1/2 lb. Margarine
2 tsp. Vanilla
4 T. Sugar
2 C. Flour
2 C. Nuts
Cream margarine, sugar and vanilla; add flour and finely diced nuts. Roll into small balls. (Roll dough into a long rope about the diameter of a dime and slice into 1†pieces to easily make balls all the same size.) Place on cookie sheet and bake in middle of oven at 350 degrees about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. After cooling, place into paper bag with powdered sugar, shake to coat. Repeat.
1 C. butter
1/2 C. sugar
1 egg
12 drops red food coloring
3/4 tsp. peppermint extract
2 C. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. chocolate syrup
Cream 3/4 C. butter and sugar. Beat in egg with food coloring and peppermint extract. Combine 1 3/4 C. flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Stir into creamed mixture. Chill 2 hours. Meanwhile, combine remaining butter, flour and syrup. Spoon into pastry bag with small round tip. Shape pink dough into 3/4″ balls; place on baking sheets; flatten to 1-1/2″ dia.; pipe chocolate mixture on cookies in simple holiday designs like stars, snowflakes or trees. Bake at 375º for 5-7 minutes. For variety, garnish some of the cookies with crushed peppermint candy.
1/2 C. butter
1/2 C. shortening or butter
1 egg
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 C. powdered sugar
2 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. salt
red food coloring
2 tsp. Peppermint Vanilla Bean Sugar
Cream first 5 ingredients together in an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, flour and salt. Mix dry ingredients into wet until well combined. Divide dough in half and color one half red with several drops of food coloring. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 tsp. dough of each color into 6-inch long ropes. Twist ropes together and shape like a candy cane. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 min. on an ungreased cookie sheet. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Peppermint Vanilla Bean Sugar while still warm.
1 1/4 C. chopped plums
2-4 T. sugar (see note above)
1 T. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
Enough pie dough for one double crust pie
8-10 T. lime curd (about 1 T. per pie)
1 egg, lightly whisked
Demerara sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine plums, sugar and corn starch; set aside. Roll pie dough to about 1/8″ thickness in one or two rectangles (two is easier to manage; they do not need to be perfect rectangles). Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut strips that are about 4″ wide and 10″ long (again, these are rough measurements that don’t need to be exact). Place about a T. of lime curd in the middle of the strip, about 2 1/2″ from the bottom edge. Pile a spoonful of plums on top and fold each strip in half, making a hand pie that is roughly 4″ wide and 5″ long. Line up the three cut edges and crimp closed with a fork. Transfer finished hand pies to a parchment lined baking sheet. Add a splash of water to the egg and whisk some more to make an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, brush egg wash over the top of each hand pie. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and bake in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow pies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Serve warm or keep for up to 2 days on the counter or up to 4 in the refrigerator.
1 1/2 lb. (4 C.) Sour Cherries, pitted
1 1/3 C. Sugar
2 T. Lemon Juice
¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Gently stir together the pitted cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large nonreactive bowl. Cover and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Transfer the macerated fruit mixture to your preserving pot using a spatula to scrape any sugar that has settled to the bottom of the bowl. Add the ground cayenne and, over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil that cannot be stirred down. Continue to boil, stirring frequently until the mixture passes the plate test, about 12 minutes. You can reduce the heat near the end of the cooking time if the mixture begins to scorch. Ladle into prepared half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe rims. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the bands until they are fingertip tight. Process in a water-bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude as needed. After 24 hours, check the seals. Label, date, and store out of direct sunlight without the bands for up to a year.
2 C. sugar
6 T. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. water
1 1/4 C. honey
Mix the sugar, salt, and cornstarch together; stir in the water and honey. Cook to hard thread stage. Pour onto a buttered cookie sheet. While mixture cools, fold the edges toward the center so it will cool uniformly. Butter hands and pull until milky looking. Shape into small rope and cut into 1-inch pieces. Wrap in waxed paper.
1 C. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 TBLs sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1/3 C. milk
1 tsp. melted butter
1-1/4 C. diced peaches ( I used 2 fresh peaches which came to a little over 1 1/4 C. peaches)
granulated sugar in flat-sided bowl or a powdered sugar glaze
oil for fryer or deep frying pan
1 C. powdered sugar
milk, enough to make a drizzling consistency.
Whisk the milk and confectioners sugar together until the desired drizzling consistency.
Using a whisk, combine flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon and baking powder. Whisk in eggs, milk and butter. Fold in peaches. Heat oil in fryer or pan to 375 degrees F. With long handled ladle, ladle about 1/4 -1/2 C. batter into hot oil. The batter will sink at first and then rise. Cook for about 2 – 3 minutes, depending on size of fritters. Remove fritters from oil with long-handled tongs. Quickly drain on paper towels or newspaper. Then place fritter in bowl of sugar or glaze fritters. Coat with sugar on both sides, or glaze tops of fritters.
Cake Layer:
2 C. Panko or regular bread crumbs (about 4 oz.)
1 C. pistachio, whole and roasted
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
4 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 C. (5-1/4 oz.) granulated sugar
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Orange-scented syrup, recipe to follow
1-1/2 C. pistachios, toasted and ground, for decorating
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350℉. Butter two 6-by-2-inch round cake pans; line each with a circle of parchment paper. Butter paper, and dust pans with flour; tap out excess. Set aside. In a mini food processor, add panko, pistachio, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Process until finely chopped, set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk eggs and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. The mixture should fall in a ribbon rather than a stream. Gently fold in nut mixture by hand with the whisk attachment. Add melted butter in a slow stream and fold into the batter with a rubber spatula. Divide batter into the prepared pans and bake until cake tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool cake on wire rack for 10 minutes, remove cake from pan and set it on cooling rack. Generously brush syrup on the top and sides of cake, let cool completely. Wash cake pans, to be used in baklava layers.
Baklava Layer
3 oz. (6 T.) unsalted butter, melted
16 sheets of phyllo pastry
1 C. pistachio,toasted and ground
Orange scented syrup, recipe to follow
Fold phyllo sheets in half along the long edge. Use cake pan as template and cut out 8-inch circles, roughly 1-inch wider than the pan on all sides. (Circles do not have to be perfect.) Cover phyllo with damp towel. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350℉. Brush two 6-by-2-inch round cake pans with melted butter. Place one sheet of phyllo in one pan and fold in edges to fit the pan. Brush with melted butter. Continue this layering and brushing until you have 8 layers of pastry. Scatter ground pistachio over the pastry and continue the layering and buttering for 8 more layers. Repeat process with the second pan. Place pan in oven and bake until golden brown and crisp on top. about 30-35 minutes. Remove pan from oven and slowly drizzle 1/4 C. syrup into each pan. Set aside to cool completely. While baklava layers are baking, roughly tear/chop up leftover phyllo into chards and brush generously with butter. Spread pastry chards on parchment lined baking sheet. When baklava are done, place baking pan in oven and baking until golden brown, about 18-25 minutes. (Keep a close eye towards the end to avoid burning of pastry.)
Orange-scented Syrup
1 C. (5 oz.) of granulated sugar
1/4 C. honey
3/4 C. water
2 tsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 tsp. rose water
1/2 tsp. orange flower water
Combine sugar, honey, water and lemon juice in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until slightly thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Stir rose and orange flower water to cool syrup. Add more, a few drops at a time, to taste. (Flavor will mellow out after it sits for a while.)
Assembly: Level top of the cakes with serrated knife to remove indent in the center of cake. Place one cake layer on cake stand or plate, brush top of cake generously with syrup. Place a layer of baklava on top of cake, brush top of baklava layer with syrup if it’s not sticky and top with second cake layer. Brush with more syrup and top with second baklava layer. Brush baklava layer with more syrup to make it sticky. Decorate top with baklava shards, press slightly to make sure they adhere to cake. Brush side of cake with syrup and apply ground pistachio evenly on the side of cake, pressing lightly to adhere. Sprinkle top of cake with more ground pistachio if desire. Serve.
2 C. warm water
2 ¼ tsp. active dry yeast (1 packet)
3 ½ C. flour
½- 3/4 C. sugar
½ T. salt
Oil for deep frying
Mix salt, sugar, water, and yeast . Set aside for 5 minutes. Add flour and mix. Let the mixture rise for approximately 1- 2 hours. In a large, sauce pan pour vegetable oil into a pot, until it is at least 3 inches (or about 5 centimeters) high (too little will result in flatter balls), and place on low heat. Test to make sure the oil is hot enough by putting a ‘drop’ of batter into the oil. If it is not hot enough, the batter will stay at the bottom of the pot rather than rising to the top. Using your hands grab a little bit of mixture at time and drop in the oil. When the oil is hot enough, use a spoon to dish up the batter, and another spoon or spatula to drop it in the oil, sort of in the shape of a ball. Fry for a few minutes until the bottom side is golden brown. Turn the ball over and fry for a few more minutes until the other side is golden brown. Use a large spoon or something like that to take it out of the oil. I usually place them on napkins right away to soak up some of the excess oil. If desired, you can roll the finished product in table sugar or powdered sugar to make it sweeter
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pound assorted firm stone fruit (about 5; such as plums, nectarines, peaches, or apricots), julienned
2 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Whisk first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add fruit and scallions; toss gently to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
1 (3 oz.) pkg. jell
o
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
Lightly spray an 8 or 9 inch pan square pan with non-stick cooking spray and make sure it is spread well. Stir together water and Jell-o powder in a glass bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Remove bowl and stir well making sure Jell-o is dissolved. If necessary, return to microwave for 20 seconds or so to make sure Jell-o is dissolved and stir again. Add marshmallows and return to microwave for 20-40 seconds or until marshmallows have just begun to puff. This is the key to a successful marshmallow layer! If you over cook the marshmallows, they just dissolve and your roll-up will not have two distinct layers. Whisk quickly until marshmallows are dissolved. Pour quickly into prepared pan and chill in fridge for 45 minutes or until well set. Creamy layer will float to the top. Remove the pan from fridge. At this point, the Jell-o should be very firm and easy to handle. Gently pull one side away from pan and lift entire sheet onto counter. Starting at one end, roll up tightly. With seam side down, cut into 10-12 (1/2) inch slices. We found it easiest to cut with a piece of thread or dental floss. Just put the string around roll-up, cross and pull.
Salted caramel sauce
½ cup sugar
½ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoon Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Cake
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, divided, plus more, room temperature, for pan
1¼ cups all-purpose flour plus more for pan
4 firm, tart apples (such as Pink Lady or Braeburn; about 2 lb.), peeled, cored, sliced ½†thick
2 tablespoons plus 1 cup plus sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3 large eggs
Crème fraîche (for serving)
Bring sugar and ¼ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil, swirling pan occasionally and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until mixture turns a deep amber color, 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Return to medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in butter and salt. Pour caramel sauce into a small heatproof jar or bowl; let cool.
Place rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°. Butter and flour cake pan; set aside. Heat 2 Tbsp. melted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples, sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. sugar, and cook, tossing occasionally, until apples are golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Arrange half of the apples in the bottom of prepared cake pan so most of it is covered (a few gaps are okay). Whisk baking powder, salt, lemon zest, 1¼ cups flour, and remaining 1 cup sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs and remaining 10 Tbsp. melted butter until smooth. Pour half of batter over apples in cake pan, top with remaining apples, then pour remaining batter over. Bake cake until top is golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40–50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool slightly; turn out onto rack and let cool.
Serve cake with caramel sauce and crème fraîche.
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, chilled & cubed
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup Nutella, peanut butter or preserves
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the flours, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking soda in the bowl of your KitchenAid® Stand Mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix to combine. Add the cubed and chilled butter and mix until it resembles coarse meal, about 2 minutes. Add the honey and water and continue to mix until it combines and forms a dough. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and roll each piece into a 9 x 13 inch rectangle until 1/4 inch thick. If the dough is soft it can be refrigerated 30-60 minutes. Spread 1/4 cup of the Nutella or other filling in a thin layer over each sheet of dough. Starting at the 13 inch side, use your fingertips to roll the dough tightly into a spiral like a cinnamon roll, and pinch the seams to seal. Slice the dough into 1/2 inch pieces, place on a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet, and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown and set. Tip: Cookies can be frozen before or after baking. Place cookies on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes, until frozen solid, then transfer to a zip top bag or other freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
If you don’t have enough to fill the final jar, refrigerate and use within a month.
6 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
2 T. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
l tsp. finely grated lemon zest
4-5 cups sugar, to taste
6 pint-size canning jars and lids, sterilized
Have boiling water-bath canner ready. Rinse fruit in cold water, removing any stray stems and blemished berries. Drain well. Reserve 2 cups berries. Place the rest in a food processor and pulse briefly (or mash with a potato masher). Place in a 2-quart saucepan with lemon juice and zest. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a low simmer and cook 5 minutes. Press cooked berries through a fine-mesh colander using the back of a wooden spoon to push through as much pulp and juice as possible. Discard dry pulp. You should have 4 to 5 cups thick juice. Return juice to pan and add an equal amount of sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, add 2 cups reserved whole blueberries, and cook 2 minutes. Divide syrup among prepared jars, distributing whole fruit evenly and leaving 1/2 inch of head space. Wipe any spills from lip of jars. Seal with 2-part canning lids and place in a boiling water bath that covers tops of jars by 2 inches. Boil 15 minutes. Remove jars from bath and turn upside-down for 1 minute. Turn upright and cool. Check seals. Variations: Other berries may be substituted or mixed with the blueberries. Recipe may be cut in half. You may substitute a heat-proof sweetener such as Splenda for the sugar. Syrup can also be put up in half-pint jars.
4 grapefruits
1 1/2 C. sugar plus 1 C. for dusting
1 1/2 C. water
1/2 T. cardamom
There are two options to get to the peel. You can slice the grapefruit in wedges and carefully cut the fruit away from the rind with a knife (easiest) or slice the grapefruits in half and juice the grapefruit (you will still have to cut the remaining membrane away from the rinds). Slice rinds into strips. Bring a large pot of water (additional to the ingredients) to boil. Add strips and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the grapefruit strips and discard water. In the same pot, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer. Add grapefruit and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes (amount of time will depend on the size of your pot) until there is no syrup remaining. Remove the grapefruit and allow to cool and dry on a cooling rack or parchment paper for 6 to 8 hours until no longer wet; they will still be tacky. On a plate, stir to combine 1 C. sugar and cardamom. Roll the grapefruit strips through the sugar until completely coated. Shake off any access. Serve or store in an air-tight container.
1 whole angel food cake
4 C. strawberries, hulled, half crushed, half sliced
1 1/2 C. light frozen dessert topping, thawed, or whipped cream
1 T. milk
Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. Place 1 cake layer on serving plate. Combine half the crushed strawberries and 1-1/2 C. whipped topping in a bowl. Stir in milk. Spread half the strawberry mixture on cake layer. Arrange half the sliced strawberries on top of the strawberry mixture. Repeat layers, ending with cake. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining whipped topping. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Decorate top and sides with strawberry slices. Store in refrigerator.
Yield: 12 servings
Calories: 108
Fat: 1.7g
Fiber: 1.6g
2 cups whole milk
5 egg yolks
â…“ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pour milk into a medium-sized sauce pan and heat to the point where the milk begins to scald. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar. Very slowly, drizzle about half of the milk into egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly until the eggs are tempered. Then add tempered eggs back to the rest of the scaled milk. On low to medium heat cook mixture stirring continually watching to make sure it does not get too hot. If it does, the eggs will congeal and cook. (If you have to, keep removing the pan from the heat, stirring as you go.) Continue this for about five minutes or until mixture thickens. Immediately remove from heat, then add vanilla and stir. Place a fine sieve over a bowl and pour the custard mixture through the sieve to filter out any egg bits that started to congeal. Cover the bowl with a large piece of plastic wrap, pushing the plastic down to touch the top of the custard. (This will prevent a skin from forming on the custard as it cools.) Refrigerate until completely cooled. The finished sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a day and used as needed for recipes calling for custard sauce including Poached Pears in Red Wine or Apple Crisp.
5 C. Blueberries (1 ½ lb.)
1 ½ C. Sugar
2 T. Lemon Juice
Place the blueberries in a large nonreactive bowl. Take two handfuls of blueberries and smash them in your fists. The goal here is to keep most of the blueberries whole. Add the sugar and lemon juice and use a spatula to toss. Let the mixture sit on the counter for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight.
Transfer the blueberry mixture to your preserving pot. Over high heat, cook until the bubbles begin to appear large and glassy, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and test for doneness using the plate test. This preserve is done when you run your finger through a dollop of the cooled preserve, and it doesn’t run back together. Ladle into prepared half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe the rims. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the bands until they are fingertip tight. Process in a water-bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude as needed. After 24 hours, check the seals. Label, date, and store out of direct sunlight without the bands for up to a year.
2 large eggs
½ cup of sugar
Zest of 1 small lemon
â…“ cup of lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
ice for cooling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
Whip together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy and a pale yellow. Mix in the lemon zest and the lemon juice. Make a double boiler by placing two similar sized saucepans on top of each other. The bottom pan should have a few inches of water. Bring to a boil and place the saucepan with the lemon mixture on top. Cook the lemon mixture, whisking often, until it starts to thicken and becomes pudding like. About 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in the butter and place the pan/bowl in an ice bath to allow the mixture to thicken. When slightly cooled, fold in the heavy cream and whisk until smooth. Allow to cool and enjoy! Keeps for 3 days in refrigerator.
Crust
2 cups flour
12 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into pieces
2 tablespoons heavy cream, chilled
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, chilled
2 tablespoons ice water
Filling
4 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
Assembly
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon heavy cream
For the crust: In a food processors, pulse the butter and flour until it resembles a coarse meal. With the processor on, slowly add the cream, vinegar, and ice water until the dough begins to hold together. Press the dough into a rough ball, then transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a few times until smooth. Flatten dough into a disk. Wrap disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
For the filling: Toss blueberries with lime juice, sugar, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, and vanilla in a bowl. Set aside.
For the pie: Preheat oven to 375°F. Set aside 1/4 of the pie dough. Roll the rest out on a lightly floured surface into an 11″ round, then fit it into a 9″ pie plate. Transfer filling to pastry bottom and scatter the 3 tablespoons of butter over fruit. Roll the remaining 1/4 of dough out on the lightly floured surface and cut out shapes for the top. Place on top of filling. Brush crust and cut-outs with 1 teaspoon cream. Bake until pastry is deep golden (cover edges of crust with foil if browning too quickly), 60–70 minutes. Set pie aside to cool for several hours before serving.
A pound or so – of Rainier cherries, pits reserved. (You can use Bing or even sour cherries)
Half strength simple syrup (For every C. sugar, add two C. water)
Dark rum (one T. for each half-pint jar you end up filling)
Pit the cherries.. Do this over the pot you’ll be cooking in, and just drop the pits into the pot along with the cherries. The pits will give the cherries a slight amaretto flavor. Add in the sugar and water, and bring to a boil for five minutes. Remove the pits, and scoop the cherries into sterilized jars. Add one T. dark rum directly to each half-pint jar, then ladle in enough syrup to cover the cherries, leaving 1/2 inch of headroom. Seal the jars with sterilized lids and rings, then process in boiling water for 10 minutes.
4c Blackberry
1/3 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
Toss blackberries with sugar and let it sit half a day to overnight. In a non-reactive pan, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Puree all ingredients on low speed in your blender; be careful not to grind up the seed. Strain and cool over ice bath.
Anise Hyssop syrup
30g/1oz. Anise hyssop, cleaned and destemmed
¾ C. sugar
I tsp. honey or agave nectar
1 ½ C. water
Bring sugar, honey and water to a boil. While it’s hot, pour it over the cleaned anise hyssop. Let it steep for one hour. Strain anise hyssop and cool the syrup over an ice bath.
Combine cooled puree and syrup together with:
1 tsp. freshly juiced lemon
1/8 tsp. salt
Chill mixture in the fridge at least 3 hours or overnight. Churn it in an ice cream maker. Enjoy with more fresh berries, toasted almond, and fresh whipped cream on top!
This soup is sometimes called Wojapi, a Lakota word that loosely translates as “all mixed up.†It’s been tested by hundreds of children and elders over the years, and is always a hit.
2 quarts of naturally sweet cherry juice, grape juice, blueberry juice, or spring water
2 C. blueberries (fresh, frozen or dried)
2 C. blackberries (fresh, frozen or dried)
1 C. huckleberries (fresh, frozen or dried)
1 C. raspberries (fresh, frozen or dried)
Also optional: Handful of blue or black elderberries 6 to 10 juniper berries
Combine all ingredients and simmer gently until berries pop and cook down. Serve hot or cold, depending on the weather. Spices like cinnamon and cloves, while not part of the traditional recipe, can be added. I like to spice the soup with Juniper berries and add pieces of dried/smoked salmon for a hardier savory meal. The pectin found in chokecherries and many berries will naturally thicken the soup. Serve over Fry Bread.
6 to 8 lb. (2 large or 3 medium) firm-ripe melons, such as cantaloupe, honeydew, canary, or a mix
2 C. granulated sugar or vanilla sugar
1 C. spring or filtered water
3/4 C. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 sprigs fresh mint
Why filtered water? Fruits pickled in agrodolce pick up all of the flavors in the brine—that’s the whole point, after all. Because water is a main component of the brine, I recommend you filter your tap water or use bottled spring water. This way, you can be sure your pickles won’t take on any off flavors from municipal water-treatment chemicals, such as chlorine, or naturally occurring minerals in well water, like sulfur. Run 3 pint-size mason jars and their lids through the hottest dishwasher cycle to sanitize. Run 3 pint-size mason jars and their lids through the hottest dishwasher cycle to sanitize. Halve and seed the melons. Using a melon baller, carve out about 6 C. melon balls, and place them in a bowl. Reserve any leftover melon for another use. Combine the sugar, water, vinegar, salt, and pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt completely. While the brine is heating, pack the melon balls into the jars as tightly as you can without crushing them. Pour the hot brine into the jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace and making sure the melon balls are completely submerged. Insert 1 mint sprig into each jar, pushing down along the side of the jar with the handle of a spoon to submerge in the brine. Cool to room temperature. Screw the lids on tightly, and let the melon cure in the refrigerator for 4 days before serving. The melon will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month, though it will continue to soften over time.
Variations: The recipe calls for curing the pickles in the refrigerator, but if you’d rather make them shelf-stable until they’re open, you can process the melon in a hot-water bath. Though they will soften over time, the pickles will keep for up to 6 months at room temperature. Simply follow instructions for hot-water canning, processing the jars for 25 minutes.
Pear
Pretzel Sticks
1 Black Grape
2 mini chocolate chips
Cherry, Orange & Rye Hand Pies
For the dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups rye flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed and freezer-cold
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
For the filling and to finish the pies
1 1/2 cups cherry compote or preserves
1 tablespoon Contratto or other earthy orange liqueur
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 orange, zested
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 pinch kosher salt
1 handful Demerara sugar, for sprinkling
1 large egg, beaten and mixed with 1 tablespoon water or milk for egg wash
In a glass measuring cup, combine water and vinegar together, and add a few ice cubes. To a large mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, rye flour, salt, and sugar and stir to combine. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter, just until pea-sized bits remain. Add the egg and cut in to incorporate. Drizzle the vinegar-water mixture a little at a time, cutting the liquid into the dough, pausing to check and see if dough holds together when squeezed between your fingers. Use only as much liquid as is needed for the dough to come together without crumbling. Alternatively, pulse together dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor to combine. Add the butter and pulse at intervals, until pea-sized bits form. Add the egg and pulse. Run the processor at intervals while drizzling the vinegar-water mixture, until a cohesive dough forms. As you would in the pastry blender method, test by squeezing a clump between your fingers. Divide dough evenly onto two segments of plastic or bees wrap. Use the wrap as a barrier to limit how much you handle the dough: Hold opposite ends and press to form the dough into a mass. Flatten it into a disc, wrap securely, and repeat with remaining dough. Refrigerate pastry for at least 20 minutes to allow the dough to relax. This step can be done up to 3 days in advance. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling and stir until uniform. Remove pastry from the refrigerator 15 minutes before attempting to work it. Roll pastry to 1/8-inch thick. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut discs into the pastry, dipping the cutter into flour in between and tapping off any excess flour as you go. Combine scraps and re-roll until you’re left with no more dough (you should get about 40 rounds). Spoon tablespoons of the fruit mixture into the center of half the pastry discs (about 20). Working one at a time, wet the periphery of each un-filled disk with your index finger, then secure onto the preserve-topped base. Work from opposite sides to gently seal the entire edge, using the flat of your fingers. With a fork, crimp the edge of each hand pie, overlapping one tine as you work around the circumference. It helps to dip the tines into flour between each round so they don’t stick as you work. If the pastry drags at any point, chill for 10 minutes in the refrigerator and then continue where you left off. Chill the filled and crimped pies for 20 minutes. With a sharp paring knife, score an “X” into the center of each pie for venting. Paint each pie with eggwash and sprinkle with Demerara sugar. Freeze the pies for 4 hours and as long as overnight. When you’re ready to bake the hand pies, heat oven to 400ºF. Arrange hand pies on two parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate pans and swap racks for the last 5 to 10 minutes, or until pies are deeply golden. It is okay if preserves leak—think of it as a fruit leather cook’s treat. Once the pies are baked, cool them on wire racks for 15 to 20 minutes. They’ll be ready to eat or wrap for gifting.
10 pretzel rods
10 oz. yellow-green Candy Melts (or color of choice)
1 red Fruit Roll-Ups
4 green/blue Fruit Roll-Ups
20 – 3/8 inch round yellow candy eyes
tall glass
spatula or spoon
parchment paper lined baking sheet
pizza cutter or kitchen scissors
optional, a small “Y†alphabet cookie cutter
1/2 C. mini marshmallows
2-4 tsp. milk
2 tsp. malted milk powder
2 tsp. marshmallow creme
2 C. vanilla ice cream
Place the mini marshmallows on a sheet pan and stick under the broiler until lightly golden brown and toasted. This goes quickly, in a matter of about 30 seconds, so watch them carefully. Place 2 tsp. milk, the malted milk powder, and the marshmallow creme in a blender. Blend for 30 seconds until everything has dissolved and mixed together. Add the ice cream and half the marshmallows, and blend until mixed. Serve with the remaining toasted marshmallows on top.
I think the best way to crush the coriander seeds is to place them in a heavy-duty bag and crack them with a heavy object, like a rolling pin. You could also use a mortar and pestle, but don’t crush too much.
2 C. whole milk
1 ¼ C. heavy cream
2/3 C. cane sugar
1/8 C. light corn syrup
1 1/2 T. crushed coriander seeds
1 T. plus 1 tsp. cornstarch
1 ½ oz. cream cheese, softened
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 to 1/2 C. blackberry sauce (see below)
Warm 1 C. milk, sugar, corn syrup, cream, and coriander seeds in a medium saucepan. Once warm (do not boil) remove from heat, cover and let steep at room temperature for one hour. When steeping is almost complete, fill a large bowl with ice water. In a small bowl, mix 2 T. the milk with the cornstarch. In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese and salt until smooth. After steeping is complete, add remaining milk and begin rewarming over medium heat. Bring milk mixture to a boil. Cook over moderate heat for about 4 minutes to remove some moisture. Remove from heat and off heat gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook over moderately high heat until the mixture is slightly thickened (draw a line on a spoon), about 1 minute. Gradually pour the hot milk mixture through a sieve into the cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Pour into a gallon bag, seal tightly, and set baggie in the ice water bath, cover with some ice, and let stand until cold, about 20 minutes or longer. Once ice cream base is chilled, pour ice cream base into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spoon a layer of blackberry sauce (see below) into a container and lightly spoon a layer of ice cream on top. Continue to alternate layers of sauce and ice cream until the container is full; drizzle a little more sauce on top. Do not swirl with a spoon. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream (to prevent ice crystals) and close with an airtight lid. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
Blackberry sauce
Sauce can be prepared in advance and frozen until ready to use.
2 C. blackberries, fresh or frozen
1 C. sugar
Place both ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Berries will soon begin to release their juice, keep stirring to combine juice and sugar. Simmer until sugar is dissolved and most juice has been released from berries, about 8 minutes. Cool completely before adding to ice cream.
Rhubarb Cake
4 medium Eggs
1 ¼ C. Sugar
¾ C. Oil (neutral taste, not cold pressed)
¾ C. Carbonated Orange Soda
2 ¼ C. Flour
3 T. Cocoa Powder
1 T. Baking Powder
8 stalks Rhubarb
2 C. Sour Cream
4 Eggs
1/3 C. Sugar
Preheat oven to 400. Prepare Jellyroll Pan. Clean, peel and cut Rhubarb into small pieces. Beat eggs and sugar until light and creamy. Add oil and orange drink. Briskly stir in flour mixed with baking powder and cocoa. Spread out batter in prepared pan and bake 15 minutes in lower third of oven. Meanwhile, mix sour cream, eggs and sugar for the topping. Fold in rhubarb. Spread topping over cake after 15 minutes; bake an additional 15-20 minutes.
2 Peaches
1 Square Marshmallow
2 Chocolate Chips
1 Pretzel Stick
You cut the peaches in half. Place one half on a plate for the body. Place the other half on the plate for the head. Take another peach half and slice it. Place the slices on the sides for the wings. Take the other half and cut that half in another half. Cut thin slices to make the feathers on the bottom. Take the other half and cut out a beak, top feathers, and feet. Cut the eyes out of the square marshmallow with kitchen scissors. Place on 2 chocolate chips for the pupils. We place the parrot on a pretzel stick.
1 Pound Butter softened
2 Eggs
2 T. Molasses
2 Tsp. Vanilla extract
1/3 C. Water
1 1/2 C. Granulated sugar
1 1/2 C. Packed brown sugar
1 Tsp. Baking powder
1 1/2 Tsp. Baking soda
1 Tsp. Salt
5 C. All purpose flour
6 Ounce Semisweet Chocolate Chips
Preheat the oven to 375. Cream the butter, eggs, molasses, vanilla and water in a medium bowl. In a large bowl sift together the sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour. Combine the moist mixture with the dry mixture add the chocolate chips. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and place them 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or until light brown around edges.
4 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
2 T. shortening, lard or butter
1-1/4 C. water
Oil, for frying
Honey, Cinnamon Sugar, Whipped Cream, and / or Strawberry Syrup, for serving
Sift together dry ingredients. Add shortening and water and knead until smooth. Put into plastic bag and let stand for 2 hours. Roll very thin and cut into small triangles. Fry in deep fat heated to 375 degrees until golden brown. Turn once. Drain on paper towels and serve with honey or strawberry syrup and whipped cream or sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
2 Anjou pears
2 C. port wine
½ cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 oz. pecans
4 oz. strawberries, washed, stemmed and diced
1 oz. water
1 T. honey
Pears: Peel, core and slice pears into large wedges. In a sauce pot, add pears, wine, cinnamon and star anise. Place on burner and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and allow to braise for about 12 minutes. The wine will absorb into the pears. While pears are braising, begin the sauce. The pears should be fully cooked and all of the alcohol should have cooked out of the wine. Sauce: In a blender, add strawberries and water. Puree until smooth. Strain this liquid through a strainer into a saucepan. Add honey and bring to a boil. Reduce until sauce consistency. To Plate: Arrange pears in the center of the plates, surround with strawberry sauce and top with pecans.
1 1/2 C. chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 C. butter, melted
1T. sugar
3 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 C. sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 T. unsweetened cocoa
1 C. sour cream
1/3 C. buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. white vinegar
2 bottles (1 oz. each) red food coloring
1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. butter, softened
2 C. confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract:
Combine cookie crumbs, 1/4 C. melted butter and 1 Tsp. sugar. Press into 9-inch spring-form pan. Beat 3 packages of cream cheese with 1 1/2 C. sugar for 1 minute. Add eggs, cocoa, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla, vinegar and food color. Mix on low speed jut until fully combined. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300°. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes until center is firm. Cool on wire rack 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours.
Beat 3 oz. cream cheese and 1/4 C. of butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread over cheese cake. Remove sides of pan. Garnish.
1 C. whole milk
¼ tsp. salt
¾ C. sugar
2 C. heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
¾ pound bacon, cooked crisp, drained and crumbled
2 slices bacon, uncooked
1 pint blueberries, smashed
Set up an ice bath by placing ice and water into a large bowl and setting a smaller bowl on top. Pour the cream into the smaller bowl and set a strainer over the small bowl. Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl and set near the stove, with a whisk, ladle and rubber spatula handy. Heat the milk, salt, sugar, and the 2 slices of bacon in a saucepan until it starts to simmer. Slowly ladle half of the milk into the eggs, whisking as you go. This will temper the eggs and keep them from scrambling. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk and use the rubber spatula to stir, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan. Continue to cook in this manner until the mixture thickens and you see the first bubbles appear, indicating that it’s starting to boil. (Remember to never stop stirring during this step or you will wind up with scrambled eggs!) Immediately pour the custard through the strainer into the cream and stir to combine. Add the vanilla extract and the smashed blueberries and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and preferably overnight. Pour the mixture into the canister of an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions, adding the crumbled bacon halfway through the process.
2 3/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/3 C. unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Scharffen Berger natural unsweetened)
1 T. espresso powder
10 ounces unsalted butter (2 ½ sticks), at room temperature
2/3 C. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract (I use Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract)
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Cookie Coating
1/4 C. granulated sugar
1 T. ground cinnamon
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. chili powder, to taste
Sift the flour, cocoa powder and espresso powder together in a medium bowl. Put the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until the butter is soft and creamy. Add the sugar, salt and vanilla extract and beat for another 1 or 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the sifted dry ingredients in three additions. Mix only until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Mix in the chopped chocolate. Work the dough as little as possible for the best texture. Turn the dough out onto a smooth work surface and divide in half. Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into a log that is about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and chill them for at least 3 hours. (Wrapped airtight, the logs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 1 month.) Mix together the sugar, cinnamon and chili powder coating and set aside. Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Working with a sharp, thin-bladed knife, slice the dough into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Gently submerge each dough round in the mixture of sugar, cinnamon and chili powder, turning over a few times until fully coated. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, leaving an inch of space between them. Bake only one sheet at a time. Keep the second baking sheet of cookies in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Bake cookies for about 15 minutes, until slightly firm to the touch. Transfer the sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest, on the sheet, for about 5 minutes. Note: If the cookies spread a bit, and the edges look ragged, use the appropriate sized round cookie cutter to cut away the edges and even them out while still warm. Gently transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Repeat with the second sheet of cookies. Baked cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
1 Peach
Raisins
Start out by washing your peach & then cutting it in half using a knife. Cut a little bit more from one half. This will be the head & you will use the cut off slice to make the ears, nose, & feet. Cut raisins in half to make the nostrils, mouth, eyes, & tail. Place raisins on the bottom of your plate to look like mud.
1 1/2 c. white chocolate chips
1 c. marshmallow creme
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. evaporated milk
6 T. butter
1 T. vanilla
4 t. orange zest
orange food coloring
Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with foil, then coat with cooking spray. Place chocolate chips and marshmallow creme in a mixing bowl. In a small pan, combine sugar, evaporated milk, and butter. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat and boil for four minutes, stirring constantly. Add the sugar mixture to the chocolate chips and marshmallow creme, then stir until smooth. Mix in the vanilla. Remove one C. of mixture and set aside. Add zest and food coloring to the remaining mixture. Pour half of the orange mixture into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top until it’s evenly distributed. Freeze for five minutes. Remove from freezer and spread white mixture evenly on top, then place back in the freezer for five more minutes. Spread remaining orange mixture over the top, then place in the refrigerator until firm, at least two hours. Use the foil to lift the fudge from the pan and onto a cutting surface. Cut into 32 one-inch squares, but keep refrigerated until ready to serve.