You Put the Rum With the Coconut... Mix It All Together!

Not sure if anyone is as much of a coconut fan as I am, but I could definitely eat it with every meal of my day for a week straight and not get bored.  My grandmother always did a lot more baking during the Christmas season and Rum Balls have always been at the top of my list.  Apparently they were quite popular duing the 50s. 

Well, turns out they've been around a lot longer than 60 years - they date back to the Colonial times.  So as promised, I am trying out recipes from different centuries, as well as decades.  Those Colonists really knew what they were doing with the chocolate, rum, and coconut.  These were super easy to make and I brought them to my husband's family on Thanksgiving.  His aunt and I almost ate the whole plate.  Hope you and your loved ones enjoy them as much as I did!

We always went to Williamsburg, Virginia (which for those of you with children I strongly recommend! And Busch Gardens is a lot of fun too!) as kids and my mom happened to buy this book one year.  A few years ago I made a punch out of it for my sister's baby shower and it's been in my possession ever since.  ;)  It really has some pretty good recipes in it!  Anyway, I'm typing it below according to what I did, but you can find the original at the bottom.

TIPSY COCONUT SNOWBALL TRUFFLES
*  1 lb semisweet chocolate
*  1/2 cup heavy cream
*  4 tbs (1/2 stick) butter
*  1 cup finely ground PLAIN chocolate cookies
*  1/3 cup dark or golden rum  (I used Captain Morgan)
*  1 1/2 cup grated, toasted coconut
*  1/2 cup confectioners sugar (I found this to be optional.  They're very rich and sweet as it is and I didn't add it, but if you use a dark or bitter chocolate it might be needed)

Finely chop cookies similar to how you would an onion.  I had a heaping cup of chopped cookie and it worked out great.  Set aside.

Melt chocolate in a medium sized bowl over barely simmering water (double boiler).  In a separate saucepan warm the heavy cream over medium-high heat.  Add to melted chocolate.  Next add the butter to the chocolate mixture and mix until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Mix in cookie crumbs and rum.  Transfer to a small baking dish.

Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until mixture is firm.

Scoop out the truffle mixture with a melon baller, occasionally dipped into hot water, and form into balls.  Roll truffles in coconut and store the truffles in any remaining coconut.  Allow the truffles to set in a cool place for at least 2 hours. (I did it overnight and they were a good texture).  I found it made around 40 truffles, but I might have made them a little bigger.  Supposed to make 50 of them.  Enjoy!

Here is the original recipe from the book.

New Blog, New Holiday Season... bring on the Peppermint!

Hey everyone!  Thanks so much for checking out my blog.  I hope you'll be able to come here whenever you want to try out a recipe that is so old it seems new!  Although I'm only in my late twenties, a part of me has always wanted to live in the 1950s for just a little while to see what it was like.  So since I can't go back in time I figured I could at least make my kitchen into a window of the past.  Although most of the recipes will be from the 50s, there will be some from all decades or even centuries of the past.  Unless the recipe comes from someone's memory, I'll post the book I got it from and I'll try to put the year it's form too.  The recipe I write out might be a little different just because I found something else works a little better, but the original will be there too.  I'll also try to give you any tips I figured out along the way to make things a little easier too since (luckily) kitchens have changed a bit.  :) 

So here is my first recipe - we're in a brand new holiday season so I figured this Chocolate Peppermint Cake and Peppermint Frosting would get us off to a good start.  This time of year is my absolute favorite.  I had a Christmas wedding and always like to go overeboard with the decorating.  Anyway...  Happy baking!

Love, love, love this cake cookbook that both recipes came from.  So many really different cakes in here that are good for any season.  It's from 1953.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CAKE

*  2 cups flour
*  1 tsp baking soda
*  1/2 tsp salt
*  1/3 cup shortening (Crisco bars have it all measured out for you to just cut it at the amount you need)
*  1 1/4 cup sugar
*  1 egg, unbeaten
*  3oz melted chocolate (I melted it over a double boiler on the stove - but I also always burn it whenever I melt it in the microwave.)
*  1 tsp vanilla
*  1/2 cup sour cream
*  3/4 cup sweet milk (I just used evaporated milk)

Set oven to 350 dgrees.  Grease two 9in cake pans.


PEPPERMINT FROSTING

*  8-12 candy canes
*  1/2 cup evaporated milk
*  1 lb confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
*  6 small squares FINELY grated milk chocolate


Sift flour, baking soda, and salt.  Cream shortening and sugar until it's fluffy.  Add egg and mix well (I used the electric mixer).  Next add melted chocalate and vanilla; mix again.  Put 1/4 of the flour mixture into the batter, mix, and then mix in the sour cream until blended.  Add remaining flour and milk alternately in small amounts mixing well after each addition.  Pour half the mixture into one greased pan and the other half into the remaining greased pan. 

Bake 30 minutes.  Using a bamboo skewer stick, check cakes.  If they are still very moist and stick comes back with batter, keep them in another five minutes.

While cakes are cooling,  make the frosting.  Get a box of candy canes (between 8-12 candy canes total) and take them out of the wrappers.

Put them in a large ziplock bag and use a meat hammer (or a sturdy jar) to crush them.

Set aside 1/3 and mix the remaining candy canes with the grated chocolate.  Whisk together in a small bowl.  Set aside for later.

Heat milk and 1/3 cup crushed candy canes over hot water (double boiler) until candy is melted.  Take off heat, add confectioners sugar, and mix until frosting is thick enough to spread.  You may need to add a little more sugar if it's still runny.  Spread frosting over one cake, then put the other cake on top and frost entire thing so no cake is showing.  Sprinkle the chocolate candy cane mixture on the top and around the base of the cake.  Enjoy!

Here are the orinigal recipes.  If you try out the recipes definitely let me know how it turns out and feel free to ask questions!  Up next...  A tipsy tropical treat for the holiday season thats sure to make you warm and toasty!