At the close of 2020, may I share a blessing with you? Over the course of this year—The Year of the Great Coronavirus Pandemic (as I call it)—the Aaronic Blessing has been on my heart pretty much every day:
This ancient benediction has been used for over 3,500 years to proclaim God’s blessing over his children.
It was given first by God to Moses for the High Priest, Aaron, and his descendants as they ministered to the children of Israel.
However, we learn from Romans 11 that even Gentiles (like me for sure, and possibly you too?) who believe can become “children of Abraham” and be grafted into the family of God through faith: “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7).
We learn from Hebrews 7:24-28 that Jesus has become the great high priest for the entire world: “But he [Jesus] holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.”
Not long ago, a song called “The Blessing,” which is rooted in this ancient Aaronic benediction, was written and has become popular at many churches, including our own and our son Dan’s church, where he’s used it in leading worship. Alan and I often play it together at home during our own times of worship, too.
“The Blessing” has become precious to our family over the course of this year. In fact, even our youngest grandson, at 18-months, sings along on the “Amens!” I thought it might make the perfect way to end this tumultuous year as we look forward with hope to the dawn of 2021. God will bless his children! It is my prayer that you are one of them—or will choose to become one of them tonight by surrendering your heart to God’s love and forgiveness through faith in His Son, Jesus: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
Ready for a few brain teasers to exercise your brain over this break? A friend sent this to me, and I think it’s clever. It’s called “lateral thinking.”
Scroll down slowly and see if you can figure out the answers:
man 1. ———— board
Ans. = man overboard
Okay, let’s see if you’ve got the hang of it.
stand 2. ———— i
Ans. = I understand
OK. Got the drift?
Let’s try a few now and see how you fare!
3. /r/e/a/d/i/n/g/
Ans. = reading between the lines
4. r road a d
Ans. = cross road Having a good day solving riddles yet?
5. cycle cycle cycle
Ans. = tricycle I actually got this one, but they’re not easy to figure out, are they? How about this:
0 6. ———— M.D. Ph.D.
Ans. = two degrees below zero
I didn’t get that one at all!
7. knee light
Ans. = neon light (knee – on – light )
You might get this next one (at least I did):
ground 8. ————— feet feet feet feet feet feet
Ans. = six feet underground
How are you doing? Probably better than I did!
9. He’s X himself
Ans. = he’s by himself
Did you figure it out? I didn’t, although it made sense once I looked!
How about this one?
10. ecnalg
Ans. = backward glance
Not even close !!
And this next one is really fun – – –
11. abababababababababababababababababababab…
Ans. = long time no ‘C’
Okay, last one!
12. death ……. life
Ans. = life after death
I loved this one!
By the way, did you know you can have life after death?
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
I’m wondering how many of us would recognize Jesus if we sat down to dinner with him, or sat next to him on a transcontinental flight, or observed him working as a carpenter in our neighborhood. Or, is he just a perfect stranger to you? Jefferson Moore has experimented with this theme in a series of movies Alan and I have enjoyed with great interest over the past few weeks.
In the first movie, a frustrated young female attorney (Nikki) is invited to meet “Jesus” for dinner at her favorite restaurant. Intrigued but skeptical, she accepts the invitation and has dinner with “The Perfect Stranger” who can answer her questions about life and knows so much about her that . . . well, what do you think?
Does she believe him? Does she believe in Him? What happens as a result of their meeting? Alan and I were especially taken by the sensitive way in which the interchanges and actions reflected how Jesus probably did interact with women while he was on earth.
The second movie takes up the story ten years later when Nikki’s daughter, Sarah, flies out to Portland to check out an art program and meets Another Perfect Stranger. Sarah—in the process of trying to distance herself from her parents and her spiritual roots—has the bad “luck” of sitting between two men, one intent on evangelizing her and the other who seems to share her disapproval of religion. Over the course of the day (and two flights), Sarah learns a lot about herself, her family . . . and even this wise, seemingly perfect stranger who helps her look inside herself and find which way to turn at the spiritual crossroad in her life.
While researching this morning into information for this post, I’ve now discovered that there are more Jefferson Moore movies out there, including Nikki and the Perfect Stranger (2013, TV-PG, IMDb rating 7.5), which is the third in the Perfect Stranger trilogy. So, I’ve now got this one in my watch list and will look forward to learning more about the One who is perfectly both the Son of Man and the Son of God! I hope if you get the chance, you’ll take the opportunity soon to get better acquainted with Jesus, so that even if he’s a perfect stranger to you now, He will become your perfect Savior and dearest friend!
P.S.—The movies are thought-provoking and illuminating, but (as always) the only pure truth is found in the Bible: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ . . .Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:7,13).
As we end this year and start looking ahead to 2021, I can’t think of a more fitting way also to end this series of meditations on the life of Jesus—how he lived and the instructions he has given us in the Bible. In the last chapter of each of the three synoptic gospels, Jesus’s parting command to his disciples was to preach the gospel: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). What is “the gospel?” In Luke’s account, Jesus gives a simple explanation of what “the gospel” is: “that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations” (Luke 24: 4 6-47).
The account in Matthew, often known as “The Great Commission,” states it this way, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). This last passage, where Jesus tells us to teach others to observe “all that I have commanded you,” is what first inspired me to meditate through “The Commands of Christ” on my blog.
Finally, in the book of John, Jesus’s last command (given specifically to Peter) is very much the same, “Follow me!” (John 21:22). “Do as I do and teach others.” If you are part of a church that has any other agenda greater than that of sharing the gospel, may I encourage you to consider finding a different church for your spiritual fellowship in 2021? Why? Because even though healing the sick and feeding the poor are crucially important ministries, they are only secondary to reaching people with the spiritually life-giving message of the need for repentance for our sins and salvation through faith in Christ! There is no social, physical, or political agenda on earth that can compare in value to reaching people with the gospel.
How do I know? Because first and foremost, Jesus preached the gospel, lived the gospel, died for the sake of the gospel (for our salvation), and commissioned us to share this good news with the world around us. Not only did Christ command us to proclaim the gospel to the whole creation, but this is also exactly what he did! At the very beginning of his ministry, Jesus taught, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17) . . . “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15) . . . “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because he has anointed Me to preach the gospel” (Luke 4:18, NKJV). In the book of John, Jesus’s first command (invitation really) was to “Come and see” (John 1:39), but his first clear command is exactly the same as what Jesus told Peter at the very end of his earthly ministry, “Follow me!” (John 1:43).
If we believe that Jesus really is the Son of God and the Savior of the world . . . if we have personally repented of our sins and asked Jesus to be our Lord and Savior . . . then our first and foremost commission is to follow him . . . to do as he did . . . to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). Are we doing this? How can we do this?
God’s calling to discipleship and to proclaim the gospel is universal, but He helps us fulfill our calling in unique ways. He calls some to follow him across cultural boundaries, learn new languages, and struggle to understand people very different from themselves. However, all of us are called to be witnesses to those around us of what we have experienced of the love, grace, mercy, and power of God. What has He done for you? What is He doing for you? Can we share what we’ve experienced in our walk with God with those around us? Our family, friends, classmates, coworkers, and neighbors?
I heard one minister explain the Great Commission this way: “AS you are going . . .” Even if we aren’t called to go to another country, we all go here and there as the normal part of our lives, and wherever we go, Jesus wants us to share the Good News with those we meet. Jesus actually prohibited the healed mentally ill man from following Jesus across the sea, instructing him instead to “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you” (Mark 5:19).
As 2021 approaches, let’s spend a little time reflecting on what great things God has done for us this year. Has He provided for you and been faithful to you for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health? Has He loved and cherished you? God has never left me and has carried me through every trial. His mercies have indeed been new every day, and His compassion has never failed. Jesus is the “friend that sticks closer than a brother.” God has never turned me away when I prayed for grace and strength. He has been my rock. His Word has been a lamp to my feet. His Holy Spirit has been my guide and wise counselor. God is more wonderful than I can begin to explain . . . but I’ll keep trying, and I hope you do too!
Della Reese singing “God Is So Wonderful” at the Grand Old Opry (just prior to undergoing brain surgery)
Texts for this meditation (all from the English Standard Version): Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Mark 16:15, “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Luke 24:46-49, “And said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
(This is the song I was originally looking for . . . a song we often sang in our youth group during the 60s and 70s!)
What is your favorite type of cookie? I grew up in the 1950s with “Sugar” cookies: big, round white cookies with a hint of vanilla and sprinkled with sugar on top. I was such a fan that by the time I was three, my mother started letting me stir up a batch every once in a while and spoon them out onto a cookie sheet (although she put them in and out of the oven for me). When Alan and I got married in the 1970s chocolate chip cookies became our family gold standard, although sugar cookies had a revival after our son Daniel married Brianna in the early 2000s. Brianna is among the world’s VERY BEST cookie makers, and her sugar cookies are amazing, so I consulted with her and worked out a recipe that combines the best of both family’s tried-and-true steps to cookie paradise!
Sugar cookies are especially a family favorite when rolled out, shaped in festive designs, and frosted for Christmas. This past summer, our youngest married, and one of his new bride’s favorite Christmas traditions was making Christmas cookies as a group. So—of course—we wanted to honor this classic tradition (although we couldn’t actually have everybody overdue to COVID restrictions). 😦 We made these for Christmas, but hey—what’s not to love about frosted sugar cookies any time of the year?
Sugar Cookies work for all sorts of holidays! These were for Valentine’s Day
If you didn’t make cut-out cookies for Christmas, you can always shape them like hearts for Valentine’s Day or shamrocks for St. Patrick’s . . . or whatever for whenever!
Here’s a recipe so simple a young child can make it, but it’s still a classically delicious recipe for moist sugar cookies:
Sugar Cookies (Makes 3-4 dozen cookies, depending on size)
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine: 2 cups sugar 3 sticks (1.5 cups) softened butter 4 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla (cream together, then add): 5.5 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon salt
Beat together only until completely blended into a soft dough. The simplest way to make them is to drop them by large teaspoons onto a greased cookie sheet, but if you have the time and energy:
Flour your counter or tabletop and roll out the dough until it’s about 1/2 inch thick. (You’ll probably have to add more flour so that it’s not too sticky. Start with 1/4 cup on our counter when you set out your ball of dough, and add a little at a time as needed, but no more than needed, or your cookies will turn out a bit on the dry side.)
Press shapes into the dough.
With a spatula, carefully lift the cookies from the counter and place them on a greased baking sheet. Bake them in the oven for 6-8 minutes at 375°F (or until they start to turn a slight golden brown on the edges).
Remove immediately and cool for about 3-5 minutes until they’re firm enough to transfer to the countertop. Remove from the pans to the countertops and allow them to cool completely before trying to frost them.
Once they’re totally cooled, then you can frost and decorate to your heart’s contentment!
Our daughter-in-law recommended that we all bring various sprinkles and toppings to add to the festivities, which was a great idea!
Classic Buttercream Frosting: (frosts about 2-3 dozen cookies)
In a large mixing bowl, combine: 5 cups powdered sugar 1 stick (=1/2 cup) softened butter 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (a special touch from Brianna’s family; it’s good!) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 to 3/4 cups milk (start with half a cup and add more as needed to get it to your preferred consistency.
Beat until smooth and a bit on the stiff side. Separate into bowls and add (according to whatever colors you want): a few drops of food coloring or cocoa powder
Test the consistency. If it’s a bit too thin and runs off the cookies, add another tablespoon± of powdered sugar. If it’s too thick to spread easily, add a teaspoon± of milk.
Store with care after the cookies have had a chance for the frosting to dry. Use air-tight containers and use layers of waxed (or parchment) paper between the layers to keep them from getting crushed. You can also freeze them for a couple of hours before storing them. Like all baked goods, they taste better warm or at least room temperature, so make sure they’re fully defrosted before serving them. If the frosting will stand a touch in the microwave, we sometimes warm individual cookies for about 5-8 seconds, which makes them taste like they’re fresh out of the oven again.
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23).
It’s Christmas Eve, and whether you’re all alone or surrounded by family, my prayer for you is that you will experience the peace of knowing that “All is Well” because Jesus has come to earth to save us. Allow yourself the luxury of relaxing into the majesty of a miracle wrapped in mystery: “Emmanuel!” God with us! He is here. We are never alone! His desire is for us to commune with Him—to allow him to be our Lord and Savior—our God, our heavenly bridegroom, our brother, our eternally unfailing, ever-present companion who lives within us and walks beside us.
This is the One who listens to us and speaks to us. Jesus, born in “Bethlehem” (which means “House of Bread), born as the “Bread of Life”. . . this Jesus invites us to open the door of our heart and allow him in, where we can feast with him and become one with Him and with His Father, our eternal God. Will you take time to contemplate Jesus tonight? Born to save. Died to save. Lives to save! Allelujah!
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)
How was your year? Nothing like any of us expected, I’ll bet! Nevertheless, I have nothing but gratitude in my heart to God for all the blessings we’ve enjoyed. Alan and I both think we probably had mild cases of undiagnosed COVID last March (lasted 6 weeks but was never so serious we needed medical attention), but we’ve been healthy since, and none of our 13 children and 19 grandchildren have been diagnosed with COVID either.
Besides having to abandon all travel plans—the hardest being barred from Belgium so we couldn’t help out with the birth of a new granddaughter—we’ve had a quiet but wonderful year.
Alan retired as of July 1 after 41 years of practicing medicine. I’d been praying for several years that he’d have a smooth landing, since coming down from working 50-60+ hours per week at high altitudes for many years could have caused quite a crash. Instead, I’ve been in awe of how happily he’s adjusted. I really believe it’s an answer to prayer as well as a silver lining in the ominous COVID cloud, since his last three months working remotely from home definitely eased the transition.
Alan now claims his occupation is groundskeeper and handyman, and I must say, he’s doing both most admirably!
The other biggest news is that our last-born got married at the end of summer. While we miss having him around the house, his delight in marriage and establishing his own home has been rewarding to watch. He continues to work as an associate editor at a local publishing house, and his bride is rebranding her birth photography business with her new last name. They’ve been enjoying lots of gardening, baking, house projects, spending time with their church community, and frequently dream of visiting Paris (when travel is safe again). They only live fifteen minutes away, so we still get to see them regularly.
Daniel celebrated 7 years of service with Exalta Health here in Grand Rapids, a clinic striving to reflect the spirit of Christ in its mission. Dan and Brianna have three children, and Brianna started homeschooling now that Sam is six. We have been overjoyed that they live just 20 minutes away! Daniel has been leading the music at Forest Hills Bible Chapel on a monthly basis and their whole family has also been participating with the youth ministry. Brianna has been more active in her photography business since September.
Jonathan was promoted to “Professor of Bible” at Moody in Chicago and keeps super busy lecturing, writing books, and working on his Aqueduct Project ministry. Jon’s latest book, Virtual Reality Church (https://www.amazon.com/Virtual-Reality-Church-Possibilities-Biblically/dp/080242080X/) traces how technology has been used to share the Gospel over the course of modern history and is full of practical considerations for how to develop an online ministry. Gerlinde is homeschooling their three girls with some added “Greenhouse” private schooling one day a week. They’ve been especially kind in coming to visit us, and we’re blessed to have them for Christmas! If for any reason you have time to pursue prayer, Jon is teaching a free online class starting January 7, 2021. More information can be found here if you might have any interest in joining us: https://kathrynwarmstrong.wordpress.com/2020/12/08/come-pray-with-me/
Michael was promoted to Lt. Colonel this summer and has been serving in Belgium for the past three years, although rumor has it that he may be stationed in America next—which would be a great blessing to us after having them living all over the world for the past four assignments. Grace was homeschooling but then put the kids in Belgian schools so they could learn French (and now Dutch too)! They welcomed their sixth child into the world this summer, a beautiful baby girl who is all pink, frills, and smiles. The kids also have laying hens and a faithful dog, Rocco, who (rumor has it) is really an undercover detective (according to their Uncle Joel’s keen literary imagination).
Aaron was also promoted this summer and is now a senior manager at LinkedIn. His wife, Carlie, has been faithfully homeschooling their four sons but still makes a little time to paint and blog, help the boys stay involved in Boy Scouts and their church youth group, etc. Although she’s been one of the original homeschooling moms, I’m sure it gets ever more challenging as her oldest is now a teen! I have been in awe of our daughter and daughters-in-law who have self-sacrificially homeschooled to make life more stable for their children during these tumultuous COVID times. As one who homeschooled my own children (and loved it), I feel that this unforeseen turn of events is another bright silver lining in the dark clouds of COVID that have enshrouded our world during 2020.
Zoom meeting with some fellow members of my Blue Water Writers’ Group
I had a left hip replacement last October which is healing well. I continue to blog my heart out here on Summer Setting, and my hope is that within a few years I might be ready to produce a worthy daily devotional. My heart is to lift up Jesus and bring glory to God. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will be so present in my writing that people will be drawn to Christ and encouraged on their spiritual journeys.
So, that’s our family, and that’s our year. I have already heard from some of you, but I’d love to hear from all of you! How are you doing? What are you doing for Christmas? How can I pray for you? Please feel free to add a comment below or write me at: kathrynwarmstrong@gmail.com.
Merry Christmas, and may God bless you on your pilgrimage,
Kathi
Prophesied of Jesus 700 years before he was born: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Christmas is probably the most celebrated holiday in the world, and billions of people join in the festivities, often traveling long distances, since “there’s no place like home for the holidays!” In America, even people who don’t believe in God often celebrate the Christmas holiday, complete with time off from work and school, special meals, exchanging gifts, 24/7 Christmas music on the radio, and decorating Christmas trees. It’s a time for walking through a winter wonderland and watching Mommy kissing Santa Claus underneath the mistletoe.
Among believers, the celebrations focus more on the wonder of God sending the love gift of his uniquely begotten son into the world to save us from our sins and bring peace and goodwill to earth. Baby Jesus in the manger and the wisemen bringing gifts. Still, most of us enjoy a 50-75% cross-section with our culturally-only Christian friends and neighbors. At my house, a Christmas tree is up and some of our kids are home for the holidays! (Of course, not many due to COVID restrictions this year.)
Doubting Thomas by Rembrandt (Public Domain)
Rejoicing and celebrating is fine, but I hope we don’t lose the true meaning of Christmas in a swirl of pageantry and twinkling lights. Jesus never commanded us to commemorate his birth . . . nor does he ever mention wishing we would! In fact, we really don’t know the exact day on which Jesus was born. But, as I come to the end of meditating my way through the Gospels to consider what Jesus did state as imperatives, this one really stood out to me: “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:39).
The Doubting Thomas by Leendert van der Cooghen, 1654. (Public Domain)
Why did Jesus want his disciples to see and even touch his wounds? Because he wanted us to understand that he was not just a spirit, he was also a real person. The Christmas “story” is not some make-believe, feel-good myth like Santa Claus. The “Spirit of Christmas” is not simply the generalized mood of peace and goodwill that most of us feel. Jesus Christ was a real person who lived and died in time and space, just like you and me, and our parents and grandparents. In a hundred years, it may be that nobody knows we ever existed, and people may deny that there ever was a Kathryn Armstrong, but that doesn’t nullify the fact. There is a Kathryn Armstrong alive and well today, and there is a YOU alive (and hopefully well) today.
There was also a Jesus Christ who was born around 2020 years ago, who lived and died by crucifixion, and who rose again from the dead. The disciples were amazed and confused when he appeared to them after his crucifixion, even though he had forewarned them that he would be crucified and raised after three days (which the religious leaders also knew, and which is the reason they set a guard to keep his dead body sealed in the tomb).
Why were the disciples surprised when Jesus rose from the dead? They probably couldn’t believe their own eyes! How could someone so brutally tortured and completely dead . . . who had been bound up in linen cloths and laid to rest in a sepulcher for three days . . . how could such a person come back to life? They must have thought they were seeing a ghost.
Roman spikes from around the time of Christ on display at the British Museum, London
But no! Jesus was not a ghost. After his resurrection, Jesus had a literal, physical, tangible, touchable body. Yes, he had been cruelly tortured and killed—and he had the scars to prove it—but he rose again from the dead, never to die again, and He is alive and well today!
We can not touch him today the way the disciples could 2000 years ago, but we can read the accounts in the Bible and learn from those who did have experiences with him, as the Apostle John writes at the beginning of his epistle: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life . . . declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:1,3).
Jesus is alive. He is here. He loves you! He wants you to believe in him and be saved. If you have never truly beheld his hands and feet bleeding from the spikes driven through them as he died on the cross for our sins, will you behold him today? Please, “Stop doubting and believe.” Read the Bible. Learn the true Christmas story: “Christ” + “mass;” it’s really the celebration of Christ’s sacrifice for us! If you’ve never read the Bible, try starting with the Book of John, who explained, “These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31).
“How Beautiful” by Twila Paris
Text for this meditation: Luke 24:39, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.“
(*Credit for first painting by Yongsung Kim, used by permission of Havenlight Ministries,
Here’s another “secret recipe” my mom learned from the confectioner in Colorado 85 years ago. This year (without a zillion kids around our house for Christmas) I realized that the basic recipe is about 2-4 times what anybody should be eating, since with all the added ingredients, you might be looking at 20 pounds of candy. On the other hand, if you’d like to be able to send out boxes of Christmas chocolates they do survive a week in the mail much better than cookies (if packed carefully), and they make AWESOME gift platters that (I think) taste even better than anything you can buy at the store. So, I’m going to give you the recipe as we made it last week, and as I learned it from my mother, but it can easily be cut down to a half or quarter.
There are many different types of chocolates, and I’ll touch on caramels and nut-based chocolates, but almost all creams or truffles can be made by adding something to a basic fondant. Here’s the base recipe:
In a large mixing bowl, combine: 4 pounds powdered sugar 1 pound butter (I cut it into pieces as I add it to the bowl)
Work into a dry “base” for your fondant. (I usually wash and dry my hands well and just start kneading). After you’ve added whatever else you want (see suggestions below), chill the fondant until firm and then shape the chocolates and set them on baking sheets lined with waxed paper to chill again until they’re dipped in chocolate.
Melting chocolate (Don’t worry about bubbles, but you don’t want any unmelted bits!)
Dip the chocolates in chocolate that has been prepared like this: 12 oz. chocolate chips (special dark, milk, or white; I ended up using 8 twelve-oz. bags of chocolate chips, each with 1 tablespoon of canola oil) 1 tablespoon Crisco (In truth, the original recipe called for paraffin [sealing wax that used to be used in canning, for candles, etc.]. Paraffin keeps the chocolate from getting spotty, but I never felt good about giving my kids something inedible, so I go with Crisco or canola oil. Apparently, paraffin is inert and should pass through the digestive tract without issues, but I’m suspicious!) Microwave for 2 minutes, then stir. If your microwave is already warm from previous use, this might be enough heat so you can stir the chips and make them melt. If not, microwave the bowl again for 1 minute and stir. You only want the chips hot enough so you can stir them into a smooth dipping solution. If you overheat it, the chocolate may get lumpy and will be especially prone to looking spotty within a few days.
Possibilities for your chocolates: In each case, take about one cup of fondant and add the extra ingredients, then mix well into a paste: 1. Vanilla cream: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon light cream (Whenever I say “cream” below, I mean light cream, or what we often call “half’n’half” in America, although I think you could also use heavy [whipping] cream too; it just might change the consistency so that you need a touch more cream.) 2. Chocolate cream: 1 tablespoon dark chocolate cocoa powder; 1/4 cup chocolate chips; 1.5 tablespoons light cream (obviously, there will be chunks of chocolate chips; that’s fine!) 3. Mints: 1/2 cup crushed peppermints and 2 tablespoons cream (or 1 teaspoon peppermint flavoring and 1 tablespoon cream) 4. Lemon: 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest (works for orange or lime the same way) plus 1 tablespoon water (do not add cream for citrus). If you don’t have fresh citrus, you can use 1/4 teaspoon of extract instead (which is true for maple and berries too. Extracts are much more potent, so experiment. If you think 1/4 teaspoon is too little, you can always add a tiny more until it suits your taste. Or, you might think 1/4 teaspoon is too much! It’s all in your palate, but if YOU like, your family probably will too! 5. Maple: 1 tablespoon maple syrup plus 1/8 teaspoon maple extract (or 1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring and 1 tablespoon cream) 6. Berry chocolates: 1 tablespoon mashed fresh berries, OR: 1 tablespoon of your favorite jam, OR: 1 tablespoon fruit flavoring (syrup), OR: and 1/8 teaspoon fruit edible essential oil and one tablespoon cream, OR: 1/4 teaspoon fruit extract/flavoring. (There are many ways to “skin this cat!” This recipe works great for strawberry, raspberry, blueberry or blackberry chocolates . . . and probably whatever type of fruit you want! Apricot jam, orange marmalade, peach preserves, etc.) 7. Peanut butter: 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar (My recipe for “Buckeyes,” which is pretty similar, is here: https://kathrynwarmstrong.wordpress.com/2018/12/15/truffles/ ) 8: Turtles (pecans and caramel; this recipe does not use fondant): My recipe is here: https://kathrynwarmstrong.wordpress.com/2016/12/17/homemade-chocolate-turtles-even-better-than-sees/ (This is one of my kids and grand kids very favorite!) 9. If you like caramels, you can just unwrap caramels from your favorite candy store and dip them in the melted chocolate/oil mixture. 10. Nut cups: take your favorite nuts (no fondant) and mix them with the melted chocolate/oil. Pour into tiny cups (Almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, and peanuts all work great); I typically make the nut cups last and just use up the last of the melted chocolate, but if your family really loves nut cups, give them their own 12-oz bag of chocolate! 11. Chocolate cherries: Roll a maraschino cherry in fondant (a little tricky because they get sticky) and refrigerate until very cold, then dip in the chocolate. I can’t make these very small, but people don’t seem to mind! 12. Toffee: My recipe is here: https://kathrynwarmstrong.wordpress.com/2017/12/02/chocolate-covered-sea-salt-pecan-toffee-if-you-love-sees/ If you want to be really decadent and make the toffees look like “chocolates,” cut them into smaller rectangles (before they harden completely) and dip them individually into the chocolate so they come out completely covered. 13. Coconut: 1/2 cup shredded coconut and 2 tablespoons cream You can either roll these in coconut on the outside, or dip them in chocolate like the other chocolates. Or, dip them in chocolate and then sprinkle a tiny bit of shredded coconut on top. If they’re white (or you use melted white chocolate to dip them), then they’re “coconut snowballs!” If you want them to be like Almond Mounds, add 2 tablespoons of crushed almonds to the mix and a half an almond on top after they’ve been coated with chocolate. 14. Oreo truffles: 5 crushed oreos, 2 oz. creamed cheese, 2 teaspoons cream 15. ?? Got a favorite that I haven’t listed here? Make up your own version and please add it in the comment box below!!!
Top to bottom and left to right: Oreo cookie truffle; coconut, vanilla, chocolate, peppermint, and peanut butter
One of the most important tricks of the trade is in getting the consistency right, and what I gave you is a rough estimate (as accurate as I could, but still . . . ). Ideally, you want the mixture to be so soft it would be too hard to handle without chilling until it becomes cold and stiff. In the photo above, only the peanut butter fondant will be easy to work with, but the softer, creamier mixtures make for melt-in-your-mouth chocolates after they’re all finished. SO, when you stir in your added ingredients, you want to end up with a soft filling that’s almost the consistency of stiff frosting, but with enough powdered sugar so that after chilling completely, you can (if you work fast) roll the filling into balls and various shapes.
We tend to make different shapes for different types of chocolates so people can tell what they’re getting: flat, round peppermint patties, big round chocolate cherries, rectangular toffees, smaller round coconut snowballs. It helps if you can put a tiny something on top, like a bit of citrus peel to distinguish between lemon, lime, and orange. Chocolate and vanilla creams can be the same shape (like you see in professional chocolates) but add a bit of cocoa powder on top of the chocolate creams. Maple chocolates can be topped with a spot of brown sugar. Berry chocolates are harder, because fresh berries will degrade so you can’t put them on top. You can compensate by storing them separately and labeling them, or you can have a section for “assorted” berries. Professional chocolatiers also use tricks like various patterns and colors of chocolate added (stripes, swirls, etc.) but I’ve never gotten that fancy! If your family likes white chocolate, you can use that to differentiate, although I have some kids who don’t like white chocolate, so I stick with milk or dark chocolate. There’s a subtle but definite visual difference between light and dark chocolate, so if your family likes both, you can (for example) try dipping all the strawberry chocolates in dark chocolate and all the raspberry chocolates in milk chocolate. If you like frosting, you can always color code with a spot of frosting on top, but then you have to be very careful about how you store them, or the frosting will get squashed and look messy.
Turtle chocolates in the back and cashew nut chocolates in front
Normally, I wait until they’re completely chilled and dry to the touch (like overnight in a cool place), then store them in plastic or metal containers lined with waxed paper and with a lining of waxed paper between each layer. I don’t try to store them more than about 3 layers deep. Once packaged, they can be frozen for up to a month or refrigerated for a couple of weeks, but they always require care in handling them so they don’t get too warm and start to degrade. They do need to be served room temperature, however, so be sure to keep one platter out (covered with plastic wrap or something to keep the moisture locked in) or prepare a platter a few hours before serving (also wrapped in plastic) so that it’s room temperature. I kept one platter wrapped on our counter, and when it got low on a certain type of chocolate, I just pulled out more from the refrigerator to fill up the platter again.
If you leave your chocolates out on the counter for more than a day or so at room temperature, they may begin to develop some whitish spots and patterns due to oxidation. This does not effect the taste, but they don’t look as beautiful. So, if you have no room to store them properly, either make them close to the time you’re going to serve them, or be content to enjoy them with some funny-looking spots.
As you might guess, this is a labor of love, and you might want to make your candy making into a family affair, which is really only fair, since your entire family will enjoy the profits! Think of it this way: for a fraction of the cost and exponentially more fun you’ll have dozens of wonderful, fresh homemade chocolates! So what if your kitchen gets messed up?! Your kids and grandchildren will never forget how much fun they had working with you in the kitchen. Much more for much less!
Team work on making oreo truffles
We divided into teams of one adult and one small child. Our grandchildren were in charge of dropping the chocolates into the melted chocolate at the right time and for adding little identifying bits of crushed oreos, cocoa, coconut (or whatever). My kids did the actual dipping and placing them on the trays. It worked great and really minimized the mess! 🙂
“I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation” (Psalm 13:5).
Looking for something exciting but inspirational to watch over the Christmas holidays? Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye is probably my all-time favorite detective series. It’s highly rated (7.2 on IMDb), family friendly (TV-PG), clean, funny, scary (not for little guys, because they deal with real crime issues), and best of all, it’s based (loosely) on the true-life experiences of Sue Thomas, who was the first deaf person to ever be hired by the F.B.I. as an undercover specialist.
Sue Thomas, F.B. Eye is jam-packed with action as a team of outstanding F.B.I. agents fight crime, but it’s also full of lighthearted moments between team members, and every episode also has a warm, personal angle where the agents are involved in helping someone.
Now, it’s entirely possible that you’ve already watched the series, as it came out in 2002-2005, including 56 episodes. (If so, you might want to skip most of what I’m going to write, but you still might want to scroll down to the bottom and enjoy the link that tells more of the life story of the true Sue Thomas.)
The real Sue Thomas was born in 1950 and is just my age! She was born able to hear but became profoundly deaf at 18 months for no known reason. Despite incredible challenges, she learned to play the piano, became the youngest Ohio State Champion free-style skater when she was only seven, and graduated from college with a degree in political science and international affairs.
Sue landed a job working for the F.B.I. identifying fingerprints but before long she was allowed to work undercover. In the TV-series, Sue Thomas’s role is played by Deanne Bray, who is also deaf!
Yannick Bisson plays the role of Jack Hudson, who was the real F.B.I. agent who took a chance on training Sue to join his undercover surveillance team.
And, Sue Thomas really did have a lovable “hearing” dog to help her with her work!
Between COVID and my recent hip surgery, I’ve been watching more videos than ever. Alan and I are now watching our third season, and so far I haven’t found myself disappointed even once!
I think no matter who you are, if you like detective shows, you’ll really enjoy Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye. However, if you are deaf, or know someone who’s deaf, I think this series is especially educational and inspirational. (Sue also wrote her autobiography, Silent Night, in 1990. I haven’t read it but am guessing it would be exceptional reading.)
Summer Setting 