Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4A
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Friday, December 12,2003
Gifts from the kitchen: recipes for every taste on the palate
Years ago, when my two
oldest children were
barely out of diapers, I
decided it was time to have my
first, official "Holiday Baking
Day."
They were very excited as I
told them how we would not
only be baking cookies for
Santa, but we would also make
candy and other treats for their
Sunday school teachers, neigh
bors, etc. Even as I got out the
flour, sugar, butter, and other
assorted necessities, I smiled
at my vision of the three of us
happily rolling out cookie
dough and decorating perfect
ginger bread men with raisins
and icing.
The baby was asleep, so I
had about an hour for my
Martha Stewart-baking-with
kids-dream to happen.
Ha! We had barely begun
when the 3 year old was push
ing his 2-year-old sister out of
the way. Crying ensued.
Flour was everywhere, the
kids were much more interest
ed in the candy decorations
(eating them) than the baking.
Before the first batch of
cookies was even in the oven,
the baby was up from her nap,
my oldest was in time out, and
I was in tears.
After a quick call to Mom
(who I am sure chuckled while
re-telling the story to my dad,)
I decided to forego that year’s
candy making.
Now, after numerous
"Holiday Baking Days," I have
learned a few tricks. The most
important one? When children
are involved, don't EVER have
visions of perfection. Instead,
expect messes and if you
have a magazine or cookbook
ACROSS
I Check cash
er’s needs
4 Man’s pronoun
7 Woods’ forte
II Rumble fac
tion
13 Autumnal
abbr.
14 Actress
Perlman
15 Bloodhound’s
clue
16 - out a living
17 Surrounded by
18 Morocco’s
capital
20 Gape
22 Fresh
24 Spain’s capital
28 Hunter’s side
kick?
32 Flavor
enhancer
33 Leading man
34 Gist
36 Splittable bit
37 Kidney-related
39 Victims of
horseplay?
41 Penguin’s foe
43 Bustle
44 Plowman’s
team
46 Take pleasure
in
50 Big fish story?
53 Crooner
Damone
55 New money
56 Masseur’s tar
get
Adlen P
Robinson
photograph of the end product,
do not expect yours to look
that way.
Turn on some holiday
music, start a fire in the fire
place, give everybody some
hot cocoa or cider, and most
importantly, have fun!
Plan a day for the baking
if possible, a day when you
will have several hours to set
up, bake, then clean up. Plan
ahead, choosing recipes that
are age appropriate for your
brood.
Double check that you
have all the ingredients. If you
plan on making big batches of
cookies or candy, consider
buying some ingredients at a
discount warehouse club (like
B.J.’s).
If you are making gifts,
don’t forget the containers. I
have found terrific containers,
gift bags and other wrappings
at the dollar stores around
town.
I love trying other people's
holiday recipes. Last week I
asked readers to send me some
of their favorite recipes. If you
have one you would like to
share, please email it to me.
Here are some treats that
looked irresistible:
Linda Benson writes that
she has been making this tof
fee ever since she can remem
ber. She said, "I have probably
had almost as many batches
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2 Word in
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ulary
3 Nose-in-the
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4 Weeding tool
5 Distaste-ful
6 Watt’s power
7 “Hee Haw”
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Answers
IN THE KITCHEN
fail as I have turn out just
right.”
To me, this is the perfect
recipe. No double boiler!
(Since you can get just about
any kind of chocolate in chips
form now!) No candy ther
mometer, either! And... use
whatever kind of nuts (or com
bination) you like!
Toffee:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons water
8-10 oz. milk chocolate
chips (or you can use dark
chocolate)
1 cup finely chopped nuts
(I use 1/2 pecans, 1/2
almonds)
Melt butter over med-high
heat. Add sugar and water.
Bring to a boil stirring con
stantly. It will be bubbly all
over. Eventually it will start to
brown. This will take about 20
minutes.
Do not scrape the sides of
the pot! Keep stirring and
boiling until it is the perfect
"toffee color" brown (a light
brown for people who have
never made toffee). Remove
from heat and stir until the
bubbles are out and it looks
smooth.
Pour into a 9x13 pan and
spread into comers. Sprinkle
chocolate chips over it, wait a
minute and spread the choco
late over the top.
Evenly sprinkle nuts over
chocolate and gently press
them in. Keep on counter one
hour then put in fridge.
Take out of fridge an hour
before cutting.
Cut with pizza cutter.
Barb Angle wrote, "I've
8 Resistance
unit
9 Floral neck
lace
10 Craze
12 “Sugaring Off”
painter
19 One of the
Kennedys
21 Existed
23 Triumphed
25 Comedian
Rudner
26 PC symbol
27 Reps.’ rivals
28 Zinger
29 Thought
30 Dennis Miller
specialty
31 Abdomen
35 Underwear
with underwire
38 Remiss
40 Praiseful
verse
42 When pigs fly
45 In the offing
47 Burlap fiber
48 Verbalized
49 Part of NYC
50 Mustard con
tainer
51 Carrey’s
Ventura
52 Personal
question?
54 Dove’s call
pulled up a few things that I
typically do every Christmas
usually they make it into
gifts for somebody ... (because
I have to get them out of the
house so I don't eat it all!)
Toffee Crunch
Recipe given to us by the
best man from our wedding,
Charlie's buddy from North
Carolina State, John Landy
Soda crackers (saltines)
about 30
2 sticks butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
12 oz. chocolate chips
Chopped pecans (optional,
but always makes it better.)
Cover a cookie sheet
w/sides (jelly roll pan) with
foil and spray with oil (Pam)
spread out crackers in one
layer to cover pan.
Melt butter and brown
sugar over medium heat until
it boils and all sugar is dis
solved. Pour evenly over
crackers.
Bake at 400 for about eight
minutes. Immediately on
removing from oven, sprinkle
chocolate chips over entire
pan. Let melt, and then spread
with a knife. Sprinkle with
nuts. Refrigerate. Crack to
serve.
• • •
White Chocolate
Christinas Treat
Recipe given to me by
Maureen Davis, a friend from
Savannah
3 cups Cheerios
3 cups Rice Chex
3 cups Wheat Chex
16 oz. bag M&M's (plain)
red and green look pretty
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 lb. white chocolate
Mix dry ingredients in
large bowl or pan. Melt white
chocolate. Pour over mix and
turn gently to coat. Allow to
cool on waxed paper. Store in
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Ziploc/air tight bags.
• • •
Sugar & Spice Pecans
From Southern Living 1982
annual recipes, p. 297
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg white
2-1/2 Tablespoons water
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
8 cups pecan halves
Combine first eight ingre
dients in a large bowl; mix
well. Add pecans; stir until
evenly coated. Spread pecans
in a greased 15x10x1 inch
jelly roll pan.
Bake at 275 degrees for SO
-55 minutes. Remove to waxed
paper while still warm. When
cool, store in an airtight con
tainer.
• • •
Lisa Lucas said this cider is
always on the Christmas menu
at her home. A perfect accom
paniment to all these treats!
December Cider
1 (12 oz.) can frozen apple
juice concentrate, thawed
1 (12 oz.) can frozen cran
berry-apple juice concentrate,
thawed (I have used just cran
berry juice which is just as
good)
1 6 oz. can frozen lemon
ade concentrate, thawed
5 sticks cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
7 whole cloves
In a four-quart Dutch oven
or large kettle combine apple
juice and cranberry juice con
centrate, and six 12 oz. cans (9
cups) water.
Stir in lemonade concen
trate, the five sticks cinnamon,
nutmeg, and cloves. Bring to
boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer 15 min
utes. Remove cloves and cin
namon before serving and dis
card. Makes about 12 servings.
• • •
The directions for this
recipe were not in the paper
last week. Sorry! Warning:
These cookies are highly
addictive.
Buttery Toffee Cookies
2-1/2 cups all-purpose
flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking
soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1- cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
extract (not imitation)
2 eggs
2- cups toffee pieces
(either candy bars broken into
bits, or buy the new Heath
Bar pieces)
Preheat oven to 350
degrees. In medium bowl,
whisk together flour and bak
ing soda. Set aside. In another
bowl, cream together butter,
sugar and vanilla. I use a
hand held mixer, but you do
not have to. Add eggs one at a
time, beating well after each
addition. Stir in toffee pieces.
Add flour mixture, stirring to
combine.
Drop dough onto non
stick baking sheet, using
rounded tablespoon. Place
dough about two inches
apart.
Bake in preheated oven
for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on
rack.
Adlen Robinson's Food
column is published in every
Friday's newspaper. Her
"Home Matters" column is
published in every Sunday's
newspaper. She welcomes
reader tips, suggestions and
comments. Please email her
at a4kidz@bellsouth.net or
write to her at the newspaper.