
1/2 cup dry or honey- 125 mL
roasted peanuts
1 3-ounce package of 85 g
of instant noodles with
beef-flavoured packet,
broken up and seasoning packet reserved
Dressing: Stir first six ingredients together in small bowl until sugar
is dissolved. Can be prepared two days ahead and chilled.
Toss next five ingredients together in large bowl. Can be prepared one
to two days ahead and chilled. To serve, add noodles and dressing. Toss
well. Makes about 11 cups (2.75 L).
Source: Company’s Coming Home for the Holidays by Jean Paré.
Decoration ideas
For the “child” in each of us, here is a Christmas decorations to make.
Cone ornament
6 Styrofoam balls
(2 inch/5 cm size)
6 sugar ice cream cones
small paring knife
glue gun
6 Christmas decorations
12 ribbons (each eight in./20 cm length)
Shape the Styrofoam ball so the bottom fits just below the rim of the
cone. Glue decorations onto the round side of the ball. Gently set into
cone to check placement. Glue shaped end of ball into cone. Glue one
end of each of two pieces of ribbon to either side of cone. Tie in bow.
Repeat with remaining supplies. Makes six ornaments.
Source: Company’s Coming Home for the Holidays by Jean Paré.
Barbara Sanderson is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of
four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care
of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4.
