Jelly Roll

I pulled this recipe out of my mom's recipe book not that long ago
knowing it would be a hit. My husband is not a big dessert lover,
but mom knew that this was one he would enjoy.
After the first bite, we both said at the same time...
"this tastes just like being at mom's".

• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour, sifted twice
• 1 1/4 cups jam

1. Beat together very well, eggs, baking powder, and salt until creamy yellow and thick.
2. Gradually add sugar, beating well.
3. Sift flour several times. Add sifted flour to egg mixture and gently fold together until all the flour is incorporated.
4. Line a 13"x18" baking sheet with wax paper. Lightly rub it with softened butter and then sprinkle it sparingly with flour. Pour batter into the pan.
5. Bake in 350º oven for 25-30 minutes. The cake will be light in colour and spring back when gently touched in the centre, or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not over bake.
6. Immediately invert onto a clean cotton tea towel that is generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. Pull off wax paper.
7. Working quickly spread jam over hot sheet cake and starting at the short end, roll hot cake using the tea towel to help roll. Some of the jam may run out the ends...not to worry.
8. Once you have it rolled up, keep the tea towel over it and 'tuck it in'. The steam from the hot cake helps to keep the cake moist as it cools.
9. As soon as the cake has cooled remove the towel and place on a serving tray. Dust with more powdered sugar.

Roasted Rhubarb Sweet Rolls

Roasting your rhubarb for sauces or fillings gives the rhubarb a wonderful texture and improves the flavour over a rhubarb sauce cooked on the stove top.

By roasting the rhubarb, the pieces retain their shape instead of turning to mush.

These sweet rolls are moist and bursting with flavour. The addition of the leftover rhubarb syrup in the glaze adds a natural pink hue and flavouring.

Roasted Rhubarb Filling

• 8 cups diced rhubarb (about 1/2 inch dice)
• 1 cup sugar

Sweet Roll Yeast Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup very soft butter
• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 - 6 1/2 cups flour

Sprinkle for Rolled out Dough

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour

Glaze

• icing / powdered sugar enough to make a pourable glaze (about 4 cups)
• syrup from roasted rhubarb (about 1/4 cup)
• additional milk as necessary

1. Wash and dice rhubarb and spread onto parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. The rhubarb will lose about 1/2 the volume during the roasting.  You will end up with about 4 cups.
2. Roast in a 350 F oven for about 45 minutes to one hour.  Remove from oven to cool until needed.
3. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your kitchen machine, place warm water and yeast and allow to proof about 10 minutes.
4. Add the eggs,  soft butter, sweetened condensed milk, and salt.  Stir in the flour until stirring becomes too difficult and then turn out onto a floured surface and add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time  until it is smooth and elastic.  Alternately, use the dough hook according to your dough machine instructions.
5. Turn into a large greased bowl, turning to moisten with fat and cover with with plastic wrap and a tea towel.  Allow to rise until double in bulk, about an hour.
6. Combine the 1/2 sugar and 1/2 cup flour
7. Roll dough into a 12 X 36 inch wide rectangle and sprinkle with the flour/sugar mixture.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer rhubarb to the dough, spreading fairly evenly.
8. Roll up jelly roll style and divide into 36 rolls in three 9 X 13 parchment paper lined pans.
9. Cover with tea towels and allow to rise another hour.
10. Bake at 350 about 20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.  Cool 10 minutes while making glaze. Drizzle with glaze and serve.  

These rolls can be frozen and then thawed at room temperature before serving.

Sour Dough Health Bread

My love for breads keeps me trying new variations and I was pleasantly surprised how easy this one was,
adapted slightly from a recipe my mom used to make. I'm not sure if one could actually classify this bread in the sour dough category, as it does not need starter, but it's the name it was passed down with.  You will notice this recipe calls for buttermilk, which I sense some people still cringe at, thinking it sounds fatty. The truth is, buttermilk has no butter in it and has the same probiotic benefits as yogurt. If you like, you can mix yogurt and low fat milk. Also, if you do not have all of the different types of grains called for, you can replace with others you have, such as rye, flax-seed or more whole wheat. Should you enjoy trying different breads, purchase some of these healthy fillers and keep them in the fridge or freezer. Even whole wheat is best kept refrigerated if you do not use it regularly. This bread rises overnight.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup bran
• 1/2 cup oat-bran
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup wheatgerm*
• 1/2 cup cracked wheat (or more oatmeal)
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp instant yeast
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup hot tap water
• 2 cups unbleached white flour (added next day)

Method:

1. Stir first nine dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add buttermilk and hot water, stirring well. Cover with a tea towel and plastic bag, making sure there is room to rise. Let sit overnight at room temperature.
3. Next day, stir in white flour 1/2 cup at a time, kneading in the last of it by hand until dough is smooth. Use a bit more flour if necessary to get a non-sticky ball.
4. Cover and let rise 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
5. Divide in half. On floured surface or surface sprinkled with flour and oatmeal, pat out to 12 X 8 inches and roll up, jelly roll style. 
6. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Cut slits on top with serrated knife.  Cover and let rise 30 - 45 minutes. Optional:  just before putting in the oven, brush with egg wash** and sprinkle with oatmeal.
7. Bake at 375 F for 35 - 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack. 

* for nutritional value info and other ideas on how to incorporate wheat germ into your diet check here

**egg wash - whisk 1 egg with fork or whisk, adding in a Tbsp or two of milk or water,  until well blended.

Roasted Rhubarb Scones

These scones are so delicious and beautiful and fit for the prettiest teas and yet simple to put together for a quick coffee if you have your rhubarb roasted and ready in the refrigerator.

I usually keep a container of roasted rhubarb in our refrigerator for a week to put over vanilla yogurt, 

or to add to scones or over ice cream for dessert.

Roasted Rhubarb 

• 8 cups diced rhubarb (about 1/2 inch dice)
• 1 cup sugar

1. Wash and dice rhubarb and spread onto parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. The rhubarb will lose about 1/2 the volume during the roasting.  You will end up with about 4 cups.
2. Roast in a 350 F oven for about 45 minutes to one hour.  Remove from oven to cool until needed.
3. Refrigerate the Roasted Rhubarb that you are not needing for scones.

Scone Dough

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Stir together dry ingredients in a bowl.  Cut butter into dry ingredients with a pastry blender.
3. Stir together buttermilk and egg and gently stir into flour mixture.
4. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead a few times.  Shape into a long rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.  (the exact measurement doesn't matter, as long as  you can fold the dough over twice.
5. Using a slotted spoon (leaving most of the liquid behind) place roasted rhubarb along the center 1/3 of dough.  Fold the bottom third of dough on top of rhubarb and add more roasted rhubarb on top.  Fold the top third of dough over the center, covering the roasted rhubarb.  
6. Cut into triangles and form into a circle with the sides not quite touching  on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. 
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.
8. While still warm, drizzle with glaze.

Glaze

• 2 cups icing / powdered sugar 
• a few teaspoons of syrup from roasted rhubarb 
• additional cream to make a smooth runny glaze

1. Combine ingredients and pour over scones while they are still warm.

Rhubarb Streusel Pie

One of the best tastes of spring is rhubarb pie. Rhubarb is now ready for the pickin' in gardens everywhere, so don't miss out. I have used the same rhubarb pie recipe for ever but this year I thought I would try a streusel topping. Just for a change. You can bake the filling in a traditional double pie crust if you prefer.

Rhubarb Streusel Pie

• 1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell
• 4 cups rhubarb, cut in 1/2" lengths
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Combine sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add to eggs and beat. Stir in rhubarb.
2. Pour into pastry lined pie plate.

Topping:

• 1/4 cup oats
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter

1. Mix topping ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over pie.
2. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to 350F and bake about 40 minutes longer...until rhubarb is cooked and topping is brown.
   
   

Serve warm with a scoop of premium ice-cream.

Poached Tomato Eggs

This is one of my father in law's recipes.

In our early years of marriage my mother in law ran Murchies Tea Room in Victoria. Chef Vincent Parkinson was the chef and took this recipe that Dad shared with him, and served it in the restaurant. I'm sure Vince perfected the recipe with his expert culinary skills and taste, but Dad's original recipe is wonderful.

In the menu at the tea house this was called Poached Eggs Oaklane.

Ingredients:

-4 cups chopped tomatoes (I like to use beef steak tomatoes, but any will work)

-1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or use 2 tsp dried basil)

-1/2 cup butter

-salt and pepper

-4 eggs

-toast, very crispy

Method:

In a heavy skillet, melt butter and add chopped tomatoes. Cook over medium heat until tomatoes begin to cook down. Add the basil and continue to cook until tomatoes are very soft. Turn down and simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once the tomatoes are cooked down, crack eggs into the tomato basil mixture and poach to your desired likeness.
While eggs are poaching place a lid over to help set the yolk.

When the eggs are poached to your likeness, using a large flat spoon transfer onto toast.

Serve with fried potatoes, bacon or sausages.

Bread for the Journey

Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
    for our HOPE is in you alone.

Psalm 33:22

So often in our conversations the word "hope" is part of it. I hope you feel better, I hope you get the job, I sure hope I get a better sleep tonight, etc. 

 According to the webster dictionary the meaning of hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. As a Christ follower, I know the meaning of hope is beyond what the dictionary offers. Our hope lies with God alone, that HE is in all our circumstandes, even when we can't see Him or feel Him. Imagine how powerful our prayers are because of that Hope we place in God. Life doesn't always turn out as we hope for, does it? Challenging, unpleasant and unwanted things happen in life. May we find our true HOPE in the Him alone. 

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Psalm 62:5-6

Roast Beef and Fried Egg Sandwich

Saturdays my mom often made a breakfast style meal for supper, along with a cup of tea. I learned how to make this Sandwich in Grade 8 Home Economics class. Do they still have those classes in school today? I was so impressed that I learned something new and it was something I could actually make for my family, I made it that very weekend. A great way to use up leftover roast beef.
I will give you the list of ingredients, and you make your sandwich according to how many you are feeding. For one sandwich you need  the following -

• toasted bread or bun of your choice
• mayonnaise
• your favorite mustard
• 1 small onion, caramelized (thinly sliced and fried slowly on low heat in a bit of butter or oil until you have a deep brown color)
• 1 fried egg
• leftover roast beef or store bought sliced cooked roast beef that you can purchase at the deli counter
• cheese

Voila, with some pickles on the side that is all you need. Enjoy.

Flash Back Friday ~ Cream Puff Dessert

This cream puff dessert is quite a popular dessert. It serves a crowd and some will want to come back for seconds so you probably won't end up with any leftovers. My sister shared this recipe with me many years ago and I have shared it with many as well. It's like cream puffs but in a pan.

Base:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup flour
• 5 eggs

1. In a medium sized saucepan bring water and butter to a boil.
2. Mix flour into water and butter mixture and stir until the flour is mixed in and it forms a ball. Remove from heat.
3. Add eggs, one at time and beat until smooth and satiny. This is a bit of a workout on the arm so if you have someone else in the house ask for a hand, or would that be an arm. I use my electric hand held mixer.
4. Spread on a large greased cookie sheet, one that has edges. My pan size is approx 13 inches x 17 inches.
5. Bake in a 425º for 15 to 20 minutes until golden in color.
6. Once baked it will have a bumpy look, don't worry, that is how it should look. With your hand, very gently press those down those bumps just a little. They will deflate on their own a little as well.
7. Cool.

Filling and topping: 

• 1 / 250 g (8 oz) package cream cheese
• 1 box, 153 g (6 serving size) instant vanilla pudding
• 1 3/4 cups whipping cream (whipped and sweetened, I made a small change from the original recipe, instead of 1/3 cup icing sugar I used 3 tablespoons icing sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla)
• Chocolate sauce for drizzling

1. Beat softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
2. Prepare pudding as per box instructions.
3. Whisk together pudding and cream cheese until smooth, spread on cooled base.
4. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce. Drizzle chocolate sauce in lines up and down the length of the pan then the opposite way to give you that wavy look. Refrigerate till serving time.
5. This is delicious as is but you can add bananas or other fresh fruit if you desire which would be added before the whipped cream.

Apple Caramel Tortillas

A friend shared this easy apple dessert with me. We really liked it. How can you go wrong with an apple dish of any kind? And if you think this is delicious the day you make it, just wait till the next day, it's even better. The tortillas become softer as they sit in the sauce. If you have any leftovers just cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can have it for breakfast the next morning with a slice of cheese instead of ice cream.
I really want to try this with rhubarb and peaches when they are in season.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups medium size apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 flour tortillas (8 inch)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Place chopped apples in a medium saucepan, stir in lemon juice.
2. Whisk together sugar, flour, and cinnamon, stir into apples.
3. Over medium high heat, cook apples, stirring frequently until apples are barely tender. Set aside to cool.
4. Place half a cup of cooked apples on a tortilla. Roll up, tucking in the sides and place in a greased 9" pan. Repeat with each of the tortillas. They will be a tight squeeze in the pan but that's okay.
5. In a saucepan over medium heat bring to boil butter, brown sugar, and water, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, stir in vanilla.
6. Pour over tortillas and let stand for 30 minutes.
7. Bake in a 350º oven for 30 minutes, or until the tortillas look golden in color.
8. Serve warm with ice cream. Spoon some of the caramel sauce from the pan over the ice cream. 

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