Candy Canes

"Candy Canes" by Kathryn Jackson                       

VINTAGE VERSE: "Candy Canes" by Kathryn Jackson
from the IDEALS Christmas Magazine 1957

Candy canes have the nicest way
Of lasting long after Christmas Day.
For, after you've eaten two from down low,
And maybe one from up high -
You just can't manage to eat some more
No matter how hard you try.

But after the Christmas tree is gone,
And the cookies and chocolate, too -
And it's February, and dark and gray,
And there's nothing much to do,
And you wish for something to nibble on
While it sleets and freezes and rains,
Why, up on the shelf is a big glass jar,
There are always some candy canes.

They're mostly always
broken in bits,
And sticky, and
stuck with pine,
And hard to unstick,
and hard to get out -
But they taste
most specially fine,

All broken the size to fit your mouth,
All syrupy, peppermint sweet,
All Christmas red and white, and then -
Why, there's nothing so good to eat
As candy canes, with their very nice way
Of lasting long after Christmas Day.

Almond Flavor Sugar Cookies

Almond Flavor Sugar Cookies and Royal Icing Recipe                       

Almond Flavor Sugar Cookies
Yield: makes 3-4 dozen
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
With a hand or stand mixer, cream together powdered sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
Add egg, almond and vanilla and mix until combined.
Sift together flour, soda and cream of tartar and add to sugar mixture, mix until well combined.
Divide dough into two disc shapes, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Roll out dough to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and cut into cookie shapes. Place on lightly greased or silpat covered cookie sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove and cool on cookie sheet. Frost with royal icing.
** dough can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days.
Royal Icing Recipe

Ingredients:
6 oz (3/4 cup) of warm water
5 Tablespoons Meringue Powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 kilogram (2.25 lbs.) powdered icing sugar
*** Note; if your meringue powder has no vanilla flavour (vanillin powder) in it, add a teaspoon of clear vanilla to this recipe.
Directions:
In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened…about 30 seconds.
Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.
Pour in all the icing sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer.
Using the paddle attachment on the LOWEST speed, mix slowly for a full 10 minutes. Icing will get thick and creamy.
Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.
Tint with food colourings or thin the icing with small amounts of warm water to reach the desired consistency.

Jean Marie
..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:-

Happy Valentines Day 2014

a day late and our houseback ride on the beach had to be cancelled due to the expected rain!