Yes this tasted as bad as it looks.

These were originally purple carrots.
They cooked up to a hideous black color.
And they tasted like evil.

Candied Grapefruit Peel

OK. Still trying to catch up with
Christmas 2009. So as I said before
this is early Christmas 2010.

For me Christmas wouldn't be Christmas
without candied grapefruit peel.
This recipe comes from Gourmet
November 1979. My husband
bought the magazine for me.
It was my first Gourmet ever.
And I've made the peel every year since then.






Take four large grapefruit.
Quarter lengthwise. Remove the peel,
including the pith and
cut into 1/2 inch strips. In a kettle
cover the peel with cold
water, bring to a boil over high heat, and
simmer peel for 10 minutes. Drain the peel.









Pat the peel dry with paper towels.
In a 4-quart kettle combine 3 cups
sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, and 1/4 cup
light corn syrup, bring
the mixture to a boil over moderately
high heat, and boil it for 30 minutes.
Stir in the peel and simmer for 30 minutes,
until the syrup is thickened.
Being careful not to let the syrup
burn, simmer the peel, stirring,
for 15 minutes more. Transfer the peel with
gongs tosheets of was paper covered
with sugar and roll each strip to
coat it well.
Let the peel dry on the paper for 24 hours.
It keeps very well.

Gugelhupf

I'm very late with everything. I've been thrown off
track by life. I want to post about my usual
Christmas things. So maybe I'll just say
that I'm early this year.

I make this as a gift for a Saint (really and truly)
that I know.

This recipe comes from Gourmet's Old Vienna Cookbook
by Lillian Lanseth-Christensen. It's a real treasure chest.

This recipe is very easy. It's just got a lot of ingredients.
And if you are type of person who is nervous about
bread baking it doesn't get any easier than this.

OK.
Dissolve 2 envelopes of yeast in 1/2 cup warm milk and
add 2 tablespoons sugar. Put the mixture n a warm place
for 1/2 hour.

Sift 4 cups flour. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt,
1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup raisins, 3/4 cup sliced almonds
and the grated rind of 1 lemon and toss to combine.
Make a well in center of flour, pour in the yeast mixture.
Stir 4 beaten eggs and 3/4 cup melted butter into the dough
and work in gradually 1/2 cup warm milk, to form a smooth
dough. This will be a very soft and sticky dough. Don't worry
you don't have to handle it much. Cover the dough
and let it rise for 2 hours until double in bulk.

Punch down the dough and shape it quickly into a ring.
Put in a well-buttered and floured 10-inch
gugelhupf pan. I put slivered almonds in the bottom.
Let rise for 1 bour. Bake at 375 F for 1 hour.
When cooled a bit and removed from pan
dust with confectioner's sugar. It's better
the next day.

Buckeyes

This recipe is from my German grandmother.
She lived for a long time in Ohio, the
Buckeye State. Buckeye is another word
for horse chestnut.

My Grandmother is much on my mind lately.
She was a rather difficult person and
she had a very sad life. When she died
we weren't on the best of terms. I'm about
to go through a sadness she had and
I guess it gives us something in common.
And maybe somehow will atone for the past.




Here is probably the only example of her handwriting I have left.
She typed out the recipe and wrote a note to me.




I always make these at Christmas time.
Beware they make a TON.

You need
3 lbs. of powdered sugar
1 pound of butter
2 lbs. of peanut butter

I mix everything in my KitchenAid.
So roll them into balls the size of -- chestnuts.
Chill them a bit. Then melt some semi-sweet
chocolate in a double boiler. I think you will need 24 oz. at least.
I just use chocolate chips.
Dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate
so they look like chestnuts. Store in the fridge.
They freeze VERY well.