Tuesday, December 11, 2018

A Holiday with Raymona Marie Anderson

A couple of Christmas seasons ago our niece came from Texas bearing my husband’s favorite candy––peanut brittle. We were grateful that she brought the purchased variety.
Cindy’s homemade peanut brittle is family legend––at least among we who witnessed her first, valiant attempt to make the treat decades ago. More about that later.
Back in the day, making Christmas Candy was an annual event. It began when I was a girl at home, and years later became a party with my sister-in-law, Norma Anderson and her daughters, Debbie and Cindy.
A winter afternoon, sunny but cold enough to nip one’s toes, transformed her kitchen or mine into a toasty haven. Sugary smells spiced with vanilla, gossip and laughter enriched the hours.
We had loaded in supplies: sugar, cream, butter, flour and spices (just wait for that one too) as well as white and dark syrup, pecans, walnuts, and yes, peanuts.
Essential tools—big black iron skillets and long handled spoons for beating the fudge.
My traditional fudge combines cocoa, sugar, and milk boiled in that skillet to the perfect stage (a drop in cold water could be manipulated into a soft ball). A teaspoon of vanilla, some cooling and then the work begins. The cooled mixture requires beating until it flows into the buttered pan in ripples that settle smooth to harden. The fudge melts in the mouth.
The soft ball and the beating are the secret, the latter demanded stamina maintained with a steady supply of black coffee. Norma preferred cola. Her specialties required Herculean stamina.
She made Aunt Bill’s Brown Candy–I shudder at the memory of watching her go through that process– and a cookie called peppernuts. A treat that originated as pfeffernusse in Europe, the dough is rolled between the palms into a long rope and then cut into pellets for baking. The tiny cookies are eaten by the handful.
Norma cut her peppernuts into a dishpan, so I’m sure there were plenty to go around when her sisters and their families came for Christmas.
Her creamy, no chocolate fudge created by someone’s Aunt Bill, became a favorite I appreciated fully after watching her make it. She performed magic with her iron skillet, stirring granulated white sugar over low heat until it browned. Ingredients added then are lost in memory, but the procedure also included a lot of beating and produced candy the color of café-au-lait. A taste to die for.
Which brings me to Cindy’s legendary peanut brittle. She was probably around fifteen the year she declared herself ready to make it. Into the big iron skillet went the syrup, sugar, and I think butter? I never attempted peanut brittle, so can’t say for sure. Cindy boiled, and boiled, and boiled, and . . . stirred in peanuts, or rather tried to stir in peanuts. The spoon hung up in the candy.
Again, memory fails me. That happens to octogenarians. However, I will never forget that spoon standing upright in the layer of unbrittle peanut brittle cemented inside that black iron skillet. Still in some trash dump that way I suppose.
Cindy still thinks its funny too, which says a lot about her character.
For those who like homemade candy, but have little free time, here’s my current recipe.
No Iron-Skillet Fudge.
You need a big microwaveable bowl. Four quarts at least. Butter a 10 x 13 pan.

Into your bowl melt 3/4 cup margarine. Microwave about a minute on high to melt it. Add 2/3 cup unsweetened evaporated milk and 3 cups of white granulated sugar. Stir well and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir then microwave 3 ½ more minutes. Cooking is done. Scrape down the bowl, stir mixture and add 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (be sure to check the bag for weight—you know how manufacturers skimp on contents nowadays). Stir until the chips melt. Add 7 oz. marshmallow crème. Add 1 cup chopped pecans. Blend until the white disappears. Pour into your buttered pan to harden. Cut into squares.




11 comments:

DeeDee Lane said...

Lovely story Ramona! You reminded me of our neighbor lady who used to make Divinity every holiday season. Talk about a long process but it was delish. And sooooooo sweet. Happy Holidays!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post! I can almost smell that kitchen...yum!

Nancy Fraser said...

Cooking with my youngest grandchildren is a favored holiday activity. We'll have to make the fudge while they're here.

Diane Scott Lewis said...

Lovely fudge recipe.
My aunt made the best divinity. I looked forward to it every Christmas.

Carol Henry said...

Great post. brings back memories of my father's candy making skills. My older sister now carries on the traditions. Thankfully we get a good portion as Christmas gifts from her.

Colleen Driscoll said...

I remember making peanut brittle (homemade) with my mother and sisters. Thanks for evoking that memory for me. The mishaps in baking shape us. My sister burnt a pan of sugar and dumped it into the woods so my mother wouldn't find out. Merry Christmas to you. I hope you do a lot of baking.

Darcy said...

As the worst cook in the world, I congratulate you and your family (even Cindy and her cement-like peanut brittle) for creating both wonderful desserts and warm, loving memories.

ELF said...

I have no strength and no stamina for beating candy into submission, so I will have to stick to purchasing mine ready-made, lol. Thanks for the glimpse of your family traditions and Happy Holidays!

Reviews By Crystal said...

I think we might try that fudge recipe it sounds good :)

Anna Taylor Sweringen said...

Thanks for sharing, Ramona. My late father-in-law would make fudge and lemon candy every Christmas.

dlucas said...

I would love to make my deceased mother-in-law's fudge, but it seems so daunting. I guess I should fail a few times until I get it right. It would mean so much to my husband and father-in-law. Your peanut brittle sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing and inspiring me to bring back a tradition of Christmas fudge. Happy holidays!