Double Chocolate Ripple Rum Truffle Ice cream

This was a bit of a delicious experiment that started when making chocolate ice cream with the kids yesterday. We did make a little old fashioned fudge sauce as a topping for the kids but I also swirled it through the ice cream along with some chopped homemade rum truffles for the adults. The result will satisfy the most die hard chocolate and ice cream lovers alike.

The recipe for the rum truffles was posted earlier in the month. Find it here: http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/search?q=truffles


Chocolate Ice Cream

In a medium saucepan, whisk together well, until pale and thickened

3/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup cocoa (add another couple of tablespoons if you like a darker chocolate flavour)

Slowly whisk in

2 cups scalded whole milk

Stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes. Do not boil or mixture may curdle.
Chill the custard until cold.

Whip to soft peaks

1 cup whipping cream

Fold into the custard and process in an ice cream maker for about 25 minutes. Turn Ice cream into a large bowl. Freeze for about an hour before serving.

I really like this ice cream with chopped rum truffles added at the end. Chocolate orange truffles are excellent too. You can also roughly fold in 1 cup fudge sauce at the end as well if desired. Only fold a few times to create a chocolate swirl effect.

Fudge Sauce

1/4 cup cocoa
7 ounces whole or evaporated milk
3 tbsp melted butter
1 cup sugar
Pinch salt
Combine cocoa and sugar then whisk in remaining ingredients and bring to a gentle boil for 3 minutes. Cool completely and serve over your favourite ice cream.

Figgy Duff

First for those of you reading without benefit of Newfoundland experience, Figgy Duff has nothing to do with figs, dried fresh or otherwise. Raisins are historically referred to as figs in many parts of the province.

A recent email request and this mornings brunch prompted me to add my standard recipe for Figgy Duff. A young lady from the southern US who is married to a Newfoundlander asked for assistance in preparing this dish. I was reluctant to answer with a definitive recipe because I don't believe that one actually exists. I have encountered many variations of what people call Figgy Duff here in Newfoundland. Family history and local variations of the recipe account for many differences in both opinion and experience of what Figgy Duff actually is. It is a close cousin to the traditional English Spotted Dick where, I suspect, a part of our English and Irish heritage has survived over the centuries in this dish.

This is a slight variation on my grandmother, Belinda Morgan's recipe, where I remember having it at many a Sunday dinner in her Port-de-Grave kitchen. A similar recipe with the addition of molasses and spices I have heard referred to as Labrador Duff. Other recipe variations I have seen include breadcrumbs, orange zest or currants but I have never attempted any of those. To debate what is a proper Figgy Duff is to engage in the silliest of arguments. It is futile to argue the virtues of one over the other because it is impossible to overcome the power of the inextricably entwined memories that people associate with such things. It is much more interesting to me to explore and appreciate the differences than to debate them. There is no right and wrong here, just differences of experience.

One of my indulgences is to pan fry thick slices of the leftovers in butter for brunch the next day and serve it with molasses. (Time to put a cardiologist on retainer!) A couple of British friends tell me that this is commonly done with the leftover Christmas pudding back in the UK as well. Throw a couple of slices of the leftover Christmas ham into the pan with it and you are definitely good until supper. ;)

(Pictured as breakfast leftovers pan fried in butter and topped with molasses and a side of fried ham.)

Sift together:

2 cups flour
½ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder

Add

1 cup raisins

Add

1/3 cup melted butter
¾ cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all together with a wooden spoon just until a soft dough is formed. Put dough into a pudding steamer or a wet heavy cotton pudding bag, tying the bag with a piece of butcher string but leaving about an inch of slack at the top to allow the pudding to expand. Boil for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours. This is most often done in the pot with the boiled root vegetables, cabbage and salt beef included in a Jiggs Dinner but can be done in a pot on its own as well.

Note: you can substitute the sugar for ½ cup molasses and adjust the milk accordingly to form the proper consistency of the dough. Spices like 1 tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp allspice can also be added as variations

Traditionally served with a roast dinner or Jiggs Dinner but also served as a dessert with a rum butter sauce.

Bakeapple Cheesecake

Hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas, ours was a very quiet but enjoyable day at home with the family. Today we have a dozen or so people coming for our Boxing Day cold plate and this Bakeapple (Cloudberry) Cheesecake is what is being offered up for dessert. It really is just my basic vanilla cheesecake with a bakeapple compote on top but there's always room for the old standards at my table. Don't be intimidated if you've never baked a cheesecake before, this really is a simple, fuss-free recipe and far easier than some would have you believe. Overbaking is the most usual way to go astray in making a cheesecake but if you follow my suggestions as outlined in the recipe you should not have any worries. Bakeapples are easily substituted for an available fruit or berry.

In a small bowl, combine:

1 & 1/3 cups graham wafer crumbs
3 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup melted butter

Press into the bottom of the prepared springform pan.

Cream together:

3 eight ounce packages ounces cream cheese
1 cup sugar

Add, one at a time

3 eggs

beating well after each addition. Add

3 tsp vanilla extract

Finally blend in

1 cup whipping cream

Pour over the prepared base and bake at 325 degrees F for 50 minutes to an hour. The cheesecake should just be beginning to brown at the edges and the surface of the cheesecake should lose any shine when the cake is properly baked. It can still be slightly wobbly just at the center at this point.

Remove the cake from the oven and run a sharp knife completely around the edge of the pan. This will allow for the cheesecake to shrink as it cools and hopefully not crack (but who cares if it does? I am never bothered by a crack or two in the surface) Allow the cheesecake to cool thoroughly on a wire rack at room temperature. (NOT in the fridge). Serve plain or top with fresh fruit, chocolate ganache, or your favourite fruit compote.

Bakeapple Compote:

2 cups fresh or frozen bakeapples
½ to ¾ cup sugar (depending on your taste)
Gently boil in a small saucepan until the jam begins to slightly thicken, (about 20-25 minutes) stirring occasionally. Cool completely and spread on top of the vanilla cheesecake.

Dijon Mustard and Demerara Sugar Glazed Ham

Merry Christmas Eve!

I get lots of email from readers looking for pointers on basic recipes that they have never attempted before. One recent email was from a young couple spending their first Christmas away from home and who were looking for a fool proof recipe for a Christmas Eve ham having never cooked one before. There's a first time for everything and this ham will be appreciated by beginner and veteran cooks alike.


Now Spouse loves ham and if allowed, would chuck the turkey in favor of this sweet and savoury glazed ham at any Christmas celebration. We normally make one a day or two previous to the big day and serve the leftovers with our traditional Boxing Day cold plate or just to "pick on" as my mothers family would say.

7-8 pound bone in smoked ham
2 tbsp pepper corns
1 tbsp whole cloves
1 whole star anise
1 large onion roughly chopped
1 bay leaf

Add these ingredients to a large stock pot along with the ham, rind side down and cover almost completely with water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 1 hour.

After an hour remove the ham from the stock and let it drain on a rack for a few minutes. Remove the rind and most but not all of the fat underneath the rind. Leave about 1/8 inch of fat on top of the entire ham. Score the fat with a sharp knife in a square or diamond pattern.

Place ham in a roasting pan and brush the top and sides of the ham with

½ cup whole grain Dijon mustard (Use your favourite mustard, almost any one will work)

Sprinkle the mustard with

1 cup demerara sugar (or brown sugar)

Press the sugar gently into the mustard to get good contact with the surface of the ham.
Bake at 375 degrees F for another hour.

Allow ham to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving and serving.

Strawberry-Chocolate Custard Cream Puffs

Chocolate Strawberry Custard Cream Puffs
Start by making your cream puff shells.

For the cream puff pastry, add to a saucepan
1 cup water
½ cup butter
And bring to a boil. Reduce to medium flame and add, all at once
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
Cook this mixture stirring constantly for an additional 3 minutes. Allow this mixture to cool slightly for about 10 minutes before adding, one at a time
4 large or extra large eggs
Beat well after adding each egg until batter is smooth
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls (or pipe small mounds using a piping bag ) onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 20 -25 minutes until the puffs are golden brown and do not collapse when removed from the oven. These should be uniformly golden all over with no pale sides. Cool completely.

For the custard cream filling:

Scald
1 ½ cups whole milk
in the microwave or on top of the stove. Microwave works best as there is no chance of burning the milk.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan combine
4 ½ tbsp flour
1/3 cup sugar and a pinch of salt
Over medium flame slowly add the scalded milk whisking constantly.
Continue to cook over medium heat until mixture begins to slightly thicken. At this point remove from heat and pour about a half cup of this mixture onto a slightly beaten extra large egg whisking constantly. Pour the egg mixture immediately back into the pot, continuing to constantly stir. Cook for an additional minute or two until pudding consistency and remove from the flame. Stir in :
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cover and allow to completely cool in the refrigerator. When it has completely cooled, if a skin has formed on your custard, remove it before continuing.
Whip to firm peaks
1 ½ cups whipping cream
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Gently fold custard into the whipped cream. Do not over mix. Fill the cream puff shells by splitting them in half and spooning the filling into both the bottom half. Place a layer of sliced fresh strawberries on top of the custard cream.

For the chocolate glaze:
Heat to scalding in a heavy bottomed small saucepan
¼ cup whipping cream
Stir in ¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips over very low heat.
Spread glaze over the tops of the profiteroles (or pipe onto tops in overlapping circular pattern using a number 4 tip.)

Chocolate Truffles

One of my personal must-haves for the Christmas season is homemeade chocolate truffles. Great to have on hand for holiday entertaining or a quick and simple gift idea, perhaps even as a hostess gift for those Christmas parties on your schedule. The chocolate orange truffles pictured here are a particular favorite but there are so many other favorite combinations as well. Try orange and rum combined too, another of my favorites.

Chocolate Truffles
8 ounces dark chocolate chopped in small pieces
6 ounces whipping cream

The quality of the finished truffles depends on the quality of the chocolate that you use. Check the cocoa content of the chocolate and use one that has a minimum of 50% cocoa.

Chop chocolate and place in a bowl. Bring the whipping cream just to a boil and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt before whisking the mixture until smooth.

At this point you can leave them plain or add a flavouring of your choice. You can use 2 ounces of your favourite liqueur. Kahlua, Irish Cream, Frangelico, rum, bourbon or brandy all work well; basically any flavour that goes well with chocolate. The zest of a small orange that has been finely chopped is great for chocolate orange truffles as well. Boil raspberries with a little sugar and then strain the seeds out through a sieve and use 2 ounces of the finished seedless jam in the chocolate for chocolate raspberry truffles.

Line a baking dish with plastic wrap and pour in the chocolate mixture. Chill for several hours before cutting into bite size portions. These can then be left as squares or rolled into balls and then rolled in cocoa, icing sugar, chopped nuts or coconut.
These truffles will store for a few weeks in the refrigerator or several months if frozen.

Tarte au Chocolat

I like to make a few special desserts for the Christmas and Boxing Day meals and this one is on my short list for this year.

A certain television commercial for the Christmas season has been heavily promoting a frozen Tarte au Chocolat as part of their seasonal entertaining suggestions. I agree that it is a great dessert but if you are thinking that this is some complicated confection best left to a professional pastry chef, you couldn't be more wrong. It is actually a very simple recipe that, I think, even a beginner baker can easily accomplish. Don't be intimidated, give this one a whirl and let your guests think you spent hours on this simple yet impressive dessert.


A word about the chocolate for this recipe before you begin. Good quality chocolate is essential for this recipe. I use chocolate that has an absolute minimum of 50 % cocoa. I think darker is better but tastes vary.

For the pastry:
½ cup butter, cut in small pieces
1 ¼ cups flour
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract

Sift together flour sugar and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives, leaving small peas sized pieces of butter throughout the mixture. Add egg and vanilla and mix together only enough to make a dough form. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for a half hour before rolling out.

You can make your dough the previous day but make sure you take it out of the fridge for 10 minutes to warm slightly before rolling out.

Roll the dough into a 12 inch round and place in the bottom of a 10 inch tarte pan or pie plate. You will need to blind bake this crust for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F before adding the filling. Blind baking is essential so that the bottom crust will not get soggy.

To blind bake a crust, simply place a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil over the dough and cover the bottom of the pie plate with baking weights. (Marbles, dry beans, peas, rice or barley work just as well as anything else.)

For the chocolate filling:

7 ounces (by weight) dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
7 ounces whipping cream
3 ounces milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 large beaten egg

Bring the cream and milk just to boiling and pour the hot liquid over the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes and whisk together until smooth. Cool for about 10 minutes before whisking in the beaten egg and vanilla.

Pour into the blind baked shell and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. The center can still be a little wobbly at this point. The surface should still be shiny. Cool thoroughly before cutting and serving. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings if desired.

Gingerbread Cookies

One of the Christmas activities our kids always look forward to every year (they've been hounding us for a week already) is making their gingerbread cookies. They try to make each one differently than the others and earmark one or two to be received by a particular friend. We all spent the evening yesterday decorating s few dozen of these and stretching our creative design muscles. A few disposable piping bags, an assortment of colored sugars, candies and silver dragees all helped in creating the designs. There are no bad designs, just 'experiments' so we just leave the kids to their own devices even when minor disasters occur, like when a few hundred or so little silver dragees go hurtling across the floor. Right Olivia? ;)


It's said that's what memories are made of so if you haven't already, make the time to make some cookies and some memories with your own little ones. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup dark molasses
1/4 cup cold water
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2-4 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice

Cream butter and sugar. Blend in molasses and water.
Sift together remaining ingredients and blend together until dough forms.
Chill 2 to 3 hours.

Roll out to a thickness of about a quarter inch and cut out with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Cool completely and decorate as you like using royal icing to attach candy, raisins, nuts...whatever you like. Allow the decorated cookies to dry uncovered for several hours or overnight for the royal icing to harden.

Royal Icing

1 cup icing sugar
¼ tsp cream of tarter
1 large egg white

Combine all and beat until fluffy and stiff peaks form. You may need to add another tablespoon or two of icing sugar if the icing is too loose. Add a couple of drops of water at a time if the icing is too stiff. All of this depends on the size of your egg so the icing sugar measurement is just a guide and will vary slightly.

Cherry Pecan Cake

The more I think and write about old family recipes that have made appearances on this blog, the more I begin to see them as connections to people and places. Some of them almost have a geneology of sorts and to trace the connections of who passed them on to friends and family would probably be a walk through time and our own food heritage in this province. This particular recipe has been in my family for about 30 years. I remember my mom getting this recipe from her twin sister "Aunt Moo", who in turn got it from Ivy Loder of Badger, Newfoundland, a great family friend of many years to whom it had also been passed on.

I would hazzard to say that this very moist, rich and delicious cake has been made hundreds of times by people in my extended family. I make it at least a few times a year myself and have very often made it as a wedding cake for numerous friends and aquaintences over the years. Once you taste this cake, you can imagine how many requests for the recipe come from its being served at a wedding reception. You're invited to join in the continuing legacy of one of the best cakes I have ever eaten.

Cream together well:

1 ½ cups sugar
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup butter
1 ½ tsp vanilla

Add, one at a time,

4 eggs

Sift together:

2 ¼ cups flour (reserve ¼ cup to dust the cherries)
1 ½ tsp baking powder

Gently fold dry ingredients into the creamed mixture until the flour is almost fully incorporated. At that point fold in:

2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped in 1/2's or 1/3's (tossed in ¼ cup flour at the very last minute)
3/4 cup pecan pieces (not ground but in chopped in small chunks)

Bake in greased and parchment lined 10 inch springform or tube pan or two loaf pans at 325 degrees F for about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Easy Orange Balsamic Chicken

One of my favorite ways to make roasted chicken pieces and one with a bit of a festive twist is this Orange Balsamic Chicken. I love the sticky glaze and the flavor accents of the added spices. It is pictured here with orange rice and roasted carrots. An easy and fuss free meal for a weekday family dinner or even when inviting friends for dinner over the holiday season or any time.

1 whole chicken cut in serving pieces and trimmed of excess fat and skin.
Drop pieces in a large Ziploc bag.

For your marinade mix:

1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Pour over the chicken in the Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the Ziploc bag. Place in the refrigerator let sit for an hour or two, shaking the Ziploc bag occasionally. Don’t throw your marinade away as this will be the base for a glaze for your chicken later.
After marinating, place the chicken pieces on a rack in a roasting pan and roast ,skin side up, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for about one hour. After the first 30 minutes of roasting time, you can begin to brush the chicken pieces with glaze every 15 minutes.

For the orange balsamic glaze combine in a small saucepan:

orange marinade that was previously reserved
½ cup honey

Simmer until the volume of the liquid is reduced by half and begins to slightly thicken. Any leftover glaze can be served over the chicken or an accompanying rice side dish.

Scottish Shortbread

Last week we featured "Melting Moments", the lightest shortbread that I had ever sampled. Today we have my personal favorite shortbread. Scottish Shortbread when well made is a great example of simple perfection. With only 4 ingredients it barely qualifies as a recipe but it is very rich and delicious just the same. It is what my mom would call the perfect " cuppa tea bickie"!

Real dairy butter is an absolute must, this is not the time to substitute margarine. Proper vanilla extract and not artificial vanilla flavouring is also essential. The scraped out sticky interior of a large vanilla bean is even better. We usually chocolate dip half of what we make to have both versions on hand. This also qualifies as a terrific gift item as well. There has to be more than a couple of people on any gift list who would really enjoy receiving these.

Cream
2 cups salted butter
3/4 cup sugar

Add
2 tbsp vanilla extract

Fold in:

4 cups flour

Roll in balls and flatten or roll out and cut into shapes as desired. I like to bake the dough in large rectangles and then cut the cookies in fingers just when they come out of the oven and are still warm.

Bake at 350 degrees 12-15 minutes until edges are golden brown. Allow longer baking time if you are baking the large rectangles of dough to be cut in fingers.

These are simple perfection as they are but are also fantastic dipped in chocolate.

Almond Raisin Biscotti

After trying several biscotti recipes over the years, this is my own version of these traditional Italian cookies that are twice baked, making them well suited to dipping in coffee (especially espresso) or even sweet wine. I like to dip mine in Italian Limoncello Liqueur. These will keep for weeks in an airtight container. This is another ideal recipe for gift giving as well. There are a couple of select recipients on my list who will receive a few of these in a cellophane bag tied with a festive ribbon. Dipping them in chocolate is ,of course, optional. Well, for some people anyway. ;)

1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs beaten
1/3 cup butter
2 tbsp. water
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup light or sultana raisins
1 cup whole almonds
1 extra egg yolk mixed with a little water
2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 extra egg yolk mixed with a little water

Cream butter and sugars and add eggs one at a time until well creamed. Add almond and vanilla flavorings.

Sift together dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture along with raisins and almonds.

Separate dough in 3 portions and form into a baguette shaped loaf on a parchment lined cookie sheet. These will about double in size when baked so leave sufficient room on your cookie sheet
Brush tops with egg yolk and water mixture (you need not use it all) and sprinkle with 3 or 4 tablespoons of sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until brown all over and the center is slightly firm. Cool slightly on rack. Slice cookies diagonally with a sharp knife and place slices on an ungreased cookie sheet in a 300 degree oven for 15-20 minutes more, turning them once. Turn off oven and leave for an hour. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container and these cookies will keep for several weeks.

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

As many readers already know, I am at home convalescing from an ankle surgery earlier this week, the fourth in 3 1/2 years. I'm feeling much better now and won't labour you all with that tale of woe. It is a good and very appropriate time however to touch on the subject of comfort food and what qualifies more in that category than mac 'n cheese. Spouse whipped this bacon flavoured version yesterday as a twist on a comfort food classic. I prefer my mac n' cheese on the purist side but do admit that tomato and onion are good complimentary flavours that others often add. I prefer to add these as a side dish and the very simple recipe for roasted tomatoes and onions follows as well.

Serves 4-6

Start by cooking to al dente

2 cups macaroni or scooby doo pasta

For the Sauce:
In the microwave, scald
2 cups whole milk

In a medium saucepan, slowly fry
½ pound smoked bacon

Cook to crisp, rendering out as much of the fat as possible. Drain on paper towels and strain all the fat from the pan. Do not clean the saucepan but return it to the stove and add:
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp sea salt
1 clove minced garlic (optional)

Cook together for 1 to 2 minutes.

Whisking constantly, slowly pour in scalded milk. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes stirring constantly. Stir in

2 tbsp regular or Dijon mustard

Grate and blend together
6 ounces mozzarella
6 ounces aged cheddar
½ cup grated parmesan

Butter an 8-10 cup casserole dish. Place 1/3 of the pasta in the bottom of the dish. Pour on 1/3 the sauce. Scatter half the bacon over the surface. Repeat the layers ending with cheese on the top.

Topping
1 cup cracker or bread crumbs (I use Ritz cracker crumbs)
2 tbsp melted butter
Pinch of cracked black pepper.

Cover casserole dish and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes longer. If you double this recipe, add additional baking time for larger casserole dish.

Roasted Tomatoes and OnionsServes 4 as a side dish.

In a baking dish toss together:

I large red onion, roughly chopped
2 large tomatoes chopped in large chunks
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes to half an hour tossing once during the cooking time.

When fully cooked, you can toss in some freshly chopped basil or other fresh herb of your choice if you prefer.

Chocolate Cappuccino Hazelnut Brittle

I originally created this candy treat as a wedding favour and it was a great success. I think it will be equally appreciated as a holiday indulgence. Package it in cellophane bags or cookie tins as a great handmade holiday gift idea as well.

½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup boiling water
1 tbsp instant espresso powder (or 2 tbsp instant coffee)

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup roasted unsalted hazelnuts roughly chopped

Roast hazelnuts in a shallow pan for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Roll the roasted hazelnuts in a tea towel to remove the skins. Rough chop the nuts with a large knife.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat combine white sugar, brown sugar and corn syrup. Dissolve espresso powder in hot water and add to sugars. Bring to a rolling boil and add butter. Cook to 300 degrees on a candy thermometer without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in salt and vanilla. Pour mixture onto a greased cookie sheet and spread out to ¼ inch thickness.

When the brittle solidifies but is still hot, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and let stand for 5 minutes to melt. Spread the melted chocolate chips evenly over the surface of the brittle. Sprinkle the roasted chopped hazelnuts over the top pressing them into the chocolate. Allow to cool thoroughly before breaking into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Apricot Coconut Cookie Bars

For the shortbread base, combine:

½ cup butter
¼ cup sugar
1 cup flour

Press into the bottom of a greased and parchment paper lined 9x9 inch baking pan.

For the top layer combine:

1 cup chopped apricots
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 well beaten eggs
1 &1/3 cups fine unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup flour
¼ tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
Pour over the base and bake for approximately 25 minutes at 350 degrees F (325 degrees f for glass bake ware) or until the top is slightly golden brown. Cool completely before cutting in squares or bars and serving. These also freeze very well.

Melting Moments

The lightest shortbread recipe that I have ever tried. These really do melt in your mouth. My mom makes these with gumdrops on top. My 9 year old daughter made these and she loves them dipped in chocolate. These had to get to the freezer particularly quickly and I doubt they are safe there.

Cream together:

1 cup butter
2/3 cup icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp lemon extract

Sift together

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup potato flour

Add to creamed mixture and blend together until a soft dough is formed. Rollin one inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten the balls slightly with a fork and add a gumdrop to the center of each cookie if desired. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until very slightly brown. These will still be quite pale when baked. Cool on a wire rack. These are also very good dipped in chocolate.

Limoncello Poundcake with Blueberry Port Sauce

Bakes in a bundt pan, 9 inch springform pan or loaf pans.
Cream very well
1 cup butter
3 cups sugar
Add one at a time:
6 eggs
Beating well after each addition
Add 2 tsp vanilla extract and ½ tsp almond extract.
Mix juice of one lemon with
1 cup heavy cream ( or one cup undiluted evaporated milk)
3 cups cake flour
Add liquid alternately with flour to creamed mixture, folding after each addition, beginning and ending with flour.
Fold in the zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped.
Bake at 300 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Glaze:
Whisk together, 2 tbsp melted butter, juice and zest of ½ lemon, and 1 cup icing sugar until smooth. Pour over cooled cake.

For an elegant dessert, make holes in your cake with a bamboo skewer and pour 4 oz Limoncello Liqueur over the cake before glazing. Serve with blueberry port sauce and whipped cream.

Blueberry Port Sauce
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
½ cup sugar
½ cup port wine (or good sherry)
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp corn starch dissolved in 1 to 2 ounces water

Gently boil berries, sugar, port and cinnamon for about 15 minutes. Add the dissolved corn starch and cook for an additional minute. Cool and serve.

Apricot Raisin Cake

I know people from several different parts of the province who make a version of this cake at Christmas time and other special occasions. One friend even chose it as her wedding cake. I like to boil the fruit a day ahead of baking , allowing the dried fruits to soak up syrup which keeps them moist during baking and in turn assures a moist cake throughout.

In a medium saucepan combine and boil for 30 minutes:

2 cups water
½ cup sultana raisins
¼ cup sugar
12 ounces dried chopped apricots

Cool completely.

Cream until light and fluffy:

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
4 ounces cream cheese

Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift together

2 ½ cups flour
½ tsp baking powder

Fold half of the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Fold in the cooled boiled apricot mixture, followed by the remaining dry ingredients.

Bake in a greased and floured tube pan or two loaf pans at 350 degrees F for about an hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Donuts, Glazed or Filled!

A short break from Christmas baking today to accomodate the request of a reader desperately seeking a good homemade donut recipe.
Regrettably, there are no decent donut shops here in St. John's. Since Tim Horton's stopped making donuts in their stores and started shipping its product as pre-frozen, partially cooked dough from some mass production facility on the mainland, this town is a decent donut desert! Long gone are the days of fresh bow ties and lemon wedges that I so much enjoyed in my formative years. What is available at Tim's today are pale pretenders to what once was. Sorry Timmy's but it's true.
Now, when the lamenting of decent donut days long gone gets too strong, we roll up our sleeves and make our own. As you can imagine, the kids LOVE this activity as much as they love sampling the results of their labours.

RAISED DONUTS
2 pkgs. yeast
1/2 cup scalded milk
1/3 cup sugar
3 1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 c. warm water
1/3 cup shortening
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Soften yeast in warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes.
In large bowl combine milk, shortening, sugar, salt and vanilla and cool to lukewarm. Add 1 cup of the flour and beat well. Beat in yeast, water and eggs. Add remaining flour and make soft dough. Mix well.

Place in greased bowl. Cover and chill 3 hours (or overnight). If raises in refrigerator, punch it down. Turn on lightly floured surface. Roll 1/3 inch thick. Cut with floured donut cutter. Let rise 30 or 40 minutes. Fry in canola or sunflower oil (350 degrees) about 2 minutes per side or until brown. Turn only once or the doughnuts will soak up too much oil. Drain on paper towel. Fill donuts with partridgeberry/apple jam using a piping bag or dip in glaze or shake in a bag of cinnamon sugar.

Vanilla Glaze:
1 ¼ cups icing sugar
2 tsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Chocolate glaze:

½ cup butter
¼ cup warm milk
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
2 cups sifted icing sugar

In medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat Combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla until butter is melted. Turn off the heat and add chocolate chips stirring until the chocolate is melted. Add the icing sugar and whisk until smooth. If you are glazing a lot of doughnuts you may need to keep the glaze warm in the top of a double boiler. Let the glaze set up for 30 minutes before serving.



Some people prefer a simpler chocolate glaze and if you're one of them try this simple alternative:


Simple Chocolate Glaze:

2 cups icing sugar
4-6 tbsp cocoa
A few tbsp hot water, enough to bring the glaze to a syrupy consistency.

Whisk all together until smooth.

Chocolate Chip Squares

This is one of my mom's recipes from many years back. She makes them with a chocolate frosting but I like to melt extra chocolate chips over the top. My kids love these. It is a very fast and easy recipe too. I've made these without the coconut and even sometimes added toffee chips as well. These also freeze beautifully.

Cream until light and fluffy:

½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
Add
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Beat well.

Sift together
1 cup + 2 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
½ cup fine unsweetened coconut (optional)

Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, folding to combine well. Fold in

½ cup chocolate chips

Spread in a greased 9 inch square baking pan and bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees F. (325 for glass bake ware) Remove from oven and while still hot, sprinkle evenly over the top with:

¾ cup chocolate chips

Let stand 5 minutes before spreading the melted chocolate evenly over the surface of the squares. Cool thoroughly before cutting. Makes 25 squares.

Partridgeberry Coconut Meringue Squares

This is another old family recipe that I make every Christmas. I have also made this recipe with blueberry jam, raspberry jam and apricot preserves. I think it will work well with practically any of your favorite fruit preserves. I have also omitted the coconut on occasion for those who are not fond of it.

For the base:

Cream together until well blended

½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar

Add

2 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the meringue top)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat until light and fluffy.
Sift together

1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder

Spread evenly in the bottom of a 9x9 inch greased baking pan.

Spread

2 cups partridgeberry jam

over the base.

For the top layer:

Whip
2 egg whites

to soft peaks, while gradually adding

1 cup brown sugar

Very gently fold in
1 cup fine unsweetened coconut

Spread evenly over the jam layer and bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees F. Cut in squares and serve. Makes 25 squares.

Chocolate Arrowroot Squares

As a child, I first remember these simple and delicious no-bake squares as being made by Aunt Marion Morgan from Port-de-Grave, my mothers home town. She was an "aunt" in the Newfoundland sense of the word, where the "aunt" and "uncle" were more commonly used as terms of respect for your elders than as a reference to a blood relative.

Though Aunt Marion had no children of her own, she welcomed the seemingly endless rabble of grandchilden visiting my grandparents a couple of doors up the lane. A boiling, black bottomed kettle on the kitchen wood stove meant cups of cocoa or sweet, milky tea were always on offer. With steaming cups in hand and a warning to, "Blow on dat now, 'tis 'ot," we watched in anticipation as her ample frame, clad in her favorite lilac hued polyester dress and ever present apron, disappeared into the back pantry to retrieve a mystery treat for the tribe of little martles assembled around her kitchen. A bottomless old biscuit tin held snowballs, date squares or chocolate chip cookies but sometimes she returned with a long rectanguar Tupperware container full of Arrowroot Squares much to the delight of her wide-eyed visitors.

Some 35+ years later, this recipe not only survives but thrives in my family circles, where, especially at this time of year, a Christmas gathering will most likely find Aunt Marions Arrowroot squares making yet another welcome and memorable appearance.

For the base, first break up

28 Arrowroot cookies into small pieces about the size of a postage stamp or smaller

In a medium saucepan combine:

5 tbsp cocoa
7 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
3 beaten eggs

Place on medium low heat and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot constantly until mixture resembles soft scrambled eggs. You want to make sure that the eggs are thoroughly cooked but not completely dried out. Add the broken Arrowroot cookies, mix well to combine together and press into the bottom of a greased or parchment lined 9x9 inch square baking dish. Set in fridge to cool for about 20 minutes.

While the base is cooling prepare the chocolate middle layer by mixing together:

1/2 cup butter
4 tbsp cocoa
4 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp boiling water
3 tbsp milk

Beat together very well until smooth and fluffy and spread evenly over the prepared base.
If serving these right away, you can top them with Vanilla Whipped Cream and chocolate shavings. If you plan on freezing these, use a commercial whipped topping such as Rich’s or Nutriwhip. The 8oz size will do.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

Beat to firm peaks:

1 cup whipping Cream
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cherry Pound Cake

Back to Christmas baking. Another very popular treat at this time of the year is the "Cherry Cake". A moist, dense pound cake with glace cherries and flavoured with almond extract, this treat is a universal Christmas favourite in almost every Newfoundland household I know. I can't tell you how many different recipes I've tried over the years; recipes that use cake flour, recipes that use regular flour, recipes that use thick cream, recipes that use whipping cream, recipes that use whole milk, all butter recipes, recipes that combine shortening and butter...I've tried them all and still keep coming back to this standard recipe that I've made for decades. It's hard to imagine a Christmas in our home without it.

This is also a popular gift item from our household. There is a list of standard recipients among friends and family who depend upon their annual fix.

Cream together

1 ½ cups butter
2 cups sugar

Add, one at a time, beating well after each addition until light and fluffy:

3 eggs

Add
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp almond extract

Sift together

3 cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder

Fold dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with

1 cup warm, undiluted evaporated milk

beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Fold in 1 pound halved glace cherries that have been tossed at the last minute in 1/4 cup flour.

Bake in greased and floured springform pan, tube pan or loaf pans lined with parchment paper. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes- 1 hour depending upon the size of your pan. Baking times vary greatly on this recipe so rely on the toothpick test to ensure that it is properly baked.

Spaghetti and Moose Meatballs Bolognese

I always make double the amount of meatballs in this recipe, cook them and freeze half. Another quick meal is practically ready in the freezer when I need it. In a pinch I've warmed them up and served them with marinara, honey mustard or barbeque sauce as a quick hors d'ouevre. I've substituted beef and beef sausage and even ground turkey and turkey sausage with great results as well.

Serves 6

For the meatballs:
Mix together until well combined:

1 pound moose sausage removed from casings
1 pound ground moose
1 egg
1 cup coarse breadcrumbs
½ tsp ground thyme
½ tsp chopped rosemary
½ tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Form into 1 ½ inch balls and fry in 3 tbsp olive oil.

For the sauce:

Sauté in 3 tbsp olive oil

½ minced medium onion
3 cloves minced garlic

Add

28 oz can crushed tomatoes
19 oz can plain tomato sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
¾ tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp nutmeg
1 finely grated large carrot
2 tbsp brown sugar
½ cup red wine
4 oz maple cured bacon, chopped into small pieces and fully cooked to crisp.

Simmer for about an hour before adding the meatballs for an additional 10 minutes. Just before serving finish the sauce by adding

¼ cup whipping cream

Serve over 1 ½ pounds fresh pasta, cooked. Top with grated parmesan.