Church Windows

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..."

Wait...no it's not. I'm visiting my family in Taiwan right now, where it's 70ºF and Christmas isn't really celebrated, except for a few lights. However, inside our apartment, Christmas season is in full swing: tree, presents, decorations, music, movies, and, of course, baking.

First up on the baking list was church windows, my sisters' favorite Christmas cookie. Their namesake, stained glass windows, are one of my favorite parts of visiting big old churches. Those and the pipe organs. Unfortunately, these cookies are just about the only church windows I'll find in Taiwan. There are plenty of temples here (quite cool to see, but also a little creepy), and there are a few modern churches, but it's nothing compared to Europe. But these cookies appear on our Christmas cookie plate every year almost without fail.

However, sometimes getting these cookies onto the cookie plate is a bit of a struggle. To get the stained glass design, you need mini colorful marshmallows. Not a big deal, except that they are difficult to get ahold of overseas. Hence, we have to have visitors send them at Christmas, or we resort to cutting up large marshmallows into smaller pieces.

This year, the cutting-up method did not go very well. Elena and I dumped the marshmallow pieces into the very hot chocolate mixture, started to stir, and stood there in shock as we realized that the marshmallows were melting, ruining the church window effect. After panicking for a minute, we quickly rushed the pot over to the freezer and stuffed it in before any more marshmallows could melt. Luckily we saved them just in time, and we ended up with rich, delicious, marshmallow-stained glass church windows. Lesson learned!

This recipe from my grandma Faber is simple, quick, cute, and oh-so-tasty. Even the cat was curious to see what all the fuss was about!

Church Windows

Ingredients:
12 oz. chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1 pkg. colored mini marshmallows*
1 cup chopped nuts, such as walnuts (optional)

Directions:
In a medium pot, melt the chocolate chips and butter together.
Let cool for about 3 minutes before stirring in the marshmallows and nuts so that the marshmallows don't melt.
Pour the mixture onto two sheets of plastic wrap in a log shape. Roll the plastic wrap around the logs, set on a cookie sheet, and chill in the refrigerator. Cut into 1/2 inch slices.

*If you do not have mini marshmallows, cut colorful large marshmallows into small pieces, about 1 cm in length and width.

Recipe from: Janet Faber