4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound confectioners' sugar
Dark rum, to taste
Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan, and take off the heat. Add confectioners' sugar to the melted butter and whisk to blend. Add rum, to taste. Pour the sauce over bread pudding and allow to soak in.
SCOTCH EGGS [deep fried] - Susan & David
6 hard cooked eggs, well chilled
1 pound bulk sausage meat
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs beaten
1/2 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying.
Peel hard cooked eggs
Combine sausage, parsley, sage and pepper in a large mixing bowl, mixing well. Divided meat mixture into 6 equal portions. Press meat mixture around eggs with hands, keeping the oval shape. Sprinkle eggs with flour, coating lightly on all sides. Dip into beaten egg and then roll in bread crumbs. Heat vegetable oil in deep fryer or deep heavy saucepan to 350º on deep fat thermometer. Cook 1 egg at a time for about 4 to 5 minutes or until well browned. Drain on paper toweling cool refrigerate or serve when ready. This traditional British picnic favorite is simple to prepare. Make sure that eggs are well chilled as sausage will wrap around them more easily. Makes 6 servings cut eggs in 1/2 for 12 servings.
SCOTCH EGGS [Baked]
1 pound bulk pork sausage
6 hard cooked eggs
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs, purchased or home made, plain or seasoned
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
On a sheet of waxed paper, divide sausage into 6 equal portions; wrap 1 portion around each egg. Roll each wrapped egg in bread crumbs. Beat egg with mustard and water; dip sausage-wrapped eggs in beaten egg mixture. Roll in bread crumbs again; place on a rack in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 400º for about 35 minutes or until browned, turning once during baking. Cut into halves lengthwise; serve hot with Dijon sauce or sauce of your choice. Serves 6.
DIJON SAUCE
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 to 1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour; cook for about 1 minute, whisking constantly, until smooth and bubbling. Add seasonings, then add 1 cup of half-and-half a little at a time. Continue whisking until thickened; add more half-and-half until desired consistency is reached. Whisk in mustard; serve over Scotch eggs, vegetables, or fried fish. Makes 1 to 1 1/2 cups.
CHRISTMAS OLIVE FRITTATA
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 roasted red pepper, drained, pat dry and diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup drained chopped Spanish green olives with pimiento
6 eggs
Generous splash half-and-half or milk
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a small 6 to 8-inch oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add onion to the hot oil and cook until soft and tender but not caramelized - keep the onion white. Add roasted peppers and olives and combine. Beat the eggs with half-and-half or milk and season them with salt and pepper. (Go easy on the salt because of the olives.) Pour the eggs into the skillet and keep settling them to the bottom of the pan as you would an omelet. When the eggs are firm on the bottom and set, transfer pan to the oven for about 10 minutes until top is golden brown. Cut and serve from the skillet or invert the frittata on to a serving plate.
LOW COUNTRY COOKIES
FILLING
1 (16-ounce) box graham crackers
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup or 3 (1/2-ounce) cans shredded coconut
TOPPING
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
3 tablespoons milk
For the filling:
Line a 13 by 9-inch pan with whole graham crackers. Melt the butter in saucepan and add sugar. Beat the egg and milk together; add to butter mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add the nuts, coconut, and 1 cup graham cracker crumbs. Pour over the crackers in the pan. Cover with another layer of whole graham crackers.
For the topping:
Beat all the ingredients together and spread over top layer of crackers.
Chill. Cut into squares.
TURKEY & SWEET POTATO CHOWDER
1 large potato, peeled if desired and chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 small ears frozen corn-on-the-cob, thawed, or 1 cup loose-pack frozen whole kernel corn
12 ounces cooked turkey breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2-1/4 cups)
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 1-1/2 cups)
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup coarsely snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley
In a 3-quart saucepan, combine chopped potato and broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 12 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Do not drain. Using a potato masher, mash potato until mixture is thickened and nearly smooth.
If using corn-on-the-cob, cut the kernels from one of the ears of corn. Carefully cut the second ear of corn crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Stir corn, turkey, milk, sweet potato, and pepper into potato mixture in saucepan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender.
To serve, ladle chowder into bowls. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 5 (1-1/3-cup) servings
OPTIONAL
You can add baby carrots, onions, & celery, also.
HOLIDAY SALAD
2 tablespoons pomegranate juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 shallots, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 oranges, peeled and segmented
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
8 ounces goat cheese, cut crosswise into 6 slices
6 thin slices prosciutto
1 large head radicchio, rinsed, patted dry and torn into bite sized pieces
1 bunch arugula or watercress, rinsed, patted dry and cut int bite sized pieces
6 large leaves Bibb lettuce, rinsed and patted dry
1 head Belgian endive, stem removed and cut crosswise into thin shreds
Pomegranate seeds, as garnish
In a small bowl, combine the pomegranate juice and orange zest, vinegar, shallots, salt, pepper and mustard and whisks thoroughly to combine. Add the oil in a steady stream and whisk until emulsified. Fold the segmented oranges and sliced onions into 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss to combine and set aside.
Wrap each slice of goat cheese in a slice of prosciutto. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the wrapped cheeses and sear on both sides. Remove from the heat.
In a large salad bowl, combine the greens. Add the marinated orange sections and onion slices, and toss gently with enough extra dressing to coat evenly. Divide among salad plates and top each with a seared goat cheese package and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds. Spoon a little extra dressing over each salad and serve immediately.
APRICOT CHEESE KUGEL
Jewish
1 (16-ounce) package wide egg noodles
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
12 large eggs
1 (18-ounce) jar apricot preserves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided use
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth; add lemon juice and mix well. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add noodles.
Spoon half into an ungreased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Top with half of the apricot preserves and sprinkle with half of the cinnamon. Repeat final layer. Bake, uncovered, at 325*F (160*C) for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Serve warm.
COTTAGE CHRISTMAS PUDDING ~ December 1861
A pound and a quarter of flour,
fourteen ounces of suet [butter or marjoram is a must substitute for this one],
a pound and a quarter of stoned raisins,
four ounces of currants,
five [ounces] of sugar,
a quarter pound of potatoes smoothly mashed,
half a nutmeg [1/4 teaspoon],
a quarter teaspoonful of ginger,
the same of salt, and cloves in powder;
mix these ingredients thoroughly,
add four well-beaten eggs with a quarter pint of milk,
tie the pudding in a well-floured cloth, and boil it for four hours.
[Suggest reducing ingredients by half. Using a double boiler eliminates the need for using cloth, which kept the pudding from sticking. Cook time in the 20th century kitchen is about one hour.]
CHRISTMAS PUDDING ~ December 1861
One pound of flour,
two pounds of suet [butter, marjoram or Crisco],
one pound of currants,
one pound of plums,
eight eggs,
two ounces of candied peel, almonds and mixed spice according to taste.
Boil gently for seven hours.
[A double boiler should be used and the ingredients should be reduced to half or 1/4. Cooking time varies, but one hour should be sufficient.]
APPLE CINNAMON PANCAKES
2 cups Jiffy Mix (or Bisquick)
1 egg
milk
cinnamon
1 medium apple
peel, core and coarsely chop the apple Put the apple in a small bowl and set aside.
Add Jiffy mix, 1 egg and enough milk to make a batter. If you have trouble stirring, the batter is too thick and needs more milk. Add either 1 tsp. of cinnamon and mix again. Finally, stir in apple chunks.
On a warm griddle (sprayed with non-stick spray), ladle the batter into three circles, the biggest below, and the smaller two on top for ears. (for this to work, all circles must touch to make one mouse face shaped pancake). Cook on both sides until golden brown.
RICOTTA & GRILLED APRICOT SANDWICHES
1 cup water
1 cup sugar, plus extra for topping
zest of 1 lemon
1 vanilla bean, split open lengthwise
6 fresh apricots, halved
butter, softened for spreading
2 slices sourdough bread or challah
1 cup ricotta cheese
Makes 2 Sandwiches
Preheat the broiler.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla bean halves. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Add the apricots, lower the heat, and cook for 5 additional minutes. Turn off the heat and let the apricots cool in the syrup for several minutes.
Butter the bread slices and place under the broiler until toasted. Remove the slices and generously spread them with the ricotta cheese. Top with cooked apricot halves, drizzle with the apricot syrup, and sprinkle with sugar. Heat for a few minutes under the broiler.
CHRISTMAS
