This is a little different….everyone will want to know just what you did….just smile….and keep them guessing!
- pinch of real saffron threads (about 14-15)
- 1 1/4 cups of water
- 6 potatoes
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
Crumble the threads into the water. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Rinse really well with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Heat the butter in a large skillet and when the foam subsides, place the potato slices in and cook for 2 minutes each side, turning carefully. Add the saffron infused water and pour over the potatoes with the salt and pepper and briskly simmer uncovered for about 6 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for a further 15-17 minutes until tender and the water has evaporated.
Serve with lamb or beef, vegetable and salad. Wow! You have exotic tasting potatoes and only YOU know the secret.
Yummy!
Maple Syrup Cake With Maple Syrup Icing
Spring is just around the corner and the running of the maple syrup down East will give this cake the justice it deserves. Just kidding! It somehow sounded like it all related. You just have to remember that using maple syrup affects the length of cooking time. (all good things take time).
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tbsp. solid shortening
- 2 cups maple syrup ( Grade B, if you can get it)
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 8″ round cake pans with at least 2″ high sides. Line the bottoms with buttered parchment paper. Dust with flour and set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add the maple syrup and beat until smooth (about 3 minutes). Add the egg yolks and egg, one at a time, mixng well to combine. Beat the flour and milk alternately in 2 additions. Fold in the pecans.
Divide equally in the cake pans (about 3 1/2 cups each pan) smooth the tops with an off-set spatula.
Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (about 55 minutes). Cool the cakes in the pans for 20 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen and invert on cake racks. Remove the parchment and cool completely.
- Icing
- 3 cups icing sugar
- 1 – 8 oz. pkg. of Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
- toasted pecans for garnish
Sift the icing sugar into a medium bowl. In your electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until completely smooth. Add the powdered sugar and maple syrup slowly and beat until smooth. Do not overbeat as it may become too soft.
Put one cake on a pretty plate and spread about 1 cup of the frosting over the cake. Add the second layer and frost with the remaining icing. Arrange the pecan halves around the edge of the cake.
Slice, serve and you will hear all the accolades for days. This cake sounds super sweet but it isn’t.
Breakfast Muffins – Tasters
Our poor neighbor got a call this morning and told to come over for a tasting. Don and I are getting ready for our cooking class in April, so we are trying things similar to my cookbook, but not the same things exactly. If I did that, who would buy my cookbook? That is my thinking anyway.
This is what we ‘tasted’ two different ways.
- 4 slices of bacon, cut in thirds
- 5 eggs, divided
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal (yellow)
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup melted butter, not margarine
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- maple syrup
- Bacon Jam (recipe for this is on my site)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In frypan, cook bacon until ALMOST crisp. Drain and reserve bacon drippings.
Return 2 tsp. bacon drippings back into the skillet.
To make the scrambled eggs, whisk three eggs, 2 tbsp. water and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook the eggs until they start to set. Tip your pan up and lift up one end to allow the uncooked eggs to flow underneath and cook. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Don’t cook until completely dry.
First spray 2 1/2 inch muffin tins with pam and then brush in some of the bacon drippings.
In a bowl mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and pinch of salt. Combine the milk, melted butter and remaining two eggs and whisk to blend well.
Make a hole in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the milk mixture. Gently stir together to combine. Fold in the scrambled eggs and cheese and place a generous spoonful in the muffin cups. (should be full)
Add a piece of the bacon on top of some of them or all (depends on what you want to have.) Bake in the oven for about 15-17 minutes. Just check with a toothpick to ensure cooked through.
If you used bacon on top, drizzle a tiny bit of maple syrup over the top. OMG! Are these tasty or what….
If using bacon jam, put a dollop on top of each muffin and wait for the ooohs and ahhhs. These are delicious and easy to prepare.
This is a win-win breakfast muffin for family or on a platter for a buffet at Easter, Mother’s Day, deck in the summer….you get the idea.
Tasty Snacking Pecans
You just heard that unexpected company is coming over and all your holiday baking is in the freezer. Fear not, oh kitchen diva, grab a bag of pecans, some honey and away you go.
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. ground chipotle chiles
- 2 cup pecan halves
- coarse kosher salt
- aniseed
Bring the honey, sugar and ground chiles to a boil in a large skillet, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Add the pecan halves and cook until the mixture thickens and darkens in colour (about 6 minutes). This will almost begin to smoke.
Turn out onto tin foil and with some salad forks, start to separate the nuts as quickly as you can. Lightly sprinkle with the salt and aniseed.
Cool completely. You will find that the coating becomes crisp and don’t start to sample. Remember, company is on their way.
YUMMY!
Winter’s Martini
What a great signature drink to serve your guests as they enter your home for an evening of great food, great conversation , great friends.
- 1 part lemon vodka
- 1 part triple sec
- 1 part lemoncella
- 1 part peach shnapps
- splash of mango nectar
Pour all the ingredients into a crushed ice filled shaker and shake really well for about 5-6 seconds. Strain into well chilled martini glasses that have been rimmed with Triple Sec and sugar.
You will get lots of ooohs and ahhs with this one. Serve only 1 – that is what makes it a signature drink.
Basic Chou Pastry
Want to make your own cream puffs? Eclairs? Here is the pastry to make.
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup sifted flour
- pinch of salt
- 4 large eggs
Combine water and butter in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil, allowing the butter to melt.
Add all the flour and salt at the same time and stir vigorously until smooth and leaves the sides of the pan, forming a ball. (This takes a few minutes)
Turn off the heat and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well mixed. Beat until smooth. Cover lightly and let stand until cool.
When cool, spoon into a piping bag with a 1 inch plain piping tip. Pipe into desired shapes on a well greased baking sheet.
Bake in a 450 degree oven in the center for 8 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 20–35 minutes until dry and lightly browned. Remove from the pan immediately and set on a rack to cool.
Fill with desired filling (whipping cream, custard, whatever) and dip into dark chocolate if you want to really bring it up a notch.
Yummy!
Christmas Baking Tray List 2013
It is that time of year to starting getting ready. Yesterday we bought all that we need. both Don and I, and here is what I hope to accomplish on Nov 11. Don also makes his Tourtiere and antipasta. We make a big mess for sure but, even after 25 previous years of this routine, we have yet to get in each other’s way.
Besides, I think you all should be able to smell the wonderful aroma that stems from this place where ever you live.
- Marshmallows
- Whipped Shortbread
- Holiday Shortbread
- cornmeal shortbread
- Cheese Shortbread
- Pecan Shortbread
- Lemon Shortbread
- Gumdrop Cake
- New Christmas Cake
- Black and White Bark
- Madeleines
- Santa’s Balls
- Raspberry Meringues
- Salted Chocolate Cookie
- Citrus Cocada
- Blackberry Orange Tea Loaf
- Blue Cheese Cookies With Pistachios
Fruit Crush
After a heavy meal, this makes a light, refreshing turn around. It can be made with any berry that is available or stone fruit such as peaches. It is not difficult and can be started the day before.
- 4 cups of fruit, hulled or peeled and cut in half
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 1/4 cup whole unblanched almonds
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp. milk
- 2 tbsp. Amaretto
- 2 tsp. slivered unblanched almonds, toasted, for garnish
Place the fruit in a plastic bag and freeze for about 2 hours.
Remove from the freezer and place half the contents in a blender. Add the ice, almonds, sugar, milk and liqueur. Blend this until there is enough room to add the reamaining fruit and blend until smooth.
Divide among 4 serving dishes and garnish with the slivered almonds and serve immediately.
Serve with a Citrus Lace Cookie or Madeleine
Roasted Garden Beets With Orange And Grated Ginger
The addition of oranges to some vegetables just heightens the flavour,and along with this recipe the added grated ginger really awakens your taste buds. Besides the kids will really love these.
The challenge is to try and find some yellow beets as well. This way you get colourful beets to serve. Just ups the ante for being called “the best”.
- 4 medium beets (about 2 lbs) trimmed and scrubbed
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 medium orange
- 1 tsp. sherry vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. sherry
- 1/4 tsp. grated fresh ginger or more if you like ginger
- 1/4 cup pecan halves, broken lengthwise
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lay a large piece of tinfoil on a cookie sheet and place the beets in the center. Drizzle with 1 tbsp. oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the foil around the beets and roast until tender when pierced with a knife. This should take about 1 hour. Let stand until you can handle.
With a zester, remove 1/4 of the orange rind in long thin strips. Peel the remainder of the peel and white pith with a sharp knife.
Remove segments from half the orange and cut in half crosswise and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the remainder of the orange and place 1 tbsp. in a small bowl and add the vinegar, sherry, ginger and whisk in the remaining 2 tbsp. of oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Peel the beets, quarter them and toss with the dressing. Mix in the orange pieces, zest and pecans, reserving some to sprinkle on top as a garnish.
Not only will the kids love these so will everyone else. You may have to double the recipe…..everyone will want seconds. Enjoy!
The Autumn Martini
Living in an area where thousands of apples are growing and now being harvested, makes one think that a special drink should be posted. Maybe this is it….
- 1 part Grey Goose Vodka
- 1 part sour apple schnapps
- 1 part pomegranate juice
Pour all ingredients into shaker filled with crushed ice and shake well. Pour into chilled martini glasses and add a slice of apple to garnish.
This drink should smell like a red delicious apple.
Yummmmmm………….
Grilled Duck Breast With Cherry Port Sauce
Duck isn’t for everyone, but if you have never tried it before and are little skittish, make this up, try it and I am sure you will be serving it with great flair to your next company.
- 4 duck breasts, skin left on
- 3 sprigs, lemon thyme
- salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Score the skin on the diagonal and rub with the thyme and salt and pepper into the skin of the duck on both sides.
In a heat proof pan on medium heat, place the duck, skin side down; discard excess fat (skin should turn golden brown in about 5-6 minutes).
Turn the duck breasts over, and cook a further 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes.
Again, discard any fat in the pan and put the pan back on the medium heat to make the sauce.
Cherry Port Sauce
- 3/4 lb. cherries (pitted)
- 1 cup port
- 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- pinch of fennel seeds
- 3 star whole star anise
- 1/2 stick cinnamon
- 2 tbsp. butter
Add cherries, port and balsamic vinegar to pan, stirring the crispy bits off bottom of the pan into the sauce. Add star anise, fennel seeds and cinnamon and cook for approximately 4-5 minutes until it thickens. Whisk in the butter and remove from heat.
To serve, slice on the diagonal and serve with the sauce.
Serve with a beautiful red wine and just smile……lots!
Duck And Mushroom Crostini
Another great way to serve duck so that it will be eaten…..and enjoyed.
When entertaining, it is always fun to ‘up the ante” every once in a while, and this is one way to do it.
- 1 whole duck (cook the day before)
- salt and pepper
- 1 loaf Italian baguette
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 4 sprigs Italian parsley, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season duck with salt and pepper and roast for 1 hour. Now, turn down the temperature to 300 degrees and continue roasting for a further 1 1/2 hours. Remove and let cool.
When cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the duck. Separate the meat and reserve.
Lightly drizzle some oil over the sliced bread and grill to a golden brown. Saute in frypan remaining oil and butter, add the garlic and cook for about a minute without burning.
Add the mushrooms and toss to mix. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until they soften and get some colour.
Toss with parsley, season and serve on bread slices and top with the duck meat.
YUMMY!