Numbingly Sweet

Yes, I do not ordinarily cook but sometimes I make/bake things. Especially those things that can be done in easily spaced apart steps.
I did have a little help with my Christmas menu yesterday when my DDIL asked if she could help I put her on the task of chopping up tomato and avocados for the guacamole. I had already got some of the other ingredients togaether. She helped get a few other things on the table, too.
Most everything was just food purchased and set out but I did make two desserts. One was an New York slice or a sort of Nanaimo Bar candy the other a nod to Cal's Quaker roots - a Shaker lemon pie.
I'll include the menu and the candy slice recipe here and maybe tackle the lemon pie in another post.
For the foodies in the crowd, do not expect much in the way of recipes here. You'll notice that my menu, while tasty was low on work.

Our Christmas Dinner:

Veggies and dip tray from the supermarket
White and wheat rolls from Whole Foods
Guacamole (home made) with tortilla chips
sliced meats (beef, prosciutto, mortadella, salami, turkey)
Sliced Swiss and pepper jack cheeses
Sandwich toppings (tomato slices, French and Dijonnaise mustard, mayo, lettuce from the garden,butter)
Pimento stuffed olives from Whole Foods (may I repeated say YUM!)
Cranberry chutney on cream cheese with multi-grain crackers
Shaker lemon pie
New York Slice
Cookies from Ettore's and Selland's
Fruitcake from Ettore's (someday I'll part with my recipe that makes a cake that tastes like drunken candy but for now it remains a secret and unmade unless I have lots of help from a young person, for that is quite a job!)
See's chocolates
Salted nuts
Un-shelled nuts
Assorted candy
Mimosa's, sparkling cider, coffee and hot chocolate

Now for the New York Slice Recipe

Ingredients:
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
equivalent of one beaten egg's worth of pasteurized egg product or egg substitute
13 graham wafer rectangles (26 squares)
1 cup coconut
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups confectioners (icing) sugar
3 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix
3-4 tablespoons milk
(vanilla extract optional)
1/4 cup butter
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate

Base:
Melt 4 tablespoons butter with 1 oz unsweetened chocolate
Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup sugar, 26 crushed up honey graham wafer squares ( that is 13 rectangular biscuits.) I put about 5 at a time in a fold of parchment paper and run it over with a rolling pin), equivalent of one egg's worth of pasteurized egg product OR egg substitute, one cup coconut, 1/4 cup finely chopped nuts. Do NOT use a beaten egg, this mix is not cooked sufficiently by the heated butter/chocolate to protect from Salmonella.
Mix these items together and press into a 8-9 inch square pan. Set n refrigerator.

Filling:
Mix 2 cups confectioners sugar, 3 tablespoons Instant vanilla pudding (I like the Jello French Vanilla)
into 1/3 cup butter. Moisten with 3-4 tablespoons of milk to make it the consistency of a butter icing. Vanilla flavoring may be added if more intense vanilla flavoring desired. Spread this on top of base and set again in refrigerator.

Topping:
Melt together 1/4 cup butter with 2 squares semi-sweet chocolate and pour over filling layer, spread evenly. Return to refrigerator.
When topping firm cut into very small squares and enjoy.
Share generously!

Speaking of sharing the prize for the Fourth Day of Christmas will be a $10 gift certificate to Scrapbook.com. Just leave a comment below. BE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT ACCESS IS EASY TO YOUR EMAIL OR YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO WIN A PRIZE. (Sorry about this requirement but it is sometimes soooo difficult to hunt down prize winners.)