48 | November/December 2017
Dalia said she starts steeping the
prunes, raisins and orange peel she'll
use in her black cakes in a mix of rum
and wine at least three months out.
More rum gets poured on top of
the black cake aer it's baked – and
again throughout its life if it seems to
be drying out.
A New York Times article
said black cakes are to American
fruitcakes "as dark chocolate is to
milk chocolate – darker, deeper and
altogether more absorbing."
"It's really, really delicious," Dalia
said.
Wilma Ritter
Wilma Ritter of Fayetteville says
holiday meals aren't right if they
don't include a sweet potato casserole
where the sweet potatoes have been
all mashed up and made light and
fluffy.
Pecan pie should also be served
but she now buys those, from Cracker
Barrel, instead of making them.
She still does plenty of holiday
baking. Chocolate is always in the
mix.
She discovered her most popular
treat about 10 years ago while
testing a recipe that came with
butter-flavored Crisco. Called
Holiday Hideaways or Hidden
Treasures, they're ball-shaped white
cookies coated in chocolate with a
maraschino cherry at their center.
e cookies became a hit with
her family and friends and have
since become a tradition in Wilma's
holiday kitchen.
"ey all have to have it," she said.
"I make like 400 every Christmas.
ose are the best."
Wilma said food is an important
part of the season. "e smell of food
in the house," she said, "it just brings
the holidays."
Trevor and
Dalia Swaby
Curried chicken and rice
Sorrel
Holiday
Hideaways
Photo
by
Kia
McMillan
Photo
by
Kia
McMillan
