Coconut Balls:  After "freshening" unsweetened coconut, we make a light coconut cream.  The creams are stiffened by adding more coconut.  Each piece is hand rolled, dipped in Milk or Dark Chocolate and rolled in more coconut. Nice, simple, and mighty tasty.

Pistachio Nougat: This is a really old recipe.  When it was given to me, the paper was already brittle and translucent. The nougat isn't the hard type that gets cracked with a hammer.  It is very similar in texture to our caramel.  We add pistachios to the mixture before it sets.  Cut in rectangles, dipped in Milk or Dark Chocolate.

 

     My grandfather died in 1981.  Several weeks later my father realized he had never cooked and prepared the jelly himself.  He was nervous to say the least. We found my grandfather's crayon written recipe.  Instead of pounds and ounces there were measures using scoops, pots and dippers. Fun this was not.  It took a while to decipher but eventually my father got himself focused and prepared everything as best he could.  

     Cooking jelly is straighforward until you come to The Test. To test the syrup's consistency you have to dip the stirring paddle into the hot (+245º) syrup and rub your finger into the syrup.  You then (very) quickly tap thumb and forefinger together to determine the consistency- while ignoring the pain.  Once all the finishing work is done, you have to wait until the following day to see if the jelly has set. Waiting is no fun.  

     The next morning my father came to the store at dawn- he was a bit nervous-but everything was perfect.

To this day, the morning after I make jelly, the first thing I do is hurry in to check the jelly.

I make the jelly on the tart side, I think it compliments our milk and dark chocolate perfectly.