Hospitality, Kansas style
In Kansas, we like to welcome our guests and visitors with something yummy to eat! No one was ever more gifted in hospitality than our mother. She loved organizing parties for us, and for her friends at church. The food was always wonderful, the entertainment was always funny, and no one ever left wishing they had stayed home instead.
We recently had the fourth anniversary of her passing, and her loss is still felt deeply by all of us.
As a tribute to my mother, I am putting a recipe at the end of each of my cozy mystery books. I hope you will try some of them! If you ever come to Kansas for a visit, you can count on there being something good to eat!
To start the recipe-sharing tradition, here is the recipe for “Mom’s Christmas Jelly Roll.” She made this tasty treat for us each year, and a jelly roll at her house never lasted more than a few minutes before being completely devoured! Now I make it for my own family at Christmas, to keep up the tradition. I had a copy of her recipe, along with her photo, printed on plates and gave them to each of my siblings last year at Christmas. Just an idea for sharing your own traditions!
Ingredients:
2 TBS powered sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c any flavor jelly or preserves
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 15x10x1 inch pan with foil; generously grease foil with shortening. prinkle a clena dish towel with powdered sugar and set it aside.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes, or until they are thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Spread the batter evenly in the pan.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cake springs back when touched lightly in the center.
Immediately loosen the cake from the edges of the pan, turn it upside down onto the towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove the pan and foil. While the cake is still hot, roll it up, starting on one of the short sides. Place on wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
Carefully unrooll the cake and remove the towel. Spread jelly or preserves over the cake and loosely roll it back up, Wrap in foil or wax papper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with more powdered sugar before serving. Cut into 1 inch slices. Enjoy!
