Christmas Pudding Truffles (Chocolate
2 oz. butter
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup sugar
3 oz. finely ground almonds, or almond flour
2 tablespoons cocoa, sifted
1 tablespoon rum extract
1 10-12 oz. pound cake, crumbed
6 oz. marzipan shaped into small balls
10 oz. bittersweet chocolate for dipping
2 oz. white chocolate for decorating
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar mixed with a few drops milk to make a very stiff frosting.
Few drops green and red food coloring.
1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
2. Add almond extract, almonds and cocoa. Mix well.
3. Add cake crumbs and rum extract and mix well.
4. Shape into small balls and press marzipan into center.
5. Dip into chocolate. Place on waxed paper until set.
6. Decorate with white chocolate and a few drops of red and green frosting to resemble holly.
Makes about 4 dozen truffles.
Venetians Tri-color cookies
Venetians
Ingredients:
8 ounces almond paste, grated
8 ounces marzipan
1 1/2 cups butter
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 drops green food coloring
8 drops red fool coloring
1 12 ounce jar apricot preserves
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1. Grease three 9 x 13" pans; line with waxed paper, grease again.
2. Break up almond paste in a large bowl with a fork. Add butter, sugar, egg yolks and almond extract. Beat with electric mixer until light a fluffy - about 5 minutes.
3. Beat in flour and salt.
4. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into almond mixture.
5. Remove 1 1/2 cups batter, spread evenly into prepared pan. Remove another 1 1/2 cups and add the green food coloring; spread evenly into second prepared pan. Add red food coloring to remaining 1 1/2 cups batter and spread into remaining pan.
6. Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes, or just until edges are golden brown. (Note: Cakes will be 1/4" thick.)
Walnut Roll
7 eggs separated
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups ground walnuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Brush a jellyroll pan, 10 x 15, with oil line with wax paper and oil the paper.
2. Preheat oven to 350°
3. Using mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is pale in color and forms a ribbon.
4. Beat in walnuts and baking powder.
5. Using a clean bowl and beaters, beat egg whites until stiff. Stir one third of the egg whites into walnut mixture, then fold in remainder.
6. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is golden.
7. Cool cake in pan. Turn out on to wax paper sprinkled with sifted confectioners' sugar. Remove paper from the bottom of the cake and spread with the cream which has been beaten until stiff with the vanilla. Roll up the cake using the paper as an aid and slide the roll onto a flat serving platter. Sprinkle the roll with additional sifted confectioners' sugar.
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups ground walnuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Brush a jellyroll pan, 10 x 15, with oil line with wax paper and oil the paper.
2. Preheat oven to 350°
3. Using mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is pale in color and forms a ribbon.
4. Beat in walnuts and baking powder.
5. Using a clean bowl and beaters, beat egg whites until stiff. Stir one third of the egg whites into walnut mixture, then fold in remainder.
6. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is golden.
7. Cool cake in pan. Turn out on to wax paper sprinkled with sifted confectioners' sugar. Remove paper from the bottom of the cake and spread with the cream which has been beaten until stiff with the vanilla. Roll up the cake using the paper as an aid and slide the roll onto a flat serving platter. Sprinkle the roll with additional sifted confectioners' sugar.
Val's Almond Macaroons
Val's Almond MacaroonsLine a cookie sheet with parchment paper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups ground almonds
Scant cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Glacéd cherries or sliced almonds
Whip egg whites into soft peaks.
Fold in remaining ingredients until well mixed.
Using a small ice cream scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons), form about 16 cookies
Top each one with a cherry half or some sliced almonds.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Watch the Video:
A lighter take on Potato Knishes
2 lbs, potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 1/2 lbs, onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
4 ounces butter, melted
1 lb. package filo dough
Sauté onions in oil until softened and just turning golden. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Stir cooked onions with the oil into the potatoes, mixing well.
Cut filo sheets in quarters and wrap well in plastic wrap.
Working with a few sheets at a time, butter one sheets top with a second sheet and butter that. Place a small spoonful of potato filling at the bottom of the filo, roll up, tuck the sides in and continue rolling.
At this point you may either bake them at 375 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown. Or, place them on a wax paper lined cookie sheets and freeze. Once they are frozen, place them in a freezer bag. Bake as above for 10 to 12 minutes
Enjoy!
Watch the video:
Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
When we lived in Virginia, our son-in-law, Blair, loved to go to the local diner for biscuits and sausage gravy. I could never see the appeal of this gray-looking glop until I decided to make it at home as a special treat for him.
Good sausage meat and a little hot sauce turned the dish an appetizing rosy color. While it's not a dish I would recommend having on a daily basis, for a once-in-a-while treat it's a great change from bacon and eggs.
1 small onion, finely chopped 1 lb. sausage meat
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
Hot sauce to taste
Buttermilk biscuits to serve.
Watch the video:
Buffalo Chicken Dip
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| Betty, Lucy, Anna & Liz |
It takes no time at all to put together. Then you simply bake it at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, give it a good stir to mix it well and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, celery and carrot sticks.
She very kindly agreed to share the recipe with me and I am happy to share it with you.
Anna's Buffalo Chicken Dip
2 chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
12 oz. shredded cheddar/Jack cheese mix
1/4 cup hot sauce, or to taste.
Watch Anna prepare this terrific dip!
Reader Comment:
Kaho Fotyfar
What a beauty,lovely gathering, simple rich recipe and amazing city as well, thank u for sharing these special moments.
Spinach Salad Dressing Old Family Recipe
Spinach Salad Dressing
This is a recipe I got from a co-worker many years ago. It was her mother's recipe so, according to my math, it would have to be about 100 years old. I have changed it very little, cutting back on sugar and salt and making it in a food processor instead of lots of chopping and whisking.
For the salad itself, you want baby spinach, stems removed, sliced mushrooms and crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled. The amounts depend on how many you are serving. To turn this into a main dish for lunch, just add some hard-cooked eggs.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
one bunch green onions
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup salad oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar one
egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
This is a recipe I got from a co-worker many years ago. It was her mother's recipe so, according to my math, it would have to be about 100 years old. I have changed it very little, cutting back on sugar and salt and making it in a food processor instead of lots of chopping and whisking.
For the salad itself, you want baby spinach, stems removed, sliced mushrooms and crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled. The amounts depend on how many you are serving. To turn this into a main dish for lunch, just add some hard-cooked eggs.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
one bunch green onions
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup salad oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar one
egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
Betty's Cole Slaw...Southern Style
Southern Cole Slaw
This is a recipe I learned while we were living in Virginia. It's a little different in that contains no mayonnaise. The dressing is boiled before pouring it over the cabbage mixture so you might think that this will be a very soggy salad. Not to worry, four hours in the refrigerator restores all the crispness to this tasty side dish.
Viewer Comment: " I made it on Friday nite, we ate yesterday, one of the best yummy side dish, 🌺 it feels good knowing u did something good when my family asked me to make it again , thank u very much for a very amazing recipe"
This is a recipe I learned while we were living in Virginia. It's a little different in that contains no mayonnaise. The dressing is boiled before pouring it over the cabbage mixture so you might think that this will be a very soggy salad. Not to worry, four hours in the refrigerator restores all the crispness to this tasty side dish.
Viewer Comment: " I made it on Friday nite, we ate yesterday, one of the best yummy side dish, 🌺 it feels good knowing u did something good when my family asked me to make it again , thank u very much for a very amazing recipe"
Christopher Kimball of America's Test Kitchen Chicken Stock!
I saw this comment from Christopher Kimball of America's Test Kitchen fame regarding chicken stock.
"Instead of using Eurocentric techniques that rely on concentrating flavors through long applications of heat, Mr. Kimball is exploring ways to build dishes that rely on texture, spice and freshness. Instead of making chicken stock like a frugal French cook who simmers bones and scraps for hours, why not boil a whole chicken for just an hour like a Chinese cook, using ginger, scallions and herbs to elicit a more delicate flavor?" (NY TIMES)
While I do use this technique when making Asian dishes, the flavors don't work when making something like chicken pot pie. For that you want a rich chicken stock which is best accomplished with long, slow simmering. See my recipe for chicken pot pie which gives the instructions for the stock (video here).
Croque Monsieur (French Ham & Cheese Sandwich)
Croque Monsieur
Leave it to the French to take a ham and cheese sandwich and turn it into a gourmet delight! By using top-quality ingredients like brioche bread, Gruyere cheese and Virginia ham, a mundane dish is totally transformed. With that transformation, it becomes something you can serve as an elegant lunch or supper - and it’s surprisingly easy to do.
4 slices brioche bread (you may substitute a good quality sandwich bread)
5 or 6 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
2 or 4 slices Virginia ham (depending on thickness)
Mustard of your choice
2 or 3 tablespoons of butter
1½ tablespoons flour
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook for 2 or 3 minutes to eliminate the floury taste. Gradually add the milk, whisking continuously. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sauce thickens. Add about half of the grated Gruyere cheese and whisk until it is melted, add the grated Parmesan and whisk until it is melted. Set the sauce aside.
Assemble the sandwiches by spreading two of the bread slices with the mustard, top with the ham slices and then most of the Gruyere cheese (reserve a little to top the sandwiches at the end) and cover with the last two slices of bread.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Melt a tablespoon of butter in a skillet, add the sandwiches and sauté until lightly browned, turn, adding more butter if necessary, and brown on the second side. Transfer the sandwiches to ovenproof dishes, cover each with half of the sauce and sprinkle with the last of the Gruyere. Bake for about 5 minutes until the sauce is bubbly. If desired, broil for a minute or two to brown lightly.
Serve with a mixed green salad and perhaps a glass of a dry white wine! Enjoy..
Watch the video:
Watch the video:
Super Bowl Fan Favorite Food
Another quick and easy dish....smashed potatoes! Great substitute for baked potatoes.
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