Christmas Candy & Carols

What's Christmas without fudge? Most people don't realize how easily this December indulgence can be made, and below we present two recipes so fast and foolproof you may be whipping up batches throughout the year.


QUICK WALNUT PANOCHA

1/2 cup butter, melted / 1 cup brown sugar / 1/4 cup WHOLE milk / 1 3/4 - 2 cups powdered sugar / 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1. Add brown sugar to melted butter in a saucepan and cook over low heat for 2 minutes.
2. Add milk and stir until mixture reaches a boil. Remove from heat and cool.
3. Gradually add powdered sugar until the mixture reaches a fudge-like consistency.
4. Add walnuts, stir well and spread in a buttered 8 X 8 pan. Chill.
   

CREAM CHEESE CHOCOLATE FUDGE

3 oz. cream cheese, softened / 1 Lb. powdered sugar / 3 T. water / 1 t. vanilla / 3 1-oz. squares unsweetened baker's chocolate, melted / 1 cup chopped pecans or hazelnuts

1. Combine cream cheese, sugar, water and vanilla and stir until very smooth.
2. Quickly, stir in melted chocolate and nuts.
3. Spread 1 inch thick in a buttered pan and chill thoroughly.

Always willing to offer an opinion on what you should be playing at your next gathering, Cafe Drake is recommending two album re-issues for the Christmas season - Stevie Wonder's uber-classic Someday at Christmas, filled with classics and original tunes, and the truly inspirational 1974 release, Christmas with Julie, a collaboration between Julie Andrews and Andre Previn. Both are nostalgic yet ageless and perfect for holiday brunches and dinners. Hip kids will no doubt enjoy Aimee Mann's new CD One More Drifter in the Snow and Sufjan Stevens' three-disc surprise seasonal drop Songs for Christmas. Test driving tunes for a New Year's Eve gala? Once again we refer you to the priceless www.samurai.fm and their ready-to-go streaming mixes; especially fierce new uploads include Lindstrom live from Oslo and the retro stylings of Todd Terje live in Fukuoka.