Recipe for Emmajeanette’s Dessert

Among my parents’ closest friends were Emmajeanette and Andy. Emmajeanette, whose delightful name cannot go unremarked, had a smile as lovely as her husband’s sense of humor. Whenever my mother announced that Emmajeanette and Andy were coming for a visit, my brother and I were elated and raised no objection to the days of dusting and vacuuming that preceded the occasion. Andy had a capacity for mischievous jokes and clever quips. As I think about Andy and Emmajeanette now, years after their passing, I wish I could travel back in time like Scrooge savoring Fezziwig’s merry dances once more!

My Mother and Her Good Friend Emmajeanette

Andy loved to tell a story that happened when all of us visited Brookfield Zoo. The event took place before my brother and I were in grade school. I was riding in a wagon that my brother was pulling. He suddenly jerked the wagon forward, and I tumbled over the back. I was uninjured. My brother turned around, saw what had occurred, and said, “Oh, pardon me, Robert.” Andy found my brother’s good manners irresistibly charming.

Emmajeanette and Andy on a Visit in the 1960s

Emmajeanette was known for a toffee dessert that was airy, creamy, and heavenly! My mother always called it “Emmajeanette’s Dessert.” As the dish uses uncooked eggs, you will want to secure farm fresh eggs that you trust, so as not to risk salmonella. When working with older recipes such as this one, it is useful to remember that eggs on farms were large; accordingly, it is best to start by obtaining large eggs. Before melting the chocolate, chop the squares with a knife; beginning with pieces of chocolate, rather than an entire square, produces a better result. Also, melt the chocolate slowly on low heat. You do not want the solids and the cocoa butter to separate. (If this happens, start over with more chocolate.) If you are using a double boiler, make sure that no breeze carries steam from the lower pot into the chocolate. Even a small amount of water causes chocolate to become grainy. (If this happens, add a little more water, which will cause the chocolate to become smooth again.)

Ingredients

½ cup shortening

1 cup powdered sugar

1½ squares melted chocolate

3 eggs separated

1 tsp vanilla

¼ pound vanilla wafers

¼ cup chopped black walnuts

Directions

Blend the shortening and sugar, then add lightly beaten egg yolks. Add chocolate, then fold in stiffly beaten egg whites, as well as the teaspoon of vanilla. Spread half of the crumbs on the bottom of a square dish. Spread the chocolate mixture over the crumbs. Sprinkle the remainder of the crumbs on top of the chocolate mixture. Scatter a few chopped walnuts over the crumb layer. Let mixture stand in refrigerator overnight. Serve with whipped cream.