Valerie Malmont: Death, Snow, and Mistletoe

1 cup soft butter ½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1¾ cups sifted flour ½ cup each finely chopped almonds and pecans ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup confectioner's sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter; gradually beat in ½ cup sugar. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, sifted flour, nuts, and salt. Chill well.

Shape into crescents, using ½ tablespoon dough for each, and place on greased cookie sheets. Heat oven to 300 degrees and bake for 25 to 28 minutes. Allow cookies to cool about 10 minutes. Roll in 1 cup confectioner's sugar to which 1 teaspoon of vanilla has been added.

Makes about 3½ dozen.

1 lb. candied pineapple ½ lb. candied cherries 1 lb. pitted dates 1 lb. chopped figs 1 lb. chopped pecans (in large pieces) ½ cup white granulated sugar 1 cup water 2 tablespoons white corn syrup 3.tablespoons lemon juice ½ cup port wine or sherry 4 cups sifted flour 1½ teaspoons cinnamon 1 tablespoon each of allspice, cloves, and baking soda 2 teaspoons salt 1 lb. butter 1½ cups brown sugar 1½ cups white sugar 12 eggs ½ cup light molasses

Chop fruit and nuts and place in a glass bowl. Make a medium syrup by heating ½ cup white sugar and 1 cup water to boiling point and simmer for 5 minutes. To the cooled syrup, add white corn syrup, lemon juice, and sherry (or port wine). Pour over the fruit and nuts. Let sit for several days in refrigerator, stirring often with wooden spoon.

Line three or four loaf pans (4½″ × 8½″) or one angel food cake pan with brown paper. Grease and flour center post of the angel food pan.

Sift flour, measure, and resift with spices, baking soda, and salt. Cream together butter, sugar, eggs, and molasses. Dust fruit and nuts with about ¾ to 1 cup flour mixture to prevent settling to bottom of pan. Add remaining flour mixture to creamed sugar mixture. Combine with nuts and fruit. Put in pan(s). Place pan(s) in a large baking pan containing ¼ inch water. Pat top of cake(s) with milk to make a film. Heat oven to 250 degrees and bake for two to three hours. (You may have to add more water to the large baking pan during baking process.) Test with straw for doneness. If bottom of cake seems too moist, then remove pan from water and place directly on rack for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven, cool, then invert to remove from pan(s). If cake doesn't come out of pan, run a long knife around the sides and the center post and turn upside down for awhile.

Wrap in cheesecloth that has been soaked in brandy or rum. Place slices of a large Delicious apple on top of the cake. Wrap the whole thing in aluminum foil and store it for awhile.

VALERIE S. MALMONT grew up on Okinawa, Japan, studied anthropology at the University of New Mexico, and library science at the University of Washington. She now lives in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.