I’m not Irish. So, I didn’t feel one ounce of guilt about turning this into a sweet bread. I am, however, Italian. So, ok maybe… just maybe. There was one little itty bitty baby ounce of guilt. It’s not at all traditional. But, this sweetened soda bread was a big hit for breakfast.
Rich & Sweet Soda Bread
3/4 cup raisins or currants
1/4 cup Irish whiskey
1/4 cup boiling water
3 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups half & half, room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
superfine sugar, for the top, if desired
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Soak raisins in whiskey and water. Set aside. Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. Butter one large loaf pan. And, set it aside.
In a small saucepan, melt butter. Combine melted butter, half & half, sugar, vanilla, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Whip briefly. Add raisins. Gently stir in flour mixture until just barely combined. Pour into buttered loaf pan. Sprinkle top with superfine sugar. Place in the center of your preheated oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Serve with tea and jam… maybe a little butter, too.
Like jambalaya… but, soupier.
“Jambalaya” Soup
1 large sweet onion
olive oil, as needed
1 large green pepper
1 large yellow pepper
1 large red pepper
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalkes celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
A couple splashes of Worcestershire Sauce
A few splashes Tabasco
1 lb andouille sausage
1 lb fresh pork sausage
1 cup fresh shrimp
salt, to taste
cooked rice, placed in individual buttered ramekins
In a large dutch oven, swirl olive oil on the bottom. Add diced onion. Saute to a deep golden brown. Add remaining vegetables. Saute an additional 3-4 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except for sausage and shrimp. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add andouille, fresh pork sausage, salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 20-30 minutes. Add shrimp. Simmer for approximately 5 more minutes. Sausage should be tender and cooked thoroughly.
Turn rice into individual serving bowls (preferably wide-based soup dishes). Pour soup around the edges. Dot rice with butter and sprinkle with loads of fresh parsley.
Christmas morning wouldn’t be complete without this gorgeous bread as a dining room table centerpiece. But, this lovely sweet bread is too good to make just once a year.
Panettone
1/2 cup marsala or moscato
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried fruit (citron, apricots and/or candied cherries)
juice of one lemon
1 Tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup warm milk
2/3 cup sugar
4 cups flour
4 eggs
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 – 3/4 cup warm milk
additional flour, as needed
Wash:
milk
pearl or crystal sugar, optional
In a small saucepan, heat marsala, lemon juice, and dried fruit. Do not boil. Remove from the heat. Let sit at least 30 minutes. As the raisins plump, place milk and yeast in a small bowl to proof.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Make a well. Add yeast, eggs, soft butter, 1/2 cup milk, vanilla, and plumped fruit with marsala. Stir to combine. Add additional milk or flour, as needed.
Knead by hand at least 8-10 minutes. Dough should be capable of achieving windowpane. Place in buttered glass bowl and allow to rise for at least one hour. Punch down. In 2 high-sided cake pans that have been buttered and lined with parchment collars, place briefly kneaded and shaped dough. Brush with milk. Sprinkle with pearl sugar, if desired. Allow dough to rise until doubled in size in a warm place.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F when dough has nearly risen.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, or until bread reaches a deep golden color and is cooked thoroughly.
(Cooking time will vary depending on the size and shape of your loaves.)
Martha Stewart’s niece Sophie Herbert demonstrated the preparation of this milk on Friday’s episode. Very timely, considering both my husband and myself are getting over a cold and sore throat. This tea was the perfect remedy. It’s lovely and tasty, too!
(I’ve altered the recipe ever-so-slightly. The mace is my addition. We’re loving this!)
Turmeric Masala Milk
Makes 2 teacups
2 cups 2% milk (or whole milk)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/16 teaspoon cinnamon
1/16 teaspoon mace
1/16 teaspoon nutmeg
1/16 teaspoon ginger
1/16 teaspoon cardamom ( I left this out. )
pinch of saffron
1 heaping teaspoon chestnut honey
Pour boiling water into mugs/teacups as you prepare the milk.
Heat milk over a low heat as you add ground spices. Heat for 1-2 minutes, or to your desired temperature. Discard water from mugs and strain tea into heated mugs.
Savor it slowly. It’s very soothing to your throat. And, the warm milk definitely aids in relaxation.
Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler!
Sazerac
makes 2
4 ounces Rye
1/2 ounce Absinthe (or Herbsaint)
2-3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
2 teaspoons simple syrup
2 lemon rind curl
Place two old fashioned glasses and your bottle of rye in the freezer for an hour or longer.
Immediately before serving, remove glasses from the freezer. Place 1/4 ounce Absinthe, 1 teaspoon simple syrup and 1 to 2 dashes Peychaud’s in each glass. Then, add 2 ounces rye. Garnish with lemon curl.
Cheers!
Two medium-sized hands of ginger make well over 2 cups of candied ginger. Next time, I’ll cut the ginger into smaller, more user-friendly pieces. These large pieces were pretty. But, the uneven sizes made for tricky packaging.
Candied (or Crystallized) Ginger
2 hands of fresh ginger (washed, cleaned and sliced thin)
2 cups sugar
Place ginger in medium sized saucepan filled with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer. Simmer gently for 20-30 minutes, or until tender. Drain off liquid. Add 2 cups of fresh water and 2 cups sugar. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Turn off the heat and allow the ginger to cool for approximately one hour in the sugar syrup. After roughly one hour, place over low heat and bring the ginger and syrup back to a simmer. The ginger should be translucent and tender. Turn off the heat and strain the ginger.
(Reserve sugar syrup for later use.)
Place ginger pieces on racks to cool and dry for at least two hours. When ginger appears mostly dry. Roll in super fine sugar. Place sugar coated ginger pieces on clean racks and allow to dry thoroughly before packaging. Packaged in pretty cellophane bags tied with ribbon, this makes a great handmade gift on its own or in a gift basket.
Ginger Syrup
Strain the reserved ginger syrup through a fine sieve.
Refrigerate.
This syrup can be added to tea, fruit juice, and cocktails.
How do you save a batch of less than stellar fruit? Roast it. Sometimes the prettiest fruit can lack flavor or have a texture that tells you it’s a fruit that is well-past its prime. Apples, plums, peaches, pears, apricots, and oranges are a few that can hide their flaws all too well. Don’t ditch it. Save it. And, serve it under ice cream or greek yogurt with a drizzle of your best honey.
Roasted Fruit
Fruit in need of saving (washed and halved with seeds and/or pits removed)
super fine sugar
cinnamon, if desired
butter, if desired
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Place a single layer of the cleaned fruit in a baking. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Place small dots of butter on each piece of fruit. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Then, remove fruit from the oven and place it under the broiler until it reaches the level of color you prefer.
(Approximately 5 minutes)
Serve in a small bowl with small scoops of ice cream and cinnamon-dusted whipped cream. Or, for a quick breakfast top fruit with a scoop of yogurt, a sprinkle of granola and drizzle with your best honey.
Next time, I’ll let it sit under the broiler for an extra minute or two for a little more color.
Sweet spices can be added to the recipe below. But, why? I think it’s much more interesting to allow the simple flavors of sweet potato and brown sugar to shine.
Sweet Potato Bread
2 small roasted sweet potatoes, skins removed
1/4 cup light & fruity olive oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 jumbo egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups AP Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a food processor, combine potatoes, olive oil, brown sugar, vanilla, egg and buttermilk. Process until smooth and creamy. Transfer contents to a large bowl. Set aside.
In a small bowl, sift flour and baking soda. Add flour mixture to sweet potato mixture in thirds. Gently stir to combine. Brush loaf pan with melted butter. Fill with batter and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.
What was my first impression of this drink? I thought it tasted a bit like a poorly made Manhattan. But, after I added a splash of Absinthe it was remarkably more interesting.
Black Rose
makes 2
4-5 shots Maker’s Mark
3-4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
splash Grenadine
splash Absinthe
wedge or thin peel of lemon
In a bar glass filled with ice, combine all ingredients. Stir. Strain into two old-fashioned glasses filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon peel or wedge, if desired.
Angel Face
Olympiad
Mojave
On previous Valentine’s Days, we’ve purchased many (many) cut roses only to watch them slowly die. This year, we decided to celebrate the occasion by purchasing rose bushes. With a little bit of luck, we’ll watch these roses grow and mature along with us over the years to come. The first garden work of 2011 deserves a cocktail. And, a toast to our new rose bushes.
Rose Martinis
makes 2
3 ounces vodka
1-2 ounce rose vodka
1 ounce lemon-scented simple syrup
splash lemon bitters
Combine all in an ice-filled shaker, shake vigorously. Divide between two chilled martini glasses garnished with a crystalized rose petal and one cherry per glass.
|
|
