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WELFARE CHRISTMAS
December of 1963, the fire department showed up at our door. This time instead of wielding axes and water hoses, as they had previously, on account of a fire my big brother inadvertently started in the basement, which I believe may have had something to do with us having to move again, they had boxes. A couple of big sturdy looking men placed several boxes of food and presents on our kitchen table.
Our first Christmas without my dad, having moved from our nice new home in the suburbs into an old neighborhood in town away from our school and friends was tough. We didn’t have much. Mom married dad when she was eighteen and did not have any skills other than homemaking and no schooling other than high school. The six of us kids and mom went on Welfare. There was no money for any extras like Christmas.
My memories of that first humble Christmas however, are filled with warmth and a feeling of security. Mom made everything alright. The fire department left us with some nice gifts that I don’t really remember. What I do remember is the smells coming from the kitchen. My mom would make her special Christmas treats every year and this Christmas was no different. There wasn’t money for fancy chocolate goodies or anything like that but mom managed to acquire a couple of overripe bananas to make her delicious banana bread. She also splurged and purchased a bag of whole cranberries to make another of our favorite holiday treats, cranberry bread.
Every year in the Smith household, and before that my grandma Whitlock, (Nana), and even before that, my family and extended family would make little chewy and buttery cookies called Toscas. We believe this special little cookie recipe came from the old country, brought here by one of our ancestors. There is, however, a little controversy concerning which country it actually came from. I’ve been telling everyone it was from Sweden but I’ve been hearing from some relatives of late that may not be true. Regardless of which European country it actually originated it is a wonderfully delicious little cookie and we still to this day make it every year during the holidays.
During that first Welfare Christmas, it was the presence of the Tosca cookie that especially seemed to communicate the peace and the love that my mother provided for us kids. With all the changes that took place in a very short amount of time, it was very reassuring to find the kitchen filled with all these familiar traditional Christmas treats. The Tosca cookie has been, ever since, embedded in me to mean family. Our family as dysfunctional as it was in those early welfare years was still our family and we were still together.
The Tosca cookie means more to me than I am able to express. We make them every year at Christmas and my children have carried on this tradition in their homes. It is a delicious little cookie. Here is the recipe:
Swedish Toscas
Grandma Smith always made these for her family. John has carried on her tradition and makes them every year even winning a ribbon at the Oregon State Fair.
Crust:
6 tablespoons butter
¼ cup sugar
1 cup flour
Place all ingredients for crust in a bowl and cream together with an electric mixer. Divide into muffin tins as equally as possible- should make 12. Press firmly with a spoon and leave a small indentation in the middle of each crust to hold the filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.
Filling:
While crusts are baking, prepare this filling in a small saucepan.
1/3 cup chopped nuts, walnuts or almonds
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1½ tablespoons cream or canned milk
Mix filling together over medium heat until just melted and bubbly. Carefully spoon filling evenly into the 12 mini crusts. Bake at 350 degrees for an additional 7 minutes.
( Excerpt from Ark Essentials copyright 1991-2018)