Strawberry Shortcake

Makes 12 cupcakes 

(Recipe can be halved)

Ingredients: 

2 cups of sifted flour 

3 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt 

2/3 cup white sugar 

1/2 cup unsalted butter 

2 eggs 

3/4 cup milk 

1 tsp almond or vanilla extract 

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 375F.

1. Sift the dry ingredients together. 

2. Cream the butter and the sugar.  Beat the eggs in one at at time. 

3. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, add the flour and milk/flavoring alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. 

4. Spoon into the greased muffin cups. 

5. Bake at 375F about 20 minutes. Remove from tin after 5-10 minutes and cool on a rack. 

Strawberry topping: 

Using a large container of strawberries, wash and slice the berries.  Add 1/8 cup water and 1 TBS sugar to taste. Mix and refrigerate. This topping can be made ahead. Cut the cooled cupcakes in half and spoon the berry mixture over them. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with icing sugar and sliced almonds (optional) to serve. 

You can also use peaches when they are in season. Slice the peaches and add sugar/cinnamon and a bit of water as above. 

Chicken Liver Pate with Thyme

This is a recipe from Bonnie Stern, which I think has been modified. It's called "Ruby Watchco's Chicken Liver Pate".  I used to go to Bonnie Stern's cooking school in Toronto, which has since closed unfortunately. But her recipes are available on line or in her many books. 

This pate is delicious and so easy to make if you have a cuisinart or a blender/food processor. 

It is very smooth and creamy and worth the calories from the butter and small amount of cream. 

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup butter 

3/4 cup finely chopped shallots (about 3 oz)

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 lb chicken livers, trimmed 

salt & pepper to taste 

2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme 

1/4 cup brandy 

1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg or to taste 

pinch of ground allspice 

2 Tbsp. heavy cream 

A fresh baguette or other crusty bread

Directions: 

1. Trim the chicken livers by cutting off the fat and stringy bits.  To do this, I like to use rubber gloves. It makes the task so much easier. I use rubber gloves when cutting or trimming chicken, fish or meat too. 

2.  Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic.  Cook until very tender, about 5-10 minutes. 

3. Season the chicken livers with salt & pepper.  Add to the pan and cook about 10 minutes until almost cooked through but still pink inside. Add thyme and brandy and cook 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Cool a few minutes. 

4.  Transfer to a food processor, add the nutmeg and allspice and puree until very smooth, about 1 minute. While pureeing, add the 2 Tbsp. of heavy cream to increase pate's spreadability. Season to taste with salt & pepper . 

5.  Spoon mixture into ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate a few hours.  Remove from the fridge for a few minutes to let it soften, then serve with a baguette. 

Makes about 1 cup of pate. 

Blueberry Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar Topping

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar 

2 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

grated rind of one lemon

2 cups flour  

1/4 tsp salt 

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 cup milk (or 1/4 yogurt & 1/4 milk combination) 

2 cups of fresh blueberries, washed, drained and picked over 

3 tsp sugar & 1/4 tsp cinnamon (mixed) 

Directions: 

1.  Preheat oven to 375F. 

2.  Cream the butter and 1 cup of sugar (or less) until light. 

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla and lemon rind. 

4.  Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk/yogurt starting and ending with the flour. Mix just until incorporated. 

5.  Wash the blueberries and lightly dry. Crush 1/2 cup blueberries with a fork, and mix into the batter.  Toss the remaining 1 1/2 cups of berries in flour, shake off the excess flour and fold the berries into the batter. This will keep them distributed in the batter and not at the bottom of each muffin. 

6.  Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners and fill using an ice-cream scoop or spoon. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mix on the tops. Bake at 375F for about 20-25 minutes till lightly browned. 

7.  Remove from tin and cool 30 minutes. Store uncovered. 

Spice Cake with Apples, Cinnamon and Nutmeg

This is another delicious recipe from "Recipe Tin Eats". I cut the sugar and salt down a bit. 

Serves 8-10

Ingredients: 

2 Cups of Flour 

3/4 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt 

3/4 each of cinnamon and ground cloves 

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg or 1/4 tsp if freshly ground

1 1/8 cup of white sugar, or organic cane sugar

1 cup vegetable oil 

2 large eggs, room temperature 

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

2 cups of apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/3"/8mm cubes 

approx 2 apples - Granny Smith or any other tart apple 

1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional) 

Icing sugar for dusting 

Intructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 

2. Grease and line a 9"/21cm spring form pan. 

3. Place flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl and whisk to combine. 

4. In another bowl, whisk the oil and sugar, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. 

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or danish whisk until just combined, and flour is incorporated. Stir in the apples.  (Optional - add in 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans). 

6. Batter will be stiff. Spoon into the cake pan. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds. 

7. Bake for 40-50 minutes.  It will be done when it is lightly brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. 

8. Cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool.  Dust with icing sugar and serve. Goes will with Vanilla ice-cream. 

ANZAC Biscuits

 

“ANZAC” stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. And ANZAC Day – 25 April 1915 – is Australia’s most important national occasion each year, marking the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War during which we suffered heavy casualties.

It is said that the wives of soldiers came up with the original Anzac Biscuits using ingredients such that the biscuits stayed fresh for the weeks it took to reach the soldiers overseas. Apparently, the original Anzac biscuits were as hard as a rock, so hard in fact that some soldiers would grind them up and use them as porridge.

This recipe is from "Recipe Tin Eats". 

Makes 18-20 

Ingredients: 

1 cup plain flour (all purpose) 

1 cup rolled oats 

1 cup desiccated or shredded coconut, unsweetened 

3/4 cup white sugar (fine) or a little less

5 oz (150g) unsalted butter 

4 TBS golden syrup OR 1 TBS molasses + 3 TBS honey

1 tsp baking soda 

Instructions: 

1.  Preheat oven to 350F or 180C. 

2.  Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. 

3.  Mix flour, oats, coconut and sugar in a bowl. 

4.  Place the butter and syrup/molasses/honey mixture in a small saucepan over medium high heat and stir until the butter has melted. 

5.  Add the baking soda and stir to combine.  It will fizz up.  This is normal. Immediately remove from the heat. 

6.  Pour butter mixture into the flour and mix until just combined. 

7. Roll into balls (about 1 TBS). Flatten into patties and place them on the prepared 2 trays about 1" apart.

8.  Bake for 15 minutes, swapping trays halfway during cooking or until a deep golden color. (12 minutes for chewy biscuits). 

9. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. They will harden as they cool. 

Notes: 

Different brands of oats with have different absorbency levels. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.  If it is too dry, add more melted butter. 

The cookies will stay crisp for about a week in an airtight container.  After that you can put them in a 350F oven for 5 minutes to make them crisp. 

Follow this link where the original recipe is posted with an excellent video:

Anzac Biscuits

Easy Tomato & Red Pepper Soup

 

Ingredients: 

1 28-oz can of Whole tomatoes (San Marzano) is the best 

1 12-oz jar of roasted red pepper, drained 

1/4 cup of half-and-half cream (or vegan substitute)

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (or less, season to taste) 

1 tsp sugar 

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 

2 garlic cloves 

1/4 cup of water

Directions: 

Process all the ingredients in a food processor or Vitamix until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. 

Transfer mixture to a medium-size saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often. 

This will take about 8 minutes, or until hot. 

Serve immediately and garnish with chopped basil. 

Notes: You can add 1/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or basil to taste. If you prefer more red pepper flavor, use a larger jar of red peppers. 

Organic if available

Remove any seeds