Posted on 06/11/2015 5:55:11 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
When I was growing up, my father's sister was a great cook, especially of sweets and delicacies. She made the nicest Christmas cookies, fudge, and fruitcake, and we would get a big basket of everything at Christmas. I've always loved this cookie recipe, which she cut out as stars, trees, and bells for Christmas, and iced them with yellow, green and red icing respectively. She would put sugar sparkles on the trees and bells, and dot the points of the stars with silver dragees.
It's a difficult dough to work with, but worth the effort. And, if I recall correctly, I think she actually made these ahead, and froze them in their wax-paper layers. They didn't suffer:
Iced Honey Cookies
Beat well: 2 Eggs.
Blend in: 2/3 C. granulated sugar 1-1/3 C. Honey (1 16 oz. jar) 2/3 c. melted butter.
Set aside.
Mix Separately: 5-1/2 C. regular Flour 2 tsps. Baking Soda 1 level tsp. Salt.
Add flour mixture to first mixture. Then add 2 tsps. Vanilla extract.
Cover in wax paper and refrigerate overnight. Next day, roll out and cut into desired shapes, small portions at a time while keeping rest of dough chilled.
Bake on ungreased sheets at 375 for 7 to 10 minutes, or until light golden. Cool on racks completely before icing.
ICING: Mix 1 regular package confectioners sugar with enough evaporated milk to make a workable paste. Divide into parts, coloring and flavoring each differently. (Vanilla, Lemon, Almond, Peppermint)
After icing and drying, pack cookies in single layers with waxed paper between each layer.
My Aunt was the historian for her DAR chapter, and sometimes we were gifted with leftovers, when she held her little 'Ladies' Luncheons'. One of the things I loved were little petit fours cakes; they were about the size of a cupcake, with pink fondant and a piped flower on top. I think she actually had these catered, but you can make petit fours any size you like. I found these pretty ones on the Web:
http://www.thirstyfortea.com/recipes/quilted-petit-fours/
-JT
LOL!
It’s late, and I have to go to bed, so I just skimmed the article. But all I had to read was the first line to know that it would be hilarious. Will save it.
FWIW, my husband and I really LIKE fruitcake. I make one per year, and freeze it in chunks, so it’s there whenever we get a craving for fruit/nut wonderfulness. My Aunt never gave me that recipe, but I found one that was exactly the same.
I remember reading an article about a family who kept it in a cabinet through the year, surrounded with little shot-glasses of liquor to keep it moist.
Will try to find the article; but don’t ‘diss’ fruitcake, in MY house ;-)
(BTW, I believe that wedding cake was traditionally a light fruit cake; though not the really dense one that we know by that name now.)
-JT
I remember reading it on the train into NYC that morning, and laughing so much that the people sitting around me thought I was a disturbed person..
I use suet.
We have Cornish hens often on the grill with lemon butter and honey.
I assume you like Christmas Puddings. But I don’t recommend suet for an unaccustomed palate. It’s an acquired taste. Why not make a Christmas cake which doesn’t use suet and is made of basically the same ingredients only with a nice fondant icing on top.
When I was a kid, we had the Cross and Blackwell canned puddings every Christmas. I don’t see them in the stores here anymore, but I’d like to make something like that.
I found this, and it doesn’t use suet:
http://www.livinthepielife.com/2010/12/english-plum-pudding-aka-christmas-pudding-aka-cake/
-JT
It’s very funny; but fruitcake gets a bum rap.
Apparently it all started when Johnny Carson joked in the 1970s that there is really only one fruitcake in the world, and that cake is just forever passed around.
-JT
That’s a lovely recipe. I’ve put it under my favorite list to try later in the year. Cross & Blackwell appears in my markets around Thanksgiving but I don’t think I’ve seen plum puddings.
I used to bring home plum puddings from Marks & Spencer and use them as doorstops - a visual joke that amused guests.
By the way, Brits seem to like the vegetarian suet that is sold under the name Atora (?)
I’m in the middle of making pignoli cookies!
Fruitcake is endorsed by the American Dental Association...
They used to sell the plum pudding on Amazon, but apparently not anymore; and it doesn’t appear in the Company’s website either; but it was wonderful. I think the last time I saw it in the Giant Food or Safeway was about 8 years ago:
http://www.amazon.com/Crosse-Blackwell-Pudding-Plum-14-0000/dp/B0048IKXB6
The various Atora products are still available:
DIFFERENT RECIPES FOR COMMON FOODS
Certain items we tend to cook constantly in the same manner over and over again. Why not make something entirely unique with them in the next venture in the kitchen?
SALMON CUPCAKES
http://www.bobblumer.com/uncategorized/salmon-cupcakes/
CHOCOLATE EGGPLANT TORTE
http://petiteraisin.ca/2015/06/01/chocolate-eggplant-torte/
MINCEMEAT -how to make it and recipes with it
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/mincemeat
SWEET POTATO PANCAKES
http://weelicious.com/2013/10/31/sweet-potato-pancake-stack/
SWEET POTATO FRIES
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-mauro/sweet-potato-fries-recipe.html
BLUE MESA SWEET POTATO CHIPES
http://www.bluemesagrill.com/recipes/sweet-potato-chips/
SWEET POTATO BREAD PUDDING
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Sweet-Potato-Bread-Pudding
SEWEET POTATO PIE
http://joythebaker.com/2013/11/dads-sweet-potato-pie/
FIBER RICH ROASTED PARSNIP FRIES
http://www.skinnykitchen.com/recipes/fiber-rich-roasted-parsnips-for-a-healthy-fries-alternative/
ASPARAGUS, POTATO AND ONION FRITTA
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/asparagus-potato-frittata
BAKED ASPARAGUS FRIES
http://damndelicious.net/2014/05/09/baked-asparagus-fries/
CAULIFLOWER STEAK
http://www.mensjournal.com/expert-advice/cauliflower-the-other-white-meat-20130814/cauliflower-steak
http://kirbeeskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/blackened-cauliflower-steaks.html
http://www.examiner.com/article/homemade-bbq-sauce-recipe-for-bbq-glazed-cauliflower-steaks
http://www.laaloosh.com/2013/01/15/cauliflower-steaks-with-creamy-siracha-aoili/
BAKING WITH STRAINED BABY FOOD
w/carrots
http://www.food.com/recipe/baby-food-pineapple-coconut-carrot-cake-28272
w/prunes
http://articles.latimes.com/1992-01-16/food/fo-138_1_baking-powder
http://www.posedperfection.com/2012/10/baby-food-spice-cake.html
w/beets
http://www.cooks.com/recipe/7c76340f/beet-nik-cake.html
Just a few of the unusual recipes found in a day.
Bon Appetite.
You can also try British Superstore which sells tons of British goods.
This is a great site for desserts. Have made quite a few of them.
http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/spring-desserts#!slide=3
I love olive oil in cakes. Here is a great recipe.
Food52
Maialino’s Olive Oil Cake
By Genius Recipes
Olive oil cake at its best has a crackling crust and an aromatic oil-rich middle, which, if it held any more moisture, would be pudding. Pulling this off should be easy — there aren’t even egg whites to whip and fold, or butter to cream — but it isn’t always. This one, however, is perfect, and will ruin you for all others. Recipe from Maialino Restaurant in New York City. Maialino also serves it at breakfast in muffin form, and they’ve been known to turn it into a birthday cake, layered with mascarpone buttercream.
Makes a 9-inch round cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
Heat the oven to 350° F. Oil, butter, or spray a 9-inch cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. (If your cake pan is less than 2 inches deep, divide between 2 pans and start checking for doneness at 30 minutes.)
In a bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and powder. In another bowl, whisk the olive oil, milk, eggs, orange zest and juice and Grand Marnier. Add the dry ingredients; whisk until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, until the top is golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and let cool for 30 minutes.
Run a knife around the edge of the pan, invert the cake onto the rack and let cool completely, 2 hours.
This is so good!
Roasted Strawberry Milkshake with Buttermilk and Mint
By Kenzi Wilbur
This recipe is inspired by one from Ashley Rodriguez of Not Without Salt. Try a different herb or a different sweetener on your fruit. And roast all of your fruit from here on out: I have a jar of these roasted strawberries sitting in my fridge, and I’ve been putting them in everything. I am a happier person because of it.
Serves 2 to 4 For the roasted strawberries::
1 pound strawberries (from the market if you can get them), hulled and halved
3 to 4 tablespoons turbinado sugar, depending on sweetness of berries
Pinch salt
4 to 5 thin lemon slices
Heat oven to 375° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat (the rim is important: the berries will release a lot of juice!), and toss the berries with the sugar right on the baking sheet. Sprinkle them with a pinch of salt, and lay the lemon slices evenly over the top.
Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the fruit is soft, has released its juice, and the juice has started to thicken just slightly. Remove the lemon slices and let cool completely. These can be made a day ahead.
For the milkshake::
1 pint good vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup good-quality buttermilk
Leaves from 3 healthy mint sprigs
Roasted strawberries
Pile everything in a blender and blend! Feel free to add a little more buttermilk if you like a thinner consistency. Pour into glasses and serve.
FOODIE MOVIES
Last week just happened to catch ‘Sabrina’ on TV ...the first one with Bogart and Audrey Hepburn, William Holden. After seeing the movie it crossed the empty mind space that this film could also be called a foodie movie. Sabrina, daughter of cook and chauffeur, travels to Paris to study at Le Cordon Bleu. Even if the movie details only twice what she can do in the kitchen...food does carry the plot along. The two scenes, by the way are making a souffle at the school and making an omelet in Bogart’s office kitchen.
What is your favorite foodie film? Because of plot, actors, or just a darn good movie overall. Babbette’s Feast, Chocolot, Like Water For Chocolate, Tortilla Soup are the favorites here. Each for different reasons. ‘Soup’ if only due to the fact that Raquel Welsh was seen as a beautiful, mature woman. Another almost favorite was Dinner Rush. And yes, according to some, Eating Raul would be considered a foodie film (shock!!) Have any attempted to make a dish from any foodie film? Just curious. After Babette’s Feast foodie films became a must see in this house hold.
cookiescookiescookies
We roasted strawberries this year and they were fabulous, very juicy with intense strawberry flavor. Roasting made them keep longer too.
TROUBLE:
1cincinnatiohio.com
The site loads with server error. Anyone else experiencing same?
MAC N CHEESE
If your family likes this dish, this site will perhaps be of interest to you
http://www.allthingsmacandcheese.com/
The site replaces
30days30waysmacandcheese.com/
which can now be found at the Wayback Machine (earlier years)
ALTON BROWN AND SOUR DOUGH
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/knead-not-sourdough-recipe.html
http://sahdcooks.blogspot.com/2013/08/no-knead-dutch-oven-sourdough-bread.html
http://www.altonbrownrecipes.net/follow-the-sourdough-day-8-we-bake-bread.html
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