ATTENTION all fellow Trent Foodies! Your Arthur contributors have put together a student accessible and affordable Holiday Treat Recipe Exchange. These not-so-secret recipes are our family-friendly favourites that we simply couldn’t live without. We’ve included minimal-bake / easy ingredient options that you can treat yourself to, whether staying on-campus or going home for the holiday season. Please don’t forget about the TCSA One Stop Chop food pantry if you’re short on anything. Happy Holidays from Arthur. ENJOY!

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From Arthur Co-Editor, Sebastian Johnston-Lindsay:

Grandma Deanna's Sugar Plums

1 tin Eagle Brand condensed milk

2 small packages of strawberry jello

1 ½ cup desiccated coconut

1 cup fine vanilla wafer crumbs (Nilla brand works best)

*1 additional small package of strawberry jello*

Mix the first four ingredients. Put in the fridge until the mixture is easy to handle. Form mixture into 1-inch balls and roll in additional strawberry jello. Store in the fridge.

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From Arthur Senior Journalist, Angela Slater-Meadows:

Grandma Gordon’s Holiday Haystacks

2 cups chocolate chips

3/4 cups butterscotch chips

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

2 cups chow main noodles

1 cup salted peanuts

Melt chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, butter and peanut butter, in a pot over hot (not boiling) water - stirring often. Add noodles and peanuts; stir to coat completely.

Spoon by scant tablespoon onto waxed paper lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm – they also freeze well. Yummy!

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From Arthur Communications Coordinator, Mady Rodrigues-Raby:

Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe

Serving size: 1

Prep time: 5 min

‘Bake’ time: 2 min

¼ cup sugar (white or brown)

¼ cup flour

2 tbs cocoa powder

⅛ tsp baking soda

⅛ tsp salt

2 tbs water

2 tbs vegetable oil

3 tbs milk (any kind)

optional:

¼ tsp vanilla extract

Mix together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt with a spoon in a medium to large sized mug.

Add water, vegetable oil, milk and (optional) vanilla extract, and mix until batter is smooth and glistening.

Microwave mug for 2 minutes (depending on the strength of your microwave, adjust as needed, but the top of the cake should be spongy when it is ready.

Add your favourite toppings, like chocolate chips, ice cream, whipped cream, or my favourite, frozen strawberries. Enjoy!

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From Arthur Editor-in-Chief, Bethan Bates:

Auntie Grace's Welsh Cakes

1lb SR flour

4oz lard* Use all butter for the vegetarian version.

4oz butter

4oz sugar

4oz currants

nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

1 egg

Milk

Sift together all dry ingredients. Rub in the fats. Blend in the currants. Beat the egg with some of the milk and mix to a soft, but not sticky, dough. Roll out to ¼ inch thick. Cut out and cook on the griddle, turning halfway. If you don’t have a griddle, a frying pan is fine. There’s no need to oil a non-stick pan.

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From Arthur Senior Journalist, David King: 

Auntie Janice’s Nanaimo Bars

As a B.C. native, one of our province’s most iconic foods has claimed its stake as one of the most timeless Canadian desserts. Its creamy custard centre compliments the crumbly coconut crust, topped off with a snappy chocolate ganache. My Auntie Janice loves making these for family Christmas. When we visit her house on Bethune St. on Boxing Day, she’ll present these bars to us - with a lit cigarette hanging out of her mouth.

Base:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbsp cocoa powder, sifted

1 large egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup unsweetened coconut (shreds or fine is good!)

• Grease a 9 x 9" pan and line with parchment.
• Microwave ½ cup butter until melted. Add melted butter to a large bowl with ¼ cup sugar and 3 Tbsp cocoa powder. Stir until combined.
• Gradually whisk in beaten egg vigorously until combined. Be careful to not add all at once, as the egg will cook and create clumps. Add 1 tsp vanilla. After whisking constantly, the consistency of this should be similar to pudding.*
• Fold in graham cracker crumbs and coconut. Spread mixture evenly into the bottom of your 9 x 9 pan, and press down firmly to pack in. Let it chill in the fridge while making custard.

Custard:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp custard powder

3 Tbsp coconut cream, room temperature**

• Cream together butter and powdered sugar. Add in custard powder and milk and beat until smooth.
• Spread evenly over your base layer and return to the fridge. Chill for 30 mins.

Chocolate:***

8 oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

• Place chopped chocolate and butter into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stirring thereafter and continue microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate has melted.
• Spread evenly over the custard layer. Chill in fridge until set, about one hour.
• Cut into bars with a hot knife. I like to run some hot water over it, or let the blade sit in a cup of boiled water until warm.

* Traditionally, I’d double boil this part of the recipe in order to get the consistency of pudding without as much whisking handiwork. You’d add the dry ingredients after taking it off heat, but since we’re working with what students generally have, the microwave method is sufficient.

** Milk or cream is also fine, but I am deeply lactose intolerant, so coconut cream is a great dairy-free substitute.

*** For my recipe in particular, I like the ganache to be thicker, in order to compete with the other two layers. The original recipe calls for 4 ounces of chocolate and a Tbsp of butter, so if you want a thinner layer of chocolate, just reduce this part of the recipe by half. 

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From Arthur Senior Journalist, Angela Slater-Meadows:

Auntie Brenda’s Whipped Shortbread

1 lb. butter (softened)

1 cup icing sugar

3 cups flour (baking)

½ cup cornstarch

In a large mixing bowl, whip butter and sugar for 10 minutes with an electric beater. Slowly blend in flour and cornstarch (at end of 10 minutes). Drop from a teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 275 degrees for 23 minutes. Store in a covered container. These cookies melt in your mouth.