Saucy Cranberry Chicken

Here's a simple chicken dish that is sure to please!  It's a variation of an apricot chicken recipe that my mother-in-law used to make and was known as 'grandma's chicken' by her grandchildren.

• 3 lbs. skinless chicken pieces (breasts and/or thighs)
• 1 cup Russian dressing
• 1 1/2 cups cranberry sauce (or 1 can 398 ml cranberry sauce)
• 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

1. Place chicken pieces in a 9" x 13" baking dish.
2. Combine dressing, cranberry sauce and onion soup mix in a small bowl.
3. Spoon evenly over chicken pieces.
4. Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour and 15 minutes...or until chicken is done (165 degrees F).

Pumpkin Pecan Jelly Roll

Funny how a jelly roll always brings some signs of delight and this one did not disappoint. If you  have never tried rolling up a jelly roll, why not try it? It may just be a lot easier than you think, but if it flops, you can always put the whole thing in a trifle bowl and decorate the top. It will taste just as delicious.

Ingredients:

Jelly Roll

• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2  tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 4 Tbsp water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin puree

Filling

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup (loose measurement) brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons corn syrup
• 3/4 cup roasted pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding powder

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Prepare jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with edges (10" x 15" or 11"x17") by greasing well. Line with wax paper, then grease well again, all the way up the sides as well. I like to use shortening for greasing.
3. In a small bowl mix dry ingredients and set aside.
4. Beat eggs with hand mixer for several minutes, then beat in the sugar well, until thick and lemon colored. Stir in lemon juice, water and pumpkin.
5. Stir dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture.
6. Spread into prepared pan and bake 15 - 18 minutes.
7. In the meantime, melt butter for filling. Stir in sugar and syrup and bring to boil. Cook on low to medium heat, stirring a few minutes, until it thickens and looks like caramel. Add pecans (roasted for about 10 minutes) and set aside to cool.
8. Prepare a clean tea towel by laying it on the counter and dusting generously with powdered sugar, using a sieve. When cake is done and still hot, turn it onto the towel. Peel off wax paper and roll up the cake along with the towel (beginning at narrow end). Let sit for about 1/2 hour.
9. Beat whipping cream until it begins to thicken, then add vanilla pudding powder mix and continue beating until thick for spreading.
10. Unroll cake. Starting where you begin to roll up from, spread cooled caramel pecan mixture, randomly far as it will go and avoiding cracks. Then spread whipped cream all over the cake, keeping about an inch from the edges.
11. Gently roll the cake back up again, starting from same end as before. Don't worry if it cracks a bit. When rolled up, carefully lift onto serving platter. Use left over cream to hide cracks and decorate the top if you like or just leave it. Freeze uncovered for 1 hour to set or longer if preparing days ahead. Once frozen, slip into plastic bag. On day of serving, refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving dust with icing sugar, using a small sieve.

 

Harvest Loaf

I have a feeling this will be one of the first of many pumpkin recipes posted, so you might want to make sure you have canned pumpkin on hand. It is one of my daughter’s favorite autumn loaves and is especially good when the chocolate chips are still soft. This recipe makes two loaves or you can cut it in half to make one.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter (soft/room temp)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar 
• 4 eggs 
• 2 cups cooked pureed pumpkin (398 ml can)
• 3 cups flour 
• 3 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• ¾ cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. Prepare two 9 x 4 inch loaf pans by greasing with shortening or cooking spray, and dusting with flour.
2. Beat butter and sugar well. Beat in eggs until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin. 
3. Mix dry ingredients with spices and chocolate chips. Stir into wet mixture until combined.
4. Bake for 50 minutes at 350° F, until toothpick tests done. 
5. Cool 10 minutes in pans and then remove to cooling rack.

Before baking, I sprinkled some chocolate chips in a row on top. You can combine nuts and chocolate chips if you like. Once cooled, a drizzle of about 1/4 - 1/2 cup icing sugar with maybe a teaspoon of water and a drop of maple flavoring is optional. Plain is great too.

Tip: do not use the whole can of pumpkin for one loaf just because you don't want to waste it. Too much pumpkin will make too moist and dense of a loaf. 

Salsa

Since there's an abundance of tomatoes and peppers out there right now, I thought I would share my salsa recipe. It's a recipe I got from my sister Kathy decades ago and is a staple at our home. I cook up a large batch in fall and we enjoy it year-round.  This is a zippy salsa; if you prefer yours on the mild side, remove all the seeds and ribs from inside the jalapeno peppers.
 

Salsa

• 10 cups tomatoes (peeled, chopped and drained)
• 8 small jalapeno peppers chopped (remove seeds for less heat) 
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped green peppers 
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 1/3 cups vinegar 
• 1 can 12 oz. can tomato paste 
• 1 tsp. cumin 
• 1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes 
• 3 Tablespoons pickling salt 
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1. Combine all ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.
2. Ladle into jars; tighten lids and process for 20 minutes in hot water bath.

*Optional : Stir in 1/3 cup cornstarch diluted in cold water and simmer for several minutes to thicken salsa before filling jars.

Yield: about 6-7 pint (500 ml) jars

This also makes a wonderful, tasty fresh salsa.  Place chopped veggies in a large bowl.  Mix vinegar, tomato paste, herbs and seasonings and add to chopped vegetables. Stir to combine.  Keeps well in the refrigerator for a week.

Queen Elizabeth Cake

Queen Elizabeth II

Our Gracious Queen

 April 1926 – September 2022

A recipe that Anneliese posted in 2016 in honor of her Majesty's 90th birthday.  We are reposting it today in honor of the Queen.  Rest in peace.  

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dates, chopped fine and 1 cup water
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter, soft
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp salt

topping

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp cream
• 5 Tbsp brown sugar
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut or mix of coconut and thin slivered almonds

Method:

1. In saucepan, bring dates and water to boil and continue simmering for about 3- 5 minutes until soft. Turn off heat and add baking soda, stirring to mash well. (it will bubble) Add vanilla, Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare 8 - 9 inch round or square pan by greasing and lining with wax or parchment paper. A spring form pan is ideal but not necessary.
3. Cream butter, sugar and egg.
4. Add dates and then stir in the dry ingredients, mixing on low if using mixer. 
5. Bake for 45 minutes, or until toothpick test comes out clean.
6. Meanwhile melt and warm butter and cream, adding sugar, coconut and nuts. Stir until well blended and set aside.
7. When cake is done, gently spread with topping and return to oven to broil setting for about 2 minutes. Watch it so it does not burn. It should bubble and turn a nice golden color.
8. Let cool. Loosen edges with knife. If not using a spring-form pan, remove by placing a piece of wax paper over the top along with a flat plate. Flip upside down and then right side up again onto serving plate. 

Thank you for your years of service Queen Elizabeth.

Peach Almond Scones

We are so enjoying the local peaches at this time of the year.  By local, I don't mean that they are grown in my neighbourhood but that they are British Columbia peaches.  Peaches are grown in the southern areas of the Okanagan, Similkameen, and Kootenay valleys, by about 800 peach growers.  BC produces 7 million kilograms of peaches...about 20% of the Canadian production, mostly sold as fresh produce.  I'll be sad when the peach season ends.

Here's a recipe for fresh peach scones you might also enjoy!

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup cold butter
• 1/2 cups sliced almonds, slightly toasted, divided
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup diced peaches

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
3. Cut in the butter, using a pastry blender...or grate with a coarse grater and combine with fingertips. 
4. Stir in 1/4 cup of toasted almonds. 
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and the almond extract. 
6. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients. 
7. Add the peaches and stir just until well-combined. (This is a somewhat wet and sticky dough, perfect for drop scones.)
8. Drop by large spoonfuls (ice-cream scoop) onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
9. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of sliced almonds.
10. Bake until golden...15 to 18 minutes.
11. While still warm, drizzle with glaze.

 Yield: 1 dozen large scones.

This is just one more way to enjoy our local peaches!

My Favorite Pie Crust plus Rhubarb Pie

We had a family gathering and I baked three Rhubarb pies since we all have our personal favorites. Try them all and decide for your self......mine is Rhubarb Cream. The recipe below had an even tie with Rhubarb Strawberry Streusel Pie. I wouldn't know I didn't get to taste them, sigh.

This is truly a wonderful crust, I always always have success with it.

• 5 cups flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 lb of lard or shortening, chilled
• 1 cup of cold ginger ale or 7-up

1. Mix flour and salt, cut in the lard until there are pea sized crumbs. 
2. Pour in the ginger ale and gently combine to mix the wet and the dry ingredients together.
3. Try not to over work the dough and have all the ingredients cold.
4. If you make a one crust pie, put it into the pie plate and chill before baking. 
5. Bake at 375 F for about 12-15 minutes or it has reached the desired color. (it helps keep it from shrinking). For a double crust pie follow the directions below. 

Double 9" crust Rhubarb pie filling;

• 6 cups rhubarb, chopped
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon butter

1. Line the bottom with pastry. 
2. Add the chopped rhubarb. 
3. Mix the sugar, flour, eggs and pour over the fruit. 
4. Dollop the top of the fruit with butter. 
5. Cover with the top layer of pastry.
6. Brush with a bit of cream and sprinkle with regular or coarse sugar 
7. Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes on the bottom rack of your oven. 
8. Turn the oven down to 350 F and bake for 40 - 45 minutes. 
9. If the top of the pie is getting too brown cover with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent further browning. 

Raspberry Freezer Syrup

With raspberry season here in the raspberry capital of Canada, I thought I'd share this all-year fresh tasting raspberry syrup.

In our family it is a must addition to waffles with vanilla custard. Just a drizzle also adds so much to a slice of Napoleon Torte, vanilla jelly roll, cheese cake, plain yogurt or a smoothie.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 flat raspberries (5 lbs)
• 8- 10 cups sugar

Method:

1. Puree cleaned berries in blender until just blended
2. Measure out berries into a large bowl.
3. For each cup of berries add 1 cup of sugar. I do a little less ( 8 cups sugar for 10 cups berries). Do not lessen the sugar more as it is what makes the syrupy texture and acts as the only preservative in this mixture.
4. Let sit at room temperature for about half a day, stirring every half hour or so. Ladle into clean jars and freeze. No need to seal, kept in freezer.  Makes about 12 cups. One cup is enough for a larger family serving on waffles. You can re-freeze or keep it in the fridge for about a week. 

I like to collect a few odd shaped jars to fill and give away  as a gift. In this case, I bring the liquid just to boiling, ladle it into a sterilized hot jars and seal with the original rubber lined lid, also sterilized.  Even in this case, I still advise to keep refrigerated or freeze. It does not take long to thaw and keeps it tasting like the berries were just picked.

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!

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.

Easter in Ellen's Kitchen

Today in my kitchen we are preparing our Easter Bread. What many of you call Paska we call Kulich. This is my mom’s Russian Easter Bread Recipe that I quartered because the amount she would make is quite daunting for me. We have cut it in half in years past. Now what you need to know about my mom and recipes is that she ends up tweaking them from year to year so this recipe is for her Kulich from 2001. I have a 2009 and 2012 recipe, too. This one was easier to quarter. My dear mom passed away from this earth in September of 2013 so I cherish her tweaked recipes. This always seems to be an all day process in my kitchen and while the dough is rising have some lunch or tea with your baking crew and when the bread is safely cooling go out to dinner and celebrate another year of your success in making Paska/Kulich. My baking crew this year will be my sister and adult kids. Here's some of last year's crew.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup lukewarm milk
1 teaspoon sugar
4 egg yolks
1 egg
1-1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup half and half
1/2 ounce apricot brandy
1-1/2 teaspoons powdered vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
Zest of half a lemon
About 2-1/2 lbs of flour, sifted (about 7 cups)
Vegetable oil to coat the rising dough
6 to 7 one pound or two pound cans for baking. You can use loaf pans or large muffin tins if you don’t have the cans to bake them in.

Add yeast to the lukewarm water and milk and sugar in a stainless steel bowl.
Make sure the liquids are lukewarm.
Let this mixture dissolve and sit.
Beat the egg yolks and egg together.
Cream the butter and sugar in the large bowl of a stand-up mixer.
Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture slowly mixing to combine and then beat to incorporate well.
Mix the half and half with the whipping cream and heat until lukewarm, not hot, and slowly incorporate into the creamed mixture.
Mix in the vanilla and brandy.
Add the yeast mixture and the salt and beat with a mixer.
Continue beating and add the lemon zest.
Continue beating and add the sifted flour about a cup at a time.
Once you cannot beat the dough any longer using the mixer, put the dough on a floured surface and start incorporating the remaining flour by kneading the dough.
The dough should be kneaded very well, approximately 10 minutes.
You should knead the dough until you can cut it with a knife and it is smooth without any holes.
Place the dough in a stainless steel bowl.
Take some oil and pour a little on the dough and spread it all over the dough.
Make sure to turn the dough so it is coated evenly.
Cover with plastic wrap right on the dough and a dish towel on top of that.
Place in a warm place away from drafts to rise, (My sister usually puts it into the oven that has been warmed slightly).

While the dough is rising (this can take an hour or longer) prepare the coffee cans (1 lb. and 2 lb. cans are the best) Cut circles the size of the bottom of the cans out of wax paper. You will need four circles per can. Make sure the cans are well greased. Put the 4 circles in the bottom of the cans.

Use a empty and clean coffee can like the ones above. If there is a label make sure to take it off. If the can has a lip at the top you’ll need to use a can opener to cut the lip off the can. I hope these pictures will make the process easier to understand.
Cut sheets of wax paper long enough to line the sides of the can and tall enough to be 2″ above the rim of the can. Use shortening to seal the ends of the paper.

You will take a portion of dough about 1/3 the size of the can. Knead it and form it into a smooth ball that you can easily drop into the can.
Let the dough rise again inside the can until it is at least double in size.
Bake in a 350 degree oven until golden brown on top.(approximately 30 minutes or more depending on your oven.)
Let them cool slightly in the cans. Remove them from the cans and then cool completely standing up. Some people cool them on their sides turning them often to keep their shape. We found this time that they cool just fine and keep their shape standing up so we didn’t bother with that step!





We got seven loaves from this recipe, some taller and some shorter.

We like to document the better results we get and hope always to improve our techniques from year to year.

To go with this bread my mom always makes a wonderful sweet cheese topping that is formed in a mold in different shapes, Seernaya paska. Our first cookbook has the recipe in it.



When the bread is ready to serve you can make a simple powdered sugar thin frosting to top the bread with and then add sprinkles!

Are you preparing for Easter?

To see Lovella's famous Paska recipe that brought us together and inspired the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog click here.

Macarons with Rhubarb Strawberry Filling

First of all, I would not attempt to make macarons without a kitchen scale. A kitchen scale is not expensive and I also use it weighing Paska loaves to French Bread loaves for even baking.

You will just need to zero out your scale after you put a small bowl on it and then you can pour in your almond flour until you have 100 grams and then use another small bowl, zero out the weight and weigh out your powdered/icing sugar.  

I do not weigh my eggs.  I use eggs fresh from our farm and haven't found that I need to age them ahead of time.

You can use any filling you prefer, I love using heavy cream that has been whipped and very slightly sweetened. I use a whipping cream stabilizer so that the cream stays firm.  You can use a bit of instant pudding to have the same result.  

I make my recipe small so that I am only baking one pan.  That way, if I want to make different colours, I am not trying to divide the batch up to add food colouring.  

You can use a macaron pan but I use a heavy cookie sheet with no sides.  I used a sharpie pen to draw 42 little circles onto the pan. I put a sheet of parchment paper over top and then pipe my macaron batter evenly using the template I can see through the parchment.  After you have made macarons for a while, the size will become second nature but at first, it is helpful to follow a shape to make them even in size.

The last piece of advice I have is that if at first, you don't succeed, try it again.  Mine didn't turn out the first time and I've had some less than photo-worthy macarons through the years but I enjoyed the challenge of making macarons that are as beautiful as they are delicious. 

• 100 grams almond flour (ground almonds)  about 1 cup
• 100 grams icing/powdered sugar
• 2 medium egg whites
• 2 grinds sea salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• a drop or two of liquid food colouring of your choice

1. Preheat oven to 3oo F (not convection)
2. Run the almond flour and icing sugar through a sieve into a large bowl. Stir it together to make sure it is well blended.  Discard any bits of almond that didn't fall through the sieve.  Estimate the amount you have discarded and add that amount of ground almonds into the sieve to make up for the amount you are discarding. 
3. In another very clean glass bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the two egg whites until foamy.  Add the food colouring. Slowly begin to add the granulated sugar and continue to beat until the egg whites are thick and glossy.  Whipped egg whites should not move when the bowl is tipped. 
4. Transfer the beaten egg whites into the almond mixture.  Using a rubber spatula, fold the whites into the almond mixture.  Fold the two together just until the batter falls from the spatula in a wide ribbon.  
5. Spoon the batter into a piping bag that has a 1/4 inch circle opening. 
6. After you have piped out all your macarons (this recipe will make 42 circles) give the pan a few good taps on the counter to help settle the batter and to release any air bubbles under the surface.
7. Let the macarons sit until they are no longer tacky and feel dry to the touch. This could take about 30 minutes.  If the macarons have a little tip on them, gently press it down.  
8. Bake the macarons 8 minutes, open the oven to release the steam, shut the oven again and bake another 8 minutes or until the macarons feel firm.  
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before trying to move them or trying to fill them. 
10. Fill with your favourite buttercream or the filling below

Rhubarb Compote with Strawberry Cream  Filling

• 2 cups  chopped red rhubarb
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon minute tapioca

1. Combine rhubarb, sugar and tapioca and allow to sit 15 minutes.
2. Spread onto a cookie sheet and bake in the oven until the rhubarb has become tender and the tapioca has thickened the sauce. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

Strawberry Cream

• 1 tablespoon strawberry gelatin/jello
• 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 package Dr Oetkers Whip Cream stabilizer or 1 tablespoon instant vanilla pudding

1. Dissolve gelatin and boiling water in a custard cup (or similar sized bowl). Stir until all the gelatin has dissolved.  Allow gelatin to cool to room temperature before adding to the whipping cream.
2. Beat heavy cream and sugar and stabilizer/instant pudding in a medium bowl.  As the cream starts to thicken, add the room temperature gelatin and beat until the cream has thickened.
3. Put the Strawberry Cream into a piping bag with a star tip.

To Assemble

1. Match the macarons into teams of two. Keep the best macarons for the top)
2. Put a dab of Rhubarb Compote in the middle of half of the macarons and pipe the strawberry cream over top.
3. Put the matching macaron top over the filling and gently press together.  Refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze.  They freeze beautifully.  

Macarons filled with buttercream (icing sugar and butter) will keep well in the refrigerator for several days.