Nana's Rum Balls and Slush Balls

Occasionally, these would find their way into the "stollen goods" parcels, if they weren't too fragrant to alert the mail man ...

2 squares semi sweet chocolate melted
50 ml. corn syrup
50 ml. icing sugar
75 ml. dark rum
500 ml. vanilla or chocolate wafer crumbs
250 ml. finely chopped pecans
1 slightly beaten egg white
chocolate hail, vanilla or chocolate wafer crumbs...

Combing chocolate, corn syrup, sugar, rum, wafer crumbs, and nuts.  Mix well.  Chill until firm enough to handle.  Shape into 2.5 cm. balls.  Dip in egg white and roll in chocolate hail or crumbs.  Store in airtight container in refrigerator.  Chill at least one week to mature.  Makes about 30 rum balls.

This is another of Nana's recipes, which has been part of Christmas for as long as I can remember, along with Gran's favourite variation, Slush balls. 

125 ml. flour                                                Icing:  175ml. icing sugar
5 ml. baking powder                                                 15ml. softened butter
1 ml. salt                                                                    25ml. water                                                                 
50 ml. butter                                                              375 ml. flaked                                                              
250 ml. brown sugar, firmly packed                        coconut
1 egg, slightly beaten
10 ml. grated orange rind
5 ml. vanilla
250 ml. finely chopped pitted dates

Measure flour into small bowl, add baking powder and salt.  Stir well to blend.  Melt butter in saucepan.  Remove from heat, and stir in brown sugar.  Add egg, orange rind, and vanilla.  Mix well.  Stir in blended dry ingredients and dates.  Spread into greased 8 x 8 " pan. Bake at 350 F. for 25 minutes.  Cool slightly.

Cut warm cake into 36 squares (6 x 6) .  Roll each square into a ball, turning crust surface to centre.  Combine icing sugar, soft butter, and water.  Mix well. Dip balls in icing then roll in coconut. 

*Slush ball variation:  Roll balls in chopped walnuts or pecans.

Peppermint Bark

500 g. chopped bittersweet chocolate
8 drops peppermint oil (from health food store-- aromatherapy oil, not extract)
500 g. chopped white chocolate
175 ml. chopped candy canes

Line 28 x 43 cm. baking sheet with parchment paper.  Adjust amounts for different size pans.
Melt bittersweet chocolate in heavy pot on low heat, stirring constantly.  Stir in 4 drops of peppermint oil, or more to taste.
Spread chocolate evenly onto the prepared sheet. Chill until set, about 1 hour.
Melt white chocolate, in heavy pot, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining 4 drops of peppermint oil, then add 1/2 to 3/4 of candy canes.
Spread white chocolate mixture over cooled dark chocolate, to edge of pan.  Chill until set or overnight.  refrigerate until ready to serve, break into pieces and serve or package as gifts.  Will keep for 3 weeks.

Terry's Chocolate Orange Cookies

Shortbread and chocolate orange -- what could be better.

Makes 20 cookies, can be doubled.

250 ml. butter
125 ml. sugar
500 ml. flour
2.5 tsp. orange peel
1 Terry's Chocolate Orange, separated into segments, cut in half

Preheat oven to 350F.  Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy.   Gradually add flour, beating until well blended after each addition.

Roll dough into 20 balls, approx. 3.5 cm. diameter.  Flatten with palm of hand.  Top each with 1 piece of chocolate, wrap dough around chocolate to completely enclose the chocolate.  Place 5 cm. apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly.

Bake 20 minutes.  Remove from oven, immediately place 1 of the remaining chocolate pieces on each cookie.  Transfer to wire racks to cool at least 10 minutes before serving. (Chocolate inside will be very hot).

Rice Krispie Roll

This is a favourite of my niece, Jacquie, who reminded me recently that I have not made it for some time.  Don't worry, Jacquie, it'll be waiting when you visit next time!

175 ml. corn syrup                               75 ml. butter or margarine                           
175 ml. sugar                                       30 ml. milk
175 ml. peanut butter                            350 ml. icing sugar
30 ml. butter or margarine                     150 ml. cocoa
1125 ml (4 1/2 cups) Rice Krispies

1. Cook corn syrup and sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and mixture bubbles. Remove from heat, blend in peanut butter and 30ml. butter.  Add Rice Krispies, stir until well coated.  Press mixture firmly into greased 2.5 L (15 x 10 x 3/4") jelly roll pan.

2.  Melt remaining butter with milk over low heat.  Remove from heat, sift in icing sugar and cocoa.  Blend thoroughly.

3.  Remove Rice Krispies mixture from pan, spread evenly with cocoa mixture.  Starting at short end, roll up to form a log.  Wrap in greased wax paper and refrigerate until firm.  Remove 30 minutes before serving. Cut into 1.25 cm (1/2") slices.

Cream Puff Ring

Choux Paste:
1/2 cup (125 ml.) butter
1 cup (250 ml.) water
1/4 tsp. (1 ml.) salt
1 cup (250 ml.) all purpose flour
4 eggs
In medium saucepan, heat butter, water and salt until butter mixture boils. Remove from heat and add flour all at once.  With wooden spoon, stir vigorously until mixture forms ball and pulls away from side of pan. Preheat oven to 400 F.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until smooth.Cool mixture slightly.
On a greased, lightly floured cookie sheet ( I use parchment paper to eliminate this step)  trace a circle approx. 16 cm. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of choux paste just inside of circle to form ring.  Bake 40 minutes, until golden and firm.  Turn off heat, and let stand in oven 15 minutes. Cool on a rack. 

Filling:
500 ml. whipping cream
4 heaping teaspoons of sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. vanilla
In a chilled bowl, whip cream with sugar and vanilla,until stiff.  Pipe into puffs, or split puffs with knife and spoon into the cream puff ring, replace top layer.  Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired or dust with icing sugar. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Serves approx. 10 -12

Peanut Blossoms -- Another "stollen" Moment

425 ml  flour                                         125 ml. peanut butter                                     
125 ml. white sugar                                 30 ml. milk                           
125 ml. brown sugar, packed                     5 ml. vanilla
5 ml baking soda                                       75 ml. sugar                                 
2.5 ml salt                                                  72 hershey kisses or neilson rosebuds
1 egg
125 ml. butter, softened

Measure ingredients through to vanilla into a large bowl.  Beat on low speed until mixed.  Shape into 2.5 cm. balls.  Roll in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Do not press down.  Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes.  Top with chocolate kiss, as soon as you remove from the oven, pressing down until cookie cracks around the edges.  Makes 6 dozen.

Chocolate Squares --No Baking Required

This is a more recent addition to the stollen goods family, but seems to have avid followers among the inner circle.

250 ml butter
175 ml Lyles Golden Syrup (British product similar to corn syrup)
250 ml. chocolate chips
300 g. digestive cookies made into crumbs and chunks

300g. good quality chocolate, toblerone, or any favourite
(I use Lindt Milk Chocolate)

Line an 8 x 8 square pan with plastic wrap, ( I would double it)  up the sides, leaving an overhang.

Melt butter and combine with syrup over low heat.  Add chocolate chips, stir until melted. Stir in cookie crumbs.  Pour mixture into prepared 8 x 8 pan, and refrigerate until set.  Melt chocolate bar(s) over low heat and pour over base.  Refrigerate until set. Remove from pan using plastic wrap overhang, and cut into small squares. 
You can use other types of cookie, ie. Peek Frean shortbread, etc.

This recipe could probably be made using a microwave to melt the butter and chocolate, so as long as there is somewhere cold to put the pan to set up, this definitely has dorm room possibilities. ;)

THE Gumdrop Cake

250 ml. sugar                   10 ml. baking powder                
125 ml. butter                   5 ml. nutmeg
2 eggs, well beaten           5 ml. cinnamon
250 ml. milk                     625 ml. flour   (2 1/2 cups)
454 g. baking gum drops

Blend butter and sugar, beat in eggs.  Alternately add milk and sifted dry ingredients, then gumdrops.  Bake in greased tube/bundt pan, at 350 F for 50 minutes, check with skewer to see if it comes out clean (no sticky bits) could take longer depending on oven.  Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove. Cool completely, and sift icing sugar over cake before serving.

Nothing Says Christmas Like Pfeffernüssen

Pfeffernussen are among the original "stollen goods", and so, for the clamouring masses, here is the recipe:

300 ml. confectioners (icing) sugar                       125 ml. softened butter
550 ml. all-purpose flour                                      175 ml. firmly packed brown                                            
1 ml. freshly ground pepper (1/4 tsp.)                   sugar
5 ml. cinnamon                                                     50 ml. molasses
2.5 ml. allspice                                                     1 large egg
1 ml. cloves                                                          2.5 ml. vanilla
1 ml. nutmeg
1 ml. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line baking sheets with parchment, and place the confectioners sugar in a brown paper bag. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and baking soda.  Set aside.

Cream together butter, brown sugar and molasses, and beat until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Beat in egg and vanilla, and then on low speed, add the flour mixture until just combined.  Pinch off dough in tablespoon amounts, roll into 1 1/4 inch balls.  Arrange balls on baking sheet, 7 cm. apart. (Can freeze at this point).

Bake until cookies are golden and firm to touch with slight cracking, about 15 minutes, rotate sheets 1/2 way through.  Transfer sheets to wire racks to cool slightly, about 8 - 10 minutes.  Working in small batches, place cookies in paper bag, shake until well coated.  Let cool completely on wire racks and store in airtight containers.

Fröhliche Weihnachten!

Harlequins

Making the Chocolate Dough
60 g unsweetened chocolate                           125 ml butter, softened
175 ml granulated sugar                                  1  egg
425 ml all-purpose flour                                  2 ml each salt and baking soda

Melt the chocolate in bowl over a saucepan of hot water, stirring occasionally.  Let cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy, beat in egg. Stir in chocolate.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda; stir into butter mixture in 2 additions.
Divide in half; shape into rectangles. Wrap each and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Making the Orange Dough
Omit chocolate.  Add 15 ml finely grated orange rind and 2 ml vanilla along with egg.

Two-Tone Harlequin
Half Orange Dough, Half Chocolate Dough, 1 egg white, beaten.

Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper or grease.
Divide orange dough in half. On lightly floured surface, form each into 20 cm long logs.  Repeat with chocolate dough. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
With sharp knife, cut each log lengthwise into quarters; brush cut sides with egg white. Alternating orange and chocolate strips, resembling logs. Reroll gently to seal and form 4 logs.  Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Cut each log into generous 5 mm thick slices. Arrange 2.5 cm apart, on prepared pans. Bake in centre of 350 F oven until firm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Let cool on pans on racks for 1 minute. Transfer to racks; let cool completely.

Makes about 80 cookies.  Unless dad is helping.

The Iconic Gingersnaps

Ginger Cookies

2 cups of sugar                   1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups marg or butter    2  tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup molasses                1 tsp cloves
2 egss                                 1 tsp ginger
4 1/2 cup flour                   1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 tsp baking soda                  sugar

In large bowl beat sugar, marg, molassess & eggs until light & fluffy.  Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup.  Stir flour and rest of ingredients into wet.  Cover with plastic, refridgerate 1 HR. Shape into 1" balls and roll in sugar.  Place 2" apart on cookie sheet.  Bake 8 - 12 mins at 350.  Cool 1 minute.

The Story Behind the Name

Stöllen Goods – Gifts to be shared     

With the flight of the first born away to University, the tradition began.  The much anticipated care packages arrival to nourish the body and soul in time of need.  Satisfying both a late night craving as well as rekindle the memories of the past. As awareness of the mythical powers spread, the hordes awaiting its arrival grew in numbers.  A gift from afar is always one to be shared. Until that fateful day when it was declared that the Stöllen had arrived.  At last, the truth had emerged.  The source of this never ending bounty was the product of larceny: stolen goods.  And they were all accomplices. Quickly destroying the evidence, the urban elites faded into the shadows, awaiting the call to reappear.  

And forever more, all care packages are now known as Stollen goods. Wherever friends may gather, Stöllen goods will appear.