ingredients

3/4 c milk
1/2 c sugar
1 1/4 t salt
1/2 c (1 stick) Fleischmann’s Margarine
1/2 c warm water (105° - 115°)
2 packages or cakes Fleischmann’s Yeast
3 eggs, beaten
5 1/2 c unsifted Ceresota or Heckers’ Unbleached Flour
3/4 c Fleischmann’s Margarine, softened
2 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 c coarsely chopped pecans
3/4 c light corn syrup
6 T Fleischmann’s Margarine, softened

directions

1

Scald milk. Stir in sugar, salt and 1/2 c Fleischmann’s Margarine; cool to lukewarm. Measure warm water into large warm bowl. Sprinkle or crumble in Fleischmann’s Yeast; stir until dissolved. Add lukewarm milk mixture, eggs, and half the flour. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed with electric mixer, or 300 vigorous strokes with spoon. Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 45-50 minutes.
2

Meanwhile, prepare pans: spread 4 tablespoons softened Fleischmann’s Margarine in each of three 8-inch square pans. Sprinkle 1/2 c brown sugar and 1/3 c pecans in each pan. Pour 1/4 c corn syrup into each pan.
3

Punch dough down and turn out onto floured board. Divide into three parts. Roll each third into 9 x 5 rectangle and spread each with 2 tablespoons of remaining softened Fleischmann’s Margarine; sprinkle with remaining brown sugar. Roll up each rectangle from long side and cut into 9 slices. Arrange 9 rolls in each pan, cut sides up. Cover, let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Bake in hot oven (400) about 25 minutes, or until done. Cool in pans 10 minutes; invert onto plates to finish cooling.

Bubbly hot, thick and rich-- any thicker and it would be a pudding!


Castillian Hot Chocolate

Scale ingredients to servings
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
7 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 qt milk

Wisk the cocoa and sugar together into a medium-sized saucepan. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water, and stir into the cocoa and sugar until it is a smooth paste.

Begin heating the mixture, stirring it with a whisk, and gradually pour in the milk. Continue stirring with the whisk as you bring the liquid to a simmer.

Allow the chocolate to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until it is thick, glossy and completely smooth.

Serve steaming hot in coffee mug. Serves six.


Sorry I'm repeating myself. I already entered this recipe. DOH!! well, here's a seasonal reminder.

I friend of mine posted on Facebook yesterday that she was whipping up some New England Clam Chowder. And I thought, how perfect is that for this dreary, rainy, post-Frankenstorm weather! I didn't have the ingredients then but I do now. So here is the recipe:




INGREDIENTS:
6-7 strips of bacon cut into small pieces
1 onion chopped
2 cans of minced clams (reserve the juice)
6-7 potatoes cubes
2 (10.5oz cans of cream of celery soup)
1 cup of half and half
1 cup of milk
1tbsp of butter
1 tsp of dried dill weed

DIRECTIONS:
1.Fry bacon until crispy and spoon into soup pot (with some of the fat)
2.add onion and cook till translucent
3.add clam juice from both cans
4 add potatoes
5. Cook and cover till potatoes are fork tender (15-20min)
6.Stir occasionally so potatoes won't stick
7. Add clams, soup, half and half, milk and dill weed
8. stir together
9 Add butter and let it melt into chowder
10. cook for about 30-40min until thickened
11. stir occasionally
EEEEEEEEEAAAAAATTTTTTTTT!!!!!

I had this left over chicken in the refrigerator and it had lost its interest among my household's eaters (me included) so I took the meat off the bone, chopped it up and made a curried chicken salad. Good for this hot weather.
The thing about curry is it can be hundred different ways depending on which spices you use and how you balance it. This is how I did it.

After chopping the chicken I chopped a bunch of celery (one of the hearts sold in stores as opposed to a long bunch of whole celery). Mixed the two together and added a half a cup of Mayonaise. This is the base for any chicken salad.

Then I started adding a little of this and a little of that.
Specifically:
3 or more tablespoons of Tumeric,
1-2 tablespoons of Cumin,
1 teaspoon of Cardamom,
a sprinkle of Garam Masala I happened to have,
Salt and Pepper

What the salad really needed were some golden raisins but I didn't have any, so I used dried peaches, and chopped them into raisin sized bits and added.

last Thanksgiving's bird

Apparently if you go to the Giant and order a FRESH turkey, they give you a frozen one anyway. Fresh is the opposite of frozen when it comes to meat of any kind. What's the difference you ask? a LOT. First of all you don't know when the turkey was frozen so there's no way to tell how old it is. Second frozen and then thawed meat can sometimes get waterlogged leaving it tough and spongy. When meat is fresh you can tell so by the smell. It shouldn't have any, that is. If it starts smelling it's probably spoiled.

The first time this happened to me was Thanksgiving. I opened up the supposedly FRESH turkey to find ice inside it, which is a clear indication it had been frozen. Fortunately it didn't affect the meat, which was tender and good. This time I picked up the turkey and it was hard as a rock, frozen solid. A day in the refrigerator didn't even thaw it out. The neck was completely frozen inside the cavity and could not be removed without running warm water into it.

In both cases the turkey was from Shady Brook Farms and was clearly marked FRESH YOUNG TURKEY. There was no mention of it being frozen, or fresh frozen, or frozen fresh, or frozen anything. Yet frozen they were.

Next year I'm going to explore the possiblity of getting a turkey from a local turkey farm. Apparently there are lots to choose from.

I'm re-doing the Boston Cream Pie I made for my birthday last month because I'd forgotten the baking powder and it came out a mess. Had to mostly be thrown away. And so because I like a good Boston Cream Pie I'm remaking it. It still didn't rise too much but probably because I'm baking in 10" pans instead of 9" which is what it calls for. So far it's looking good. Ben is coming over tonight for pizza. I'll make that later.

Pecan Pie with chocolate chips on top

The Giant felt like a steam bath today. I did NOT need that as I slogged through the isles doing the massive shopping chore. Also picked up the fresh turkey. Today I'm making the pecan pie, cranberry relish and the spinach gnocchi. The pie is in the oven, so this afternoon I'll tackle the gnocchi and the relish.

I'm wiped already. Tomorrow is the soup, stuffing and the turkey.

Pecan Pie with chocolate chips*

INGREDIENTS
1 small bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup Karo® Dark Corn Syrup
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans
1 (9-inch) unbaked or frozen** deep-dish pie crust (I make my own classic pie crust)

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Line pie crust with enough semi sweet-chocolate chips to cover the bottom
• Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust
• Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes (see tips for doneness, below). Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.

* Note, in the picture the chips are on the top of the pie. That's because I forgot the first step until after I'd filled the pie shell, so I added them on top. But a layer on the crust is really preferable.

So I got the rest of the dusting/cleaning done. I went out and made a booze run-- two bottles of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc and one Cabernet Sauvignon. Then I got a bottle of Kahluha, Amoretto, and dry Vermouth (for the turkey). I'm making an orange maple glaze for the turkey and it calls for Vermouth.

Then I made homemade baked macaroni and cheese for myself tonight. Jon's in Bethesda tonight. Tomorrow is grocery shopping and making the pecan pie. Then Thursday I'll make the stuffing, cook the turkey, make carrot cashew soup, spinach gnocchi , and cranberry orange relish. And of course mountains of mashed potatoes.

Friday I plan to sleep all day.

Boston Cream Pie
Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup light cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup light cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans. Sift the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
In a deep bowl cream 6 tablespoons of the butter with 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the 2 eggs, one at a time, then beat in the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture alternately with the 1/2 cup of the milk in 3 additions, Beating the batter smooth after each addition. Divide the batter between the 2 prepared pans.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes or until cakes begin to shrink away from the sides of the pans and centers spring back when lightly touched. Turn the cakes onto wire racks to cool.

To Make The Filling: Combine the 1/2 cup light cream with 1/4 cup of the milk and cook over medium heat until bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan. Immediately add 1/4 cup of the sugar and the salt, stirring until dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the milk with the cornstarch and whisk to remove lumps. Whisk in the 2 eggs. Add the hot cream mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Return to the mixture to the saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and is smooth (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and allow to cool to room temperature.

To Make The Chocolate Frosting: In a heavy saucepan over low heat, stir the chocolate pieces and 2 tablespoons butter until they are completely melted. Remove from the heat and, stirring constantly, add the 1/4 cup light cream in a thin steady stream. When mixture is smooth, stir in the confectioners' sugar and beat vigorously. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
To Assemble Cake: Spread the cooled filling over one the cooled cakes and place the second cake on top. Pour the chocolate frosting evenly over the top allowing it to spill down the sides.

and don't leave out the Baking Powder like I did or your cake will be a cracker

Pumpkin after sauteeing

For the pumpkin
2 Sugar Pie pumpkins, each about 3 pounds
6 tbsp peanut oil
3 C sugar

For the yogurt sauce
2 C plain yogurt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp salt


Instructions:
Make the pumpkin:
It helps to have a serious vegetable cleaver for this bit.
Preheat your oven to 350º.

Wash off the outside of the pumpkins. Cut them in half. Scrape out the stringy stuff on the inside. Cut the halves into smaller pieces. Peel them. Get rid of all the green and rind.

Using a large dutch oven, I sauteed the pumpkin in oil for 5-7min. turning frequently. Then I sprinkled the sugar over them, put the lid on it and baked it at 350º for 30 min.

The sugar will all melt away and end up partially absorbed. The pumpkin pieces will turn dark orange and translucent. They will have a stunningly novel texture. It is a beautiful thing.

Make the yogurt sauce:

Mix all the ingredients together. Refrigerate.

(this makes a LOT of Kaddo Borawni, I only made one small pumpkin that weighed about 1.5lbs so I cut the proportions.