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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
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It Had to be Good! - Christmas at Famous-Barr 1929 - 14. Appendices

It Had to be Good!

Christmas at Famous-Barr 1929

Appendices:

 

 

Appendix 1: History and Facts

 

So what did I get right, and what did I get wrong?

I'll start with the 'wrong.' Although I have my Santaland Circus here in 1929, the real one existed for Christmas of 1928. That was the year members of the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus troupe created it for Famous-Barr.[1] I know this because I have a large photographer's in-situ shot showing the setup and actors, and a member of the troupe's handwritten names, location and date on the back. With this item also came a page of newspaper clippings (from the holiday season of 1929 when they were in Kansas) showing how the troupe billed themselves and spoke about the mechanical animals. It's all very interesting, and inspired me to create the fictional characters in this novella, and to move the Circus to 1929.[2]

This shift in year was also blended for the Coca-Cola ad featuring the FB Soda Fountain and Santa Claus. This image, which first appeared for the Christmas season 1930, was the birth of the jolly Santa we know and love drinking a Coke. Fred Mizen, the illustrator, must have been in Saint Louis, and specifically at Famous-Barr for the holiday season of 1929 for him to feature the store so prominently in his 1930 holiday campaign; in fact, he even gives the store top billing, suggesting that Coke had earned the privilege of being served at one of the world's greatest stores with the buy-line of "It had to be good to get where it is."

It's likely that seeing the FB Santa Claus was his source of inspiration to link Coke and the jolly old saint together in the first place; this is amazing history, for without Famous-Barr and its long tradition of having a department store Saint Nick, the tie to Coca-Cola would probably never been made.

Lastly on my 'wrong list,' I have to admit knowledge that the Saint Nicholas Hotel was already converted to an office building in 1929, but the name and location were just too perfect not to use.

So what did I get right? I believe the Santa Book I describe and show a picture of is the actual 1929 giveaway, although it is not dated. I know of several more examples from the 1920's, most of which are dated, and this 'Santa Claus Toy Shop' booklet seems to be the '29 specimen (at least though the process of elimination).

Food has come from Famous-Barr menus. I have one dated 1927 from the STL Room, and another one from the Tea Room. This second one has the chaffing dish selections, and the information about many features of the store. This includes the customers' hospital, the lending library, and the children's playroom.

My mother's own memories include being happily deposited in the store's sandbox room when she was a tike in the 1930s, so it felt great to try and bring it alive for readers. I have to say I 'invented' the presence of the dollhouse store, but I hope to goodness one actually existed; it just seems like it must have been that way.

 

 

Appendix 2: Food and Recipes

 

The Menu:

[1] Appetizer platter of finger sandwiches

- Ham and Swiss

- Tuna Fish Salad on Toast

- Tongue and Pimento Cheese Open-Face Sandwich

- Roast Beef on Rye with Horseradish Cream

[2] Drinks: Lemon Squash, Limeade and Hot Chocolate (spike as you see fit)

[3] Starter: Shrimp Cocktail with Deviled-Eggs-Filled Tomatoes

[4] Main: Chicken à la King – over Toast Points

[5] Sides: String Bean Salad, Corn Muffins, and Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Butter

[6] Lemon Meringue Pie

[7] Lady Baltimore Cake

[8] Tim's Holiday Tutti Frutti Ice Cream

[9] French Creams

 

 

The Recipes:

 

[1] Appetizer Platter of Finger Sandwiches

 

Sandwiches in the 1920s were rather like snack items, and more resemble the delicate tea sandwiches we are familiar with today. Heaps of 'extras' like onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, etc. were introduced in the 1930s to make the snacks stretch out into Depression-era meals. A platter full of these '20s type sandwiches will make a lovely starter or cocktail course.

 

Appetizer Platter of Finger Sandwiches

Ingredients & Mode

 

Ingredients

- ½ Loaf of Marble Rye, sliced and trimmed of crusts

- ½ Brioche Sandwich Loaf, sliced and trimmed of crusts, and toasted

- 1 Loaf of Country White, sliced and trimmed of crusts

- Sweet Butter for spreading, room temperature

- ½ lb. (8 oz.) Sliced Roast Beef

- ½ lb. (8 oz.) Sliced Beef Tongue

- ½ lb. (8 oz.) Sliced Black Forest Ham

- ¼ lb. (8 oz.) Sliced Swiss Cheese

- 4 Red Bell Peppers to make Pimentos (do the day before)

- Horseradish Cream, per recipe below (do the day before)

- Pimento Cheese, per recipe below

- Tuna Fish Salad, per recipe below

- Jar of Cornichons, for garnish

- ¼ Cup Chopped Pecans, for garnish

- Fancy Toothpicks for serving

 

Pimentos (do the day before)

- Roast 4 Red Bell Peppers over the high flame of your burner until evenly blackened on all sides. Place in a bowl and tightly cover to 'sweat.'

- After about 5 minutes, remove wrap, peel and remove skin.

- Slice open the peppers and remove seeds. Cut into thin strips about 2-inches long and pack into a jar. Over the peppers in the jar, add

- A Pinch of Salt,

- ¼ Teaspoon Chili Flakes,

- ¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg, freshly grated, and top with

- Olive Oil. Put lid on jar and refrigerate.

 

Horseradish Cream (do the day before)

- Grate a fresh Horseradish Root until you have about 1 Tablespoon. Place in a bowl, and top with

- 2 tablespoons Sour Cream,

- 2 tablespoons Mayonnaise,

- ¼ Teaspoon Salt. Stir together, cover and refrigerate overnight to develop flavor.

 

Pimento Cheese

- Cube 1 lb. Mild Cheddar Cheese.

- Pulse grind in the large bowl of your food processor until just becoming smooth. Add about

- 8 Strands of Pimentos from your jar,

- 2 Tablespoons Mild Chili Sauce (like Heinz),

- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper,

- ½ Teaspoon Salt,

- A small pinch of Mace, and

- 4 Tablespoons Cream.

- Pulse grind again. If the cheese is not coming together to a smooth paste, add a drizzle of cream until it does.

- Remove the blade and stir in

- ½ Cup Chopped Walnuts.

- Transfer the finished Pimento Cheese into a large piping bag fitted with a broad decorative tip.

- Refrigerate until ready to use.

 

Tuna Fish Salad

- Put in a bowl,

- 4 oz. Tuna, cooked and flaked. Add

- 1 Teaspoon Mild Chili Sauce (like Heinz),

- 1 Tablespoon Sweet Pickle Relish,

- A Pinch of Salt. Stir in,

- ½ Cup Mayonnaise.

- Cover and refrigerate until use.

 

Assembly and Serving

- Ready a large round serving platter.

- Set a decorative bowl or glass in the center and place the Cornichons in it.

- To make the ham sandwiches, use half of the country loaf. Lightly butter two slices of bread, lay two slices of ham on each slice, and place a slice or two of Swiss cheese on one. Close up, and use a serrated knife to cut each sandwich in two. Continue making them, and place back to back, cut side up on the platter in the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions.

- Make the roast beef sandwiches in a similar way, spreading the bread first with the horseradish cream. Cut in half, stack and arrange in the 1, 4, 7 and 10 o'clock positions.

- Make the tuna fish salad sandwiches by spreading a fairly thin layer over one of the toasted brioche slices. Cover, cut in half, and stack – but this time skewer the pair of sandwiches with a fancy pick and arrange on the platter with the sticks up.

- To make the open-face tongue sandwiches, use the other half of the country loaf. Lightly butter a slice, lay on two slices of tongue, and cut in half. Use the pimento cheese in the pastry bag, and pipe on a decorative line down the center. Arrange attractively on top of the other sandwiches, and lastly garnish the pimento cheese with a few chopped pecans.

- Serve.

                

 

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[2] Lemon Squash, Limeade and Hot Chocolate

Beverages for your dreams of the 20s

 

The three mentioned here all come with suggestions on how to spike for a proper, grown-up cocktail alternative.

 

Lemon Squash, Limeade and Hot Chocolate

Ingredients & Mode

 

Lemon Squash (make ahead of time)

- Start by making the 'squash,' or lemon syrup.

- Place 1 Cup of Water in a clean pan. Place on a medium-high heat, and stir in

- 2 Cups Sugar. Once the sugar dissolves, do not stir again. Bring to a boil and check with a candy thermometer. When it comes 235°F (Soft Ball stage), remove from the heat.

- Strain the syrup through a double layer of cheesecloth. While it is cooling, prepare the lemons.

- Juice 12 Meyer Lemons (or other sweet lemons); you should have about 1 cup of juice at least.

- Once the syrup is room temperature, strain the juice into the syrup and stir until incorporated.

- Pour the squash into a bottle and refrigerate overnight to develop flavor.

- To serve, place about 3 or 4 Tablespoons squash in a tall glass. Spike with Vodka if desired, and top with Club Soda.

 

Limeade (make ahead of time)

- Juice a large sack of Limes – about 24 – and place in a pitcher. Stir in about

- 1 Quart of Water, and

- 2 or 3 Cups of Sugar to your desired level of sweetness. Chill until ready to serve.

- Spike with a splash of Midori and White Rum in tall glasses.

 

Hot Chocolate

- Heat 1 Quart Whole Milk over a medium heat.

- When hot, grate in

- ½ lb. Dark Chocolate. Stir until melted, and keep the temperature well below simmering. Once smooth, stir in

- ¼ Dutch-Process Cocoa, and

- 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar.

- Turn heat to low and stir all is smooth and ready for your guests.

- Spike with shots of Kahlúa in the bottom of the mugs, if the guests want.

- Top with a few mini Marshmallows, and serve piping warm.

 

 

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[3] Shrimp Cocktail with Deviled-Eggs-Filled Tomatoes

 

The Famous-Barr STL Room menu I have from 1927 mentions deviled-eggs-filled tomato halves, so I thought I would include it here with the shrimp cocktail.

 

Shrimp Cocktail with Deviled-Eggs-Filled Tomatoes

Ingredients & Mode

 

Deviled-Eggs-Filled Tomatoes

- To perfectly boil 1 Dozen Eggs, place in the bottom of pan so they are in one layer. Toss in

- 1 Tablespoon Salt, and add

- Water to cover. Set on a medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook undisturbed for minutes.

- Move pot to sink, and immediately turn on cold tap water. Let over run the pot for about three minutes and then turn off and let the eggs cool enough to be handled.

- Crack and peel, and place both whites and yolks in the large bowl of your food processor. Over the top, add

- ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper,

- ½ Teaspoon Salt,

- A Pinch of Mace,

- A pinch of Cardamom, ground.

- Pulse grind until chopped, but still loose and a bit chunky. Remove blade and stir in

- ½ Cup Mayonnaise, and

- Juice of half a Lemon.

- Transfer deviled egg mixture to pastry bag fitted with a broad decorative tip.

- Slice 24 Cherry Tomatoes, all perfectly uniform in size, lengthwise and discard any stems.

- Arrange on a tray and pipe on dollop of deviled egg mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Shrimp Cocktail

- Make the sauce first. Place in a bowl

- 2 Tablespoons Horseradish, freshly grated,

- Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon,

- 4 Tablespoons Tomato Paste,

- A Pinch of Salt, and

- A Pinch of Black Pepper. Stir in

- 1 Bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce (12 oz.). Divide equally among 4 bowl-type champagne glasses and chill until serving time.

- To cook the shrimp, peel and devein about

- 24 Medium-sized Shrimp. Set a pan of water to simmering, and once hot, add the shrimp. Cook only 3 minutes, then transfer the cooked shrimp to ice water.

- To serve, set a glass in the center of a place. Carefully arrange 6 tomato halves on the rim of each plate, and hook on 6 shrimp around the edge of the glass.

- Garnish the top of the cocktail sauce with an 'X' of your Pimentos from the jar.

- Serve chilled.

 

           

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[4] Chicken à la King – over Toast Points

 

Chafing-dish food was closely associated with the 1920s 'tea room experience' in America. These informal eateries rose up all across the nation, and offered ladies a safe place to meet and gossip. Tea seems to have been of secondary importance – but cake ruled! Also, dishes like chicken à la king, turkey divan, and a host of others seemed perfect for the spectacle of eating out with the girlfriends. Another aspect of going to the tearoom was enjoying the growing mania for lettuce-based salads; an obsession that quickly replaced what Americans considered a salad in the first place.

 

Chicken à la King

Ingredients & Mode

 

Ingredients

- 6 Slices of a good Country Loaf, toasted and cut diagonally

- Béchamel Sauce, per recipe below

- 4 Cups of Chicken Meat, cooked and shredded

- ½ pound of Button Mushrooms, sliced

- ¼ Cup Pimentos, per recipe [1] Appetizer platter of finger sandwiches

- 3 Tablespoons Sherry

- Salt and Cayenne Pepper to taste

 

Béchamel Sauce

- Heat 4 Cups of Milk in a pan until bubbles appear around the inside rim. Take off the heat and add

- ½ Teaspoon Dried Thyme, and

- ¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg, freshly grated. Cover and let steep. In a separate pan, melt

- 4 Tablespoons Butter. When melted, add all at once

- 4 Tablespoons Flour. Stir and cook the roux a minute to make it smooth. Pour in the hot milk, and stir constantly until the sauce comes back to simmer. Cook until it is velvety smooth and thick enough to heavily coat the back of a spoon.

- Take off the heat, and cover until ready to use.

 

Cooking and Final Assembly

- Whether you cook in a chafing dish at the table, or on the stove in the kitchen, the process is the same.

- Heat your pan over a medium heat. When hot, toss in

- 2 Tablespoons Butter, and

- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil. Once the butter and oil is hot,

- Sauté the mushroom slices until they take on a golden color. Add the

- Chicken Meat, Pimentos, and Béchamel Sauce.

- While heating through, arrange 3 Toast Points attractively in the bottom of four serving dishes.

- Add the Sherry: toss over the top of the sauce and light quickly. If in the kitchen, stir in the burning liquor to the sauce. If in the dining room, let your guests Oh and Ah for a bit, then cover with the chafing dish lid to extinguish.

- Taste and season the Chicken à la King for Salt and Pepper, divide equally over the toast points and serve right away.

- The side dishes should be table already.

 

 

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[5] String Bean Salad, Corn Muffins, and Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Butter

 

Side Dishes

Ingredients & Mode

 

String Bean Salad:

- Peel 1 Large Cucumber. Cut lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Dice into ½-inch cubes and put in the bottom of a mixing bowl. Over the top,

- Grate 2 Large Carrots, peeled. Then add

- ½ a Bunch of Flat Leaf Parsley, roughly chopped, and

- 2 Cups of String Bean Pieces, steamed but still 'snappy.'

- Make a dressing by placing in the bottom of a lidded jar,

- 1 Teaspoon Prepared Mustard,

- 4 Tablespoons Lime Juice,

- 4 Tablespoons Tomato Juice, and

- ¼ Cup Olive Oil. Shake well and pour over the salad. Stir and place into 4 small serving dishes. Chill until wanted for serving.

 

Corn Muffins:

- Defrost and drain 1 Cup Baby Corn Kernels ('Niblets').

- Preheat the oven to 400°F.

- Grease 12 places in muffin tins.

- In the bottom of a large mixing bowl, put

- 1½ Cups Yellow Cornmeal,

- 1 Cup Flour,

- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder, and

- A Pinch of Salt and Black Pepper. Stir well to break all the lumps.

- Add 2 Beaten Eggs,

- 2 Tablespoons Molasses,

- ¼ lb. Melted Butter (1 Stick), and

- 1½ Cups Milk. Mix until the batter is smooth, then add the corn kernels, and

- ½ Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated.

- Fill the muffin cups halfway, and bake for approx 20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked all the way through.

- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then take out and place on a rack to cool all the way.

- Serve warm.

 

Mashed sweet potatoes

- Peel 4 Large Sweet Potatoes. Cube to a consistent size, and place in the bottom of a covered pan. Add just enough water to come ¼ of the way up the side of the potatoes, cover and place on a medium heat. Steam for 10 minutes, then let cool with the lid on and the pot off the heat.

- In the meantime, Butter 4 individual-sized ramekins and set aside.

- Chop enough Candied Ginger so you have a tablespoon of nice-sized chunks. Set aside.

- Drain the water from the pan and mash the sweet potatoes. While still warm, stir in

- ½ Cup Milk, and

- 6 Tablespoons Butter.

- Mix in the Candied Ginger and taste for seasonings, adding

- Salt and Cayenne Pepper to taste.

- Divide amongst the ramekins, and 10 minutes before your guests sit down at the table, heat in the oven or toaster oven until piping hot.

- Serve with a Pat of Butter on top of each portion.

 

 

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[6] Lemon Meringue Pie

 

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients & Mode

 

Pâte Brisée

- Rub together with your fingers

- ¼ Cup Butter Flavored Crisco (or other shortening),

- ¼ Cup Chilled Butter Bits,

- 1½ Cups Flour, and

- A pinch of Salt. Do not over work; stop when mealy.

- Pour over all at once

- 4 Tablespoons Ice Water and blend with a wooden spoon. If not coming together, add another tablespoon Ice Water until it just holds together.

Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap, press into a large rectangle and flatten out as much as possible.

- Chill for at least 30 mins.

- Preheat your oven to 375°F.

- Roll out to about 1/8-inch thick. Fill a 9-inch pie pan and double the edge thickness and crimp decoratively with your thumb and forefingers.

- Dock the bottom of the pastry by poking it in several places with a fork. This will allow steam to escape while baking, and prevent an uneven and puffed up shell.

- Fit with a piece of parchment paper, bill with beans or pie weights, and blind bake the shell for 15 mins.

- Let cool while you make the filling.

 

Lemon Custard Filling

- Separate 5 Eggs, placing the whites in the clean bowl of a mixer.

- Place ½ Cup Flour in a shake bottle. Add

- 1½ Cups Water, and

- A Pinch of Salt. Shake well.

- In another bowl placed over a pot of simmering water, pour in the contents from the shake bottle, and stir in

- 1 Cup White Sugar, and

- ¼ Cup Raw Sugar (or Light Brown Sugar). Cook and stir constantly until thick and almost translucent in color (about 10 minutes).

- Take the pan off the heat, and beat in the egg yolks one at a time, and avoid making too many bubbles. Return the bowl to the simmering water, and stir until very thick and heavily coating the back of a spoon (about another 7 minutes).

- Finish off the heat by adding,

- 4 Tablespoons Chilled Butter Bits,

- Zest of 1 Lemon, and

- ½ Cup Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed.

- While cooling, make your meringue.

 

Meringue and Cooking

- Set the reserved Egg Whites to beat with

- ¼ Teaspoon Cream of Tartar, and

- A Pinch of Salt.

- Whip one minute on medium speed, then slowly pour in

- 4 Tablespoons Sugar.

- Raise speed, and beat until forming stiff peaks.

- To assemble and bake, preheat your oven to 425°F.

- Fill the shell with the custard, and top attractively with the meringue.

- Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until the meringue is toasty-brown.

- Let cool on a rack completely for several hours before trying to slice and serve.

 

 

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[7] Lady Baltimore Cake

Cake with chopped Walnut and Fig filling and White Frosting

 

This is one of my favorite cakes. Invented in the 1920s as tribute to cake mentioned in a novel, the recipe swept the country.

 

Lady Baltimore Cake

Ingredients & Mode

 

Cake

- Preheat oven to 350°F.

- Grease and line the bottoms of two nine-inch cake pans. Be sure to grease the paper well.

- Sift together

- 1¼ Cups Flour,

- 1½ Teaspoons Baking Powder, and

- 1/8 Teaspoons Cream of Tartar. Set aside.

- Separate 4 Eggs, and place the whites in a bowl to beat until forming soft peaks.

- Cream ¼ lb. Butter (one stick), with

- ½ Cup Sugar. Slowly add the

- Egg Yolks until well incorporated.

- Mix in the Flour mixture, alternating with

- ¾ Cup Milk, and

- ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract.

- Fold in half of the beaten egg whites and leave the rest in the bowl.

- Pour in the pans and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

- Set on cake racks, in the pans, to cool for about 15 minutes. Turn over on the racks, and remove the paper while still warm. Let cool completely.

 

Frosting

- Using a candy thermometer, boil

- 1/3 Cup Water, and

- 1 Cup Sugar to 235°F (the 'Soft Ball' stage). Do not stir after the sugar dissolves, as this will make the cooked sugar grainy.

- Place the beater back into the 2 remaining egg whites and turn on low.

- Slowly beat in the sugar syrup as a thin stream. Once incorporated, raise the speed to medium, and beat until thick and cold (about 7 to 10 minutes).

 

Filling and Assembly

- Place one layer on a cake plate, and spread with

- ¼ Cup Apricot Jam (room temperature). Top with

- 6 Dried Figs, well chopped, and

- ¼ Cup Chopped Walnuts.

- Place the second cake layer over the filling.

- Frost only the top of the assembled cake, and make attractive swirls.

- Decorate by tossing on a few chopped fig pieces, and chopped walnuts.

 

 

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[08] Tim's Holiday Tutti Frutti Ice Cream

Ice Cream with Dried Cherries and Candied Fruit

 

Adapted from Alice Bradley's 1927 classic, Electric Refrigerator Menu and Recipes, published by the General Electric corporation.

This recipe is named after Tim Landon, who suggested adding the candied fruits to make it truly Christmas-like; I thank him.

 

Tim's Holiday Tutti Frutti Ice Cream

Ingredients & Mode

 

- Freeze the following for several hours beforehand, and cube everything to consistent bite-sized pieces:

- 2 Dried Apricots,

- ¼ Cup Candied Citron,

- ¼ Cup Red and Green Glacéed Cherries,

- ¼ Cup Dried Cherries soaked in Dubonnet, and

- 5 Tablespoons Chopped Walnuts.

- To make the ice cream, separate 2 Eggs, and beat the whites to soft peaks. Set aside.

- In the bowl with the yolk, beat in

- 2/3 Cup Sugar, and

- 6 Tablespoons Corn Syrup. Set aside.

- Place in a bowl over simmering water,

- 2 Cups Half-n-Half,

- 1 Cup Heavy Cream, and

- 2 Teaspoons Granulated Gelatin. As the milk and cream heats, stir to dissolve and incorporate the gelatin.

- Beating the yolk and sugar mixture, slowly drizzle on half of the hot milk and cream. Once tempered, pour the egg mixture back into the rest of the milk and return to the heat.

- Stir all the while and cook until the custard coats the back of a spoon heavily, about 5 minutes.

- Pour into a chilled bowl and let cool.

- When room temperature, fold in the beaten egg white, and place in the freezer (or ice cream maker).

- If making in the freezer, stir once every 30 minutes until slushy and starting to freeze. Add the frozen fruit and continue to freeze and stir.

- If using an ice cream maker, wait until the mixture is almost frozen, add the frozen fruit, and transfer to a container to keep in the freezer.

 

 

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[9] French Creams

 

Candy making can be daunting because it is precise, but once the first success is achieved, it gets easier with each attempt. The end results are sure to garner Oh's and Ah's from your friends and family. The must-haves are a large pot, as the sugar syrup will grow to approximately five times its initial volume, an accurate candy thermometer, and attractive little seasonal molds to form the bite-sized French Creams. Also remember, the sugar syrup will be scalding hot; treat it with care and do not let it splash out of the mixer.

     

French Creams

Ingredients & Mode

 

Implements and Ingredients

- Small chocolate or bonbon moulds

- Large pot for cooking sugar syrup

- Candy thermometer

- Red, green and yellow food coloring

- Pure extract flavors: your choice of mint, lemon, vanilla, anise, orange or rose water, etc.

- A stand or electric hand mixer

- 4 Cups White Granulated Sugar

- 1 Cup Water

 

Method

- Dissolve the water and sugar in a large cooking pot.

- Set over a medium-high heat and stir only until the sugar is completely melted. Do not stir again, as it will make the sugar clump together into rocks.

- Place the candy thermometer on the rim of the pan and make sure the tip is fully immerged into the syrup.

- Bring to full boil undisturbed.

- Cook until the temperature reaches the 'Soft Ball Stage' or, 235°F (118°C), approximately 7 to 8 minutes.

- Immediately take it off the heat and start carefully beating. It will take about 10 minutes, but the syrup will cool and begin to become white. Increase speed and beat until it forms a soft dough.

- Divide into three portions in different bowls, and to color and flavor as you like.

- While still warm, work quickly and press into the moulds. Unmold the candies once shaped and leave to dry on a rack overnight.

 

 

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Copyright © 2017 AC Benus; All Rights Reserved.
  • Like 6
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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Well.. I love that include recipes. I will be trying the Corn Muffins.. I love corn muffins and well can taste them with some real butter.
What a surprise - the ice cream! Not sure what to say, but wow and thank you! I remember talking about ice cream some months back. I'll have to dig out the ice cream maker now!!
AC this whole story - down to the pics and recipes has been a joy to read and discuss with you! I look forward to your next project!!
tim

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On 12/28/2015 05:50 AM, Mikiesboy said:

Well.. I love that include recipes. I will be trying the Corn Muffins.. I love corn muffins and well can taste them with some real butter.

What a surprise - the ice cream! Not sure what to say, but wow and thank you! I remember talking about ice cream some months back. I'll have to dig out the ice cream maker now!!

AC this whole story - down to the pics and recipes has been a joy to read and discuss with you! I look forward to your next project!!

tim

Thanks, Tim! I guess you and Lorna share a love of corn muffins! They are head to beat when fresh and still warm from the oven – gives lots of nooks and crannies for the melted butter to go.

 

We were talking about what made tutti frutti ice cream 'Tutti Frutti,' and you suggested adding some holiday candied fruit to the mix, so I did! Thanks for the great idea.

 

Thank you for your support, Tim. I have a few more years to explore in the wonderful history of the store, so please stay tuned.

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On 12/29/2015 03:52 AM, skinnydragon said:

You devil AC! :devil:

 

You know the way into my heart! ;)

Who, me…? You mean, Lemon Meringue Pie and Lady Baltimore Cake would toehold a firm wedge into your heart…? Boys, take note ;)

 

The recipes are right here too!

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On 12/29/2015 07:01 AM, J.HunterDunn said:

Love the background information.

The recipes are mouthwatering. Lorna would have been a huge fan of you, AC ;)

Lorna was my secret food consultant on this project ;)

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