My Grandma McIntyre passed away a few years ago but even sadder was the fact that she was taken from us much earlier than that, she had Alzheimer's. My Grandma was the best cook and baker in the world. ( I know all people think that of their Grandmas and I am no different :-) ) I have countless wonderful memories of going north to visit my Grandma and Grandpa. Sometimes it was with my mom and dad, sometimes it was just with my mom, and sometimes it was just me. But each and every time I went north I could count on Grandma and Grandpa's house being full of wonderful goodies to eat. I am allergic to chocolate, nuts and peanuts, so it was no easy feat for my Grandma to have 3 or 4 wonderful homemade treats ready for me when I walked in the door. But she never let me down. I remember when my Grandma started to really show the signs of early Alzheimer's. My mom, dad and I went north to visit because my Grandma was in the hospital. My mom took me aside and gently explained to me that Grandma was in the hospital and there would not baked goodies waiting for all us when we got there. I was in my late teens early 20's and somewhat naive. I didn't understand what Alzheimer's was nor did I have any clue that my Grandma was not indestructible. I thought she could do everything and anything. Sadly my Grandma's health deteriorated and eventually she didn't know us anymore...and lost were the memories and knowledge that she had. Somewhere along the years many of Grandma's recipes were lost and my favourite recipe was lost with them.
I have searched for years thru recipe books, on-line, with friends to see if anyone had ever heard of my favourite treat that my grandma made for me. I never found it, and I had given up hope of ever finding it...I figured it was probably something my Grandma made up or had altered from it's original state so I could eat it (without nuts, chocolate or peanuts). I had resigned myself to the fact I would never again have a wonderful cherry ball.
This weekend I was at my mom and dad's looking thru a cookbook of dessert squares that my mom was using to do her Christmas baking. As I was thumbing thru the pages I came across a recipe called Snow Log. As I started to read the ingredients I felt my heart start to race and lump form in my throat. Could it be?? Could I have finally found the recipe. I jumped up and ran over to my mom yelling I found it....I found Grandma's recipe. So my mom and I whipped it up and while the recipe is for a rolled cookie and my grandma made little balls of goodness....I am ecstatic to report it is the same recipe. I took a bite of the cookie and I swear to God I was transported back in time to a kitchen filled with love in a little green house in Haileybury.
I miss my Grandma and Grandpa (both have passed away), I loved them very much. But this Christmas season if for just a second I had them both back in my life happy and healthy sitting in their kitchen in the little green house in Haileybury while I poked my head in the fridge to grab a little bite of heaven.
SNOW LOG
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 1/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries, well drained
vanilla wafer crumbs for coating.
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in icing sugar. Mix in first amount of wafer crumbs salt and cherries. You may have to add more icing sugar. You can safely add as much as you can work in. shape into a log 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Roll in wafer crumbs to coat. Store in waxed paper in a plastic bag. Keep in refrigerator. Cut in thin slices. Serve.
