Ingredients:
butter and olive oil
1 cup matzo farfel or bits of broken matzo
1-2 handfuls dried mushrooms, soaked in hot water
handful of chopped parsley or other herbs
salt and pepper
Preparation: Melt some butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the matzo farfel and stir to cover in butter and lightly toast until slightly golden. Add more butter or olive oil if the pan gets dry.
Remove mushrooms from from water and squeeze out any remaining moisture. Reserve the soaking water.
Coarsely chop mushrooms and add to farfel. Stir to cover in butter.
Add some of the mushroom water to farfel mixture and stir. As the farfel absorbs the mushroom water, add more and stir.
Taste as you go to get the consistency you prefer. Then season to taste with salt, pepper, and herbs.
Matzotto (Matzo Farfel)
Lawry's Yorkshire Pudding
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup milk
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Sift together 2 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Make a well and add 4 beaten eggs. Blend; add 1 cup milk and beat continuously for 10 minutes. Let stand 1 hour. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place 12-hole muffin pan in oven to heat. When hot, grease pan (butter, margarine, non-stick spray, etc.). Pour equal amounts of batter into muffin tins, and bake for 40 minutes.
More Lawry's Recipes HERE.
Boiled Cabbage
1 small to medium head cabbage, rinsed and cut into 6 wedges
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons melted butter
salt and pepper to taste
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Preparation:
Add about 1/2 inch of water to a large skillet or Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Add cabbage wedges and salt; simmer, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes. Turn cabbage carefully and simmer about 8 minutes longer, or until boiled cabbage is tender. Pour off water and return to low heat until moisture has evaporated. Add melted butter; coat boiled cabbage thoroughly. Sprinkle boiled cabbage with salt and pepper - season to taste.
Boiled cabbage serves 6.
Corned Beef in Crock Pot
Ingredients:
1 Harrington's Corned Beef Brisket
6oz orange juice
3 carrots, cut in 3 inch pieces
6 medium Red potatoes, peeled and quartered (OPTIONAL)
2-4 Green or Red onions peeled and quartered
1/2 tsp. peppercorns
1 clove garlic
1 small cabbage (cut in wedges) (COOK SEPARATELY) Recipe HERE
1 bay leaf (or 2 small ones) (may substitute 1/4 teaspoon Thyme)
Preparation:
Trim excess fat from corned beef.
Cover with water and let stand 30 minutes.
Drain thoroughly.
Place potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, and bay leaf in crock pot.
Put meat on top of vegetables.
Sprinkle pepper over meat and vegetables
Pour orange juice over meat.
If desired, place cabbage wedges on top of meat.
Pour orange juice over all.
Cover and cook on LOW heat setting 9-11 hours. (7½ hours is average cooking time)
Slice brisket thinly across grain (let it cool 5- 10 minutes for easier slicing).
Serve with Harrington's Horseradish
Beef Jerky
Recipe Courtesy of Alton Brown
Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke*
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Special Equipment: 1 box fan, 4 paper air-conditioning filters, and 2 bungee cords
Preparation:
1. Trim the flank steak of any excess fat, place in a zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up.
2. Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice the meat with the grain, into long strips.
3. Place the strips of meat along with all of the remaining ingredients into a large, 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Place the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.
4. Remove the meat from the brine and pat dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat onto 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug in and set to medium. Allow the meat dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions.
5. Once dry, store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.
You can purchase Liquid Smoke at the store or use:
*Alton Brown's Liquid Smoke Recipe:
According to Mr. Brown you can make your own liquid smoke using about any grill/smoker with a chimney. He utilized one of the clay/ceramic type that looks like a big vase with a hole in the side (a chimnea).
1. Place a slightly smaller size pipe(approximately 3-4' long) into the existing chimey, using aluminum foil as a gasket, to allow the gases to cool a bit more.
2. Atop the pipe place a Bundt pan. (For those who don't know a Bundt pan is a cake pan with a hole in the middle of it, kinda like a donut).
3. You will need a couple of "spacers" long enough to span across the Bundt pan, perhaps wooden spoons.
4. Above the spacers place a round cake pan, slightly smaller than the Bundt pan, upside down.
On top of the inverted cake pan place a zip-top bag with ice in it, gallon size about half full.
5. Now, light your fire! Alton used charcoal for the heat and soaked wood chips for the smoke.
The smoke of course flows up the extended chimney, through the center hole in the Bundt pan where it meets the inverted cake pan with the ice on it which causes it to condense and drain into the Bundt pan, giving you Liquid Smoke. This recipe only gives you mere Tablespoons per bag of ice, but if you were smoking for a few hours and didn't mind changing the ice bag out when it melted, you may collect enough to make it worth your while.
He takes a chimnea:
Adds about 3 feet of aluminum-covered ducting to the top:
He puts a bunt cake pan right side up on the top of the ducting.
Then puts a regular metal mixing bowl (smaller than a bundt cake pan) upside down on top of the bundt cake pan.
On top of the metal mixing bowl he puts a ziploc bag full of ice, and then throws charcoal which had been prelit in a chimney into the chiminea.
He throws chunks of hardwood on top of the coals.
In about 20 minutes you get liquid smoke collecting in the bundt pan b/c the condensation from the ice cooling the mixing bowl reacts with the smoke.
Chocolate Fudge
Recipe Courtesy of Alton Brown
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups sugar
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped, roasted nuts, optional
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Serves: 64 (1-inch) pieces
Preparation:
Grease an 8 by 8-inch pan with butter.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, chocolate, 1 1/2
tablespoons of the butter, half-and-half, and corn syrup.
Over medium heat, stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted.
Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil for 3 minutes.
Remove the cover and attach a candy thermometer to the pot.
Cook until the thermometer reads 234 degrees F.
Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter. Do not stir.
Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes or until it drops to 130 degrees F.
Add vanilla and nuts, if desired, and mix until well-blended and the shiny texture becomes matte.
Pour into the prepared pan.
Let sit in cool dry area until firm.
Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Yorkshire Pudding
The texture of a Yorkshire pudding is nothing like a pudding in the modern sense of the word. Not a custard, it's more like a cross between a soufflé and a cheese puff (without the cheese). The batter is like a very thin pancake batter, which you pour into a hot casserole dish over drippings from roast beef or prime rib. It then puffs up like a chef's hat, only to collapse soon after you remove it from the oven.
Given that it's loaded with beef drippings (read fat) or butter, or both, Yorkshire pudding is probably not the thing you want to eat regularly if you are watching your waistline. But for a once a year indulgence, served alongside a beef roast? Yummmmm.
Yorkshire pudding is traditionally made in one pan (even more traditionally in the pan catching the drippings from the roast above). You can also make a popover version with the same batter and drippings in a muffin tin or popover pan.
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 eggs, beaten*
2-4 Tbsp of roast drippings
* If you double the recipe, add an extra egg to the batter.
Preparation:
1 Sift together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Form a well in the center. Add the milk, melted butter, and eggs and beat until the batter is completely smooth (no lumps), the consistency of whipping cream. Let sit for an hour.
2 Heat oven to 450°F. Add roast drippings to a 9x12-inch pyrex or ceramic casserole dish, coating the bottom of the dish. Heat the dish in the oven for 10 minutes.
For a popover version you can use a popover pan or a muffin pan, putting at least a teaspoon of drippings in the bottom of each well, and place in oven for just a couple minutes.
3 Carefully pour the batter into the pan (or the wells of muffin/popover pans, filling just 1/3 full), once the pan is hot. Cook for 15 minutes at 450°F, then reduce the heat to 350°F and cook for 15 to 20 more minutes, until puffy and golden brown.
Cut into squares to serve. Serves 6.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first ever recorded recipe appears in a book, The Whole Duty of a Woman in 1737 and listed as A Dripping Pudding - the dripping coming from spit-roast meat.
'Make a good batter as for pancakes; put in a hot toss-pan over the fire with a bit of butter to fry the bottom a little then put the pan and butter under a shoulder of mutton, instead of a dripping pan, keeping frequently shaking it by the handle and it will be light and savoury, and fit to take up when your mutton is enough; then turn it in a dish and serve it hot.'
The next recorded recipe took the strange pudding from local delicacy to become the nation's favorite dish following publication in The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse in 1747. As one of the most famous food writers of the time, the popularity of the book spread the word of the Yorkshire Pudding. 'It is an exceeding good Pudding, the Gravy of the Meat eats well with it,' states Hannah.
"Take a quart of milk, four eggs, and a little salt, make it up into a thick batter with flour, like a pancake batter. You must have a good piece of meat at the fire, take a stew-pan and put some dripping in, set it on the fire, when it boils, pour in your pudding, let it bake on the fire till you think it is high enough, then turn a plate upside-down in the dripping-pan, that the dripping may not be blacked; set your stew-pan on it under your meat, and let the dripping drop on the pudding, and the heat of the fire come to it, to make it of a fine brown. When your meat is done and set to table, drain all the fat from your pudding, and set it on the fire again to dry a little; then slide it as dry as you can into a dish, melt some butter, and pour into a cup, and set in the middle of the pudding. It is an exceeding good pudding, the gravy of the meat eats well with it."
Mrs Beeton may have been Britain's most famous food writer of the 19th century but her recipe omitted one of the fundamental rules for making Yorkshire pudding - the need for the hottest oven possible. The recipe was further wrong by stating to cook the pudding in advance before placing it under the meat an hour before needed. Yorkshire folk blame her error on her southern origins.
Mrs Beeton's Recipe - 1866
1½ pints milk
6 large tbsp flour
3 eggs
1 saltspoon salt
Put the flour into a basin with the salt and gradually stir in enough milk to make it a stiff batter. When it is perfectly smooth and all the lumps are well rubbed down, add the remaining milk and the eggs, which should be well beaten. Beat the mixture for a few minutes. Pour into a shallow baking tin, which has been previously well rubbed with beef dripping. Put the pudding into the oven. Bake it for an hour. Then, for another 30 minutes, place it under the meat, to catch a little of the gravy that flows from it. Cut the pudding into small square pieces, put them on a hot dish and serve. If the meat is baked, the pudding may at once be placed under it, resting the former on a small three cornered stand.
Time: 1½ hour.
Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
Popovers vs. Yorkshire Pudding:
James Beard, cook & author, has said that the resemblance between Yorkshire pudding and popovers is coincidental, because the popover has gone through several changes before becoming the recipe that it is now. He further stated that popovers are purely American. Popovers have also been called Laplanders and puff pops.
The popover is an American version of Yorkshire pudding and similar batter puddings made in England since the 17th century.
Ogden Nash, poet, inverts the historical order of events.
Let's call Yorkshire puddingA fortunate blunder:
It's a sort of popover
That turned and popped under.
Chicken Française
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
2 eggs
1 lemon
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup white wine(See Notes)
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
flat-leaf Italian parsley
Preparation:
1. Mix a decent amount of salt and pepper with the flour to make a dredging mixture. You don't need any more than a cup of flour; you're just giving them a light dusting.
2. Using a meat pounder, pound the chicken breasts flat so that they are about the size of your hand.
3. Dredge the chicken breasts through the flour. When you pull them out, give them a few good slaps so that the extra flour falls off. You want a very light coating, this isn't supposed to be like batter.
4. Crack the two eggs into a flat bowl, pierce the yolks with a fork, and scramble them slightly. Combine with about a quarter cup of water to make a light egg wash. It should be pale yellow in color.
5. Run the chicken through the egg wash. Keep in mind this is a wash, not a bath. You don't want it soaking in egg, just enough to keep it wet and absorb the flour coating.
6. Heat the quarter cup of olive oil in a large fry pan on medium-high heat, and when it is smoking hot, place the chicken into the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. You will know when it is ready to flip when the chicken has a nice, slightly browned color and a crisp texture. Remove the chicken from the pan.
7. Cut your lemon in half. Using one half, make several paper thin slices of lemon. Save the other half.
8. Turn the stove up to high heat, and drop the lemon slices into the stove. Wait for them to caramellize and take on a slightly gummy texture.
9. Pour in the 1/2 cup of white wine. I recommend Yellowtail Pinto Grigio because it's not too expensive, you can drink it with the meal, and the sweetness of it counteracts the sour of the lemon. Let the sauce reduce for 30 seconds to one minute.
10. Sprinkle in salt to taste, and then add in the cup of chicken broth. Allow it to reduce again.
11. Take your butter, and dredge it in the flour. Break it up into chunks and drop it into the sauce, swirling it around and allowing the sauce to thicken.
12. Once the sauce has thickened sufficiently, put the chicken breasts back into the pan. Coat them thoroughly with the sauce, and let them cook for about another minute or two to warm them back up.
13. Transfer to a serving platter, putting a few slices of lemon on top of each chicken breast, and then drizzle the sauce over the whole concoction.
14. Garnish with flat-leaf parsley, or whatever greenery you think would go good with the meal.
Recipe from:
Food.com
Homemade Noodles & Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
2 beaten eggs
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups flour
Directions:
1. With whisk, combine eggs, milk and salt. Stir in 2 cups flour with large fork. It will be stiff.
2. Flour surface to roll out. Roll out dough (half at a time). Flour top of dough. Roll quite thin. Sprinkle more flour so it won't stick when rolled. Roll it up and cut on cutting board. Unroll on cookie sheet and add more flour if noodles are sticking together.
3. Throw noodles into soup at the end and cook until tender.
Chicken Noodle Soup:
Ingredients:
Homemade noodles (or 1 24oz bag Reames frozen noodles)
Preparation:
2. Meanwhile, put water, chicken bouillon granules, chicken soup base, cream of chicken soup, minced onion, and pinch of minced garlic in a large pot.
3. I prefer to cook it on medium to help start the flavors to mix together. I use a whisk to make sure the soup mixes into the broth well. Once it is slightly boiling, grate carrots into the pot. These add great flavor and texture. And my kids eat the soup better if they are grated and not chopped. Plus, they cook faster that way. Allow the soup to continue a medium boil.
4. Finally, add chicken. Add a dash of pepper for taste. I usually taste test along the way just to be sure it doesn't need a little more chicken soup base or bouillon. The cream of chicken soup usually does a great job of adding great flavor while still keeping the broth very chicken-noodle-like. I let it cook just a couple minutes past the noodles being done to be sure the chicken has absorbed lots of flavor from the broth.
Recipe From:
The Recipe Blog
Skordalia - Garlicky Greek Spread
Skordalia (skor-thal-YAH) is a tasty garlic dip that is a delicious accompaniment to fried fish or vegetables. It can also stand alone as a dip for pita bread.
There are many variations on the recipe – some make it with potatoes, others add ground almonds for texture.
What follows is the version that my family used to make - which is simply bread, garlic, oil, and vinegar with a bit of salt and pepper as seasoning.
It’s easiest to make this in a food processor or blender, but the traditional method of beating the ingredients in a mortar with a pestle would work just as well.
Preparation:
12 slices day old white bread, crusts removed
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
1/2 - 3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: About 2 cups
Directions:
Dip the bread slices in water to moisten and then squeeze out excess water.
To the bowl of a food processor, add the bread and garlic and process until it forms a smooth paste. Add the salt, pepper and vinegar.
With the machine running, slowly drizzle the olive oil until a smooth emulsion forms. You may need all of the oil or a bit less, it depends on the thickness of the bread that you used.
Adjust your seasoning as needed. This dip can be served chilled or at room temperature.
Ramaki - Bacon Wrapped Chicken Liver
Ingredients: Preparation: Secure with toothpick Place 1/2" apart on cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees F. for 20 min.* Four per person, if you can limit them, they go fast!! Tip: Liver cuts better if partially frozen. Prep time: 20 min per sheet Makes 36 appetizers per sheet.
Chicken liver
Dry bread crumbs
Water chestnuts
Bacon
Toothpicks
Wrap piece of breaded chicken liver (about 3/4 inch round), and a half slice of water chestnut in half slice of bacon
*Should be frozen ahead of time before baking.
I use aluminum cookie sheets, seal them in a plastic bag, put baking instructions on a label, freeze them and give them out a pan at a time as Holiday gifts.
Thai Peanut Sauce
4 teaspoons corn oil,
1/2 cup minced red onion,
2 tablespoons minced garlic,
1/2 teaspoon hot chili pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar,
1/3 cup peanut butter,
1 cup of water
In a blender, combine corn oil, onion, garlic and hot chili pepper; blend for 1 minute
Empty the mixture into a saucepan and place over low heat until the mixture starts releasing aroma. Add peanut butter and mix well over low heat.
Add water and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened.
Stir in vinegar and sugar; continue to simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Taste and add more vinegar and sugar if the mixture does not have the sour and sweet taste.
Place sauce in a shallow plate for satay dipping or pour over fresh salad.
Matzo Farfel Stuffing
Ingredients:
* 2 cups matzo farfel
* 5 large shiitake mushrooms, chopped
* 1 small onion, finely diced
* 1 1/2 tablespoons butter or 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
* 2 cups chicken broth or 2 cups vegetable broth
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Saute onions in butter or olive oil on medium-low heat until translucent (about 5-6 minutes).
3. Add mushrooms, saute until mushrooms soften a bit (about 3-4 minutes). Mix in turmeric and cumin. Saute a few more minutes until mushrooms look totally soft.
4. Pour farfel into a large bowl. Toss in mushroom mixture with farfel. Add salt, fresh oregano and enough broth to moisten farfel, but not enough to make too soggy.
5. Put entire mixture into 3 quart baking dish (approximately 9x12 size). Bake for about 15 minutes in oven, turn heat to broil, then set under broiler for about 1-2 minutes to let top brown a bit (NOTE: watch carefully so you don't burn the top).
Tibs Wett - Ethoipian Beef Stew
Ingredients:
1/4 cup spiced butter (see above) or 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced red onions
1 1/2 pounds hangar steak or beef tenderloin (or sirloin), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons Berbere or chili powder (I used chili powder)
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, preferably freshly ground
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black peopper
3 garlic cloves, cut into quarters
3 tomatoes, chopped, or 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped canned tomatoes
2 jalapeno chilies, seeds and ribs removed, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine
Preparation:
1. Melt the spiced butter in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
2. Add the onions and cook stirring constantly, until they begin to color around the edges, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the meat and sprinkle with salt. Stir-fry until browned on all sides (about 3 minutes per side)
4. Stir in the spices and garlic.
5. Carefully add the tomatoes (or paste), jalapenos, and wine. (Tilt the pan away from you to avoid the steam.)
6. Simmer for 1 minute, season with salt if desired.
Serve immediately.
Serve on top of Ethiopian Injera and red lentils as sides
(Serves 6 to 8).
Steak Diane
Recipe by: Richard Simmons
Ingredients:
6 (4 oz.) tenderloin steaks, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 Tbsp. Dijon Style mustard
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. chives, chopped
Lemon slices
Preparation:
With a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound steaks to 1/4 inch thickness.
Spread both sides with mustard. Use more mustard if needed.
Over medium heat, warm large non-stick skillet coated with non-stick spray.
Add steaks and sear quickly, about 1 minute on each side. Cook longer for well-done steaks.
Pour Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice over steaks. Sprinkle with parsley and chives.
Serve garnished with lemon slices.
Makes 6 servings
Mozzarella Stuffed Pretzels
Make Dough:
1. Dissolve 1 package active dry yeast or 1 cake yeast into 1 1/2 cups of warm water.
2. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar.
3. Blend in 4 cups of flour.
4. Knead dough until smooth on lightly floured surface for 10 minutes.
Pretzel Preparation:
Step 1
Roll 1 piece of dough into a rectangle and sprinkle your filling across the middle. Fold the bottom third of the dough over the filling. Sprinkle more filling over the folded part, fold the top third of the dough over the filling and pinch closed.
Step 2
Roll the dough into a 14 by 11 inch rectangle. Cut into seven 2-by-11-inch strips.
Step 3
Working with one strip at a time, pinch the long edges together, and roll into a 12-inch rope with your hands.
Step 4
Shape the pretzels on a baking sheet. Grab the ends of the rope and cross the left end over the right end. Cross the left end over the right end again to make a twist in the middle. Brush with beaten egg and top before baking.
Bake Pretzels:
Brush pretzel with 1 beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake immediately at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes. For hard pretzels, use only 1 1/4 cups water and add 1/4 cup melted butter. Make pretzels smaller and bake until brown
Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
I was inspired by eating at Moretti's in Edison Park to put together this salad dressing. Its very simple to make and very yummy.
In a bowl appropriate for wisking, add:
A Pinch of salt
A Pinch of ground black pepper
A Tablespoon of a mild honey (my preference, feel free to experiment)
2 - 3 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
Homemade Girl Scout Cookies - Do-si-dos
This is a recipe that comes from Best of the Best Vol. 8, a Food & Wine cookbook that I stumbled upon on an ultra-clearance table at some bookstore a while back. I doubt that the book cost more than a box of Girl Scout cookies (hurray for sale pricing!) and this recipe alone is more than worth it. It’s from Thomas Keller, a cookie recipe that is used at his Yountville, CA bistro, Bouchon.
The overall result from this recipe is a cookie that looks a heck of a lot like the Do-Si-Do, but tastes much, much better. The cookies are crisp and ultra-tender, the kind of cookie that crumbles into your mouth immediately when you bite into it. There is no misprint in the amount of leavening given in the recipe below; the baking soda and baking powder help to create this texture. The filling is very creamy with a sweet peanut butter flavor. The main differences between these and the GS cookies are that the cookies themselves are more delicate and the filling is softer. They are dangerously addictive if you like peanut butter and, to give fair warning, you may never go back to the GS version no matter how cute those kids look when they’re pitching them.
I made little holes in half of the cookies to get the same overall look as the GS cookies. Use a straw or the tip of a knife to carve a little hole when the cookies are hot from the oven, that way they’ll set up with the hole in place.
Ingredients:
1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup Hampton Farms peanut butter (Dollar Tree, Jewel)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant or regular)
Filling:
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, room temperature - Hampton Farms peanut butter (Dollar Tree, Jewel)
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Start with the cookies. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and peanut butter. Beat in the sugars until fluffy, then add in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in vanilla extract.
4. Working at a low speed, mix in the flour, followed by the oats (if you don’t have quick-cooking, pulse whole rolled oats in the food processor to chop them up a bit).
5. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, drop teaspoonfuls of batter (roughly 3/4-in. sized balls), leaving about 2 inches between each to allow for spread.
6. Bake for about 10 minutes, until cookies are a light golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, making small holes in 1/2 of the cookies (for the tops of the sandwiches) before they set up. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Once cookies have cooled, make the filling.
8. In a large bowl, cream together smooth peanut butter, butter and confectioners’ sugar until very smooth. Spread 2-3 tsp onto half of the finished cookies and sandwich with the remaining halves. If you chose to make yours with GS-lookalike holes in some of the cookies, use these as the tops of the sandwiches.
Store in an airtight container.
Makes about 48 sandwich cookies.
Note: Use unsalted butter with this recipe, as different brands of peanut butter can vary hugely in salt content and it’s possible you’ll end up with a too-salty cookie with the salted butter, salted peanut butter and added salt. If you must use salted butter and are using brand of peanut butter that seems a bit salty, you can always reduce or eliminate the added salt. Personally, I like the salty sweet combination with peanut butter, but it’s only fair for me to give a little warning just in case!
Basic Crepe Recipes
Recipe #1
From Carroll Pellegrinelli,
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
Preparation:
Measure all ingredients in to blender jar; blend for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides. Blend for 15 seconds more. Cover and let sit for 1 hour. (This helps the flour absorb more of the liquids.) Makes 12-14 crepes.
Recipe #2
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 c. milk
2 tbsp. butter
Butter for cooking
Preparation:
Sift flour, sugar, and salt together into a bowl. Add eggs and mix together thoroughly with a whisk - mixture will form a thick paste. Add milk gradually and slowly, beating thoroughly until you have air bubbles. Add melted and cooled butter. Add flavoring now if one is desired (possibly 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel - 1 teaspoon dried herbs). Let batter stand for at least 1 hour until the air bubbles disappear. Makes about 16 crepes.
Chocolate Lace Cookies - Florentines
Ingredients:
2 ounces almonds (to yield 1/2 cup ground almonds)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Position two oven racks in the middle and upper third of your oven. Line two (2) cookie sheets with parchment paper or use Silicone baking mats to prevent the cookies from sticking. I personally recommend that you use the Silicone Baking mats as nothing sticks to them.
2. In a food processor, grind almonds finely; measure out 1/2 cup and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan over low heat, heat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and corn syrup until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, stirring often. Increase the heat to medium high and, stirring constantly, bring the mixture JUST to a boil. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour and salt until incorporated. Stir in the ground almonds and vanilla extract.
4. Drop the batter by the teaspoon, 3-inches apart, on the prepared cookie sheets (about 1/2 dozen cookies per cookie sheet). Prepare all your pans of cookies at this time even though you are only going to bake 1 or 2 sheets at a time.
5. Bake the cookies until evenly light brown, approximately 8 to 10 minutes until the cookies spread, become thin, and take on a deep golden color. After 5 minutes into the baking time, switch the baking sheets from top to bottom and back to front to promote even baking. The cookies won't begin to spread until approximately 6 minutes into the baking time.
6. Line wire cooling rackswith plastic wrap. When cookies are done baking, remove the cookies from the oven and, as soon as they're firm enough to lift off the baking sheet (which will take just a few minutes), use a wide spatula to transfer them to the prepared cooling racks to cool completely. Allowing the cookies to cool slightly on the cookie sheet will also cause them to flatten out more. NOTE: If the cookies become too cold and hard to remove from the baking sheet without shattering them, replace the pan in the oven to soften the cookies again.
7. Bake the remaining cookies; the batter will have firmed up a bit, but that is fine.
Store the flat cookies between sheets of parchment paperin a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.
Makes approximately 25 to 30 cookies.
Mold warm lace cookies into different shapes:
Because these cookies are so thin and still pliable while warm, lace cookies can be shaped in all kinds of ways. Little tubes, made from rolling the warm cookie around a dowel or wooden spoon handle are a great and interesting way to serve these cookies.
To do this, carefully remove the warm cookies from the baking sheet and drape over a small dowel or wooden spoon handle. As soon as the cookies cool enough to become rigid, remove them from the mold. They will now hold their shape.
Variations:
Add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract for an almond flavor.
Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest or orange zest.
Replace the ground almonds with ground hazelnuts.
Dissolve 1 teaspoon instant coffee with the sugar.
Mix in 3 tablespoons very finely diced crystallized ginger.
Melt semi-sweet chocolate and spread thinly over the flat side of the baked and cooled cookie.
Chocolate Whipped Cream Cake Recipe
Chocolate Whipped Cream Cake RecipeChocolate fans will love this double chocolate dessert cake!
Ingredients:
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix
1 pint heavy whipping cream or 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
Prep: 20 min. Bake: 30 min. + chilling
Yield: 16-20 Servings
Preparation:
1. Prepare cake mix according to package directions, using two 9-in. round baking pans. Cool completely after baking.
2. If using whipping cream, place it in a chilled bowl; beat, gradually adding sugar and cocoa, until stiff peaks form. If using whipped topping, place in a bowl and fold in sugar and cocoa. Frost one cake layer with whipped cream mixture; top with second layer and frost entire cake.
Refrigerate 24 hours before serving.
Yield: 16-20 servings.
Originally published as Chocolate Whipped Cream Cake in Grandma's Great Desserts Cookbook , p94
Perfect Popovers
Makes 6 Popovers:
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups whole milk or half-and-half, warmed
2 cups bread flour*
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Makes 12 Popovers:
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups whole milk or half-and-half, warmed
4 cups bread flour*
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 large eggs, room temperature
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* Bread flour is a high-protein flour. The high protein help the popovers rise. All-purpose flour may be substituted but the results won't be as spectacular.
Note: The key to making great popovers is having the eggs and milk at room temperature or warm before mixing. It is also important to let the batter sit for an hour before baking it. Popovers do not freeze well and pre-made batter has a tendency not to work properly the next day.
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place oven rack on the middle rung and heat a empty popover pan for 5 minutes, or until it is hot. Place the milk in a bowl and microwave on high for approximately 1 1/2 minutes, or until warm to the touch. Spoon the flour into a cup and level it off with a knife (do not shake the cup to settle the flour). In a large bowl, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder togetherIn a blender combine the eggs, milk, melted butter, and Dijon mustard; process approximately 10 seconds until blended. NOTE: If you are making the 12 popover batch, you will need to blend in two separate batches, as the blender bowl is not large enough.
2. Add flour mixture to egg mixture in blender. Process approximately 10 to 15 seconds or until just combined. NOTE: Only mix the batter until small lumps are left in it, to reduce the risk of over mixing the batter. Scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula, if necessary. NOTE: Let batter rest for 60 minutes before pouring into the cups. Do not refrigerate the batter.
3. Once oven is the correct temperature and the empty popover pan is hot, quickly remove the popover pan from the oven; lightly spray the popover cups with a nonstick spray (the tins only need a thin coating of baking spray to prevent sticking).
4. Fill the popover cups almost to the top with the batter. NOTE: If you leave one of the cups of the pop over pan empty, fill it half full of water (this will help protect the pan from the high heat). Immediately place the pan back into the oven.Bake without opening the door for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown on the outside and airy on the inside. Under baking can cause popovers to collapse after they’re removed from the oven. NOTE: Resist the urge to open the oven door. If you open the oven door, the heat escapes, the oven cools down, the steam inside the popovers condenses, and the popovers collapse.
5. Remove popovers from the oven, and unmold onto a rack. Pierce the sides with the tip of a sharp knife to let steam escape (this will keep the exterior crisp, the interior moist, and prevent the popovers from collapsing), and serve immediately with lots of butter.
Borscht (Russian Beet Soup)
Ingredients:
2 c. beef stock
2 c. finely diced beets
4 med. carrots, diced
1 lg. onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. butter
1 c. shredded cabbage
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. thick sour cream
Preparation:
Cook beets, carrots and onion in 2 cups boiling salted water.
Add butter, beef stock and cabbage.
Cook 15 minutes.
Add lemon juice and stir until combined.
Serve in soup bowls, topped with a spoonful of sour cream.
Serves 4-6.
Applebee's Baked French Onion Soup
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
6 med white onions – sliced
1 cup water
8 cups beef broth
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
8 pieces of Texas toast or 4 hamburger buns
8 slices provolone cheese or other white cheese
8 teaspoons shredded Parmesan cheese (the fresh shredded is best)
Preparation:
1. In large saucepan heat 3 Tbsp oil over a medium to high heat.
2. Add onion and saute slowly for 20 minutes until soft. Do not let them brown. Turn down the heat if needed.
3. Add water, beef broth, water, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the onions and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
5. While the soup is cooking, prepare your toast or croutons.
6. If you’re using hamburger buns (onion rolls work well too), cut the crowns off the tops so they’re the same thickness at the bottoms of the buns. The crowns can be thrown away.
7. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
8. Bake the bread in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cripsy. These should be cooked directly on the racks.
9. Spoon about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of soup into an “oven safe” bowl.
10. Top the soup with a slice of the baked bread.
11. Place a slice of provolone cheese on top of the bread.
12. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp shredded parmesan cheese on top of the provolone.
13. Set your oven on broil and place the bowl of soup on the middle rack.
14. Broil the soup until the cheese melts and starts to brown in spots (approx 5 minutes).
15. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp shredded parmesan cheese on top and server very hot.
Serves 6-8