Dijon Mustard

 Dijon Mustard will always be in my mind one of the luxury mustards. Maybe because we always had the bright yellow kind? I now buy both and use them equally, but when I saw this recipe I thought I would have to try it at least once. 

 It is very easy to make and you can vary the liquid used. I have ground mustard on hand as I use it in meatloaf and other recipes but had to buy white wine. What I ended up buying was a four pack of white wine so that I could open one bottle and not have a lot left over. I can’t see wasting champagne on mustard though that is what is in Dijon Mustard from France. 

 This will not need a water bath as it doesn’t make a lot at one time. One jar for you and two jars to give away. This gives you the chance to use some attractive jars you might have been saving. I put it in hot sterilized ½ pint jars. 

 The only warning here is not to lean over the wine and onion, garlic mixture when it is cooking. It really does a number on your eyes.

 The result was a creamy smooth mustard with a bite, no preservatives in it, and not a lot of work. 

Dijon Mustard

Yields about 2 half pints.

4 ounces dry powdered mustard (I used Pensey Spice)

½ cup water

2 cups white wine or flat champagne

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

 Have hot, sterilized jars and lids ready. In bowl, stir together mustard and water until smooth. Set aside.

 In a bowl stir dry mustard and water together until smooth. Set aside. 

 In a small nonreactive saucepan, combine wine, onion and garlic. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in the sugar and salt. Simmer, uncovered, stirring often, until reduced by half, (one cup of liquid), about 20 minutes.

 Pour wine mixture through a mesh sieve into the mustard and water mixture and stir until combined. Transfer to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until mixture is thickened, about another 20 minutes.

 Spoon mustard into prepared jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles and adjust headspace if necessary. Wipe rims clean and seal tightly with lids. Store in refrigerator for up to one year. 

 For best flavor, let the mustard stand for 2 weeks before using.

Chicken and Mushroom Marsala

Sue gave me a bottle of Marsala when she cleaned her cupboards this week, so we had Chicken Marsala for supper tonight. You really can’t go too far wrong with butter, mushrooms, a few onions, chicken, Marsala and homemade chicken broth. 

 We ate all of it so none for lunch tomorrow. I used skin on chicken hindquarters as we like them better and they braise better than skinless, boneless chicken breasts. They are also quite a bit cheaper to buy. Mushrooms were on sale today and with the homemade chicken broth it was a inexpensive dish to serve. We had it with rice to which I had added vegetables and cooked in chicken broth. You could use sherry to make this dish also, but the Marsala does taste just a little different. Would make a good dish for a company dinner, maybe with some asparagus in the spring and new potatoes to spoon the pan juices on.

Chicken and Mushroom Marsala

Serves 6

Chicken breasts with skin (about 2 1/2 pounds), halved or use chicken hindquarters, thighs and drumsticks (we like the dark meat)

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, halved and sliced thin (I use just a few slices)
3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced thin, any variety you like
1/2 cup Marsala
¾ to 1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (optional, for garnish)

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large heavy skillet heat oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown chicken in 2 batches, transferring with tongs to a large plate as browned.

Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and sauté onion and mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated. Add Marsala and cook mixture, stirring, until Marsala is almost evaporated. Add broth and chicken with any juices that have accumulated on plate and simmer, turning chicken once, until cooked through, about 15 minutes**. Transfer chicken with tongs to a platter.

Simmer mushroom sauce until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and salt and pepper to taste, stirring until butter is just incorporated. Spoon mushroom sauce around chicken and sprinkle with parsley.

**I cooked the chicken on medium low about 25 minutes.

Chicken and Mushrooms in Red Wine

 I recently bought a used Cooking For Today Chicken cookbook by Better Homes and Gardens from 1993. We found some recipes to try, and I will post some of them here. 

The first one I tried was Chicken and Mushrooms in Red Wine. The sauce was very good and we thought it would be good with pork as well as the chicken. Might have to try that one night. For now, here is the recipe using chicken hindquarters. Hindquarters include thighs and drumsticks. The skin is easily removed using paper towels to grip the skin when pulling off of the chicken.

Chicken and Mushrooms in Red Wine

4 small chicken hindquarters, about 2 pounds bone in and skinless

2 tablespoon flour

¾ teaspoon garlic salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons cooking oil

½ cup dry red wine

½ cup chicken broth

16 pearl onions (1 ⅓ cups)*

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tablespoons tomato paste**

½ teaspoon dried rosemary crushed

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons chicken broth

1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch

6 slices cooked bacon, crisp and crumbled

Hot buttered cooked noodles

 Lightly coat chicken with flour, garlic salt and pepper. Cook chicken in Dutch oven or large skillet in hot oil for about 10 minutes. Remove and drain oil. Add ½ cup chicken broth, ½ cup red wine, onions, mushrooms, tomato paste, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf to pan. Bring to boiling: reduce heat. Return chicken to pan and cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or till chicken is tender. Discard bay leaf. Transfer chicken to a platter; keep warm.

 Stir together the 2 tablespoons broth and the 1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch. Add to mushroom mixture in pan. Cook and stir till thickened. Stir in bacon. Put noodles on plate, top with chicken. Spoon some of the mushroom sauce over chicken and noodles. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired. Makes 4 servings

Per Serving: 468 calories, 37 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrate, 18 grams fat, 764 mg. Sodium

*Pearl onions can be purchased in the frozen food department

** Tomato paste comes in tubes which work so well when you only want a small amount.

Braised Red Cabbage with Red Wine

  A recipe from Fine Cooking Comfort Foods cookbook was for Braised Red Cabbage with Red Wine. Spiced red cabbage is a Dutch dish and around our area it is served often. The Amish serve it with their family style restaurant meals and in their homes.

  This recipe is quite similar to many others except for the addition of the Red Zinfandel wine. We were all pleased with the flavor and taste of the dish. I had white Zinfandel, so used that, any good red wine would work. It does take awhile to cook, however. I did not do ours quite as long as the recipe calls for.  We thought either way would be good. I shortened up the time by about 20 minutes. Ten minutes on each timing so it would still be a little crisp.

  I will give you the recipe with the original times and you can use your own preferences on the times. A good side or a main dish if you want something meat free.

Braised Red Cabbage with Red Zinfandel.

Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish.

2 Tbs of oil

½ large onion (red would be nice) thinly sliced

1-½ to 1-¾ lb. of thin sliced red cabbage

1 tsp. ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup red Zinfandel or red wine

⅓ cup red-wine vinegar

½ cup packed brown sugar

  In a large pan that’s deep enough to hold the cabbage when raw, heat the oil. Add onion and cook slowly over medium high heat until the onion is golden brown. Add the cabbage and saute, tossing with tongs until it has collapsed slightly and is no longer stiff, about 2 minutes.

  Raise the heat to high and add the allspice, nutmeg and salt. Add pepper to taste. Stir to coat the cabbage with the spices. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until almost tender and the wine is absorbed, about 40 minutes. 

  Raise the heat to medium, add the vinegar and the brown sugar. Cover again and reduce heat to medium low. Continue to braise until very tender about 30 minutes more. If there is still liquid in pan, raise heat and cook uncovered until the liquid has reduced to a glaze. Stir cabbage to coat and serve.

Sherried Cranberry Mold

  I wanted to make a Jello Salad for a dinner for family members and remembered this one from the Byerly’s cookbook. I had never tried it, I am not sure why so decided to give it a whirl.

  Outside of being a little time consuming, it is like all jello type salads easy to make.

You should let it set and cool till about the consistency of egg whites. This will keep the added ingredients from sinking to the bottom. While it is jelling (mine took about an hour) you can be prepping the other ingredients. The pineapple you will have ready as you need to drain it to get the juice but the celery, nuts and apple will need to be cut up.

If you stir the apple into the pineapple it will help it not brown while you are waiting for the jello.

  This turned out so good. The Cream Sherry added a great taste to it, and the fruit, nuts and celery added a nice crunch. I do think this is one case where you should use the commercially canned cranberries. The consistency works well here. I didn’t want to mess with a mold so put it in a pretty glass bowl and will dish it up in individual dishes.

Sherried Cranberry Mold

Garnish with orange twist if desired.

1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple

1 (6-ounce) package raspberry gelatin

¾ cup cream sherry

1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored, diced

½ cup chopped pecans

1 (16-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce

Leafy greens

  Drain pineapple; reserve juice. Add enough water to juice to measure 1 ¾ cups total.

Bring to a boil, pour over gelatin in large bowl’ stir to dissolve. Add sherry’ refrigerate until slightly thickened. Stir in pineapple, apple, celery. Pecans and cranberry sauce. Pour into 6 cup mold or bowl. Refrigerate, covered, until firm (several hours or overnight). The cream sherry will cause it to take a little longer to firm up. To serve unmold until platter lined with leafy greens.

Wine Fruit Bars

These are as close as I come to my Grandmother’s brandy fruitcakes. I really do not like fruit cake and we all like these bars. They are easy to make and you could change the fruit being used as long as you keep the same amounts. If using larger pieces of fruit, cut them up smaller. This will, however, give you the fruit cake taste only really a lot better. I changed the recipe in that I bake them in a jelly roll pan and the recipe calls for a 13 x 9 pan. I really feel that they would be way to thick and take forever to bake. 

They are from  Southern Living cookbook Our Best Recipes Volume three and the southern cooks do a lot of cooking with liquor. As you will notice, I used Cream Sherry as my sweet wine as it was what I had on hand. We decided we could just eat the fruit and forget the bars, but the bars are better.

Wine Fruit Bars

1 1/2 cups currants

1 1/2 cups raisins (I used Golden)

1 1/2 cups candied cherries, halved

1 1/2 cups chopped candied pineapple

1 1/2 cups sweet wine (I used Cream Sherry)

1/2 cup butter softened

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

3 eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Lemon Glaze

Combine fruit and wine in a bowl. cover and let mixture stand 24 hour or longer, drain fruit and discard wine.

Cream, butter and sugar; add eggs, beating until light and fluffy. Combine dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture. Blend in the soaked fruit.

Spread dough in a greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 325° about 35 minutes or until tooth pick in center comes out with just a few crumbs on it.

Cool; drizzle with Lemon Glaze. Cut into about 35 bars.

Lemon Glaze 

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons milk. 

Combine until smooth. If necessary to make a proper consistency add more 

milk a little at a time This a glaze not a frosting so it should be thin.
Just a warning, The longer these set, the stronger the alcohol flavor is. These are not bars to feed to children.

Home Canned Beef Burgundy

We love this recipe – it’s one of our favorite recipes for canning beef.  The Vermont Country Store has it in their catalog for $18.95 plus shipping per can.  The entire recipe cost me $12.30.  
I make a batch when beef is on sale, cut it and freeze it, then can this recipe when mushrooms come on sale.  It’s handy for a quick meal that tastes like you fussed for hours.  You do the work once for 10 meals!  I also have canned it in half pints or 12 ounce jars when that is the size jar I had – the time is the same.  The pressure in the recipe is for 1000’ altitude, adjust for your location.                   

Home Canned Beef Burgundy

 3 ½   pounds  Rump Roast, Trimmed -- or arm roast, boneless

 4       slices  Bacon – cut up

 2       tablespoons  Olive Oil

 3 ½   cups  Onion -- (medium) diced

1 ½    Pounds  Mushrooms – sliced thickly

 1 ½   teaspoons  Garlic -- minced

 2 ½   cups  Carrots – ½” slices

 1 ½   teaspoons  Salt

 1 ½   teaspoons  Beef Base

 500   milliliters  Burgundy or Red Wine – I use pinot noir (about 2 cups + 1 ½ tbsp)

    ½   cup  Cognac

Cut beef in large slices or chunks.  Brown in oven at 450° 10 minutes, turn and brown.  In Dutch oven, brown bacon, remove.  Brown onions in olive oil, and then add garlic and sauté until soft.  Add mushrooms and beef base and sauté 5 minutes.  Add wine, beef juices, cognac and carrots, bring to a boil.

Wash jars, keep warm until filling.  Prepare lids according to manufacturers instructions.

Divide meat and bacon among hot jars.  Pour meat drippings into broth mixture.  With slotted spoon, fill jars with mushroom, carrot and onion mixture, leaving 1" headspace.  Cover with hot broth, leaving 1" headspace.  Remove bubbles with plastic knife and wipe jar rim carefully with hot wipe before sealing.  Cover and seal, place in pressure canner (with 3 quarts simmering water), cover and exhaust steam 10 minutes, process in pints 1 hour and 15 minutes at 10#.  Let pressure drop of own accord (30 minutes), open canner, remove jars to clean towel and let cool and seal, setting apart to allow air to circulate.  Let cool overnight and remove rings and wash jars carefully.
Equipment:   Half sheet pan, stock pot or Dutch oven, chopping board, pressure canner, 13 x 9" pan with paper towel for jar filling, jars, lids and rings, funnel, lid magnet, jar lifter, plastic knife, 4 quart measure for water, clean towels, stock pot to keep jars warm if necessary.

Yield:  "10 Pint Jars"

BEFORE SERVING:  Boil uncovered 10 minutes.  For each jar, add 1/4 cup dairy sour cream mixed with 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch; heat through.  Serve over hot, buttered noodles or rice.  Or if desired, mix 1/4 cup water with 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch and add to heated contents, cook 2 minutes more and serve with bread and mashed potatoes as hot roast beef sandwich.  This can also be used as the basis for beef soup; add ¼ cup dry rice or barley  or 2 ounces noodles (cooked separately), desired veggies and enough extra water or tomatoes to make 3 cups soup.  Heat together 10 minutes.

Per Serving (assuming 2 servings per pint jar): 177 Calories; 6g Fat (36.0% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 45mg Cholesterol; 297mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.

Coffee Fluff

This is a sophisticated dessert for adult coffee lovers.  It’s a festive ending to a New Year’s meal that can be made ahead.                     

                               Coffee Fluff

  2        tablespoons  Ground Coffee

  1         cup  Water -- Brew with ground coffee

  2        Tablespoons  Brown Sugar -- firmly packed

             pinch  Salt

  1         envelope  unflavored Gelatin

  1         cup  Heavy Cream

     ½   Tablespoon  Cognac -- optional

     ½   teaspoon  Vanilla Extract

             pinch  Salt

·         Brew the coffee with the water; I used my regular drip coffee maker.   Put in a 2 cup glass measuring cup. Stir in the sugar and pinch of salt and sprinkle the gelatin over top. Let it soften for a few minutes then whisk vigorously until gelatin is thoroughly dissolved. Refrigerate until it is set - about two hours.

·         Add the liquor, vanilla and a pinch of the salt to the cream. Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Remove the cream to a separate bowl, and whip the coffee gelatin, quite firm by this point, until it is frothy and creamy.  Stir this whipped coffee jelly and the cream together. Spoon into a mold or individual cups and refrigerate again until set - at least an hour.

·         Serve with a few chocolate shavings on top.  Try it in china coffee cups for a nice presentation.

Yield:  "2 cups"    4 servings

Per Serving: 248 Calories; 22g Fat (79.8% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 82mg Cholesterol; 40mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Non-Fat Milk; 4 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Chicken Breast with French Cream Sauce

Quick, no fuss. Good with rice pilaf, noodles, or dressing. Add a green vegetable, cranberry salad and hot rolls and you have a holiday meal.  This is delicious!!

               Chicken Breast With French Cream Sauce

  20      ounces  Chicken Breast -- pounded thin - 4 pieces

    2        tablespoons  Butter

  8        ounces  Fresh Mushrooms -- sliced

                        Sauce

   2        tablespoons  Sherry

  4        teaspoons  Onion -- minced

   ½      teaspoon  Dried Sage or Poultry Seasoning

  1        cup  Heavy Cream -- or half and half

  2        teaspoons  Lemon Juice

·         Pound out chicken breast pieces evenly to about 3/8" -1/2" thickness. Brown in butter on each side, add mushrooms and continue cooking until browned. Place chicken on platter or serving plates. Keep warm.

·         Add sherry, onion, and seasoning to mushrooms in pan; cook 1 minute. Add cream and cook and stir over low heat until heated through and thickened. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Spoon over chicken. Garnish with parsley or a sprig of fresh thyme.
4 servings

*I cut and pound out the chicken breast pieces from a whole package when I bring them home, and freeze 2 each in quart freezer bags. This reduced the prep time when making a recipe and cuts the cleanup to one time.

Per Serving: 491 Calories; 39g Fat (71.4% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 170mg Cholesterol; 155mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 5 1/2 Fat.

Cooking with Wine

I have found that wine, sherry and cognac add a lot of flavor to recipes.  I never cooked with these ingredients until I lived in the South for awhile – probably because of our tee-totaling Grandmother.  But once I discovered the complex flavors you can get with less fat and seasoning I was a convert.  Wine is a good ingredient in sauces, gravies and marinades, ramping up the flavor without adding fat.  I use a tablespoon or two of sherry in almost any cooked chicken, mushroom or seafood dish for a richer flavor, it is perfect for deglazing a pan.  I use sherry or white wine in poultry gravies and cognac or red wine in beef gravies for extra flavor.  
Many of the ladies I met when I lived in Texas and Georgia used plenty of sherry, brandy, bourbon and rum in baking as well as chicken dishes and the like.  I’ve had pecan pie at Southern church dinners with so much rum in it you almost staggered, not to mention rum or bourbon balls and Lane cake filling.
When we lived in Germany, many of our German and French friends drank liqueurs, like cointreau, especially around the holidays; even the children got a little taste of Peppermint Schnapps.  We found that many desserts and chocolates, that looked sweet, weren’t; they were infused with liqueurs instead of sugar, as they would have been in America.  The area around Heidleberg and Mannheim, where we lived, was in German wine country - we learned to really enjoy Riesling.Even where we live now, in the heart of the Midwest, there are good wineries nearby, like those at the Amana Colonies, Summerset Wineries in Indianola, and Tassel Ridge Winery in Leighton, a few miles away. The Stone Cliff Winery is in Dubuque - this bottle was a Christmas gift from our children. Our farmers have found that the climate here is good for more than corn and beans. 
Myrna and I always keep sherry and cognac (brandy) on hand).  Sherry is a fortified wine with added alcohol and keeps much longer than other wines in your pantry, just like brandy.  I usually buy wine in those little bottles for recipes so I don't have leftovers if it isn't one of our favorites to drink. 
Never buy wines or sherry you wouldn’t drink.  Cooking sherry and cooking wine are made of thin, cheap bases with lots of added salt and food coloring.  Both Myrna and I have found that liquor store clerks in this area don’t even know what sherry is – but be persistent,  good sherry costs as little as $5-10 per bottle and lasts a long time.  Cognac like Hennesey costs about $35 a bottle at places like Sam’s or Costco, but a bottle lasts me about a year if I don’t can beef with it too much. 

Cognac Mustard Sauce

This is a wonderful, simple sauce for steak that takes it out of the ordinary.  Certainly special enough for Christmas or New Year's Dinner.   Use it on any steak you like, or sliced roast beef, or even minute steaks or beef patties for something special.
             

Cognac Mustard Sauce on Sirloin

  4        teaspoons  Butter

  2        tablespoons  Heavy Cream

  2        tablespoons  Cognac

  2        teaspoons  Grainy Mustard

  4        teaspoons  Worcestershire Sauce

  1 - 1 1/2 pound Sirloin Steak

Melt butter in measuring cup in microwave, combine remaining ingredients.  Pour over cooked meat in skillet and cook 3 minutes, stirring up any drippings.  Pour over meat to serve.
4 servings

Per Serving: 311 Calories; 22g Fat (69.0% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 92mg Cholesterol; 180mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 3 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Shrimp in Sherry Sauce

We especially like seafood, and this dish is both simple and great tasting.  The sherry makes this dish.  You can choose rice instead of noodles just as easily.                    

                Shrimp in Sherry Sauce on Noodles

  6       ounces  Canned Mushroom -- drain and reserve

  2       tablespoons  Butter

  1        cup  Onion -- finely chopped

  ½     cup  Celery -- finely sliced

  2       tablespoons  Flour

  1        cup  Sour Cream

  12      ounces  Frozen Cooked Shrimp -- thawed and drained

  1/4    cup  Sherry

  6        ounces  Egg Noodles

  1/4    cup Parmesan Cheese -- grated

Drain mushrooms.  Save 1/2 cup liquid (add water if necessary) and set aside.  Melt butter, sauté vegetables.  Add mushrooms and flour; stir until well blended.  Combine sour cream and mushroom liquid; add to vegetable mixture, stirring well.  Add thawed and drained shrimp and sherry; cook over low heat 5 minutes.  Serve over hot buttered noodles.  Top with sprinkle of parmesan.

Serves 4

Equal amount of crabmeat can be substituted for shrimp.

Per Serving: 422 Calories; 21g Fat (46.8% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 85mg Cholesterol; 409mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 3 1/2 Fat.

Burgundy Meat Balls

Meatballs and mashed potatoes sounded good so made them for supper. Some canned green beans Sue had canned from her brother-in-law's garden were just the thing to round off this meal.

The meat ball recipe calls for Burgundy. I usually have it on hand as we like it cooked with beef roast, really makes good gravy. The recipe I used is from a old cookbook Sue had. Do not use cooking wine. It is very salty. Use a wine you would drink.

Burgundy Meat Balls

1 pound ground chuck

1 cup packaged, dried bread crumbs

1 small onion minced

3/4 teaspoon cornstarch (helps them stay together)

Dash Allspice (could use nutmeg)

1 egg beaten

3/4 cup light cream

3/4 teaspoon salt

small amount salad oil

3 Tablespoons flour

2 cups beef stock or canned borth

1/2 to 3/4 cup Burgundy wine

salt and pepper to taste

Combine chuck, crumbs, onion, cornstarch, allspice, egg, cream and salt; shape into 12 balls. In skillet brown in the salad oil a few at a time. Remove to warm plate and brown rest of the balls. Blend flour with the remaining fat in pan. (I omitted this step and used cornstarch at the end.) Cook stirring, until smooth. Place meatballs back in pan with the sauce. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.

These can be made the day before and reheated or shape balls ahead; refrigerate. About 45 min. before serving, start cooking.

Limoncello Cake

Here is the cake recipe for the Limoncello Liqueur. This is originally from All Recipes web site, with a few changes I made to it. It makes a light tart cake good for coffee time without being overly sweet.

Limoncello Cake

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 35 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup plain yogurt

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoons lemon zest

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup limoncello liqueur

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 pinch salt

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons limoncello liqueur

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray or grease an 8-inch x 2” deep cake pan (a half size bundt pan will work also)*

2. Whisk together the yogurt, eggs, vegetable oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and 4 tablespoons limoncello in a large bowl. In a separate large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Do not over mix or the cake will be tough. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven cool 8 minutes, turn out of pan. Put on cake plate or rack with wax paper under the rack to catch the drips.

4. Stir the powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of limoncello together in a small bowl until smooth. Poke small holes all over the top of the still-warm cake with a fork . Spoon the glaze over the cake and spread with the back of a spoon. The glaze will seep into the cake and add moisture.

* Do not use a 8 inch pan that it is not 2 inches deep or do as I did and use 2 regular 8 inch cake pans.

Limoncello Liqueur for Cake

This started with a recipe for a cake I found that called for Limoncello Liqueur. I went to both of our local Liquor stores and all I could find was a very large bottle that cost twenty dollars. As the recipe only calls for less than a half a cup, I was not going to do that, not knowing if I would ever use the recipe again.

After some research on the internet, I came up with what I thought might work and made a small amount of Limoncello. About half of the recipe I am going to give you. It was not hard to do, just takes some time. As any one can tell you, I am not a patient person so this was the hardest part.

Limoncello

Combine 1/2 cup of lemon rind strips with 4 cups Vodka, cover and let set 4 weeks.

Strain and combine with simple syrup made from 3 cups water and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Let stand 4 weeks more.

This should be in a dark cool place, The higher the proof of the Vodka the more lemon flavor the finished product will have.

You could use Everclear instead of Vodka if you wanted to. It comes out a pretty light yellow and smells good. I have some left so will have to make another cake or try a different recipe.

Cooking with Wine and liquor

I ran across a recipe for Limoncello cake and didn’t want to buy a whole bottle of it, not that I could find it anywhere around our area anyway. So I found directions for making Limoncello itself and will share both recipes next week.


 My Joy of Cooking published in 1964 has several pages of directions for making Martini’s and many other cocktails. It also lists drinks made with wines and liquors. We grew up in the era of Cocktail Parties and they seem to be coming back in style. Not everyone cares for wines to drink and like all things, styles in drinks and foods come back around. I can remember my grandmother who was a strict teetotaler making Dandelion and Elderberry wines to give away and she always put brandy on her fruit cakes.

As a teen, I baby sat a lot for a group who did the cocktail party bit. No one ever came home drunk, maybe because there was always lots of nibbles served at these parties.

After World War Two, life became so much easier and everyone enjoyed the time for more leisure and also many of our sons and brothers had served overseas and brought home new food ideas. Cooking with wines and beer and liquor became much more popular. France and Italy and most European countries have cooked with these beverages for many decades.

We are going to give you some of our recipes that we use and I am sure you have some of your own. Both Sue and I keep Sherry and Cognac and wine on hand to cook with. A small amount will add depth to your soups, broth and gravies.

As Julia Child would say “Bon Appetit”