Melody Foods & Recipes
Raisin Fudge

2 tb Butter or butter substitute

2 c Sugar

1/4 c Molasses

1/2 c Evaporated milk

2 Squares chocolate

2 tb Raisins

1/2 c Chopped nuts

1 ts Vanilla

Melt butter; add sugar, milk, molasses, and chocolate.
Heat gently and stir until chocolate is melted.
Bring to the boiling point and boil to soft ball stage (234 - 238 F).
Remove from fire. Cool to room temperature.
Beat until creamy.
Add raisins, nuts, and flavoring.
Continue beating until mixture will hold its shape.
Pour into well-buttered pan.
Cut in squares.
Mrs.
H.J.T., Tulsa, OK.

Cardamom Fudge ( Sheer Payra)

2 c Sugar

2/3 c Milk

1/4 ts Salt

2 tb Light corn syrup

2 tb Margarine or butter

1/2 ts Ground cardamom

1/4 c Chopped walnuts

1/4 c Chopped pistachios

Cook sugar, milk, salt and corn syrup in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved.
Cook, stirring occasionally, to 240F on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms soft ball that flattens when removed from water.
Remove from heat.
Add margarine. Cool mixture to 120F without stirring.
(Bottom of pan will be lukewarm.) Add cardamom.
Beat vigorously and continuously until candy is thick and no longer glossy, 5 to 10 minutes.
(Mixture will hold its shape when dropped from spoon.) Quickly stir in nuts. Spread mixture in buttered 9×5x3-inch loaf pan.
Let stand until firm.
Cut into 1-inch squares.

Shereen Polo I (Almond, Carrot, Orange Pilau)

——————————–SUGAR SYRUP——————————–
1/2 ts Sugar

1/2 ts Whole saffron

1/4 ts Ground cardamom

2 tb Oil

3 c Carrots, julienned

1/2 c Dried orange peel slivers

Water, boiling 1/2 c Water

1/2 c Almonds, blanched, slivered

2 tb Rose water, or to taste

3 tb Shelled pistachios

——————————RICE WITH TADIQ——————————
2 c Raw rice, well rinsed

1 ts Salt

4 c Water, hot

5 tb Oil

1/4 ts Ground turmeric

2 tb Water

1.
Grind the 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and the whole saffron together,

using a mortar and pestle, until they are quite fine.
Add the cardamom and grind everything together smoothly.
Set aside.
2.
Heat the oil in a pan, add the carrots, and stir-fry over low heat for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently to brown them slightly.
Set aside in the pan.
3.
Cover the orange peel with boiling water for 2 minutes.
Drain and set aside.
4.
Put the 1 cup of sugar and the 1/2 cup of water in a pan and simmer over moderate heat for 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
Add the almonds, cooked carrots, and orange peel and continue cooking for 2 minutes more.
5.
Remove the melange from the heat and stir in the rose water, pistachios, and the saffron mixture.
Set aside.
6.
To prepare the rice, cover it with cold water and salt; let it soak for 1/2 hour.
Pour off nearly all the lightly salted water, leaving about 1/2 cup.
Bring the 4 cups of water to a boil over moderate heat, and add the rice and remaining liquid.
Cook for 8 minutes, drain, and rinse under cold water.
Drain and set aside briefly.
7.
Put 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large enough pan with the turmeric.
Shake the pan briskly to mix.
Pour in the rice to cover the oil and shape the top into a pyramid.
Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
8. Uncover and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of water over the rice.
Cover the pan with a cloth kitchen towel and the pan cover.
Cook over very low heat for 1/2 hour to allow the rice crisp (tadiq) to form.
Some cooks let the tadiq form by cooking for 1 hour but the lesser time seems to work. Serve the rice on a platter, decorated around the top with pieces of tadiq, which must be scooped from the pan bottom.
The warm sugar syrup melange is served separately.
Each diner spreads as much melange as he or she wants over the rice.
Serve warm with the chicken stew (Albaloo Polo)

Apple Baklava

6 Golden Delicious apples

6 Granny Smith apples

2 tb Unsalted butter

6 tb Sugar

1/2 ts Cinnamon

Nut Mixture: 2 1/2 c Walnuts, chopped

1/2 c Sugar

1/2 ts Grated lemon peel

1/2 ts Cinnamon

24 Sheets phyllo dough

1/2 c Unsalted butter, melted

2 tb Plain dry bread crumbs

2 tb Honey

Prep time: 1 hour plus cooling Baking time: 35 to 40 minutes Apples give a distinctive twist to this traditional Greek dessert. Sauteing them first to let the water evaporate ensures a crisp crust.
APPLE LAYER: Peel and slice apples.
Melt butter in Dutch oven over high heat.
Add apples, sugar and cinnamon; cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender and juices are evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool.
NUT MIXTURE: Combine all ingredients in small bowl.
Preheat oven to 400^F.
Trim phyllo sheets to 13×9-inch rectangles; cover with plastic wrap.
Brush 13×9-inch metal baking

pan with butter.
Place 1 phyllo sheet in pan and brush with some of the melted butter (keep remaining phyllo covered).
Layer 5 more phyllo sheets on top, brushing each with butter.
Spread 2 cups nut mixture on top and repeat layering with 6 more phyllo sheets and butter.
Spread apple mixture on top; repeat layering with 6 more phyllo sheets and butter.
Sprinkle remaining nut mixture on top; sprinkle with bread crumbs and layer with the 6 remaining phyllo sheets and butter.
With sharp knife, cut lengthwise

through pastry and filling into 1 1/2 inch-wide strips, then cut diagonally at 2-inch intervals to make diamonds.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden.
Drizzle honey on top and bake 5 minutes more.
Cool in pan on wire rack.
Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped or ice cream.
Makes 12 servings.

Vinegar Taffy

1 c Sugar

1/2 c Water

1/4 c Light corn syrup

1/2 ts Salt

2 tb Vinegar

1 ts Vanilla or other flavoring

-such as orange or lemon, or -use: 1/2 ts Peppermint or:

1 oz Bitter chocolate, grated

From Grandma Ruby’s recipe file: newspaper clipping Cook sugar, water, corn syrup, salt and vinegar until a few drops of the mixture will make a hard ball in cold water, 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Pour onto a greased dish or platter, sprinkle flavoring over top and turn the outer edges of the candy in toward the center until cool and firm enough to handle.
Best results are obtained in pulling if the tips of the thumbs and fingers are dipped in cornstarch or fat.
Use only the fingertips to pull taffy. When mixture can be handled, take up and pull out with both hands. Fold over and pull out again.
As the mixture becomes cooler and the longer it is pulled, it will become stiffer and can be pulled out in a longer strand.
Pull until it is difficult to pull out and the mixture seems quite firm.
Pull into long thin strips and cut immediately with greased scissors and roll each piece in powdered sugar or wrap in wax paper.
Store cooled taffy in an air tight container in a cool dry place.
If the taffy sugars, it can be recooked by putting it in a pan with 2 Tablespoons corn syrup and 1/4 cup water.
Stir until dissolved and then recook according to original directions.
Finely chopped nuts or fruit, as well as other flavorings, are added as the taffy is being pulled.
I wish I had a date for this…I’d say recipe is at _least_ 30 years old…possibly 40, maybe even more…
This is a lesson to all of you to date your recipes, including newspaper clippings! From Florence “Ruby” Williams’ files.
Valerie Whittle

Sesame Honey Sticks Pastelle

Karen Mintzias 1 c Sesame seeds

1 c Honey

Spread the sesame seeds on a pan and toast in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes.
Bring honey to a boil.
Add seeds and continue cooking on medium heat to 280 F (light crack reading). Watch it carefully, it burns quickly.
Pour into buttered pan, and flatten with spatula to 1/2″ thickness.
Score into 2″ pieces while hot.
Allow to cool.
Store in plastic bag.
From: “The Complete Greek Cookbook” by Theresa Karas Yianilos.
Avenel Books, New York.
Typed for you by Karen Mintzias

Popcorn Surprises

8 c Popped corn

1 c Sugar

1/3 c Light corn syrup

1/3 c Hot water

1/8 ts Salt

1/2 ts Vanilla

1 lb Chocolate coating

Measure popped corn into a large bowl.
In a small saucepan, combine sugar, syrup, water, and salt.
Cover tightly and bring to a rolling boil.
Remove lid and add thermometer.
Cook to 270 degrees; remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Pour cooked syrup over the popped corn, stirring to coat corn.
Cool completely, then run through a food chopper.
Melt chocolate coating in top of double boiler.
Stir ground popcorn into chocolate, using as much popcorn as the chocolate will hold.
Pack into chocolate lined molds or roll out between waxed paper and cut into shapes with cookie cutters or knives.
Makes about 50 pieces.
Recipe from:Ideals Candy Cookbook by Mildred Brand Copyright-MCMLXXIX By Mildred Brand, Milwaukee, Wis. 53201

Fig Squares

1 c Figs

1/3 c Crystallized ginger

1 c Powdered sugar

2 tb Lemon juice

1 c Toasted coconut

1/4 ts Salt

3/4 c Nuts

Combine figs, nuts, salt, and ginger.
Put through food chopper using medium knife.
Add lemon juice.
Knead into a paste on a board dredged with powdered sugar.
Roll thin.
Cut in 1-inch squares.
Put together in layers of three, sprinkling the coconut between the layers.
Mrs.
R.F.
Higginbotham, Covington, OK.

Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge

3 c Sugar

1 c Evaporated milk

1/8 ts Salt

1 lb Peanut butter

1/2 lb Marshmallow fluff

1 tb Butter

2 ts Vanilla

Combine sugar, milk and salt in saucepan.
Cook over medium heat until mixture reaches soft ball stage.
Remove from heat; add peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, butter and vanilla.
Stir until ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Pour into large cake pan to cool.

Rich Chocolate Caramels

1 c Granulated sugar

1 c Brown sugar; packed

1/2 c Corn syrup

1/2 c Half-and-half

2 Sq.
unsweetened chocolate;

-1 oz each 2 tb Butter or margarine;

-cut in pieces 1 ts Vanilla

Place sugars, corn syrup, half-and-half and chocolate in large heavy saucepan.
Bring to boil, stirring to melt chocolate and dissolve sugar.
Reduce heat to moderate and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until syrup reaches 248F on candy thermometer (firm-ball stage).
Remove from heat.
Quickly stir in butter and vanilla just until blended and butter melts.
Pour into well-greased 8×8x2″ pan.
Cool; cut in small squares.
If desired, top each square with pecan half or almond slivers.
Wrap individually in plastic wrap or foil.
Store in cool, dry place. Makes about 1-1/2 pounds.