| "I'm playing carthorse for an annual | | | | and sweet way to send a traveler off in |
| conference. I'm leaving for Orlando tomorrow | | | | style. |
| morning in the wee, wee hours of the dark," | | | | |
| she typed into the instant-message system. | | | | Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Squares |
| | | | |
| "Great! Come to Tallahassee!" I responded | | | | 2 sticks butter, softened |
| with bubbling excitement. | | | | |
| | | | 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour |
| Popping from my memory garden were visions of | | | | |
| my young cousin pirouetting and curtseying | | | | 1/2 cup sugar |
| across the sanctuary of the Clarendon Hills | | | | |
| Presbyterian Church. The last time I had seen | | | | 1/4 tsp. salt |
| Dora Byrd was at my dad and stepmother's | | | | |
| wedding. She was the flower girl. | | | | (1) 12-oz. package semi-sweet chocolate |
| | | | chips, divided |
| We were long overdue to reconnect. The idea | | | | |
| of her visit created an undeniable | | | | (1) 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk |
| effervescence in my heart to welcome my | | | | |
| long-lost cousin with open arms and warm, | | | | 1 tsp. hazelnut extract |
| inviting Florida hospitality. | | | | |
| | | | 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract |
| But as Dora Byrd and I instant-messaged | | | | |
| back-and-forth, I realized something. The | | | | Soften butter to room temperature and preheat |
| whirlwind of busyness could easily snatch | | | | oven to 350 degrees. |
| this opportunity away from us. If I wanted to | | | | |
| see Dora Byrd, I would need to do some | | | | Grease a 13- x 9-inch baking pan. |
| driving, too. Tallahassee was just too far | | | | |
| away. We needed to meet somewhere closer to | | | | Whip butter in a large mixing bowl until |
| Orlando. | | | | creamy. Add the flour, sugar and salt and mix |
| | | | until nice and crumbly. Using floured |
| Sometimes hospitality means packing a picnic | | | | fingers, press 2 cups of the crumbly mixture |
| basket and a cooler, and taking a moveable | | | | into the prepared pan. |
| feast to a more central location. So that is | | | | |
| exactly what I did. On the last Friday of | | | | Bake for 10 minutes or until edges turn a |
| September, we synchronized our watches and | | | | light-golden brown. |
| planned to meet for a delightful afternoon at | | | | |
| the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in | | | | Meanwhile, combine 1 cup of the |
| Gainesville. | | | | chocolate-chip morsels with the sweetened |
| | | | condensed milk in a small, heavy-duty |
| "I'll wait for you at the visitor's center," | | | | saucepan. Stir over low heat until the |
| Dora said. "I'll be the person in the faded | | | | chocolate has melted and the two ingredients |
| green hat with a flower on it." | | | | are smooth. Stir in hazelnut extract and |
| | | | vanilla extract. |
| Sure enough, Dora Byrd was there waiting for | | | | |
| me when I pulled into the parking lot. Hat or | | | | Pour and spread the hot chocolate mixture |
| no hat, I would have recognized her anywhere. | | | | over the hot, baked crust. |
| Her face, personality and warmth were a | | | | |
| beautiful and almost haunting reminder of | | | | In a small mixing bowl, combine hazelnuts |
| other favorite relatives. | | | | with the remaining chocolate morsels and the |
| | | | reserved crumbly mixture of flour, sugar and |
| Whether you are trying to coordinate a visit | | | | salt. Sprinkle this mixture over the |
| with a traveling relative or are simply up | | | | chocolate filling. |
| for an adventurous day trip and a beautiful | | | | |
| picnic in the park, the bamboo, butterfly, | | | | Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until |
| water and herb gardens at Kanapaha present a | | | | the center is set and the top is golden |
| splendid backdrop for creating new memories | | | | brown. |
| to cherish for a lifetime. | | | | |
| | | | © 2006 Kathi Dameron, Kathi Dameron and |
| "Next time, I'll play host to you in | | | | Associates |
| Williamsburg, Virginia!" my librarian cousin | | | | |
| sang out, as she cradled the tin of Hazelnut | | | | This article originally appeared on October |
| Chocolate Chip Bars and waved goodbye. | | | | 12, 2006 in the "Entertaining with Kathi" |
| | | | column of the Northeast Chronicle, a Florida |
| Hazelnut Chocolate Chips Squares are a tasty | | | | newspaper. |