[grin]I'm poking around in my mom's old recipe books. I'll probably find a few drink recipes somewhere along the line, but until then I'll watch the thread, too!

man

Im afraid I can't post any of my recipes, because everything I make I do from scratch and I don't measure. I just add to taste.

But one note here. When I make a homemade pie crust. I use Butter instead of shortening and omit the salt. Add some flour to a bowl and cut in butter till it forms crumbles. Then add water a tsp or tblspn at a time and mix till the dough starts to hold together. I usually take some in my hand and squeeze it. Does it hold together? If it does then I pour it into my pie pan and hand press it into shape.

I also like to make a homemade pumpkin pie using REAL pumkins that you bought at Samhain. Cut the pumpkin in half, take out the seeds and peel the rind off of it. Cut the pumpkin into bits and put it in a pan. Add a 1/2 cup or so of water and cover with a lid and let it come to a simmer and simmer it for about an hour, testing it every now and then to see if it is mushy. When it is, take a potato masher and mash it up really well. Then take it off the heat and let it cool. Put it in your fridge for about 2 days. After that, add some honey and pumpkin pie spices. I like to buy the ones already together since they taste the best. I add a little at a time and then taste the pumpkin after I have stirred it up real well. Does it TASTE like a good pumpkin pie?? If not, what is it missing? More sweetner? More spice? Once it tastes good to me, I let it sit in the fridge for another day then when I am ready to cook it, I add two eggs and some canned milk (evaorated milk) to it till it looks like the consistancy of the kind you buy already made and pour it in my pie shell and cook it for about and hour and a half at 350F.

WinterElm wrote:
man

Im afraid I can't post any of my recipes, because everything I make I do from scratch and I don't measure. I just add to taste.

But one note here. When I make a homemade pie crust. I use Butter instead of shortening and omit the salt. Add some flour to a bowl and cut in butter till it forms crumbles. Then add water a tsp or tblspn at a time and mix till the dough starts to hold together. I usually take some in my hand and squeeze it. Does it hold together? If it does then I pour it into my pie pan and hand press it into shape.

I also like to make a homemade pumpkin pie using REAL pumkins that you bought at Samhain. Cut the pumpkin in half, take out the seeds and peel the rind off of it. Cut the pumpkin into bits and put it in a pan. Add a 1/2 cup or so of water and cover with a lid and let it come to a simmer and simmer it for about an hour, testing it every now and then to see if it is mushy. When it is, take a potato masher and mash it up really well. Then take it off the heat and let it cool. Put it in your fridge for about 2 days. After that, add some honey and pumpkin pie spices. I like to buy the ones already together since they taste the best. I add a little at a time and then taste the pumpkin after I have stirred it up real well. Does it TASTE like a good pumpkin pie?? If not, what is it missing? More sweetner? More spice? Once it tastes good to me, I let it sit in the fridge for another day then when I am ready to cook it, I add two eggs and some canned milk (evaorated milk) to it till it looks like the consistancy of the kind you buy already made and pour it in my pie shell and cook it for about and hour and a half at 350F.

We bake and cook alike it seems. I do use recipes when I find what sounds good other wise I just do it!![wink]

Normally I just use whatever is on hand, but the old-tyme recipe calls for shortening, so that's what I put. I find butter just tastes better, too, but sometimes I only have shortening.

Brier-Rose,

These recipes sound they taste as scweet as that hot pic you have.

I am going to do it- type out the ancient confectionary yule log because chix can't get enough of my Yule log.
I was told that for this year's Yule celebration I must make triple the recipe (that's a three foot log LOL) because last year it went in about 10 minutes.

OK but it may take a while, it seriously is a long recipe. Thanks for adding yours.


grrrrowl,
JB[wink]

oh Me-ow, Jayne! I finally found my mother's patented recipe for Hot buttered maple cider. It is so delicious and goes perfecly with that apple pie I added earlier!

MAMA'S HOT BUTTERED APPLE CIDER
Serves eight people, so share with friends!

Ingredients

*1 (16 ounce) bottle apple cider
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

*I'll be adding a recipe for spiced cider as well, so feel free to substitute for whatever you want.

DIRECTIONS

[1] In slow cooker over low heat, cook apple cider with maple syrup for 20 minutes or until steaming hot.

[2] In a small bowl, combine butter, nutmeg and allspice. Mix well.

[3] Pour cider into mugs and top with a teaspoon of spice butter.


Recipe for original, simple and easy spiced apple cider; makes two quarts, so share with friends!

*Note: this is a great drink to have around at parties and is always a crowd-pleaser at family functions. I am using it this year on my Yuletide alter as my drink offering to the God and Goddess.

Ingredients

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 large orange, quartered with peel
2 quarts apple cider

DIRECTIONS

[1] Place filter in coffee basket, and fill with brown sugar, allspice, cloves, cinnamon stick, salt, nutmeg, and orange wedges.

[2] Pour apple cider into coffee pot where the water usually goes.

[3] Brew and serve hot.


I think that's all I'll be adding, unless I find a really nice cookie recipe.

Woo Hoo,, sounds like the Kitchen is getting all warm and toasty!.. Everything sounds awsome! Thanks all!!![grin]

Freya's Yule Log

This is the star of the show for a Yule celebration. If you have a lot of children or adults who are previous alcoholics you can omit the alcohol.
This is a complicated recipe but you can do the steps over a few days. Just remember that the goal is to make a giant swiss roll, you know like a yodel.

BASIC PRELIMINARY STEPS
1) make a batch of mushroom meringues and marzipan holly for decorating the log.

2) prepare a batch of the chocolate praline filling

3) prepare one of the cocoa genoise, which is a fancy name in french for a
thin chocolate cake

4)prepare a batch of ganache; again a fancy term for a rich filling made with cream

5) prepare a batch of Amaretto simple sugar

Each component (1-5) as listed above is detailed hereafter. If you have little cooks this is a great family thing to do because the kids like to make the mushrooms and are so proud of making an edible "fairy log" as they call it.

I. DECORATIONS FOR THE LOG

These can be made ahead of time and then store.

Buy marzipan in store and cut out shapes such as holly leaves, ivy or berries. Color with a brush and appropriate color food coloring.Set aside.

Preheat oven to 200F.

Beat 4 large egg whites at room temp to frothy with 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar.

Increase the whipping spped and add a 1/2 cup of granualted whole sugar, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Add another 1/2 cup still beating until you get stiff peaks.

Using a pastry bag with a plain tip (ATECO #6 is a good size and type) and fill the bag half way with meringue.

Pipe out the bottoms of about 2 dozen mushrooms. The bottom should be fat and the top not as much. Pipe them onto a piece of wax paper on a drying rack. It's not an exact science, so just be creative, then leave to dry. The tip will be pointy as you will be making them vertical, these will be trimmed later.

Now make the same number round tops by piping a circle and then patting down the swirly in the center.

Dust both the caps and stems with cocoa powder, or if you are really creative you can use food coloring to paint them with red spots, etc.

Put them into the oven, on one sheet each and heat thoroughly until they are dry and crisp, not gooey- this may take an hour or more depending on the eveness of your spacing of the mushrooms and your oven.

When they are cool trim the mushroom stem points to flat.

Melt some chocolate in a double boiler and use the chocolate inside the head of the mushroom cap as a glue to bind it to the bottom. The chocolate makes them look realistic too because they will have a dark brown under cap.

These meringue mushrooms cannot be refrigerated, just keep in a dry, warm place until you finish the cake- beware children love to pop these in their mouths!

I'll continue on the next post so as not to run out of space.

enjoy,
JB

Freya's Yule LOG

II. CHOCOLATE PRALINE FILLING

Ingredients
3 egg yolks
6 TBSP of sugar
2 TBSP of flour
1 TBSP of amaretto
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 oz semisweet baker's chocolate (chopped)
4 TBSP of unsalted sweet butter
1/4 cup Praline powder

Place milk and cream in saucepan and boil.

Beat egg yolk and 3 tbsp of sugar until smooth and yellow ribbons.

Beat flour into egg yolks until smooth.

Milk should be warm not scalding and fold into egg mixture, over medium heat, whisking cook this mixture until it thickens and comes to a low boil.

Remove from heat and stir in Amaretto. Add chopped chocolate and stir until a smooth consistency.
Let cool to room temperature.

Cream butter until fluffy and add this Amaretto pastry cream and beat well, and add praline powder.

continued in next installment,
JB

GANACHE

INgredients
12 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 TBSP Ameretto

Directions
Chop the chocolate for melting.

Bring the cream to a boil, stirring, add the amaretto and take off the heat.

Pour the hot cream onto chocolate and stir to smooth.

Let cool until it is easily spreadable.


COCAOA GENOISE

Use a 15 x 20 inch baking sheet about 1/2 inch thick.

Ingredients
4 tBSP of sweet butter
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup cake flour
6 TBSP cocoa
1/3 cup boiling water
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
butter and flour for coating the cake
pan
parchment or non-stick aluminum for coating cake pan

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 F.

Fit the aluminum into the pan and let it have edges that hang out of the pan. coat with butter and dusting of flour to make it furhter non-stick.

Bring the water to a boil and add cocoa, heat through and stir to make homogenous
Cover and let cool while you do the next step.

Mix the eggs and sugar together in a double boiler of hot, not boiling water (you don't want eggs to cook).
Start putting this into the cocoa a little at a time and blend smooth.

Next add the butter.

Then sift the flour into the batter and then mix everything together.

Scrape the batter ioto the pan and place in oven for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on your running temp. It is done when the sides of the pan retract and the middle is spongy to pressure. Do not overcook as you need it to be able to roll.

Continued in next installment,
JB