Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

  

Ingredients

5 cups rhubarb, washed, ends trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen), hulled and cut into halves

3 cups cane sugar

Juice of one lemon, seeds reserved and placed in a sachet, tea bag or piece of tied cheesecloth(lemon seeds are a natural pectin replacement) 

 

Preparations Place all of the ingredients in a medium heavy saucepan.  Bring the ingredients to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the lemon seeds/sachet in the mixture.   Continue to gently simmer the jam for about an hour, stirring occasionally, or until it reaches 220 degrees F.  If not canning, allow the jam to cool, pour into jars, cover and refrigerate.  The jam will keep for up to a month.   Makes 4-5 cups of jam. For long-term storage (at least one year) can the jam as follows:  Sterilize 4 half-pint jars (or 2 pint jars) and their lids and bands.   Bring a water canner to a boil. Fill the jars with jam leaving 1/4 inch headspace from the top.  Use a wet cloth or paper towel to wipe the rim to make sure it’s clean.  Place the lids on the jars and screw on the bands. Carefully place the jars in the canner so they are not touching and so that they are covered by at least an inch of water.  Boil for 10 minutes.  Carefully remove the jars and let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours before storing them.  Store them in a dark, cool place and they will keep for at least a year.

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Rhubarb Crumb Cake

 Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking pdr

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cups rhubarb diced

For the  topping:

 1/4 cup butter melted

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar 

 

Preparations

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8×8 inch square baking pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and egg and beat until combined.

In a small bowl, combine the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Be careful not to over-stir. Some flour lumps will remain and that is okay. Stir in the rhubarb.

Spoon the batter into the greased baking pan.

To make the topping, combine all the ingredients and crumble with your fingers. Evenly sprinkle the  topping over the cake batter.

Bake the cake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool before cutting into squares. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or homemade vanilla sauce.

 

 

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Plum cake

  

Ingredients

 3+ pounds plums,cut into quarters, pits removed

1 cup warm milk, *start with 3/4 and add extra to the dough as needed

1 1/2 tbsp dry active yeast

4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1stick butter (1/2 cup melted but not hot)

2 eggs

1tsp pure vanilla extract

For the topping

1 cup all-purpose flour

 1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon pdr

1/2 cup butter,at room temperature

 

Preparations

Dissolve the yeast into the 3/4 cup warm milk and let is sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.

Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and pour in the yeast mixture, melted warm (not hot) butter, eggs and vanilla extract. Give it an initial stir to combine the ingredients and then attach a dough hook and knead it on the bread setting (“2”) for 4-5 minutes, adding the remaining 1/4 cup milk as necessary. (The dough will be sticky but should hold together fairly well. It will not be firm enough to knead into a ball, think of it more as a thick batter.) Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and set it in a warm, draft free place to rise for an hour or until about doubled in size.

Generously butter a large jelly roll pan all over.

Use your hands to spread the dough out across the full length of the pan, pressing it up against the sides. (It’s yeast dough so it will resist, but just keep pushing it back into position the best you can. Once you put the plums on it, those will help keep it in place.) Lay the plums close together in rows over the whole length of the dough on the sheet pan. (If you want your cake a bit sweeter you can sprinkle it *lightly* with sugar or cinnamon-sugar if you prefer more cinnamon. I emphasize “lightly” because the more sugar you add the more watery the cake will be as the sugar liquifies during baking and your base will also “melt” in contact with it.)

Set the pan in a warm place and let it rise for up to another hour.

To make the topping: Place all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and use your fingers to bring it all together. Work with the mixture until it’s thoroughly combined and forms a rough sand and clumpy texture. Sprinkle the topping over the top of the cake.

Bake the cake on the middle rack of the oven preheated to 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden.

Let the cake sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing to let some of the liquid set. Slice the cake into squares and serve.

Notes

*This cake holds up well for a day or two and is even more flavorful once the juices have absorbed into the dough.

 

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Vanilla Sauce

  

Ingredients

 1 3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean scraped

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks

3 tsp cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

 

Preparations

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt.

In a medium saucepan bring the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent it from scorching. Whisk 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Pour this egg mixture into the saucepan, constantly whisking it into the hot milk to prevent clumping. Heat the mixture over medium heat until thickened. Do not let it boil.  Strain the vanilla sauce through a fine mesh sieve.  Serve immediately or let it cool and store covered in the fridge. Will keep for up to 3 days. Can be served cold or reheated to serve warm.  Makes about 2 1/2 cups of Vanilla sauce.    

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German Steamed Dumplings- Dampfnudel

  

Ingredients

For the Dampfnudeln:

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp active dry yeast, or instant yeast

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk, at room temperature

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg, room temperature

For the Pan:

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

4 tbsp unsalted butter

German vanilla sauce, for serving (click link for recipe)

browned butter, optional (drizzle over the dumplings followed by the vanilla sauce)

 

Preparations

Place the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, egg, melted butter and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer. (Active dry yeast nowadays does not need to be dissolved first.)

With the dough hook attached, mix the dough until it comes together (add a little more milk if needed) and then continue to knead for about 4 minutes. You should have a soft and pliable dough. Spray the bowl with some oil, shape the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise for 60-90 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size. Punch down the dough. Place it on a lightly floured work surface and cut it into 8 roughly equal pieces. I often weigh the pieces, added a little more dough from the larger ones to the smaller ones just because I like them to be as uniform in size as possible (they'll be approximately 140grams/5 ounces each). Shape the dough into individual balls, squeezing the seams together at the bottom and then lay the balls on the lightly floured work surface, seam side down, and spread apart to give them room to expand. Cover with a kitchen towel and let them rise in a warm place for another 30-60 minutes or until puffy. Place the milk, butter and sugar in a large non-stick pan with high sides (non-stick is a must). I use a 5 quart 12" ceramic saute pan that fits 8 Dampfnudeln perfectly. Heat the milk to a low simmer, stirring until the butter and sugar is melted. Place the Dampfnudeln in the pan. Don't smash them together, they need to have some room to expand. Return the milk to a very low simmer. Dampfnudeln are cooked not by boiling but by steaming them.Place the lid on the pan. Let the dumplings cook for about 30 minutes. Whatever you do, do NOT open the lid while the dumplings are cooking. The release of the built up steam and introduction to cooler air will cause the dumplings to collapse. I like to use a pan with a glass lid so I can see what's going on inside. After about 30 minutes the dumplings will have risen beautifully and will be cooked through. Their interiors will be soft and fluffy. At this point the final step is to remove the lid, increase the heat just a little, and cook for just a few minutes longer allow any remaining liquid to evaporate while simultaneously allowing the bottom of the dumplings to brown. Just be careful not to let them burn. Serve the Dampfnudeln drizzled with some browned butter (optional) and homemade German vanilla sauce. ( for the sauce, kindly see my next post)

 

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Berliner (German Donuts)

  

 Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1 cup milk, room temp, plus more as needed

  2 large eggs @ room temp

1 large egg yolk, room temp

5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp

1 1/2  tsp pure vanilla extract

1cup raspberry jam, or jam/filling of choice

granulated sugar, (about 1 cup)

 pinch of cinnamon

powdered sugar(about 1/2 cup)

oil for frying, choose a neutral tasting oil with a high smoke point like avocado or canola. 

 

Preparations 

Place the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir to combine. Add the eggs, butter, vanilla extract, and milk. With the dough hook attached, knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until it's no longer sticky but is soft and supple. Add more milk if the mixture is too dry, add more flour if it's too wet.

Form the dough into a ball, spray the bowl with oil, and place the dough ball back in the bowl.

Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.

Punch down the dough in the center. Divide the dough into uniform pieces. I like to weigh the dough to get themas close to equal as reasonably possible. At about 80 grams per piece you'll get 15 Berliner donuts.

Using the palms of your hands, roll the dough pieces into balls and place them on a lined baking sheet, keeping space between them to allow them room to rise. Cover them with a clean towel or cover loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm place for another 30-60 minutes or until nearly doubled in size and nice and puffy.

Make sure to give the dough balls adequate time to rise as this will be crucial for achieving the right texture. Heat the oil in a deep pan. The oil should be at least 2 inches deep. Keep the temperature between 350-365 F. If it's not hot enough the donuts will soak up the oil and be greasy. If the oil is too hot the outside will burn before the inside is fully cooked. I like to keep it at just over 350 F. Working in batches, carefully lower a few of the dough balls into the hot oil. The temperature should be such that the Berliner will cook for on each side for about 2 minutes or slightly less. After about 2 minutes, or when the bottom is a deep golden brown, carefully flip the donuts over and continue to cook for about another 2 minutes or until deep golden brown. Do not at any point submerge the Berliner under the oil otherwise they will not develop the white rim around the center that is characteristic of Berliner. Remove the Berliner and place them on paper towels to drain. Repeat the process for the remaining donuts. Once the Berliner are cool enough to handle, it's time to fill them. Place the jam in a piping bag fitted with a filling tip . Push the filling tip into the side of Berliner, along the white rim, and squeeze some jam into the donut. Repeat this for all of the donuts.  

Place the granulated sugar into a wide shallow bowl and mix in just a touch of cinnamon. Place a donut on the sugar, scoop some sugar on top of it, and roll it around in the sugar until well coated. Repeat for all remaining donuts.

Place the sugar coated donuts on a wire rack and dust the tops with powdered sugar.

Berliner donuts are best eaten while still a little warm and definitely on the same day, but will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container at room temperature.

 

 

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Roasted tomato and herb bread

  

 Ingredients

2 cups cherry tomatoes or quartered Roma tomatoes

Optional: For enhanced tomato flavor add 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

3/4 cup lukewarm water(be sure it's not too warm)

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

6 cups all-purpose flour , or more or less as needed (the amount will depend on how much liquid remains in the tomatoes after roasting and blending them)

2 tsp salt

1/4 cup chopped mixed fresh Italian herbs(e.g., rosemary, basil, marjoram, thyme, sage, dill, oregano, parsley)

Preparations

To roast the tomatoes, spread them out on an aluminum foil-covered baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and roast for 10-15 minutes or until the skins of the tomatoes are collapsed and just barely beginning to brown. Puree the tomatoes in a blender and set aside.

Combine the water, yeast, honey and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside.

Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the tomatoes, the water/yeast mixture and the herbs. Stir with a wooden spoon or wooden spatula just until the ingredients are starting to come together, then attach a dough hook to the standing mixer and knead the dough for about 8 minutes on medium ("2" on a stand mixer). The dough will still be a little sticky and tacky. If it's too wet, add a little more flour until you get a workable consistency. Remove the dough from the bowl and roll into a ball.

Lightly oil a clean bowl with oil and roll the dough ball around in it. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in a lightly warmed oven (not too hot) for about an hour, until doubled in size. Remove the dough and place it on a flat surface. Divide it in half. Form each half into an 8-inch square about 1 inch thick. Starting at one end, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, making sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn the dough seam-side up and pinch the seam closed. Place the dough seam-side down in a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan and gently shake the dough until all four sides touch the edges of the pan. Repeat with the other half. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and returned to a warm place until it is almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Boil 2 cups of water and pour it into a baking pan and place it on the bottom rack. If possible, place the loaf pans above the rack with the pan of boiling water. If not, place the boiling water in two smaller pans on either side of the loaf pans. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the top of the bread is browned and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap on it with your knuckles. Transfer the bread to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing. Makes two 9×5 inch loaves.

 

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs