We thought you’d like us to define

What people do when they pitch woo

And spoon and neck and bill and coo.

They pucker up their lips and press

Another’s lips in a caress.

What we’re describing is a KISS.

In other words, it’s also this:

A PECK, a BUSS, a KISSAROO,

A SMACK, a SMOOCH—to name a few.

The XXX that one bestows

On a letter with some Os.

A dictionary will confirm

That OSCULATE’s a kissing

term.

And so is HONEY COOLER,though

It’s not in use much that we know.

To make our kiss-word list complete

We should include those that people eat:

The little foil-wrapped chocolate drops

(Available in many shops),

And sweet, delicious cookie bites

Of sugar beaten with egg whites.

Before we go we’d like to say

We hope that kisses come your way,

And those that you consent to share

Are given with a bit of flair.

And just in case you don’t know how

To give your kisses extra WOW,

We’ll tell you all the steps to take

To make your kisses double great!

Copyright S M. Katzman, 2010

DOUBLE GREAT KISSES

3 egg whites, at room temperature (Be sure whites are free of all yolks; whites with even a touch of yolk will not beat well.)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

About 24 chocolate kisses (foil wrap removed)

Preheat oven to 225°F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set baking sheets aside.

Put egg whites in a large bowl. Beat whites on low speed with an electric mixture until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat on high speed until whites stand in soft peaks. Constantly beating at high speed, very slowly add sugar to whites. Continue beating until whites stand in straight peaks. Beat invanilla.

Using 1 level tablespoon for each mound and leaving space between mounds, drop mounds of whites on paper covered baking sheet. Put a chocolate kiss in the center of each mound. With a kitchen knife, carefully bring whites up and around each chocolate kiss, completely covering chocolate with whites.

Bake in a preheated 225°F oven for 60 minutes. Then turn off heat and leave cookies in the warm oven for another 20 minutes.

Remove baking sheets from oven and set on racks to cook. When completely cool, remove kisses from paper.

Yield: about 24.

Which brings us to nuts again. When it comes to homemade holiday treats nothing beats nuts…well…nothing if the nuts are encased in melt-in-the-mouth chocolate enhanced with a nut-flavored liqueur like in the luscious Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles made by Karen Todd and sold in her popular Dragonfly Café & Bakery in Taos, New Mexico.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT TRUFFLES

(Recipe from the Dragonfly Café and Bakery, Taos, New Mexico)

Yield: About 6-1/2 dozen

1-1/2 pounds semisweet chocolate, divided

1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup Frangelico (or other flavored liqueur)

About 4 ounces skinned, toasted hazelnuts (see note)

About 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

Chop chocolate into small pieces. Put 1 pound of the chopped chocolate in a stainless steel mixing bowl (set aside remaining 1/2 pound chopped chocolate). Heat cream until it is just about to boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate in bowl and set aside for 5 minutes, then stir with a spatula until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth and well blended. (If chocolate does not melt, set bottom of bowl over hot water and stir until chocolate melts fully and mixture is smooth. Be sure no steam reaches chocolate.) Stir in liqueur. Let chocolate cool completely, then cover bowl and refrigerate until chocolate is firm, 2 hours to overnight.

Scoop about 1 teaspoon of chilled chocolate into a spoon. Put a hazelnut into the center and shape mixture around nut forming a ball. Place ball on a baking sheet or tray. Repeat with remaining chocolate mixture and nuts. Place balls in a freezer until firm, about 1 hour.

Melt remaining chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Set aside until cool enough to touch. Working quickly, put a little melted chocolate in the palm of one hand. Add a frozen ball and quickly and gently rub ball in palms until ball is coated with a very thin layer of melted chocolate. Toss coated ball in cocoa powder and place on a tray. Repeat until all ingredients are used.

Place truffles in a covered container and refrigerate. Keep refrigerated until 1 hour before serving, then remove from refrigerator and let come to room temperature.

Note: To toast and skin hazelnuts: spread shelled nuts in one layer on a baking sheet. Put in a preheated 300 degree oven and roast, shaking pan once or twice to redistribute nuts, until skins “break” and nuts turn a light golden brown, 10 to 20 minutes. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and set aside 1 minute. Rub nuts in towel to remove loose skin (not all skin will come off). Cool completely.