THE Gift

As a child, the passage of Christmas Day was devastating. All the build up, all the hype, all the presents, and joy ... and then what? Boxing Day. A sad tree with no gifts under its magical branches. 364 days till the next time Santa came down the chimney, till the whole family gathered together to sing Christmas carols again, till Sacred Heart was full, and till I was allowed to have more than three cookies for dessert. I'm sure there were years when the morning of the 26th actually provoked tears. 

In retrospect though, that week or so after Christmas, without school or schedules or stress was pretty spectacular. It was a week with one purpose: playing with shiny new toys. Changing Molly's outfit with her new ensembles at least three times a day, throwing footballs through the snow, trying out my new ski equipment, watching the latest Disney movie to hit VHS over and over again, and arranging and rearranging my china animal collection making room for the newest additions to the menagerie.

Although the non-profit marketing and fundraising world, highly dependent on the cash that comes in the door during the last couple days of the year, doesn't present the same carefree week after Christmas as my childhood, I didn't let the rapid coming and going of Christmas get me down this year. And I was able to carve out some time to play with some of my favorite gifts.

I stocked Mary's library shelves and got her nursery a little closer to complete. I watched as my husband wound up and shot his new bow and arrow. And I played for hours on end in front of the stove. Specifically, with a gift that came twice: once from my sister and once from my cousin. Two hints that I was missing something very important in my pocket-sized kitchen.

A couple years ago, I misplaced a very special present from my Aunt Dee Dee. Right around the time that my Grandma was developing Alzheimer's - when the gaps in her memory couldn't take her from the start of a recipe to her masterpiece finish - my Aunt compiled a book of her classic recipes for everyone in the family. I had only made it through her saucy spaghetti and meatballs when somewhere in the middle of my move from Indiana to Illinois, I lost it. And I was as devastated as I used to be on the 26th of December. Leave it to Erin and Meghan though to set things right on Christmas Day.  

So this past week, equipped with a little bit of Grandma's magic and a couple tender messages from my Double G, I filled our house with the smells and tastes of 126 East Edgewood. There were beef birds with pan gravy. Green bean bakes. A Dutch oven filled with pork and sauerkraut.

And a little something that I have dreamed of making for a long time now - my Grandma's New Year's pretzel. Kneaded, filled, wrapped, twisted, baked and glazed to perfection. And in the tradition of my Grandma, I made sure there were enough friends, family members, and excited little ones gathered around to share in the bountiful good luck it is supposed to bring in the New Year.

Whether it's under the caring eyes of a photo of my Grandma and Grandpa, or in the bright arms of a big yellow bowl. Whether it's in Sewickley, PA or Honolulu, HI. Whether it's baked fresh for the party or frozen for generations to come, I'm so proud to be one of the Barry bakers carrying on the legacy of my Grandma's simple, family friendly, always made with an extra cup of love food. And I'm sending this little thank you note to Erin and Meghan for making it possible again.

Lo.

Grandma Barry's New Year's Pretzel 

Ingredients: 

Sweet Dough
2 packages active, dry yeast
7 cups of flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs

Nut Filling
2 pounds of finely chopped walnuts
1 cup applesauce
1½ cups of sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze
2 cups confectioner's sugar
About a 1/2 cup milk (or as much or as little to get the right consistency of glaze)
1/2 teaspoon vanila
extra nuts for topping

Directions: 

You want to start by making the sweet dough. Melt butter over medium low heat, add milk, and bring to about 110 degrees Farenheit.

Combine yeast, with 1 cup of flour, sugar and salt. Add into heated milk and butter mixture, making sure everything is incorporated. Let sit for five minutes. Add well beaten eggs and again stir until smooth.

Add remaining flour, cup by cup to the mixture. Stirring until well incorporated each time. On the 6th and 7th cups, you will need to use your hands to start needed the dough together. Remove the dough from the bowl, and need for five to seven minutes until the dough is smooth and supple. It should be pretty firm dough though. Place is a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and let sit undisturbed in a temperature controlled part of the house for one hour. After that hour, punch the dough down, and let it rise again for one hour.

Meanwhile, you can make the nut mixture by combine the applesauce, nuts, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir until well combined.

When the dough is ready, roll it out into a long rectangle (like 30 inches by 10 inches long rectangle.)  Yes, this is going to be one BIG pretzel. Place nut mixture down the middle of the dough and then fold over like an envelop in three pieces to make sure all the nut mixture is covered. Seal the edges gently.

On a parchment lined (BIG) baking sheet, fold the dough into a pretzel shape. Again, gently press ends together.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the dough is golden brown on top.

Let cool. Make the glaze and then top the pretzel with it and a sprinkling of walnuts. Make sure there is an army to feed.