Hi there,

Pam Wight, an accomplished author and blogger, recently shared two delightful recipes that she received from two extraordinary women in her life. These recipes are not only delicious but also carry sentimental value, making them all the more special.

The first recipe is for French Silk Chocolate Pie which Pam received from her dear friend, Virginia and the second recipe is for Chocolate Nut Cookies which Pam received from her mother, Marcia.

Both of these recipes are not only delectable but also carry emotional significance for Pam. They remind us that food is not just about sustenance but can also be a way to connect with loved ones and create cherished memories.

Box of Memories, by Pamela S. Wight 

            As Sunday approaches, when I finally have time to bake, I bring out my old recipe box, the one that stores memories.

            The box includes my most treasured pieces of paper – those that hold the handwriting of my grandmother, my mom, and older friends who are long gone.

            Virginia, 75 when I met her at 22, left me a lasting testament of her presence. We connected, this elderly lady with the spirit of a teenager, and me, an exhausted graduate student who had no time to cook or clean or, really, to think except for the thesis I was writing. She and her aged husband, Hugh, invited me over for weekend dinners, when I savored her hours-baked pot roast and succulent desserts. 

            Now, I hold her recipe as if it’s gold. “French Silk Chocolate Pie,” not written but typed in Virginia’s meticulous way. She’d been a woman before her time – the administrative assistant to a bank CEO for 30-some-years before she retired at 70 in 1972. I can imagine how wonderful the CEO’s career was because of Virginia.

            But now I search for the recipe I treasure the most. My mother’s Chocolate Nut cookies. Mom had no use for sweets or desserts, another divide in our personalities. But every Christmas when I was a kid and on into my adulthood, she made these shortbread bars with melted semisweet chocolate on top, sprinkled with walnuts.

            As I read the recipe I soften the butter. I know what to do by heart, but I just like seeing my mom’s looping l’s in c h o c o l a t e, her bold b’s in b u t t e r and b a k e. Her handwriting shows the inside of her soul, one that she hid behind a strong, hard-edged bite framed with flirtatious banter and friendly teasing. 

I touch the recipe, then stir the batter as softly as a sigh.

Chocolate Nut Cookies, Marcia S. Wight

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1 c butter, 1 c granulated sugar

2 c flour, ½ tsp vanilla, Salt, Chopped nuts

1 pkg chocolate bits (we call them choc chips now)

Cream butter and sugar together, add flour and work in along with vanilla and salt. Mix well and press into cookie sheet with sides. Just fits in jelly roll pan. Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees. It just barely begins to turn brown. Make frosting of package of chocolate bits, melted. Spread on cake while hot. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Cut into squares at once. Let set until cool and chocolate icing has set before removing from pan. 

Thank you again Pam for sharing your writing talents with us again. Many of you may remember that Pam wrote a post for us about Marcia that included Marcia’s Blueberry Muffin recipe (https://newclassicrecipe.com/2021/09/06/blueberry-delight-a-recipe-to-remember/)