Chestnut Log, Honey Ham, Fruitcake

DEAR SOS: How about a recipe for chestnut log for the holidays? I can’t seem to locate one.

--ANGIE

DEAR ANGIE: You’re in luck. Berty Siegel, chef-owner of Berty’s in Brentwood, suggests this recipe to fill the bill.

BERTY’S CHESTNUT LOG

4 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

1/3 cup butter

4 eggs, separated

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon dry yeast

Chestnut Filling

Coarsely grated chocolate

Whipped cream

Melt chocolate with butter in top of double boiler over simmering water. Cool slightly.

Beat egg yolks with sugar in mixer until pale and creamy. Combine flour and yeast and mix into yolk mixture. Stir in melted chocolate.

Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold 1/4 of egg whites into yolk mixture. Add back to egg whites in folding motion. Turn into greased and wax-paper-lined 15 1/2x10 1/2-inch jellyroll pan.

Bake at 350 degrees 8 to 10 minutes, or until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean. Turn cake out onto another greased wax paper and roll. Cool on rack. Carefully unroll cake, removing all wax paper.

Spread 2/3 of Chestnut Filling evenly over cake. Roll lengthwise, jellyroll fashion. Fill pastry bag fitted with small fluted nozzle with remaining Chestnut Filling and pipe along length of log. Or spread remaining filling all over log and flute and swirl with fork. Sprinkle top with coarsely grated chocolate. Serve with whipped cream.

Chestnut Filling

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

10 ounces canned sweetened chestnut puree

2 tablespoons brandy or Kirsch

Cream butter in bowl. Blend in chestnut puree and brandy. Blend until creamy.

Note: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, if using unsweetened chestnut puree.

Each serving contains about:

579 calories; 234 mg sodium; 178 mg cholesterol; 34 grams fat; 60 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.8 grams fiber; 53% calories from fat.

DEAR SOS: I’d like to bake my own sliced ham similar to the commercial sliced ham for the holidays. Can you help?

--ADELE

DEAR ADELE: One of our readers shared her recipe back in 1982, and we and hundreds of readers have been grateful.

LAURA’S HONEY HAM

1 (7-pound) medium smoked pork picnic shoulder

2 cups sugar

1 cup honey or brown sugar, packed

1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 teaspoon whole cloves

Make crosswise slits, 1/2-inch apart, halfway through ham to where knife touches bone. Place ham in deep bowl and barely cover with water. Stir in sugar. Soak at least 2 days in refrigerator. Drain.

Place ham in roasting pan lined with enough foil to wrap completely. Pour honey and orange juice all over pork. Stick cloves all over meat. Wrap tightly with foil.

Bake at 200 degrees 6 to 7 hours or until done, unwrapping and basting occasionally with honey mixture. Unwrap and bake at 450 degrees about 15 minutes for slightly crisp skin. Makes about 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

387 calories; 92 mg sodium; 114 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 30 grams protein; trace fiber; 41% calories from fat.

DEAR SOS: A few years ago you published a recipe for the best fruitcake we’ve ever had. It was almost solid nuts and some candied fruit--very little cake. I’ve lost the recipe and would appreciate a replacement. Can you help?

--PATRICIA

DEAR PATRICIA: Evie’s Fruitcake has been an all-time favorite since we printed it in 1983. A word to the wise: The milky residue should evaporate during baking. If not enough of the residue is absorbed, be sure to drain off any excess before storing.

EVIE’S FRUITCAKE

4 1/2 cups chopped pecans

3 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

2 pounds pitted dates, chopped

1 pound candied cherries, cut up

1 pound candied pineapple, cut up

2 cans sweetened condensed milk

2 (4-ounce) cans shredded coconut

Combine pecans, walnuts, dates, cherries (reserve few cherries for decoration), pineapple, condensed milk and coconut. Mix with hands.

Turn into greased and floured large bundt pan or angel food pan. Bake at 225 degrees 1 1/2 hours. (Cake is done when no milk oozes out when pressed with fingers.) Decorate with reserved cherries, if desired.

Let cool. Turn out onto foil and wrap snugly. Store in refrigerator or freezer about 1 month before using. Makes 1 (8-pound) cake.

Note: Cake should be sliced thinly to serve. Do not use evaporated milk in place of sweetened condensed milk.

Each serving contains about:

1,217 calories; 41 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 32 grams fat; 248 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 8.3 grams fiber; 24% calories from fat.