Simple Creme Brule

My own creation

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The Recipe

Preheat oven to 300°  F and line lasagna pan with ramekin cups and 1" water

Whisk together
   5 yolks
   5 T. white sugar
   2 c. heavy cream (18%)
  1 T. vanilla extract (or extract of choice such as almond, hazelnut, rum, etc.)
                
Pour into ramekins and bake for 30 - 40 minutes till stiff.

cool, sprinkle with 1t of sugar (brown and white mixed) and torch!

The Review

Simple, tasty, great with fresh fruit.

Rhubarb Coconut Cake

Modifications of a rhubarb cake recipe form Allrecipes.com

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The Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Makes one 9x13 inch pan

Combine the following in a bowl:
    2 c. chopped rhubarb
   1/2 c. sugar

In a large bowl combine the following:
   2 c. hard whole wheat flour
   1 tsp. baking soda
   1/2 tsp. salt
   1 tsp. cinnamon
   1/2 tsp nutmeg

In a separate bowl cream: 
  1/2 c. butter
  1.5 cup of sugar
  2 eggs
  1 Tbsp. vanilla or coconut extract
  
Slowly mix wet into dry  adding
  1 c. milk
  1 T lemon juice

Fold in 
  rhubarb (from above)
  1/2 c. coconut flakes

 Bake  35 minutes.

The Review

Currently stuffing face with these while typing up blog. Worth the crumbs on the keyboard. Yum...

Savory Dumplings (Kluski śląskie)

From my Grandmother's Notes:

The Recipe

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Ingredients:

   Couple boiled potatoes in skins (uniform medium sized) cooled and peeled

   1 egg

   Pinch of salt
   Potato starch (not potato flour)

Press potatoes through a ricer or meat grinder. lay out on a counter in a cirle 2 - 3" thick. 

Cut into 1/4's, set one quarter aside, and fill it's exact volume with potatoe starch. 

Add egg, the removed 1/4 or potatoes, and a pinch of salt and knead the dough till soft and uniform.

Roll into loonie (Canadian $1 coin) sized balls, and pinch in the middle with fingers to make an indent on both sides.

Bring a big pot of water to a boil.

Place Dumplings, about 10 at a time, into the boiling water, and once they float up to the surface, boil for further 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate.

 Serve with melted butter, sauces of choice (Brown, mushroom, tomato, mustard)

The Review

Similar to the Kopytka, but more flexible recipe based on how many potatoes you have. 

Savory Dumplings (Kopytka)

From my Grandmother's Notes:

The Recipe

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Ingredients:

   500 g boiled potatoes in skins (uniform medium sized) cooled and peeled
   200 g white flour

   1 egg

   1 Tbsp potato starch (not potato flour)
   pinch of salt

Press potatoes through a ricer or meat grinder. add egg, salt, flour, and starch. Knead till uniform consistency.

Using extra flour, roll out to 3cm wide logs and cut at a diagonal. 

Bring a big pot of water to a boil.

Place dumplings, about 10 at a time, into the boiling water, and once they float up to the surface, boil for further 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate.

 Serve with melted butter, fried onion, fried mushroom, or gravy of your choice (Brown, mushroom, mustard).

The Review

Soft, chewy, and a juicy bite when eaten in a sauce. Strong potato flavor, which is makes them a great complement to many sauces.

Lazy Pierogi (Leniwe)

From my Grandmother's Notes:

The Recipe

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Ingredients:

   500 g Quark Cheese/Farmers Cheese/ or dry cottage cheese

   250 g boiled potatoes in skins (uniform medium sized) cooled and peeled

   2 eggs

   8 Tbsp white flour
   2 Tbsp potato starch (not potato flour)
   pinch of salt

Press cheese and potatoes through a ricer or meat grinder. add eggs, salt, and flour, and starch. Knead till uniform consistency.

Using extra flour, roll out to 3cm wide logs and cut at a diagonal. 

Bring a big pot of water to a boil.

Place lazy pierogy, about 10 at a time, into the boiling water, and once they float up to the surface, boil for further 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate.

 Serve with melted butter, toasted bread crumbs, and sugar.

The Review

Delicious, reminds me of my childhood!

Sour Cream Biscuits with Vegetarian Gravy

gravy from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/vegetarian-gravy/ & Biscuits from http://bakingbites.com/2013/11/flaky-sour-cream-biscuits/

The Biscuit Recipe

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

In a big mixing bowl mix:
   2 c. whole wheat flour
   1 t. sugar
   1/2 t. salt
   1.5 t. baking powder

Once mixed, with a pastry cutter cut in:
   6 T. chilled butter
  
Once dough its crumbly and butter pieces aren't bigger then a pea, using a fork mix in in:
    1 c. sour cream 

Lightly knead the dough on a flat surface till it holds its shape, roll 1/2" thick and cut circles out with an inverted cup. Place on baking sheet and bake 20 min.

The Gravy Recipe

In a pot over medium heat cook the following till transparent
   0.5 c. oil
   0.5 c. diced onion
   3 cloves of garlic

Mix in the following:
    4 t. nutritional yeast
    0.5 c. flour
    2 t. of braggs or soy sauce
      1 boullion cube

Cook till mixture is thickened, then add
      2 c. water
      Salt to taste
      Pepper to taste
      Sage

Simmer till thickened and enjoy

The Review

The biscuits were very flaky and flavorful but didn't rise very much. The gravy was absolutely delicious. I often default to a mushroom or a mustard gravy but this was great! I'd love to try it on some poutine in the near future.

Crispy Apple Fritters

yeast free version of my grandma's Racuchy recipe

The Recipe

In a big mixing bowl mix:
   2-1/4 c. soft whole wheat flour
   2 T. sugar
   1/2 t. salt
   2 T. baking powder
    1 T. cinnamon

Once mixed, stir In:
   1 c. milk
   2 T. sour cream
   2 eggs
   1 T. oil
   3 apples cut up into cubes

Heat 1+ Cups of oil in a deep pan and spoon batter into fritters on pan, cook till golden brown, flip and cook till other side is golden brown.

Place on paper towels to cool/drain

Sprinkle with  

Cinnamon sugar (mix of sugar and cinnamon)

The Review

Crispy, warm, delightful texture. 'Dirty Doughnuts' as my daughter coined them - she isn't one to enjoy sticky sugary fingers.