Author Archives: Judi

Peanut Butter and Jelly Mini Pies

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Peanut Butter and Jelly “Pies”

These are a great way to take peanut butter and jelly on the road. These little “pies” are just cut out circles of pie crust, filled with peanut butter and jelly, sealed, then baked.  Very easy to make, and a fun cooking project for kids as well as adults.

I prefer home made pie crust, but use store bought, if you like.

A nice treat, these little pies can be a snack, breakfast, lunch or even a dessert.

They are also great to take along to the pool, for picnics and road trips. You can fill them with just jelly, if you like. I have filled them with peanut butter and a few chocolate chips for a fun dessert. You can use almond or cashew butter, if you like.

Get creative and have fun.

 

Peanut Butter & Jelly  Mini Pies

1 (15 oz.) package pie crusts or homemade crust for 2 pies*

1 egg

1 T. water

½ c. peanut butter

½ c. preserves, any flavor

Powdered sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. On lightly floured surface roll out one of the crusts into a 12-inch circle. Using a 2½-inch round cookie cutter cut out about 12-14 circles, re-rolling scraps and set aside. Roll out second piece of dough so you will have about 24-28 circles altogether. Beat together water and egg and set aside. Place a circle on work surface and place 1 teaspoon each of peanut butter and preserves in the center. Brush edges of the circle with egg wash. Place second circle on top and press edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining circles. Place “pies” on lightly greased baking sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Martha Stewart’s Pie Crust Recipe

2½ c. flour

1 t. salt

1 t. sugar

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, very cold

About 6 T. ice water

Combine dry ingredients and cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Using a fork to mix the dough start to add the ice water a tablespoon or 2 at a time until mixture just holds together. Wrap and chill until ready to use. Makes 2.

 

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Mom’s Challah Bread

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Challah

I thought I would share one on my Mom’s favorite recipes today. I miss her everyday. She was such a wonderful mother. She taught me how to bake and cook. She taught me how to make a dollar stretch and not to be wasteful. She taught me how to have compassion for others. She taught me to never go to bed mad. She also taught me to stand up for myself.

I remember a story she told me of her and my dad. They were dating and he was acting jealous, because she was talking to a friend at a party. She walked out. She left the party and he ran after her. She told him that he needed to respect her, or she would not stay with him. She would not take any sort of crap from him. Good lesson for us all.

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

Challah Bread, baked on a baking sheet, instead on in loaf pans

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Homemade Blackberry Liqueur

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Blackberry Liqueur in the making

Making liqueurs has been a hobby of mine for a long time. The first liqueur I ever made was blackberry liqueur. My friend Dale lived in an apartment building, near a large ravine. The ravine was filled with wild blackberries. Dale asked if we could turn them into a liqueur. He harvested them- and held them in the freezer until we had enough. Once we had plenty, I combined the berries with vodka and let the mixture steep together. After enough time had passed, I strained it, sweetened it and enjoyed it. It is still one of my favorites.

I wasn’t planning on making blackberry liqueur until I got a call from my friend Mari. Her fridge was dying and she had a bunch of stuff from the freezer she didn’t want to go to waste. She asked if I wanted a stash of frozen fruit. I said that I did, so I picked up a rather large bag of assorted, thawing fruit.

Among the bags were two bags of blackberries. I knew what I wanted to do with them. I grabbed a half gallon jar, and filled it with the berries, vodka and lemon zest. Now, it is just a waiting game. The jar will spend the next three months in a dark cabinet. After that, I’ll strain it, filter it and sweeten it. I have already  promised some to Mari.

Sweetening is actually optional. For sipping, sweetened is the way to go. While the recipe lists specific amounts, sweeten to your own taste. For using in cocktails, you might want to leave some unsweetened. The unsweetened blackberry liqueur is known as an eau de vie, or water of life. I like that.

So here is the recipe. If you have some extra berries, you might also want to make liqueur with them.

 

Blackberry Liqueur

 

4-c. fresh or frozen  berries (thawed)

Sliced and scraped peel of one lemon

1 clove, optional

3-c. vodka or 2 c. vodka and 1 c. brandy

1 c. simple syrup- recipe follows

 

Lightly crush berries with a fork, if using fresh. Combine with peels and clove and vodka and steep 3 months. Strain and filter and add sugar syrup. Mature 4-6 weeks.

 

Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is made from 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil, then cool. You will have 1 cup of syrup. You can sweeten with honey, if you prefer. Watch when you substitute honey for sugar, as it is sweeter and stronger flavored. Add a small amount, let it sit for a day or so- and give it a taste. You can always add more sweetener later.

 

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Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

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Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

This dessert came about by accident. A very happy accident, indeed.  I had been canning blueberry pie filling, and had some left over. It wasn’t quite enough for another jar or a whole pie. A carton of ricotta cheese I had in the fridge, inspired me to combine two of my favorite desserts into one, fruit pie and cheesecake! I used the ricotta to make a cheesecake-like layer and then used the pie filling as a topper. It worked out great. It is perfect just the way it is, or serve with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

 

Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

Pastry for 2 crust pie- recipe- The crust recipe I used is at the bottom of the page

Cheesecake filling:
1 (15 oz.) carton ricotta cheese, full fat preferred
½ c. sugar
2 eggs
Zest of half an orange
Combine cheese and sugar and mix until smooth. Stir in eggs and zest and set aside.

Blueberry filling:
1½c. blueberry pie filling- I used homemade
Roll out half of the crust and place in 8 or 9-inch pie pan. You can roll out the top crust ahead of time, or even cut into strips for a lattice top. Cover remaining crust to keep it from drying out. Spoon cheese mixture into prepared crust. Spoon the blueberry pie filling over the cheese mixture. Top with the second crust or place strips on in a lattice design. If using a whole crust cut in decorative slits for ventilation. Moisten then crimp edges and shape decoratively or use a fork to seal. Place pie in lower half of hot oven. Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake an additional 40-50 minutes or until crust is brown and juices begin to bubble through the slits. It edges start to brown too quickly, cover them with foil. Cool, then chill,  before serving.

 

Flaky Pie Crust

2 c. flour
1 t. salt
3/4 c. butter, chilled – you could also use chilled coconut oil, lard or shortening
1 T. cider vinegar
4-5 T. cold water

Combine flour and salt and cut in shortening. Toss in vinegar and water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough holds together. Use a fork to toss the ingredients together and as soon as the mixture holds together stop adding water. Makes 2. Chill well before using.

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Ham and Gouda Quiche

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Ham and Gouda Quiche

If you are looking to make breakfast for mom on Mother’s Day, consider making her a quiche. Quiches are so versatile. You can fill them with almost any ingredients. They can also be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. You can also bake it right away, or freeze it for later.

I often make two quiches, just so I can freeze one for later use.

This is one of my favorite quiche recipes. We made it in class last night. Everyone loved it. The original recipe called for Swiss cheese, but we used Gouda instead.  The mix of ham and Gouda cheese works well together.

We used a homemade crust, but you can use a store bought crust, if you prefer.

 

Ham and Gouda Quiche

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

1½ c. shredded Gouda cheese

4 t. flour

1 c. diced cooked ham or turkey ham

3 eggs

1 c. milk or half-half or evaporated milk

2 T. fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoons dried

¼ t. salt

¼ t. dry mustard

Dash of hot sauce

Toss cheese with flour in a bowl and place in pie crust. Sprinkle the ham over the cheese and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl beating well to combine. Pour over the ham and cheese mixture and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn down heat to 350-degrees and bake until knife inserted off-center comes out clean, about 30 minutes more. Makes 1

Note: This quiche freezes well. After adding the fillings just wrap in heavy foil and freeze solid until ready to bake. When ready to bake unwrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Bake as with the fresh version, but add another 10-15 minutes to the baking time. If you don’t want to freeze the pie pan, you can line the pie pan with foil before you add the crust. Once it is frozen you can remove the frozen quiche from the pie pan and wrap, returning to freezer. When ready to use unwrap and put the quiche back in the pie pan before baking.

You can also use a foil pie pan.

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Strawberry Lemonade

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Strawberry Lemonade

I love this “pink” lemonade. The lovely blush comes from strawberries, not artificial color. The strawberries add more than just color- they add their wonderful flavor as well.

 

This is a great drink for hot summer days. Heck, I think its a good drink anytime. You don’t have limit yourself to lemonade. I have also made a pink limeade, which is also very tasty.

The strawberry seeds will settle to the bottom of the pitcher- so be careful when pouring out the last bit of lemonade. No one wants a mouth full of seeds.

 

Here is the recipe. I have also included some helpful information when buying strawberries.

 

Strawberry Lemonade

7 c. water

1¼ c.   sugar

1¼ c. lemon juice

2-3 c. fresh strawberries, washed and stemmed

In a pitcher, combine water with sugar and lemon juice and stir until sugar dissolves. Place berries in blender and add about 2 cups of the lemonade. Process until strawberries are pureed. Add strawberry mixture to the remaining lemonade. Chill before serving. Serve over ice, garnishing with whole berries, if desired. Watch as seeds will accumulate on the bottom of the pitcher.

 

 

Shopping Tip

When berries are priced by weight or volume it is not always easy to decide which is the best price. If one store has quarts for $2 and another had berries for $2 per pound where would you get the better deal? Also, if a recipes calls for 4 cups sliced berries how many do you need to buy? Here are some approximate guidelines.

3/4 lb. = 1 full pint

1 1/2 lbs. = 1 full quart

1 1/2 lbs. = 4 cups sliced

1 lb. frozen = 1 1/3 c. whole berries

To help your berries last longer soak them in a water/vinegar solution for a few minutes as soon as you get them home. Then just drain and put in the fridge. This will keep them from getting mold as quickly. I use 1/2 cup of vinegar and 4 cups of water.

 

 

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Bacon Waffles

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Bacon Waffles

If you are looking for a special breakfast for Mother’s Day, maybe mom would like some waffles. Even better, make her waffles with bacon inside them!!!

For me, breakfast doesn’t get much better than waffles. Well, unless maybe you add bacon to the waffle batter. Truth is, I don’t treat myself to waffles all that often, but if I am going to eat waffles, I go all out.

These are truly wonderful waffles. Light, crispy on the outside and studded with bacon. A drizzle of  warm maple syrup and you are good to go.

So, if you are looking for a special treat for mom for breakfast, or lunch, or dinner or a snack… try these bacon waffles. You can thank me later.

 

Bacon Waffles

1 pound sliced bacon
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
1½ cups milk
¼ cup butter, melted
In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain; crumble and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat egg yolks, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients until smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Add bacon. Before making each waffle, stir batter. Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions until golden brown.

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“Ramping” It Up

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Ramps

I had a request from two friends to forage some ramps. I was meaning to get some, but hadn’t done it yet. I used their requests to get me moving. We went to a location where I am allowed to harvest ramps. We each brought home one five gallon bucket of ramps.

If you haven’t tried ramps, you really don’t know what you are missing. Ramps are a member of the onion/allium family. They grow wild in wooded areas and are only around for about a month, during the Spring. They are sometimes called wild leeks or wild onions. Their flavor might best be described as a garlicky leek.

People have been foraging ramps forever. A recent increase in their popularity has put them at risk in some areas. Only pick ramps where it is legal to harvest them. Only purchase ramps from someone who you trust to harvest responsibly. While I love the bulbs, I only have a small patch of ramps in my yard, so I just harvest the leaves from them. That way the plants is not killed.

I first had ramps when I was in college. We were on a weekend scavenger hunt for a biology class. One of my classmates came upon a stand of ramps. She explained to me what they were. We harvested a few and made soup out of them for dinner that night. Our professor, Dr. Peter Gail,  was a forager and he showed us other wild edibles. This is where my love for foraging started.

So here are some of the ways I use my ramps.

Ramp Butter

Ramp butter is a wonderful way to preserve the ramps and a great way to prep them for use in all sorts of recipes. The recipe is pretty simple- ramps, mixed with softened butter, perhaps a little lemon zest and some salt, if desired. The butter is then put in small containers, or shaped into little logs and frozen. Whenever you want some ramp flavor in your cooking, you just spoon out or slice off a bit of ramp butter.

I don’t know that I have a hard and fast “recipe” for ramp butter. I can tell you how I make mine, though.

I like my ramp butter with lots of ramps in it. Ramp forward, if you will.

I also like to blanch my ramps first. I find that blanching the ramps brightens their color, and mellows their flavor just a bit.

Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil. Place cleaned ramps leaves (or leaves and bulbs) in the boiling water. Have a large bowl of ice water handy. After one or two minutes, at the most, drain off the boiling water. Drain the ramps and then submerge them in the ice water. You want to stop the cooking quickly. Once cooled, drain the ramps and squeeze out excess moisture.

I mix equal parts of butter and blanched ramps. The ramps cook down a lot, kind of like spinach, so a cup of squeezed out blanched ramps is quite a few. I had 2 cups of ramps and combined them with 1 pound of unsalted butter. To that amount, I added a tablespoon of lemon zest. You can add some salt to the mix, too. Use a food processor to get the mixture well mixed and to chop the ramps up. I divided the mixture into 6 or seven containers and threw all but one in my freezer. The last container is in my fridge, being used in all sorts of dishes.

Ramp Oil

The process is similar to making ramp butter, but you use oil instead of butter. I used a lemon olive oil and some avocado oil.  I use those oils because I like the flavors, but also because they will freeze solid. For long term storage- ramp oil should be frozen. Any stored in the fridge should be used up in a week or two.

The uses are somewhat similar to ramp butter. You can use some of the ramp oil to make ramp pesto or ramp pasta. You can use it as a base for salad dressing. It is really good added to potato salads.

Prepare the ramps the same way you would for ramp butter. Blanch, drain, chill, squeeze dry. I placed the prepared ramps in a food processor and added about a cup of oil to two cups of ramps. I ran the machine until the mixture was pretty smooth. Add a little more oil, if needed. The mixture should be thick, but pour-able. The flavor is  intensely ramp. That is what I like. I can cut it down with other ingredients later on.

 

I use just the greens for my ramp butter and ramp oil- and save the bulbs to pickle. I made a sweet pickle with them. This is a “quick” pickle product, it is not fermented. You can eat them right away, but the ramp pickles are better if you wait a week or so, before eating. They are stored in the fridge. I used some of my Tuscan seasoning, rather than the more traditional pickling spice. Use what floavors you prefer.

 

Ramp Butter

Ramp Oil

Pickled Ramps

Tomato Pasta, Brussels Sprouts and Fresh Ramps

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carrots with Ramp Butter

Ramps with Rice Vermicelli and Chicken in a Cream Sherry Sauce

Our Ramp Harvest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pickled Ramps

4-5 c. ramp bulbs, some stem attached, if you like

2 c. cider vinegar

1½ c. water

1 c. sugar

2 T. salt

1 T. Tuscan seasoning*

 

Wash ramp bulbs well and remove any roots. In pot, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to a simmer. Cover pot and simmer 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour into a heat-proof jar. Cool a little, cover and place in fridge. You can eat the ramp pickles right away, but they taste even better if you wait a few days. Will keep in the fridge for a few months.

 

*Tuscan Seasoning

 

½ c. dried basil

½ c. dried oregano

½ c. dried marjoram

3 T. dried minced onion

2 T. dried minced garlic

2 T. dried rosemary

2 T. dried parsley

1 t. crushed red pepper

 

Combine all. Store in a cool, dry place. Use for any number of recipes, from marinara sauce, to salad dressings.

 

Again, enjoy ramps, but only if they were responsibly harvested.

 

 

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Violet Liqueur

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Violets and Vodka

Since I posted a picture of some of my violets, steeping in vodka, I have received requests for directions on how to make violet liqueur. So here it is.

Violet liqueur is, in its most basic sense, a combination of violets and vodka, steeped together for several weeks, then strained and filtered. Once strained, the mixture is sweetened to taste with simple syrup.

Violet liqueur can just be sipped and enjoyed as is, but it is often used as an ingredient in cocktails.

I have made violet liqueur with the violets that grow in my yard. They are mostly white, with a small amount of purple color. The liqueur tastes great, but doesn’t have a lot of color. It comes out a light golden color. That is fine with me.

For this batch, I am using purple violets I got from a friend’s garden. The color will end up a light purple color. To make the color of your liqueur more purple, you can add a few raspberries or blackberries to the mix.

We need to talk about sweetening, too. A simple syrup is added to suit your taste. The recipe for simple syrup is at the end of this post. How sweet you make your liqueur determines whether it is a liqueur, or creme de violette. Lightly sweetened and it is violet liqueur. Double the amount of simple syrup and it is creme de violette. Strictly your choice and preference.

If you prefer to leave your violet mixture unsweetened, it is a violet eau du vie, which translates to violet water of life.

I use 1/2 cup of simple syrup for each cup of liqueur. Equal amounts of liqueur and syrup creates the creme de violette.

Violet Liqueur

1- 1 1/2 c. violet flowers, rinsed and drained

1 c. vodka

1″ piece vanilla bean, optional

a few fresh raspberries or blackberries, optional

1/2 c. simple syrup recipe follows

Combine violet flowers and vodka in a jar with vanilla bean and berries, if using. Screw on the lid and place the jar in a cool, dark place for at least 3 weeks for the flavors to combine. You can add more violets as you harvest them, if you don’t have enough at first. After a few weeks, strain out the flowers and other ingredients and discard them. Filter vodka mixture through coffee filters or several layers of cheesecloth to get it really clear. Sweeten to taste. Return to jar, seal and allow flavors to mellow another week. Enjoy!!

 

Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is made from 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil, then cool. You will have 1 cup of syrup. You can sweeten with honey, if you prefer. Watch when you substitute honey for sugar, as it is sweeter and stronger flavored. Add a small amount, let it sit for a day or so- and give it a taste. You can always add more sweetener later.

 

 

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Lilac Vinegar

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Lilac Blossoms Steeping in Vinegar

Since the lilacs are in bloom, I decided to preserve some of them and make lilac vinegar. As long as they are grown where chemicals haven’t been sprayed, lilacs blossoms are edible. The flavor is floral, with a touch of spice.

I use the lilac vinegar in salad dressings, marinades and in pickling. I also like to add a splash to soups or chili, to brighten them up.

To make lilac vinegar, just place clean lilac blossoms in a jar and cover with red wine vinegar.* Put a lid on the jar and store in a cupboard for 10 days or longer. Ideally, you want at least one cup of blossoms for every 2 cups of vinegar- to get enough lilac flavor into the vinegar. A one to one ratio- one cup blossoms, one cup vinegar, will give you an even more flavorful vinegar in the end.

When ready to use, strain out the blossoms and discard them. Pour the vinegar through a coffee filter to get out any remaining plant material.  You can transfer the lilac vinegar to a decorative bottle. It can be stored at room temperature but will hold its color longer if kept cool, even refrigerated.

* always use vinegar that is 5% acidity. You can use white wine vinegar, cider vinegar or whatever vinegar you like.

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