2 oz Caster sugar

2 oz Glace’ cherries finely chopped

3 oz Hazelnuts; finely chopped

1 oz Mixed peel; finely chopped

2 ts Lemon juice

4 oz Chocolate (half plain & half white)

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the sugar and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Remove from the heat and stir in the cherries, hazelnuts, peel and lemon juice. Allow to cool slightly while you line two baking sheets with nonstick paper. Set the oven to 180 C/350 F/ Gas Mark 4. Put little heaps of the mixture, about the size of a hazelnut, on the sheets, leaving room for them to spread. Bake for 5-6 minutes, until they are a light golden brown. Push the edges in with a knife to neaten, then leave them to cool on the paper. Melt the chocolate in two separate bowls set over saucepans of simmering water, or in a microwave for 3-4 minutes, then spread over the smooth side of the florentines. Just before the chocolate sets, make wavy lines with a fork. Leave to cool completely.

Source: Rose Elliot’s Vegetarian Christmas

OR Cotton wool, 3 by 6 feet 2 lb Bittersweet chocolate

1/2 c Liqueur, any favorite [optional]

If starting from cotton wool, divide it into about 50 pieces, making sure they are well formed, round, and the rough edges have been worked back into the mass to make a smooth surface. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler being careful not to get any water in the chocolate. In batches of about ten put the balls of cotton on a fine rack or grate. Sprinkle with the liqueur if you’re using it. [Be careful! Too much will overpower the other flavors.] Slowly pour enough chocolate over each ball of cotton to coat it thoroughly, letting excess drip off. Allow the chocolate coating to cool before taking the chocolate covered cotton from the rack. Keep stored in a closed container in a cool place away from light. Munitions boxes work well for this.

NOTES: * Chocolate covered cotton — This is a recipe I invented after I had cornered the cotton market and couldn’t get rid of the stuff. While good orlon can be substituted for the cotton, the resulting product won’t have the same flavor or texture as the real thing. Your friends will be able to tell that you’ve been skimping. Egyptian cotton works best. Yield: About fifty servings. * As a special cold-weather treat, use wool instead of cotton. : Difficulty: moderate. : Time: 2 hours. : Precision: no need to measure.

Milo Minderbinder : M&M Enterprises

1/2 c Unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 c Buttermilk

1 2/3 c All-purpose flour

1 ts Baking soda

1/2 ts Baking powder

1/4 ts Salt

1/2 c Butter, softened (1 stick)

1 1/3 c Granulated sugar

3 Eggs

1 ts Vanilla

RASPBERRY FILLING: 1/2 c Granulated sugar

1/4 c Water

1 c Heavy cream

2 tb 10 X (confectioners’) sugar

1 ts Vanilla

4 Egg whites

1/8 ts Cream of tartar

1 c Raspberries

1 ts Grenadine

Garnish (Optional): whipped cream, orange zest, Fresh raspberries

CHOCOLATE CAKE:
PREPARE THE CAKE: Grease a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan. Line with waxed paper. Grease the waxed paper. Preheat the oven to moderate (350F). Pour the boiling water over the cocoa powder in a medium-size bowl; stir to dissolve the cocoa. Stir in the buttermilk; the mixture should be cool. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla. Beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, alternating with the cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until the center springs back when lightly pressed. Cool the cake in the pan on a large wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out onto the rack to cool completely. Remove the waxed paper.

PREPARE THE FILLING: Heat the granulated sugar and water to boiling in a very small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil until the temperature registers 240 F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the heavy cream, 10 X sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl until stiff. Cover and refrigerate. Using clean beaters, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Slowly beat the hot syrup into the egg whites, beating until the meringue forms stiff peaks and is cool. Place the raspberries in a blender or food processor. Whirl for about 5 seconds to puree. Fold the raspberries and grenadine into the whipped cream. Gently fold the meringue into the raspberry cream. Set aside.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Cut the cake crosswise into three equal rectangles (5 x 10 inches). Place one rectangle on a serving platter. Top with 2 cups of the filling. Repeat two more times, ending with a layer of raspberry cream. Garnish with whipped cream, orange zest, or fresh raspberries, if you wish. Makes 8 servings. Nutrient Value per Serving: 529 Calories, 9 g Protein, 26 g fat, 68 g Carbohydrate, 399 mg sodium, 152 mg Cholesterol. Exchanges: 1 1/4 starch/bread, 1 1/3 fruit, 3/4 lean meat, 4 1/2 fat.

[FAMILY CIRCLE; 2/1/91]

3 1/2 c Whole unblanched almonds

7 oz Semisweet chocolate

2 ts Cinnamon

1/2 ts Ground clove

4 lg Egg whites

1 tb Kirsch (optional)

COMBINE THE SUGAR and almonds in the food processor and pulse to grind finely. Be careful that the mixture does not become warm. Cut the chocolate finely and add to the processor. Pulse to grind the chocolate finely and mix with the almonds and sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse to mix rapidly. Strew the surface with sugar and press the paste out about 3/8-inch thick. Roll over with a grooved rolling pin. Cut the Brunsli in hearts, stars and clover leaf shapes and place on paper-lined pans. Allow to dry several hours, uncovered, at room temperature. Preheat oven to 300F. Bake about 10 minutes. Do not overbake or they will be very hard.

8 Large Squa Fine Dark Chocolate

2 Tablespoons Brandy, Amaretto Or Kirsch

Double Cream — To Serve

Halve the peaches, pull out the stones carefully and place a square of chocolate in the hollow of each peach half. Put the peaches in a baking dish, spoon over a little of the liqueur and bake in a preheated oven (200 C or 400 F) for 10 minutes, until the fruit is soft and the chocolate has melted. Serve with cream.

8 oz White chocolate; finely chop

1 c Shredded sweetened coconut; divided

1 Large egg yolk; at room temperature

2 tb Coconut liqueur or light rum

1/2 ts Vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a heatproof bowl over very hot, not simmering, water. Add the white chocolate and melt, stirring occasionally, just until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1/4 cup of the coconut, the egg yolk, coconut liqueur, and vanilla. The mixture may separate, but keep whisking and it will come together. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Using a melon baller, scoop up the mixture and roll into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the remaining coconut, pressing the coconut on so it will adhere. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (The truffles can be prepared up to 3 days ahead, tightly covered, and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 1 month. Makes about 30 truffles.

Source: “An Edible Christmas” cookbook by Irena Chalmers.

2 Squares unsweetened chocolate

2/3 c Evaporated milk

1/8 ts Salt

1 ts Vanilla

2 tb Butter or butter substitute

1/4 c Honey

Dissolve sugar in milk and honey. Add grated chocolate, butter, and salt. Stir until well blended. Cover until boiling point is reached. Boil to soft ball stage (234 – 238 F). Cool to room temperature. Add flavoring. Beat until mixture is thick, creamy, and will hold its shape when dropped from a teaspoon. The Household Searchlight

1/3 c Whipping cream

2 tb Orange liquer

1 ts Grated orange zest

1 1/4 c Confectioner’s sugar

1. Melt white chocolate with whipping cream in heavy, medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Whisk in liquer and zest until blended. Pour into pie pan. Refrigerate until mixture is fudgy, but soft, about 2 hours.

2. Shape about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into 1 1/4 inch balls. To shape, roll mixture in your palms.,Place balls on waxed paper.

3. Sift sugar into shallow bowl.

4. Roll balls in sugar, place in petit four or candy cases.

5. Truffles can be refrigerated 2-3 days or frozen several weeks. Makes about 35 truffles.

From Best recipes: Simple, Easy Candy recipes.

1 lb Granulated sugar

The most important thing about candying angelica is to choose stalks that are young and tender. In other words, angelica is only worth candying in April or May when the shoots are new and softly coloured. Trim the young shoots into 3-4 inch lengths, put them into a pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Drain and scrape away tough skin and fibrous threads with a potato peeler, rather as you might prepare celery. Return the angelica to the pan, pour on fresh boiling water and cook until green and tender. If the shoots are as youthful as they should be, this will take 5 minutes or less. Drain the stalks and dry them. Put them into a bowl and sprinkle granulated sugar between layers, allowing 1 pound of sugar for every 1 pound of angelica. Cover and leave for 2 to 3 days. Slide contents of the bowl into a heavy-based pan. Bring very slowly to the boil and simmer until the angelica feels perfectly tender and looks clear. Drain, then roll or toss the shoots on greaseproof paper thickly strewn with sugar, letting the angelica take up as much sugar as will stick to it. Then dry off the angelica – without letting it become hard – in the oven, using the lowest possible temperature. I place the stalks directly on the oven shelves (with trays underneath to catch any falling sugar) and find they need about 3 hours. Wrap and store after cooling completely. Packed into pretty little boxes, home-candied angelica makes a charming present.

Source: Philippa Davenport in “Country Living” (British), May 1987.

1 c Coffee Rich or Half & Half

1 c Cream (no sub!)

4 tb Margarine or butter

1/2 ts Cream of Tartar

Combine butter, sugar, Coffee Rich, cream & Cream Of Tartar in a heavy saucepan. Stir until sugar is well moistened. Place on high heat. Bring to boil then cover mixture for 2-3 minutes (to prevent sugar crystals from forming). Uncover & place thermometer in boiling mixture. COOK WITHOUT STIRRING. Wipe any crystals from sides of pan. Cook to exactly 236 degrees. Immedietely pour out onto a marble slab. When heat is no longer coming from the mass of candy…test it with your finger tips or wrist…when the dents made with your fingers remain for a little time instead of filling in immedietely & candy is luke warm, candy is ready to work. Work fondant with candy paddle until it sets up. Allow it to rest 15 minutes, covered. Then knead it until perfectly smooth. Like magic, the “crumbs will turn to wonderful creamy candy! Form into a ball, place on Saran wrap & into a bowl that can be tightly sealed. This fondant is best if kept a day or so before using, but may be used I Hints: For stiffer fondant, cook 1-2 degrees more. Freezing makes it sticky. Dolores McCann, Prodigy Food & Wine Board