Melting Moments

Shortbread cookies are a 

popular Christmas cookie.
There are several way to make them.
This is a simple fast recipe.
And they are so good,

a melt in your mouth good.

This recipe yields about 2 1/2 doz. 

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup icing sugar(confectioner's sugar)
1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt.

cherries or gumdrops
 for decorations.

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 300 deg. F

With an electric mixer or hand mixer,

 cream butter.
Add icing sugar and blend well.
Mix in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, 

cornstarch and salt together.
Add to the butter mixture 

and blend together.

Form dough into small round balls approx. 1 inch.
Place balls on parchment lined 

baking sheets and flatten each ball with a fork. 
Decorate with small bits of 

cherries or gumdrops. 

I cut small pieces of gumdrops.

Bake approx 18-20 minutes.
Let cool completely.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Another favourite cookie I make is:

Cranberry Orange Shortbread

Cranberry Orange Shortbread

Thanks for visiting my blog xo.

🎄🎄🎄

Reindeer Droppings

Easy and fast to make,  
this delicious no bake cookie treats 

are sure to delight children
and adults also.

This recipe makes about 6 dozen balls.

Ingredients
1 can (300ml) sweetened condensed milk 
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled.
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1 1/2 cups fine or medium coconut
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Additional graham crumbs for rolling 
the cookie balls. 

In a mixer blend the 

sweetened condensed milk,

butter and vanilla 

until well blended.

Add the coconut, graham cracker crumbs 

and chocolate chips. Mix to combine.

Refrigerate the dough at least an hour

 before rolling into 1 1/4 inch balls.

Roll the balls in graham crumbs 

and chill until firm.

Store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Great for gift giving.

They freeze well also.

Coconut, Chocolate Chips and

 Graham Cracker Crumbs, Yummy!

Thanks for your visit xo

🎄🎄🎄

French Pea Soup ~ Soupe Aux Pois

I use split-peas for this
 hearty nutritious soup.

One bowl and you'll be back for a second. 

Ingredients:

2 cups split peas,

I soak the peas overnight.

1 cup chopped ham.
 (A ham bone, hocks, salt pork or
chopped bacon is nice also.)

1 box chicken broth, 900mls.

1 large chopped onion

2 celery stocks chopped

(I also add the leafy ends of the celery)
1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove chopped

3 large carrots
1 small turnip

2 potatoes diced

1 tsp savory

1 tsp thyme 

pepper and

salt to taste.

Rinse the peas and add 
to the soup pot with the chicken stock,
add the onions, celery,  bay leaf and garlic.
Bring to a boil.
Simmer for 45 minutes.

Chop up carrots and turnip,  
and add to pot.
Add water to cover the vegetables.

Chop up Potatoes
add to soup pot.

Add the spices, savory, thyme, salt and pepper.

Simmer for about 1/2 hour.

The last 15 minutes of cooking 

Add the cooked ham. 

delicious!

Thanks for your visit xo

How To Make Red Currant Jelly.

Red Currant Jelly,
A great tasting bright red jelly,

I picked my currants,
in the Summer and froze them. 

12 cups red currants.
(I used frozen ones)
6 cups water
6 cups sugar

In a large pot bring currants and 
water to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or
 until currants are softened. 
Use a potato masher to mash up the currants.

Pour into prepared jelly bags and 
let drip overnight... without squeezing.

or use a colander lined with cheesecloth.

Measure liquid. 
You should have around 6 cups.
place in a deep pot and bring to 
a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly.

Add sugar in a steady stream,
(Add equal amount of sugar to 
equal amount of liquid.)
 stirring constantly. 
Return to a full boil, 
stirring constantly to dissolve sugar.
Boil without stirring about 10 minutes
 until it has reached the jelly stage, 220 deg.F.

I insert a wooden spoon through the 
hole in the handle 
of my thermometer and it holds well
over the pot.

Remove from heat and skim of any foam.

Ladle into sterilized jars.

My bush was loaded this year.

So Delicious.
I also have a Black Currant bush,
Next year, I'll try making Jelly with it.

I got the recipe from this lovely
book, bought from Avon,
many years ago.

Enjoy.

Thanks for visiting my blog xo

Plum Torte

A Torte is a small buttery

 European dessert.

 

A few simple ingredients, combine
 the sweet tangy juices of these 
plums with a rich moist cake. 

A variation of nut fruit,  peaches,

 pears, apricots etc, can be used

to make a torte.

This recipe fits a 9inch springform pan.

If you don't have a springform

pan, a cake pan greased 

with paper, can be used.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

12 plums, halved and pitted.

(1 tsp cinnamon with sugar 
to sprinkle over the torte.)

Preheat oven to 350 deg F

Grease a 9 inch springform pan

and line with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour,

baking powder, and salt.

With an electric beater, beat together
the butter with sugar until fluffy,
add in the 2 eggs, beat until combined.

Mix the flour mixture and the egg mixture together.

Pour in a 9" springform pan.

The mixture will be thick,
smooth it out with a spoon.

Place the halved plums in a circle 

on top of the dough. (the fun part)

Mix together about 1 tsp. sugar and cinnamon

 and sprinkle over the top of the torte. 

Bake 350 deg.F. for 45-50 minutes.

Insert a toothpick in the middle,

 if it comes out dry,

the cake it done.

Let cool on a rack about 5 minutes,
before removing the sides.

Taste better the next day
when all the juices of the plums 
have sunk into the cake.
(But who can wait that long.
 We had a piece right away).

Great served with vanilla ice-cream.

These little Italian Plums are

 a delight to bake with.

They come ripe in September 

and have a short season. 

Excellent to eat raw and taste even 

better when used in baking.

I also freeze them to use later.

Take out the pits, cut in half,

place on a cooking sheet with

parchment paper, flash freeze a few

hours or overnight. Then place them

in freezer bags and place in freezer.

To view my blog on Plum Tart, click here.
I also make Plum Jam. my favorite Jam.

Thanks for your visit xo.