Portland Observer, December 15, 1982 Section III Page 9
Sweet treats for Christmas giving
The rewards of candy making at
home are sweet indeed. Call it nos
talgia for Christmases past or may
be self-satisfaction with a job well
done, but the enjoyable accomplish
ment o f turning out confections in
one’s own kitchen is catching on.
D efinitely not for consumption
for those whose sweet tooth may
still be of interest to the tooth fairy,
the goodies we're writing about to
day are adult fare only. All are glo
riously spiked and call for more
Here we are into December. I f
you're like the people I visit with,
you're saying. “ Christmas is com
ing so fast and I have so much to
do."
There are some welcome seasonal
items available this lime of year. For
instance, filberts and walnut» are
being offered at very reasonable
prices at roadside stands and pro
duce markets. If you purchase these
“ in the sh ell" and then do the
cracking, they can make a special
gift for the person on your list that
doesn’t take the time to crack them
but would love to have them avail
able for their favorite recipe. One of
the nicest gifts I received last year
was a jar o f ready-to-use nuts. This
can even be a fam ily project with
everyone pitching in to crack them.
You can take this present one step
further and roast, season, or candy-
coat them — making them a real
gourmet treat, ready for snacks or
entertaining.
Yeast breads are always welcome.
There are many traditional Christ
mas yeast breads that come from
other countires and are beautiful to
see as well as good to taste. There
are even especially fun breads or
puddings that include little surprises
inside— such as a silver trinket or
thimble in (he plum pudding or a
ceramic animal in a Mexican fiesta
bread. I f you do add this fun touch,
be sure to let the receiver know, so
you won't be responsible for a brok
en tooth. A pretty card or flag tell
ing the tradition adds a personal
touch. These are gifts th a t( take
tim e, but several can be made at
once and then packaged and frozen.
When you think gift-giving, think
nutrition. Sweets and cookies have
been a tradition for years and are
nice, but many people are starting to
limit the sweets they eat, so would
appreciate some non-sweet treats. A
cheese spread, some marinated
mushrooms, cereal nibbles, or other
party foods can also be packaged
nicely and make a thoughtful gift.
I f time is lim ited, consider pur
chased food items for gifts. One of
the most successful gifts I gave my
son and daughter when they were
grade school age, was a collection of
mixes that was theirs. 1 had been
shopping in the toy store and no
ticed the miniature mixes with their
tiny pans. I commented to my hus
band that that was certainly a ridic
ulous price for such a little item of
food. He suggested that I buy some
o f the kid's favorite foods and des
serts in full size, put their name on
the packages and let them fix them
when they wanted to. I did have some
rules that went along with the mixes.
The kids needed to ask before
making something, and they
couldn't make a new dessert unless
there were no desserts around. But
beyond these simple rules, they were
free to choose when to make them.
Kids have fewer skills in the
kitchen. With this in mind, I often
chose special mixes that I would
never purchase for my use. For ex
ample, I made powdered sugar
frosting by the dump method, but
the kids couldn't learn this tech
nique easily, so I would sometimes
buy a frosting mix for them. I didn't
just select sweets though, I chose
some of the other things (hey liked.
Scone mixes, corn bread, potato
casseroles and spice packets helped
them make main dishes.
It was a great help to me and
made them an active partner in
making the meals. They had good
feelings, developed better reading
skills, and the fam iliy benefited
from the special items.
A nother popular g ift item that
can be purchased is tea. I have a spe
cial friend in Japan, and just as an
afterthought, I included some
strawberry tea in her Christmas
package. A t the time I thought,
“ This is silly— sending tea to
Japan!” It turned out to be the best
part o f the g ift, very mucy appre
ciated because it was so unique.
than a mere splash o f Am eretlo di
Saronno, the spirit o f the Renais
sance, which lends its unique flavor
to these delectable delights.
ball. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll
half o f the balls in chopped pecans
and half in flaked coconut. Makes
41.
S AR O N NO BALLS
SARO NNO F U D G E
In a bow l, mix 2 cups each
crushed chocolate wafers crumbs,
confectioners* sugar and finely
chopped pecans. Add Vt cup Amer-
etto de Saronno and mix with the
hands until mixture forms a smooth
In a large saucepan, combine 4
cups sugar, 2 cups (1 pint) half-and-
half, VS cup Ameretto de Saronno
and '/« teaspoon salt. Brush the
sides of the pan with butter or mar-
garing. Stir over moderate heat until
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sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil
and cook w ithout stirring until
238 *F. on a candy thermometer, or
until a small amount forms a soft
ball when dropped into water. Re
move from heat and let stand until
I4O*F. Beat with a spoon until mix
ture begins to thicken slightly (m ix
ture will still be shiny). Pour quickly
into a foil-lined 8-inch square pan.
Let stand until hard and cool. Use
fo il to remove from pan and cut
with a sharp kn ife into l-in ch
squares.
S P IR IT E D PEC A NS
In a saucepan, combine I Vi cups
sugar and Vi cup Ameretto de Sar
onno. Bring to a boil and boil until
238 “F on a candy thermometer, or
until a small amount forms a soft
ball when dropped into cold water.
Stir in 3 cups pecan halves and keep
stirring until sugar syrup becomes
cloudy and grainy. Spread out on
cookie sheet and let harden. Separ
ate into small pieces. Store in an air
tight container in a cool, dry place.
Makes about I quart
Prices Effective
12/15 Thru 12/24/82
At Safeway In Portland Area
Fully Cooked, Whole Hams. Water Added
To Assure Tenderness. Perfect
j
For Your Christmas Feast
Oregon Shrimp
Raw Prawns '
Bit 0 Shrimp v.
Shrimp Cocktail
Cocktail Sauce
Round Tip Roast
Beef Rib Roast
Grade A Turkeys
Meat Pot Pies
Fryer Gizzards
Fleischmanns
-, .tO O 'co 1110-
Fleischmann’s
Margarine
Nalley’s
Potato Chips
Long Spaghetti
Apple N o cker,
Sour Cream
Rice Krispies
Ice Cream
Wheat Bread
Fruit Cocktail
10-Pound Sugar
Saluto Pizzas 2
Mission
48 0 / Pkg
Lucerne
Quality Pint
13 0 / Or Marshmallow
Krispies. 1 , 0 /
Lucerne Asst d
Flavors. Hall Gal
Mrs Wriqht s Crushed
Or Whole Or Crushed
Wheat Sandwich
Town House
17 0 / Can
Cheese
- s u r t ir , Sea T rad er
U tfM w a te r Or Oil
Pack. 6 .5 -O z
Town House
Granulated
Tangerines
Zipper Skinned, Easy To
Peel. Coachella Valley’s Finest
•mps Xomovt Tob*rco Snout
Ulto'. OuU trron rVWor from Tit* At
O u « tnorgv flA cam XottCiAKOS
CI oahw r > t u » A> Compter S.rt
$
s1219 ~
Panty Hose Assorted Colors
49
Disposable Lighter S X * 2-^69* R’T T i!
. ^Today's Safeway^ ■. .
W here you get a little bit more
»
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Jewel Variety
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Pascal Variety
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