Sunday, December 23, 2012

Comfort & Joy Food

This book makes a great present
along with a canister of Comfort and Joy Tea
~ just ask my friend Cate ~

What do we all want for Christmas? Comfort & Joy Food! Not just regular ol' Comfort Food -- but sweets and tea! Magical desserts! First Gerry organizes all the British must haves: Christmas Cake and Sherry Trifle (his specialties); Figgy Pudding and Tiny Mince Pies (we have evolved our own British - American versions of these two).


And, lastly, for the boys-- the one and only Celestial Seasonings Nutcracker Sweet Pie. We always make a couple of these holiday favorites at Thanksgiving and -- though we don't really need it -- yet another one at Christmas!

Celestial Seasonings used to print this recipe on the inside of every box of Nutcracker Sweet Tea, but I haven't seen it there in awhile. Luckily, I have it written down; and the tea is still available. If you don't see it in your store, try amazon -- you may have to order six boxes at one time, but that's okay because a box of Nutcracker Sweet Tea makes a good Christmas present, so you can give some away!

Here are the easy instructions:

Make yourself a cup (or an entire pot!) of Nutcracker Sweet Tea

Now, boil one cup of water in medium saucepan; take two additional tea bags from the box, add them to the boiled water, and turn off the heat; steep for 4 minutes

After 4 minutes, remove tea bags, turn heat back on to "simmer"

Stir in

1/3 cup butter
2 oz. of unsweetened chocolate (I use two 1 - oz squares)

Stir until melted, remove from heat, cool for 10 minutes

Then add

1 1/2 cups white sugar (or less according to your taste for dark chocolate)

2 beaten eggs

1/2 teas. salt

Pour into an unbaked pie shell and cover with 1 1/2 cups of pecan halves (or smaller pieces, if you like)

Bake at 375 F, for 45 minutes.

I hope everyone will try it and love it! After my nephew Dan and I started making this 10 years ago or so, I gave up all other pecan pie and chocolate pie recipes. This is it for us!

Thanksgiving Rendition, Flanked by Large Mince Pies**Tradition at our house requires
large mince pies for Thanksgiving / tiny mince pies for Christmas

3 comments:

  1. Never too late to send New Year wishes. Nice post.

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  2. "Mistletoe hung from the gas brackets in all the front parlors; there was sherry and walnuts . . . and crackers by the dessertspoons . . . the brandy, the . . . mince . . . and blazing pudding . . . And then, at tea the recovered Uncles would be jolly; and the ice cake loomed in the center of the table like a marble grave. Auntie Hannah laced her tea with rum, because it was only once a year."

    from A Child's Christmas in Wales
    by Dylan Thomas

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  3. Discussing Chocolate Pecan Pies With My Friend Jill

    Remember on one of those quizzes last month, you said that we seemed to be alike in so many serious ways, yet different when it came to food tastes? Well, that's why I just had to tell you that one of my holiday specialties for the past 10 years or so has been Chocolate Pecan Pie. Everyone loves it. I know very few who make it -- but now I know that you do! I use the recipe on the side of the Celestial Seasonings "Nutcracker Suite / Sweet Tea." How about you?

    Also, when we were growing up, my whole family LOVED Chex Party Mix. Now I make it every other year or so, and it always reminds me of the good ol' days.

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