Christmas Classics

[Jen]

gg said:

Article from the Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS. These little treats are famous in this area, as the king cake is for Mardigra. Try them and you will agree. Remember this is a recipe for 300. Reduce to fit your needs.

Enjoy, Merry Christmas and have a wonderful new year.

Pusharatas: Another holiday tradition
By JEAN PRESCOTT
[e-mail]
BILOXI - Nothing, not even the worst natural disaster ever, is going to keep the Slavic Ladies Auxiliary from having its annual pusharata sale.
The Slavic Lodge has relocated to temp quarters at Lameuse and Howard, and the sale will take place there three days before Christmas.
Don't wait till that day to decide you want some of these sweet, fruit-filled pastries, though. Serena Gillich, president of the auxiliary, said: "Call and place your order. The sooner the better - so we'll know how many to make." She'll give you all the details when you call.
In fact, Gillich brings the uplifting news that membership in the ladies auxiliary has doubled since Katrina.
"We didn't lose a lot of members to the storm. No one drowned and only a few moved away," she said. "After the storm, we sent out letters urging everyone who qualified (you must be of Slavic descent or be married to someone who is) to join. Now's the time," said Gillich. "The tradition has to go on."
To that end, she agreed to share a treasured recipe, the architect of which, "Miss Deenie" Kuljis, passed away in 2006.
"It's her recipe," Gillich said, "but everybody does pusharatas a little bit different. This is the recipe (the auxiliary has) used for years." It makes quite a large batch - 300 pieces - and is more than a little bit labor-intensive, but this sweet treat is a significant part of Biloxi Christmas tradition, so home cooks may want to take a stab at it.
MISS DEENIE'S PUSHARATAS
5 pounds self-rising flour
2-1/2 cups sugar (1/2 cup for the fruit, below; 2 cups for the flour mixture)
2 cups raisins
3 tablespoons nutmeg
3 tablespoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons whiskey
2 tablespoons vanilla
4 large apples
4 large oranges
1 lemon
6 cups chopped pecans
1/2 gallon milk
Sugar glaze
Combine the dry ingredients: flour, 2 cups sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking powder.
Peel and core the apples. Peel and pit the oranges and lemon. Mince the fruit or run it through a blender or a food processor, but don't liquefy; combine with 1/2 cup sugar.
Combine wet ingredients: whiskey, vanilla and milk. Stir wet ingredients into dry. Then mix in fruit, raisins and pecans.
Heat 1/2 to 1 gallon cooking oil in a deep fryer. Drop balls of dough (the ladies use a special scoop or just a standard coffee teaspoon) into hot fat being careful not to crowd the pieces. Fry until golden brown, then drain on paper towels. Coat with sugar glaze.
Sugar glaze: Combine 2 or 3 cans of evaporated milk with 6 pounds confectioner's sugar and almond extract to taste. This is an inexact science. It's best to start with the sifted sugar and add the milk gradually, stirring all the while, till you reach a glaze consistency. Add the extract a small amount at a time, to taste, and remember that the extract adds moisture, too.