Pishky (Russian Rollkuchen)

This is my mother Nadia's version of Rollkuchen that my family grew up with. We call them Pishky. There are some variations in the ingredients.

• 4 cups flour
• 2 cups sour cream
• 3 eggs (beaten)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• vegetable oil to fry the Pishky in

1. Make well in center of flour. Mix sour cream, beaten eggs, salt, sugar, and orange juice.
2.  First blend the soda in a tablespoon of hot water then add it to the wet ingredients. Mix into flour and knead the dough.
3.  Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Cut in strips. Then cut strips on the diagonal about 4″ long and cut a slit in the center of the 4″ length. 
4. Fold the top of the piece through the hole and up again. Fry in oil until golden brown on both sides.
5.  Before serving sprinkle with powdered sugar.

My kids loved to have these hot out of the pan when they would come in from playing in the snow.

These are great right out of the pan and for a few hours but after that, they aren’t as wonderful. Make small batches that you’ll gobble up quickly is my recommendation. The other thing you can do if you have more than you want to eat right away is to make a french toast casserole for breakfast with the leftovers.

Kirschen Moos (Cherry Moos)

This is another version of Pluma Moos.  

Like Judy's recipe, I use cherry Jello to give it colour and flavour but I also add a jar of sweet cherries to the fruit mix because my grandmother and my mother did it that way.  

Mennonites traditionally served Puma Moos (made with prunes) or 

Kirschen Moos (made with cherries) at Easter as a side dish to a ham dinner,  

My family loves it so I make it year round, 

even bringing it along as a treat on camping trips.

• 10 cups water
• 1 cup  pitted prunes, quartered
• 1 cup raisins, rinsed (I prefer the Sultana raisins)
• 1 cup mixed dried fruit (apricots, peaches, pears, apples) cut into pieces
• 1/2 a lemon
• 1 small  (3 oounce) package cherry Jello
• 1 quart canned sweet cherries (dark or light) including liquid, reserving 1/2 cup
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar or to taste 
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• reserved 1/2 cup cherry juice

1. Place water in a large dutch oven.
2. Add cut up fruit, raisins and 1/2 a lemon.
3. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.
4. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until fruit has plumped up.
5. Measure out 1/2 cup syrup from the canned cherries and set aside.
6. Add cherries with the rest of the syrup and cherry Jello powder to the pot.
7. Stir well and taste, adding sugar until desired sweetness.
8. Mix cornstarch with reserved cherry syrup and add to simmering pot, stirring well until it boils. 
9. Remove from heat and chill. Remove lemon before serving.
10. Serves 8-10 as a side dish or dessert.  If you have leftovers, it keeps well in the fridge for about a week.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

The burgers were ready for the grill when I realized I had no barbecue sauce.

I gathered some ingredients together from my pantry and fridge,

added a bit of this and that....

and handed it over to my husband who was doing the barbecuing. 

The liquid smoke and molasses added the flavour I was looking for.

Then I made it again just to make sure I had the measurements right 

to share with you.....cause that's how we do it here at MGCC. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp bottled lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp molasses 
• 1 tbsp prepared mustard
• 1 tbsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/3 cup chili sauce 

Combine all ingredients together in a glass jar and stir well. Keeps well in the fridge for up to a month.

Fresh Raspberry Pie

With the raspberry season beginning, it is time to roll out those berry recipes! We had a birthday party at the beach for two special 'sons' last night and found out that fresh raspberry pie with a sparkler makes a fine birthday cake.

Fresh Raspberry Pie:

• 1 baked 9 or 10-inch pie crust
  
• 4 cups of fresh raspberries

Glaze:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons raspberry jello
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1. In 4-cup glass measure or small mixing bowl, combine water, sugar and cornstarch.
2. Microwave at High for 2 to 5 minutes (until thickened and clear) stirring every minute.
3. Stir in raspberry jello. Cool about 10 minutes.
6. Pour carefully over the berries in the pie shell.
7. Refrigerate several hours; serve with whipped cream.

Enjoy the ultimate summer dessert together with some good friends.

* The glaze is one I adapted from a fresh peach pie recipe and works well in any flavour!

Bread for the Journey

Create in my a clean heart, O God, 

and renew a right spirit within me. 

Cast me not away from your presence, 

and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, 

and uphold me with a willing spirit. 

Psalm 51:10-12 [ESV]

When you read Psalm 51 in its entirety you realize the chaos of David's life and how utterly repentive he is for all his transgressions.  He begs God to create a newness in him, to restore his joy and to uphold him with a willing spirit to live within God's will.
We are really no different than David. No matter of the situation we find our lives in, we can always come to God and ask for a clean heart, a new attitude, and to have our joy restored. He asks for no other sacrifice than that of a our contrite heart and broken spirit.
Thank you Lord for your gracious mercy towards us. May we be willing to give over our lives to you to create a clean heart in us and restore our joy through your Holy Spirit. 

   

Alvina's Cinnamon Twists

For this Flashback I want to remind you of these sweet little twists I first sampled in Alvina's kitchen many years ago. Alvina is my cousin by marriage and lives about 1500 miles from us, but the visits we’ve had as families have been the best! Besides being an excellent cook and home-maker, Alvina has a wonderful warm personality and the best laugh!. I love reminders of our times together and when I make these I wish that the distance between our houses would not be so far.

More recently, this recipe came up when MGCC were invited to do a cooking class in Shipshewana, IN, and we demonstrated this simple biscuit pastry to be used plain, with a savory or a sweet filling.

Ingredients:

Your favorite biscuit or scone pastry. I use:

• 2 c flour
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
• 6 Tbsp butter, room temp.
• 1 c buttermilk or milk

filling and icing:

• 2 - 3 Tbsp melted butter
• 3/4 c brown sugar 
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 3/4 c icing (confectioner's) sugar

Method:

 

1. In medium sized bowl, mix dry ingredients, then cut in butter with pastry blender. 
2. Add buttermilk, stirring with fork until dough holds together. Shape into a ball.
3. Pat into a rectangular shape on lightly floured surface and roll out to a 6 x 24 inch strip.
4. Spread with melted butter, then with sugar/cinnamon/flour (mixed)
5. Starting from long side, fold over twice, so that you have a 2 inch strip that has 3 layers.
6. Cut into 3/4 inch slices and twist each slice so that it looks like the figure 8. (right hand twists away from you and left hand toward you)
7. Place on greased and floured (or parchment paper lined) cookie sheet.
8. Bake at 400F until golden. About 12 - 14 minutes. Yield: approx. 30 mini twists

Icing:

Fill a 1 c measuring cup 3/4 full of icing sugar. Stir while adding a little water at a time, until it has an easy spreading consistency. Drizzle or brush over warm twists. (If you did not use

parchment paper, remove twists from sheet with lifter before sugar, that has run out, hardens.)

Fresh Strawberry Pie

This is the best fresh strawberry pie I have ever tasted. It has become an annual tradition. My friend Erna introduced us to this delectable dessert last year. Happy 4th of July to our American friends. This pie will surely brighten the festivities.

• 1 single baked pie shell
• 4 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
• 2 additional cups of mashed strawberries
• 1 cup water
• 5 drops red food color
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

1. In a saucepan combine the mashed strawberries and water.
2. Cook for 2 minutes. 
3. Add the food coloring.
4. Pour through a fine sieve to collect all the juice. 
5. Combine the sugar and the cornstarch. 
6. Bring the juice to a boil with the sugar mixture and boil until it thickens and runs clear. 
7. Chill completely.
8. Pour the cooled juice mixture over the fresh strawberries in the pie crust.
9. Serve with whipped cream.

Delicious, best fresh Strawberry Pie ever! Did I mention that already? 

Roll Kuchen

• 2 cups of sour cream
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• oil for deep frying

1. Combine sour cream, egg, oil.
2. Add the flour with baking powder and salt.
3. Knead together till you have a soft dough.
4. Flour the counter well and roll out to about a 1/4 inch.
5. Cut into strips, twisting them is optional.
6. Deep fry in a pan with about 2 inches of hot oil.
7. Let the oil come to the desired temperature, on your stoves medium setting. This takes a few minutes.
8. Do a test one, the dough should bubble at the sides, and be browned in matter seconds. Turn the roll kuchen, fry til you have the desired color. DO NOT leave the pan unattended at any time!

The first time that I had this particular recipe is when our friends came to visit us while we were camping. They have a very light and soft texture as opposed to a very thin and crispy one, and don't taste greasy at all. I just love these plus they taste great with jam too!

Rollkuchen

 
Rollkuchen are a tasty, deep fried pastry that are a wonderful accompaniment to cold watermelon on a hot summer day.  How well I recall childhood picnics with big tubs of fresh Rollkuchen.  Let's just say that eating them is rather like eating peanuts...you can't stop at just one! Sometime over the years, Rollkuchen became paired with Roger's Golden Syrup (definitely a Canadian thing) on my table; they make a great team!

My mother-in-law made the best flaky, crispy Rollkuchen. Mine never quite measured up, so I have always made the thicker, softer variety and they have become a family favorite. Hers were all uniform in shape; mine are rather 'free-form'. Each recipe seems to differ slightly but I've never met a Rollkuchen I didn't like!

Rollkuchen

• 5 - 6 cups / 1150 - 1350 ml flour
• 3 teaspoons / 15 ml  baking powder
• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup / 250 ml sour cream
• 1 cup / 250 ml milk

 

1. Combine 5 cups / 1150 ml  flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Beat eggs, sour cream and milk together and add to dry ingredients
3. Continue to add flour to form a soft dough ... usually about 1/2 cup more.
4. Allow the dough to chill for an hour or two before rolling, for easier handling.
5. Divide the dough in half and roll out quite thin on a floured board ... if you prefer them soft, then not quite so thin.
6. Cut strips of dough about 2x4 inches / 5x10 cm ... with two slits cut in center of each.
7. Stretch the pieces somewhat before dropping into the hot oil.
8. Fry in deep hot oil over medium heat until golden on one side. Turn and brown the other side.
    

The rollkuchen puff up beautifully while cooking and are really mostly air pockets by the time they are ready to eat. A totally a healthy choice!  Who am I fooling?

Serve with cold watermelon and Roger's golden syrup.  Grilled farmer sausage is also a nice touch!

Canada Day Strawberry Filled Doughnuts

Happy Canada Day!

All over Canada families and friends will be gathering to celebrate Canada's birthday.

If you live in Canada you already know that a Canadian favorite place to meet for coffee is the local doughnut shop.  

We stopped in ourselves for coffee and picked up some Tim Horton  Honey Crullers  for our Canada Day dessert.

 As far as I can tell, a glazed honey cruller is basically deep fried cream puff dough.

I thought it might make a great way to make cream puffs without heating up the oven on a hot day and a great way to make a quick dessert.

 I used an electric knife to slice them in half.

If you don't have an electric knife, use a sharp serrated knife.

I then gently removed the soft part inside which is much like we do with cream puffs.
I then filled them and served them "open faced".
Six doughnuts makes enough for 12 servings.

For smaller appetites,

I used some of the little honey cruller tim bits and stuffed them with whipped cream and strawberries.

• Tim Horton Honey Cruller doughnuts and doughnut holes
• fresh berries
• 2 cups whipping cream (for one dozen doughnuts and 20 timbits
• 2 packages Dr. Oetker Whip It cream stabilizer or 2 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding
• 1/4 cup powdered / icing sugar

1. Slice doughnuts in half using a electric knife or serrated knife.
2. Remove the soft part of in the inside of the doughnut.
3. Wash and dry strawberries and slice and dice into small pieces.
4. Whip cream with stabilizer or instant pudding and powdered sugar until stiff.
5. Place whipped cream into a piping bag with a star tip, fill the doughnut and top with strawberry pieces and then garnish with a few more stars of whipped cream.
6. Refrigerate until serving time.  These filled doughnuts are best when doughnuts are purchased and and put together on the same day.