I have made this dessert before, but don't think I did it more than once (with butterscotch pudding, not chocolate like today's attempt) - in those days it was "too complicated", "too many steps". When I remember it, I have such a strong memory of my dear Aunt Virginia Emley, who made this dessert (beautifully) and originally gave me the recipe. Aunt Virginia always had the best recipes and her food was always gorgeous to look at as well as delicious. She did so many things well!
I remember that a friend of hers had asked for suggestions on what to bring to our family when there was a funeral. Aunt Virginia suggested this recipe, which the friend duly prepared. Afterward, Virginia's friend made sure everyone knew that she was never making it again, because it was too much of a pain to make. Today, it seems pretty easy!
We are bringing treats for our "Financial Peace University" class tonight, so I'll share how the others liked it, in addition to our opinions. We're bringing chips (Mission brand) and salsa, too (Walmart White Corn & Black Bean Salsa). They don't really go with the dessert, but that's what sounded good to us.
I have so many happy memories of Aunt Virginia and my other aunts and this recipe has brought them to the fore. When I began this blog after watching the movie "Julie and Julia", Aunt Virginia was prominently in my mind. Julia Child and "The French Chef" are indelibly linked with Virginia in my memory - maybe because PBS was the only television station they could get at "the farm"? And PBS had Julia Child.
"The farm," which is what Grandma Ethel always called it, was the Emley Ranch where Aunt Virginia and my mother's brother Charles Emley lived with their son Tom (and I was his occasional babysitter during high school). I guess Aunt Virginia was the "French Chef" of our family, in my eyes at least.
Virginia was a superb and adventurous cook and I still have recipes that she gave me to try - like moussaka and zucchini lasagna. I miss her so much! She passed away in 2007 after a second bout with cancer. We have lost so many wonderful years with Virginia and Charlie from the effects of those robbers, cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also called Lou Gehrig's disease). And I am so very grateful to God for the gifts of Charlie and Virginia, as well as their daughters, my cousins Judy, Joan and Lynne.
Virginia was a widow with three daughters when she married my Uncle Charlie. Charlie came to visit us one winter evening in our little house north of Tuthill, SD, to break the news that he was getting married! He must have told us they were having an evening wedding, and I pictured them dancing the night away, all of the women in chiffon gowns, kind of like this one.
I didn't know until just a few years ago that Virginia was married in a suit (of course she was!) Probably something like this, and she probably sewed it herself:
Like all of the rest of Aunt Virginia's recipes, Angels Delight was a hit tonight! There was none left when I went to get my piece - Merlyn said it was awesome, and this time I'm going to believe him. And, one of the attendees asked for the recipe. This one is a keeper!
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Here's the challenge: I'm going to make each recipe in the cookbook, "Recipes from Columbia Classics Car Club 1992-2002,' Tri-Cities, WA", one recipe per section, and blog about it. And then I'll go on to the next section.
Next Section: Breads & Rolls
Next Two Recipes (on one page!): Bacon and Cheddar Muffins and Cheesy Bread
I'll be back after it's cooked. Bon Appetit!
