I was thrilled when Jodi agreed to share some of her Christmas favorites with us; to include Aunt Dixie’s Divinity! You can read my review of A Christmas Affair and enjoy getting to know a little more about Jodi. Feel free to share some of your Christmas favorites.
It is hard to believe we are 2 months away from Christmas! If you are still looking for gift ideas I would recommend A Christmas Affair or any of the books in the Ransom Canyon series.
My favorite Christmas song is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I loved it as a little girl because my grandmother used to play the record sung by Gene Autry. Today my grandchildren sing it to me but with some extra added silliness.
My favorite Christmas recipe is Aunt Dixie’s Divinity. I have attached the recipe that was written on the back of an envelope.
My favorite Christmas movie is The Holiday where two broken-hearted women trade houses between LA and England. I try to watch it every year.
My favorite Christmas memory: Tom and I married Jan. 2 and he went in the Army Aug. 28. That same day I taught my first day of school. I knew I would be alone Christmas that year. The principal let me take the school tree home the last day before break. It took up half the space in my apartment. I spent the day before Christmas baking cookies and decorating them for the tree. Tom made it in the night of the 24th. We had no presents, no big dinner, but it was my best Christmas ever.
Now we have a big tree in a big living room but the first ornament to go on the tree is an old beat-up blue star hand-made with a cookie cutter.
Aunt Dixie’s Divinity, written on the back of an envelope with a birthday card inside
from Jodi Thomas, Author
Put in a quart size pan—works best in heavy pan, medium heat:
2 cups sugar ½ cup water Dash of salt
Bring to a boil—should be rolling boil but not a crazy boil that climbs up the sides of the pan are you’ll have a mess.
Boil stirring most of the time and watching ALL the time for about 6 to 8 minutes until the mixture will go soft ball stage. (That means when you drop a drop of it in a small bowl of cold water, you can push it around with your finger and make a sloppy ball.) Once that happens I usually let it boil for another minute just to make sure it’s ready.
Next: Pour over marshmallow cream from a small jar 8 ounces, and start to mix on low for about 30 seconds, then kick it up to high for about 4-6 minutes. Sometime during this add 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
Stop mixing when the it starts to thicken, losses it’s shine, or the ripples the mixer makes stay up for three seconds.
Add a cup of chopped nuts and make a few more rounds with the mixer
Or
Wait and add a nut on top of each piece. May also add a cherry on top if you don’t like nuts.
Late: Using two spoons drop candy on waxed paper.
If the first few drops go flat, slow down a bit and give the candy time to cool a minute. Once the candy looks right coming of the spoon, move fast.
This makes about three dozen candies. The first few will be flat, but they still taste just as good. The last few may be stiff so eat them first. If you decide to put the nut or cherry on top be sure to dry the cherry’s on a paper towel first and put them on as soon as you drop all the candy.
Never double the recipe. It won’t turn out.
Love you, kid, and remember, divinity is like birthdays, not everyone turns out perfect.
Aunt Dixie Kirkland