Some Christmas presents keep on giving happiness long after they are opened. I received a gift like that a few years ago.
I love the high mountain city of Santa Fe, I love art and I also love desserts. So a cookbook called, Dulce – Desserts from Santa Fe, was the perfect present for me.
I would be thrilled with this book, even if I had never made the recipes. I can read cookbooks like novels. But this particular book is also filled with art; photographs from the collections of four great Santa Fe museums, including my favorite, The International Folk Art Museum.
As I browsed through pages of luscious sounding desserts, one stood out. I freely admit I was attracted by the number of ingredients….six. A combination of teaching, shepherding a herd of cats and keeping up a house doesn’t leave much time to try hugely complicated recipes.
The recipe was for Fudge Pie. It took ten minutes to make and 40 minutes to bake. After the first 10 minutes of bake time, the house filled up with delicious smells.
The fudge pie tasted as delectable as it smelled. But it is not a pie. Serving it for the first time, I cut it in pie shaped pieces and loaded ice cream on top. As I was eating this amazing good concoction, I realized that the calorie count was probably a zillion.
I have made the “fudge pie” countless times since. But I bake it in a 8 or 9 inch square pan, dust the finished product in powdered sugar and cut it into very small squares. We call it “the chocolate thing”.
So if you are in need of a terrific Christmas cookie that can be made in a hurry, here’s the recipe.
01 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Optional, 1 teaspoon cinnamonMix sugar and butter, beat until creamy
Add eggs, flour, cocoa and vanilla. Beat well.
Bake in a greased 8 inch pan at 300 degrees F. for about 40 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.
You always inspire me! My special gift for my husband will be this fudge pie!
I have finished the Sunday School program at the Lutheran Church where we are members…and tomorrow night is the program I am doing for the Catholic Church where my grands are. My son-in-law asked me to help make it fun! Merry Christmas to you and yours!