Entertainment, food and fun is the name of the game this week,
so get those taste buds activated and enjoy the holiday
festivities.
Entertainment, food and fun is the name of the game this week, so get those taste buds activated and enjoy the holiday festivities.
What a great pleasure it was this past week to have gingerbread houses on display here in the store. This was the result of a gingerbread house baking class and the students then went home to create their own rendition of a gingerbread house or scene. This project was indeed a family affair, and as the first two houses arrived from teenagers Kelsey Hogeman, which she named “House with Heart” and Tricia Andrade’s “House with Wafer Roof,” we knew this would be a very rewarding day. Nicollette Perazzo brought along her mom and dad and little brother to help carry in “My House in the Neighborhood.” Even her dad was quick to point out the sugar crystal archway he had designed. Connor Doherty simply called his wonderful creation “Home!”
Rory Doherty named his “Rory’s Cottage” and it looked good enough to eat as well as to sleep in. And whoever thought a gingerbread house had to be regular house? Sienna Robrock made an “Arctic Observatory” complete with gumdrop telescopes pointing into the sky. Jennifer Coil’s “Mermaid’s Tipi” and “The Crooked Man’s House” left us wondering if she actually had designed them to be crooked or did something go wrong and she created wonderful names to make them perfect, just the way she wanted them in the first place. That is the joy of cooking – only the cook knows everything for sure.
Carmen Morales, along with her family, created “Rudolph’s Castle” complete with Rudolph landing on the roof. And a perfect “Candy Condo” was fashioned by Miranda Sanchez and it was hard to keep all of us from pinching off just a little piece of candy while it was on display. “Light Up My House” was the name given to a spectacular creation by Alexis Sanchez.
These gingerbread creations gave great pleasure to many holiday shoppers in our store and now they are safely back in their owners’ possessions. Thanks to all who participated!
Gingerbread houses, panfortes, panettone, stollen, fruit cakes and figgy puddings may be stacking up in your kitchen now, but come January the big yearly diet season begins. But let’s not worry about that now. Enjoy every wonderful bite and reflect a little on the tradition of the foods you like to serve at Christmas.
PANDORO
Pandoro is a specialty cake much like a pound cake and is found ready made in many gourmet shops. It hails from Italy and is supposed to look a bit like a cathedral or some people say it resembles a Christmas tree. It is baked in a tall fluted pan. A pandoro differs from panettone as it is more cake-like and contains no fruit. Slice the pandoro horizontally into 2 inch slices, and then starting with the bottom section, arrange each slice piling them as you go to look like a tree or a cathedral. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with coffee, tea, hot cocoa or even brandy or port wine.
BEST EVER RUM CAKE
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup dried fruit
1 cup real butter
baking powder
lemon juice
1 or 2 quarts rum
1 teaspoon soda
2 eggs, large
brown sugar
nuts
Before starting, sample rum to check quality. Good, isn’t it? Now proceed. Select large mixing bowl, measuring cup, etc. Check rum again. It must be just right. To be sure rum is of proper quality, pour one level cup of rum into a glass and drink it as fast as you can. Repeat. With electric mixer, beat one cup butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one seaspoon of thugar and beat again. Meanwhile, make sure the rum is still all right. Try another cup. Open second quart if nexessary. Add eggs, 2 cups fried druit and bet til high. If druid gets stuck in beaters, pry loose with drescriber. Sample rum again, checking for tonscisticity. Nest, sift three cups pepper or salt (really doesn’t matter). Sample rum again. Sift 1/2 pint lemon juice. Fold in chopped butter and stained nuts. Add 1 bablespoon of brown thugar or whatever color you can find. Mix mel. Grease oven. Turn cake pan to 350 degrees. Pour mess into boven and ake. Check rum again and bo to ged.
