Russ's Restaurant and Recipe Repository

[Vix_Giovanni]

Coco bread for Jamaican patties

Sharing this recipe to go with Lori’s recipe for beef patties! This is pretty much the way patties are served at authentic spots in NYC and most in Jamaica—you rarely order a patty without the coco bread wrapped around it.


Coco Bread
Ingredients
1 c. coconut milk
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
1 large egg
3 1/2 c flour
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions
1. Mix coconut milk, sugar, salt and butter. Heat in the microwave for about thirty seconds, until butter melts.
2. Pour this mix into a mixing bowl and add the yeast, then add the egg.
3. Add the flour until the mix forms a soft dough.
4. Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until even.
5. Grease a bowl with a bit of butter and turn the dough once through to coat it.
6. Cover loosely with a clean dishcloth and place the dough in a warm place until it doubles (about 1 to 2 hours). Punch the dough down.
7. Preheat your oven to 350F.
8. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and cut it into ten equal pieces. Roll into balls.
9. Roll out each ball with a rolling pin until it’s abour a quarter inch thick round disc.
10. Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter, then fold the dough in half and brush again.
11. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, spray with baking spray.
12. Place the folded dough on the sheet and let them rest about ten minutes.
13. Bake for about until nicely browned on top.
14. Remove from the oven and let cool. Fill with patties or jerk meat or other fillings.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

My mama used to make this for me on my birthday, it was my favorite dessert, and now it's my grandson's favorite dessert too.

Chilled Louisiana Raspberry Charlotte

Ingredients:
18–20 Sugared Sponge fingers, halved crosswise
475ml whole milk
1 vanilla pod, sliced lengthwise
5 large egg yolks
65g refined white sugar
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin powder
240ml whipping cream
500g fresh raspberries
Confectioners' sugar, to garnish
8 × 2-inch (20 × 5-cm) round spring-locked non-stick Cake Pan

Method:
Line the bottom and sides of the cake pan with wax paper or baking parchment. Arrange the sponge fingers tightly, sugar side out and rounded-ends down, around the sides of the pan. Use a dab of butter to hold any in place that won't stay in place.

Bring the milk and vanilla to a simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a separate bowl until pale. Remove the vanilla pod and steadily whisk the milk mixture into the yolks.

Rinse out the saucepan. Return the custard to the saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spoon (185°F/85°C). Don't let it boil, it will burn on the bottom and taint the custard.

Strain through a wire sieve into a clean bowl.

Sprinkle the gelatin over 30ml water in a small heatproof dish. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Place the dish in a frying pan of very hot water and stir until the gelatin dissolves completely. Stir into the custard and mix well.

Place the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and let stand, stirring often, until the custard is almost set.

Beat the cream until soft peaks form.

Carefully fold the cream into the custard, and stir in half the raspberries.

Very carefully spoon the custard into the sponge finger-lined cake tin. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to set completely.

Invert the cake pan onto a platter to unmold, and carefully release the spring-lock so as not to jar the Charlotte.

Arrange the remaining raspberries on top. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and serve chilled.

 

[SolarRay]

Dear lord. Lori & Vix, you've made my weekend... I don't know where to start but I'm about to get busy.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Dear lord. Lori & Vix, you've made my weekend... I don't know where to start but I'm about to get busy.

Oh they're good.

I just set up the sign and take the commission.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Then our work here is done. Hi-Yo Silver, away!!!

*puzzled whisper* "who was that masked woman?"

 

[Handley_Page]

Then our work here is done. Hi-Yo Silver, away!!!

*puzzled whisper* "who was that masked woman?"

I cannot emember, but she was filmed in monochrome and the lead actress was English (Margaret- ? ). When I remember, I'll post it

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

I cannot emember, but she was filmed in monochrome and the lead actress was English (Margaret- ? ). When I remember, I'll post it

I think you're thinking of Margaret Lockwood in 'The Wicked Lady'? I see us more as Foody Zorro's; dash in, cook, slash, and run, or maybe, as there's two of us, foody Green Hornet and Kato; ninja foodying, could be a thing...

 

[Handley_Page]

I think you're thinking of Margaret Lockwood in 'The Wicked Lady'? I see us more as Foody Zorro's; dash in, cook, slash, and run, or maybe, as there's two of us, foody Green Hornet and Kato; ninja foodying, could be a thing...

Yes, that's the one.

 

[Rustyoznail]

I see us more as Foody Zorro's; dash in, cook, slash, and run, or maybe, as there's two of us, foody Green Hornet and Kato; ninja foodying, could be a thing...

I don't know about Green Hornet foodying - that would be messy, like the movie.

Ninja foodying - sneaking in wielding a pair of Takeshi Saji Damascus blades, quickly slicing and dicing some poor innocent vegetables, sushi-ing an uncooperative tuna, then sneaking out back out for a quiet Asahi...

That'll work.

 

[Vix_Giovanni]

I think you're thinking of Margaret Lockwood in 'The Wicked Lady'? I see us more as Foody Zorro's; dash in, cook, slash, and run, or maybe, as there's two of us, foody Green Hornet and Kato; ninja foodying, could be a thing...

I’ll be Kato to your Green Hornet anyday, Lori!!! I think that’s far too much credit for the recipe thread though; I’m far from a reliable “side kick” here and am more the bumbling wanderer.... more like Wimpy to your Popeye But I’ll go kicking asses and taking names with you anytime! Ninja foodying sounds awesome!

 

[Vix_Giovanni]

Shinobi (ninja) historic food pills

Since we all might be doing some foodie ninjutsu soon, I figure that it can’t hurt to be prepared

I found these ninja food pill recipes online. Ninja daily eating habits were very strict—for example, shinobi couldn’t eat onions or any allium foods that might cause body odor—and also had a lot of symbolic meaning, but specific food pills were prepared and stored as tactical prep for missions. Two of these were suikatsugan and kikatsugan pills. Like other ninja magic, these pills gave shinobi superhuman energy and hydration (some records say that shinobi could stay hydrated 45 days without thirst)!

Suikatsugan (thirst pills)
Ingredients
1 part chopped hokuto leaves
3 parts ground kudzu starch
5 parts ground licorice root
10 parts plum paste (it didn’t say specifically but my assumption is umeboshi paste)

The craziest historic ingredient, and which this recipe didn’t include... rye ergot!!! That’s a fungus that grows on rye and is similar to LSD mixed with poison!

Directions
1. Use a mortar and pestle to grind ingredients finely.
2. Mix the dry ingredients with the plum paste proportionately until evenly mixed.
3. Divide equally into balls. Allow to sun dry.
4. Packed balls will last your mission. One ball shall ward off thirst for 45 days or more.

Kikatsugan — this recipe is from the Rodanshu (published 1846) so it’s hundreds of years after the ninja and possibly is actually a Chinese military recipe instead of Japanese soldier-farming traditional recipe.

Ingredients
Hakurogan (aka, Chinese fountain grass)
2 lb glutenous rice
2 lb rice
3 tsp Lotus Pips
3 tsp Japanese Yam
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp Coix seed
3 tsp ginseng
2 lbs sugar

Directions
Mix with water and kneed well and steam in a basket steamer. Make small balls and consume five to seven of these a day.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

And for all good ninja's when the day's sneaking around and hanging off ceilings is done, here's a sweet, tangy fish dish I'm sure they'd appreciate...

Cabayaki-Style Catfish

Ingredients:
2 Basa catfish fillets (can be found in most Asian supermarkets in the frozen food section, in Iceland and Morrisons in the UK, or use firm, well-flavored white fish like Haddock, Hake, Plaice, or be adventurous and use fresh Mackerel!)
Sea salt (use half for table salt, it’s very intense)
Freshly ground black pepper
1½ tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour)
1½ tbsp Canola or vegetable oil (Don’t use flavoured oil like olive or groundnut oil)
2 scallions
2 bowls cooked Japanese short-grain rice (Sushi rice, or American short grain if you can’t find specifically Sushi rice)
1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
Japanese sansho pepper

Seasonings:
3 tbsp Kikkoman light soy sauce
2 tbsp Mirin rice wine
2 tbsp sake
1 tbsp sugar

Method:
Cut the fish filet in half. Season both sides of the fish fillets with salt and black pepper.

Coat the fillets with 1½ tbsp. all-purpose flour. Gently shake off excess flour.

Heat 1½ tbsp. vegetable oil in the frying pan. Keep to a medium heat; you don’t want to fry your fish into oblivion!

Cook both sides of the fillet until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes each side.

Whisk 2 tbsp sake, 2 tbsp Mirin, 3 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tbsp sugar together in a small bowl.

Pour the sauce over the fish. Using a spoon, scoop some sauce and pour over the fish several times, basting the fish thoroughly. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.

Thinly slice the scallions and sprinkle over the fish. Turn off the heat and serve the fish over steamed rice. Drizzle the sauce over the fish. Sprinkle the finished dish with the sesame seeds and sansho pepper if you like.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Winter warmer dessert, my husband's go-to comfort pudding, and a joy to eat hot on a cold evening, or cold with a chilled drink and ice cream on a warm Summer night

Classic Apple & Blackberry Crumble

Ingredients:
3 large Bramley apples (or similar cooking apple) peeled, cored, halved, and sliced.
2 Eating apples (Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Royal Gala, Braeburn etc) peeled, cored, halved and sliced
Toss all the apple in lemon juice to prevent browning
300g blackberries 300g
½ lemon, juiced
150g golden caster sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp Demerara sugar 2 tbsp

Crumble Topping:
350g plain flour
175 salted butter, chilled and diced
100g golden caster sugar


Method:
To make the crumble, put the flour in a bowl and rub the butter through the flour cube by cube, until all the butter is rubbed into the flour, and the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Sift in the sugar and a big pinch of salt and mix it through by hand.

Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.

Toss the apples with the blackberries, lemon juice, golden caster sugar and cinnamon.
Put in a large ovenproof dish and scatter over the crumble mix, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle over the Demerara sugar

Bake for 50 minutes or until golden on top and the sauce is bubbling up around the edges.

Leave to rest out of the oven for 10 minutes or so, then serve. This dessert works well with both custard or ice cream.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Alabama Apple Charlotte

Apple Charlotte, Alabama-style

This is very similar to the classic English ‘Summer Pudding’, the only difference is that the English Summer Pudding is not baked, rather the fruit filling and pressure are used to mold and shape the bread outer case. This is a baked version, but the construction is essentially the same.

Ingredients:
6 lbs. firm non-juicy apples (Golden Delicious are always reliably sweet, but English Bramley apples add a nice tartness if that’s more preferable)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup dark rum
3 tablespoons butter
10 to 12 slices of homemade type white bread, 4 inches square and ¼ inch thick
1 cup clarified butter
½ cup apricot preserves, forced through a sieve

Glaze:
3 tablespoons dark rum
¼ cup strained apricot preserves
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Optional: 2 cups crème anglaise (English custard sauce) or 2 cups lightly whipped cream flavored with rum and powdered sugar

Essential Equipment
A heavy-bottomed stainless or enameled pan, 12 inches across
A wooden spoon
A 6-cup, fireproof, non-stick cylindrical mold, or large Victorian round fluted jelly mold to make a fancier-shaped Charlotte, about 3½ inches high, or a well-buttered classic pudding bowl.
A pan
A serving platter


Method:
Quarter, peel, and core the apples. Slice them roughly into 1/8-inch pieces. You should have about 4 quarts. Place in pan, cover, and cook over very low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Do not let stick or burn!

Uncover and beat in the apricot preserves, sugar, vanilla, rum, and butter. Raise heat and boil, stirring almost continuously until water content has all but evaporated - 20 minutes or more. The purée should be a very thick and fairly stiff paste which holds itself in a solid mass in the spoon.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove crusts from the bread. Cut a square and 4 semicircles of bread to fit the bottom of the mold exactly. Sauté to a very light golden color in 3 or 4 tablespoons of the clarified butter. Fit them into the bottom of the mold. Cut the rest of the bread into strips 1¼ inches wide. Dip in clarified butter and fit them, upright, overlapping each other, around the inner circumference of the mold. Trim off protruding ends.

Pack the apple purée into the mold, allowing it to form a dome about ¾ inch high in the middle. (It will sink as it cools.) Cover with 4 or 5 butter-dipped bread strips. Pour any remaining clarified butter over the ends of the bread around the edges of the mold. Place a Pyrex or other ovenproof plate or other light weight on top to apply light pressure and keep the surface level and the Charlotte pressed into the mold.

Set in a pan (to catch butter drippings) and bake in middle level of preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Slip a knife between bread and sides of mold; if bread is golden brown, the charlotte is done. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes. Upend the mold on a serving platter and lift the mold up a few inches to see if the sides of the dessert will hold. If there is any suggestion of collapse, lower the mold over the dessert again; it will firm up as it cools. Test after 5 minutes or so, until the mold can safely be removed.

Boil the apricot, rum, and sugar until thick and sticky. Spread/pour it over the charlotte. Serve the dessert hot, warm, or cold, with the optional sauce, with cream, or with ice cream

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

My neighbor just gave me a pair of fresh ducks, so instead of just a boring crispy-roasted duck with roasted root vegetables, I'm making an English Edwardian classic, Duck with Orange Sauce (Canard à l'Orange.)

Traditional Duck in Orange Sauce

Ingredients:
1 whole duck 4 – 6 lbs
3 oranges
2 onions peeled
1 stick celery, chopped
2 heaped tablespoons cornstarch
1 bay leaf
salt
pepper

Method:

Make the stock:
Put the giblets to simmer in 1 pint water with one of the onions, the celery, bay leaf, and some salt and pepper. If the duck has no giblets (check inside, some butchers and purveyors bag them up in the body cavity) then crumble 1 chicken bouillon cube with a small sprig of thyme and a pinch of dried mixed herbs in with the other stock ingredients.

Quarter the other onion and one of the oranges and place them inside the inside the body cavity of the duck. This will ensure sufficient steam inside the body cavity to ensure the duck is cooked all the way through.

Roasting the Duck:
Cook the duck on a wire rack in a roasting tin at 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6
for a 5-6lb duck allow 15 minutes per lb and an extra 15 minutes at the end of cooking
for a 4lb duck 20 minutes per lb and an extra 20 minutes at the end of cooking

Making the orange sauce:
Zest the two remaining oranges, slice and put them in a pan with ½pint water. Reserve the zest.

Bring the oranges to the boil, take off the heat and stand for about 30 minutes to let the flavor develop, then rub and strain through a metal sieve or Chinois conical strainer into a steel saucepan.

Add the giblet stock to make the orange liquid up to 1½ pints and bring back to a simmer, and allow to reduce by 1/3, then add the reserved zest.

Blend the cornflour with a little cooked fat from the duck and whisk into the 1½ pints of liquid, keeping the sauce moving to prevent lumps forming. Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring constantly with a balloon whisk for about 4 minutes.

Serving Suggestion:
Take the orange and onion out of the duck and discard, serve the duck on a warmed carving platter, with the sauce in a warmed sauce-boat. Serve with fluffy salted boiled potatoes, puréed chestnuts (canned are fine), steamed and buttered baby carrots, and buttered minted green peas.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

The hot weather is here, and so it's time to make my favorite dish, ice cream. My family prefers ice cream rippled with interesting fruit coulis sauces, so here's a simple ice cream recipe and some different coulis and caramel recipes.

Ice Cream Rippled With Fruit Coulis or Maple Bourbon Caramel

Method:

Ingredients for Vanilla Ice Cream Custard:
200ml/7fl oz milk
200ml/7fl oz double cream
6 free-range egg yolks
75g/3oz caster sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Essence, or 1 Vanilla pod, split, and scraped into the mix

Method:
Place the milk and cream into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Place the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and whisk together until light and frothy.

Pour the hot milk onto the eggs, a little at a time, stirring well all the time, and add the vanilla. Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring with a wooden spatula, until just thickened, and coats the back of a spoon.

Chill the custard in a bowl with a tight cling-film cover to prevent a skin forming, then whisk briskly with an electric whisk to aerate the mix, spoon into a freezer tray and freeze until just beginning to solidify, take out and stir with a fork, liberally stir in caramel sauce or raspberry, pineapple, gooseberry, or strawberry coulis at the part-frozen stage, but don’t over-mix, just swirl it through, then continue freezing until frozen through

Pineapple Coulis:
340g/12oz chopped pineapple
2 tsp Caster Sugar

Heat a non-stick pan. Add pineapple, 2 teaspoons castor sugar, mix well and cook for 15-20 minutes or till the pineapple turns soft and pulpy. Switch off heat and hand-beat using a stick mixer or pulse blend the pineapple until the large chunks of fruit have broken down, and let cool to room temperature, stir in as above.

Raspberry Coulis
250g raspberries
1 tbsp icing sugar
1/2 lemon juice only or to taste

Put all the coulis ingredients into a frying pan and heat until the raspberries start to break down.
Transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth, then pass through a sieve to remove the pips.
Set aside until ready to ripple into the ice-cream, or you can serve it as a sauce with cakes or pancakes and cream.

Strawberry Coulis
2 tbsp water
1 heaped tbsp caster sugar
300g (10oz strawberries, halved
1 tsp vanilla paste (optional)

Bring the water and caster sugar to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Add the strawberries and vanilla (if using) and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until soft.
Purée or force the pulp through a sieve or Chinois and whip the mixture until smooth
Store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Can also be served as a sauce with ice cream or pancakes.

Gooseberry Coulis
150g gooseberries, topped & tailed
55g Caster sugar
60ml water

Place gooseberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook until sugar has melted, the fruit has broken down, and the mixture is a little thick. If required, use a stick blender to break down the fruit further. Let cool completely before using.

Maple Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup cold butter
1 teaspoon flaked sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
2 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 Tablespoon bourbon (or Buffalo Trace White Dog Kentucky Moonshine)

Method:
Add butter to a large bowl. Sprinkle flaked sea salt over the butter. Put a steel sieve over the butter.

Heat the cream in the microwave for a minute and a half. Set aside.

Add sugar and water to a heavy bottomed steel or enamel saucepan, not aluminum

Bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Do not stir it.

It will turn amber, golden brown. It takes a few minutes. When it starts to happen, it happens quickly. This step is crucial, so watch it carefully else it will catch and burn

When the sugar reaches the desired color, slowly whisk in the HOT cream. If the cream is cold, it will seize and bubble all over the place and just make an unrecoverable mess.

If the cream is hot, it will still bubble but it will whisk in and come together. Turn off the heat and whisk until combined.

Pour the VERY HOT caramel into the sieve over the butter.

The butter will cool down the sugar and melt. Let it stand for a few minutes, then whisk until it all comes together.

Add 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup to 2 Tablespoons of bourbon. Whisk in the vanilla, bourbon, and maple until smooth and combined. Swirl through partially set ice cream and return to the freezer (or pour over ice cream and serve)

Mango Coulis:
225g (½ lb) peeled and chopped fresh ripe mangoes. Don’t be tempted to use canned mango pulp, it has a distinctly metallic overtone from the canning process.
110g (¼ lb) pineapple chunks, drained
2 tbsp icing sugar
4 tbsp pineapple juice
1/2 lemon juice only or to taste

Put the mango chunks, pineapple, pineapple juice, powdered sugar, and lemon juice into a frying pan or heavy skillet and heat moderately (don’t boil!) until the mango start to break down.
Transfer to a food processor and pulse blend until combined, but not too smooth; you want some small fruit pieces to remain to add texture and interest to the ice cream
Set aside until ready to ripple into the ice-cream, or you can serve it as a sauce with cakes or pancakes and cream.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Bugger anything else, I'm making the caramel sauce!

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

New Orleans Heavenly Hash Rocky Road Candy, and Cajun Hot Cinnamon Hard Candy

Something sweet and decadent for you, Russ, some tastes of home, and great for kids of all ages (including the occasional husband)

New Orleans Heavenly Hash
(Rocky Road Candy Squares)

Ingredients:
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 cup (240ml) evaporated milk
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
¾ lb (340g) semi-sweet chocolate (preferably 58%-61 % cacao), finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups (225g) toasted pecan pieces (or roughly chopped walnuts, or, if nut allergy is an issue, use roughly chopped stoned dates or plump sultanas)
1½ cups (210g) mini marshmallows

Method:
Lightly coat an 8-inch-square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place a 10-inch-square piece of parchment paper in the baking dish, coat with nonstick cooking spray, and set the dish aside.

Bring the sugar, evaporated milk, and corn syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the syrup reaches 220°F (it will have a foam of finely textured bubbles on top like the foam on a beer), about 8 minutes.

Turn off the heat and whisk in the chocolate, vanilla, and salt until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Let it cool for 3 minutes (you shouldn’t feel any heat if you touch a dab to the bottom of your lip) and then stir in the pecans/walnuts/dates/sultanas and mini-marshmallows until combined.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread it into a some-what even layer using a rubber spatula (it’s okay if it’s a little bumpy and rustic). Tap the pan on your work surface a couple of times to compact, and then cover flush with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Place a deep bowl or pitcher of hot water next to your work surface. Invert the chocolate onto a cutting board and carefully remove the parchment paper. Dip a chef’s knife or pizza wheel into the hot water and cut the bar into 2-inch squares. Place the heavenly hash in paper candy cups, wrap in decorative foil, or arrange on a serving platter and refrigerate. Let the candies sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

*
Maw-Maw Louisianne’s Cajun Hot Cinnamon Hard Candy

Ingredients:
Powdered sugar or cornstarch
750g granulated white sugar
350 ml light corn syrup
240 ml water
5 ml cinnamon oil
¼ level Tsp (or less, if you don’t want too much bite) Red Chilli powder. Don’t use the smoked kind, it’ll taste really weird!
Red food coloring, several drops

Required:
Double Boiler
Candy Thermometer

(How to make Cinnamon Oil if the local health-food places don’t have the edible kind; DON’T USE THE AROMATHERAPY VERSION, IT IS NOT EDIBLE!!!)

Heat ½ pint of olive or pure sunflower oil in a double boiler using medium-high heat. Don’t use corn, groundnut, walnut, or sesame oil, they all have a very distinctive taste that doesn’t work with cinnamon

Add at least 4 cinnamon sticks or a slack handful of flakes and stir to mix with the oil.
Let it infuse for at least ½ hour, then remove, cover, and let cool.

After the oil has cooled enough, strain the now infused cinnamon oil using a fine-mesh strainer lined with a coarse coffee filter. Discard the cinnamon.

Pour the strained cinnamon oil into a boiled and sterilized airtight jar or bottle.

This method also works for lavender (not for consumption, as an aromatherapy or room freshener only), mint, peppermint, sage, Myrtle, Rosemary, Bergamot, and all other citrus fruit rind with the white pith carefully removed so the oil-bearing cells in the rind proper are not damaged and the aromatic oils are not lost.

Directions:

Place an 18x24-inch strip of heavy duty foil in a deep, square baking tray and dust thoroughly with powdered sugar. Turn up the edges of the foil and crimp them together to form a flat ‘basket’.

Mix the sugar, chilli powder, corn syrup and water in a large, heavy saucepan, and stir on medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

Bring to the boil, and keep boiling, without stirring, to hard crack stage on a candy thermometer.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cinnamon oil and red food color.

Pour onto the foil, let it cool until cold to the touch, score the surface into squares or a diamond pattern with a sharp, heavy knife before the candy has set fully hard, and then carefully and gently break into pieces using the sharpedge of a long, heavy knife, gently tapping the back of the blade with a lightweight wooden mallet once it’s completely set (don’t go hammering it like it’s unbreakable, otherwise it’s likely to shatter like glass and shoot off around the kitchen…)

This basic hard candy works just as well with Lemon, Orange, or peppermint

 

[Handley_Page]

The 21st was "International Tea Day".
Sadly, the journo who wrote this did not understand the beverage!

 

[Rustyoznail]

The 21st was "International Tea Day".
Sadly, the journo who wrote this did not understand the beverage!

Heathen.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Here's a nice cake for you to nibble with your tea, Russ:

Victorian Madeira Cake

Ingredients:
175g Butter, at room temp
175g Caster sugar
3 large Eggs/4 small eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
220g Self Raising Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
150g glacé Cherries

Method:
Pre-Heat the oven to Gas 4/180C/350F

Butter a 9” Spring-Form cake pan, or butter and line a 2lb/900g loaf tin - use pleated loaf liners if you can find them, otherwise use baking parchment, and if you want to make more than one, just double-up on the ingredients.

Wash the Glace Cherries, pat them dry with kitchen towels and then roll them lightly in self raising flour to prevent them sinking

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy with a hand mixer, or use a stand-mixer.

Add one egg at a time beating well, don’t worry if it curdles a little just keep beating and add a tablespoon of flour.

Add the Vanilla extract

Add the baking powder and gradually add the flour, beat until the cake batter is smooth and light

Finally tip in the flour-rolled cherries and fold them through with a wooden spoon or a spatula, don’t beat them in, you’ll lose all the air the mixing put into the batter

Pour the mix into the cake or loaf pan, smooth the top and bake on the middle shelf for approx. 1 hour – watch the top, and make sure it doesn’t burn – if it browns too quickly pop a piece of foil loosely over the top

Test with a skewer – if it comes out clean it’s baked

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack

 

[MagicaPractica]

Apple Crisp

This particular recipe is vegan – dairy free and gluten free. The topping is crisp instead of crumbly but the apples are juicy and it’s every bit as delicious as a traditional apple crisp. If maple syrup is hard to find, I would try combining golden syrup with 1/4 teaspoon of maple flavored extract, or try maple flavored pancake syrup.

Ingredients

4 large or 6 medium tart baking apples, such as Granny Smith or Spye
½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
½ cup brown rice flour (Most other types of flour work just fine.)
½ cup oats, quick or old-fashioned
1/3 cup light olive oil
2/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

1. Toast the pecans and allow to cool. (Generally, just a few minutes on 350 degrees in a regular oven or in a hot skillet, stirring periodically.)
2. Preheat your oven to 375.
3. Spray or grease a deep 9 by 9 glass pan or a pie plate.
4. Peel, core, quarter, and slice the apples into ¼ inch thick slices, dropping into the prepared dish as you work.
5. Break or roughly chop up the toasted and cooled pecans.
6. Mix together the dry ingredients then stir in the olive oil and maple syrup. (Hint, use a third cup measuring cup for the oil then just use it twice for the maple syrup and the maple syrup will pour out far easier than from a dry cup.)
7. Stir the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and spoon over the apple slices.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.
9. Allow to cool, at least a little, and enjoy!

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Something a little different for dessert, good for Summer indulgence, and a treat for the family any time. I found this in my husband's great-great grandmother's kitchen book, it was apparently very popular in the days of 'La Belle Epoque'.

Edwardian Champagne and Primrose/Elderflower jelly

Ingredients:
Gelatin (powdered or leaf - follow instructions for setting 3 pints/1.5 litres)
2 pints/1 litre water
1 orange
2 lemons
9oz/255g sugar
8 fl oz/200ml sherry
16 fl oz/400ml Champagne (any Champagne, sparkling medium sweet white, or Prosecco, top shelf is not compulsory!)
2 Packets of candied orange and lemon slices (optional)
half a cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 whites of eggs and their shells
24 primrose flowers (or Elder Flowers or Nasturtiums if in season)

Method:

Soak the gelatin in a glass of the water.

Put the rest of the water, along with the juice and zest of the orange and lemons, and all the other ingredients (apart from egg whites and shells and flowers) in a large pan over a low heat.

Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the soaked gelatin and water and stir to dissolve that too.

Lightly whisk the egg whites, crush the shell and add. Stir occasionally until the liquid comes to the boil.

Remove from the heat and strain through a clean wetted white cotton cloth or jelly bag. (The egg white and shell treatment is not essential, but it will make the jelly crystal clear.)

Pour about a quarter of the jelly into a suitably dashing Edwardian or Victorian-style jelly mold (or a suitably-sized decorative glass bowl). Place in the fridge until lightly set.

Arrange a ring of your chosen flowers, open petals down, on the surface of the jelly, pressing lightly so they stick to the tacky surface. If using them, lightly press a pattern of candied orange and lemon slices into the surface of the part-set jelly.

Carefully pour over the next quarter of the unset jelly, and put the mold back into the fridge.

Continue in this way, creating three or four rings of flowers and candied orange and lemon slices (if you chose to use them) set into the jelly.

To unmold the jelly, dip the mold or glas bowl for just a few seconds in hot water, place your chosen serving dish over the top, flip it over with a little shake, and lift off the mold.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Chinese Restaurant-Style Coconut Milk Pudding

Ingredients:
200 ml coconut milk
375 ml whole milk
90 gm white sugar
20 gm gelatine powder
1 tbsp finely grated coconut (for sprinkling)


Method:
Use a deep pot, cook coconut milk, milk and sugar over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. You don’t need to bring it to a boil, just heat enough to help dissolve the sugar.

Remove the pot from the heat.

Sprinkle the gelatine powder into the coconut milk mixture and stir to combine well. Make sure the gelatine powder is completely dissolved.

Pour the mixture through a fine sieve. Pour into jelly moulds evenly, or a single square stainless-steel oven dish.

Chill in fridge for at least 3 hours, or until it’s set.

Sprinkle with grated coconut, slice and serve with chilled sliced peaches in heavy syrup, with a large dollop of pineapple or Coconut/Macapuno ice-cream

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Steamed Pork & Shrimp Siao Mai Dumplings

Ingredients:
1/4 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 pound bonesless pork, such as shoulder, cut into large cubes
2 ounces pork fat, such as fatback or fatty belly, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh peeled ginger
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 package extra-thin wonton wrappers or regular wonton wrappers
1 small carrot, finely chopped

Directions:
In a clean bowl, cover the shrimp with cold water and stir in the baking soda. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Drain and rinse shrimp under cold running water, then pat dry with paper towels.

Place the shrimp in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer the chopped shrimp to a large mixing bowl. Add the pork and pork fat to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer the minced pork to the bowl with the shrimp.

Add white pepper, salt, cornstarch, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, olive oil, ginger, and sugar to the pork and shrimp, and mix well until thoroughly combined. Set the filling aside in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (preferably overnight).

To wrap the siu mai, place 1 wonton wrapper in the palm of your hand. Put about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Bring two opposite corners towards each other, and press gently to adhere them to filling. Repeat with remaining 2 corners to form a little cup around the filling, gently pinching the corners to hold wrapper in place. Place a little piece of the chopped carrot on top in the center, and transfer to a plate. Continue wrapping the remaining siao mai. The siao mai can be frozen now (see note) or cooked.

To steam, line your steamer basket or tray with parchment paper (Romaine lettuce leaves also work). Pour enough water into your steaming pot or wok so that the water is about 1 inch below the bottom of the steamer basket or tray. Bring to the boil.

Arrange siao mai in the steamer tray, don't crowd them, leave enough room around each one and steam in batches if necessary. Steam fresh siu mai until they're cooked through, about 7-8 minutes.

Transfer to a plate and serve.