Ramblings that prove all roads lead to food.
A lovely bunch of coconuts
Posted 12-14-2008 at 11:50 AM by izbnso
While no holiday gathering would be complete with out entrees, casseroles or hearty appetizers, we all know what takes center stage, and all of the glory, during the Christmas season: sweets.
Cakes, pies, cookies and confections of all sorts are produced or purchased in such quantities that it makes one wonder why half the country doesn’t slip into a diabetic coma by New Year’s Day.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking the proliferation of sweet treats. In fact, I revel in all the goodies that come my way in pretty tins and crisp cellophane bags tied up with satin ribbon.
The only thing better than the endless river of sugary Christmas goodness is the sheer variety of delectable delights that can come your way, if you play your cards right. Should you be particularly crafty and cunning you know that you shouldn’t waste your year worrying about that Jolly Old Elf’s naughty or nice list. Instead, you do a little culinary investigation and a lot of ground work.
To maintain optimal Holiday sugar levels with minimal time spent in the kitchen you need to seek out and maintain the good graces throughout the year of at least one person who is known for their special Christmas truffles, one person who is known for their pralines, several prolific cookie bakers (to ensure a healthy variety) and at least one cake maker. Pie makers are good too, but keep in mind that they usually want to be invited over to ensure they get their special pie dish back.
If you can manage to convince a significant number of talented cooks that you are gift worthy, come Christmas time you might find yourself in the delicious position of having your cookie jar over flowing all through out the month of December. This is a handy tactic for people with a sweet tooth and an even dandier skill to have if you happen to be deficient in baking skills.
By early spring you should be tracking down the chocolate person, they usually show their skills off at Valentine’s and Easter. Cookie bakers and cake makers are easy to spot at school and church bake sales. Candy makers are harder to find; you really have to keep your ear to the ground for them.
Who your new best friends will be is a matter of taste. There is no need to put up with that irritating soccer mom, unless she makes a killer Snickerdoodle. The Devil himself would be welcome at my Fourth of July barbeque, as long as he can whip up a perfect batch of Yuletide Divinity.
Unless you are fortunate enough to live in close proximity to Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island, one of the hardest specialty bakers to locate is one who is skilled in the fine art of coconut. Coconut is a classic holiday flavor that always elicits strong opinions, you either love it or hate it, and finding a good coconut treat supplier is difficult.
Oh, there are many who use mountains of coconut in their Christmas baking, but under no circumstances should you let slip that you are a fan of coconut to just anyone. You might find yourself the recipient of four metric tons of Martha Washington balls, that strange confluence of coconut, maraschino cherries and nuts that I have never quite understood. Or worse yet, you could get some horrific combination of toasted coconut and butterscotch chips.
No, finding someone who can work the right kind of magic with coconut is not as easy as it might seem. So many things can go tragically wrong with coconut, but what would the holidays be with out at least one special coconut treat?
The only sure fire way to ensure a fine bit of coconut heaven any time of the year, let alone Christmas, is to become the coconut expert yourself. Who knows, if it gets out that you can conjure up coconut cloud nine, you might find a host of folks pulling out all the suck-up stops all year long in hopes of being on the receiving end of your Christmas spirit.
Master an easy breezy crust-less coconut pie and you can even leverage a few free meals; goodness knows you can’t leave your special pie plate unattended. The following recipe is a classic, straight from my Mama’s recipe box and a perennial favorite in our family.
Coconut Pie
1/2 stick melted butter (real butter)
4 eggs (jumbo or large eggs if possible)
1/2 cup self rising flour
2 cups sugar
2 cups milk
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup coconut
Combine all ingredients, except coconut, in mixing bowl. With a hand mixer, beat 1/2 minute a low speed, then one minute at high speed.
Stir in coconut.
Pour into two greased 9 inch pie pans. I prefer glass pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Cakes, pies, cookies and confections of all sorts are produced or purchased in such quantities that it makes one wonder why half the country doesn’t slip into a diabetic coma by New Year’s Day.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking the proliferation of sweet treats. In fact, I revel in all the goodies that come my way in pretty tins and crisp cellophane bags tied up with satin ribbon.
The only thing better than the endless river of sugary Christmas goodness is the sheer variety of delectable delights that can come your way, if you play your cards right. Should you be particularly crafty and cunning you know that you shouldn’t waste your year worrying about that Jolly Old Elf’s naughty or nice list. Instead, you do a little culinary investigation and a lot of ground work.
To maintain optimal Holiday sugar levels with minimal time spent in the kitchen you need to seek out and maintain the good graces throughout the year of at least one person who is known for their special Christmas truffles, one person who is known for their pralines, several prolific cookie bakers (to ensure a healthy variety) and at least one cake maker. Pie makers are good too, but keep in mind that they usually want to be invited over to ensure they get their special pie dish back.
If you can manage to convince a significant number of talented cooks that you are gift worthy, come Christmas time you might find yourself in the delicious position of having your cookie jar over flowing all through out the month of December. This is a handy tactic for people with a sweet tooth and an even dandier skill to have if you happen to be deficient in baking skills.
By early spring you should be tracking down the chocolate person, they usually show their skills off at Valentine’s and Easter. Cookie bakers and cake makers are easy to spot at school and church bake sales. Candy makers are harder to find; you really have to keep your ear to the ground for them.
Who your new best friends will be is a matter of taste. There is no need to put up with that irritating soccer mom, unless she makes a killer Snickerdoodle. The Devil himself would be welcome at my Fourth of July barbeque, as long as he can whip up a perfect batch of Yuletide Divinity.
Unless you are fortunate enough to live in close proximity to Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island, one of the hardest specialty bakers to locate is one who is skilled in the fine art of coconut. Coconut is a classic holiday flavor that always elicits strong opinions, you either love it or hate it, and finding a good coconut treat supplier is difficult.
Oh, there are many who use mountains of coconut in their Christmas baking, but under no circumstances should you let slip that you are a fan of coconut to just anyone. You might find yourself the recipient of four metric tons of Martha Washington balls, that strange confluence of coconut, maraschino cherries and nuts that I have never quite understood. Or worse yet, you could get some horrific combination of toasted coconut and butterscotch chips.
No, finding someone who can work the right kind of magic with coconut is not as easy as it might seem. So many things can go tragically wrong with coconut, but what would the holidays be with out at least one special coconut treat?
The only sure fire way to ensure a fine bit of coconut heaven any time of the year, let alone Christmas, is to become the coconut expert yourself. Who knows, if it gets out that you can conjure up coconut cloud nine, you might find a host of folks pulling out all the suck-up stops all year long in hopes of being on the receiving end of your Christmas spirit.
Master an easy breezy crust-less coconut pie and you can even leverage a few free meals; goodness knows you can’t leave your special pie plate unattended. The following recipe is a classic, straight from my Mama’s recipe box and a perennial favorite in our family.
Coconut Pie
1/2 stick melted butter (real butter)
4 eggs (jumbo or large eggs if possible)
1/2 cup self rising flour
2 cups sugar
2 cups milk
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup coconut
Combine all ingredients, except coconut, in mixing bowl. With a hand mixer, beat 1/2 minute a low speed, then one minute at high speed.
Stir in coconut.
Pour into two greased 9 inch pie pans. I prefer glass pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
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