Miss Ella's Cinnamon and Sugar Diamonds -Goodbye Lie Diaries

 A Fernandina Favorite

Late 1880s
Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

Miss Ella writes: My mother, the children call her Grammy, has made these sweeties for our family as far back as I can recall. She trims her pie crusts and with those delicate scraps, she creates baked cinnamon and sugar diamonds that are gobbled up before they have a chance to cool!  I make them for Mama these days. Now that my girls,

*Miss Ella Dunnigan

Breelan, Carolena and Marie, are young women, they, too, are learning this simple recipe. By the way, I will often make extra pie dough just so there are sufficient diamonds for all.
     You'll need the following. Oh, Jane Marie, if you would be so kind as to translate my recipe into your modern times. While the ingredients are the same, your baking oven is more accurate than mine. Thank you, ma'am.

***

Present Day
Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida

Jane Marie writes:  I am happy to write out the recipe instructions.  By the way, my mother, Marie, used to bake these same treats and have them waiting for her children when we came home from school!  What a wonderful memory for all of us. Don't you love how recipes are passed down through the generations? Thank you for reminding me about them Miss Ella. I will make some this very night.

You'll need:

• fresh pie dough or refrigerated pie dough, already made (What a time saver this is, Miss Ella, and it's nearly as good as homemade. This is one store-bought item I purchase.) 
• butter or your favorite butter-substitute used for baking
• cinnamon
• sugar      

Roll out the dough on a floured surface.  Spread a goodly amount of butter on half.  Sprinkle the butter with cinnamon and plenty of sugar.  Fold the other half of dough over the cinnamon and sugar mix, pressing  and sealing the edges so the melted insides won't leak out.  Poke a couple of times with a fork, but only the top layer of dough.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Cut into diamonds or triangles and serve warm. A pizza cutter works well to do this. Enjoy! 

*Miss Ella is the Dunnigan matriarch. Known for her culinary talents, she is responsible for approving all foods served on the ships of the family's Aqua Verde Passenger Line, commencing 1883 and continuing to the present day. This is all part of The Goodbye Lie Series. The first three novels are set in Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida in the late1880s, and are available in e-book and paperback. 

Cackleberry Club

     My sweet husband, Bruce, is a United States Marine.  However macho he is, he can be delicate, too.  Case in
point: While grocery shopping one day, I noticed he was touching each of a dozen eggs in the carton.  Frankly, he was more than touching them.  He was full out playing with them.  "Whatever are you doing, oh manly man of mine?" asked I. 
     "I am in search of cracks in the eggs," said he.
     "I, too, look for cracks before I put a dozen in the shopping buggy.  You, however, go much further than just looking. You are performing some sort of fancy finger dance, taking each oval orb as partner.  It is quite fascinating to stand back and watch. Yet, is there a purpose beyond entertaining those about you?"
     "Why, yes, there is. Rather than merely inspecting the eggs for any visible cracks on their tops, I pick up and spin each one to be certain there are no cracks on their bottom halves, lest we get them home and discover the ugly truth.  Since scientists use eggs to grow cultures," he shuddered, "if it is within my power, I shan't bring into our home a flawed vessel which will propagate any bacterium and its off-spring, endangering those within said abode. Add to that, it is meet, right and proper, so to do, that we get a complete dozen, unbroken eggs, for the full value of the price we pay. I find a complete tender twirl to be the answer."
     I have since begun the Cackleberry Club, as I now call all egg activities. We invite one and all to become members. Like our 3-Second Memory Club, there are never any meetings, so no minutes are taken and no dues required. 
     Wonder what our next club will be?  I'd best be starting a list to keep all our organizations straight.