Holiday Punch Recipe

For those of you who read my blog last week: I have been informed by a friend that my posting went viral. Guess I sort of made the "big time"!

Now, for the recipe I had promised you before the holidays. If you have a summer celebration of any sort I believe your guests would still enjoy the punch. In other words, no need to wait for Christmas, etc. to come around before trying it.

I used to coordinate company management meetings. Every Christmas I would plan a party for them after a business meeting. We held those parties over the years at various locations including a hotel site where we booked rooms for the out-of-town managers, at the District Manager's home (Hi Joe!), etc. One of the things the managers looked forward to at those parties was my cheesecake (I provided the recipe in an earlier posting), and...my Holiday Punch. A fine time was always had by all. Ah, those were the days my friends...: ) (As in the theme song from All In The Family. After all, our district was Familia!).

Holiday Punch

Ingredients:

• 1 can (6 oz) frozen lemon juice concentrate
• 1 can (6 oz) frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup angostura bitters
• 3 egg whites
• 1 bottle (3/4 qt) daiquiri cocktail mix, chilled
• 1 bottle (1 pint, 12 oz) club soda, chilled
• 1 tray ice cubes
• 1 bottle (4/5 qt) champagne, chilled

Directions:

1. In pitcher or bowl combine frozen concentrates, sugar, and bitters. When juices are thawed, stir until blended and sugar is dissolved.
2. Refrigerate fruit juice mixture several hours or overnight.
3. Pour fruit juice mixture into a punch bowl, or can use any large bowl.
4. Just before serving, beat egg whites until stiff.
5. Into the fruit juice mixture in the bowl add daiquiri cocktail mix and club soda.
6. With wire whisk gently beat in egg whites. Add ice cubes.
7. Pour champagne into the bowl.
8. Serve, and enjoy!

Next Time: Popovers

South Florida Fair/Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Hi followers. I know it has been a very long time since I posted. I am back, possibly on an alternate week posting basis, as I will be getting involved in a new business venture; more on that in the future for those of you who are interested.

After numerous years entering my baked goods and jams in the Sandwich County Fair of Sandwich, IL, I have now entered the Cooking Competition at the South Florida Fair yesterday.

I entered only a few items, not knowing what to expect as I found their rules to be vague compared to the Sandwich Fair. What I experienced when I got there is a smaller version, one that pits professionals against amateurs (the booklet sent to me identified 2 separate divisions, but when I got there no questioning was asked as to who was a professional or not.) In addition, my category entry, Pies, was also lumped into Cheesecakes. Well, folks, that to me is not the same at all. But nonetheless, I beat out a cheesecake, which came in third. The winner was a Florida Key Lime Pie. Now, when we were lining up to register I happened to see that pie the registrant was bringing in. From the looks of the very elaborate decorating on it I am guessing that she is a professional, not an amateur like myself. Now since my amateur pie won out over other amateur pies of different types (in the Sandwich Fair you are only competing for the same type of pie, and the winner competes against other winners in their respective type for Best in Show) the way I look at it is that had this been the Sandwich Fair my Pumpkin Pie would not only have been the winner of the Pumpkin Pie Category, but since I beat out other types of entries for pies this year, that equates to a Best in Show Rosette Ribbon.

So, while this may have been a Second Place Red Ribbon in the South Florida Fair due to their overly broad judging categories, I am quite proud of it as to me it represents a Best In Show Rosette had it been Illinois' Sandwich Fair. There were other issues I had with the way the competition was handled here in Florida, but I shall get to them in another blog at another time.

One of the other issues I had I will tell you now, and that is that in order to enter an item you had to also submit your recipe, and give up your rights to it. Foul. For all I know, they could print the recipe in the upcoming issue of the Palm Beach Post for all to have, or worse yet, sell it to professionals (I doubt the latter, but you never know.) So, I shall beat them to it and provide you all with my most beloved recipe (or so I am told), for...Dori's Pumpkin Pie. Please note that I shall not be sharing the crust part of the recipe, just the filling. So, here goes...

Dori's Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:
1 unbaked 9" pie shell
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cup cooked pumpkin puree
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. allspice
slightly less than 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. King Arthur brand flour
1 cup Carnation evaporated milk
1 tbs. water
1/2 tsp. Nielsen-Massey brand pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Combine and mix all ingredients.
Pour into pie shell.
Bake for 45 min.

Delicious served with homemade whipped cream.

Next Time: The Holiday Punch recipe I promised you awhile back.