Christmas Baked Treats - What do You Make? (refrigerator, college)

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by Briolat21

We don't have any real traditions - my family was small, and my husband's family didn't pass any specific recipes on to us.

From my family - there's a Banana Nut Bread recipe - obviously not exactly Christmas-y, but I have more time this time of year to back because I'm not outside fighting the battle against weeds.

And my mother's pound cake recipe (which was her mother's).

And, I've become pretty good at cheesecakes. My twist now is to make the cheesecake in a cupcake wrapper. Helps with portion control and also the cheesecake sets faster.

I'm not really much a cookie eater, but all the ones you're describing sound lovely. Maybe someyear I'll attempt cookies.

Banana Nut Bread sounds perfectly fine to me. And we also like Carrot Cake. In the early summer when you turn your back on the garden for a couple of days and suddenly find you have zucchini the size of baseball bats, what else to do with them other than make Zucchini Bread. My mother's recipe makes a delectable one.

One of the things I like about cheesecake is there are so many different ways to make one. The old Lindy's restaurant in NYC was renowned for its cheesecake. One of my all time overindulgences was back when I was in college. My 2nd cousin phoned me and said I am coming by to pick you up and we are going to NYC. We need to be at CVG quickly. I asked why and he said the parents are having a large New Years Eve party, all of your family and the entire relation is invited. They had a BIG house and it was set up to PARTY. The lower level had an old fashioned poolroom with the high back wire pool chairs around the periphery. There was also what was called then a ratskeller with a great wet bar and several dedicated card tables. Also an electronic bowling machine like you would find in a bar. He said Dad has been thinking what he can have unique at this party which most people have probably not experienced. He decided many of them would not experience a Lindy's cheesecake. He called Lindy's and they have agreed to provide. We just have to go to NYC and pick them up. So off we went to CVG and flew to NYC. A cab to Lindy's, pick up the cheesecakes, and a cab back to the airport. Then buy some travel bags so the airline would accept them as baggage. Definitely the most extravagant adventure I have ever experienced. But the people at the party just were flabbergasted.

The same party, my cousin and I intercepted the caterer when they arrived. We commandeered two heads of cabbage covered completely as a ball with 1st class cocktail shrimp on skewers. We each ate one along with the cocktail sauce, etc. I don't think anyone went home before about 3:00 AM in the morning.

We all have differing memories concerning the holiday season. We also come from different backgrounds. This cousin of mine was in a position to travel the world and enjoy the greatest dining everywhere. He and his wife would come to my parents modest house to play Canasta, providing Mom would bake one of her Dutch Apple Pies. He was sincere in his comment Marce nobody makes a better pie than this. They and my parents spent many a summer evening at Moonlight Gardens dancing. Again, he proclaimed this is the greatest outdoor dance hall in the country.

[Briolat21]

I've seen the moonlight gardens at Coney Island, when I've gone to the summer art fair...

I've always thought it was lovely and like to imagine ballroom-style dancing there.

Nice to know of someone who actually has some first hand experience.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

People viliy fruitcake, and I don't know why. I frankly like a good fruit cake, what is there not to like?

Especially if it's soaked in bourbon.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by Briolat21

I've seen the moonlight gardens at Coney Island, when I've gone to the summer art fair...

I've always thought it was lovely and like to imagine ballroom-style dancing there.

Nice to know of someone who actually has some first hand experience.

Depends on when you have seen it. The current Moonlight Gardens is a fraction of the original, mainly the masonry paved front end. The last time I saw it, about a year ago, there was a pipe rack canvas covered band stand at the west end of the masonry portion. Believe me, this is less than 1/2 of the original structure. To the west there was an elevated bandstand and a half-moon shaped curved roof over a wooden dance floor. In the late fifties I went there when the crowd was over 5,500 but we still all had a great time.

The wooden portion of the structure caused problems with periodic flooding of the Ohio river and why it was torn down. The one thing my parents would talk about constantly but I never got to experience was the Island Queen. This was a steamboat which went from the public landing downtown to a landing at Coney Island. My parents would talk of it constantly. The Island Queen was a big boat, a multi-decker. My parents would talk about boarding it downtown and taking the ride to Coney Island. There was a bar, food service, and a dance band on board. Upon arrival at Coney Island, they dis-enbarked and went to Moonlight Gardens. After spending the evening at Moonlight Gardens it was back onto the Island Queen and the trip back down the river. Upon arriving downtown it was the streetcar out to their apartment in Norwood. A long evening, and sounded like an absolutely glorious romantic experience to me.

I was fortunate enough to experience Moonlight Gardens in its last glory in the mid-50s. In later years the park was closed to protect their interests in Kings Island. In the mid-50s the big dance bands were winding down, but there were still enough to fill the pavilion.

Around the same era was Stardust Gardens at Lesourdsville Lake near Monroe. They also had some of the last of the big bands. The last one I remember going there so see was Woody Herman and His Thundering Herd.

I know I will be criticised for living in the past. But Coney Island, Lesourdsville Lake, Castle Farm, and other Cincinnati venues gave a great experience to my generation.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

Especially if it's soaked in bourbon.

Bourbon or rum, either one satisfies me. When people complain someone has given them a fruitcake, the first thing I ask is if it is in a tin. If they say yes I just say give it to me. By the time I get done marinating it only a fool would turn it down.

[Ohiogirl81]

I called my mom three times while making the meatball cookies to ask her advice.

She lives for those phone calls, LOL.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

I called my mom three times while making the meatball cookies to ask her advice.

She lives for those phone calls, LOL.

We have a daughter over in Hawaii with the same problem. She has made our Cincinnati Goetta several times before. But for some reason she has to call mom in the middle of the operation to ask for more advice. Frankly, mom loves those calls. But the same daughter makes some killer buckeyes which she surprisingly needs no help with.

[theatergypsy]

I'm not sure what I'm doing here in the Ohio forum, but the title caught my eye. I have been baking Christmas cookies for upwards of 60 years. Thus far, I have Chocolate Chip; Mexican Wedding; Crackletops; Cocoons. Yet to make - Welsh Cookies; Chocolate Peppermint; 7 Layer Bars; Peanut Butter; and this may be the year I get to Buckeyes. I've also made Sweet Spiced Pecans today.

For Christmas dinner buffet, I always made Deviled Eggs and Stuffin' Muffins to accompany the ham, turkey and roast beef.

This year, I have declared a moratorium on hosting the Christmas celebration. I'm just too old for all the work it entails. Time for everyone to find their own traditions. But the cookies will remain as long as I have a stove to bake them in.

If that Cincinnatti goetta is what I think it is, here in PA we call it Scrapple and I love it. Just never thought to have it on Christmas.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by theatergypsy

If that Cincinnatti goetta is what I think it is, here in PA we call it Scrapple and I love it. Just never thought to have it on Christmas.

Actually if you hang around this forum long enough, you will find Cincinnati Goetta and Scrapple are distinctly different. Both have their own fans and are very commendable in their own right, but they are different. The Cincinnati Goetta when made from scratch is a very labor intensive project. That is probably why we relegate it to a Christmas food, the only time of the year we are willing to invest that much time. We have our trays prepared and are waiting for the family to show up Christmas morning for the brunch.

As I said Goetta and Scrapple are not synonymous. They have some similarities but that's where it ends. Both are delectable when prepared right. Those who have experienced the best of both are the anointed ones.

Since we have kids coming from varying distances and times, we are modifying the day. The early arrivals will be here for the goetta brunch. The later ones will have to make due with spiral ham sandwiches and various baked treats. There will be goetta available if they wish to fry it. We have given up on the hot meal for the whole family. Not enough space, not enough chairs, not enough of anything, especially our energy.

The only thing we are preparing throughout the day are Bloody Marys for the adults and Virgin Marys for the kids.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

Bloody Marys for the adults

I'm going to adopt this tradition! Thanks, and Merry Christmas!