Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
I love homemade ice cream and vanilla has to be my favorite.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pint Whipping Cream
1 Pint Half & Half
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
Mix all ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Cover and chill until ready to use. Follow manufacturer’s directions to churn and freeze the ice cream. Place in your freezer until ready to eat. Your homemade ice cream will taste so much better than store bought. Serves 8
Snickerdoodles
I love Snickerdoodles! It is a tie between Peanut Butter Cookies and Snickerdoodles. Here is a super easy recipe.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1 Large Egg
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
In a medium mixing bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, baking soda and cream of tartar. Beat until combined and scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Place 2 inches apart a baking sheet line with parchment paper. Bake 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Makes approximately 36 cookies
Cuban Pork Sandwiches
I love this sandwich. Easy to make and full of flavor. You can use a split baguette, Portuguese rolls, a split baguette or a rustic loaf such as ciabatta. After layering the ingredients in the loaf, cut into 4 individual sandwiches and serve. You will love this sandwich as much as I do!
INGREDIENTS
4 Crusty Rolls or Baguette
5 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 ½ Cups Thinly Sliced Roasted Pork
1 Pound Thinly Sliced Genoa Salami or Smoked Ham
½ Pound Thinly Sliced Swiss Cheese
½ Cup Dill Pickle Slices
3 Tablespoons Melted Unsalted Butter
To assemble the sandwiches preheat a heavy skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Spread the bottom of each roll with the mustard. Layer the pork, ham, cheese and pickles on the rolls (divide evenly). Set the top halves in place and press gently. Brush the tops of the rolls with the melted butter. To grill the sandwiches place in the heated pan and use either a second pan or a weighted press to press down the cooking sandwiches. Grill for 2 ½ minutes until the undersides are golden. Turn the sandwiches over, press with the weight again, and cook for another 2 ½ minutes until the other sides are golden and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Welsh Rarebit
The first recorded use of the term Welsh Rabbit was in 1725. It is said to be an ironic name coined in the days when the Welsh were notoriously poor and only well-to-do people could afford meat from the butcher. In England rabbit was the poor man’s meat, but in Wales cheese was the poor man’s meat. The slur against the Welsh was, “if a Welshman went rabbit hunting then this would be his supper.”
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 Tablespoon Mustard Powder
½ Teaspoon Cayenne
¾ Cup Dark Beer (Guinness)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Pound Grated Semi-Hard Cheese (Cheddar, Double Gloucester, Comte, Gruyere)
4 to 8 Pieces Light Toasted Bread
Put the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter melts stir in the flour. Continue to cook for 5 minutes (stir occasionally) until golden brown and very fragrant. Stir in the mustard and cayenne and then whisk in the beer & Worcestershire sauce. When the mixture is uniform, turn heat to low and stir in the grated cheese. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to set. You can refrigerate for up to a day. Spread the mixture thickly on toast and put under the broiler until bubbly and edges of the toast are crisp. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Meringue
There are several types of meringue. The sweetened, uncooked beaten egg whites that form the “islands” of Floating Island (also known in French as Ile flottante), the partly cooked toppings of lemon meringue pie and other meringue pie and other meringue-topped desserts, and the classic dry featherweight meringue. Different preparation techniques produce these results. French meringue is the method best known to home cooks. Fine white sugar is beaten into egg whites. Italian meringue is made with boiling sugar syrup, instead of white sugar. This leads to a much more stable soft meringue which can be used in various pastries without collapsing. In an Italian meringue, a hot sugar syrup is whipped into softly whipped egg whites until stiff. This type of meringue is safe to use without cooking. It will not deflate for a long while and can be either used on pies and Baked Alaska, or spread on a sheet and baked for meringues. Swiss meringue is whisked over a bain-marie (water bath) to warm the egg whites, and then whisked steadily until it cools. Then it is baked.
INGREDIENTS
2 Egg Whites
¼ Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1 Pinch Salt
½ Cup Sugar
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Preheat oven to 375° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In medium bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat on high speed until stiff. Beat in sugar one tablespoon at a time. Fold in vanilla. Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Place in oven and turn oven off. Leave in the oven for 5 hours. Makes 12
Eton Mess
Eton Mess is a dessert of English origin consisting of a mixture of strawberries, pieces of meringue and cream, which is traditionally served at Eton College’s annual cricket game against the students of Winchester College. The dish has been known by this name since the 19th century. A similar dessert is the Lancing mess, served throughout the year at Lancing College in West Sussex, England. The word mess refers to the appearance of the dish.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Fresh Strawberries
1 Pint Double Whipping Cream
Icing Sugar
12 Meringue Nests (Purchase in a Store)
Keep the ingredients in the refrigerator until needed as this is a dessert best served cool. Break up the meringues into bite sized irregular chunks. Forget baking your own meringues, it is far too much trouble and the store bought ones are as good quality as home baked meringues.
Remove the strawberry stalks and cut them in half or into thick slices if they are large. Place half of the cut strawberries and all of the icing sugar into a blender and blend for 20 seconds to make a puree. Whip the cream until it starts to thicken, but hasn’t turned solid. Add the meringues to a large bowl and pour in the cream & the strawberries. Add half of the puree and stir it all together gently with a spoon. The goal is to get a red and white marbled effect rather than a pink all over color. Spoon into serving dishes and drizzle over the remaining strawberry puree. Keep refrigerated until serving. Serves 4
Vegetable Samosa
INGREDIENTS
1 Finely Chopped Potato
1 Cup Lentils
1 Cup Peas
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Finely Chopped Onion
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Wheat Flour
3 Cups Maida Flour
1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
1 Crushed Garlic Clove
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Warm Water
¼ Cup Water
Deep Fryer
In a large skillet heat oil. When oil is hot add the onion, garlic, curry powder, cumin seeds and chili powder. Cook for 1 minute. Next add the lentils and cook for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, peas and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Blend 1 teaspoon flour with ¼ cup of water and add to the boiling mixture. As the mixture thickens, remove from the heat and let it cool. To make the dough, mix 3 tablespoons oil with the maida flour, add the cumin and gradually stir in the warm water with the salt to form a fairly stiff dough. Cover and let it stand for half an hour. Divide the dough in half. Roll out each to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into rounds by using a 3 ½ inch cutter. Place 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each round. Brush edges lightly with water and fold in half or in the form of a triangle. Press edges with your thumb and finger. Deep fry the samosas to a golden brown. Drain the excel oil by putting samosas on paper towels. Serve with Pudina (Mint) Chutney. Makes approximately 12 samosas
Garlic Naan
INGREDIENTS
1 Package Active Dry Yeast (.25 Ounce)
1 Cup Warm Water
¼ Cup White Sugar
3 Tablespoons Milk
1 Beaten Egg
2 Teaspoons Salt
4 ½ Cups Bread Flour
4 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
3 Teaspoons Chopped Coriander
¼ Cup Melted Butter
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water (NOT hot water). Let stand about 10 minutes – until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt and enough flour to make soft dough. Knead for 6 minutes on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Set aside in a warm place to let rise. Let rise for 1 hour or until dough has doubled in volume. Punch the dough and knead in garlic and chopped coriander. Pinch off small handfuls of dough that are about the size of golf balls. Roll into balls and place onto a tray. Cover with a towel and allow rising again until doubled in size. This should take about ½ hour. During the second rising, preheat grill to a high heat. Lightly oil the grill and roll one ball of dough into a thin circle. Place dough on the grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter and cook until browned for another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill and continue the process until all of the naan has been prepared. If you don’t have a grill you may cook in the oven on a pizza stone. Makes 14 garlic naan
Mango Lassi
The lassi is a traditional Punjabi yogurt based drink. It is made by blending yogurt with water or milk and Indian spices. The traditional lassi is a savory drink sometimes flavored with ground roasted cumin (salted lassi). The sweet lassi is blended with sugar or fruits instead of spices. In Dharmic religions, yogurt sweetened with honey is used while performing religious rituals. When turmeric powder is mixed into a lassi it is used as a remedy for gastroenteritis.
The mango lassi is made from yogurt, milk or water and mango pulp. It may be made with or without additional sugar. It is served in a tall glass with a straw and often with ground pistachio nuts sprinkled on top.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Plain Yogurt
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Mango Pulp
½ Cup Sugar
1 Ounce Ground Pistachios
In a blender combine the yogurt, milk, water, mango pulp and sugar. Blend until completely mixed. Chill for at least one hour. Serve over crushed ice and sprinkle the ground pistachios over the top. Makes 4 servings
Deviled Ham Tea Sandwiches
My childhood consisted of deviled ham sandwiches and Ball Park franks (“they plump when you cook em’). I loved opening up a tin of Underwood Deviled Ham and spreading it all over Wonder Bread. Talk about salt! This homemade deviled ham recipe is creamy and just a bit spicy. Serve it scooped onto lettuce leaves as a light lunch, too.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Finely Chopped Smoked Ham
¼ Cup Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Green Onions
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
¼ Teaspoon Hot Sauce of Your Choice
12 Slices Thinly Sliced Sandwich Bread
In a medium bowl mix together ham, mayonnaise, parsley, green onions, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Cover and chill deviled ham for at least 2 hours. Divide deviled ham between 6 slices of bread and spread out evenly with a knife. Top with remaining slices of bread and press each sandwich down lightly. Remove crusts and cut in halves or quarters. Transfer to platter and serve immediately or cover platter with a slightly dampened paper towel and plastic wrap – then refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves 6
