The Charmed Kitchen

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

On a hot summer day I am not sure anything is better than ice cream. When it comes to topping ice cream, hot fudge sauce is one of my favorites. The warm, rich sauce on the cold ice cream is such a great combination. When I was a kid, getting a hot fudge sundae was the ultimate treat. This simple recipes duplicates that sauce. It is easy to make and will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. I doubt it will last that long once you taste it, though.

Hot Fudge Sauce

1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ c. sugar
½ c. brown sugar
1/8 t. salt
1-c. heavy or whipping cream
½ c. butter, cut into pieces
1 t. vanilla extract

In saucepan , stir together dry ingredients then stir in cream and butter. Heat to boiling and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, cool 5 minutes and stir in vanilla. Store leftovers in fridge. Rewarm before using.  Makes 2 ½ cups.

Herb and Garlic Sandwich Rolls

Friends are coming over later for a cookout. One of my guests is bringing sausages so I wanted to have a nice roll to serve them in. I made an herb, shallot and garlic dough and used it to make these buns.  I thought it would be nice to have homemade rolls and they really aren’t difficult to make. Plus, the herb and garlic flavors in the bread should go nicely with the flavor of the brats. We are having pulled pork, too, in a plum  and pomegranate barbecue sauce. The rolls will pair well with the pork, too. I just divided the dough into 16 pieces and rolled them into hot dog shapes. These could also be used as hamburger buns by forming the dough into balls and flattening them slightly. If you haven’t made your own hot dog buns before- give it a try sometime. They are so much better than what you can find at the store.

Herb and Garlic Sandwich Rolls

3 ½ -4 ½ c. flour
2 c. whole wheat flour
2 packages quick rising yeast*
½ c. sauteed shallots or onions, cooled
2 T. each dried marjoram and parsley
1 T. each dried oregano and minced garlic
1 T. honey
2 t. dried thyme
2 t. salt
¼ c. olive oil
2 ¼ c. hot water

In a mixing bowl combine 2 cups of flour with the rest of the ingredients (except whole wheat flour) and mix until smooth. Beat with electric mixer 4 minutes then add 1-cup whole wheat flour and beat 1 minute longer. Stir in the remaining cup of whole wheat flour, ½ cup at a time, until soft dough forms. Turn onto surface and knead, adding flour gradually until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in lightly greased bowl and turn to cover. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and cut in half. Cut each half into eight pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a cylinder shape- about 5-6 inches long. Place rolls on greased baking sheets and cover until doubled in size, about 20 minutes. You should have 16 rolls in all. I put 8 on each baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until rolls sounds hollow when tapped lightly.

*Regular yeast can be used, but rising times will be longer and water should be warm, not hot.

Succotash Salad

I remember having succotash a few times when I was a kid. I didn’t like Lima beans all that much- but I did like saying succotash. Just one of those fun words to say. I do like Lima beans now and use them often in soups and stews. For a cookout with friends I decided I needed one more salad. I had several ears of sweet corn and a bag of Lima beans in the freezer so it seemed natural to make this salad. The addition of sweet pepper, sweet onion, fresh chopped parsley and a simple apple cider vinegar dressing and it was good to go. Here is the recipe.

Succotash Salad

1 lb. lima beans, cooked and cooled

4 ears of corn, cooked, and kernels cut off the cobs

1 sweet pepper, seeded and diced

1 small sweet onion, diced

3-4 T. chopped fresh parsley

Dressing:

2/3 c. apple cider vinegar

1/3 c. oil

1/4  c. honey

1 t. cumin

dash of hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Combine veggies and parsley in a medium bowl. In small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients. Adjust seasonings and pour over the Lima bean mixture. Cover and chill for at least several hours before serving. Serves 6-8.

Strawberry Pie

When I was a kid there was a local restaurant known for its strawberry pie. It became a favorite of mine back then and strawberry pie is still a favorite. This pie is always a big hit. It wouldn’t be June if I didn’t make at least one. A nice benefit, over most other pies, is that only the crust has to be baked- that takes just a few minutes- so you don’t need the oven on for very long and the house stays cooler. I used a homemade crust that really works for this particular pie. Directions for blind baking (pre-baking) the crust are included below, along with the recipe for the crust I used.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

1 (9-inch) pie crust, baked and cooled -recipe follows*
1 qt strawberries (1¼ lbs), hulled
1 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
¼ c. water
1 T. butter
4 oz. cream cheese
Whipped cream, optional

Select about 25-30 berries to be placed in pie crust, large side down and set aside. Puree or crush remaining berries. Place in a saucepan with the sugar and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch with water and stir until smooth. Add to the strawberry mixture and cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and gets clear. Simmer about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Set aside. Place cream cheese in a small bowl and mash with about a tablespoonful of the puree. Spread on the crust and arrange the reserved berries on the crust pointy side up. Put the largest berry in the middle and arrange the rest around it decoratively. Spoon the puree over the berries and allow the pie to cool down a little before putting in the fridge. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
Note: other berries can also be used including raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, or a combination. This recipe can also be used as a filling for tarts and tartlets.

*What is blind baking?
Some recipes call for pre-baking the crust. Sometimes this is because the filling is either un-baked, like a fresh strawberry pie or very moist, like custard pie. Blind baking is placing foil on an un-baked crust and then weighing it down. Then the crust is baked either a little, or until done depending on what the recipe calls for. The weights, often dry beans or rice keep the crust from getting air bubbles in it when it bakes. >^..^<
How to blind bake (pre-bake) a pie crust
The prepared pie crust should be pricked all over with a fork. Cover the surface with foil and then pie weights. Pre-heat oven to 425-degrees. For a crust that is only being partially baked allow 15-20 minutes, but remove before the outer edges get brown. If the crust is to be fully baked remove it after 15-20 minutes. Remove weights and foil and return crust to oven for an additional 20 minutes, but watch carefully so it doesn’t over-brown.

Half and Half Dough**

This is a great crust for liquid fillings like custard type pies and fresh fruit pies.
¼ c. butter, room temp
½ c. shortening, room temp- you can use lard or chilled coconut oil instead
¼ c. sugar
½ t. salt
2½ c. pastry or all purpose flour
1/8 t. baking powder
¼ c. milk
1 t. lemon juice
Cream together the first 4 ingredients until smooth. Mix together the flour and baking powder. Set aside. Combine milk with the juice and set aside. Stir ½ c. of the flour into butter mixture. Stir until smooth. Add a little of the milk, stirring until smooth. Add remaining ingredients alternately until finished. Dough will firm up once chilled. Chill at least 4 hours before using. Makes 2 crusts.

** this recipe makes 2 crusts- which makes me think you should just make 2 pies. If you don’t want to do that- the other half of the dough will freeze well for a few months. Seriously though, just make 2 pies!!!

Easy Homemade Granola

One of the advantages of making stuff from scratch is that you get to control what goes in it. This is really true for granola. The stuff in the store is often full of way too much sugar for my taste. The base is toasted oats but after that you can get creative. I use plenty of nuts and seeds and finish it off with an assortment of dried fruits. I prefer my granola less sweet than most commercial brands so I also get to control what and how much sweeteners to add. I know granola is most often thought of as a breakfast food, but it makes a great snack and sprinkled on yogurt it can also be a tasty choice for lunch. Great to take along when hiking. I actually like to sprinkle some on ice cream, too.

Easy Homemade Granola

3 c. rolled oats

1/4 -1/2 c. each of any of the following to equal 1-2 c. total

Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, wheat germ, peanuts, pecans, almonds, hazel nuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, coconut… you get the idea. Don’t forget to chop up any big pieces.

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. orange peel

1/2 t. nutmeg

pinch of salt, optional

1/4 c. oil

1/4 c. honey- or add a little more if you like a sweeter granola

2 t. vanilla

Dried fruit to equal 1 -1 1/2 cups. Some choices could include: raisins, dried cranberries, cherries, pineapple, dates, figs, apricots, bananas, blueberries etc.

In large bowl combine oats with seeds and nuts and toss well with seasonings. Heat together oil, honey and vanilla and pour over oat mixture, tossing to coat evenly. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes. Halfway through the baking time stir mixture so the edges won’t burn. Remove from oven and return to large bowl. Toss with the dried fruit and allow to cool before storing in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Use in 1 month or store in freezer or fridge to keep longer. Makes 5-7 cups.

Spelt Rolls

Spelt flour is one of my favorites for making breads. Whole grain with all the fiber and nutrition of whole wheat flour, but spelt has a softer texture. It is easy to work with and rises light and tender. Spelt also doesn’t require as much kneading as other flours. For this recipe I just divided the dough into 12 pieces for pretty good sized rolls. You could divide the dough into up to 18 pieces if you prefer smaller dinner rolls. If you have family members who aren’t crazy about the heavier texture of whole wheat you might want to give spelt flour a try.

Spelt Dinner Rolls

3 ¼ c. whole spelt flour
1 pkt. Active dry yeast
1 c. water
¼ c. honey
¼ c. oil
1 t. salt
1 egg
Place 2 c. flour, yeast and salt in a medium bowl. Heat together water, honey and oil until warm (120-130 degrees) Add water mixture to spelt mixture and beat on low speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds, or until moistened. Add egg and beat on high 3 minutes. Stir in enough spelt to make a soft dough. Cover bowl with towel and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Grease a baking sheet and set aside. Use a rubber scraper to transfer dough onto floured surface. Divide dough into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into dinner roll shapes, using extra flour to prevent sticking. Place on baking sheet and cover with a towel. Allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Cover and let rise until doubled, another hour. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or until rolls are light brown on top. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Makes 12 rolls.

Blueberry Cinnamon Scones

I’ve been in a baking mood lately and decided to bake some scones. I found blueberries in the freezer so it just seemed natural to make blueberry scones.  I added some cinnamon to the dough- I love the flavor of blueberry with cinnamon. Really was the right move. They are so good. Tender and just sweet enough. They are great served with butter and jam  or you can use them as the base for shortcakes.

Blueberry Cinnamon Scones 

2 c. flour

3 T. sugar

1 T. baking powder

2 t. cinnamon

¾ t. salt

6 T. chilled butter

1 ½ c. blueberries, fresh or frozen- do not thaw berries

1 t. lemon or orange  zest

2 large eggs

1/3 c. heavy cream

Mix dry ingredients together in bowl and cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Toss in blueberries and zest. Beat together eggs and cream and stir into flour mixture. Mix very gently to avoid bruising berries. Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop out batter and place on baking sheet. Place scoops about an inch apart. Press down slightly. Brush with a little cream and sprinkle with a little extra sugar. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 20-22 minutes. Makes 15-18.

Curried Red Lentil Soup

It was unseasonably chilly and I had a taste for soup. I wanted something quick so I decided to use red lentils. The name is a little misleading. The lentils are more a salmon color than red, and they cook to a pale yellow. They are tasty, no matter the color. They  are smaller than the more common brown lentils and they cook quickly. They are tender in as little as 10 minutes. For this soup, since I wanted to puree them, I let them cook until really tender, about 20 minutes. The soup came out quite nice. I topped it with a little sesame oil and basil, for added flavor. The cashews were just to add some crunch. I sometimes use red lentils when I want to thicken a soup without flour.

Curried Red Lentil Soup

2 t. oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 c. stock- I used chicken, but veggie stock would work
2 c. red lentils
1-2 T. curry powder – add according to your taste
2 t. turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste
Sesame oil
Basil, cut into thin strips.
Cashews

Heat oil in stockpot and cook onions until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook another couple of minutes. Add stock and heat to a boil. Rinse lentils and add to the pan. Cook at a simmer, covered, until lentils are soft- about 20 minutes. Add seasonings and adjust to your taste. Puree soup until smooth. Thin soup with additional stock or even water, if needed. Ladle soup into bowls and top each with a drizzle of sesame oil, some basil and a few cashews. Serves 4-6.

Red lentils- before cooking