Friday's Favorite Farm Recipe

This week's Favorite Farm Recipe was by far the most popular chocolate at the Friends of the Elkader Public Library Chocolate Fest this past December.   Diane, this weeks contributor, was not sure how well the recipe turned but thought she should bring it to the Chocolate Fest just in case we needed extra chocolates.  Boy, was she in for a surprise - it was the hit of the Chocolate Fest!

Diane has been a farm wife since 1958.  Diane and her husband Roger were high school sweethearts.  They were married in 1956.  Diane said that their intended marriage caused quite a stir in the area as she was not yet done with high school.  They had to go before the school board of all things to get permission to marry!  Diane and Roger heard more than once that their marriage would never last.  But, 56 years later I think they are going to make it. 

For two years Diane and Roger lived in Rhode Island, while Roger served in the Navy.  Then, they moved to Roger's home farm in Clayton County, and were dairy farmers for the next 40 years.  (Roger's grandfather bought the farm in 1908.)  They raised Holsteins, hogs and two sons.  Today, they have grandchildren spread from here to Colorado, and two great grandchildren.  Diane and Roger have enjoyed traveling over the years.  They have been to every state and beyond.  Diane also enjoys gardening, genealogy, and researching Clayton County history as well as the history of Clayton Center.  Yep, you guest it - Clayton Center is in the center of Clayton County! 

Diane looking over records in the Genealogy section
of the Library.

The Clayton County Genealogy Society has been very active over the years. The Elkader Library holds a wide variety of family histories, cemetery records, a collection of Geneaolgy records for Mallory Township, histories of schools in Clayton County, platt maps from various time periods, a surname cardfile for easy indexing of birth, death and marriage notices in the local paper and microfilm of the local newspaper from 1853 to 2002. The library also has a microfilm reader/printer and a digital microfilm reader that is capable of saving files to flash drives, camera memory cards and printing to a laser printer.

So, with no further adieu here is the Snickers Bars recipe that had everyone oooing and aaahhhing at the Elkader Jail House Inn in December.

                                            Snickers Bars

     1 cup milk chocolate chips                                4 Tbsp butter
     1 Tbsp shortening *                                           1 cup chopped peanuts
     14 oz caramels                                                   1 cup milk chocolate chips
     2 Tbsp water                                                      1 Tbsp shortening *

Melt in microwave 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 Tbsp shortening.  Spread in a foil-lined 8X8 inch pan and chill for 15 minutes.  Melt caramels, water and butter; pour over first layer.  Add peanuts on top of second layer.  Melt 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 Tbsp shortening; pour over other layers.  Let candy firm up in pan.  Remove from foil and cut into 1 inch squares.  Enjoy!
*Diane uses Crisco shortening

Diane and Peggy (another Friend of the Library) busy
working during the Chocolate Fest

Diane, thank you for sharing your recipe and part of your history with us!

Chocolate Fest!

Last Saturday, our Friends of the Elkader Public Library group held our 4th annual chocolate festival.  This year it was at the Elkader Jail House Inn.   From 1870 to 2006 this building was the Clayton County Sheriffs Department and Jail.  Then, in 2007, Tim and Julie started renovating the building and after a lot of hard work the Elkader Jail House opened in 2008.  Their website http://elkaderjailhouseinn.com has lots of before and after pictures as well as some history of the building. 

The Inn is amazing.  Julie has it decorated for holiday season - just stepping into the foyer put me in the Christmas spirit.  My pictures do not do justice to the Jail House but you will get the idea.  I have sprinkled a few of my chocolate recipes in here as well.  Enjoy!

This is the second year for making this recipe.  It is back by popular demand.  It is so easy even Son #1 likes to make it.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Swirl Candy

      2 Bars Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate

      2 Bars Ghirardelli White Chocolate

      1/2 tsp Coarse Sea Salt

      1 cup Pecans chopped

       Preheat oven to 225F.   Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper.  Break the chocolate bars into squares and lay on parchment paper in a checker board pattern.  Put pan into oven just long enough to melt the chocolate.  It takes about 7 minutes.  The white chocolate scorches very easily to watch carefully.  Use a table knife to swirl the chocolate together.  Sprinkle the sea salt across the chocolate.  Then sprinkle with nuts.  Put in refrigerator to cool and harden for at least 1 hour.  Break into pieces and enjoy.  

Dave played piano during the entire Chocolate Fest
 and even as the Friends cleaned up!

We had a great turn out of public support for this event.  This is one of the biggest fund raisers the Friends do during the year.  Many of the Friends went above and beyond the call for chocolate this year. 

Peggy & Diane filling up the trays for the crowd of
chocolholics.

Truffles

This recipe has become an old standby for me at Christmas as well as Valentine's Day.  It's easy and very flexible so you can take some creative license with it.

      12 oz package Chocolate Chips melted

      1 can Sweetened & Condensed Milk

      Dash of Salt

      1 Tblsp Instant Coffee

      2 Tblsp Kahlua

Mix all ingredients together well.  Refrigerate.  Spray hand lightly with Pam.  Shape into balls and roll in a mixture of equal parts baking cocoa and powdered sugar. 

To switch it up sometimes I use dark chocolate chips and cocoa powder.  Rolling the balls in chopped nuts is also yummy.

If those two recipes don't put you in chocolate overload here is one more.

Coffee & Cinnamon Fudge

3 cups Semi -sweet Chocolate Chips

1 can Sweetened & Condensed Milk

Dash of Salt

1 Tblsp Instant Coffee

1 tsp Hot Water

1 tsp Vanilla

1 Tblsp Cinnamon

Line a 9X9 inch square pan with parchment paper.  Melt chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt in a heavy saucepan over low heat.  Remove from heat.  Dissolve coffee in hot water.  Add coffee, vanilla and cinnamon to chocolate mixture, stirring til smooth.  Spread evenly into prepared pan.

Chill 2 hours or until firm.  Lift fudge out of pan.  Peel off paper and cut into squares. 

A big Thank You to Tim and Julie for graciously allowing The Friends to use their Inn for our fund raiser.  And, another big thank you to all of the chocolate lovers who made their way to the Chocolate Fest on such a cold, rainy day.  The money raised is going towards the purchase of more resources for the library. 

Have a Great Weekend!