For almost a month now, we’ve been overwhelmed by Michael Jackson and his life, loves, drugs, music and death. I have no doubt that the overkill will continue for some time to come.
Every time they show Michael on TV in one of his “iconic” performances, there he is, doing his famous moon walk, one of the most imitated moves in showbiz history. Well, it’s time we turned our attention to another moon walk and the man who did it long before Michael Jackson slid his feet backwards across a stage.
This Monday, July 20, marks the 40th anniversary of the United States’ lunar landing, and the first human footsteps on the face of the moon, first by Neil Armstrong, then Buzz Aldrin.
The entire world held its breath for a few moments as the capsule door opened and out stepped a bubble headed, silver encased creature we all knew was a human being, who had to be one of the bravest individuals alive at that time.
Imagine landing on the moon, leaving the safety of that capsule, climbing down and actually walking on its surface, with no sure way of knowing what might be lurking either in the surrounding air or on the ground. One thing was certain: It wasn’t going to be cheese, which is what we were always told as children when we asked what the moon was made of.
My then-husband and I and our two young kids were in a vacation cabin on Hood Canal, which fortunately had a small but ancient black-and-white TV, when the moon landing was being televised. We were clustered around the screen, fascinated by the blurry images, watching that first moon walk in disbelief. Even as I listened to Armstrong’s “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” my mind couldn’t grasp the reality of a man walking on the moon.
From my earliest remembrances, I’ve been fascinated by the moon and still am. As I watched that moon walk, all I could think of was how much I wished I could do it.
I so much wanted to moon walk, to be there looking back at us, on Earth, and I envied those two men as much as I’ve ever envied another human being. I still wonder what they must feel when they look up at the moon now.
Next Monday, just for a bit of time, let’s forget Michael Jackson’s copied-to-the-point-of-tiresome moon walk, and think instead of the unique, earth-shaking, unequalled, never-to-be-forgotten, first and only moon walk performed by a human being on the moon itself. Now that’s a moon walk I wish I’d been there to see live.
RECIPES
Moon pies (typically marshmallow between graham cracker cookies with a chocolate coating) have long been a favorite snack food, especially for kids, although I once worked for a woman who was addicted to them.
Moon pies supposedly originated in the early 1900s in the south and are still considered a “southern” food. You can find them in some supermarkets, but should you want to impress your neighborhood kids with a unique treat, here are a couple of recipes, one with a chocolate coating, one without. By the way, these are usually snapped up very quickly at bake sales, should you be looking for a money-raising project.
MOON PIES
12 T. butter
¾ cup powdered sugar
2 t. vanilla extract
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 T. cornstarch
1 cup flour
For the marshmallow filling:
¼ cup water
¼ cup light corn syrup
¾ cup sugar
2 egg whites
1 T. gelatin
2 T. cold water
¼ t. vanilla extract
For the coating:
12 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz. cocoa butter (or use ¼ cup vegetable oil)
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until soft and smooth. Add sugar and mix until well blended. Add vanilla and mix until light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, cornstarch and flour. With mixer running at low speed, add dry ingredients to the butter mixture; blend just until combined. Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hrs. or overnight.
On a floured work surface, roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness. Use a flour-dipped cookie cutter to cut out circles (you can make them mini-size, 1½ inches, or 2-3 inches depending upon what size moon pies you want that day). Place circles on an ungreased sheet pan, leaving an inch between cookies. Re-roll scraps to make as many cookies as possible. If you want them to look like the moon pies bought in the store, prick them lightly with a fork. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven 12-14 min., or until crisp; allow cookies to cool on the pan.
To make the marshmallow filling: Combine the ¼ cup water, corn syrup and sugar in a saucepan and insert a candy thermometer. Bring mixture to a boil and cook to 235 degrees, or soft boil stage. Meanwhile, in a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 T. cold water and let it dissolve. When the boiling syrup has reached
235 degrees, remove it from the heat, add the gelatin and mix well, being sure the gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour the syrup into the whipped egg whites; add the vanilla and continue whipping until mixture is stiff.
Transfer the marshmallow mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe a small dollop of marshmallow onto half the cookies and top with the rest of the cookies to make sandwiches, pressing the tops on lightly to help spread the marshmallow, if necessary. Let cookies stand to set at room temp. for two hours.
Make the chocolate coating: Melt the chocolate and vegetable oil (or cocoa butter) together in a bowl set over simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water), stirring occasionally.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat and, one at a time, gently drop the cookies into the hot chocolate. Lift out with a long-tined fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Place cookies on the lined cookie sheet and let set at room temp. until coating is firm. This will make from 3- to 6-dozen moon pies, depending upon the size you decide to make them.
SOUTHERN MOON PIES
1 cup butter, softened, divided (see instructions)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup evaporated milk
1½ t. vanilla, divided (see instructions)
2 cups flour
½ t. salt
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ t. baking soda
½ t. baking powder
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup marshmallow creme
In a large mixing bowl, cream together ½ cup of the butter with the sugar. Add egg, evaporated milk and 1 t. of the vanilla; mix well. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. With mixer running, slowly add flour mixture to the sugar mixture; mix just until all ingredients are combined.
Drop the dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet by rounded tablespoonfuls, leaving about 3 inches in between cookies, as dough will spread as it bakes. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 6-8 min., or until cookies feel firm when lightly pressed with a finger. Allow cookies to cool at least one hour before filling.
Make marshmallow filling: In a mixing bowl, blend together the remaining ½ cup butter, powdered sugar, remaining ½ t. vanilla and marshmallow creme. Mix until very smooth.
Assemble pies by spreading 1-2 T. filling on the flat side of a cookie, then covering filling with the flat side of another cookie. Makes about two dozen moon pies.
And finally, here’s a Moon Pie Sundae from Rachel Ray of Food Network TV, her suggestion for one way to use your moon pies, or any you buy from the store.
FULL MOON SUNDAES
In an ice cream or sundae dish, first put a layer of heated fudge sauce (purchased or home made), followed by a scoop of fudge swirl ice cream, followed by pieces of broken up moon pies, followed by a second scoop of ice cream, followed by more hot fudge sauce and topped with a dollop of whipped cream and then either a cherry, strawberry or chocolate shavings, or sprinkles, or nuts, or whatever you like.
