Old English Fruit Cake (oven 275 degrees F)

This recipe requires the use of several large bowls for preparation. A large bread bowl is necessary to hold the finished batter, when all of the goodies have been incorporated.

1 pound butter
1 pound light brown sugar
9 eggs
2 tblsps. milk
1 pound regular white floor
2 tsps. mace
2 tsps. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
2 pounds dried currants
1 pound seeded dark raisins
1 pound golden (sultana) raisins
8 oz. glace fruits (fruit cake mix)
8 oz. glace pineapple, but into bite size pieces
8 oz. glace green cherries, cut in half (optional)
1 pound whole pecans (be careful to check for shells before adding nuts)
approx. 2 cups of rum, brandy, or sherry
2 packages of cheese cloth

First sort your dried fruits to pick out any stems. Put all dried fruits into a colander and wash fruits. Use kitchen towel to partially dry fruits. Place dried fruits into large bread bowl, mix in glaced fruits, add 3 tablespoons liquor, mix well, then set aside. I usually prepare the fruits the night before.

Separate the eggs. Beat egg whites until stiff, adding half of the brown sugar, set aside. Cream butter , adding half the brown sugar, mix well. Beat the egg yolks until thick, beat yolks into butter mixture, along with the milk. Fold in egg white mixture.

Sift flour, baking soda, mace and cinnamon. Stir into butter mixture, then stir batter into fruit mixture by hand. This recipe creates a large volume of batter!

Grease and flour baking tins. I usually get 2 full loaf size cakes, 6 half loaf cakes, plus 2 minis from one recipe. Place pan of hot water in the bottom of a 275 degree oven for the purpose of creating steam. Put your cakes on the racks of the oven, and bake for one hour. Smallest cakes should be done in 50 minutes, continue to bake larger cakes until they test done with a toothpick. Largest cakes usually bake in 1-1/2 hours.

Thoroughly cool cakes on racks before wrapping each cake in liquor soaked cheese cloth. Wrap well in plastic and store in cool, dark cupboard. Allow cakes to ripen for at least six weeks. Cakes will keep well for several months. It is a good idea to re-wet cheesecloth with liquor every three months for long term storage.

I wish we hadn't needed to give up sweets. We control DH's blood sugar by eliminating all concentrated sweets and watching what he eats.

My fruit cake recipe is essentially the same ingredients, except that I use golden raisins, no currants or dark raisins; and add shredded coconut, creating "Miz Jimmie's White Fruitcake."

We added bottled flavorings rather than a bit of liquor. My MIL used to season her fruitcakes by putting them in an airtight big tin with an apple or two for a couple of weeks.

Lorna, will you be cooling the fruitcake on the window sill, too?

Balthazar Bakery NYC - Chocolate Bread

1. Use Turbinado sugar for the top... use lots not regular sugar
2. Use the bittersweet not unsweet chocolate

CHOCOLATE BREAD STARTER
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour ( you can use bread flour)
CHOCOLATE YEAST BREAD
5 cups bread flour ( 1 c or so extra for kneading)
1/2 cup good-quality cocoa powder
2/3 cup sugar, plus
4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast dissolved in 2 c warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature,plus more for pans
6 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
vegetable oil, for lightly oiling bowl
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon heavy cream
4 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Directions
1)Chocolate Bread Starter: Dissolve yeast in water for 10 minutes; stir in flour until completely mixed; cover loosely and leave to proof at room temperature 6 hours.

2) Chocolate Yeast Bread: KA with dough hook for 5 min. on low or till completely smooth- mix 5c flour, cocoa, 2/3 cup sugar, yeast water and 1/2 cup Chocolate Bread Starter (freeze the remainder for later use); scrape sides often let rest in bowl 15 minutes.

3)Turn on KA to med. and add soft butter and salt, cont for 10 min till it is smooth and shiny. After the 10 min add in about 1/2c-3/4 c flour now , just enough so dough cleans bowl and cont a couple minutes. Should be very soft but kneadable. Place on counter with a light dusting of flour and knead in chopped chocolate thoroughly.

4)Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours; leaving dough in bowl, fold dough into thirds as if folding a letter for an envelope, recover with plastic wrap; let rest 30 minutes.

5)Butter three 8"x4"x2" loaf pans and coat with remaining 4 T granulated sugar; divide dough in thirds ( will have 4# of dough approx) and then divide each third into 4 even pieces; roll and form each piece of dough into a tight ball; place four pieces, smooth side up, side-by-side in each loaf pan; cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 2 hours.

6)Preheat oven to 375;right before placing in oven combine egg yolk and cream and brush on loaves; sprinkle with lots of turbinado sugar; place in oven, reduce temperature to 350° and bake for 40-45 minutes or until loaves have a slightly hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.

7)Let rest in loaf pans for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack.

Nell, cinnamon helps to regulate blood sugar and insulin. I'm hypoglycemic, so almost every sweet I make has cinnamon in it. Sometimes I put cinnamon in my morning tea because it really reduces my problem with sugar lows.

I have a friend whose husband has insulin-dependent diabetes. He pretty much avoids sugar, but he can tolerate small amounts of honey quite well. I have an old-fashioned honey cake recipe. Would you like me to look that up for you? Can't recall, it might be a whole wheat recipe. I haven't made it in a long time.

You'll need to bring your six foot ladder to reach my kitchen window sill, by the way. :-) I never heard of the apple trick with fruitcakes. How interesting!

Lorna

CALIFORNIA COFFEE WITH ICE CREAM AND BRANDY
Absolutely delectable, and so easy! Reminiscent of the popular German Eiskaffe (Creamy Iced Coffee), but with a kick. This cool and creamy adult coffee is perfect for sipping on the veranda on a balmy afternoon, or as an after dinner drink. Serve with a wafer cookie, a straw and a spoon. May be made sans alcohol, if desired. Enjoy!
{{gwi:611241}}

2 tablespoons brandy
2/3 cup hot strong coffee
1 scoop good quality chocolate ice cream or coffee ice cream or vanilla ice cream (about 1/4 cup)
whipped cream
cocoa powder
wafer cookie
sugar (optional, to taste)

Directions

1. For each serving, pour 2 tablespoons brandy into a mug or heat safe glass.

2. Fill 2/3 full with hot strong coffee (see note below).

3. Top with 1 scoop chocolate, coffee or vanilla flavor ice cream.

4. Finish with a generous dollop of whipped cream, a dusting of cocoa powder, and a wafer cookie on the side. Offer sugar, to individual taste.

5. Serve with an iced-tea spoon, and a straw for sipping. Enjoy!

6. Note: Pour coffee over ice, if desired.

CROCK POT ZUCCHINI LASAGNA
Easy and delicious!
{{gwi:611242}}

1 lb lean ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 medium zucchini, sliced thinly into 1/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (optional)
1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms (optional)
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley (optional)
1 (26-28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce, any flavor
1/4 cup dry red wine
11-12 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 lb part-skim ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Brown the beef, onions, zucchini, and garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet, stirring to break up meat.

2. Stir in the oregano, basil, pepper, crushed fennel seeds, sliced mushrooms, parsley, spaghetti sauce, and wine.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together the beaten egg and the ricotta cheese, beating well until mixture is smooth. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, combine well.

4. Grease the bottom and sides of the crock pot (I use cooking spray or butter).

5. Layer about 1/4 of the meat sauce mixture in the bottom of the crock pot. Put a layer of noodles on top of that (break noodles to fit, overlapping is fine). Put about 1/3 of the cheese mixture and sprinkle with 1/4 of the mozzarella. Repeat with sauce, noodles and cheese for another two layers. Top with meat sauce and a little Parmesan and shredded mozzarella on top.

6. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours (4 hours on HIGH plus 30 minutes on LOW, in my 4 quart older model crock pot), or until noodles are tender.

{{gwi:611244}}

got these! Always looking great! I added a "crock pot" category.

Cameron

Cameron can you pick up my Southwest pie from the other thread or should I repost it here?

Annette

Great idea to make lasagne in a crockpot! I'll have to try that with a tweak, an Al Fredo Pesto version because I'm allergic to tomatoes.

Lorna

Oh Lorna - please share!!!

Nancy.

Cameron, a crock pot category sounds wonderful!!

Lorna, I had seen some crock pot recipes for lasagna and was skeptical. After trying this one (which is my very own concoction), I was won over to say the least. I hope you give it a try and that you enjoy. Let us know how it turns out with the al fredo sauce! By the way, your fruit cake sounds amazing!

Cheers, :D Becky

Becky, your recipe looks very tasty--cool that it is your own recipe. I've been making pesto lasagne Al Fredo for a number of years. I do like it. I just substitute white sauce with some cheese and pesto in it for the tomato sauce. If I make it without meat, I put in a layer of sauteed mushrooms.

I was surprised to see a chicken green chili Al Fredo lasagne at a local Italian restaurant. I had to try it. Wow, it was delicious!

Yes, of course, Nancy come on down and we'll share a lasagne. Then we'll eat a couple of slices of dried pineapple to aid digestion and settle our stomachs, because we ate too much. I still have one fruitcake in the cupboard, leftover from last Christmas. I better get it out and give it another souse of rum. For long-term storage, they do better with an extra souse somewhere along the line.

Lorna

FALAFEL
Ingredients:
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coriander
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
oil for frying (canola or vegetable)
Preparation:
Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. Add flour and combine well.

Mash chickpeas, ensuring to mix ingredients together. You can also combine ingredients in a food processor. You want the result to be a thick paste.

Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Slightly flatten.

Fry in 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees until golden brown (2-5 minutes).

Serve falafel by itself, or with hot pita bread with veggies, hummus, or tahini sauce.

Recipe copied from About.com

Lorna

I picked up the Southwest Pie from the other thread.

Cameron

Guess all are in and done for the September postings. Quite a collection of recipes out there!

Cameron