Rum Balls

This recipe is from Aunt Nancy's cookbook. Actually she was my Great-grandmother's sister, so that means she was a great-grand aunt.  I never knew Aunt Nancy Bouffard, she died back in 1957. Born Nancy Osborn in 1897, she was one of 17 children in a blended family. She kept a little recipe book that I now have. When I can decipher her writing I'll post a few recipes here.

Rum Balls - the ones Alice Colman makes. (marked  very good)

1 cup crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup confectionary sugar
1 & 1/2 cups chopped pecans
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup brandy or sherry

Mix all ingredients together. Roll into small balls. Roll in granulated sugar.

Indian Pot Roast

3 to 4 lb. pot roast
12 whole peppercorns
2 cloves garlic
12 whole  allspice
4 Tbsp. butter
1 bay leaf, crumbled
Salt
1 Tbsp. grated horseradish
Flour
1/2 c. good rum or dry red wine
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 c. water

Mash the garlic and saute in the butter. Rub the meat with salt and flour and brown it well on all sides in the butter. Lay the meat on a bed of thin sliced onion in a large Dutch oven or any pot with a tight fitting lid. Add the butter, the spices and seasonings, and pour the rum or wine over the meat. (A good pot roast will supply most of its own juices but as it cooks, pour the ½ cup of water over it to make an ample supply of gravy.)

Cover tightly and simmer for 3 or 4 hours until the roast is tender. This may be done either in the oven or on the back of the stove. If you want carrots with the pot roast, add them to the pot for the last half hour of cooking and for the last 12 minutes of cook-ing, add dumplings to steam in the flavors of the pot. When the roast is done, remove it to a hot, round platter and surround with the dumplings and carrots. Stir the gravy until smooth, correcting the seasoning if necessary. Pour it over the roast; if fresh dill is available, cut it over the dish with a lavish hand. Serves 6 to 8.

Dumplings:
2 c. flour  1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder                         1 scant c. milk
Sift together the dry ingredients and add the milk gradually. Drop by the spoonful into the gravy and cook with pot roast and stew during the last 12 minutes of cooking.

Pot de Chocolat

This lovely rich dessert uses the blender to pull off its magic. It makes 6 servings.

First, scald a cup of light cream. That means a cup of light cream, heated on the stove to just below boiling.

Then into the blender put  a cup of semi-sweet chocolate morsels, two egg yolks, 3 tablespoons of Rum or Brandy, and of course the scalded cream. Blend it at high speed until the racket stops. Pour it out into small serving bowls, or demitasse cups, or Japanese teacups. Its very rich, so little dish goes a ways.  Chill for about three hours before serving.

Honeymoon Shrimp & Broccoli

Dressing:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons white rum
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 chopped scallion
Fresh Ground pepper


Dish:
Boil 1 pound medium shelled shrimp for 5 minutes or until tender in 6 cups water, 1/2 cup 80 proof rum and 1 teaspoon salt. Drain shrimp. Bring a large pot of water to boil add 1 teaspoon of salt and 3 cups of broccoli florets.  Boil for 5 minutes and then drain and rinse broccoli. Dry broccoli and put it in a medium bowl. Add cooked shrimp. Pour dressing over shrimp and broccoli and refrigerate 2 hours or more stirring occasionally. Arrange on platter for serving and sprinkle with 1 cup blanched silvered almonds.