Author Archives: Patti

DANISH PUFF  

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There are just those times when we as bakers desire to make a special occasion pastry, but don’t want to go to a lot of expense or effort. Well then, if you ever find yourself in that head space, this is the recipe for you.

When my kids were young, I made this pastry quite often at Christmas time. My daughter Paula especially adored this treat. And to this day, I totally love it too. And one of the main reasons is that it is delicious and ever so easy to make. And pretty, too.

And I know, I should have posted this recipe before Christmas, but I too was super busy. Why every year I add more things to my Christmas to-do list is a question best left for a trained counselor to determine. But the fact remains. Every year I think up at least one more goody to prepare for family and friends. So, basically, I’ve never had the time in December for even a quick trip to a trained professional to determine if there is any hope for people like me who suffer with MSS (Martha Stewart Syndrome). And it’s too bad. I seem to have a flaming case of this misunderstood but authentic condition, and I know plenty of others who also “yust go nuts at Christmas”. (Thank you, Stan Boreson.) The rest of the year, I seem to be able to contain my zest for producing prodigious amounts of goodies. So, who needs a counselor then? (For me it’s just a seasonal disorder. And maybe some time in the future, it will disappear just like my ability to drink wine has gone the way of the dinosaurs.) Grrrrrr

So, even though you may think you don’t really need this recipe until next Christmas, don’t forget about Easter morning, or for a Sunday brunch, or for a special Valentine’s Day breakfast for your honey. There are lots of occasions when this pastry would be a welcome addition to your menu.

And you can decorate this pastry any way you want. Valentines Day it would be fun to top the pastry with pink glaze and sprinkles. For Easter, pink glaze, pink coconut, and Cadbury mini eggs. The decorating choices are endless.

So, remember this recipe the next time you need to make something special for your family or friends. Think of this recipe as a gift from Betty Crocker. But who was Betty Crocker?

Well, according to bettycrocker.com “We got our start in 1921 — and thank you, we do look good for our age. Who could have guessed that a simple contest by The Washburn-Crosby Company would give birth to an icon? The contest called on home cooks to solve a jigsaw puzzle for the chance to win a pincushion in the shape of a bag of Gold Medal Flour (cute). Washburn, a flour-milling company and predecessor of General Mills, Inc., was surprised to find themselves suddenly inundated with questions from home cooks who used the competition as an opportunity to ask for expert baking advice.

But who could offer the public the spoonfuls of wisdom American cooks were so hungry for? Enter, Betty Crocker. Now, Betty was not a single person. The name was created as a way to personalize responses to questions, and if you guessed that the name has meaning behind it, you’re right. “Crocker” was chosen in honor of a popular company director, and “Betty” was selected because… well, she sounded friendly. We love a little history moment.

But there was one final element needed to bring Betty to life. The Washburn-Crosby Company invited their female employees to try their hand at a Betty Crocker signature. A distinctive winner was chosen and is still used today. Talk about an icon in iconography!”

My Betty Crocker cookbook (1961 First Edition, Third Printing) given to me in 1964 by my Aunt Ruth along with several baking pans and cookie sheets. I still have all the bake ware, but I’d rather still have my aunt. She lived to be 90, but I still miss her. She was a great woman and a true friend.

As you can see, the book is now in two parts. And if you look closely at the top left recipe on the right page, you will find the recipe for Danish Puff. As you can also see, this cookbook was very well used/loved. (Battered and bruised might be a better description.) And yes, I still consult it periodically. Old habits die hard.

So, to all of you who also learned to cook from reading a Betty Crocker cookbook (or any other cookbook for that matter) from cover to cover several times a year, congratulations. We did it. We read recipes, we made casseroles and soups and cookies, and were inspired to feed our family and friends both nutritious and delicious dishes. And has there ever been a better way to show our love. I think not! Keep up the good work everyone! Happy New Year.

And as always, peace and love to all.

Pastry: 

1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

pinch fine sea salt

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.

2 T. water

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few times until the pieces are the size of coarse crumbs. Mix in the water. 

Or in a medium sized mixing bowl, cut the softened butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions, until pieces are the size of coarse crumbs. Mix in the water. 

Gather the pastry into a ball; divide in half. Pat each half into a 12×3-inch rectangle, about 3-inches apart, on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Topping:

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 c. water

1 tsp. almond extract

1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

3 eggs

In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, heat the butter and water to a rolling boil; remove from heat. Quickly stir in almond extract and the 1 cup flour. (Stir as quickly as possible to prevent lumping.) When smooth, drop in 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition.  When smooth, spread half of the topping over each rectangle.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 50-60 minutes or until topping is crisp and a nice, light brown.

Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before drizzling with glaze and garnishing with sliced almonds and maraschino cherries. 

Vanilla Glaze:

½ c. powdered sugar

¼ tsp. almond extract

1-2 T.  milk

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, almond extract, and enough milk to make a thin icing.

Garnishes:

¼ c. lightly toasted sliced almonds

candied maraschino cherries, opt.

EASY OVERNIGHT CHEWY BREAD (NO KNEAD)  

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OK, I recently posted a recipe for Baked English Muffins, the easiest English muffins I have ever made. And now, I am posting a recipe for the easiest yeast bread I’ve ever had the pleasure to build. And if you also choose to make it, the easiest bread I believe you too will ever prepare. The bread, because of its round shape, should be referred to as a boule. That is if you are French and want to be fancy about it! And since I am and I do, this recipe results in a chewy and delicious boule. Which seems a bit too fancy for this bread because of the ease of preparation. But I’m going with it anyway because this bread is just that good! Such a small amount of effort involved as to be almost too good to be true. But please believe me, this is the bread recipe you need in your life if a) you hate to bake bread, b) you have no time to bake bread, c) you don’t even have enough time to go to the grocery store. Because bottom line, you can get the dough mixed in a shorter time than you can get your car out of your garage and down your driveway.  Don’t believe me. Then stop reading this preface and look at the recipe itself.

Good – your back. I always miss you when you’re gone. Anyway – I used this bread the other evening to make garlic bread. And it was perfect. Nice and chewy and very much like the expensive chewy Italian bread we all adore. And the whole loaf (boule) only cost me a few pennies to make. (Aren’t I the thrifty one!)

So, don’t hesitate. Even if you’ve been baking bread for decades like I have, we all need a break occasionally. No one needs to know how easy this bread is to make. That can remain our little secret.

And as always, peace and love to all. And Happy, Happy New Year.  

3 c. bread flour, fluffed, plus more for dusting

½ tsp. instant yeast 

1¼ tsp. kosher salt

1½ c. warm water (about 110 degrees) 

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast, and salt. Stir in the water. The dough will look like it needs more flour. Resist the temptation. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably a few hours longer, at room temperature. (After a few hours the dough will look kind of caved in. That’s exactly what you want.) 

After the dough has rested, place a piece of parchment paper in a medium sized bowl. Then, generously flour a work surface. (I use a floured pastry cloth on my kitchen counter.) Scoop the dough onto the floured surface. Sprinkle with a little flour and gently shape the floured dough into a ball. Then place the ball in the parchment paper lined bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let rest for at least 30 minutes.  

While the dough is resting, place a covered Dutch oven (cast iron or enameled) or clay baker in your cold oven and set the temperature to 450-degrees. (You want your baking pan to get hot right along with your oven.)

After the dough has rested, carefully remove the pot from oven. Carefully take off lid. Pick up parchment paper with dough and place directly in pot.  Cover with lid and bake 25 minutes with the lid on. Then remove the lid and bake another 12-15 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches between 195 and 205-degrees.

Remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing. Great for garlic bread or sliced, toasted, and slathered with butter and jam.  

   

BAKED ENGLISH MUFFINS

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It must be Christmas at the Carr’s. Why else would there be all those cookie tins on the counter? And fresh English muffins.

OK, these have to be the easiest and tastiest English muffins I have ever made. And all the credit goes to DrDan from 101cookingfortwo.com.

It all started with me wanting to make something new for Christmas morning – Black Forest Ham Breakfast Casserole Topped with Blender Hollandaise. (Basically, the lazy man’s (in this case woman’s) answer to Eggs Benedict.) To go along with Light and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls with Rum Raisin Cream Cheese Frosting. (recipe on site) (And yes, of course, there must be cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning! At least at our house.)

And I know. A bread-based casserole and cinnamon rolls. How can you possibly justify making two breakfast dishes with that much gluten, Patricia Ann? Well, you must remember – the two dishes are for Christmas morning. No further justification required!

Anyway, since I have never made the breakfast casserole, and although I hope it will be delightfully delicious, there is always the possibility that it won’t. But I decided I couldn’t go too far wrong if I started with homemade English muffins.

And I have a positive feeling about this casserole. I just know it’s going to be delicious. Anything slathered with my homemade Blender Hollandaise (recipe on site) is just bound to be tasty. Even shoe leather would taste fantastic topped with this creamy, buttery lemon sauce. (It is truly delicious and ever so easy to make.) But back to this recipe.

Easy, easy, EASY! No mixer required. But the dough must rest overnight. And I think it’s best if you have a set of English Muffin Rings*. I got mine in one day with Amazon Prime. The rings make the process almost foolproof.

And I can’t begin to tell you how delicious these muffins are. OMG – never will I buy English muffins again. They are just so good and so inexpensive to build.

And if the breakfast casserole turns out to be delicious, I promise to share the recipe with you. (Well, of course I will!)

That’s it for today. Mr. C. has a big band concert this evening in Anacortes. And of course, I am going along, even though I have heard the concert twice already. But can you ever get too much jingle jazz? I think not! Just like you can’t make too many cookies or too much candy for Christmas. Just isn’t possible.

So, happy holidays to all. Even though I might not personally know you, I still consider you a friend. A friend who shares my love of cooking. And isn’t that a great way to start any relationship. With a shared passion. So, thank you for your friendship, and may it continue for years to come.

And as always, peace and love to all.

1½ c. whole milk

2 T. unsalted butter, melted

4½ tsp. granulated sugar

4½ tsp. rapid rise or quick dry yeast

¾ tsp. kosher salt

3¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

cornmeal

Warm the milk in a large glass mixing bowl in your microwave to about 105-degrees.

Stir the warmed milk, melted butter, granulated sugar, and yeast together. Mix well and allow the yeast to proof for about 5 minutes or until starting to foam. Add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix well, scraping the sides of the bowl to make a shaggy dough.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap. Allow it to sit overnight at room temperature. The dough will sink a bit rather than keep rising. (This is what you want!)

Lightly grease the inside of a dozen 3-inch baking rings* and set them on a large parchment paper lined baking sheet.

After sitting overnight on your counter, turn the dough onto a floured work surface, gently roll into a ball, and then cut into 12 equal pie shaped pieces. (First, I cut the ball in half, then in half again. Then with each quarter, I cut 3 equal (or as close as possible to equal) sized pie shaped pieces. (Be gentle with the dough. Do not work it too much.)

Place a small bit of cornmeal in a shallow bowl. Gently form each piece of dough into a rough ball and coat with cornmeal.

Place the cornmeal coated balls into the prepared rings and flatten each one gently to fill the ring. Then using a finger, “dimple” the center in about a quarter of an inch. This will help the muffins bake flatter. Allow the muffins to rest for about 30 minutes while you pre-heat your oven to 400-degrees with another parchment paper lined large baking pan heating along with the oven.

Remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven. Carefully remove the muffins from the rings and place them on the hot baking sheet. Sprinkle each muffin with a bit more cornmeal.

Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the muffins. Bake another 8 minutes or until the color is golden brown, and the internal temperature reaches at least 200-degrees.

Remove from oven and cool completely before storing in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

*I purchased Lyellfe – 20-piece English Muffin Rings from Amazon. $19.99. And I like them very much. I figure I will recover the cost of the rings after the next batch of muffins I make because they are so inexpensive to make and so expensive to buy.

 

BOOZY CHOCOLATE ORANGE BALLS  

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So, after making these chocolate orange balls, I asked Mr. C. to give one a try and see if they were fit to share with others. Once he stopped smiling, he assured me that they were more than alright, and could I please save him at least 5 dozen for his own consumption. I quickly explained that I hadn’t even made that many to begin with, but yes, there would be plenty left for him. (As if he ever had to give a thought to me not saving some of the goodies for him!) (Silly guy!) Anyway, I’m no dummy. I quickly figured out that he REALLY LIKED THESE TASTY TREATS.

So, if you too are thinking about giving something homemade to one of your nearest and dearest for Christmas, this might be the perfect recipe for you.

Now I know, this is not a quick and easy recipe to prepare. But I suppose if push came to shove, you could buy shortbread cookies for the crumbs part of the recipe. Or as I read in some recipes, you could use vanilla wafers. But using vanilla wafers just wouldn’t be the same. Nothing could ever possibly replace a true shortbread cookie for depth of flavor or consistency. Plus, if you make the shortbread yourself, you will have leftover shortbread to go with your eleven o’clock cup of coffee or tea. And how delightful a contemplation is that?

So, since I am also very busy getting ready for Christmas, I will stop writing today and get on with ticking off more items on my “to do” list. (And yes, at my age I must make a list, or important things like wrapping gifts simply wouldn’t get done.)

So, from one harried Mrs. Santa to all the rest of you Santas out there – have fun, stay sane, take frequent short breaks, and think up ways to lift the spirits of others. It starts with each of us. And we all know that a positive attitude is contagious. And if we are having fun, so will those around us. On that happy note – have a holly, jolly Christmas and the best New Year ever!

And as always, peace and love to all.  

3 c. shortbread cookie crumbs (see shortbread recipe below)

1 c. powdered sugar, plus more for rolling

1 c. lightly toasted pecans, finely chopped

7 tsp. good cocoa powder

3 T. corn syrup

½ c. Cointreau or other orange liqueur 

Mix the shortbread crumbs, 1 cup powdered sugar, pecans, and cocoa powder together in a mixing bowl.

Whisk the corn syrup and Cointreau together in a small bowl and add to the dry mix. Mix well. (If the mixture seems a bit wet, you can always stir in a couple more tablespoons of shortbread crumbs to the mix.)

Using a small ice cream scoop, form the mixture into equal sized balls. Place on a small parchment paper lined baking sheet. After the balls have all been scooped, use your hands to compact the mixture into smaller balls. Then roll them in powdered sugar and place back on the parchment paper. Refrigerate for about an hour. Transfer to an airtight container and store in your refrigerator.

Shortbread Recipe:

1½ c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1½ c. powdered sugar

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

¾ tsp. salt  

3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

With an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth.  With your mixer on low speed, add flour, mixing just until dough forms. Place dough on a long piece of plastic wrap. Using your hands, wrap the dough into the plastic wrap gently shaping it into a compact round log about 1½ inches wide.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Un-wrap log and using a sharp knife, slice dough at least 3/8-inch thick. (If dough feels really hard, leave at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes).

Arrange slices, about 1-inch apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Prick each cookie about 3 times with a fork.

Bake the cookies until golden brown around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. (Do not under-bake.) Cool on baking sheets for 1 to 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Place a few cookies in your food processor. Whirl until you have cookie crumbs and repeat until you have 3 cups of crumbs. Use the crumbs as directed above.

Store the remaining cookies in an airtight container. (This is a good thing. To have extra cookies that is. Because there is no better cookie than a simple shortbread cookie. And you’ve now built 2 treats for the work of one!)  

  

MY FAVORITE COOKIES

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To misquote Lewis Carroll terribly, I offer my version of part of his delightful poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter”.

The time has come,’ Patricia said,

      To talk of favorite things:

Of lamb — and pork — and kosher salt —

      Of casseroles — and wings —

And why to use freshly grated cheese —

      And the taste fresh lemon brings.’

Now I too have no idea why Mr. Carroll’s poem jumped into my head just as I laid my head on my pillow the other evening. But I instantly knew that I had to incorporate a bit of the poem (horribly disfigured) in my next blog post because, well, it’s kind of the way my twisted mind works! And it was time for me to post yet another in my series “My Favorite Recipes”.

So, I’m not going to keep you any longer from getting back to your list of things still to be done for the holidays. Except to remind you to enjoy the time spent and to give yourself a break periodically. Put your feet up, have a cup of coffee or tea, and think how nice it will be when everything is done. (As if that could ever happen!)

And if you have never read anything by Mr. Carroll, or it’s been a while, you are in for a treat. (Think of it as your Christmas present to yourself.) 

So, for now, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and as always, peace and love to all.

MY FAVORITE COOKIE RECIPES

Almost Knockoff Levain Bakery Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Anise Biscotti with Slivered Almonds

Berry Pie Bars

Candied Ginger Refrigerator Shortbread Cookies

Chewy Caramel Pecan Squares

Chocolate and Pecan Toffee Bars

Chocolate Chip Peppermint Shortbread Cookies

Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

Coconut-Lime Shortbread Cookies

Fruit Filled Oatmeal Bars

Fudgy Espresso Walnut Cookies

Knockoff Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Knockoff Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate peanut butter chip cookies

Mincemeat Bars with Brandy Whipped Cream

Molasses Cookies

No-Bake Chocolate Topped peanut butter bars (could be considered candy too)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Coconut

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Outrageous Brownies

Payday Candy Bar Bars

Pink Cookies

Russian Teacakes

Shortbread Crusted Lemon Bars

Speculaas (Dutch Spice Cookies)

White Chocolate Dipped Coffee Bean Shortbread

PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

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As promised, another wonderful Christmas recipe. But this is a recipe for more of a cold weather treat than just a treat reserved for Christmas eve. Decadent hot chocolate. And when I say decadent, I mean DECADENT! I don’t even like most hot chocolate, but when made with this mix, I could easily become addicted. Seriously. Because this mix makes amazingly delicious hot chocolate. And all you add is boiling water to the mix. How cool is that?!

Now, what you need to realize right off the bat is that this is not an inexpensive hot chocolate mix to prepare. Because at least in my local grocery stores, I can never find powdered whole milk, really good unsweetened cocoa powder, or soft peppermint candy like See’s or King Leo’s. For these products I must go to Amazon or some other source that specializes in quality ingredients.   

And you know me. I’m not trying to be an elitist. It’s just that if you want good results from this recipe, you need to pay the price. You also need to know that the peppermint flavor is not going to knock you over. In fact, it’s almost unnoticeable. But what it brings to the mix is amazing. Then when topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles (sometimes called “jimmies” or “shots”), life just becomes wonderful. It immediately starts to snow. Not enough to stick, but enough to make you happy to be alive. Your favorite music starts running through your head. And if you happen to be blessed with teenagers, they ask you if they can please do the dishes after dinner. Just kidding. That would never happen. But I do promise you that a cup of this hot chocolate will absolutely lift your spirits.

So, I hope you give this recipe a try. And do consider building a batch and gifting some of the mix to a friend. A nice way to let someone know how much you care.

Well, that’s it for now. Mr. C. has a holiday gig tonight and I’m going along to further get in the mood for all the upcoming festivities. Presents are ordered. Holiday goody packages are either already sent or ready to be hand delivered. The live Christmas tree has been purchased, but so far has not been brought into the house. (All in good time Patti. All in good time.) And I now have the time to further get ready for Christmas without any immediate deadlines. So, I am well pleased to be able to take the evening off and listen to fun Christmas music.

May you too take the time to enjoy the holidays. For many of us it’s a frantic time trying to get everything done that we feel should be done. No one is going to know if everything isn’t checked off our lists. So, cut yourself as much slack as you would cut someone else. Make it a Christmas present to yourself.

And as always, peace and love to all. And Merry Christmas.

1 c. powdered whole milk

1 c. good unsweetened cocoa powder (I use a combination of Valrhona, Ghirardelli, and Dagoba

1 c. granulated sugar

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ c. miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

heaping ½ c. semi-crushed peppermint candy (I use King Leo’s Soft Peppermint sticks) (Do not use regular inexpensive candy canes. They have no resemblance to good peppermint candy.)

Whisk the powdered whole milk, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, salt, and mini chocolate chips together in a mixing bowl. Break the peppermint sticks up a bit and place in your food processor. Whirl until the peppermint candy is mostly crushed. There will still be a few small pieces. Not a problem. Add the candy to the other ingredients. Mix all together. Store in an airtight container.

For each serving, place ¼ – ⅓ cup hot chocolate mix (depends on how rich you like your hot chocolate) in a mug and add 1 cup boiling water. Stir slowly until the mini chocolate chips are dissolved.

If you are totally into decadent hot chocolate, top with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.  

      

SWEDISH MEATBALLS

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Staying on the theme of Christmas and my favorite recipes, I again offer you my recipe for Swedish Meatballs. Which BTW, was one of my kids’ favorite dishes. (Probably still is!) They would gobble the meatballs up every time I made them. And for me, they were easy to build. Especially if I’d made the meatballs ahead and either refrigerated them overnight or hid them in the freezer.

So, even on a work night, I could throw this dish in the oven and dinner would be ready in about an hour. That left me time to start a load of laundry, make a salad or steam a green veggie, and slowly unwind from my workday. And I often needed that little bit of time to transition from managing people at work, to managing kids at home. (Not that different BTW!) It also left me time to talk with the kids about their day, even though we would be sitting down to dinner together and every subject imaginable would be fodder for our conversations. With 4 kids there were always stories to be told. Sometimes even more information was provided than I wanted or felt I needed to know. But the discussions were always lively. And I learned a lot about what the kids were experiencing just by these easy and relaxed exchanges. But I bet you are wondering why Swedish Meatballs would be considered a Christmas dish.

Every Christmas Eve my sister-in-law Evelyn and brother-in-law Dan and their kids feast on homemade lefsa and Swedish Meatballs. They spend the day making the lefsa and the meatballs and it is a tradition cherished by one and all. So, I too think of Swedish Meatballs as a part of what makes Christmas special.

So, if you too are still making Christmas traditions, I offer this recipe for your consideration. But don’t stop at Christmas time to serve this dish to family and friends. Meatballs are good any old time of year.

Well, enough posting for today. There are presents still to be ordered. And Christmas goodies to be baked.

But before I leave you today, just a hint about making cookies. Especially if you are crazy like me and insist that there be several different types of cookies for family and friends to enjoy. Make all the dough one day and bake it off the next. Most cookies profit from time spent in the fridge anyway. And make refrigerator cookies whenever possible. Much easier slicing the dough rather than shaping it. And making all the dough in one day only makes sense.

I place all the ingredients I will be using that day on a kitchen counter or sometimes on my kitchen table. Then any recipe calling for room temperature butter, vanilla, all-purpose flour, etc. etc., is right at hand. No putting ingredients away just to have to get them out again for the next recipe.  Plus, you only make a mess one time. And measuring cups and spoons if used for dry ingredients can be used repeatedly thus saving time for cleanup. And yes, it took me years to figure this out. But there is no looking back now. This system just plain makes cookie baking easier and faster.

OK Patti, enough pontificating. Let these fine folks get back to their real lives. And the real reason they are reading this post in the first place!

As always, may you find peace and love in your life. And Merry Christmas.

⅓ c. dehydrated chopped onion

½ tsp. granulated garlic

2 T. parsley (dried or fresh)

½ tsp. ground savory

¼ tsp. paprika

½ tsp. dried thyme leaves

¼ tsp. dried rosemary

pinch nutmeg

½ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs

2 T. milk

¾ c. uncooked oats

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. pork sausage

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 tsp. beef base

2 c. sour cream

Combine the onion, garlic, parsley, savory, paprika, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, salt, pepper, eggs, and milk in a bowl. Add the oats, ground beef, and pork sausage. Form into balls with a small ice cream scoop. Place on a low sided baking pan and bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Meanwhile whisk the cream of mushroom soup, beef base, and sour cream together. When meatballs are out of the oven, layer them with the sour cream mixture in a covered casserole.

Cover dish and bake at 350-degree for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking an additional 15 minutes.

Great served with thick al dente egg noodles.

MINCEMEAT  

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Since it is December, and along with December comes Christmas. And with Christmas, at least at our house, comes fruit cake and often mincemeat pies, tarts, galettes, or bars. So, of course this year again, homemade mincemeat is happily mellowing in my refrigerator. What recipe I decide to use containing this amazing mixture is still to be determined. But I do know that whatever I make will be topped with a hard sauce. And not just any hard sauce. A bourbon hard sauce. (I’m still working on the recipe.)

And since it happens to be Christmas time and I am in the process of re-posting some of my favorite recipes, I decided to post some of the dishes I most associate with the holiday. And mincemeat has been a part of my Christmas for as long as I can remember. So, for me, it isn’t really Christmas unless mincemeat is featured in one of the holiday desserts.  

Now, some would argue that mincemeat without meat (beef in most cases) or even suet in the mix is not the real thing. Don’t care! And I only mention beef because that was the most common meat used in the making of mincemeat in the 19th century. But before chunks of beef, it might have been tongue, tripe, venison, lamb, or veal in with all the fruit and spices. None of which are ever going to be included as an ingredient in any mincemeat I make. I frankly see no reason to mess up perfectly good, dried fruit, apples, brown sugar, spices, and booze by adding meat of any variety. And suet – no way! I use butter! Because butter simply makes everything better!  

Also, most mincemeat recipes call for brandy, rum, or whiskey. But not mine. I leave those liquors for someone else to use.  Instead of brandy, rum, or whiskey, I use both bourbon and cognac. Why? Because I use bourbon a lot in cooking. Can’t stand to drink the stuff, but to cook with it for either sweet or savory dishes, bourbon is perfect. It’s the sweetness of bourbon, with hints of both caramel and vanilla, that I believe works so well in this recipe. And many other recipes for that matter. And as far as that little bit of Cognac I throw in at the last moment, well, when does Cognac not add an extra little bit of joy to any dish? Especially because of the flavor sensations that are unique to Cognac – sweet, spicy, fruity, and slightly bitter. So, there you have it. A recipe for homemade mincemeat that is easy to make and absolutely delicious.

But as with other Christmas treats like Holiday Fruitcake, Caribbean Black Fruitcake, and Christmas Berliner Stollen (all on this site BTW), it is best to let mincemeat contemplate the meaning of life for a few weeks, or months, in your refrigerator before using it in one of your favorite Christmas treats. Some things just get better with age. Like fine wine, many great cheeses, and men and women who cook. Cooking helps keep older minds remain active and bodies stay limber by making multiple trips into pantries trying to remember why they went there in the first place! Or second place, etc. etc.

So, from one old cook to all of you – Peace and Love. And happy Christmas preparations.  

1½ c. dark raisins

1½ c. golden raisins    

1½ c. dried currants

2/3 c. bourbon

2 tart apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced

8-oz. candied orange peel

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

¾ c. brown sugar

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground mace

¼ tsp. ground allspice

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange

¼ c. cognac

Place the dark raisins, golden raisins, and dried currants in a small saucepan. Add the 2/3 cup bourbon, bring just to a boil, stir to coat all the fruit, remove from heat, and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, combine the apples, candied orange peel, melted butter, brown sugar, spices, and the zest and juice of the lemon and orange in a large ovenproof dish. When the raisins and currents are cool, stir into the apple mixture. If there is any liquid left, throw it in too. Cover the dish and place in your refrigerator overnight.  

The following day, place the ovenproof dish in a cold oven, bring the temperature to 200 degrees, and bake for three hours, stirring every hour or so. Remove from oven, let cool completely, and stir in the cognac. The mincemeat will look quite runny. But don’t be concerned. After it has rested in the refrigerator for a few days it will be perfect.

Store covered in your refrigerator until ready to use. (Best if left to mellow at least 4 weeks, but if you are like me, the mince only gets to age for about a week. It’s still good, so no worries.)

This recipe makes enough mincemeat for 2 10-inch tarts, 2 8-inch pies, or 3 10-inch galettes.

 

MY FAVORITE BEEF RECIPES

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OK, back to my regularly scheduled posts. I had to take a couple days off to make Holiday Fruitcake (recipe on site), host Jim and Margo for my first try at preparing Cassoulet and get mincemeat (under Mincemeat Galette) started. Mincemeat (no critters harmed in my recipe BTW) needs to mellow in a cold environment for a couple three weeks before it is ready to be used in whatever dish I decide is worthy of its magnificence. And as “they” say, timing is everything! So, regardless of my commitment to you to provide you with my favorite recipes, Christmas reared its head and demanded my attention. But, at least for now, I’m back to post my list of favorite recipes by categories.

Like I said in an earlier post, this is not easy. Because I love food. And singling out just a few recipes out of over 2,000 (either on this blog or in my 2 cookbooks) is taxing. But being the considerate person that I am, and tired to death with being asked what my favorite recipe for this or that is, I am back on track. Well at least until it is time to make all the cookies and goodies that go in my kids and special friends Christmas treats packages. So, if I get off track again, get over it! I’ll get to each category as time permits. Remember, I’m 79 years old. Cut me some slack! (Now, if I could just remember to do the same, I would be a lot happier. But I digress!)

Anyway, these are my favorite beef recipes. And the ones I am going to prepare again and again until either my doctor tells me to cut back on beef (which I already have) or I look one more cow in the eyes and decide that there is no way I am going to be responsible for any more of these critters’ early loss of life! (And yes, I’m getting soft in my old age. I’m actually quite fine with that!)

So, my friends, I hope you enjoy these recipes. But certainly, don’t limit yourself to my favorites. Food is such a personal thing. Eat what you like. Eat healthily (at least most of the time). Cook from scratch. And try to make each meal special not only for yourself, but also for your family and friends.

And as always, peace and love to all.

MY FAVORITE BEEF RECIPES

Boeuf à la Bourguignonne (Beef Burgundy)

Beef Stew

Beef Stroganoff

Ćevapčići (Serbian Grilled Sausages)

Cheezy Stuffed Green Peppers

Chez Carr Chili Con Carne

Chicken Fried Steak with Pan Gravy

Grilled Argentine (Like) Marinated Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Grilled Meatloaf with Bacon Flavored Red Gravy

Hamburger Dip Sandwiches with Onion and Dry Sherry Au Jus

Hamburger Steak with Mushroom Onion Gravy

Meatballs (under Old Fashioned Spaghetti and Meatballs)

Old Fashioned Meatloaf

Oven Baked Boneless Beef Country Style Short Ribs

Pot Roast with Potatoes, Onions, and Carrots  

Quick and Easy Marinated Flank Steak

Simple Braised Corn Beef with Horseradish Cream Sauce

Steak Au Poivre (Peppercorn Steak)

Swedish Meatballs

Swiss Steak with Cheddar Cheese Polenta

Swiss Steak with Mushrooms

Weeknight Tamale Pie

   

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN OVER RICE

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This is a takeoff of one of the first recipes I posted when I started this blog back in January of 2013. In fact, I posted Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings on January 11, 2013. And the reason I posted that recipe so early on, was because it has remained to this day, one of my very favorite ways to enjoy chicken.

Now having confessed that this is a favorite chicken recipe, you need to also know that I rarely fix this recipe. Because, well, before you read any further, look at the list of ingredients.

Not that this recipe contains a long list of specialty ingredients or anything like that. Nothing could be further from the fact of the matter. It’s just the few ingredients themselves that cause me not to make this dish more frequently. Because I should not eat butter, soy sauce, and brown sugar in this quantity on a regular basis. And white rice? Definitely a no-no! Anyone with half a brain knows that! However, occasionally I throw caution to the wind. And last night’s dinner was just one such time. And I enjoyed EVERY SINFULL MOUTHFUL. OMG, if someone told me this recipe had been sent to mankind by a loving deity, I would buy right into their theory without even a backward glance.

And since we are the subject of loving deities, the night before last as we were driving home from a delightful evening of music and food at the Hosts and Regulars JazzVox December get-together, Andy put on one of my favorite CDs. (Well actually he used Spotify, but you know what I mean.) It was a CD by the Austin Lounge Lizards. And the song that brought me a bit of relief from my worry about our present world situation, was recorded on their 2006 album “The Drugs I need”. It’s entitled “We’ve Been Through Some Crappy Times Before”.

So, for your reading pleasure, I give you the lyrics that lifted my spirits, eased my worries, and made me laugh out loud. (Along with the other songs on the album of course!)

WE’VE BEEN THROUGH SOME CRAPPY TIMES BEFORE

You say the last election didn’t turn out like you planned.
You’re feeling blue and clueless, you just don’t understand.
You’re sad, sulky, sullen, moping and morose.
You’re woefully weak and weary, semi-comatose.
You stare at your computer screen devoid of any joy and hope.
You’re so depressed, you can’t get dressed, your noose is up a rope.
Just remind yourself, when you can’t stand it any more:
That we’ve been through some crappy times before

We’ve been though some crappy times before.

Slavery, unbridled knavery and the civil war.

Don’t stop caring, stop despairing, get up off the floor.

Because we’ve been through some crappy times before.

Intolerable intolerance has swept across the land.
The gospel thumping homophobes have got the upper hand.
They are peeping though the windows and they are creeping through the door.
But we’ve been through some crappy times before.

We’ve been through some crappy times before.

McCarthyism, Prohibition, and the World Wars.
We’re up a the creek, the boat is leaking, still we will reach the shore.
But we’ve been through some crappy times before.

We hear reassurances that everything is fine.
It’s been a while since we were a canary in this mine.
When you think it’s really bad, it gets a little worse.
But keep on looking forward, though we’re going in reverse.

We shout out that the emperor is not wearing any clothes.
He lies so much that you could hang your laundry from his nose.
The fox is in the hen house and the wolf is at the door.
But we’ve been thought some crappy times before.

We have been thought crappy times before.
Indiscretion, floods, Depression, Vietnam and more.
The sun has set but don’t forget another day is in store.
Because we’ve been thought some crappy times before.
Yes, we’ve been though some crappy times before.

Well, I hope that brought you too a little relief from any worries you might have about the state of the world. (And to think the song was written when politicians were still semi-civil to each other! And we all still believed they were on our side!) We must all remember that the human race has a long history of seemingly unsurvivable situations. And yet, somehow, we have managed to persevere. And one of the best ways I know to stay sane is through laughter.

So, if you too enjoy a bit of humor, may I recommend the Austin Lounge Lizards. They are not only fine musicians but have an irreverent bent that I find not only funny, but very refreshing. Kind of like The Capitol Steps, Victor Borge, Flanders and Swann, and Tom Lehrer. All of whom are greatly adored by Mr. C. and me. But back to the real reason for this post.

If you ever want to serve your family or friends the very definition of a guilty pleasure, serve them this dish or the original – Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings. And to make this dish even more appetizing to every tired cook in America, it’s bloody easy to make! But I promise you that you will never forgive me for introducing you to either of these dishes. Because I am positive you too will become addicted. But I’m strong. I can take the pressure. But if you must, feel free to take me out of your will.

And as always peace and love to all.

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

½ c. soy sauce

1 c. brown sugar

¾ c. orange juice

1 T. dry mustard

1-1½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

Melt the butter in a wide frying pan or electric fry pan. Stir in the soy sauce, brown sugar, orange juice, and dry mustard. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let burble for about 10 minutes.

Add the chicken pieces and simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until the sauce is thick. (Towards the end of the cooking time, it is very easy to burn the chicken. So, keep a close eye on the sauce. You want it thick but not burnt.)

Serve over white rice. (OK, brown rice is fine, but white rice is better.) Sunomono (an easy Japanese cucumber salad) (recipe on site) is a wonderful accompaniment.