An Amish Country Christmas

by Hubbard, Charlotte; King, Naomi

  “Good afternoon. You’ve reached Gingerich Custom Butchering. This is Vernon.”

  Jerusalem’s words stuck in her throat. Was this a recording, or—but it had to be Vernon, talking directly to her, didn’t it? She had already forgotten how low and melodic the bishop’s voice was, and it made something flutter deep down inside her. “Uh—”

  “Hello? Can you hear me?”

  “Jah! Vernon, it’s—

  “Jerusalem! It’s wonderful to hear your voice again, dear heart.” He let out a sigh that sounded satisfied without being smug. “You’ve received my letter, I take it?”

  “Jah, and—well, what on Earth will ya do with all those perty pieces ya made for Dorothea, if ya empty out your house?” she said in a rush. “It wasn’t my intention for ya to throw away such wonderful-gut work, when—”

  “Nothing will be destroyed or wasted, my dear. It’s not the Plain way to dispose of perfectly serviceable items.”

  “Serviceable? Those hutches and tables and such are too beautiful to be cast aside,” she protested. “If that’s what’s to happen to them—”

  “Relax, sweetheart. Take a deep breath.”

  Jerusalem exhaled. Vernon wasn’t laughing at her, exactly, but he was clearly enjoying the state she had whipped herself into. She managed a chuckle. “Guess I got a little excited there.”

  “And I love to excite you, Jerusalem. I hope to do much more of that, in time,” he remarked with a low laugh. Then he cleared his throat. “There’s an auction every spring to benefit the local school. I would like to believe Dorothea’s pieces would bring in a fair amount of cash for such a good cause. And because you’ve been a schoolteacher, I thought you might appreciate that suggestion.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Oh, Vernon. That’s a wonderful-gut idea, but I can’t think you’d do all of this for . . . for me.”

  His sigh sounded a bit nostalgic. “Actually, I believe Dorothea herself inspired me. She was a schoolteacher when I met her, you see, and up until the time when she became too ill, she was involved with the school’s Christmas programs and their picnics and the fundraising events,” he explained. “In her quiet way, my wife was every bit as persuasive and influential as you are, Jerusalem.”

  “Oh, my. What a lovely thing to say, Vernon,” she replied. She could hardly breathe, for hanging on to the thrilling timbre of his voice . . .

  “And I meant every word. You believe that, don’t you?”

  She let out the breath she’d been holding. “You’re not a fella who talks just to hear himself, or to lead folks along for his own benefit.”

  “Thank you. Coming from you, that’s a high compliment.”

  Jerusalem paused. So many ideas and emotions were whirling in her head . . . in her heart. There was no doubt in her mind that Vernon’s handcrafted furniture would bring top dollar, and he’d made so many pieces over the years that the auctioneer could practically devote an entire sale to the bishop’s handiwork.

  “Are you still there? You’ve become very quiet.”

  She let out a laugh. “I think I’m speechless. That doesn’t happen often.”

  Vernon’s laughter made her heart take wing. Wasn’t it a fine feeling, to have a man talking with her this way, willing to give up so much for the sake of her happiness?

  “As I said in my letter, I’m making you another, larger piece even if you decide becoming my wife isn’t what God wants for you.”

  “Puh! You bein’ a bishop and all, why would God pay more mind to my way of thinkin’ than to yours?”

  “Because you’re His child and He loves you, Jerusalem. And I love you, too. With all my heart.”

  A little “oh” escaped her. Just that easily, he’d told her he loved her . . . and never in her life had a fellow said that. Tears ran down her cheeks. Oh, but she could indeed believe that God loved her very, very much if He had led her to this eloquent, decent man. “I . . . I’m tryin’ to take all this in,” she rasped. “Ya must think I’m a dunderhead, not to—”

  “I’m gratified that you will consider my ideas,” he replied quietly. “And I don’t want you to feel obligated to repeat those three little words just because I said them to you, Jerusalem. They’re not to be taken lightly.”

  “Ya said a mouthful there, Vernon. Denki for . . . for understandin’ me like nobody else ever has,” she whispered. “I probably sound all ferhoodled and a couple pencils short of a pack, but I truly appreciate what-all you’re willin’ to change to make your home feel like my home.”

  There was a brief pause. “Well, then, I’ve accomplished what I set out to do, dear lady.”

  “May . . . may I come for another visit sometime, so’s we can talk about this face to face?”

  Vernon’s low laughter made her tingle all over. “Face to face is precisely the way I’d like to be with you, Jerusalem. Right now,” he added. “But I can settle for picking you up tomorrow morning, if that suits you.”

  “Jah! I can be ready by—oh, but I’m soundin’ like a silly schoolgirl—”

  “You sound delightful. And delighted. Just the way I hope to keep you feeling for a long, long time,” he replied. “See you tomorrow, then?”

  “For sure and for certain. And Vernon?”

  “Yes, dear heart?”

  Jerusalem squeezed her eyes shut. If this is what love feels like, what are you afraid of? Why waste another minute? “I—I love ya right back. Truly I do.”

  “Oh, my.” There was another pause, when Vernon’s breath drifted through the receiver to wrap her in his steadfast, heartfelt warmth. “I shouldn’t admit this,” he said with a soft chuckle, “as we Amish husbands have our appearances—our stern, stoic reputations to maintain—you know. But you melted me like butter just now, telling me you love me, Jerusalem. Whatever you want—whatever I have—it’s yours.”

  Well, now! Better not argue with that, or give him a chance to change his mind.

  Jerusalem laughed, overjoyed. “See ya tomorrow then. I can’t wait, Vernon.”

  He made kissing noises, and she giggled as though his lips had teased at hers. After she hung up, Jerusalem hugged herself, barely believing the conversation she’d just had. When she finally started toward the house, darkness had fallen and four sections of yellow light from the kitchen windows made a quilt square on the snow.

  When Jerusalem entered Tom’s kitchen, she cherished the sight of her sister standing at the stove, humming a hymn tune as she stirred a pot of soup. A time would come when she and Nazareth wouldn’t cook together or share their thoughts every waking moment . . . but she could handle that now.

  Nazareth looked up. Then a slow, sweet smile spread over her dear face. “Well, now. I was gonna ask if everything was goin’ okay with Vernon, but the answer to that’s written all over ya, Sister. Ya look as perty as a pink poinsettia in full bloom.”

  Would these compliments ever end? Would these fine, shiny feelings fade like curtains that had hung too long in the sun?

  Not if you’ve got anything to say about it, they won’t!

  “Nazareth.” Jerusalem crossed the kitchen, her feet barely touching the floor, it seemed. She slung her arm around her younger sister and leaned her head so they stood kapp to kapp. “Back when we were girls, watchin’ all our friends get married, who would’ve believed the two of us would be hitchin’ up with bishops, in our fifties? Guess God knew what He was doin’ all along, ain’t so?”

  Nazareth slipped her arm around Jerusalem’s waist and squeezed her tight. “Amen, Sister. Ya said a mouthful.”

  Sugar and Spice!

  For me, it wouldn’t be Christmas without cookies. I’ve often baked more than 150 dozen in a season and made tubs of candy besides! I give them to family and friends, or take pretty trays of them to holiday events, because a lot of folks are just too busy to bake these days. I wanted to share some of my favorite recipes here, and while they aren’t necessarily Amish recipes I’ve found that homemade treats cross all sorts of cultural lines. Noth
ing brings folks together like good food!

  All of these recipes freeze well, especially if layered between pieces of wax paper. Most of these are also firm enough to pack and mail. The best defense against dry, brittle cookies is to keep the cookie tray covered in plastic wrap—and don’t overbake them!

  You’ll find these recipes plus recipes from my previous books on my website, www.CharlotteHubbard.com, and I hope you’ll try those, as well. You can also read excerpts of my books there and sign up for my newsletter. You can email me at NaomiCKing@gmail.com, and you can Friend me on Facebook as Charlotte Hubbard and Like my Naomi C. King author page. Meanwhile, I wish you all the peace, joy, love—and goodies—of the season!

  Cookies and Bars

  Williamsburg Gingerbread Cut-Outs

  I found this recipe in a historical cookbook more than twenty years ago and I’ve never bothered trying another one: the cookies are spicy and soft and they keep well. The dough is sticky, however, so you need to roll it out on a day when you’re feeling patient!

  ½ C. softened butter (no substitutes)

  1 C. sugar

  2 T. cinnamon

  2 tsp. ground cloves

  2 T. ground ginger

  1 T. lemon flavoring

  ¾ C. evaporated milk

  1 C. molasses

  5 C. flour

  1½ tsp. baking powder

  1 tsp. salt

  Cream the butter and sugar. Add the flavorings and evaporated milk and blend well. Add the molasses, and then the dry ingredients until the dough is thoroughly mixed. Wrap in wax paper and chill overnight (or it’ll keep in the fridge for a few days).

  Preheat the oven to 350°. Working with about a fourth of the dough at a time, roll out to ¼" thickness on a well-floured surface, rubbing flour on the rolling pin as needed (patience, remember!) and cut out with cookie cutters. Bake 7–8 minutes on pans lined with parchment paper—don’t let them brown!—and allow to cool for a minute on the pan before removing them to a wire rack.

  Frost/decorate with the buttercream recipe included here for Sugar Cookies, and allow the frosting to dry/set up. Store between sheets of wax paper. Freezes well. 7–8 dozen.

  Sugar Cookies

  I used this recipe in WINTER OF WISHES, but it bears repeating here: this is the cookie that turns an ordinary cookie tray into a fabulous display of Christmas cookies! I usually make five to six batches of this dough, adding paste coloring and flavored gelatin (see note below). I make and chill the dough one day, bake the cookies another day and store them in a covered container, and then decorate them the next day because it takes that long to finish about 13 dozen of these!

  ½ C. butter, softened (no substitutes)

  1 C. sugar

  1 egg

  1 T. lemon juice

  1 tsp. vanilla

  2 C. flour

  ½ tsp. salt

  ½ tsp. baking soda

  Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the egg, lemon juice, and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients and gradually add them to the dough until it’s well blended. Tint with paste food coloring, if desired. Wrap dough in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours (it will keep for several days, until you have time to bake). Preheat oven to 350°. Work with half a batch at a time: roll to about ¼" thickness on a floured surface, then cut with cookie cutters. Place 1” apart on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, and bake 7–8 minutes for softer, chewier cookies and 9–10 minutes or until lightly browned for crisp cookies. Cool on the pan for a minute and then remove with a spatula to a cooling rack. Makes 2–3 dozen.

  Kitchen Hint: For flavored sugar cookies, add a 3 oz. package of sugar free gelatin to the dough! I make green dough with lime, yellow dough with peach or orange, and dark pink dough with cherry gelatin. If you use regular sugar gelatin, reduce the sugar in your recipe by a couple of tablespoons.

  Buttercream Frosting

  This is the recipe I learned long ago in a cake decorating class. I love it because it doesn’t taste like shortening, and it dries firmly when you decorate cookies or cake. It also freezes well in a covered container if you have any left over.

  ½ C. milk

  ½ C. softened butter (no substitutes)

  ½ C. shortening

  ½ tsp. salt

  1 tsp. vanilla

  1 tsp. lemon flavoring

  6–8 C. (about a pound) confectioners’ sugar

  In a mixing bowl, blend the milk, butter, shortening, and flavorings. Blend in the sugar a cup or two at a time, scraping the bowl, until the frosting is thick and forms peaks.

  For colored frosting, use paste coloring to maintain a thickness that will hold its shape during decorating. Makes enough to decorate/frost 6 batches of sugar cookies, or a cake.

  Kitchen Hint: I divide my frosting into 4 or 5 plastic containers and color one batch with deep pink, one batch with yellow, one with green, one with sky blue and I leave some white. Then I get out my pastry bag and decorating tips, the sanding sugars, jimmies, and miniature M&Ms, and I play! Let the decorated cookies dry/set up before you store or freeze them.

  Mini-Chip Cut-Outs

  Here’s the perfect Christmas combination: a chocolate chip cookie you roll and cut into shapes! This came from a Nestle’s ad, years ago, and is still one of my favorites.

  1 C. butter, softened

  ½ C. brown sugar

  ½ C. sugar

  2 tsp. vanilla

  1 egg yolk

  2½ C. flour

  2 C./one bag mini chocolate chips, divided

  Cream butter, the sugars, and the vanilla. Beat in the egg yolk and gradually add the flour. Stir in 1½ C. of the mini chips. Wrap dough in wax paper and chill at least a couple of hours (overnight or longer is fine, too).

  Preheat oven to 350°. Allow the dough to warm for a few minutes. On a floured surface, working with one chunk of dough at a time, carefully roll to ¼" thickness and cut into shapes, pressing the dough together again if it separates around the chips. Use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake about 9 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Cool on pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

  Frost/decorate with chocolate buttercream: melt the remaining ½ C. chips in a microwave safe bowl and stir in 1 C. of already-made buttercream (or store-bought) frosting. Pipe it on with a pastry bag.

  Kitchen Hint: I have dumped the entire bag of mini chips into the dough, but discovered that more is not better! You can have too many chips in this dough!

  Mocha Brownies

  Wow, but these are the most fabulous, dense brownies! And who can refuse that extra little jolt of java? No frosting required, but if you want to dust them with powdered sugar while they’re still warm, it’ll add a snowy effect.

  1 C. butter (no substitutes)

  C. unsweetened cocoa powder

  2 T. instant coffee crystals or espresso powder

  2 C. sugar

  4 eggs

  2 tsp. vanilla

  1½ C. flour

  1 C. semisweet or dark chocolate chips

  2 tsp. cinnamon

  Preheat oven to 350° and spray a 9 x 13” pan. Melt/ microwave butter and stir in cocoa powder and coffee. Stir in the sugar, then stir in the eggs one at a time and add vanilla—stir this mixture until well blended. Stir in the flour and then the chocolate chips and cinnamon. Spread the batter in the pan and bake for about 25 minutes or just until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan. Cut into bars or triangles. 4 dozen.

  Kitchen Hint: Use a mixer on low speed if you don’t want to do all this hand stirring.

  Orange Date Bars

  Light, fruity, and very easy to make!

  2 orange cake mixes

  1 box (3.4 oz.) of orange or lemon instant pudding

  1 C. oil

  4 eggs

  1 8 oz. box of chopped dates

  1½ C. chopped pecans or sliced almonds

&n
bsp; Preheat the oven to 350°. Mix the above ingredients, except for the nuts, and spread the dough in two 9 x 13” pans or in a 10 x 17” pan that have been sprayed. Sprinkle nuts over the batter and lightly press them in. Bake for about 20 minutes, just until the center is firm. Cool in the pans.

  Drizzle: Mix 1 C. powdered sugar with enough milk to make it pourable, and add a shake of salt, and vanilla, lemon extract or almond extract to taste. Drizzle over top of the cooled cookies and cut into bars.

  Turtle Brownies

  Who can resist the classic combination of moist chocolate, gooey caramel, and pecans?

  1 brownie mix (9 x 13” size)

  1 pkg. of caramel bits (Kraft makes them)

  C. whipping cream

  2 C. coarsely chopped pecans, divided

  Preheat the oven to 350°. Line the pan with foil so it extends up the sides and over the ends, then spray the foil. Mix the brownies according to package directions, then spread half of it in the prepared pan and bake it for 20 minutes or until just firm to the touch.

  Meanwhile, microwave the caramel bits and whipping cream in a microwavable bowl on high for 2 minutes, stirring after the first minute. When bits are mostly melted, keep stirring until the mixture is smooth. Stir in 1 C. of the pecans. Spread this mixture evenly over the partly baked brownie crust, then crumble the remaining brownie dough evenly over this (caramel mixture will show through) and sprinkle on the remaining pecans. Press lightly. Return to the oven for an additional 25 minutes or until the top is firm. Cool completely in the pan. Lift the brownies by the foil “handles” and then peel away the foil before cutting to serve. 2 dozen large or 4 dozen smaller brownies.