Vampire Chasers – Cheesy Garlic Toast
Vampire Chasers
If you are concerned about keeping away vampires this Halloween, you might want to make this recipe for cheesy garlic toast. Garlic is widely accepted as a repellent for vampires- and a lot less messy than a stake through the heart.
This is one of my favorite appetizers. I make them a few times a year, but they are extra fun to serve at a Halloween party.
A mixture of garlic and onions are cooked in butter, then spread over the bread slices. That would be plenty for most garlic bread- but you take it up a notch with a cheesy/ mayo mix on top. Baked for just a few minutes- these are always a hit. They can be served as an appetizer, or as a side with dinner.
Vampire Chasers
1 French baguette, cut into 3/4 inch diagonal slices
1 large minced onion
8 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup butter
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
Slice the French baguettes diagonally into 3/4 inch slices. In a medium skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Combine the onions and garlic in the skillet. Cook and stir until tender. Set aside to cool. In a mixing bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and mayonnaise. On a cookie sheet, arrange the French bread slices in a single layer. Spread the onion and garlic mixture on the bread slices. Spread the cheese and mayonnaise mixture over the onion and garlic mixture on the bread slices. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or broil about 5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Serve immediately.
Bat “Wings”
Bat “Wings”
With Halloween fast approaching I thought I’d share this recipe for bat wings. OK, not really bat wings, but you already knew that. I just add black food coloring to barbecue sauce and use it to color chicken wings. I made a batch for a Halloween party a few years ago and someone actually asked if there were real bat wings. A word of warning- when you use black food coloring it will transfer to you. No matter how careful you are when you eat the wings, you’ll end up with purple fingers. Also, for the best effect keep the wings intact- no trimming off of the tips. They look pretty cool when set out on the table. Creepy- but very tasty.
Bat Wings
2-3 lbs. whole chicken wings
salt and pepper
1 c. barbecue sauce- store bought or home made
black food coloring- handle carefully- it stains
Place chicken wings in a roasting pan, season with salt and pepper and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Meanwhile in medium bowl combine sauce with food coloring. Add just a little black food coloring at a time. Too much will alter the flavor of the food. Remove wings from the oven and dip them in the bowl of sauce. Turn to coat. Place wings on a clean baking sheet and return to the oven. Bake an addition 45 minutes. You can baste them with additional sauce during the baking, if you like. Place on a serving platter and provide plenty of napkins.
A pile of “bat” wings
“Pumpkin” Cinnamon Sugar Cookie
Giant “Pumpkin” Cinnamon Sugar Cookie
This is a fun treat for kids to make for Halloween. It is a giant cinnamon sugar cookie, baked in a pizza pan, and decorated to look like a Jack o Lantern. They are fun to make for a Halloween party, but can also be made by kids at the party. If you get aluminum (disposable) pizza pans, you can have each kid bake and decorate their own cookie to take home. Once the cookie dough is made, it is spread in a pizza pan, then baked. When the cookie is cooled, spread with orange-tinted buttercream and let the kids make a face on it with assorted candies or frosting, tinted different colors.
Giant “Pumpkin” Cinnamon Sugar Cookie
½ c. butter, softened
½ c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 c. flour
2 t. cinnamon
Orange tinted buttercream- recipe follows
Peanuts, M&M’s or candy corn
Beat together butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour and cinnamon then press into ungreased 12-13-inch pizza pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and cool down before frosting. Use remaining ingredients to make a Jack-o-lantern face on the pumpkin. Makes 12 servings.
Classic Butter Cream
1/3 cup butter
4 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a bowl beat butter or margarine until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the 1/4 milk and vanilla. Slowly beat in remaining sugar. Beat in additional milk, if needed, to make of spreading consistency. Tint with food color, if desired.
Aunt Josie’s Cabbage Soup
Aunt Josie’s Cabbage Soup
This is a great soup for this time of year. I have some fresh, local cabbage and even used the last of my fresh tomatoes to make the tomato sauce. The soup is a meal all on its own, or it can be served with crusty bread. It is simple to make and loaded with flavor. The recipe came to me through my Mother, who got it from my Aunt Josie. While I normally make it in a soup pot, it can be make in a crock pot- after the onions and sausage have been browned a little. Ready in no time, it is a great solution when you want home made soup but don’t have a lot of time.
Aunt Josie’s Cabbage Soup
1 T. oil
1 c. chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 ½ lbs. Cooked smoked sausage, sliced or diced, I use turkey sausage
3 carrots, peeled and cubed
8 cups coarsely chopped cabbage, a small head
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 c. tomato sauce
2 qts. Water
1-t. salt or paste type soup base
pepper to taste
3 medium potatoes, cubed
2 T. oil
1/3 c. flour
1 t. paprika
Sauté onion in oil until browned. Add garlic and sausage and cook until sausage is browned. Add vegetables, sauce water and seasonings and cook, covered 15 minutes. Add potatoes and cook, covered, 15 minutes more. In bowl combine oil, flour and paprika and stir until smooth. Ladle some hot soup into flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Repeat a few more times, until flour forms a paste. Pour this mixture into soup and simmer 2 minutes, until thickened. Serves 10-12.
Busha’s Mushroom Soup
Busha’s Mushroom Soup
We made this soup in class the other night. Everyone really liked it. One woman said she had never tasted anything like it- and she meant that in a good way. Sharing this family recipe with other people makes me happy. Like memories of my Busha and my Mother came be shared, too. They would both be pleased to know that someone is still making and loving this soup.
There are many variations of mushroom soup in Eastern European culture. Some have barley, others add sauerkraut. This is my family’s version. Plenty of mushrooms in rich stock, slightly thickened, and made creamy with the addition of sour cream. Ours is served with kluski noodles.
This soup is a tradition in my family. When I was a kid my Busha, (Polish grandmother) would make it every Easter. My Mom made it for Christmas Eve. Now we have it the day before Thanksgiving. It is one of those dishes that brings back so many wonderful childhood memories. I love the rich, earthy flavor of the mushrooms, and the slightly sweet/sour flavor of the broth. It is made with dried mushrooms, usually. I can remember watching my mom get out a big bowl and soaking the mushrooms to get them clean, and to soften them, before starting the soup. I use dried shiitake mushrooms, but often add fresh mushrooms as well. Sometimes I use other dried mushrooms, too. I like to have a variety of mushrooms in the soup. I used home canned chicken stock. If made with vegetable stock it could make a great meatless meal.
Busha’s Mushroom Soup
4 qt. Chicken, beef or vegetable stock
5 c. dried mushrooms, about 4 0z. I use Shiitake.*
Water for soaking
½ c. flour
1 pint sour cream
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
2 T. sugar
1 Lb. Kluski-style noodles, cooked and drained
Soak mushrooms in water for 1-2 hours. Lift mushrooms carefully out to leave any sand in the bowl of water. Rinse and drain. Set aside. Bring stock to a boil and add the mushrooms. Simmer, covered for about 1½ hours, or until mushrooms reach desired tenderness. Mushrooms will retain some “chewiness”. In medium bowl whisk sour cream into flour gradually until smooth. Stir in vinegar and sugar until smooth. Add a small amount of the hot soup to the sour cream mixture, whisking until smooth. Continue adding hot soup to the sour cream mixture until sour cream mixture is warm. Add the warm mixture to the pot of soup and stir to combine. Return to simmer and simmer 1 minute, stirring continuously. Place desired amount of kluski into bowls and ladle over the hot soup. Serves12.
Note: You can add a variety of fresh mushrooms to the soup to make it even more special. You might use portabellas; crimini, button or whatever mushrooms are at the store that day. Add in addition to the dry mushrooms; don’t reduce the amount of shiitakes.
You can use other cooked pasta. Mom said you might want to try spaetzels or even gnocchi. You might also need more than one pound of kluski, depending on how much pasta your family likes in their soup.
*The dried shiitake mushrooms can be found at specialty grocery stores, some larger grocery stores and at Asian markets.
Homemade Spelt Bread
Spelt Bread
I made this spelt bread for a class the other night. Everyone loved it. I am always interested to learn how many people have never heard of spelt flour, let alone baked with it.
Spelt flour is a close relative to wheat. I love cooking with it because it is so easy to work with. It doesn’t require much, if any, kneading when you make yeast bread out of it. Spelt has a texture much closer to white flour in baking other things, like muffins or biscuits. It does contain gluten, so it’s not an answer for people with gluten issues. For those who do cook with wheat, spelt provides whole grain nutrition in a delicate, less heavy package. The bread I baked was so easy to make and gives me all the taste and fiber of whole wheat bread with less work. Spelt flour is still tricky to find. Some larger grocery stores carry it, but you might have to go to specialty markets. Bob’s Red Mill is my usual source, so if your store carries their products, you should be able to locate it.
Spelt Bread
3 ¼ c. whole spelt flour
1 pkt. Active dry yeast
1 c. water
1/3 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 9×5 inch loaf pan and use a rubber scraper to transfer dough into prepared pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, another hour. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Cover top with foil during last 10 minutes of baking. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf.
Mom’s Challah Bread
Challah
I have wonderful memories of my mother making this bread. Whenever I make it, I think of her. It is a simple egg bread, in many ways, but the braiding makes it look so pretty. You can bake the bread in loaf pans, or on baking sheets. Both look great.
This is one of my favorite sandwich breads, but I also like it for French toast. Challah is a nice option for bread in your holiday stuffing (or dressing) and it makes great bread pudding.
I had a bread class last night, and we made dinner rolls with the dough, instead of the traditional loaves. It gave everyone in the class a chance to play around with the dough. They got about 30 dinner rolls!! If you do choose to make rolls, bake 15-20 minutes.
Challah
2 c. hot water
1 T. each sugar, salt and oil
1 package active dry yeast
¼ c. warm water
About 8 cups flour
2 beaten eggs
Poppy or sesame seeds, optional
In large bowl combine hot water, salt, sugar and oil. Dissolve yeast in warm water in small bowl and add to oil/water mix. Stir in 1 cup of the flour and eggs, reserving 2 tablespoons of the eggs for later. Gradually stir in enough of the flour to make soft dough. When dough pulls away from sides of bowl remove to floured surface. Knead dough, adding flour as necessary about 8-10 minutes. Dough should be smooth and elastic. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning to grease top, cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll three of the pieces into 12- inch ropes. Place in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Take one of the remaining pieces of dough and divide into thirds. Roll the pieces into 3-nine inch ropes and place on top of the braid already in the pan. Repeat with remaining dough and cover. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush loaves with reserved eggs and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds, if desired. Bake 40-45 minutes. When done loaves will be nicely browned and sound hollow when tapped. Makes 2 loaves.
Note: Bread dough can also be placed on greased baking sheets instead of in loaf pans. The result will be longer and flatter, but very pretty.
Challah Bread, baked on a baking sheet, instead on in loaf pans
Apple and Cabbage Slaw
Apple and Cabbage Slaw
How fun to have a couple of unseasonably warm days in October. I know this won’t last, but it has given me a chance to get some work done outside. Expected high temps in the mid-eighties again today.
Normally, this time of year I am thinking about soups and fresh baked bread. But I thought I would use some of my Autumn produce in a salad instead. Apples are in season and cabbage is abundant at my local market. It seemed just natural to pair them up.
I love cole slaw. I think I could eat it everyday. I often make slaw with a creamy, mayo based dressing sometimes. Other times, I prefer a vinegar type dressing. For this slaw I went really simple. Just vinegar, a little honey and celery seeds, along with salt and pepper. Then I added thin strips of crisp, fresh apples to the shredded cabbage. The apples added a wonderful crunch and sweetness to the dish. So simple and so good. Almost any apple will work in this recipe. I prefer super crisp, slightly tart apples, but use what you like. Here is the recipe.
Apple and Cabbage Slaw
6-8 c. shredded cabbage
2 large apples, cored, unpeeled, cut into thin strips
1/2 c. cider vinegar
2 T. honey
1 t. celery seed
salt and pepper to taste
Combine cabbage and apples in a medium bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well mixed. Pour over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat evenly. Salad can be eaten right away or chilled for a couple of hours.
Ginger Cinnamon Cider
Ginger Cinnamon Cider
It’s been chilly lately, and I love a mug of hot apple cider to warm up. I made some recently, but I wanted to spice it up a little. I ended up adding sliced ginger and a cinnamon stick and the result was really good.
I always keep ginger root in my freezer. It is frustrating to buy a piece of ginger and then find it in the bottom of the crisper drawer weeks later looking like a science experiment gone bad. Freezing it solves that problem. When I want to use it, I just take it out of the freezer, scrape off the peel and grate or slice off what I need. It keeps pretty much forever that way, and I have “fresh” ginger whenever the mood strikes me. You can also finish the cider off with a splash of brandy just before serving.
Ginger Cinnamon Cider
2 cups apple cider
1-inch piece of ginger, sliced
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
Place cider in a saucepan with the ginger and cinnamon. Simmer gently for 5 minutes- or a little longer if you want a more intense ginger taste. Strain and serve. Serves 2.
Note: Some of the cider will boil off so add a little more if you simmer it longer or keep the pot covered to reduce evaporation. I actually like the more intense flavor when it cooks down a little.
Squash Fritters
Squash Fritters
After cooking up a giant Hubbard squash I needed some new ways to use it. I had already made soup and dinner rolls. I had also made some scones and frozen some of the squash. I still had more, so I thought I would try and make some fritters. I use winter squash and pumpkin in all sorts of sweet dishes, why not fritters? I added eggs, flour, baking powder and a few other ingredients, then fried them up in oil, and ended up with a pretty tasty fritter. Crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. I drained them on paper towels and then rolled them in cinnamon sugar while still warm. You certainly could use a different winter squash in this recipe, or pumpkin.
Winter Squash Fritters
1 c. cooked, mashed winter squash or pumpkin
2 eggs
2 T. brown sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. flour
oil for frying
cinnamon sugar for rolling- powdered sugar would work, too
In mixing bowl combine all ingredients, except the flour and beat until smooth. Stir in flour. Batter will be thick. Heat oil to 350 degrees.* There should be enough oil in the pan top be at least 1 inch deep- or deeper. To save oil I used a smallish pan and cooked 3-4 fritters at a time. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into hot oil and cook, turning once until golden brown on both sides. This will take about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels then roll in cinnamon sugar while warm. Makes 24-30. Best served warm.
* Fun way to know when your oil has hit 350 degrees. Place an un-popped popcorn kernel in the oil. Popcorn pops at 350 degrees.
