American Women's Club of Hamburg Currents Magazine November/December 2013 | Page 19

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Two fantastic holiday recipes from M om’s k itchen
by Sus E.B.

Here are two recipes which stem from the many memorable holidays of my childhood. My mom has always been a fantastic
cook, whom we always remembered to appreciate generously. Whenever we praised her cooking, she always replied: “They sure
know how to keep it coming!” I’ve tried both recipes myself by now, and have managed to evoke the memories but I’ll never be
able to compete with Mom’s talents. The first is a classic for any turkey meal, and even tastes great on that morning-after turkey
sandwich with whole-wheat bread and lettuce.

Mom’s No-cook Cranberry Relish
1 pound of fresh cranberries
1 large navel orange
1 cup granulated sugar
3 TBSP Cointreau, brandy or bourbon

Of course, we spent at least one long afternoon each winter baking
Christmas cookies. These didn’t require cookie cutters or decorating,
so we kids weren’t usually part of this recipe, but they were always
my favorite to eat. I’m still working on getting them the way I
remember...

Wash and cull the berries.
Peel, then cut the orange into eighths and pick
out the seeds.
Grind berries and orange in a food processor,
switching on and off until they are evenly
ground but not liquid. Scrape into a bowl, add
sugar and liqueur and mix well.
Refrigerate for at least 2-3 days to develop and
blend tastes.
Will keep in the fridge for at least 3 months.

I remember coming home from college one year for Christmas
with the family and feeling a bit out of sorts. When I told
my mom how I felt a bit sad that Christmas didn’t really
feel like it used to, she offered an insight that I have only
recently learned to appreciate: “When you get older, the way
you experience a holiday changes, but you learn to enjoy
making it special for others.” Cooking and baking were just
one of the ways my mother always managed to make holidays
special. Thanks, Mom!
Currents November/December 2013

Angel Nut Bars

(adapted from The Joy of Cooking)
Have all ingredients at room temperature. Position
the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to
350 F. Line an 11’’ x 7’’ pan with greased aluminum
foil, leaving 2-inch tails on either end.
1. Beat until well-blended and fluffy:
• 4 TBSP softened unsalted butter
• 2 TBSP granulated sugar
• large egg yolk
• ¼- ½ tsp vanilla extract
2. Stir in, and then knead with fingertips until wellblended:
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
3. Firmly press the dough into the pan, until it is an
even, smooth layer.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, and then set aside to cool.
5. Beat until well combined:
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 ½ TBSP flour
• ¼ - ½ tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
6. Stir in:
• 1½ cups pecans or walnuts (may be toasted)
• 1 cup flaked or shredded sweetened coconut
7. Spread the mixture over the baked layer. Bake
until the top is firm and golden brown and a
toothpick in the center comes out slightly wet.
8. Cool the pan slightly and top with an icing of
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
9. Let stand until completely cool. Use the foil tails
to lift the whole thing out to a cutting board, then
cut off the bars and peel off the foil. Store the bars in
a tightly sealed cookie tin, layers separated by waxed
paper. Freeze well.

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