Too Long...

It's been too long since my last post. A bout of the flu will do that to you.


Here are the Recipes from the swap I promised:

From Valerie:
Coconut Cookies

1/2 lb Butter
2 TB water
1 TB Golden Syrup

In a bowl melt butter and blend the other ingredients together with it.

1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Oats
1 Cup Coconut
1 Tsp baking Soda
2 Tsp Cream of Tartar
1 Tsp Vanilla
1/2 Tsp Salt

In a separate bowl, combine ingredients. Stir the mixtures together and drop on cookie sheet (about Walnut sized). Bake in a 350* oven for 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

*My own note, add a little extra flour if the batter is runny. To make them more "holiday" you can add a couple drops of green food coloring to the batter, and make them into little wreaths on the cookie sheet. Adding red hots when they are done can add to the look :)

**************************

From Laura:

White Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
White Cake

1 ¾ cups sifted cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar to be divided

2 large eggs (room temperature) separated

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

½ cup of milk

1/8 teaspoon of cream of tarter

Cream cheese frosting

½ cup of unsalted butter

1 8 ounce block of cream cheese softened

2 ½ cups of confectioners sugar

Zest of one lemon or orange

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a cupcake pan or use liners. In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Using a mixer beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add 3/4 cup of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. In a clean bowl beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula gently fold a little of the whites into the batter to lighten it, and then fold in the remaining whites until combined. Do not over mix the batter or it will deflate. Spoon into the liners and bake in the preheated oven for approximately 10 - 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cup cake comes out clean. Once the cakes have completely cooled, you may frost and decorate.

Cream the butter and cream cheese together until nice and smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the zest and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.




Lemon Tarts

Tart Shells

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Lemon Filling

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces


Pulse together flour, and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together yolk, water, and lemon juice in a bowl, then add to processor and pulse until pea-size lumps form and dough holds together when squeezed. (Dough will appear slightly crumbly.) Press 1/4 cup dough evenly into each tart shell with floured fingers (dough will be moist) and lightly prick bottoms with a fork. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Put shells on a baking sheet and bake in lower third oven at 350 degrees until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and, when shells are just cool enough to handle, carefully loosen edges with a thin knife and remove from pans, cool for one hour.

Whisk together zest, lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and a pinch of salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Add butter all at once and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and bubbles appear on surface, (1o min.)

When the butter is mixed in, pour the filling into the tart shells and allow them to cool for 2 hours before serving. You may garnish the top of the tarts with whipped cream and candied flowers

• If you have leftover lemon filling it keeps if covered and chilled, for 1 week. Delicious on muffins and scones.

Chicken Rosettes

1 lb. ground chicken
3 c. sliced fresh mushrooms or one large can
1 medium diced yellow onion
2 T. butter
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. salt
8 packaged dried lasagna noodles
1 c. chicken stock
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. sour cream
2 T. flour
1/2 c. milk
1 c. shredded white cheese Mozzarella or Gruyere

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook chicken in a large skillet until no longer pink, drain and empty into a bowl. In the same skillet cook mushrooms and onion in hot butter over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally (you want to leave them alone a bit to get some caramelization going). Add chicken back in, and pepper. Add wine and simmer until alcohol evaporates and you are left with just a few tablespoons of liquid in pan. Remove from heat.

2. Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles in boiling salted water until almost done; drain. Return to pan and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil to keep noodles from sticking. Halve each noodle lengthwise. Curl each noodle half into a 2 1/2" diameter ring and place, cut side down, in an ungreased 3-quart rectangular baking dish. With a slotted spoon, spoon chicken mixture into center of lasagna rings, reserving liquid in skillet. Add the chicken stock to the liquid and heat until simmering. Add the cream cheese to the liquid and heat until cream cheese is just melted. Remove from heat.

3. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and flour. Stir in milk. Add sour cream mixture to liquid in skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Spoon sauce over pasta rings, covering noodle edges so they don't dry out. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

4. Bake, covered, for about 35 minutes or until heated through.

****************

From Jen Z.

Pumpkin Bread

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
******************

From Missy:
Missy's No-so-Weight-Watcher's Pumpkin Spiced Muffins.

Muffin
1 can pumpkin
1 cup water
1 box spice/chocolate/carrot cake (pick one)

Crumbly Top
1-2 packages cinnamon or brown sugar oatmeal
Sugar to taste
Butter

Cream Cheese for inside

Mix cake mix water and pumpkin together in large bowl

pour into muffin cup til about 1/2 full. Press one small cube of cream cheese into cup and then cover with more mix.

Mix oatmeal, sugar to taste and butter until it is a pasty consistency. Plop on top of muffins.

Cook for 20 mins at 350.

Enjoy!

PS. This is a receipe that begs to be played with. You can include crannies or fresh berries in instead of cream cheese. Adding less water will also make muffins a little dryer for a different consistency.