The Charmed Kitchen

Ricotta Fritters

For my annual Doughnut Daze party I made a number of doughnuts. I will be posting the recipes as promised. The first one I want to share with you is a really simple one called Ricotta Fritters.The dough is simple to make, fries up quickly and after a dusting of powdered sugar they are ready to serve. Delicate and not too sweet they are a dessert you can have ready in no time.

Ricotta Fritters

4-6 c. oil for frying

3/4 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1-2 t. grated lemon peel

1 c. ricotta cheese

2 eggs, beaten

3 T. sugar

2 t. vanilla

Powdered sugar for dusting

Heat oil to 370 degrees in heavy saucepan. While oil is heating combine dry ingredients with lemon peel  and set aside. Beat together cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Stir in dry ingredients. Working in batches spoon batter by level tablespoonfuls into hot oil, turning occasionally until golden brown, about 3 minutes in all. transfer with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Dust with powdered sugar and serve. Makes about 3 dozen.

Frying the Fritters

Cocoa Hearts

This recipe is so easy even younger children can help make them. Just a few ingredients and mixed together, rolled out and cut into heart shapes. No baking, no cooking, no trouble. I used vanilla extract to flavor them but you could add different flavors like mint, orange, almond or even add some cinnamon. Once rolled out let them firm up in the fridge then wrap in lollipop bags with a ribbon, place in small candy boxes or wrap in small pieces of colored foil (available at candy making shops).

Cocoa Hearts

9 c. powdered sugar

1 c. cocoa

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. water

2 t. vanilla extract – or whatever flavor extract you like

In large bowl combine ingredients until well blended. You can add more water, if needed, 1 teaspoon at a time. Divide mixture into 2 pieces and shape in balls. Place each between sheets of wax paper and roll out to 1/4 -inch thickness. Cut out with tiny cutters and place on foil-lined tray. Chill several hours, then wrap up in colored foil or place in tiny candy bags. Makes 80 1-inch candies.

Freshly mixed ingredients

Rolled out between wax paper

Cut out hearts

Fresh Baked Cookies

I was making cookies for a friend the other day and was pressed for time. With one typical sized oven I could do no more then 2 trays at a time which meant about 2 dozen cookies at best. I came up with a plan “B”. I scooped the dough into mini- muffin tins. That made it possible for me to bake 4 dozen cookies at one time. The baking time was the same. I greased the tins to make it easier to get the “cookies” out. It worked great and she loved them. Try it with other cookies. I even thought I might want to press cookie dough into a shell and place something in the middle- like a piece of fruit or perhaps chocolate. Hope you find this a tasty and time saving way to bake your next batch of cookies.

Andes Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

2 1/4 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 bag (10 oz.) Andes baking chips

Beat together butter, sugars, egg and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in dry ingredients and chips. Preheat oven to 375. Place dough on un-greased baking sheet, rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly, remove from baking sheet. Makes 5-6 dozen.

Frosted cookies

I had a great time on Friday with the kids in Beachwood. One of the things we did is decorate sugar cookie hearts. While chocolate is the traditional choice for Valentine’s Day you can think outside the chocolate box and try something like sugar cookies. One thing to always remember with sugar cookies is to roll them all to the same thickness so they will bake evenly. These were big cookies so I rolled them to 1/8 -inch thickness. Bake, cool and top with a simple buttercream.

 Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

3 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

3 T. milk, optional

Extra sugar for sprinkling, if desired

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Beat in milk if dough is not too soft. Heat oven to 375-degrees. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to about 1/3- inch thickness. Cut out with lightly floured cutters and sprinkle with sugar or colored sugar if you like and if you are not going to frost them. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 10-12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 3 minutes before placing on wire rack to cool completely. Frost when cooled. Makes about 4 dozen.

Note: I used a very large cookie cutter and got 20 out of a single batch of dough. Size matters!!!

To decorate the cookies frost and sprinkle with tinted sugar or sprinkles, if desired.

Vanilla Buttercream

1 c. butter, softened

5-6 cups powdered sugar

1 T. vanilla

Few drops of food coloring, optional

Beat butter until fluffy. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Add food coloring and beat until light and fluffy.

Cutting cookies out

Ready for baking

Cooling down

Mini Chocolate Cake with fresh ganache

I have a few friends that are that are lactose- intolerant. Desserts are sometimes tricky. I have reluctantly swapped out shortening for butter in frosting  but I wanted something to top desserts that had  all the flavor of icings with butter.  I decided to make a ganache without dairy and see how it worked out. Ganache is just chocolate melted with cream and poured over cakes or other desserts. It will harden over time and can be a beautiful finish. Rather than use cream I subbed out almond milk. I had tried soy milk in the past. It was OK- but lacked the rich taste I expected from a ganache. The almond milk acted a lot more like cream in the recipe and the end result tasted and looked great.

Dairy-Free Ganache

1 c. chopped bittersweet chocolate (chocolate chips are OK, just be sure they are dairy free)

1/3 c. almond milk, plain or vanila

Combine chocolate and almond milk in small saucepan. On medium heat, warm the mixture, stirring often until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.  Spoon mixture over cooled cakes or cupcakes. Mixture will harden as it cools.

Melting the chips and almond milk

Stirring until smooth

Finished cakes

Bean and Barley Soup

I don’t know if there is a better comfort food for a cold day than soup. Bean and Barley is one of my favorites. It is easy to make, although it does take some time. I made mine with a combination of turkey and smoked turkey, although you can just as easily use spare ribs and ham hocks. By using a soup pot that is oven- proof I was also able to cook the soup in the oven most of the time. The recipe makes a pretty big pot of soup and if there is too much you can always freeze the rest.

Bean and Barley Soup

8 oz. dry pinto beans, rinsed

1 T. oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots chopped fine

2 ribs celery, chopped fine

1 lb. Spare ribs or 1 lb. turkey drumstick or thigh

1 lb. ham hock or 1 lb. smoked  turkey drumstick or wing

1 qt. chicken stock

2 qts. Vegetable stock or water

1 c. barley

½ lb. green beans, cut

salt and pepper to taste

1 T. parsley

Place beans in saucepan with water and boil 5 minutes. Set aside to soak 1 hour. Drain. Meanwhile cook vegetables and garlic in oil in large kettle. Add meats and stocks and bring to a boil.  Stir in pinto beans. Cover and simmer on top of the stove for 1 hour. Or, if pan is ovenproof place in 350-degree oven and cook 1 hour. Stir in barley and beans and cook 1 hour more. Remove from heat and remove meat. Remove any meat from bones, shred and return to soup. Stir in parsley and adjust seasonings. Serves 8-10.

Sprouts for harvesting

I was given a couple of sprouters last week and decided to try them out. I had always used jars before. The problem with the jars was that I have limited counter space so I only started one or two seeds at a time. These devices allowed me to sprout up to 8 kinds of seeds at one time. It’s pretty simple.  You just place seeds in the sprouter and stack them up. There is a reservoir to catch the water. Then just pour 2 cups of water into it. You can drain the water right after it stops dripping or before you add more. Repeat the watering process once or twice a day. So far the results have been very good. No signs of mold- which has happened with the jars in the past- and I have an abundant supply of sprouts to harvest. Now the hardest thing I have to do Is decide how I am going to use them all.

Pea Sprouts

Spicy Radish Sprouts

Freshly made candies orange peel

It’s January and citrus season is here. One way to get the most from your citrus is to find a use for the peels. I’ve seen hollowed out orange halves used as votive candle holders and orange peels steeped in vinegar to make a handy all-purpose household cleaner. You can eat the peels, too. Candied orange peels are a favorite treat of a good friend of mine.  Try to make them for her at least once a year. Since you are eating the peels it is best to use organic citrus.

Candied Orange Peel

2 large oranges ( you can also use 1 grapefruit or 3 lemons)

or 1 lb. of ginger root*

¾ c. water

¾ c. sugar, plus extra for rolling

3 T. light corn syrup, optional

Remove peel from fruit using a sharp knife. Try to get the peel off in 4 pieces. Cut the peel into ¼-inch wide strips. Place peel in a pot with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, drain and rinse under cold water. Repeat process 2 more times. Return to pan with fresh water and boil 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Bring ¾ c. water and ¾ c. sugar to boil in sauce pan with the corn syrup. Boil 2-3 minutes and then add the peel. Simmer, stirring occasionally until all but a spoonful of the syrup is left. This should take about 10 minutes. On a wax-paper lined baking sheet sprinkle 1 cup of sugar and arrange the peels on top of the sugar. Toss the peels around until cooled adding more sugar if needed.  Place peels on a drying rack for 24 hours before storing. Once dried you can also dip one end of the peels in dark chocolate. Makes ½ pound.

* If making the candied ginger root peel and cut into 1/4- inch slices. Then cut the slices into 1/4-inch thick strips

Boiling the orange peels in the syrup

Rolling in sugar

All coated- ready to be set on a tray to dry

Seeds galore!!

These are just some of the seeds available today at the Cleveland Food Not Lawns Seed Swap. The event was held at Grace Lutheran Church in Cleveland Heights and hosted/organized by my dear friend, Mari Keating. If you are interested in attending more events like this please contact Mari Keating at beanpie55@att.net. She is a great resource for information on Permaculture, water barrels and so much more. There will be a February seed starting workshop where more seeds will be available.  There was also a freecycle table and an assortment of goodies. Fun day, worthwhile event and some amazing people.