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Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow
November 23, 2005
We
may be dreaming of a white Christmas, but the chances of waking to banks of
snow or of inviting Frosty to dinner are slim in our neck of the woods. The best we can dream of are a few
flurries drifting across the night sky.
That
doesn’t mean a snowy Christmas is out, only it’s not going to fall
from the sky. Nope. It’s going to drift out of your
kitchen! So stop dreaming and whip
up some snowflakes.
Remember
folding a sheet of white paper in fourths and snip, snip, snip turning it in to
a snowflake? (You may want to
practice with paper before making this recipe. Tape those practice flakes to the
window.) The kids will love to help
with this one.
Crispy snowflakes
Soft flour tortillas
Confectioner’s sugar
Gently
fold a tortilla into fourths.
Following your paper test pattern, carefully scissor out several small
triangles. Unfold the tortilla and
gently brown it in a skillet in about a half-inch of vegetable oil. Remove immediately to paper towel. Blot both sides and lightly dust with a drift
of sifted confectioner’s sugar.
Or,
make up some snowballs to munch on while watching the Christmas specials. The kids love making these as well. They are as delicious as they are easy.
Popcorn snowballs
Popped popcorn
1 (or more) package white chocolate
morsels
Oil,
or coat with cooking spray, about a dozen muffin cups.
Melt the chocolate
over hot water or in the microwave.
Immediately pour it into a large bowl, and then let it cool
slightly. Stir in popcorn until it
is only slightly sticky. Form into
balls and put into the muffin cups to cool for about 30 minutes. You can form the balls without putting
them into the muffin cups, but it is a much messier process! But maybe that’s part of the fun.
You don’t
even have to turn on the stove or microwave for this delicious and beautiful
snowy treat. In fact, you
don’t even have to eat it!
Just enjoy the frosty scene.
Dreamy white Christmas trees
1 can white frosting
1 package cone shaped ice cream
cones
White sugar sprinkles
Coconut flakes
Green food coloring
Turn
the ice cream cones upside down and gently cover with the frosting. With the
back of a spoon or a fork tease the frosting to make snowdrifts.
Put
the coconut in a sealable plastic bag.
Sprinkle in a few drops of green food coloring. Seal the bag and knead until the coconut
is evenly covered. Spread the
coconut on a white plate and gently place the white Christmas trees on the
green grass. Sprinkle the whole
scene with the sugar sprinkles.
Or
do just the opposite and frost the trees in green and place them on white
coconut. Decorate with colored
sugar and sugar spangles.
If
you decide not to eat this concoction, you can spray it with a clear epoxy and
enjoy it for the entire season.
Let’s
go from the silly to the sublime.
Here’s
an elegant Christmas day snowy-delight recipe. It takes a while to
produce—overnight and then some refrigeration the next day—but
it’s worth every minute! Start it at bedtime the night before you
are going to serve it.
Cherries in the Snow
6 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 (6-ounce) package cream cheese,
softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pint whipping cream, whipped
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 can cherry pie filling
Heat
oven to 400 degrees (at least for 10 minutes).
Beat
6 egg whites to soft peaks, then add 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and 1/4
teaspoon salt. Add sugar and continue beating until stiff. Put into greased
9x13 inch pan.
Put into oven and shut off oven. Leave
in oven overnight.
Early
the next day, cream 6 ounces cream cheese with 1 cup sugar. Add the vanilla. Then fold in the
whipped cream, followed by the marshmallows. Spread the mixture over the
meringue and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
Cut
into pieces and top with cherry pie filling and serve.
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Trilla Pando is a member of the Southern Foodways Alliance & the Story Circle Network
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