Knead together gradually and add cream until a glossy look. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla. Shape into Easter Eggs or chocolate drops and dip into chocolate made of 1 box of bitter chocolate and 1/2 bar of paraffin wax. (I use a nut pick to dip with.)
Easter Cake
Topping:
1 cup walnuts, pecans, or hazel- nuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Cake:
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine topping ingredients and set aside. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-cup tube pan. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda; set aside. With electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, yogurt and vanilla. Gradually beat flour mixture into the batter until well blended. Sprinkle one-fourth of the topping into the prepared pan. Spoon on one-third of the batter. Continue layering. Bake in a 350°F oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan; remove from pan to a rack; serve warm. Makes 12 servings
Chocolate Nut Clusters
1/4 c. (1 stick) butter or oleo
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 sqs. (2 oz.) unsweetened chocolate,
melted
1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 c. walnuts or pecan halves
Cream together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir in melted chocolate. Combine flour, salt and baking powder. Blend into chocolate mixture. Stir in nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake in 350°F oven 10 minutes. Cookies should be soft when removed from oven. Cool on rack. Makes about 40 nutty cookies.
Teriyaki Puffs
1/2 lb. sirloin steak
1/3 c. teriyaki sauce
1 can (8 oz.) Crescent Rolls
1 c. water chestnuts, drained and
sliced
Slice steak into 1/4 inch strips (partially frozen meat easier to slice). Marinate meat at least 1 hour. Separate dough into 8 wedges. Cut each in half lengthwise. Place meat strip and water chestnut on each wedge of dough. Roll up and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.
Tiny Meat Balls
Meat Balls:
1 lb chuck
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 onion, diced
1 egg
2/3 c half and half
Allspice (to taste)
Sauce:
11 1/2 oz chili sauce
1/2 c grape jelly
Roll meat balls into small balls. Put in pan. Heat chilli sauce and grape jelly and pour over meat balls. Bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours at 300°F.
Spinach Squares
4 tblsp butter
3 eggs
1 c flour
1 c milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 lb grated cheddar
20 oz cooked spinach
1 tblsp chopped onion
Seasoned salt (opt)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in 9 x 13 inch baking dish in oven. Remove dish. Beat eggs well, then add flour, milk, salt and baking powder. Mix well. Add cheese, spinach, onion and mix well. Spoon into dish and level off. Sprinkle with seasoned salt if desired. Bake 35 minutes at 350°F. Cool and cut into squares.
Cabbage And Ham
1 very meaty ham bone
1 medium head cabbage
garlic to taste
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Place ham bone in dutch oven and add enough water to cover entire bone. Simmer until meat comes off easily. Remove bone from pot, cut ham chunks off bone. Return ham only to water. Cut cabbage into quarters. Fry slightly in butter to improve flavor. Add cabbage, garlic, salt, and pepper to ham and water. Cook until cabbage is tender. Top with grated Romano or Parmasean cheese, if desired.
Note: Top this with an Italian cheese mixture, for added flavor.
Cabbage And Potatoes With Caraway
1 head cabbage (2 lb), shredded
6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3 tablespoon lard
4 tablespoon flour
1 centiliter garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed
1 teaspoon paprika, hungarian of course
salt and pepper
Cover potatoes water water, add salt and cook until half done. Add cabbage and more water if necessary to barely cover. Continue to cook gently until cabbage is cooked but still crisp. Stir cabbage and potato now and then. While cabbage and potato are cooking, melt fat in saucepan and add flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is light tan in color. Remove from heat; add garlic, caraway seed and paprika, mix to combine. When cabbage adn potato are cooked, add flour mixture to pot and stir in quickly so lumps do not form. Continue to simmer so flavors blend, about 10 min. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Good with hamburgers. Serves 6-8.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
2 cup broccoli florets
2 cup stuffing mix
4 chicken breast halves
4 slices swiss cheese
4 slices ham
2 can chicken gravy
Steam broccoli. Moisten stuffing mix. Combine broccoli & stuffing. (Note: Do not steam broccoli more than about 2 min. Steam in same dish as you will use to complete the dish. Watch the sodium content of the stuffing mixes. Don't be fooled just because they are a name brand.) Put chicken breasts in baking dish, sprinkle with pepper. Top chicken with cheese slice, then ham slice, then stuffing mix. Cover and micro on medium-high (70%) 15 minutes, rotating dish three times. Uncover, top with chicken gravy, microcook on high to heat.
Venison With Prunes And Walnuts
2 tablespoon flour, all-purpose (heaped)
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
3 lb venison, cut into 1-inch
cubes
4 tablespoon sunflower oil
3 onions; finely sliced
2 1/2 cup red wine
2 1/2 cup water
1 can pickled walnuts, 15oz, drained
8 prunes; soaked until soft,
stoned and chopped
Put the flour, salt and a good grinding of pepper into a bowl. Toss the pieces of venison in the seasoned flour to coat. Heat the oil in a heavy flameproof casserole and brown the meat, a few pieces at a time; remove the browned meat and keep it warm while you brown the rest. When all the meat is browned, add the onions to the casserole and cook them until they are soft and translucent, 5-10 minutes. Stir in the wine and water, scraping the bits off the bottom of the casserole with a wooden spoon. When the liquid is simmering. replace the browned meat in the casserole, and stir in the pickled walnuts and prunes. Cover the casserole with a lid, and cook in a preheated moderate oven (350°F / 180°C / gas 4) for an hour. Let the casserole cool completely, then store in the refrigerator overnight. Cook it for a further hour at the same temperature before serving.
Ham With Cranberry-Orange Glaze
1 6-7 lb uncooked ham (we use bone in)
cloves
2 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
1 1/2 cup cranbery juice cocktail
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus
1 1/2 teaspoon all purpose flour
3 tablespoon prepared mustard
3 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 oranges sliced (up to 3)
6 marachhino cherries halved
Remove skin from ham; place fat side up, score fat in a diamond design, and stud with cloves. Place ham, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer making certain thermometer does not touch bone. Bake 350°F for 2 1/2 hrs. Ham is done when thermometer registers 160°F. (about 18 - 20 minutes per pound)
Combine 1/2 cup of brown sugar and the next 6 ingredients in saucepan, mix well. Bring to boil, and cook 1 minute after boiling begins.
Coat exposed portion of ham with remaining 2 cups of brown sugar. Place orange slices on ham, secure with wooden toothpick. leave tip of toothpick exposed. Place cherry half on pick.
Pour hot cranberry mixture slowly over ham. Bake additional 1/2 hr or till thermometer reaches 160°F
Note: A larger or smaller ham can be used, keeping in mind the baking time 18 - 20 min. per lb. and using thermometer as directed above.
Ham With Blueberry Sauce
1 center slice of ham, cut 1 inch thick (2-lb)
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1/3 cup low-sugar apricot jam
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon dry red wine
4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup blueberries
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Trim the fat from the edge of the ham slice, if necessary. Place the ham slice on a rack in a shallow baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.
In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch or arrowroot powder and water. Stir in the apricot jam, brown sugar, wine, and lemon juice. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 6 minutes until the sauce is thickened and bubbly. Stir in the blueberries and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the ham and serve.
Ham-And-Cheese Muffins
1 3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup rye flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/3 cup cooked ham, finely chopped
1/2 cup swiss cheese, shredded
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
3 drops hot sauce
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stir in ham and cheese. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine egg and next 5 ingredients, add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spoon into greased muffin pans, filling 2/3 full. Bake at 400°F for 22-25 min. Remove from pans immediately. Yield: 1 dozen.
Ground Beef And Barley Soup
1 lb ground beef preferable lean
1 cup celery diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup cabbage, sliced
1 onion, small, diced
4 cup beef broth
1 1/2 cup tomatoes, canned plum, undrained
1/3 cup barley, uncooked
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 cup garlic, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
Brown beef in a large saucepan. Drain off any fat then add celery, carrots, cabbage, onion, beef broth, tomatoes and juice, barley, thyme, basil and garlic. Cover, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes to an hour or until vegetables and barley are just tender. Remove from heat, stir in brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Check seasoning and serve with plenty of crusty bread or rolls.
Pumpkin Drop Cookies
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dried cranberries (optional)
36 pecan halves + or -
Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and allspice in medium bowl.
Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture. Beat at low speed until well blended. Stir in chopped pecans and cranberries with spoon.
Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with back of spoon. Press one pecan half into center of each cookie.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cookies stand on cookie sheets 1 minute; transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature or freeze up to 3 months.
Makes about 36 cookies
Note: If dried cranberries are not available, substitute raisins or currants.
