Potato Cakes

These potato cakes have been a family favorite for years, but our daughter recently reminded me that I hadn’t posted the recipe. I like using ring molds to make individual servings, but it can also be made as one large cake in a skillet. 

It’s a recipe that also can be made ahead and reheated - always handy when you are preparing a meal that needs last minute attention. 

The ingredients:

2 Lbs. Potatoes Chopped (Yukon Gold preferred)
1 Large Onion Chopped (grated in mixer with potatoes)
3 Tbsp. Butter (cubed)
Salt mixed with fresh ground pepper

Watch the video:

Betty's Cream Puff Swans

I’ve been meaning to do this recipe for quite some time, but a friend’s birthday lunch finally inspired me.
While these swans look quite elegant and complicated, they really are quite simple to do.
A little practice with a pastry bag is all that is required!

For the swans:

6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup flour
3 eggs

For the filling:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup lemon curd

Watch the video:

Stuffed French Toast (Betty's Variation)

Here is my recipe for Stuffed French Toast.

For the French toast:


8 small slices brioche, or other egg bread
1/4 cup Nutella
1 egg beaten with a little milk
2 tablespoons butter
Raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries to serve.


Spread half of bread slices with Nutella, top with remaining bread.
Dip in egg mixture, heat butter in skillet and fry sandwiches until lightly browned, turn and cook on other side.


Raspberry sauce:

Whiz a cup of raspberries in a processor with a generous squeeze of lemon juice and confectioner's sugar to taste.  Strain to remove seeds.

WATCH THE VIDEO:

Chocolate Peppermint Linzer Cookies

Chocolate Peppermint Linzer Cookies

Granted, these cookies have nothing to do with Linzer tarts, but a few days ago I made Linzer cookies and thought they were so good I'd like to make a variation and this is what I came up with.  The Linzer cookie recipe follows.

Ingredients:

8 oz. butter at room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

2 ½ cups flour

½ cup cocoa

8 oz. white chocolate

2 small candy canes, finely crushed

Preheat oven to 325°

1. Sift together flour and cocoa.
2. Combine butter and sugar in mixer and beat until well blended.
3. Gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined.
4. Turn mixture out onto counter and knead lightly.
5. Divide mixture in half.  
6. Place on a sheet of waxed paper, pat out slightly, cover with a second sheet of waxed paper and roll out until about ¼" thick.
7. Cut out into 1½" circles and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.
8. Repeat with second half of dough, cutting out a circle or star in center of circles.
9. Gather scraps together and reroll.
10. Bake for about 12 minutes or until just set.
11. Remove to cooling racks and cool completely.
12. Melt chocolate, add crushed candy canes and mix well.
13. Spread a small teaspoon of chocolate mixture on bottom cookie, top with cutout cookie and allow to set.

These will keep for a few days or may be frozen.

To make Linzer cookies

Follow the same recipe, substituting ½ cup of ground hazelnuts in place of the cocoa powder and spread the cookies with seedless raspberry jam.

Watch the video demonstration:

How to make Better Buttermilk Pancakes

Buttermilk pancakes are a real breakfast treat - especially with some blueberries folded in!  It's easy just to grab a box of pancake mix from the supermarket, but it only takes a few more minutes to make them from scratch and they don't  contain any preservatives.  Don't be put off by the buttermilk.  If you don't have it on hand, simply mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar, let stand for 5 minutes and use that.

See my easy tip at the end of the video for making your own mix ahead of time.

Recipe for Two (makes 7 - 8 pancakes).

1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (non-aluminum is best)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 an egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 cup blueberries (optional)

Combine all dry ingredients.  Whisk in buttermilk and egg.  Just before the mixture is fully mixed, add the melted butter.

Preheat a griddle or large frying pan, butter lightly, and, using a 1/4 cup measure, drop mixture, leaving some space in between.  When tiny bubbles start to appear on top, flip the pancakes and cook for a minute or two on the second side.  Serve with warm maple syrup.

Our youngest granddaughter loves these with chocolate chips instead of blueberries!

Watch video demonstration:

Clarified Butter...The Easy Way

Clarified butter is butter which has been melted and had the milk solids removed from it.  It is useful for frying since it won't burn like regular butter and it is essential for making Hollandaise sauce.

If stored in a sterile container, it will last for weeks in your refrigerator.

Tips for Easier Baking (Plus Christmas cookie videos)

The French have a term for it:  "mis en place".  It means: "everything in its place".  Like many cooks, it took me some time to learn that this is a huge timesaver when you are baking or cooking.  There is nothing more frustrating to be in the middle of a recipe only to find you are out of that one ingredient or implement that is essential for the dish you are preparing.  So here are some tips which I hope you will find helpful for both gearing up for holiday baking and your everyday cooking

.This video provides ten tips for streamlining the baking process. Happy baking!

Getting ready to bake Christmas cookies? Watch these videos for easy to make treats....all family favorites.

How to make Flavored Butters

A really easy way to add some extra flavor to all sorts of things.   From pancakes to toast, fish, chicken, steak and on and on.

Simple to make, the combinations are limited only by your imagination!  Here are a few of my favorites:

Note:  Each recipe uses 4 ounces of unsalted butter.

1.  Finely grated zest of 1 orange

     1 tablespoon of honey

     2 tablespoons finely chopped nuts

     2 tablespoons finely chopped raisins

2.  1 head roasted garlic, mashed

     Optional:  2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

3.  2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

     Grated zest of 1 lemon

     (This is delicious on corn on the cob)

4.  2 tablespoon finely chopped dried cranberries

     1 tablespoon maple syrup

     (Great on pancakes, dinner rolls when you are serving chicken or turkey)

5.  1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar and 2 tablespoons jam of your choice

6.  1 or 2 tablespoons wasabi - depending on your heat tolerance!

Watch the video:

Quick Tip: How to Butter Cake Dishes...the Easy Way

Here is an easy method to butter cake dishes.