Pecan Rye Bread

1 ½ packages yeast (4 ½ teaspoons)
3 cups warm water
5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3 cups rye flour
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons caraway seeds (optional)
½ cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
2 cups pecans chopped

Combine the yeast and ½ cup of the water. Stir and leave for 15 minutes to dissolve.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flours, salt, honey, caraway seeds, and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended.

Add the yeast mixture and the remaining water and mix on medium speed until the dough forms a ball.

Transfer to a floured surface and knead in the pecans.

Return the dough to a large oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with a clean towel, and leave in a warm place until doubled in volume, about two hours.

Butter 2 bread pans.

Punch down the risen dough.

Divide the dough in half and form loaves. Place in the pans, seam-side down. Dust the tops with flour.

Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375º

Bake until the bottoms sound hollow when tapped, 45-50 minutes. When done, remove the bread from the pans and cool on racks.

This recipe comes from American Baking Heritage by Patricia Lousada.

Chocolate Bread

½ cup dried cherries
1 envelope active dry yeast (1 tablespoon)
1 2/3 cup warm water
½ cup sugar, rounded
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter
5 to 6 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup broken or chopped chocolate pieces or chips
½ cup chopped nuts

In a bowl, combine the yeast, a dash of sugar, and 1/3 cup warm water. Let set for five minutes. Add 1 1/3 cup warm water, the egg, and the butter to the yeast mixture. Stir.

Place 5 cups flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt in large bowl and stir. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture and beat into dough. Add the cherries, chocolate pieces, and nuts. Stir. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour by the ¼ cup to make a soft dough. Turn out on a floured board and kneed for five minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat the dough. Cover with a towel and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size.

Punch the dough down. Shape it into a round loaf about 7-8 inches in diameter. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover it with a towel and set it aside in a warm place to rise until it's doubled in size.

Bake the loaf at 325º for one hour. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Cut slices one inch thick. Any remaining bread can be frozen bread. Makes one large loaf.

Granola Batter Bread

4 teaspoons dry yeast
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1 2/3 cups grain-bin granola


In a large bowl or electric mixer bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the brown sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add the milk, butter, hone, and salt. Stir to blend. Add 3 cups flour. Beat two minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the granola. Gradually add the remaining flour until the dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled. Stir down and spoon into a generously buttered large loaf pan or two medium-sized pans. Push the dough well into the corners of the pan. Sprinkle granola over the top of the pan. Bake in center of oven for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. When the loaf is finished, remove it from the pan and cool on a rack.

This recipe is from Town & Country Creative Breads by Ferne Carter Chapman.

Hungarian Poppy Seed Bread

1 ½ tablespoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup brown sugar packed
2 teaspoons salt
5-6 cups all purpose flour
1 cup milk
½ cup water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 12 ounce can of poppy seed filling
1 large lemon juiced
zest of 1 large lemon
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a large mixing bowl combine yeast, sugar, salt, lemon zest, and 2 cups of flour. In a small saucepan, combine milk, water, and butter. Heat on low until butter melts. In another bowl, mix the poppy seed filling and the lemon juice.

Add milk mixture and eggs to dry mixture and beat hard for 1 minute or until creamy. Add remaining flour ½ cup at a time to form a soft dough that just clears sides of bowl.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, spring, and soft, adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time as necessary to prevent sticking. Transfer to a deep, oiled bowl, turn once to coat dough, and cover. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ hours.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide in half. Pat or roll out each section into a 9 by 14 inch rectangle. Leaving a 1 inch border on all sides, spread each section evenly with half the poppy seed mixture. Sprinkle ½ cup walnuts over each section. Roll up from short end and pinch seams to seal. Place each roll seam-side down in a greased 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. Cover, and let rise 40-60 minutes.

Bake in center of oven for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees or until hollow sounding when tapped with your finger. Remove from pans to cool completely on rack before slicing.

Note:

Next Saturday morning I'll be involved in an extended meeting with the Committee on Ministry and unable to cook. Bread-making will resume the following Saturday. Nine loaves down, three to go!

Hawaiian Delight Bread

1 cup milk, scalded
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup pear juice
2 canned pear halves
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1/3 cup crushed pineapple
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup coconut
¼ cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 cups unbleached white flour

In a small sauce pan heat the milk. Add the butter and salt. Remove from the heat. Puree the pears in the pear juice and add to the milk.

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk mixture. Add the honey. Add three cups of flower and beat 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the pineapple, the pineapple juice, the lemon juice, and the coconut. Beat. Gradually add the remaining flour. Beat after each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out on a flat surface onto a sprinkling of flour. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat all sides. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Punch the dough down. Turn it out on a flat surface and press out the remaining air bubbles. Divide the dough into two equal parts and form loaves. Place in greased bread pans. Cover and let rise until slightly above the tops of the pans. Bake 30 minutes at 400.° When the loaves are finished, remove from oven and coat with butter if desired. Cool on a rack.

Note: This is the basic Hawaiian Delight Bread recipe by Ferne Carter Chapman in Town & Country Breads. However, I jazzed this morning's bread up some by adding more crushed pineapple, more canned pears, and more coconut. Enjoy.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

2 teaspoons sugar
¾ cup warm water
2 envelopes yeast (2 scant tablespoons)
1 cup milk
¾ cup butter
½ cup liquid honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 ½ whole wheat flour
½ cup wheat germ

Heat milk, butter, honey, sugar, water, and salt to 115° in a large bowl. Butter does not need to melt. Sprinkle in yeast, stir until dissolved. Add one cup all purpose flour and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add another cup of all purpose flour and beat again. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Add remaining all purpose flour and beat until smooth. Add whole wheat flour and wheat germ and beat. Batter will be very stiff. Work batter to make sure all the flour is incorporated. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours. Stir down with a spoon and kneed for about 30 seconds. Spread evenly into two well-buttered loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until done. Remove from pans and let cool on a wire rack.

This is a Fleischmann's yeast recipe.

Garlic Cheese Casserole Bread

1 cup warm water
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1 tablespoon dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
½ teaspoon dill weed
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups unbleached white flour

Put the water and the cottage cheese in a large mixing bowl and microwave for one minute. Add the sugar, dill, oregano, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Stir. Add the yeast and 1 cup of flour. Beat for two minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Gradually add the remaining flour and beat until the dough comes together. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel and let the dough rise in the same bowl until doubled in bulk. Stir down.

Spoon the batter into a well-buttered casserole dish, pressing the dough into the corners. Pour the remaining oil on top, and with the back of a spoon, spread it over the top of the dough and even the dough out. Let the dough rise again until it barely arches over the top of the container. Bake 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees.

This recipe is from Town & Country Creative Breads by Ferne Carter Chapman.

Fococcia

3 heads garlic (not cloves) or less
1 cup olive oil
2 scant tablespoons yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups warm water
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
cornmeal for pans
2 tablespoons crushed fresh rosemary or
2 teaspoons dried rosemary

Makes on 13 x 18 inch flat bread or 2 layers round

Peel and separate the garlic heads. Add garlic and oil to a small saucepan. Cook over very low heat 25-30 minutes. Do not brown. Cook only until tender. Strain cloves from the oil. Reserver, both and split the cloves lengthwise.

In a large bowl dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Beat in 1 cup of the flour. Let rest 15 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons garlic oil and 1 more cup of flour. Beat well. Add all the whole-wheat flour and and the salt. Beat well again.

Gradually add the remaining flour. Kneed when the dough becomes too stiff to stir. Kneed 8-10 minutes. Using the reserved olive oil, coat the inside of a large bowl. Placed dough in the bowl and turn to coat the entire ball with oil. Cover and let rise 1 hour.

Using the reserved oil, lightly oil the pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. Flatten and press the dough onto the pan with your hands, as it gives the uneven texture desired. Cover. Let rise 20 minutes.

Sprinkle the rosemary over the top. Using fingertips, indent the dough about 1/2" deep and 1-inch apart. As you do this, press the garlic slivers into the holes rather deeply to keep them from falling off during cooking. Let rise 20 more minutes. Place a large empty pan on the lower oven shelf and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle the remaining oil over the dough, letting it pool into the indentations. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt.

When focaccia is placed in the oven, put 1 cup of ice cubes on the tray below. Bakd for 30-35 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack.

Raisin Cinnamon Bread

The Queen of Yeast and her Consort will be out of town on Saturday, January 27th visiting friends in Camano Island. Therefore, there will be no bread made that day. We'll catch up at the end.

Dissolve 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons dry yeast, 3 tablespoon vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in 3 1/2 cups warm water. Stir to mix. Let stand 5 minutes. Add 8-9 cups unbleached all purpose flour; knead, adding flour as necessary to make soft dough. Grease entire surface of dough with vegetable oil, place in a large bowl, and cover with a dish towel. Let rise in warm place until dough is double in size.

Punch the dough down and divide into 4 pieces. Flour surface and roll out (with rolling pin) each piece to approximately 9"x13." Take 1 tablespoon water and gently rub each surface. Sprinkle surfaces generously with a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Sprinkle each surface with 1/2 cup moist raisins. Roll dough to form a loaf. Place each loaf in a greased bread pan and pinch down ends to seal filling (seam down). Butter the top of the loaves with butter. Let rise until double in size.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from pans, cool on rack, and butter the tops again while hot.

Whole Wheat-Oatmeal Molasses Bread

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 1 Tablespoon dry yeast
2 cups hot coffee ½ cup warm water
1 tablespoon butter 1 pinch sugar
½ cup molasses 2 ½ cups unbleached white flour
1teaspoon salt 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour

Combine the first five ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Let stand for ½ hour, stirring twice during that time.

Dissolve yeast and sugar in water using a fork. Let stand for 5 minutes or until slightly foamy.

Combine flour with all other ingredients in a large mixer bowl. Mix for 3-5 minutes, adding more flour if the dough is too sticky. Knead 3-5 minutes more. When finished, the dough will be slightly sticky to the touch.

Shape dough into a ball. Place in lightly greased bowl and cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot and let rise for 60 minutes or until twice its size. Punch down and knead for 1 minute. Divide into two equal parts, shaping each into loaves. Score each loaf diagonally.

Place each in a lightly greased bread pan. Place in a warm spot again to rise to double size. Lightly brush the loaf tops with egg wash for a glossy finish (using 1 egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water). Sprinkle with rolled oats. Bake in a preheated over at 375 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, until a hollow sound is heard when loaves are gently tapped. Remove bread from pans and let cool on a rack.

This is a specialty bread served at the Orcas Hotel on Orcas Island. The recipe is from the “Washington Cook Book” by Janet Walker (1996).

Basic Country-Style Bread

Thursday evening:
Dissolve ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast in 1 cup water at room temperature (72º to 75º). Let sit until frothy, about ten minutes. Place yeast mixture, ¾ cup water, and 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour in a large bowl. Stir to mix with a whisk or hand mixer until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and let the dough rise overnight at room temperature.

Friday evening:
To the starter dough add ½ teaspoon active dry yeast and three cups of water at room temperature. Blend with a hand mixer or upright mixer with a dough paddle until smooth. Add four teaspoons salt and eight cups of flour a little at a time. Beat until smooth, scraping the dough down from the sides of the bowl occasionally. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and kneed lightly. Form into a large ball. Coat the insides of a large bowl with olive oil, put the dough in the bowl and coat all sides with the oil. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate overnight.

Saturday morning:
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and divide into four equal-sized pieces. Kneed each piece into a flattened ball. Spray a cookie sheet and dust lightly with corn meal. Place each loaf on the cookie sheet, seam side down. Cover and let rise until nearly double, three to four hours depending on the room temperature. With a sharp knife, score 3-4 cuts about ¼ inch deep on the diagonal across the top of each loaf. Turn the oven on to 450º and place an enamel or cast iron frying pan in the bottom of the oven. When the oven is hot, carefully pour 1 cup water into the hot frying pan and quickly close the oven door to trap the steam. After 1 minute, slide the cookie sheet into the oven and turn the heat down to 400.º Bake for 40 minutes. The loaves will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove from the cookie sheet and cool on a rack

This recipe makes four loaves of bread. It can be cut in half by using only ½ the starter dough and freezing the rest or storing it for 2-3 days, covered, in the refrigerator.

This recipe is from “Cooking with Artisan Bread,” by Gwenyth Bassetti and Jean Galton

Yeast Corn Bread

2 cups water
1 cup corn meal
2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup melted butter
3 tablespoon soy milk powder (optional)
1 cup warm milk
4 teaspoons dry yeast
3 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
3 ½ – 4 cups unbleached white flour

Heat the water to boil and sprinkle in the corn meal. Stir to prevent lumping. Add the salt and butter. Remove from the heat and cool until warm to the touch. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. Add the honey and stir to dissolve. Add 2 cups flour and beat two minutes. Scrape down the inside of the bowl. Add the corn meal mixture. Beat to blend. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat after each addition. Scrape down the inside of the bowl.

Blend the soy milk powder into the remaining flour and gradually add the mixture to the batter. Scrape down the inside of the bowl. When the dough leaves the side of the bowl, turn it out onto a sprinkling of flour. Knead 6-8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turn to coat all sides, cover, and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Press out the remaining air bubbles. Divide the dough into two equal portions and form the loaves. Place in buttered loaf pans and let rise until nearly doubled in bulk. Bake on the middle over rack at 400º for 30-35 minutes. When the loaves are finished, remove from the pan and cool on a rack.

This recipe comes from Town & Country Creative Breads, by Ferne Carter Chapman.

Corn Bread Stuffing (Dressing)

Betty Grandma’s Corn Bread Stuffing (Dressing)
By: Betty Lou Wood

This is my mother-in-law's corn bread stuffing. "Betty Grandma" is a Texas native and a country cook. I watched her make it and wrote down what she did. She made it without a reciepe. This is true southern dressing:

2 packages Corn Bread Mix
1 package Pepperidge Farm Corn Bread Stuffing Crumbs (16 oz)
1 package Pepperidge Farm Herbed Cubed Stuffing (14 oz)
1 ½ c diced celery
¾ c green onions
8 eggs, slightly beaten
4 c chicken broth (homemade)
Salt and pepper to taste Pinch poultry seasonings

Prepare two packages of cornbread mix according to directions and bake in wide-shallow baking dish (i.e., 9x12). Cover loosely and leave out overnight.

Crumble cornbread in large mixing bowl. Add dried cornbread crumbs and vegetables. Add half of cubed bread stuffing package. Stir together. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir together. Add turkey drippings to achieve a wet consistency. Chicken broth can be added if drippings not available (I used 2 cans of broth).

When I prepare this, I use all chicken stock/broth. I also use sauted onions instead of the green onion. The trick to making this well is to use lots of liquid - jelly looking when it goes into the oven.

Mediterranean Halibut Packets

This is adapted from an Emeril Lagasse recipe. The original calls for chicken but I prefer a meaty fish like halibut or swordfish.

4 4-6 oz fish filets
2 tbs olive oil
2 tsps Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 c thinly sliced white or yellow onion
1 c drained and chopped oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
1/2 c Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 c dry white wine
2 tb chopped fresh basil
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Prepare a grill or preheat oven to 500F

Prepare 4 sheets of aluminum foil. Use either heavy duty or double sheets of regular foil. Take 4 pieces of the foil, about 12"x15" and fold in half crosswise, then unfold. Divide the spinach among the 4 pieces, placing it in the center of the bottom half.
Brush each filet with olive oil. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp of the salt and black pepper. Place one filet on top of each portion of spinach.
In a bowl combine the onions, tomatoes, olives, garlic, wine, basil, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Pile the mixture on top of each filet, spreading to cover evenly and allowing any liquid to pool around the fish. Top each portion with 1 oz of cheese.
Fold the top portion of the foil over and fold the edges tightly to seal. Place on the grill, or if using an oven, place packets on baking sheet. Cook until the packages puff and the fish is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. It make take longer, depending on the thickness of the fish.
Remove from grill or oven and cut packets open. Serve in packets or remove to plates.
Makes 4 servings.

Old Fashioned Cream Scones

These are tender, delicious scones, nothing like the dry things you usually get in coffee shops and markets.

2 cups unsifted all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbs butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 egg white
1/3 c heavy cream
additional sugar for topping

In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, 2 tbs sugar and salt. With a fork, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the eggs and cream to make a stiff dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead lightly until dough sticks together. Divide into two parts. Roll or pat each part out to make a circle about 6" in diameter and about 1" thick. With a knife, cut each circle into quarters. Arrange about 1" apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops of scones with egg white and sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 8 scones.

I've been making this recipe since I was a kid. It's from Sunset Magazine's Cook Book of Breads, originally published in 1966. I have my mother's original copy of the book.

Honey Ginger Biscuits

I've made an awful lot of these, too.

Ingredients

60g unsalted butter

¼ cup golden syrup

2 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. caster sugar

1 ¼ cups SR flour, sifted.

3 teaspoons ground ginger

Method

Preheat over to 200C. Combine butter, golden syrup, honey and sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat and stir until butter melts.

Remove from heat, allow to cool, then stir in the flour and the ginger.

Shape heaped tablespoons of mixture into balls and arrange about 2cm apart on a couple of lightly greased oven trays. Flatten balls with a floured fork.

Bake for ten minutes or until browned. Allow to stand for five minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool. Makes 30.

My notes

Makes thirty in whose imagination? I usually make up a double mix, which makes up into around forty to forty-five biscuits. I usually use a teaspoon to measure out the mix, too, and there is no way you could use a heaped tablespoon of mix for each biscuit and get thirty out of it.

Spacing them widely is a good plan; I ignored this the first time and had a sheet of biscuits that was nearly one giant lattice biscuit. The mix itself has a kind of strange, almost plastic-y texture, probably from the butter.

Watch them when cooking – the difference between cooked and singed seems to be about fifteen seconds. Better a bit under than over.

Le Fondant au Chocolat de Tante Amélie

165 grams (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) sugar
165 grams (5 3/4 ounces) dark chocolate, roughly chopped
165 grams (3/4 cup) butter, diced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
60 grams (1/2 cup) flour, sifted

For the topping
2 heaping tablespoons apricot jam
30 grams (1/3 cup) sliced almonds, toasted

Grease the sides of a 22- or 25-cm (9- or 10-inch) round cake pan with a pat of the butter and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Set a rimmed baking sheet (lèche-frite in French) in the middle of the oven, or a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the cake pan. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Combine the sugar with 165 mL (2/3 cup) fresh water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Add the butter, and keep stirring until that's melted too. Remove from heat and let cool for five minutes. In the meantime, bring water to a boil in the kettle.

Add the eggs into the chocolate mixture and whisk until incorporated. Add the flour and whisk it in. Pour the batter into the greased cake pan, set the pan on the rimmed baking sheet in the oven, and pour hot water into the rimmed baking sheet until it reaches a depth of about 1 cm or 1/3 inch.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is set at the center. Transfer to a rack for a few minutes, turn out onto a serving plate, and let cool completely.

Combine the jam and a tablespoon water in a small saucepan and set over gentle heat, stirring with a spoon until melted. Add the toasted almonds, stir gently to combine, and spread with a spoon over the top of the cake. Let set in a cool spot for an hour.

I made this a couple of days ago. It's very flat, and very rich.

Chocolate Coconut Cake

The Golden Rough of the cake world

Serves 8 – 10

Ingredients

250g butter, melted

½ cup cocoa powder

1 1/3 cups castor sugar

3 eggs

1 ½ cups desiccated coconut

1 ½ cups self-raising flour

¾ cup milk

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Place the butter, cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, coconut, flour and milk into a bowl and mix until smooth.

Pour the mixture into a lined 24cm round cake tin and bake for 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Spread the cake with chocolate icing if desired or serve with thick cream and a sprinkling of cocoa.

Icing

85g butter

2 tbsp water

¼ cup castor sugar

¾ cup icing sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Place butter, water, and castor sugar in a pan over a low heat and stir until smooth. Beat in the icing sugar and cocoa powder. Refrigerate for a few minutes or until spreadable.

Donna Hay, The Age Epicure page 9 July 10 2001

Wonderful cake, and very fast to make. You can easily make stencils and stencil something on top of the cake with icing sugar, too. I did that a couple of times.

Chicken and apricot tagine

We make this alllll, the time.

Dish by Jill Dupleix

Serves 4 Prep 20min Cook 60min 8 chicken pieces Flour, salt and pepper 1tbsp butter 3tbsp olive oil 1 onion, halved and sliced 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced Pinch of saffron, ground 1tsp sweet paprika 1tsp cumin 500ml chicken stock 400g tinned chopped tomatoes 100g dried apricots 1 to 2tbsp honey 2tbsp coriander leaves METHOD Dust the chicken with flour. Melt butter and oil in a pan and cook the chicken on both sides until golden. Remove it and cook the onion gently until soft. Add the garlic, saffron, paprika and cumin, stirring. Then add the tomatoes and stock and simmer. Put the chicken back into the pan with the honey, apricots, sea salt and pepper and simmer gently, partly covered, for 50 minutes. Scatter with coriander and serve with couscous and harissa (hot chilli paste).

Rugelach

Makes 24

Dough

100g unsalted butter, cold

100g curd or cream cheese

125ml sour cream, plus a little more if necessary

A pinch of salt

250g plain flour

1 egg yolk to glaze

Filling

50g caster sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

4 tbsp raisins, finely chopped

100g finely chopped walnuts

Using an electric beater or food processor, beat the cold butter (it must be cold) to a cream. Add the curd cheese, sour cream and salt and blend well. Add the flour – just enough so that the dough holds together in a soft ball – and combine briefly in the processor. If necessary, add a tablespoon or more extra sour cream, or a little more flour. Do not work the dough any further. Wrap in clingfilm and leave in the refrigerator for at least four hours.

Divide the dough into four. With floured hands, roll each piece into a ball. On a floured surface, and with a floured rolling pin, roll each ball out into a large round as thin as possible. You will need to keep dusting the sheet of pastry with flour and to turn it over, because it’s very sticky.

With a pointed knife, cut each round like a cake, into six triangular wedges. Sprinkle each wedge evenly with a mixture of the filling ingredients. Roll each triangle up tightly, with the filling inside, beginning from the wider curved end and finishing with the point in the middle. Curve the rolls slightly into little crescents and place them, point side down, on well-greased baking trays, a little apart from each other. Brush with egg yolk and bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven for 20-25 minutes, until slightly coloured. Let them cool.

Made these 15-16^th November 2007

Refrigerated overnight, rather than just four hours. Light cream cheese and sour cream used. Dough is lovely, elastic as, and not that sticky. I used rhubarb jam, strawberry orange jam, pureed dried apricots soaked in orange and mango juice, and a sugar/cinnamon/macadamia nut mix as fillings (so four in total). They are really, really more-ish.

Fruit Pizza

One roll of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough - press into pizza pan for crust. Bake by directions. Let cool.

Now cream together 8 oz softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup suger.

Spread Over Crust.Spread 1 jar (or homemade) strawberry glaze over the crust.

Make toppings from fruit. Ue strawberries cut in circles for pepperoni, strips of kiwi to resemble green pepper, and banana slices for mushrooms. Use whatever fruit you like. (For bananas or apples, be sure to dip in or brush with lemon juice so they don't turn dark.)

Home*Sweet*Home

Blintz Casserole

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 package (6) frozen cheese blintzes
3 eggs
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries (one type or a mixture)
1/2 cup sour cream

Preparation Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in a small baking dish (one that will hold the blintzes snugly) and set it in the oven until melted. Rollthe frozen blintzes in the butter. Arrange the blintzes in a single layer in the baking dish. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs well. Add the sourcream, sugar, orange juice, vanilla and salt and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture over the blintzes. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture andbake until set for about 40 minutes. To serve, cut into squares and serve with berries and sour cream. Serves 4.

DonBeth

Egg Casserole by Paula Deen

8 hard boiled eggs
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon House seasoning, recipe follows
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup freshly grated Gruyere
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Gently remove the shell from the hard-boiled eggs and cut in 1/2. Place cut side down in a baking dish greased with margarine.

In a saucepan, melt the margarine, add the flour, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the half-and-half gradually, and stir until mixture thickens and season with house seasoning. Add the dry mustard and the Gruyere and stir until melted. Pour the sauce over the eggs and sprinkle top with Parmesan. Bake for approximately 20 to 30 minutes until bubbling and top is golden brown.

House Seasoning:1 cup salt1/4 cup black pepper1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Home*Sweet*Home

SPAM BREAKFAST BURRITOS

(Blech I would use ham.) Serving Size : 6

1 cn SPAM Luncheon Meat, cubed-(12 oz)
4 Eggs
2 tb Milk
1 tb Butter or margarine
6 Flour tortillas (6")
1 c Shredded Cheddar cheese,-divided
1 c Shredded Monterey Jack-cheese, divided
CHI-CHI's Salsa to Taco-Sauce

Heat oven to 400'F.

In bowl, beat together SPAM, eggs,and milk. Melt butter in large skillet; add eggmixture. Cook, stirring, to desired doneness. Fill each tortilla with SPAM mixture and half of cheeses.Roll burrito; place seam side down on 12x8″ bakingdish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top of burritos.

Bake 5-10 minutes of until cheese is melted. Serve with salsa.

Home*Sweet*Home

STUFFED BAKED FRENCH TOAST

Servings: 8-10
16-20 slices for french bread - 1/2 " thick
6 eggs
4 cups half & half
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
dash nutmeg

Filling:
16 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup vanilla
2 cups fresh fruit

Use Pam on large baking dish. Arrange half of bread slices in dish so that entire bottom is covered.

In a separate bowl, mix eggs, half & half, vanilla and sugar. Pour half of this liquid over bread. In a separate bowl, combine filling ingredients (except fruit) together until creamy.

Pour fulling over moistened bread. Spread fresh fruit over bread. Arrrange other half of bread over top of filling and pour rest of egg mixture over the top. Sprinkle top with dash of nutmeg.

Cover and let stand overnight in the frigde. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Serve with syrup or fruit compote and powdered sugar.

Home*Sweet*Home

FRUIT BREAKFAST LASAGNA

10 slices of bread, cubed
peaches strawberries
1 cup cheese
10 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 TBP sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
powdered sugar

Spray a lasagne dish with PAM and preheat oven to 350. Toss cubed bread into lasagne pan/ Chop up peaches and strawberries to put over the cubes. Sprinkle cheese (cheddar or whatever kind you want0 over the top. In a bowl, mix eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour egg mixture over top of bread, making sure that all visible bread becomes moist.

Bake for 45 minutes, uncovered. Sprinkle powdered sugar on after removing from oven. Serve with maple syrup.

Home*Sweet*Home

Holiday Vodka

This year we filtered inexpensive Vodka through a Britta water filter 3 times as it's supposed to make it taste like good stuff. Poured into neat glass bottles or quart canning jars and wrapped with a ribbon, these make fantastic last minute host/hostess gifts around Xmas.

For a 1/2 gallon I'd say 4 cups or so of berries and the skins of 5 lemons for the lemon? It seems to come out no matter what you do.

Let sit for at least 6 weeks, however, I did 6 months and last year...it was good! So 6 weeks or more

I just use fruit!!! Any fruit. I just chop up whatever fruit is handy and put it in a container and cover it with vodka and TRUST ME filtering is not necessary unless you use POTATO vodka or something....let it sit for weeks and DONE! As long the fruit is never exposed to air (completely submerged in the liquid) during that time it can sit for months.

I *used* to think fancy recipes were necessary, but I've grown wiser in my years and I've found NO you don't need to add sugar (but you can - about a cup per big bottle of vodka works well) and NO the fruit doesn't need to be fresh (I use frozen nowadays) and NO you don't need good vodka! Just not the worst.

I use gallon jars, added a few big handfuls of frozen raspberries and the lemon peels from about 5 lemons.Include the fruit in the gift bottle or filter it out, it depends on the fruit and your bottle and your audience. Blueberries and raspberries and such are good for including, because they are small and will go through the neck easily. But melon is too big usually, unless you are really good at chopping. I found having just a bit of fruit that settles to the bottom is not a bad idea in the gift bottle. Kind of like flavored vinegars, you know

I think any fruit vodka drink tastes good with either tonic (if you DIDN'T sweeten it) or plain CLUB SODA if you did.But if you made lemon vodka (yum never did that) I bet adding it to, say, cranberry-lemonade would be DEELISH.Or even making a Bloody Mary with it!

Home*Sweet*Home AND Delightful Deals

Holiday Vodka

• Inexpensive Vodka (you don't need good vodka, just not the worst)
• Fruit

Delightful Deals:
Filter the cheap stuff through a Britta water filter - 3 times as it's supposed to make it taste like good stuff. Pour into neat glass bottles or quart canning jars and wrapped with a ribbon. These make fantastic last minute host/hostess gifts around Christmas.

Home*Sweet*Home:
I use gallon jars, added a few big handfuls of frozen raspberries and the lemon peels from about 5 lemons.

The filter we used was needing to be changed out of the Britta so it was no loss anyway...I figure it can't hurt?I haven't made lemon for this season but I did in the summer and my Son brought it with lemonade to a party. It was a hit!

I just use fruit!!! Any fruit. I just chop up whatever fruit is handy and put it in a container and cover it with vodka and TRUST ME filtering is not necessary unless you use POTATO vodka or something....let it sit for weeks and DONE! As long the fruit is never exposed to air* (i.e., completely covered with vodka) during that time it can sit for months.The longer the better but really, it doesn't matter that much. Just buy a pretty bottle and no one cares.

I've found NO you don't need to add sugar (but you can - about a cup per big bottle of vodka works well) and NO the fruit doesn't need to be fresh (I use frozen nowadays)

* I mean the vodka has to cover the fruit at all times. If the fruit is not covered with alcohol, it could ROT. So you keep it covered with the alchohol and it's fine. I stir mine every once in a while, just to be sure.

World's Best Creamed Onions

• 3 pounds (about 50) small white onions (blanched in boiling water for two minutes; drained & peeled-getting the onions cooked enough is hard, blanching for about four minutes is better)
• 2 T Unsalted Butter
• 1 t Sugar
• 3/4 t salt
• 2/3 cup Heavy Cream
• 2/3 minced fresh parsley

In a deep skillet, large enough to hold onions in one layer, combine onions butter sugar salt and enough water to cover the onions by 3/4 inch. Bring water to boil, and boil until liquid is almost evaporated. Cook onions over moderate heat, swirling the skillet until they turn golden and begin to brown. Add cream, bring liquid to boil, and stir occasionally until sauce is thickened slightly. Season with salt & pepper and stir in parsley.This mixture may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, and reheated in a skillet over moderately low heat, stirring until hot

For Thanksgiving, of course

Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake Recipe

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large tart cooking apples cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup (half a stick) butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mace (can substitute ground nutmeg)

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice and peel squash and apples.

2 Put squash cubes in ungreased 7x11-inch baking dish. Place apples on top and then cranberries. Mix the flour, salt, sugar, and mace and sprinkle on top. Dot with butter. Bake 50-60 minutes.

Serves 8.

Receipe credit: Heidi H of Carlisle, MA

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