Month: October 2009

Gingerbread Martini Bars

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Submitted by Rob Anning

  • 3 sticks butter

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks 1/3 cup + 3 teaspoons Gingerbread Martini (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and line a 10½ by 16 baking pan with parchment paper. Butter the lining, too.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan; add sugar and whisk until combined and sugar is melted, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and let cool slightly. Whisk in the eggs and gingerbread martini until combined. Add the flour and whisk until just incorporated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan.

Bake for 24 to 27 minutes or until the top is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with moist pieces clinging to it. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely. Remove the bars from the pan and frost with Gingerbread Martini Frosting. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Drink leftover martini. Yum!

Gingerbread Martini Frosting

  • 1 stick softened butter
  • 1 pound powdered sugar
  • 7 Tablespoons Gingerbread Martini (maybe 8.)

Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Slowly incorporate gingerbread martini.

Gingerbread Martini

  • 2 ounces Irish Cream
  • 1 ounce Kahlúa
  • 1 ounce Vanilla Vodka
  • 1½ ounces Gingerbread Syrup

Combine.

ANZAC Cookies

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Submitted by Rob Anning, who writes: “History has it that ANZAC biscuits, or cookies to Americans, were baked by women during WW1 for their sons/husbands/brothers/fiances etc overseas on deployment.  Basically they are a rolled oat biscuit made without eggs in order that they keep longer.  The golden syrup is the binding agent, golden syrup is basically a light treacle.”

  • 1 cup flour
  • pinch salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup coconut
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 Tablespoon golden syrup
  • 2 Tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar, coconut, and rolled oats Melt the butter, golden syrup and vanilla together. Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and mix into the flour with the melted butter, stirring until all the ingredients are combined. Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on greased trays. (Flatten lightly with a fork.) Bake at 350’ for about 12-15 minutes until the biscuits have flattened out and have become a reddish brown. Transfer to a cake rack to cool. They will crispen as they cool. Store in an airtight container. Makes 3 dozen.

From my Australian Nurse friend

Mix together:

  • 1 c coconut
  • 1 c flour
  • 1 c oats
  • 1 c sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 Tablespoon boiling water
  • 1 Tablespoon golden syrup
  • 1 stick butter

In medium saucepan melt butter and syrup. Mix soda and water. Add soda water to butter mix. Add butter mix to flour mix.

Shape into balls.

Bake at 300’ to 325’ for 20 min.

Rob’s Walnut Date Bars

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Submitted by Rob Anning

  • 1 1/4 cups flour, sifted
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup coconut flakes
  • 1 ½ pounds toasted walnuts
  • 1 8oz package of date pieces
  • 3/4 cup coconut flakes
  • 2 cans sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350’.
Combine flour, brown sugar, and butter.  Mix to fine crumbs.  Stir in ½ cup coconut flakes.  Press into bottom of 10X14 pan.  ( 9X13 should work, too.)  Bake for 12 – 15 minutes (until edges start to brown).  Combine walnuts, dates, remaining coconut, and sweetened condensed milk.  Spread on crust.  Bake 20 minutes (until golden brown).
Let cool.

Notes

  • I use a 10X14 stoneware pan.  9X13 should not alter the recipe.  A glass or metal pan should be fine also – but I would grease it first.
  • I find they’re easiest to cut with a pizza cutter.

Mighty Nice Macaroni And Cheese A La Rob

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Submitted by Rob Anning

  • 1 recipe sauce (see below)
  • 1 pound chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces. (Or 2-3 packages prepared chicken from the salad section.)
  • 1 package grape tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 bunch asparagus, slightly steamed and cut into bite sized pieces.  (Or 1 package frozen asparagus pieces, thawed.)
  • Pasta (see below)
  • Panko crumbs (see below)
  • Melted butter (see below)

Toss pasta and sauce.  Gently toss in chicken, tomatoes, and asparagus.  Put in 13 x 9 glass or ceramic pan.  Cover top with panko mixture.  Bake at 300′ until hot and topping is browned.  (The veggies work best if everything else is still hot when it goes in the oven, minimizing oven time.)
*****

Sauce

  • 1 stick melted butter
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 6 cups grated sharp cheddar
  • 1 cup sour cream

Combine all ingredients and stir over medium heat until cheese is well melted.

*****

Pasta

Boil 32 oz. Radiatori (ruffle pasta).  You’ll want it al dente – it will get softer in the oven

If you can’t find radiatori pick a pasta that’s not smooth so the sauce has something to cling to.)

*****

Use enough panko crumbs to cover your dish, tossed with enough melted butter to lightly coat crumbs.

*****

Guinness Chocolate Cake

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Submitted by Rob Anning

Use a Duncan Hines Devil’s Food cake mix. Follow the directions for pound cake using chocolate fudge pudding mix and substitute Guinness for all the water. Bake as directed.

Cool. Frost with Guinness Frosting (below). Sprinkle with chocolate jimmies.

Guinness Frosting

Beat together:

  • 3 (8 oz. each ) packages of cream cheese
  • Slightly less than ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 5 Tablespoons Guinness

Fold in:

8oz Cool Whip, Extra Creamy

Gran Marnier Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cake

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Submitted by Rob Anning

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 package vanilla instant pudding mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup Gran Marnier liqueur
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup Gran Marnier liqueur
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (or strawberries)
  • 1 Tablespoon orange rind

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, orange juice and Gran Marnier.
2. Beat well for 10 minutes.
3. Pour into lightly greased bundt pan.
4. Bake at 350 for 45- 60 minutes until done.
5. Let stand 10 minutes.
6. Turn out of pan.
7. While cake is baking, boil sugar, butter, orange juice and Gran Marnier for roughly 5 minutes.
8. Pour over cake while cake is still warm.
9. To serve, top each slice with fresh raspberries and a sprinkle of orange peel.

Gran Marnier Frosting

  • 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter,
    cut into pieces
  • 2 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg yolk [can be omitted if you are
    concerned about     egg safety]
  • 6 to 8 Tablespoons Gran Marnier, or more as needed (I would use 4 and supplement with milk)

1. Put the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the confectioners’ sugar
and salt. Beat well with an electric mixer. Add the egg yolk, then
slowly add 6 tablespoons of the Gran Marnier. Continue to beat the
frosting until it is smooth, thick, and pliable, 3 minutes. Add more
Gran Marnier if needed; it usually takes at least 8 tablespoons. This
frosting must be thick.
2. Frost the cake generously with a swirl design. Allow the frosting to
firm for 30 minutes, then lift the cake to a serving platter.

Freaking Delicious Brownie Pudding

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Submitted by Nancy Gross, who got it from www.allrecipes.com where it was attributed to Anne Strawberry, who adapted it from Ina Garten (whew!)

  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dishes (that is the reduced amount- the original calls for 1 stick for the half recipe)
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/8 cup good cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Lightly butter 6 ramekins or mini pie tins. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dishes and place it in a larger baking pan. Place pan in oven. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dishes and bake for about 30 minutes- until the edges look done but the center is still a little soft. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.

Cool and serve with ice cream.

Potato Latkes

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  • 10 medium potatoes
  • 2 medium onions
  • 3 eggs
  • ¼ cup flour
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Vegetable oil

Peel the potatoes if the skin is very coarse; otherwise, just clean them well. If peeled, keep them in cold water until ready to prepare the latkes.

Beat the eggs.

Using a food processor with a chopping blade, finely chop the onions. Place chopped onions in a large bowl.

Using the fine grating blade, process the potatoes, putting grated potatoes in the bowl with the onions. Add eggs and flour. Sprinkle salt over the whole mess. Mix well.

Heat about 3/4” of oil in a frying pan. We use an electric frying pan set at 350°. Drop potato mixture into oil. Depending on what size you want your latkes to be, you can use 1 – 3 tablespoons of mixture per blob. Fry the latkes, turning once. When they are golden and crisp on both sides, drain on paper towels. Serve with yogurt, sour cream, sugar and/or applesauce.

Latkes may be frozen! After making them, place them on a cookie sheet in the freezer. After they are frozen, they can be placed in a plastic bag. When ready to serve, place (on a cookie sheet) in a 450° oven for several minutes. This is the best way to make them ahead, as they do not keep well in the refrigerator.

Serves 8-10

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

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From Cooking Light

  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups finely shredded zucchini (about 1 medium)
  • ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips (The mini ones work great.)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at low speed until well blended. Stir in applesauce.

Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating just until moist. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into a 9×5 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a the top bounces back when gentle pressure is applied. Cool in pan 10 minutes on wire rack. Then remove from pan and let cool completely on wire rack.

Makes 16 servings.

Nutrition Info:

161 calories, 29% from fat; 5.1 grams fat; 2 g protein; 27.3 gm carb. 1.4 g fiber; 27 mg cholesterol; 1.2 mg iron; 145 mg sodium; 12 mg calcium

Turkey Soup

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This is a great reason to stay home the day after Thanksgiving.

Day One

  • Turkey carcass (I don’t do a very thorough job of cleaning the meat off.  I usually leave the wings on as well as some of the dark meat on the back.  Usually most of the white meat and drumsticks have been removed)
  • Turkey neck, if you have it
  • 2-3 large onions, peeled and quartered
  • 4-5 stalks of celery, washed and cut into 3-4 pieces each.  Leaves are a plus.
  • About 8 grinds of pepper
  • Kosher salt to taste

Day Two

  • 4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • Salt, pepper, and garlic powder
  • 14 ounces noodles or pasta

Put the carcass and the neck in a large stock pot and add enough water to almost cover it.

Add onions, celery, pepper, and salt.

Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the bones come apart and the broth is a nice yellowish color, usually 3-4 hours.

Remove the soup from the heat and allow it to cool.  At this point I usually put the pot outside.

When the soup is cool enough to handle, remove the big pieces of bone, meat and vegetables.  Discard neck, vegetables, bones and any meat that doesn’t look appetizing.  A lot of the meat will be gristly or dried out.  Set the nice tender meat aside.  It might not look like much, but you don’t need much.

Strain the soup.

Thinly slice the reserved meat against the grain so that you get very small pieces of turkey.  Add meat back into the broth.

Put the soup in a cold place (outside or in the fridge) for at least 8 hours.

Skim the fat from the top.

Add sliced carrots to the broth and bring it to a rolling boil.  Allow it to boil for about 5 minutes.

Taste the soup for seasoning.  It will need a fair amount of salt and some pepper.  I also usually add a few shakes of garlic powder.

Add noodles.  Usually a little less than a pound is good depending on the amount of broth and the size of the noodles.

The soup is ready to eat when the pasta is tender.