Welsh Cakes

    As a child and on into adulthood, these simple, not very sweet, yet tasty treats were often in our home.  They were almost always in the cookie jar at Nana's when we went to visit too.  At home, my mom usually cooked them around Christmas to go to neighbors along with other treats such as, lemon bars, Michigan Rocks, peanut butter kiss cookies and raisin bread.  In my youthful days, I despised the welsh cakes with raisins!  I once thought they were chocolate chips in the cake, and it ruined those for me until well into adulthood.  I'm glad my mom taught me to make these before her stroke.  I can't make a batch without thinking of her now, and even as I prepare this post.  Miss you mom!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of shortening 
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1¾ cups granulated sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1½ tsp nutmeg
• 1 egg, room temp and beaten with the milk below
• 1½ cup milk (room temp)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients with your hands as if making a pie crust.  Next add the beaten egg and milk combination.  Stir with a spoon, don't beat.  Once blended, drop from a teaspoon onto greased cookie sheets.

My cousin, Kathy Peter, recently taught me to try a few cookies as a trial run to make sure the oven temp is right.  If it's right, you will bake the batches for about 13-15 minutes.  Browned, crisp bottoms are what you're looking for.

** after I cook half the batch, I add raisins to the batter and fold in.  Cook the same, but the teaspoon drops are a little bigger for these.

Enjoy!

Ginger Snaps

Ginger Snaps

One of my dad's favorite cookies was a ginger snap.  Although it took me many years to appreciate the flavor of a good ginger snap, my eldest son had affinity to these baked goods at a very young age.  This recipe is one that my father would have enjoyed immensely.  

Ingredients:

• ⅔ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• ¼ cup molasses (No moles are harmed in the making of these cookies)
• 1 egg, room temp
• 2 tsp. fresh gingerroot, peeled, minced
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• 3⅓ tsp ground ginger 
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream brown sugar with butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in molasses, egg and fresh ginger. 
2. In another bowl, combine flours, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves; gradually add to the creamed butter bowl and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate until easy to handle (1 to 1½ hours) 
3. Preheat oven to 350◦F.  In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture.  Place dough balls 3in apart on parchment lined baking sheets
4. Bake until set, 10-12 minutes.  Cool for a couple of minutes before removing from the pans to wire racks to finish cooling.  Store in airtight containers.

Enjoy!

Welsh Tea Biscuits

 The tea wafers are perfect for a holiday confection, or an anytime treat!  

Welshies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 2 Tbsp cognac, brandy, or apple juice (I prefer Hennessey's cognac!)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 
• 1¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 2¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2½ tsp ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ⅓ cup (approximately) sliced almonds (I just stick a two or three into the top of each cookie prior to baking)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven - 375*F.   In a medium bowl combine cognac (or choice of liquid) with raisins to soak for about ten minutes.  Stir every couple minutes to soak up the "juice".

2. In a medium bowl add dry ingredients of- flour, 1½ teaspoons cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cloves.  Stir to combine.

3. In a large bowl add 1 cup of sugar and butter.  Beat until light and fluffy, then beat in egg.  Gradually add the flour mixture a little at a time until well blended.  Stir/fold in fruit and cognac mixture with a spoon using a spoon - not the beaters! 

4. In a small bowl or saucer combine the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and teaspoon of cinnamon.  Shape teaspoonfuls of dough into 1 inch balls; roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture to coat.  Place balls on ungreased cookie sheets 2 inches apart.

5. Using a smooth bottomed glass dipped into the cinnamon-sugar mixture, press each ball to ¼ inch thickness.  Press almond slices into the flattened cookie dough. 

6. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely, then store in air tight containers.  These treats can be frozen for up to three months.

Enjoy!

Versatile Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup with turkey bacon

    This hearty soup is versatile.  For example, it is great served as a main dinner with some crusty bread, or it can be part of a soup & salad/sandwich offering.  You can also vary the ingredients.  This time I used turkey bacon, but next time I will be using a smoked turkey sausage sliced thin.  Instead of kale, substitute chopped spinach. Like most soups & stews, it's much better the next day!

Ingredients:

• Slices of turkey bacon, or thinly sliced smoked turkey sausage
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2-3 carrots, peeled, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp. cumin powder
• 3/4 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1lb bag of lentils, rinsed
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 2 quarts of chicken broth, or vegetable broth     (I used one of each)
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, chopped (about 4 cups)
• salt & pepper to taste (a dash of red pepper flakes when serving is nice too

Directions:

In your soup pot or dutch oven, cook your bacon or sausage with a Tbsp of olive oil for a couple of minutes.  As it starts to brown, add remaining oil and onion, carrots, celery and salt & pepper.  Sauté over medium high heat for a 5-6 minutes to soften veggies.  Turn down heat if they start to brown to soon.  Next add the garlic, cumin, coriander and turmeric, cooking another 2-3 minutes stirring to blend.

Add lentils, tomatoes, broth and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.  Increase heat bringing soup to a boil.  

While soup is heating up, chop the kale and add to the pot. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 30-40 minutes.

The soup is now ready to serve this way, but to make a thicker broth, I use an immersion blender for a few pulses in the pot and stir to mix.  If you don't have an immersion blender, remove a cup to cup and a half to a blender and puree.  return to the pot and stir.

* Not everyone in the house likes the same level of "heat".  I add a few shakes of red pepper flakes and a teaspoon of sour cream to my bowl.

Enjoy!

 

Nana's "Bott boi" or Pie in a Pot

Bott boi

    Growing up in South Carolina I didn't get to see my Nana in Pennsylvania very often.  When we did make the trip north it was always an exciting time as a young boy.  Shoot! It was even exciting when I took my own boys up to Pennsylvania when they were smaller.  One of the special parts was that Nana's house was usually the "hub" of family gatherings and that meant feeding large numbers.  Bott boi, a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe, was one of those crowd-pleasers that also went a long way to feeding large groups. It's basically a "pie in a pot" instead of a pot pie.     

    I can remember Nana giving my mother the 'recipe' and how-to's even though my mother was a great chicken pastry maker!  Bott boi -- chicken pastry....  two slightly different variations of the same meal.  The differences lie in some of the additional ingredients of bott boi.  Bott boi, can be made with ham, beef, lamb, turkey, chicken and usually contains potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions.  Chicken pastry is made with... well... chicken and pastry strips.

    This year is the first time I have attempted the recipe.  I have now made it twice in the last two months of 2020 - a year to remember, or forget!  I think it's one that I'll work to teach my daughter and daughter-in-laws if they wish to keep with some family tradition comfort food. 

"Noodle" Ingredients- (prepare noodles first so they can dry)

3.5 cups all purpose flour

3.5 Tbsp. shortening

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1.5 cups of water

Allow noodles to 'dry' for at least an hour

Mix together flour, salt and shortening as preparing a pie crust - (little crumbles)

Beat egg and mix with water

Add liquid to dry ingredients a little at a time and keep mixing.

Separate into three portions, and on a floured board or surface roll out to 1/4 inch thickness (think Kraft singles) then cut into squares.  Use wax paper or floured cloth to allow these to 'season' (dry)

Pot Ingredients-

2 split chicken breasts (skin and bone)

4 thighs (skin and bone)

*** (I used a small fryer whole)

1 onion, peeled, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 yellow potatoes, peeled and sliced

salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot place chicken parts, onion, celery and carrots, add water to cover.  Bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce and allow to simmer about 30 to 45 minutes.  

Remove chicken from the skin and bones. Cut up chicken and return to broth. Discard skin bones.

Alternately add potato slices and 'noodles'.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Cover tightly and cook at moderate boil until potatoes are tender and noodles are fluffy.  Add parsley flakes, give it a stir and serve!

Remember, make plenty because stews and soups are ALWAYS better the next day.

Enjoy!