I've Got Rocks in My Head, and Visions of Sugar Plums, Too

In an old 1920's Presbyterian Cookbook from my grandmother's collection is a recipe for Christmas Cookies containing candied fruit.  But, it's not a recipe for Rocks. Only the Gordon Girls have a recipe for Rocks.

Handwritten on the back page of this cookbook is the family recipe, with the title "Rocks" inside quotation marks.  It's in my grandmother's handwriting. I can see her write it. I can sense the warmth of the kitchen at the big house. I can see my mother and my cousin cutting the fruit for the batter. Pecans need chopping and I'm up for that.

Rocks in the Raw

The Gordon Girls were Tea-total-ers and never drank liquor, except for medicinal Mogan David wine, Bourbon laced Egg Nog, and splashes of Jack in the recipe for Rocks. It's the bourbon that gives the rocks their darker color: the more liquor, the darker color. Bourbon flavoring purchased from on-line sources can do the same.

Wal-Mart, however, can ruin a full batch of Rocks. The major retailer sells pre-cut candied fruit in large tubs. I bought some, as I have done in previous years. Trouble is, the fruit was dry and old.  I discovered this fact when as I tasted a cookie, fresh from the oven. I had not taste-tested prior to dumping the entire tub into the batter. What a big mistake. The fruit was like...pebbles...ah, rocks.

About to rid the house of the contents of a large cookie tin of Rocks after sampling cookies from random batches to prove that all the fruit was bad, I was stopped at the trash can by a hand. Marvin said, "Don't throw them out. They are not that bad; we just have to be careful not to crack a tooth! You know I'll eat anything you cook and call it delicious. So will your boys."

"But," I said, "I can't serve these to the general public! And I won't serve them to Santa!"

Cookies for Santa (Gordon Family's Rocks)

So, I bought more candied fruit and cut it up myself and made a fresh batch of Rocks.  They are delicious. Perfect. The Family Rock Recipe for Christmas has been Preserved.  The Tradition is Secure.

Christmas Day may march forward. Santa can fill his sleigh and head our way knowing that the little plate "Cookies for Santa" will have those few special cookies:  Rocks in the old-time Gordon Tradition!,