We have a nice album of Bing's Christmas songs, all the old standards, of course. Wish you could hear them. Stanley Sanders, 1946Hallie called last night and mentioned how much she enjoys Bing's Christmas standards, and it brought to mind this card and the mention of Bing's Christmas album. The card was sent to my dad by his nephew, Stanley Sanders, his sister Pearl's only child. In 1946, Stan was 26, married, and living in Portland. Stan, remember, was my dad's nephew and my mother's cousin. Evidently Stan owned a phonograph, and the album would have been monaural -- no stereophonic in those days, right?
In previous comments, Leah left this recipe for cream cheese fudge from a leaflet she requested from Kraft in the 1950s. (Vintage leaflets -- so inspiring!) I thought I'd bring that recipe into a post so that it isn't missed.
CHOCOLATE "PHILLY" FUDGE
1 (3 oz.) pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese
2 c. sifted confectioners sugar
2 (1 oz.) sq. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/4 tsp. vanilla
Dash of salt
1/2 c. chopped pecans; optional
Place the cream cheese in a bowl and cream it until soft and smooth. Slowly blend the sugar into it. Add the melted chocolate. Mix well. Add vanilla, salt, and chopped pecans and mix until well blended. Press into a well greased shallow pan. Place in refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes. Cut into squares (for slightly softer fudge blend in 1 teaspoon of cream). [And Leah adds that she likes to use black walnuts.]
I checked the Kraft website and discovered the cream cheese fudge is still there. Today's recipe calls for 8 ounces cream cheese to 4 cups powdered sugar and 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate. There we go super-sizing again.
And here's that "marble fudge" recipe I mentioned -- the one I didn't take to the Christmas Eve party. I came by that recipe when Aunt Chris and I attended some microwave cooking classes at Deranleau's Appliance in 1979. Remember, Chris? Back then, experts were experimenting with microwave cooking. (Whatever happened to that?) Anyway, Hallie made marble fudge at Thanksgiving and at the same time Clint was asking me for the "frosted cauliflower" recipe, both from the recipe sheets we were provided at those classes.
MARBLE FUDGE1 11-ounce pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 11-ounce pkg butterscotch chips
1 cup peanut butter [1/2 cup works]
1 10 1/2 oz pkg mini-marshmallows (6 cups)
1 cup salted peanuts
Combine chocolate and butterscotch chips and peanut butter in large glass mixing bowl. Melt in microwave. Then stir in marshmallows and peanuts. Spread in 12 x 9-inch pan. Refrigerate until set -- 20 minutes or so. [Hallie says the instructions on the chip bags for melting in a microwave are helpful.]
To Christmas card is another interesting example. The little book pulls out of the envelope pocket and opens to reveal a calendar. I suppose it must have been 1947 but it doesn't say so. The picture is of Stanley Sanders and Vance Dobson, November 1942. KW
6 comments:
Every Xmas there was a box a Whitman Sampler candy under the tree from my dad to my mother. Of course, this was in addition to whatever other gift he would give her. I guess it was just a special tradition for him.
It would be interesting to know if that traditional gift -- the Whitman sampler -- developed. You know -- like maybe in the early years of their marriage, that was all they could afford for Christmas, so he continued that tradition. I wonder if she shared the chocolates.
There's a nice AP article about Bing Crosby in today's Lewiston Tribune -- "Christmas time is Crosby time in Spokane."
Kathy, so glad you posted the Philly Fudge recipe. I think the reason the recipe is doubled on the Kraft website today is because the original was a very small amount. Note to cooks: If you want fudge, but not much, the original recipe is best. I told Hallie that the original (3 oz. cr. cheese) fits half the bottom of a 9 x 9 pan. You're right, everything is super sized today.
My mom also loved the Whitman Sampler, mostly I think because of the "map". For years they were the only boxed chcoolates that I know of that provided it. Russell Stover also does it now. Whitmans and Russell Stover and a brand called Pangburns, that makes the best "turtle" type candy, have been owned by the same compnay for years.
Both of these fudge recipes sound phenomenal! I think I may just have to try both of them. While I love to bake around the holidays, I have never made fudge. So, I would like to try a recipe that is easy to make. I work with Better Recipes; if you are in search of fudge recipes that are easy to make and delicious, I recommend you check out their Christmas Fudge Recipes
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