Recipe Corner
Currant English Muffins
Ingredients:

Whole Milk-1 cup. 
Salt- 2 teaspoons. 
Sugar-1 1/4 tablespoons. 
Shortening-1 tablespoon. 
Currants-1/2 cup. 
Dry Yeast-1 package. 
Flour-3 cups.   
Water-1/2 cup boiling. 

Preparation:

Mix the boiling water, milk, salt, sugar and shortening in a bowl.  Allow to come to room temperature.  Stir in the yeast and mix well until dissolved.  Add in the flour and currants.  Beat  until well incorporated.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow  to double in bulk.   Remove dough from bowl on to a cutting board.  Press the dough down lightly to about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut out rounds using a 3 inch round cookie or biscuit cutter.  Bring a cast iron grill pan to a medium high temperature.  Place the rounds into the pan and let them cook for 15 to 20 minutes per side.  Split them open with a fork and serve them with sweet creamy butter, jam and honey.


Submitted by Gary Solomon. Gary is the chef for The Recipe Exchange. Chat with Gary and other keen cooks at The Recipe Exchange Forum

French Lemon Tart
Ingredients:

For Shortbread Pastry: 
Sweet Butter-2 sticks(1/2 pound). 
Sugar-1/2 cup. 
Egg-1. 
Cake Flour-1 1/2 cups.

Preparation:

In a mixer cream the butter and sugar until well combined.  Add in the egg and continue beating.  Add in the flour a little at a time until well combined.  Roll the dough in to a ball.  Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.  Roll the dough out with a rolling pin.  Use as little flour as possible in the process as the extra flour created a tough dough.  Lightly grease the tart pan on the bottom and side edges.  Place the dough into the tart pan and gently press the dough against the edges of the pan.  Roll the rolling pin over the top of the tart shell and remove any excess dough.  Prick the shell all over with a fork so that air bubbles will not form the shell when it is baking.  Place a piece of aluminum foil over the shell and fill the shell with pie weights or beans.  Bake the shell in a preheated 400F degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Lemon Filling Ingredients:

Eggs-3. 
Egg Yolks-3. 
Sugar-1 cup. 
Lemons-6, juice of 6 lemons. 
Lemon Zest-zest of 2 lemons. 
Sweet Butter-6 tablespoons, softened.

Instructions: 

In a bowl whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Pour into a sauce pan.  Over a medium heat continue whisking until the mixture begins to thickened.  You will be able to see whisk streaks when the mixture is done.  Pull the sauce pan off the flame and whisk in the sweet butter.  Pour the filling into the prebaked tart shell.  Refrigerate for a few hours and then serve.  Garnish with a few pieces of candied lemon peels placed on top of a small dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Submitted by Gary Solomon. Gary is the chef for The Recipe Exchange. Chat with Gary and other keen cooks at The Recipe Exchange Forum

Lemon and Poppy Seed Butter Cake
Ingredients:

Butter-3/4 cup, softened. 
Sugar-1 3/4 cups. 
Eggs-2 slightly beaten. 
Flour-3 cups. 
Pure Vanilla Extract-1 teaspoons. 
Baking Powder-2 teaspoons. 
Salt-1/4 teaspoon. 
Candied Cherry Halves-48. 

Preparation:

Place the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl.  Cream until fluffy.  Add in the eggs one at a time until each is incorporated.  Add in the vanilla extract.  Mix.  Add in all the other ingredients except the Candied Cherries.  Place rounded teaspoon fulls of the cookie batter on a greased cookie sheet.  Press the cherry half into the center of the dough with the round part of the cherry facing up.  Bake at 375F degrees for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.


Submitted by Gary Solomon. Gary is the chef for The Recipe Exchange. Chat with Gary and other keen cooks at The Recipe Exchange Forum

Cherry Button Christmas Cookies
Ingredients:

Butter-3/4 cup, softened. 
Sugar-1 3/4 cups. 
Eggs-2 slightly beaten. 
Flour-3 cups. 
Pure Vanilla Extract-1 teaspoons. 
Baking Powder-2 teaspoons. 
Salt-1/4 teaspoon. 
Candied Cherry Halves-48.  

Preparation:

Place the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl.  Cream until fluffy.  Add in the eggs one at a time until each is incorporated.  Add in the vanilla extract.  Mix.  Add in all the other ingredients except the Candied Cherries.  Place rounded teaspoon fulls of the cookie batter on a greased cookie sheet.  Press the cherry half into the center of the dough with the round part of the cherry facing up.  Bake at 375F degrees for 10 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.


Submitted by Gary Solomon. Gary is the chef for The Recipe Exchange. Chat with Gary and other keen cooks at The Recipe Exchange Forum

Hot Piping Apple Crumb Pie
Ingredients:

Pie Shell-9 inch, deep and unbaked.  
Filling Ingredients: 
MacintoshApples-5large thinly sliced wedges. 
Sugar- 1/3 cup. 
Brown Sugar- 1/3 cup. 
Cinnamon- 1/2 teaspoon. 
Salt- 1/4 teaspoon. 
Nutmeg- 1/8 teaspoon. 
CornStarch-3 tablespoons.                            Crumb Topping Ingredients:
Brown Sugar-3 tablespoons. 
Sugar-2 tablespoons. 
Old Fashioned Oats- 2/3 cup. 
Flour- 2/3 cup.  Cinnamon-1 teaspoon. 
Butter-softened 6 tablespoons. 
Pure Vanilla Extract-1 teaspoon. 
Salt- 1/4 teaspoon. 

Preparation:

Prick the unbaked pie shell all over with a fork.  Set aside.  Peel , core and slice the apples.  Place in a large bowl and add the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.  Mix all ingredients well to coat the apples.  Set aside for 20 minutes so flavors will infuse into the apples. Drain out half of the juice that will have been created. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the apples and mix to coat.  Pour the apple mixture in to the crust.  Seal the top of the pie with aluminum foil.  This will allow the apples to steam and soften and protect the crust edges from burning.  Bake at 375F for 1 hour.


Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl combine all the crumb topping ingredients.  Shape into a loosely formed ball.  Break crumb ball into medium size crumbs.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  After the pie has baked for 1 hour remove the aluminum foil and top the pie with the crumbs.  Bake for an additional 1/2 hour.  Remove and cool on wire rack. Serve warm with your favorite ice cream.


Submitted by Gary Solomon. Gary is the chef for The Recipe Exchange. Chat with Gary and other keen cooks at The Recipe Exchange Forum

Raisin Scones
Ingredients:

Flour-2 cups.
Baking Powder-2 1/2 teaspoons.
Salt- 1/4 teaspoon.
Sugar- 1/4 cup.
Cold Butter-1 stick.
Heavy Cream-1 cup.
Raisins-1-cup.
Cinnamon-a pinch.

Preparation:

Makes 1 dozen. So easy. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar. Cut the cold butter in to the flour mixture until grainy looking. Do not use your hands to mix, you want to keep the butter as cold as you can to keep the scones light and airy. Soak the raisins in water for 10 minutes and drain. Sprinkle a little flour on them this will keep them tucked in to the batter.


Add the raisins to the butter mixture and slowly pour in the heavy cream. Mix just enough so all the ingredients come together.


Place on a floured cutting board and knead 5 times only. Press down mixture to 1/2 thickness. Cut circles with a 3 inch cookie or biscuit cutter. Place parchment paper on cookie sheet and grease. Place the scones on the parchment and bake at 375F degrees for 20 minutes.


Submitted by Gary Solomon. Gary is the chef for The Recipe Exchange. Chat with Gary and other keen cooks at The Recipe Exchange Forum
Strawberries Dipped in Semi-Sweet Chocolate
Ingredients:

Chocolate-9 ounces.  
Strawberries-1 pound (quart). 

Preparation:

Clean the strawberries gently to avoid bruising.  Do not remove their stems. Dry on paper towels.  Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.  If you don't have a double boiler place a metal bowl over a pot of boiling water making sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl.  


Melt the chocolate slowly over a medium flame.  Stir occasionally.  Place a candy thermometer into the melting chocolate mixture.  Do not let the temperature exceed 125 degrees.  


At the moment the chocolate has completely melted , pierce a fork through the stem end of the strawberry and dip into the melted chocolate.  Coat the berry quickly covering the bottom half of the berry.  Place on a plate covered with wax paper.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Submitted by Gary Solomon. Gary is the chef for The Recipe Exchange. Chat with Gary and other keen cooks at The Recipe Exchange Forum
Warm Christmas Pudding
Ingredients:

Fresh White Bread Crumbs - 4 cups including crusts.
Black Raisins-1 cup chopped.
Golden Raisins-1 cup chopped. 
Currants-1 cup chopped.
Sugar-1/3 cups. 
Cinnamon- 1/2 teaspoon.
Mace- 1/2 teaspoon. 
Nutmeg- 1/2 teaspoon.
Cloves- 1/4 teaspoon. 
Salt- 1/2 teaspoon. 
Butter-2 sticks plus 3 tablespoons melted. 
Large Eggs-4 lightly beaten. 
Pure Vanilla Extract- 1/2 teaspoon. 
Orange Marmalade- 1/2 cup. 
Milk- 1/2 cup. 

Preparation:

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Using a brush butter the pudding mold and lid heavily.  Set Aside.  Chop the bread,  then the raisins and currants in a food processor finely.  Combine the bread, raisins and currants in a large bowl.  Using you fingers break all the clumps of raisins up to incorporate well with the bread crumbs.  Add in the sugar, spices, and mix.  Pour in the melted butter, extract, marmalade, milk and eggs until well combined.  Pour mixture into the pudding mold and seal tightly. 


Place a steamer basket or submerge a kitchen towel into the bottom of a large pot.  Place the pudding mold on top of the basket or towel.  Fill the pot with water so that the mold is covered 3/4 the way up.  Tightly cover the pot and steam for 6 hours.  Occasionally you will have to add additional water.  The water must remain on a low boil or the pudding will not cook.  If you do not have a pudding mold you may use a metal mixing bowl with a tight lid.  When 6 hours is up allow the mold to remain in the pot of water to cool.  Invert onto a platter.  Place a piece of holly on the top of the pudding.  Serve with a Rum Sauce.                   


Rum Sauce Ingredients:

Butter-5 tablespoons melted. 
Confectioners Sugar-1 cup. 
Dark Rum-2 tablespoons.  
 

Instructions: 

Combine the melted butter and confectioners sugar until all lumps disappear.  Add in the Rum and mix until smooth.  We warm the sauce up lightly and drizzle it on to the plate then place a piece of the Christmas Pudding on top of the sauce.


Submitted by Gary Solomon. Gary is the chef for The Recipe Exchange. Chat with Gary and other keen cooks at The Recipe Exchange Forum
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