It is December 1st as I am writing this and, being the ultimate holiday month, time to plan out what sweets to make for sharing. Correct, for sharing. Each year I endeavor to make enough treats to give out to those who have provided services throughout the year. There are also the folks that Roy and I have friendly relationships with, and want to show our appreciation for having them in our lives.
So, I will be giving you recipes for two treats that may, or may not, make the giving list this year. All depends on my mood; the effort is always worth it though.
“Shoo, fly, don't bother me,
Shoo, fly, don't bother me,
Shoo, fly, don't bother me,
For I belong to somebody.”
This song has two origin stories, first sung by Civil War soldiers during the 1860s; secondly in 1898 by soldiers during the Spanish American War. Both related to the swarm of flies and mosquitoes during the hot, humid summer months. The two versions, which happened to include the “N” word, were eventually tamed down throughout the 1900s and became, oh you guessed it, a nursery rhyme.
In Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, there is a pie that would put anyone in a diabetic coma; that pie is called "Shoo Fly". The name originates from the bakers having to "shoo" flies away from the pie, since the little buggers were very attracted to the molasses and sugar that are the two main ingredients. "Shoo Fly" is a dense, sticky pie; extremely sweet and definitely an acquired taste. It is best served warm with a scoop of ice cream, usually vanilla, on the side; strangely enough, the ice cream mellows out the pie's sweetness. I did make this for a holiday party once, and it was said to be similar to pecan pie, but without the pecans, and much gooier and sweeter.
Shoo Fly Pie
Ingredients:
Filling
1 and ½ cups molasses
1 and ½ cups warm water
1and ½ tsp. baking soda
Topping
4 cups flour, sifted
2 cups sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter, melted
2 (9 inch) deep dish pie crusts
Preparation:
On low heat, in a deep saucepan, cook together the molasses and water for 10 minutes; do not let the liquid boil.
While liquid is warming, preheat oven to 375F; cover center rack with aluminum foil in case of dripping (and it usually does). In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar and melted butter to form loose crumbs.
Add the baking soda to the liquid mixture; it will become frothy; stir well to dissolve all the baking soda. Divide the liquid between the 2 pie crusts; divide the topping between the two, slightly pressing some of the crumbs into the liquid. Bake for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350F and finish cooking pies for 35 minutes; let pies cool slightly before serving.
Serving suggestion: while still warm, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Makes 8 servings.
While we did have a bit of snow for the Thanksgiving holiday, snow for the December holidays is purely magical. Anyone who lives in an area that has snowfall has, at one time or another, did the classic stick out the tongue and try to catch snowflakes on it. Come on now, you know you have, especially when you were a child, and I bet you still try it out as an adult. What about making a snowball and putting it in the freezer? Then when summertime came, you looked for it planning to surprise someone when they get hit with it?
When it comes to "eating" snow, the first thing you might think about is the snow cone; shaved or pulverized ice with flavoring poured over it and served in a paper cone. There is a particular type of "cookie" though that you can place in your mouth and let it melt into sugary goodness; or you can mash it up to use as a topping and it will resemble snow. That cookie is called a meringue; made mostly from egg whites and sugar, then baked in the oven at a very low temperature before letting it finish off as the oven cools. Meringue cookies can be made in a vast variety of color and flavor combinations; eaten as is, used as a garnish, even tweaked into a cake called a "Pavlova" which is then topped with whipped cream and fresh berries.
If you are worried about the amount of sugar needed to make meringue cookies, do not fret! The Splenda brand of sugar substitute and the natural herb Stevia can be used instead; while one cup of Splenda equals one cup of sugar, only one teaspoon of Stevia equals one cup of sugar. You will also have to use a higher temperature for the baking part of the recipe; basically, it is 225F for sugar, 300F for Splenda and 350F for Stevia.
Meringue Cookies
This is going to be a basic recipe for vanilla meringues; you can make different flavored meringues by substituting other flavored extracts for the vanilla. If you want chocolate meringues, add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder; also add one cup of mini chocolate chips for a double chocolate experience. To make colored meringues, use drops of food coloring; for example, a few drops of red for pink meringues, but add strawberry extract for that extra flavor boost. When adding items such as mini chips or shredded coconut, gently fold into the stiffened egg whites so as to not “break” them.
Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 225°F.
Beat egg whites in large, clean, metal bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until frothy; add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium-high; add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form.
Drop by rounded teaspoons about 1-inch apart onto two large baking sheets sprayed with nonstick baking spray; or use a piping bag with decorative tip to form cookies as they are piped onto the baking sheets.
Bake both sheets of meringues for 45 minutes; turn oven off. Leave meringues in the oven for one hour, or until completely cooled. Amount will depend on size of meringues being made; typically, 6 dozen if dropping by teaspoon full.
There you have it, two recipes for holiday sweets, that you may not have heard of, or even tried to make yourself. Now you have no excuses.
Mary Cokenour
