At wedding showers family members often give gifts that reinforce family traditions. A couple of years ago, when my niece Tanya was married, we created a Family Tradition Cookbook.
Blank form pages were sent to guests prior to the shower. They were asked to share favorite family recipes and to include a historical note about each. Pages were collected in a three-ring binder. The bride and groom were delighted with the gift and each contributor also requested a copy.
Pink bars recipe wanted
Dear TEAM: I would like a recipe for New York slice and Nanaimo bars, with the pink filling instead of the usual yellow layer. At Christmas time I had some of the Nanaimo bars and they had a cherry flavor. They were very colorful on the assorted tray of dainties. Also, I would like a pattern for a kitchen towel, the kind that hangs on the fridge or oven door, knit out of crafter’s cotton. I am including a crocheted dish cloth pattern. – M.F., Kelso, Sask.
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Dear M.F.: The Nanaimo bars and New York slice recipes I found are almost identical, except for the custard powder used in the filling layer. The traditional Nanaimo bar has a yellow filling made with Bird’s Custard Powder. The New York slice uses a vanilla pudding mix, which would give a lighter colored filling. For pink Nanaimo bars, cornstarch and sugar are used to give a white base to which maraschino cherry juice is added.
Nanaimo bars
Base:
1Ú2 cup soft butter 125mL
1Ú3 cup granulated 75mL
sugar
1Ú3 cup cocoa 75mL
1 egg 1
1 teaspoon vanilla 5mL
2 cups graham 500mL
wafer crumbs
1 cup coconut 250mL
1Ú2 cup chopped 125mL
walnuts
Mix butter, sugar, cocoa, egg and vanilla in a small bowl. Set in a pan or larger bowl of hot water. Stir until butter is melted. Mix graham wafer crumbs, coconut and walnuts; add to the cocoa mixture. Pack into an ungreased 9x 9 (22-centimetre square) pan.
Filling for Nanaimo bars:
4 tablespoons 60 mL
butter or margarine
3 tablespoons milk 45mL
21Ú2 tablespoons 40mL
Bird’s custard powder
2 cups icing sugar 500mL
Filling for pink bars
4 tablespoons 60mL
butter or margarine
2 tablespoons milk 45mL
1 tablespoon 15mL
maraschino cherry juice
2 tablespoons 40mL
cornstarch
2 cups icing sugar 500mL
Filling for New York slice
4 tablespoons 60mL
butter or margarine
3 tablespoons 45mL
vanilla pudding mix
3 tablespoons milk 45mL
2 cups icing sugar 500mL
To mix filling: Cream butter, add other ingredients and beat, until light and creamy. Spread over first layer. Chill until firm.
Topping:
4 squares semi- 4
sweet chocolate, melted
1 tablespoon 15mL
butter or margarine
Melt chocolate with the butter in microwave or in a double-boiler. Mix and spread over filling layer. Chill and cut in bars. Makes about 36.
Towel pattern
About your request for a pattern for the towels, I have not been able to find a specific pattern but in looking at a towel I have, this is the way it has been made.
Hanging kitchen towel
Cut a small terry towel in half, turn the edge and hem. Every half-inch (one cm) make a small hole. Pull a loop of yarn through the first hole, single crochet and then pull a loop through the second hole, continue to the end. The towel should gather slightly.
Chain three and double crochet in the second single crochet space from the end. Work to the end of the row. Chain three and work a double crochet in each chain. Skip every fourth chain so the row will decrease. Continue working six more reduced double crochet rows.
The last row should have the skipped chain in the middle of the row to form a button hole. Sew a button in the middle of the first row.
Round dish cloth
Cast on 15 stitches
Row 1 knit 15 stitches
Row 2 K3, yo, knit to within 1 st. and turn
Row 3 knit back
Row 4 K3, yo knit to within 2 sts. and turn
Row 5 knit back
Row 6 K3, yo, knit to within 3 sts. and turn
Row 7 knit back
Row 8 bind off 3 sts. knit 2, yo, knit to within 4 sts. and turn
Row 9 knit back
Row 10 K3, yo, knit to within five sts. and turn
Row 11 knit back
Row 12 K3, yo, knit to within six sts. and turn
Row 13 knit back
Row 14 bind off 3 sts, K2, yo, knit to within seven sts. and turn
Row 15 knit back
Row 16 K3, yo, knit to within eight sts. and turn
Row 17 knit back
Row 18 K3, yo, knit to within nine sts. and turn
Row 19 knit back
Row 20 bind off three sts, knit remaining including last nine sts.
Start with row 1 again. Make seven patterns. Bind off. Sew together and pull centre tight.
Use size 6 or 7 needles.
Thanks to M.F., Kelso, Sask.
