Skillet Fried Corn Bread

Damn, I love the taste of corn. But what's better than corn? Yes, bacon. And what is better than bacon? Corn AND bacon. Let's do this:

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Combine in a medium sized mixing bowl

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-3 tbsp sugar (I use 2 tbsp)

and blend until the flour and cornmeal have completely mixed together. In a small bowl, melt

4 tbsp butter

but be sure the butter is cool enough to beat in

2 eggs

without cooking them in the heat of the butter. Beat them well, then add

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp milk

and blend them all together. Before adding the wet and dry ingredients, fry up

6-8 strips of bacon (as much as you want, really)

in an 8'' cast-iron skillet. Drain all but 2 tbsp of grease from the pan after cooking. Add the wet ingredients, chopped up bacon, and

3/4 cup grated sharp cheese (cheddar, for example)

to the flour mixture. Mix everything together with as few strokes as possible. Drop this batter into the cast-iron pan, spreading it to the edges roughly evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top begins to brown.

Serve this right away, bringing the whole skillet right to the table and taking slices out with a pastry spatula or a dull knife. If you're not serving this right away (not recommended) then remove from the oven and let sit in the skillet for a few minutes until it can be removed to a cooling rack. Only leave it on the cooling rack for a short time: we want to let some moisture escape so that the crispy crust doesn't become soggy, but we still want the bread to be moist. Return the bread to a plate after cooling and serve.

Beef Tacos

Often I crave corn tortillas. This recipe is essentially an excuse to eat them. The proportions in this kind of recipe are extremely flexible -- you can double or half anything you like, but my approximate favourite is given below.

Makes about 12 6'' tortillas.

Brown in a skillet on medium heat

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (or chicken, pork, vegetarian substitute)

You want the meat to be very dark, beginning to stick to the pan when you add

14-19 oz black beans

Stirring gently and scraping the bottom of the pan as the moisture from the beans hits the meat. Add your favourite spices and herbs. I usually go after

1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili flakes
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric

but you can use whatever flavour combination you crave. Let this mixture stew until it begins to approach the consistency of tomato paste. Meanwhile, saute in a separate skillet

1 large onion
1 large red bell pepper

Once the onions are golden but not soft, remove from heat to prevent overcooking. Now stuff
corn tortillas with the meat mixture and the vegetables, topping with

grated cheddar cheese
a spoonful of sour cream

Stuff your corn tortillas while they are hot, frying or baking them at high temperature if necessary.

Basic Brownies

I can whip this together in 5 minutes with 25 minutes of baking time. Fastest. Dessert. Ever. This batter can also be poured into small custard dishes and baked at a much higher temperature to produce 'molten brownies.'

Preheat oven to 350F, positioning a rack in the middle of the oven. Combine in a large bowl:

1 cup flour
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder

Then, mix thoroughly in a separate bowl

3/4 cup butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, optionally adding

1 cup chopped nuts

Mix until all ingredients are combined, about 25 strokes. The mixture will have the appearance of chocolate icing. Pour into a greased and floured 9'' square pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top begins to darken and a toothpick, when removed, comes out clean.

Flaky Pastry Dough

Mix in a large bowl

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp white sugar
1 tsp salt

Add

1 cup solid vegetable shortening, or 1/2 C shortening and 8 tbsp cold unsalted butter

Break shortening into large chunks; if using butter, cut it into small pieces, then add it to the flour mixture. Cut the fat into the dry ingredients by chopping vigorously with a pastry blender or 2 knives, one held in each hand. The mixture should seem dry and powdery and not pasty or greasy. Drizzle over the flour mixture

1/3 cup plus one tbsp ice water

Cut the mixture with a spatula until it looks evenly moistened and begins to form small balls. Press down on the dough with the flat side of the spatula. If the balls of dough stick together, you have added enough water; if they do not, drizzle over the top

1 to 2 tbsp ice water

Cut this water in as before. The dough should look rough, not smooth. Divide the dough in half, press each half into a round, flat disk, and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and preferably for several hours, or for up to 2 days before rolling.

Oatmeal Casserole Bread

1¾ c boiling water
¾ c cooking oats
¼ c molasses
1½ tsp salt
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp sugar
½ c warm water
1 pkg instant dry yeast
4 c flour

Pour boiling water over oats in large mixer bowl. Stir in molasses, salt, oil and sugar. Cool to lukewarm. Combine yeast and 1½ cups flour. Add to oat mixture along with ½ cup warm water. Beat on low speed of electric mixer for ½ minute, then on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping sides of bowl often. Stir in by hand the remaining 2½ cups flour until thoroughly blended. Cover with greased wax paper and tea towel. Let rise in warm place until doubled (45-60 minutes). Beat 25 strokes with wooden spoon. Dough will be sticky. Grease a 2 quart casserole or 9" x 5" loaf pan. Sprinkle oats lightly on bottom and sides of pan. Place dough in pan and sprinkle oats lightly on top, pressing down gently. Cover with tea towel and let rise in warm place until dough is 1" above top of pan (30 minutes). Bake in 350 F oven for 35-45 minutes. If necessary, cover loaf with foil for last 10 minutes to prevent over browning of crust.


Note: Casserole bread stays moist and makes wonderful toast. This is the bread I used to make when I made home baked beans. So easy to make and delicious to eat.

Stew Dumplings

I love dumplings. It's like putting little tea biscuits into whatever saucy dish you're making. That's right, I'm suggesting that these could extend beyond stew, right into curries or thick soups. Oh yes, it can be done.

1½ cups all purpose flour (210gm)
3/4 tsp salt (4ml)
2 tsp baking powder (10ml)
1/4 cup margarine or butter (63gm)
3/4 cup milk (180ml)

Mix the dry ingredients and cut in the butter with a pastry cutter. Mix in the milk to form the dough and separate into many (12ish) small balls. Nest the balls into the stew carefully and let them sit for about eight minutes on a low simmer. You can even crisp the tops of the dumplings by placing your (ovenproof) dish under the broiler for a few seconds.

Baguette Mini Pizzas

Quick appetizer with a massive taste overload. Pepper salami and garlic dominate the palate. Delicious.

Makes 8 mini pizzas.

8 slices of baguette of thickness 3/4 inch (~1.5 cm)
1/2 c seasoned tomato sauce (see below)
pepper salami, very thinly sliced
1 c baby spinach leaves, chopped
1 c cheddar cheese

The seasoned tomato sauce is just a canned tomato sauce with dried spices added to taste. I recommend the following (rough) guideline:

1/2 c tomato sauce
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp oregano
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp chili flakes
pinch of salt, pepper

Smear the sauce evenly over the baguette slices, topping each with a slice or two of pepper salami. Add a little spinach, top with cheese and broil on high for 2 minutes, just until the cheese begins to bubble.

Butternut Squash Soup

This soup is sweet and rich. Apples and squash are a great combo and here we show how easily one can exploit their delights.

Serves 4 to 6.

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into small cubes
2 gala apples, peeled, cored, chopped
2 c vegetable stock
1 c half-and-half (10% m.f. cream)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a large saucepan, brown the onions in the butter until golden. Add the squash and apples and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from burning to the bottom of the saucepan. Once the squash softens (yields to the stabbing of a fork), add the stock and bring to boil for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and purée the soup (I just use a hand-held blender right in the pot), then add the cream and season with nutmeg and cinnamon to taste. Bring soup back to serving temperature by heating on a low temperature. You can garnish this dish by serving the soup into bowls and adding a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of finely chopped chives or green onions.

Meatlover's Pesto Pizza

Use a basic pizza crust recipe (I like my Quick Pizza Crust recipe with basil added into the crust) and top with the following -- it will terrify you. Mix and match the quantities of meats as you please, and feel free to add crushed garlic after the pesto (if you're into that kind of thing.)

Makes 2 pizzas.

1/2 c pesto
100g capicola sausage (very thinly sliced)
100g smoked ham (very thinly sliced)
3 medium pork/beef sausages, removed from casings and fried
2 red bell peppers, roasted and coarsely chopped
1 c cheese, mozzarella and/or cheddar
100g (1/4 lb) back bacon (chopped, fried, and drained, but not crisp)

Split the ingredients between two pizzas, adding the toppings in the order shown above. The bacon on top will crisp under the heat of the oven.

Quick Pizza Crust

This dough is fast and versatile. Add more salt and herbs for savory pizzas or more sugar for sweet doughs.

Makes two 12'' crusts. Combine in a large food processor,

3 1/2 C flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp dried basil (optional)

Pulse for a few seconds. If you're using instant yeast, add one packet (2 1/4 tsp) to the dry ingredients above and pulse again. Otherwise, if you're using regular quick yeast, combine 3 1/2 tbsp yeast with the warm water below and let it sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine in a separate bowl

1 1/2 c warm water (approx 50°C)
2 tbsp olive oil

Add to dry ingredients gradually while running food processor. May need more or less water, depending on the humidity in your house. You do not want a sticky dough. Keep processing until the dough is smooth (2-4 minutes in the food processor). Remove the dough from processor and let rest for 10 minutes. Make into desired number of rounds. Add toppings. Let rise for about 10 minutes. Bake pizzas at 400 F for about 15 to 20 minutes. You'll get a crunchier crust if you bake the pizza on a wire cooling rack, but I prefer to make the crust on a cookie sheet with a liberal helping of olive oil underneath.
Note: Recipe can also be made by conventional method and hand kneading.

Crabmeat and Mushroom Bisque

When asked why this was a bisque and not a chowder, I could find no answer. The internet told me that chowders conventionally contain potatoes. This bowl of pure deliciousness does not, but I'm sure they could be added. Feel free to copy and paste this recipe into an email, add potatoes, and tell me how it worked for you.

The recipe originally came from an ancient McCall's recipe can, but I have added seafood and I sometimes drop the mushrooms if I'm not in the mood. Mom would kill me if she knew that.

Serves 4.

6 tbsp butter or margarine
4 tbsp finely chopped green onion
4 tbsp finely chopped green pepper
1 scallion, chopped
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 c thinly sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 c milk
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground mace
dash Tabasco
1 c half milk, half cream
1 1/2 c cooked crabmeat (or 12 oz frozen)
3 tbsp sherry
200g prawns, sliced in half (optional)
200g bay (small) scallops (optional)

In skillet, heat 4 tbsp butter. Add onion, green pepper, scallion, parsley and mushrooms; sauté until soft but not brown. Set aside. In large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp butter; remove from heat. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Stir in salt, pepper, mace and Tabasco. Add sautéed vegetables and half-and-half. Bring to boil, stirring. Reduce heat; add crabmeat; simmer, uncovered for 5 min.

Just before serving, stir in sherry, scallops, and prawns -- once the prawns have curled from heat, the bisque is ready.

Lamb Pita

Achieving an intense flavour is the goal and the means is sweet, succulent lamb. Find it fresh so that you needn't overcook it in order to kill bacteria (you can still see some pink flesh in my photo). Any assortment of your favourite vegetables will do, and any sauce can be added.

Serves two (one chop per person)

4 small pitas
2 lamb chops (each the size of your palm)
1 small onion, sliced into long, thin pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
cucumber, quartered and sliced
green peppers, sliced
tomatoes, diced
200g feta cheese, crumbled

Rub the lamb chops with some salt and any desired spice (I prefer just salt -- the flavour of lamb is pungent and stands well alone). Heat a medium skillet to extreme temperature, then quickly add one tbsp of olive oil and drop in the lamb chops, searing one side and flipping after a minute or two and searing the other side for 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to low, remove the lamb to a cutting board and add the onions to the pan with a tablespoon of water. Remove any bones from the lamb and chop it into slices, ready for stuffing into the pita.

Now is a good time to heat your pitas if you like them warm: a 350 F oven for 4 minutes will do the trick, but a microwave makes a quick (albeit slightly tougher) substitute.

Once the onions have been sautéed and are beginning to soften, remove them from the pan and turn off your stove -- it's time to stuff the pitas and add your sauce of choice. A sharp tzatziki does nicely, or even a balsamic vinaigrette.

Sour Cream Apple Pie

This recipe will become a modified version from user 'vanillacustard' on BigOven.com.  A delicious upgrade on a classic, this is the best apple pie we've ever had.

3 tablespoons Unsalted butter softened
1/4 c + 2 tb Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 tablespoons All purpose flour
1 1/3 cups Sour cream
2/3 cup Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 large Eggs
3 tablespoons All purpose flour
5 large Granny Smith apples
1 packaged Pie crust

Instructions for Sour Cream Apple Pie
Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface, fit it into a 10-inch (6-cup capacity) pie plate, and flute the edge decoratively. Chill the shell while making the topping and the filling.

Make the topping:
In a small bowl blend together the butter, the sugar, the cinnamon, and the flour until the mixture is combined well and chill the topping, covered, while making the filling.  THIS TOPPING COULD USE SOME OATS LIKE APPLE CRISP

Make the filling:
In a large bowl whisk together the sour cream, the sugar, the salt, the vanilla, the eggs, and the flour until the mixture is smooth, add the apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin, and stir the filling until it is combined well.

Spoon the filling into the chilled shell, smoothing the top, and crumble the topping evenly over it. Bake the pie in the middle of a preheated 350F oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until it is golden and the apples are tender, transfer it to a rack, and let it cool completely.

Banana Bran Muffins

This is from the box of Quaker natural wheat bran. They're wholesome, not too sweet, and very satisfying. We substituted raisins for banana: roommate Clay agrees that the "bananas are key."

Makes 12 muffins

1/4 c shortening
1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 c molasses
2 eggs, beaten
1 c milk
1 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c wheat bran
1/2 c chopped banana (or raisins, or a combo)

Cream shortening and sugar together. Add molasses and eggs and beat together well. Add milk, and then bran. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt together. Add to liquid ingredients. Add raisins, if desired. Place in greased muffin pans. Bake in 400 F oven for 18 to 20 minutes.

Ginger Rice Condiment

I thank Lynne Semple for this nugget. It has essentially no nutritional value, but it turns plain California rose rice into a magical ginger-enhanced dream. It was also excellent with unseasoned chicken thighs which Lynne served boiled, or broth soups. I make this stuff in huge batches, so scale this recipe as your heart desires -- you only need a teaspoon for a bowl of rice.

Makes 1/4 cup

3 tbsp peanut oil
1/2 c green onion, chopped fine
1/4 c fresh ginger, chopped fine
2 tsp salt

Add the oil, onion, and ginger to a small pot and cook on medium-low for 15 minutes. Add the salt once the mixture has reduced, lowering the heat and simmering for another 15 minutes. It should taste really salty, but the ginger flavour will have noticeably mellowed.

Char Sushi Nigiri

The price of fish on the Pacific coast reminds the East-coaster that he should be eating lobster every day. But, no matter how expensive the fish is, quality cannot be sacrificed for good sushi.

Makes 2 rolls.

1/2 c california rose rice (sushi rice)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar (or cider vinegar)
2 sheets nori (seaweed paper)
1/2 ripe avacado, sliced finely
1 small filet fresh arctic char

Cook the sushi rice and spread it out onto a cookie sheet to cool. Mix together the salt, sugar, and vinegar and drip it onto the sushi rice, mixing only slightly. Once the rice is cooled, apply a thin layer of the rice to the nori and lay down long, thin slices of the avacado and char. Roll the sushi and refrigerate until cool. Serve with wasabi and some Japanese soy sauce. I love this stuff.

Shitake Meatballs

Meatballs are incredibly versatile. Every time I roll into a Chinese grocery, I buy some of the old favourites. The most recent trip ended with eight kilos of jasmine rice, a couple cans of unidentifiable fruit, and a bag of dried shitake mushrooms. This recipe is better with fresh mushrooms, but the dried did the trick on a whim.

Makes about 24 small meatballs

10 small/medium shitake mushrooms (or 6 large) hydrated and chopped fine
1 1/2 lbs ground meat (pork and beef are best)
2 eggs
3 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped fine
2 tsp salt

1/4 c soy sauce
2 tbsp flour
1/2 - 1 c water
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Mix the mushrooms, meat, eggs, ginger, and salt into a large bowl, combining the ingredients with your hands. Form them into small balls (3/4 inch diameter). Bring a large, heavy skillet to maximum heat (the surface of the pan should just begin to smoke) then instantly reduce the heat to medium, add 2 tbsp of oil (preferably peanut) and add enough balls to fill the pan without having them all touch (we need some space to flip each one). You want to sear one side of the ball with the intensely hot pan, then let the medium heat take over and cook it half through. Flip the balls once, increasing the heat if it seems that the ball is cooking through before the outside is dark brown. Remove the balls before they are cooked through and add the next batch until all of the balls are finished. If you're busy, just drizzle some soy sauce over them (about half of the 1/4 cup prescribed) and let them sit for a few minutes before serving with rice. Otherwise, I recommend making the sauce...

In a small bowl, combine the flour with a tsp of the soy, mixing until thick. Add a little more liquid, keep mixing. Repeat, ensuring that no lumps exist, until all of the soy is added. Increase the heat in the meatball skillet to maximum just until before the drippings from the balls begin to smoke: immediately add the soy and flour mixture, stirring vigorously and adding water as the sauce thickens. Reduce heat, add the crushed garlic and simmer. Serve over the balls on rice.

Lemon Garlic Hummus

Sara Lawlor never disappoints when entertaining, and this gem is no exception. This simple recipe gives those without a lot of creative drive a chance to experiment, since the quantities are not well defined. I've also left the recipe in the same form in which she first described it to me.

1 can chick peas
garlic, crushed
lemon juice (about a whole lemon)
tahini (or sesame oil)
olive oil

I just mash up a can of chickpeas, and then add crushed garlic to taste, lemon juice, and if you have seseme seed paste use a bit of that (it's called tahini, I think). I don't use tahini because it is expensive and I can't use the whole jar. Then add some olive oil, and if it is too thick add a bit of water, or more lemon juice. I have never actually used a recipe, but that's what I put in.

Tuna Sandwich

Sometimes you just can't beat a good ol' fashioned lunch from the 50's childhood. Clayton prescribes this serving for two:

1 small can tuna
1 1/2 tbsp real mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp relish
4 slices white bread, toasted

Mix the first three ingredients and slather them on the bread. Slice on the diagonal and serve with canned tomato soup -- the saltier the better. Proceed to dip the sandwich into the soup as you peruse the newspaper comics after school.

Basic French Toast

Thick slices of fresh french loaf make the difference. Play with the toppings if you'd like to coordinate other dishes into a common theme. If you're into cutting the fat, drop the half-and-half in favour of milk.

Makes 8 slices

2/3 c half-and-half (or milk)
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
8 slices french bread

Beat the half-and-half into the eggs with salt and vanilla. Put a skillet on medium heat and oil lightly if the pan is prone to sticking. Dredge each side of a couple slices of bread in the liquid and drop into the pan, turning once until each side is golden. Serve with anything you like on top, but I prefer one of

• butter and cinnamon sugar,
• bananas and cinnamon sugar,
• fresh berries and a dusting of icing sugar.

Lemon Dill Sauce

My roommate and I brought over company after salsa dancing and we were dying to eat some fish: as students, we hadn't had the opportunity often enough. Searched for a recipe for a nice lemon and dill cream sauce, but the Joy of Cooking just didn't provide. So we made this one instead.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 c half-and-half
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
1 tsp salt

Saute the onion in 1 tbsp of butter until transparent then remove to side dish. Melt 1 tbsp of the remaining butter and mix thoroughly in a small bowl with the flour. Slowly add a few tablespoons of half-and-half until the mixture is runny. Toss the last 1 tbsp of butter into the pan and add the flour mixture and dill. Bring to a medium heat in the pan, adding all of the remaining half-and-half until thickened. Finally, add the lemon juice and salt (to taste) and reduce the heat. The more time you give the sauce to sit in the pan, the richer the flavour of the dill.

Pineapple Bran Muffins

My roommate suggested that we carry on a tradition of 'muffin Sunday' in order to have a solid set of healthy, delicious snacks for the upcoming school week. Unfortunately, we opted to make this recipe: while these are very tasty, they are not particularly high in fiber.

Makes 12 muffins

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple in natural juice, undrained
1/2 cup chopped nuts, dates or raisins

In a mixing bowl, combine first seven ingredients. Make a well in the center. Combine the egg, oil, molasses, buttermilk and pineapple with juice. Pour into well; mix until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in nuts, dates or raisins. Fill 18 greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400°F for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Mango Chutney

A nice dollop goes well with the dahl -- that's how they serve it at the cafeteria in Victoria.

diced mint
onion
chili flakes
ground cumin
mango chutney (from a jar... make your own... just keep it really
plain with no other spices)

Dahl

This is a red lentil curry served in the University of Victoria student's center. The recipe comes from Greg King, a Physics master's student in 2007 who asked the elderly Indian woman (who regularly prepares the dish) for the secret concoction. It serves about 120 (or something like that), so I hope you're hungry.

Step 1:
4 cups red lentils
4 cups yellow split peas
17-18 cups water
4 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup salt

Soak lentils and peas overnight. Drain off the water. Combine
ingredients in a very large pot and simmer.

Step 2:
2 cups oil
4 finely diced onions
1/2 cup ginger root (chopped very finely)
1/4 cup minced fresh garlic

In a separate frying pan, saute the above 4 ingredients until the onions
are translucent. This will look a lot like deep frying. Add the
following spices:

3 tsp madras curry powder
2 tsp paprika
5 tsp crushed chillies

Stir it all around and cook it for a couple of minutes.

Step 3:
Add frying pan ingredients to the very large pot. You can then add some
cumin (not a ton) and some chopped cilantro. Let it simmer for a
while. Serve with mango chutney (see below).

Mocha Filling

This filling sandwiches the two layers in the Hazelnut Torte, but I bet it would be really tasty on (or stuffed into) any cake-like confectionery. Or poured directly on my finger. Either way, really.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups

2 tbsp butter or margarine
2 tbsp cocoa
½ c icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 tbsp hot strong coffee
1 c whipped cream

Cream together butter, cocoa and icing sugar. Blend in coffee and vanilla. Fold in the whipped cream. If preparing ahead, the first five ingredients can be mixed in and the whipped cream can be added just before preparation.

Hazelnut Torte

This recipe comes from mom. It's definitely a crowd pleaser and much simpler to prepare than you might think. It pairs up with the mocha filling -- scrumtralescent.

4 large eggs
¾ c sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 c hazelnuts
2½ tsp baking powder
1 c whipping cream

In blender or food processor, whirl eggs and sugar until thoroughly mixed. Add flour, baking powder, hazelnuts. Blend on high. Pour into 2 – 8" greased and floured layer pans. Bake at 350 F for about 20 min. (cake will be pulling away from sides of pan). Cool for 10 min. Remove from pans. Whip the cream, sweeten with 2 tbsp sugar. Make filling - cream together butter, cocoa, icing sugar. Add vanilla and coffee. Fold in 1 cup of whipped cream. Place one cake layer on cake plate. Cover with filling mixture. Place 2nd layer on top. Cover sides and top of cake with remaining whipped cream, reserving some cream to pipe 8-10 large rosettes on top. Insert a hazelnut into top of each rosette. Make chocolate curls and pile in centre of cake (optional). Filling recipe on back.

Rugelach

I picked this nugget from Susan Farrell in December of 2007. She invited me into her home while on a ritualistic return to Sackville, NB and introduced me to a small container with some poppyseed cookies and these little pastry-like morsels. Long story short, she left me alone in her apartment and, after a quick walk to the liquor store, I was soon filled with butterscotch liquor and a second container of Rugelach.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp salt
extra flour for rolling dough

FILLING
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup finely minced nuts
optional: 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, ground to a coarse meal in a blender

1) Use an electric mixer or a food processor (a few short bursts with the steel blade attachment) to mix the butter, cottage cheese, flour, and salt into a uniform dough. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, and make each one into a ball. If your kitchen is hot or humid, wrap and refrigerate each ball of dough for at least an hour before proceeding.

2) Preheat oven to 375 F.

3) Flour a clean, dry surface. Roll each ball of dough into as perfect as circle as possible, about 1/4 inch thick.

4) Sprinkle each circle with a quarter of the filling, distributing it as evenly can up to 1/2 inch of the rim.

5) Cut like so (circle divided like pizza into 8 slices) and roll each wedge from the outside edge of the circle toward the center.

6) Place the filled pastries on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool 10 minutes before eating.