Apricot Tart

You can make this bar recipe in a 11 X 17 small cookie sheet but it bakes up wonderfully in tart pans. I prefer to have a little edge crust on every piece.

I used one 11 " and one 8 " tart pan.

Though I've posted this recipe as apple bar and rhubarb bar,

I've never posted it as apricot bar

which bakes into a beautiful gem colored tart.

Apricot Tart

Pastry

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 egg yolks
• milk to make 2/3 cup

Filling

• 5 cups sliced apricots
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup minute tapioca
• 2 tablespoons butter

Topping

• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup icing sugar
• several tablespoons water to make thin glaze

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. . .cut in the butter and shortening until the crumbs are the size of oatmeal. You can use your food processor for this too, pulse, don't run at full speed.
2. Put the egg yolks in a measuring cup and add enough milk to make 2/3 cup.
3. Slowly add to the flour mixture, pulse with the food processor until it begins to come together or mix in with your fork.
4. Dump it all onto the counter and knead it into a ball, just until it comes together.
5. Wrap in a plastic wrap. . shaping it into a flat rectangular disk.
6. Refrigerate.
7. Slice apricotsand mix in sugar and tapioca.
8. Divide the pastry dough into two parts. . . the larger tart pan will require about 2/3 of the total. Do this pan first and use the remainder to add to the smaller tart pan.
9. Divide each part in half and roll out very thinly using flour to keep from sticking on the counter. Use a bench scraper to slide under the pastry dough to keep from tearing.
10. Carefully transfer into the tart pan by rolling the pastry around the rolling pin.
11. Divide the filling between the two tart pans.
12. Dot with butter.
13. Cover with remaining pastry, and crimp the edges shut.
14. Beat the egg whites until very soft peaks form and with your hand. . .spread it over the crust.
15. Bake in a 400 F oven for about 40 minutes or until golden brown. The smaller one will be done sooner.

Ham and Bean soup

Ingredients:

• 8 oz bag of white beans (or 2 cans of white beans can be used instead adding them to the soup at the end) 
• 3 cups of diced ham
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 c. liquid including reserved bean liquid
• 4 beef bouillon cubes
• 2-3 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 stalk of celery, chopped
• 4 c finely shredded cabbage
• 1-28 oz can of diced tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups each of frozen peas, green beans and corn
• 1 cup of dried small pasta like macaroni

Method:

1. If you are using dried beans soak the beans over night. Drain the beans. 
2. In a large pot with a bit of oil, saute the onions until soft with the diced ham. 
3. Add the garlic and the rest of the raw cut up vegetables
4. Add the water including the drained liquid from the beans if using the dried beans.
5. Add the bouillon cubes, canned tomatoes and bay leaf. 
6. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. 
7. Add the frozen vegetables and pasta, cook another 15 minutes. Add the canned beans at this time if not using dried beans. 
8. Just before serving top with fresh chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese. (optional)

Ginger Snaps

Love these...I think you might too.

• 3/4 cup butter 
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp all spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• extra sugar for rolling unbaked cookies in before baking

1. Cream together butter and sugar.
2. Add egg and molasses and beat well.
3. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Roll into 1 1/2" balls.
5. Roll balls in extra sugar, coating with sugar all the way around.
6. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets.
7. Bake at 350º for 13 minutes. 
8. Allow to cool one minute on pan before removing to cooling rack. They will take on more of a crackle top this way and get slightly crispy. 

Yields 2 1/2 dozen large cookies. 

**You can make the balls smaller to get more cookies, but then adjust the baking time down to 10 minutes.**

Flashback Friday - Pumpkin Toffee Tarts

For my Flashback Friday I chose my Pumpkin Toffee Tarts because it's that time of year again. These tarts will not disappoint. The flavor of toffee bits and pecans with spicy pumpkin is a wonderful combination.

Ingredients:

• 18 unbaked tart shells
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• Toffee bits
• Chopped pecans

1. Place tart shells on baking pan.
2. Whisk together the pumpkin, sugar, cream, eggs, vanilla and spices until well blended.
3. Spoon 1 teaspoon of toffee bits into each tart shell.
4. Fill tart shells almost to the top with the pumpkin mixture.
5. Sprinkle chopped pecans over top.
6. Bake in a 350º for 30 minutes.
7. Serve plain or with a dollop of whipped cream.

Stuffed Gypsy Peppers

We planted several Gypsy Pepper Plants in our garden this year and we have a bumper crop.  I learned that they are thin skinned and can be harvested from the time they turn lime green and right up to the time they turn dark red.   They are not hot and as they turn colour they continue to sweeten.  

They have great flavour and stand up well in stir fries and are perfect for stuffing since they have a thinner skin that doesn't turn mushy when cooked.

 If you don't have any gypsy peppers around, go ahead and stuff bell peppers, either way, it is a healthy meal.  If you would prefer a less nutty texture, use plain rice instead of wild rice blend.

Serve with crusty bread and green salad.

• 1 cup wild rice blend or rice of your choice
• 8 - 10 gypsy peppers,  sliced in half and seeds removed  (remove stem or leave on for garnish) or small bell peppers
• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups broccoli slaw or minced celery
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 can herb and spice canned diced tomatoes
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• shredded Italian cheese for topping

1. Spray 2 8X10 foil pans with cooking spray or a large rectangular casserole.
2. Cook rice with water according to package instructions but drain the rice 10 before the end of cooking time so that it is slightly undercooked.
3. In a large skillet,  heat oil and add ground turkey and onion, garlic and broccoli slaw and fry scramble using an egg flipper until the turkey is no longer pink.
4. Add the  poultry seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, rice  and undrained tomatoes.
5. Stir to combine.  Add the feta cheese and stir gently.
6. Spoon into pepper halves, mounding the filling and place in pan.   Sprinkle with cheese and cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 F.  Remove foil and continue to bake for 30 - 45 minutes.

Chocolate Layer Cake

Here's a tried and true recipe for chocolate cake, adapted from one I found in the Mennonite Treasury cookbook many decades ago. It became a favorite of my hubby's and is still served every year on or around September 11th (his birthday).  Quick, simple and moist!

Quick Chocolate Cake

• 1 cup Kraft Miracle Whip salad dressing
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup Fry's cocoa

1. Blend Miracle Whip and sugar. 
2. Stir together dry ingredients and add alternately with water. 
3. Pour into 2-nine inch round layer pans...greased and/or lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
5. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pans.  
6. Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting when cool.

I was thinking of keeping our favorite frosting recipe a secret, since it seems to have fallen out of favour over the decades.  But I'll share it with you and you can decide for yourself.  Since this recipe contains raw egg, it is not recommended for those who are pregnant or who have a compromised immune system. If you have any concerns, use pasteurized eggs. It is a fluffy, not-so-sweet icing that goes down as smooth as silk!

French Silk Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (not icing sugar)
• 6 tablespoons Fry's cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2 eggs (pasteurized eggs are an option)

1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. 
2. Add cocoa and vanilla; beat. 
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating for about 5 minutes after each addition. 
4. Chill before spreading. 

I'm not a huge chocolate fan myself, but add French silk frosting to this moist chocolate cake and I quite enjoy a nice slab!   However you wish to frost it...give the cake a try. 

Damson Plums ~ jam, plum sauce, and vinaigrette

Damson plums are a beautiful fruit from a bygone era...and often hard to find in this modern age. They are a European variety of plum that originated in England and around the Black Sea.  Damson plums are small, round and dark purple with intense colour and flavour...which makes them perfect for jams, jellies and preserves.
 

Here in the Fraser Valley, they are ripe for the picking in September...just as summer is about over. We happen to have friends with Damson plum trees on their yard and have enjoyed many delicious gourmet treats from these wee plums in recent years.  

 

 

The downside to preserving Damsons is that most varieties are not freestone, so removing the pits can be a bit of a challenge.  The simplest way to do that is to simmer the plums and then pick out the pits by hand.  Here's how:

• Wash and pick over the plums.
• For every 8 cups of  plums add 3 cups water. 
• Combine the plums and water in a large heavy-bottomed pot. 
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Allow to cool enough to handle and then fish out the pits.

*I put them through an old-fashioned food mill (the kind with the wooden pestle), and then removed the pits from the pulp left left behind with gloved hands. The pulp goes back into the plum mixture.

Damson Plum Jam:

• 6 cups prepared plums
• 4 cups sugar

Measure the plum puree into a large heavy-bottomed pot.  (For every cup of prepared plums, add 2/3 cup of sugar. You can cook up slightly larger or smaller batches than the one posted here.)
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
While stirring, continue to boil rapidly for 20 minutes...or until mixture coats the stirring spoon.
As the jam cooks, remove any pits you may have missed.
Remove from the heat; stir and skim for several minutes.
Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal.

This makes a soft-set jam...perfect for spreading on biscuits or breads.  Damson plum jam is also a great addition to sauces and dressings.

 Plum Sauce:

• 1 cup plum jam
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Allow to cool; store covered in the refrigerator.

*Serve with chicken or with pork.

Plum Vinaigrette Dressing: 

• 5 tablespoons Damson plum jam
• 1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup canola or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
•   salt and freshly ground pepper  to taste

1. In a blender, pulse the preserves, vinegar, and mustard until smooth.
2. Slowly add the oil until smooth. 
3. Add the onions, salt, and pepper; pulse briefly. 
4. Refrigerate in a bottle.

This dressing goes well with a salad of mixed greens, chopped red onion, fruit (peaches or nectarines), feta cheese and toasted almonds or pecans.

* * * * * 

Those are a few of the Damson plum dishes we have enjoyed here recently.  These are not my grandma's Damson plum recipes however.  She baked Platz (coffee cake) using this delectable fruit.  It tasted great but should have come with a warning attached...beware of pits!

Have you got a Damson plum memory, recipe or story you would like to share with us?

French Toast Roll Ups and Bread Crumb Cookies

We all have our own favorite ways of using stale bread or extra bread in the freezer that needs to be used. I don't like throwing it away. Most common ways I use them are; as crumbs for meatloaf or hamburgers or to make croutons. But sometimes it's fun to step out of the box and do something different. Browsing pinterest gives you all kinds of ideas. A new favorite are these french toast roll ups and bread crumb cookies. I used strawberry jam for the roll ups but there are so many other ideas, my daughter said adding cream cheese would put them over the top. I will share two different ways that I tried, French Toast Roll-ups and Bread Crumb Cookies.

French Toast Roll Ups

• 8 slices soft sandwich bread, you can remove crusts but I left them on. I used white bread but you could just as easily use whole wheat bread.
• Strawberry jam
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• Butter
• Icing sugar

1. Flatten bread slices with rolling pin.
2. Spoon strawberry jam along the edge of the bread and roll up.
3. In a shallow bowl whisk together eggs and milk, dip rolled up bread rolls in the mixture.
4. Over medium heat melt butter in a skillet, just enough to grease the pan. Add bread rolls and brown on all sides. Add more butter if needed.
5. Mix together sugar and cinnamon on a plate. Add hot rolls and coat them with the mixture.
6. Place on serving plate and dust with icing sugar. Serve warm.

Bread Crumb Cookies: another delicious way I used stale bread.

These cookies are delicious, we loved them. Pack a few in a bag, add a bow and share with someone. They will love you for it.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 slices bread
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Toast bread lightly, break up into pieces. Using a food processor cut into slightly coarse crumbs, not too fine.  Whisk crumbs into the flour mixture.
3. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar, whisk in egg and vanilla.
4. Add creamed mixture to dry and mix until well blended, stir in pepitas, sunflower seeds and chocolate chips.
5. Roll into balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheets.
6. Bake 10 minutes in a 350º oven.
7. Allow to cool on cooling rack.
8. Yield: 2 dozen

How do you use stale bread?

Bread for the Journey

John 13:34 

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, 

even as I have love you, that you also love one another."

I will be the first to admit that sometimes I don't feel very loving, especially if I have been hurt by someone. Jesus knows our human nature and knows that is usually how we feel after being hurt and feeling justified in those feelings. 

This is why He commands us to love one another, because it doesn't come naturally to us. Jesus knows His LOVE is the best buffer between hurt relationships if only we reach for His word to deal with our hurts and pain. God is not a God of "three strikes and you are out" kind of God. He has forgiven me endless times and keeps extending His mercy and love on me. My desire is to be more like Jesus. 

What would this world look like if we were able to extend that kind of love and mercy to the hurting world around us?! 

Pork Chop Casserole

Earlier this summer I put out a request on facebook for good recipes using apples since our apple tree was full and ready to harvest. My bloggy friend Pat at Mille Fiori Favoriti suggested a family favorite and I tried it  and it was very good. Thank you Pat for letting me share it with our readers.

Pork Chop Casserole

4-6 bone in loin Pork Chops
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Cups thinly sliced onion
2 cups rice
4 cups chicken broth
4-5 peeled, cored and chopped apples
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large pan heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter and saute the pork chops on both sides until nicely browned.
Set the sauteed chops aside.
In the same saucepan saute the rice and onions until the rice is golden and onions are soft.
Add the chicken broth and the apples and 1 tablespoon cinnamon and heat till almost boiling.
Transfer this mixture to prepared large casserole dish.
Place the pork chops on top of the rice mixture.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Melt the 2 tablespoons butter and add the brown sugar and cinnamon to the melted butter.
Uncover the casserole and brush the pork chops with the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon mixture.
Cook for 20 minutes longer or until rice is cooked to tender.

 This will serve at least 5 people and more if you split some of the pork chops.
If you are only serving 4 people use 4 chops and cut down the rice to 1 cup rice and 2 cups broth and 2 cups apples. Or you could add 1-1/2 cups rice and 3 cups broth with 3 cups apples.