Taste makes memories–especially around the holidays. Good or bad, you know you remember your Grandmama’s Rum Balls, or that terrible fruitcake your aunt always made, or that amazing fudge that appeared in your mother’s freezer after Thanksgiving. Taste paints an illustration in our heads. Of memories we keep forever. Of love. Of laughter. Of horror!
We rounded up some of our favorite holiday treat recipes (good and bad, subjectively) that made memories close to our hearts, plus these fantastic, bright photos of “Betty Crocker’s Absurd, Gorgeous Atomic-Age Creations” created and photographed by Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari for The New York Times. What are some of yours? Leave a comment on our Instagram, we’d love to hear your stories!
Hot Fudge Recipe by Jenni Britton Bauer
Total Time: 5 minutes Serves: 4
This hot fudge is like magic,” said Jeni Britton Bauer of her go-to recipe. “You take dry ingredients and melt them together, and they become a shiny, amazing warm sauce for ice cream.”
¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate, preferably 70% cacao
¼ cup boiling water
Combine the first 3 ingredients, then add the boiling water. Let sit 2 minutes, then stir until combined, and serve immediately over ice cream.
Line a small square dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, honey or maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt until very smooth.
Pour mixture into the prepared dish. Refrigerate until solid, about an hour, then sprinkle the shredded coconut on top, and cut into 9 small pieces. If you’re in a hurry, pop it in the freezer and you’ll be ready to go in about half the time—although you might need to use a knife ran under hot water to cut through it.
Pet’s 1957 recipe for Festive Fruit Cake:
Line with waxed paper bottom and sides of 9-in. tube pan or loaf pan holding about 6 cups. Put into 2-qt. bowl 3/4 cup Pet Evaporated Milk, 24 large marshmallows finely cut (or 3 cups of mini marshmallows); and 1/3 cup orange juice or alcoholic flavoring. Let stand. Measure 6 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 6 doz. 2 1/3-in. crackers, crushed) and put into a large bowl with 1/2 teasp. cinnamon, 1/2 teasp. nutmeg, 1/4 teasp. cloves, 1 1/2 cups California seedless raisins (1/2 golden and 1/2 dark are best), 3/4 cup finely cut dates and 1 cup chopped walnuts. Add 1 1/4 cups cut-up candied fruit, bulk or canned ready-mixed. Mix in milk mixture with a spoon, then with hands until crumbs are moistened. Press firmly into pan. If desired, top with additional nuts and candied fruit. Cover tightly. Chill 2 days before slicing. Keep in refrigerator. Makes 3 1/2 lbs.
Ingredients:
• 8 Weetbix 1/2 cup Coconut (dessicated)
• 400 grams Condensed Milk
• 1 cup Sultanas
• 2 tbsp Cocoa
• 2 tbsp Rum (or more depending on taste!)
Instructions:
In a metal bowl, place the raisins or sultanas and the run, cover with plastic wrap and let it marinate for a day (or two…). Place crushed weetbix, cocoa, coconut and marinated fruit in a bowl. Pour over the condensed milk and stir well. Take out teaspoons at a time and roll in coconut and chill.
Not into sweets? We don’t blame you after a few of those…Check out this fantastic wooden pastry collaboration that Red Cap Cards artist, Kelsey Garrity-Riley made with her brother, woodworking artist, Colin Garrity. Amazing!
