Two holiday recipes!

St. Patrick's Day has come and gone, but I thought I'd share a great quick bread recipe. This was a big hit at a party I had to cook for.

Royal Irish Soda Bread from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum



Oven temperature- 375°

1 scant cup raisins or currants
½ cup Irish whiskey or hot water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ liquid cup plus 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon caraway seeds (this is my own addition)

1. Soak the raisins/currants in whiskey or water for half an hour or until softened. Drain and reserve remaining whiskey for Irish whiskey butter (next recipe).

2. Preheat the oven to 375° for twenty minutes before baking.

3. Mix and knead the dough. Cut butter into 8 pieces so it will soften and be easier to blend into the flour.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, caraway seeds, and salt. Using your fingertips or a pastry blade, blend in the butter until the mixture resembles soft crumbs. Stir in the raisins/currants. Add the buttermilk and stir until moistened and the dough comes together.

Empty the dough onto a flat surface and knead 8 times. Scrape dough if it sticks to surface- don’t add more flour if possible.

4. Shape the dough. Roll dough into a six inch round. Place on a prepared baking sheet (book suggests parchment paper, but I used PAM. It worked well.).

5. Bake the bread for 30 minutes until it is golden brown and a wooden skewer comes out clean. Cool the bread on a rack.

Irish Whiskey Butter

3 tablespoons Irish whiskey
1 tablespoon sugar
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

In a small microwavable bowl, stir together whiskey and sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for about 20 seconds or until hot. Stir to dissolve sugar, cover and allow to cool completely.

With a whisk or spoon, gradually stir whiskey mixture into the butter until incorporated. It will be a caramel brown color. Serve with Irish soda bread. Can be stored in the refrigerator for two weeks.


This is just about the best recipe for Irish soda bread I've found. The only changes I made were to add the caraway seeds and to use currants instead of raisins.

This is a great baking book...I also love Beranbaum's Cake Bible.


From today's Easter dinner...

Spanokapita

This recipe was adapted from a cookbook compiled as a library fund raiser almost a decade ago. My mother and I tweaked the recipe, adding seasoning and pine nuts, as well as deciding to make individual pies instead of one big pie, as the original recipe called for. I've made it for every family Easter dinner for the last ten years, and it is always a hit.

1 package filo dough
1 stick butter
8 ounces ricotta cheese
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
2 small packages feta cheese
2 eggs
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach, boiled, drained, with excess water squeezed out
3 tablespoons pine nuts, slightly toasted
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350°.


Mix together the cheeses, spinach, garlic, eggs, pine nuts, seasoning, and onion. Let the mixture chill for at least an hour.

Melt the butter. Set aside. Place filo dough on wax paper, cover with damp towel to keep dough from drying out.

Working quickly, take one sheet of filo and brush with butter. Fold the sheet in half lengthwise. Take one tablespoon of spinach mixture and add it to one end of the dough. Fold the dough into triangles as if folding a flag, using more butter to stick the sheets together. Repeat with new sheet of filo. Brush the top of each pie with more butter, and bake until browned, at least 25 minutes.

This recipe should make about 36 pies.



My usual Easter menu includes these pies, ham, lamb, asparagus, scalloped potatoes, and pineapple au gratin (that recipe was posted here several months ago). The pies are usually the most quickly devoured...

Still cooking!

Wow! I haven't updated in four months! I've been trying out a lot of new recipes, but just haven't gotten around to posting them. Here are two that I've tried recently:


Spaghetti with Mushrooms, Garlic, and Parsley

From Lidia’s Italian Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

Salt
¼ cup olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1 ½ pounds assorted mushrooms, cleaned and sliced ¼ inch thick (about six cups)
Freshly ground black pepper
8 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 pound spaghetti
1 cup vegetable broth or water
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic in skillet until golden, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and toss in salt, pepper, and sage. Cook mushrooms until they wilt, then until they are sizzling and brown, about ten minutes (boil off any liquid the mushrooms give off first).

Cook spaghetti until al dente.

Add the broth to the mushrooms and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.

Drain pasta, and add mushroom mixture to pot. Add parsley and bring the pasta and sauce to a boil. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Remove from heat, add cheese, and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

I left out the sage, and added ¼ cup chopped fresh basil instead. I used a combination of white and porcini mushrooms (there were no suggestions in the book), but any combination of mushrooms will work. This is a lovely main course or a side dish for meat or seafood dishes (I made it with turkey scallopine with lemon sauce).

Baked Rigatoni with Cauliflower in a Spicy Pink Sauce

From Fine Cooking magazine, March 2007

3 Tbs. olive oil
2 28-oz. cans whole tomatoes
1 pound yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 ¼ tsp. kosher salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp. crushed red peppers
1 pound rigatoni
1 pound cauliflower, cut into 1 to 1 ¼ inch florets (about 4 cups)
10 oz. shredded Fontina cheese (about 2 ½ cups)
2 oz. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about ¾ cup)

Heat oven to 450°.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with 1 Tbs. olive oil.

Pour off 1 cup of juice from one of the cans of tomatoes and discard. Purée tomatoes and remaining juice in a food processor or blender.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and ¼ tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Push onions to one side of the pot and add garlic, cooking until it begins to sizzle, about 10 seconds.

Add puréed tomatoes, cream, and remaining salt (add slowly to avoid splattering). Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, then cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the sauce thickens somewhat. Add the parsley and pepper flakes, and cook until the flavors meld (about 5 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Cook rigatoni until slightly al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and add to the sauce. Cook cauliflower until barely tender, about 2 minutes, and add to pasta mixture.

Add 1 ½ cups shredded Fontina to the pasta and toss well. Transfer to the baking dish, and top with remaining Fontina and the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake uncovered until the cheese is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let the pasta stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6 to 8.

Be careful with the crushed red peppers! A little goes a long way. I actually only used half of the amount in the recipe, and the dish was still very spicy.

A quick holiday dessert!

Simple Charlotte



Adapted from a recipe in Christmas with Southern Living, 1996.

2 (3.4 ounce) boxes of instant vanilla or white chocolate pudding mix
2 cups milk
3/4 cups orange juice
2 tablespoons Triple Sec
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
19 ladyfingers, split

Prepare pudding mixes according to directions, using milk and orange juice. Stir in Triple Sec and vanilla. Gently fold in the whipped cream.

Line the bottom and sides of a 9" springform pan with the ladyfingers. Spoon pudding mixture into pan. Cover and chill overnight.

Serves 12.

Favorite Christmas cookies!

These are my mom's favorite Christmas cookies...

Nutcracker Sweets

(from Southern Living 2002 Annual Recipes)

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups ground almonds (or use almond flour)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped up
Powdered sugar

Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add flour, almonds, and extract, beating at low speed until well blended. Stir in cherries. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool two minutes. Roll in powdered sugar. Makes about 4 dozen.



I always add just a little extra chopped cherries. Yum.

I will post other cookie and some candy recipes later!

For Thanksgiving...

Here are two recipes I used last Thanksgiving, and will use again!

Cranberry Granitas


Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis from the Food Network

2 cups cranberry juice

1/3 cup sugar

¼ cup lime juice

Fresh cranberries, for garnish

Whisk the cranberry juice and sugar in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour the cranberry mixture into a 13 by 9 by 2 inch glass baking dish. Cool completely. Whisk in the lime juice. Freeze until the granita becomes slushy, about two hours. Using fork, stir to blend. Continue freezing the granita until frozen, stirring every hour to form crystals, at least five hours.

Divide the granita into six dessert glasses. Garnish with fresh cranberries, if desired.


Variations: Add 1 shot of Southern Comfort to make a frozen “Scarlett O’Hara”. Or add 1 shot of vodka and ½ shot of Triple Sec to make a frozen “Cosmopolitan”. The original recipe calls for the vodka to be added before freezing, but I prefer to make mine virgin (so the kids can have some!). Ginger ale or any lemon-lime drinks are also good additions.


Pineapple au Gratin

3 cans pineapple chunks, drained, and the juice reserved

1 and a half tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup sugar

2 stacks of Ritz crackers, crushed

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 stick of butter, melted



Place pineapple in a buttered casserole dish. Top pineapple with grated cheese. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch, sugar, and juice. Heat until thickened and clear. Pour sauce over pineapple and cheese. Top with Ritz crackers. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned.


This is a delicious side dish perfect for any holiday meal, but it goes especially well with a honey-baked ham. Yum!


Enjoy! These aren't just for Thanksgiving. My mom likes to serve the pineapple for Christmas and Easter as well. The pineapple recipe is my aunt's.

Pumpkins- not just for Halloween!

My mom has had some success in growing pumpkins. These aren't for carving Jack'O Lanterns- they are for eating! Here is a recipe for a casserole that's just divine:

Cinderella’s Coach

1- 1½ pound pumpkin

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons rum (I use Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum)

1 medium onion, chopped
1 can Ro-Tel (chopped tomatoes and chilies), medium to hot
1 can coconut milk
1 cup uncooked white rice

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined

4 tablespoons butter

1. Pre heat oven to 375°.
2. Cut lid off of the pumpkin, and scrape out the seeds and stringy fibers. Scrape some of the pumpkin out of the shell, about one cup, and set aside.
3. Place pumpkin in a large, heavy roasting pan and bake for half an hour, until tender but still firm.
4. Rinse rice, and cook in 2 cups of water (salt to taste) for 20 minutes or until tender. Add one tablespoon of butter. When the water has been absorbed, add coconut milk and set aside.
5. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, rum, and soy sauce. Set aside.
6. In a skillet, melt remaining butter and sauté the onion. Add shrimp, and cook until pink and firm. Stir in the lime juice mixture, and then add the pumpkin, tomatoes and chilies.
7. Add the contents of the skillet to the coconut rice.
8. Fill the pumpkin with the rice mixture.
9. Bake pumpkin for another 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin is golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8


I don't know what makes this dish great. The combination of rice, coconut milk, pumpkin, shrimp, and lime juice is very satisfying. All this dish needs on the side is a nice green salad and a loaf of crusty French bread.



This variety of pumpkin is called Long Island Cheese. No, it doesn't taste like cheese- it just looks like a big wheel of cheese!

More cookies!

More treats from "I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas"!




These are "Mocha Madness" cookies.

MOCHA MADNESS COOKIE

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces and softened
1 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, melted
1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder, dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm water
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

8 ounces dark chocolate covered espresso beans, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)

GARNISH

4 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment or wax paper.

2. In a sifter, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.

3. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix on medium for 2 minutes, then stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle. Mix again on medium for 2 minutes, then scrape down again. Add the eggs one at a time and mix on medium until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down again. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium for 15 seconds, until incorporated.

4. Turn the mixer down to the lowest speed and gradually add the dry ingredients; mix until blended, about 1 minute. Add the espresso and vanilla, and mix on low until thoroughly combined. Add the espresso beans, and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the ingredients until thoroughly combined.

5. Using 3 slightly heaping tablespoons or 1 level #20 ice-cream scoop, portion 10 or 11 cookies on each baking sheet, spaced about 5 inches apart widthwise and 2 inches apart lengthwise. Place the baking sheets on the top and center racks of the oven, and bake for 12 minutes, switching the sheets between top and center racks and rotating each sheet 180 degrees halfway through the baking.
6. After the cookies have cooled, drizzle each with melted chocolate.

Makes about 32 cookies.

They are to die for! Caution- these are not the type of cookies to eat with milk before bedtime. One or two cookies is almost like a cup of coffee!

Make sure that the espresso beans are chopped well. I didn't chop mine finely enough, and had whole beans in some cookies. They still tasted great, but it's not fun to bite into a hard bean!