The banter always goes the same way when I meet someone new.
I say something.
“Oh, what part of the States are you from?” they reply.
“What do you mean? I am from Motherwell/Glasgow/Dundee,” I respond with a wink.
And then we enter the part of the conversation where I explain that yes, I was born in the US, but have been here 20+ years and no, I have no plans to “move home” and no, I have never been to New York/California/Florida.
The way in which my Americaness is expressed is a weird one. While my accent is firmly still in the Midwest, the rest of me has lived longer outside of the US than in. Scotland has been my home for 20 years and I only lived in the US for about 19. I don’t particularly think of myself as American, when other folks harken back to some American way of doing things, I con’t really relate as I left so young and have been gone so long.
But some things linger. I resolutely celebrate Thanksgiving - pulling the kids from school every year to spend the day eating pumpkin pie and playing UNO. We used to celebrate the 4th of July, but after the 3rd child was born the same week in April, we stopped. I make pumpkin pie. I religiously watch SNL on a Sunday morning. And every year I make Christmas cookie platters for our neighbours.
By no means is this *just* an American tradition, but for me it is rooted in one of my favourite parts of the Christmas season. As the holidays approached, neighbours would stop by with a selection of sweets. Everyone had their specialty. Karen Trimpe made famous chocolate chip cookies. Sharon Goldin made this amazing cornflake wreath, dyed green with cinnamon drops as berries. A friend of my dad’s made these amazing peanut butter balls that I would steal every time the tell tale red plate arrived in the house. As the season went on, our counter would fill with paper and plastic bowls and platters, filled to the brim with cookies and candies until just walking into the kitchen would give you a sugar high from the fumes.
I have carried this tradition on, blocking out a morning to fill the house with sweetness so that it is all I can smell for the rest of the day. Chocolate is melted in big vats and the food processor gets cleaned as fast as I can for the next batch. I play Ella Fitzgerald’s Chrismas playlist and try to get myself as into the Christmas spirit as I possibly can.
I try to make a selection of treats - evergreen favourites like Salted Caramel Brownies, as well as specialist snacks like Peppermint Crisp and Oreo Truffles.
Once the batches are all done and set, they get packed away into takeaway containers, labeled and dispatched with Kevin on his rounds of the neighbours, friends and teachers. A small stack sits beside the front door for delivery drivers and Jim the postie. Its very American, but I am here for it.
Have a lovely Christmas, if you celebrate it.
Kat
In case you need last minute cookie tray inspiration, here is what I have done this year. Any home baking works in theory, but I would say that things like candies keep a little bit longer so you don’t have to worry about something going stale in the week before it can be given and eaten. Also, everything except the peppermint crisp freezes well (the layers split a bit if it gets too cold).
I pack mine in takeaway containers. The foil ones are available at most groceries and if I plan ahead, the paper ones are nicest. I then just label them and stack them. I keep the peppermint crisp separate as it can flavour everything else.
Salted Caramel Brownies:
Oreo Truffles:
Method is the same as this recipe. In UK measurements I used 3x packs of Oreos (36 cookies) and 225g of Philadelphia and about 600g of while chocolate.
Buckeyes:
Named after the US word for conkers, these peanut butter chocolate balls are my favourite. Most American recipes will use sweetened peanut butter, but personally, I think that unsweetened is better for a UK palette as these are toe-curlingly sweet anyway. I used this recipe and used Costco chocolate chips, because I had them. I would use a dark milk chocolate from Lidl if I had to buy in chocolate for them.
Peppermint Crisp:
Ingredients
1kg white chocolate
8-10 candy canes, crushed
1tsp mint extract or 3 candy canes, ground to as close to dust as possible
500g good dark chocolate
100ml cream
Method:
In a microwave or bain marie, melt 500g of the white chocolate.
Line a square baking pan with parchment.
Poor the chocolate into the pan and let it cool completely in the fridge.
Heat the dark chocolate in a pan and melt.
Add the cream and mix vigorously
Add the mint extract or candy cane dust
Spread this ganache mixture over the white chocolate and let cool
Melt the remaining white chocolate as before.
Pour this melted chocolate over the other layers of the crisp.
Using a hammer, bash the candy canes into small pieces.
Sprinkle this mix over the chocolate before it cools.
Let it cool completely and then cut into squares.
Who Am I?
Lovely recipes! I see Oreo truffles in my immediate future..... Happy Christmas when it comes!
I love this post. I was born in Scotland and have lived in USA and Canada for 18 years now. The cookie/squares tradition here is enjoyed by us all. Going to try your Salted Caramel Brownies next!! Merry Christmas from Calgary!