Dearly Beloved Friends of Hounds Who Cook,
Our Girl had a Turmeric Chai Latte in a coffee shop in Morgantown, PA and fell in love with it. She was delirious with its wonder and promptly went home and researched and made her own. It starts with what is called Golden Paste. Make a batch and keep it stocked in the fridge for your culinary joy. (So many ways to use it.) Then make yourself this enlightening Chai Latte anytime you please, especially at bedtime for a good night's sleep.
Turmeric Chai Latte
2 cups milk (full-on dairy or almond milk or coconut milk, etc.)
1 Tb. Golden Paste
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (we use a cinnamon / nutmeg / chia blend that's organic from McCormick)
1/4 tsp ginger powder (or 1/2 tsp fresh)
dash of cayenne
1 Tb. maple syrup
Hot brewed tea (use green tea for daytime or a nice chamomile for evening)
Warm the milk (do not boil) and add golden paste and spices. Use 1 part spiced milk and 1 part tea to serve. Add maple syrup. Adjust proportions to taste.
Notes from Elias: This smells delish even to a pup. I get Golden Paste in my pup food too!
Notes from the spirit of Gute: Turmeric is heavenly. We have it here too.
06 August 2018
~ Turmeric Golden Paste
Dear Ones and Lovers of Pups,
Our Girl has concocted a glorious Golden Paste for herself (Turmeric Chai Lattes) and for we pups. (I cannot speak in the singular, though my now-beloved brother is heavenward. Still we are Hounds Who Cook. He from his Heavenly Advantage, me here in earthly form with Our Girl.)
Here is the way to make cancer-fighting superfood Golden Paste with links to its favorite uses:
Golden Paste
1/2 c. organic Turmeric powder (we usually buy Frontier)
1-3 c. purified water
2 tsp. freshly ground organic peppercorns
1/3 c. extra virgin organic coconut oil
Mix 1 cup water and 1/2 cup turmeric in saucepan. Heat on medium-low, whisking as it heats up. Add water gradually as it thickens. Cook 7-10 minutes, in all, to a yogurt/gravy consistency. Stir in coconut oil and pepper. Cool in pan. Store airtight in fridge. Or, freeze in cubes and store airtight in freezer up to 3 months.
Note: Turmeric is also a glorious natural dye, so it will stain anything - countertop, kitchen towel, your clothes, whatever it spills on. Take care. Wipe up spills immediately and remove color on countertops with baking soda.
Use Golden Paste in Turmeric Chai Lattes and any delicious savor recipes (chicken comes to mind) that would benefit from turmeric. The pepper and coconut oil make turmeric's healthful properties more accessible in your body. Note: Turmeric and ginger are both blood thinners, so those taking the likes of warfarin or other blood thinners might not want to risk this delicious paste.
Notes from Elias: This helps my arthritic joints immensely! She adds it to my homemade dog food here: Eli's Happy (Dog Food) Meals
31 May 2017
~ Eli's Happy (Dog Food) Meals
May 2017
Dear Friend of the Gentle Hound,
We dogs are switching up our culinary pursuits to foods for health and finishing well. Yes, that's what we said. Crossing the finish line of this excellent life.
Guthrie, you see, the humblest handsome hound in all of the land has passed on from this world to the next. I, Elias, have been in a mode of grief. I thought he was lost in the woods, after all, as our Girl (Susanna) did not let me see my brother was gone. She didn't know better. (Now she does.) A dog should get to know what has happened. Especially if he is a little bit blind and mostly deaf, which thwarts my usual ease in life and general perceptions of things around me. I called and called for him, night after night. And I stared at her, demanding she go out to find him. I sequestered myself from the family for a full week or more. I would not lay on their feet or sleep on the floor in the middle of their gatherings. No, I kept to my room - our room. And I languished for the loss of my brother. Who now would I rule over? Who would I argue with and steal from? Who, who would I keep in his place? I felt his loss quite keenly.
As time passed, I saw that our girl doted on me extra because of the loss of The Gute. We have grown very close since it is just the two of us. It was always meant to be this way - all of the attention for me - so I have reconciled myself that my brother is better in heaven (where all dogs go - and rescue dogs and forlorn dogs get the higher places of honor). I have learnt that our grievous loss is The Gute's pure joy. Every day we miss him and I have watched the girl plant flowers a-plenty atop the spot where his Earth body lay. But he, Guthrie, is running with new legs over hill and vale of heavenly places. And, as all dogs know, Heaven is a place of extraordinary smells, which dogs can enjoy the most because of our superior olfactories.
I will not debate Heaven with you, like I will not debate the existence of Rabbit or the deliciousness of someone else's kibble as compared to your own. These are things dogs just Know. The Gute is in the best of all possible places.
Our girl thought I was to give way to Heaven first, before Guthrie, because I was exhibiting all sorts of pain in my joints and some general confusion. It was to her great surprise that Guthrie was destined to go before me. So after he left us, she focused on alleviating some of my pain and my health improved immediately and dramatically. Why, I started climbing the stairs again, of my own volition, to sniff around in young Eric's room. Teenaged boys are at the top of the list for Interesting Smelling rooms. Whether smelly socks or old snack wrappers. There's always a reward for me when I investigate his room.
On to the delicious food that has helped my joints and general well-being. Our Girl found an (anti) Cancer Diet for dogs (based on but divergent from DR. DEMIAN DRESSLER's recipe online).
(Note: I have not been proved to be cancerous, but my innards are filled with tumerous lumps and I was Losing Weight so as to look boney. The vet said, you could do Tests which are expensive, or you could Assume he has an ailment and simply keep him comfortable in this final season. She said let him eat however much he wants so as to gain weight. (!! It was glee for me) I improved straightaway and did not expire as Our Girl thought I might.)
Here is the food that has brought me joy:
Eli's Happy Meals - serves 4 days (8 meals)
3 lb cooked meat (simmered on low), from whole chicken or lean beef or wild meats from hunters
12 oz gizzard and heart
1 lb. liver (beef or chicken)
2 chicken necks (she usually can't find these, so she cooks the Whole chicken, which has 1 neck)
12 oz vegetables such as carrot, squash, peas, broccoli stems, what-have-you
2 cups uncooked rice
1 to 1-1/2 c. yogurt / keifer (cottage cheese if nothing else)
6 boiled, baked, ground organic eggshells (see instructions)
4 tsp Golden Paste (see recipe) (start with 1 tsp per recipe, doubling with each iteration up to 5 tsp.)
1 Tb coconut oil
(a few Tb coconut flour to help absorb bone broth )
Bone broth to bring recipe weight to 8 lb.
4 tsp diatomaceous earth (optional - kills parasites, detoxifier, digestive aid, colon cleanser - use for recipe for 30 days, several times per year)
splash of Braggs Liquid Aminos
4 Tb. ACV
18,000 mg omega-3 fatty acids of Fish Oil* (We are weaning off of this in favor of sardines instead) - add this now or when serving
When feeding, add (per meal unless otherwise noted):
4 oz sardines (if chicken based recipe) / 1 oz. sardines (if beef based recipe)
1/16 tsp phytoplankton OR 250mg spirulina
Also optional additions:
1 clove garlic
1 tsp ginger
1 Tb fresh berries
(*Check the fine print on your fish oil bottle. Choose fish oil from tiny fishes (mackerel, anchovy, sardine, krill) Our brand is 2400mg fish oil providing 720mg fatty acids per serving. So we use 15 servings per recipe - 30 capsules.)
1. When planning to prepare dog food, save the egg shells from your own breakfast and cooking. Boil 5 minutes in water and/or bake at 250 degrees for 10 minutes. Then crush fine with mortar and pestle. Keep airtight and use within two days.
2. One day ahead, simmer whole chicken (if using) til cooked. When cool, separate meat from bone. Measure 3 lb of cooked meat. Reserve remaining meat for another use. Put skin and bones back into pot (or best is to use small slow-cooker), cover with water and simmer til 1-2 cups broth remains. Pour off first broth (Delicious for human consumption, if desired. Skim off and discard fat, which harbors toxins.) Cover bones with another quart or more of water. Pour off broth when it reaches 1-2 cups. Continue process until bones disintegrate in broth - about 24 hours. Save bone broth for use at the end of the recipe.
4. Simmer rice and raw vegetables with appropriate amount of water on low til cooked.
5. When meat and rice have cooled to room temperature, add other ingredients - cottage cheese, eggshells, golden paste, fish oil (cut open capsules), coconut oil, DE, Braggs aminos, in enormous bowl.
6. Add bone broth and its solids to bring weight of recipe to 8 lb. or more. Divide into 4 containers for 4 days of food. (It usually works to 1 lb per meal/serving)
If you must make a double recipe and freeze meals, do not add fish oil until feeding. It will be unstable and oxidize (get rancid) causing free radicals and inflammation.
Dear Friend of the Gentle Hound,
We dogs are switching up our culinary pursuits to foods for health and finishing well. Yes, that's what we said. Crossing the finish line of this excellent life.
Guthrie, you see, the humblest handsome hound in all of the land has passed on from this world to the next. I, Elias, have been in a mode of grief. I thought he was lost in the woods, after all, as our Girl (Susanna) did not let me see my brother was gone. She didn't know better. (Now she does.) A dog should get to know what has happened. Especially if he is a little bit blind and mostly deaf, which thwarts my usual ease in life and general perceptions of things around me. I called and called for him, night after night. And I stared at her, demanding she go out to find him. I sequestered myself from the family for a full week or more. I would not lay on their feet or sleep on the floor in the middle of their gatherings. No, I kept to my room - our room. And I languished for the loss of my brother. Who now would I rule over? Who would I argue with and steal from? Who, who would I keep in his place? I felt his loss quite keenly.
As time passed, I saw that our girl doted on me extra because of the loss of The Gute. We have grown very close since it is just the two of us. It was always meant to be this way - all of the attention for me - so I have reconciled myself that my brother is better in heaven (where all dogs go - and rescue dogs and forlorn dogs get the higher places of honor). I have learnt that our grievous loss is The Gute's pure joy. Every day we miss him and I have watched the girl plant flowers a-plenty atop the spot where his Earth body lay. But he, Guthrie, is running with new legs over hill and vale of heavenly places. And, as all dogs know, Heaven is a place of extraordinary smells, which dogs can enjoy the most because of our superior olfactories.
I will not debate Heaven with you, like I will not debate the existence of Rabbit or the deliciousness of someone else's kibble as compared to your own. These are things dogs just Know. The Gute is in the best of all possible places.
Our girl thought I was to give way to Heaven first, before Guthrie, because I was exhibiting all sorts of pain in my joints and some general confusion. It was to her great surprise that Guthrie was destined to go before me. So after he left us, she focused on alleviating some of my pain and my health improved immediately and dramatically. Why, I started climbing the stairs again, of my own volition, to sniff around in young Eric's room. Teenaged boys are at the top of the list for Interesting Smelling rooms. Whether smelly socks or old snack wrappers. There's always a reward for me when I investigate his room.
On to the delicious food that has helped my joints and general well-being. Our Girl found an (anti) Cancer Diet for dogs (based on but divergent from DR. DEMIAN DRESSLER's recipe online).
(Note: I have not been proved to be cancerous, but my innards are filled with tumerous lumps and I was Losing Weight so as to look boney. The vet said, you could do Tests which are expensive, or you could Assume he has an ailment and simply keep him comfortable in this final season. She said let him eat however much he wants so as to gain weight. (!! It was glee for me) I improved straightaway and did not expire as Our Girl thought I might.)
Here is the food that has brought me joy:
Eli's Happy Meals - serves 4 days (8 meals)
3 lb cooked meat (simmered on low), from whole chicken or lean beef or wild meats from hunters
12 oz gizzard and heart
1 lb. liver (beef or chicken)
2 chicken necks (she usually can't find these, so she cooks the Whole chicken, which has 1 neck)
12 oz vegetables such as carrot, squash, peas, broccoli stems, what-have-you
2 cups uncooked rice
1 to 1-1/2 c. yogurt / keifer (cottage cheese if nothing else)
6 boiled, baked, ground organic eggshells (see instructions)
4 tsp Golden Paste (see recipe) (start with 1 tsp per recipe, doubling with each iteration up to 5 tsp.)
1 Tb coconut oil
(a few Tb coconut flour to help absorb bone broth )
Bone broth to bring recipe weight to 8 lb.
4 tsp diatomaceous earth (optional - kills parasites, detoxifier, digestive aid, colon cleanser - use for recipe for 30 days, several times per year)
splash of Braggs Liquid Aminos
4 Tb. ACV
18,000 mg omega-3 fatty acids of Fish Oil* (We are weaning off of this in favor of sardines instead) - add this now or when serving
When feeding, add (per meal unless otherwise noted):
4 oz sardines (if chicken based recipe) / 1 oz. sardines (if beef based recipe)
1/16 tsp phytoplankton OR 250mg spirulina
Also optional additions:
1 clove garlic
1 tsp ginger
1 Tb fresh berries
(*Check the fine print on your fish oil bottle. Choose fish oil from tiny fishes (mackerel, anchovy, sardine, krill) Our brand is 2400mg fish oil providing 720mg fatty acids per serving. So we use 15 servings per recipe - 30 capsules.)
1. When planning to prepare dog food, save the egg shells from your own breakfast and cooking. Boil 5 minutes in water and/or bake at 250 degrees for 10 minutes. Then crush fine with mortar and pestle. Keep airtight and use within two days.
2. One day ahead, simmer whole chicken (if using) til cooked. When cool, separate meat from bone. Measure 3 lb of cooked meat. Reserve remaining meat for another use. Put skin and bones back into pot (or best is to use small slow-cooker), cover with water and simmer til 1-2 cups broth remains. Pour off first broth (Delicious for human consumption, if desired. Skim off and discard fat, which harbors toxins.) Cover bones with another quart or more of water. Pour off broth when it reaches 1-2 cups. Continue process until bones disintegrate in broth - about 24 hours. Save bone broth for use at the end of the recipe.
3. Day of recipe: Simmer chicken necks, and organs together on low til cooked through. (Sometimes we include this in chicken pot, when cooking the chicken the day-of recipe. )
4. Simmer rice and raw vegetables with appropriate amount of water on low til cooked.
5. When meat and rice have cooled to room temperature, add other ingredients - cottage cheese, eggshells, golden paste, fish oil (cut open capsules), coconut oil, DE, Braggs aminos, in enormous bowl.
6. Add bone broth and its solids to bring weight of recipe to 8 lb. or more. Divide into 4 containers for 4 days of food. (It usually works to 1 lb per meal/serving)
If you must make a double recipe and freeze meals, do not add fish oil until feeding. It will be unstable and oxidize (get rancid) causing free radicals and inflammation.
21 July 2014
~ Old Fashioned Blackcap Jelly and Blackberry Lemonade
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We dogs watch our girl out in the berries every morning for at least one hour. During this time, we are on the back steps waiting and this summer there are a lot of gnats who swarm us and swarm the girl. But she is resolute about picking every possible blackcap berry.
Blackcaps, they say, are "black raspberries" which we like to think of as wild blackberries. They are small and full of seeds and extremely Potent in flavor. We believe they are a Super Food.
We started out with this nice old-fashioned recipe online http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/old-fashioned-blackberry-jelly wherin you do not use added pectin but use enough underripe berries and lime juice for sufficient pectin.
Our version has worked so far every time even though we made a Mistake about the amount of sugar and made ourselves a rather tart and tangy jelly. More delicious than average.
Blackberry Jelly
Makes about 5 half-pint jars of deliciousness.
4 full quarts of black caps, about 1/3 of them not quite ripe
2-1/4 cups sugar (original recipe calls for 3 cups - we cannot attest to whether it will jell with that much)
3 tablespoons strained fresh lime juice (or lemon)
Crush the blackberries. We tried putting them in a ziploc bag and crushing with a rolling pin. That worked. Alternately, we used a mashing device (possibly intended for apple sauce) which is like a sieve with a paddle that presses berries through a screen. That also worked. Both are equally messy.
Bring crushed berries to a boil with ½ cup water in a deep, non-reactive pan (6 qt. is best to prevent boil-over). Boil until the berries are tender and have released their juices, about 5 minutes.
Strain berries through a fine sieve (or jelly bag) over a deep bowl. Let drain for 30 minutes or overnight, turning the bulk occasionally to prevent clogging the sieve and letting the juices out. Do not press down too much or the jelly will be cloudy.
Reserve the solids for a second round of juice to make blackberry juice for drinking or blackberry lemonaid. (Recipe follows.)
Measure the juice - you should have about 4 cups. Do not add water to make up the difference. Use whatever you have and simply add sugar accordingly as noted below.
Sterilize five 1/2 pint jelly jars and keep them hot, put the flat lids in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water.
Rinse the preserving pan and pour in the blackberry juice. Add up to ¾ cup sugar for each cup of juice. We used only 2-1/4 cups for 4 cups of berries. Then add the lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture registers about 220°F on a candy thermometer. This took about 15 minutes for us. Watch carefully at first so it doesn't boil over. Once jelly has risen in the pan and then settled back, the danger is over.
Drain the sterilized jars and jar lids. Pour hot jelly into the jars, leaving ¼ inch room at the top. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so that it's just finger-tight.
We set the jars in a place not disturbed overnight and they seal from the heat of the jelly. Some prefer to return the jars to the water in the canning pot, and boil for 5 minutes to process.
Blackberry Lemonade
Cover (by several inches) the leftover blackberry pulp from jelly with purified water in a large saucepan. Boil 5 minutes. Strain and use the liquid instead of water in making lemonade. Mmmm.
We dogs watch our girl out in the berries every morning for at least one hour. During this time, we are on the back steps waiting and this summer there are a lot of gnats who swarm us and swarm the girl. But she is resolute about picking every possible blackcap berry.
Blackcaps, they say, are "black raspberries" which we like to think of as wild blackberries. They are small and full of seeds and extremely Potent in flavor. We believe they are a Super Food.
We started out with this nice old-fashioned recipe online http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/old-fashioned-blackberry-jelly wherin you do not use added pectin but use enough underripe berries and lime juice for sufficient pectin.
Our version has worked so far every time even though we made a Mistake about the amount of sugar and made ourselves a rather tart and tangy jelly. More delicious than average.
Blackberry Jelly
Makes about 5 half-pint jars of deliciousness.
4 full quarts of black caps, about 1/3 of them not quite ripe
2-1/4 cups sugar (original recipe calls for 3 cups - we cannot attest to whether it will jell with that much)
3 tablespoons strained fresh lime juice (or lemon)
Crush the blackberries. We tried putting them in a ziploc bag and crushing with a rolling pin. That worked. Alternately, we used a mashing device (possibly intended for apple sauce) which is like a sieve with a paddle that presses berries through a screen. That also worked. Both are equally messy.
Bring crushed berries to a boil with ½ cup water in a deep, non-reactive pan (6 qt. is best to prevent boil-over). Boil until the berries are tender and have released their juices, about 5 minutes.
Strain berries through a fine sieve (or jelly bag) over a deep bowl. Let drain for 30 minutes or overnight, turning the bulk occasionally to prevent clogging the sieve and letting the juices out. Do not press down too much or the jelly will be cloudy.
Reserve the solids for a second round of juice to make blackberry juice for drinking or blackberry lemonaid. (Recipe follows.)
Measure the juice - you should have about 4 cups. Do not add water to make up the difference. Use whatever you have and simply add sugar accordingly as noted below.
Sterilize five 1/2 pint jelly jars and keep them hot, put the flat lids in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water.
Rinse the preserving pan and pour in the blackberry juice. Add up to ¾ cup sugar for each cup of juice. We used only 2-1/4 cups for 4 cups of berries. Then add the lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture registers about 220°F on a candy thermometer. This took about 15 minutes for us. Watch carefully at first so it doesn't boil over. Once jelly has risen in the pan and then settled back, the danger is over.
Drain the sterilized jars and jar lids. Pour hot jelly into the jars, leaving ¼ inch room at the top. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so that it's just finger-tight.
We set the jars in a place not disturbed overnight and they seal from the heat of the jelly. Some prefer to return the jars to the water in the canning pot, and boil for 5 minutes to process.
Blackberry Lemonade
Cover (by several inches) the leftover blackberry pulp from jelly with purified water in a large saucepan. Boil 5 minutes. Strain and use the liquid instead of water in making lemonade. Mmmm.
30 June 2014
~ Eli's Rhubarb Cake
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We dogs have come up with a way for our girl to use Rhubarb. I, Elias, have today mixed up this pleasure for the relations who are coming this early afternoon. I started with a NotWithoutSalt.com blog recipe and hound-dogged it from there.
Eli's Rhubarb Cake in June
2 cups rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, soft
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup keefer (or sour milk, or yogurt)
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cover the chopped rhubarb with 1/2 cup sugar and let sit for an hour.
Cream the butter and brown sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in rhubarb mixture
In separate bowl, combine flour, salt, soda, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients and milk to rhubarb mixture, alternately, in several batches, ending with dry ingredients.
Turn into buttered 9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store covered.
Notes from Guthrie: I would have sprinkled this with a sugar-nut topping before baking but Elias did not.
We dogs have come up with a way for our girl to use Rhubarb. I, Elias, have today mixed up this pleasure for the relations who are coming this early afternoon. I started with a NotWithoutSalt.com blog recipe and hound-dogged it from there.
Eli's Rhubarb Cake in June
2 cups rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, soft
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup keefer (or sour milk, or yogurt)
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cover the chopped rhubarb with 1/2 cup sugar and let sit for an hour.
Cream the butter and brown sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in rhubarb mixture
In separate bowl, combine flour, salt, soda, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients and milk to rhubarb mixture, alternately, in several batches, ending with dry ingredients.
Turn into buttered 9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store covered.
Notes from Guthrie: I would have sprinkled this with a sugar-nut topping before baking but Elias did not.
11 June 2014
~ New Fashioned Peach-Rhubarb Jam
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We dogs have been trying to please our Girl. She found reference to a recipe for Peach Rhubarb Jam and was beside herself with desire. Imagine her dismay when it was not real authentic jam, but called for Jello as the thickener. She would not rest until we could find and old fashioned recipe for Peach Rhubarb Jam.
It turns out that maybe it's not an old-fashioned thing, because we found information nowhere. We kept tripping upon the same Jello recipe from various sources. So we, the Hounds Who Cook, put our noggins together and came up with this quite stellar recipe. Now our girl is sitting pretty with a tray of Scones and Peach-Rhubarb Jam aplenty. Another catastrophe averted.
We combined and contrived to make this recipe from two, nay three sources. Easy Rhubarb Jam, Peach Jam, and Homemade Pectin. And another site that actually tells you how to use the homemade pectin (nobody tells you how to use the homemade pectin...) Making Pectin 101. We are posting Eli's Easy Peach Rhubarb Jam first because we don't want Guthrie's Jam with Homemade Pectin to daunt you. Adventurous learners will want to try that one. In that case, allow two days to make homemade pectin (it drains overnight) and three hours to make jam. For Eli's Easy Jam, three hours should do.
Eli's Easy Peach Rhubarb Jam
(because Rhubarb-Peach is somehow hard to say)
Skip the pectin boys, this recipe just uses Lemon Seeds from your summer lemon squeezing. Elias B likes to keep it simple. Have a little lemonade whilst you cook.
2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1 or 2-inch lengths
2 pounds peaches (ripe but not overripe; on the under ripe side), peeled and chopped
1 cup water
3-1/2 c. sugar
1 lemon, halved and juiced. Reserve peels and seeds - put seeds in a tea ball or cheese cloth pouch.
Place peaches, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mash peaches. Add rhubarb, lemon skins (with pith), and tea ball with seeds. Let sit at room temperature for one hour.
Pour jam into sterile jars and secure the lids and rings. Process pint jars in water bath for 5 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool undisturbed. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to one year.
Notes from Elias: We did not find a tea ball and simply set a strainer in the cooking jam, which kept the seeds contained. We also did not find a canner - oops. Our Girl sold that at the last sale when she was sure she would be Moving Within A Few Months. Here we still are, and no canner. For jams, we just flip them upside down on their caps as soon as we screw on the tops and let them cool that way. Just make sure the top is sealed (does not give when you press on the center of the lid), if not store in the fridge!
Guthrie's Peach-Rhubarb Jam with Homemade Pectin
2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1 or 2-inch lengths
2 pounds peaches (ripe but not overripe; on the under ripe side), peeled and chopped
1 cup water
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3Tb)
[AMT] = 3/4 cup orange pectin per cup of fruit/juice (recipe follows)
[AMT] = 3/4-1 cup sugar per cup of pectin (aim for 3-1/2 cups sugar?)
Sterilize 5 pint canning jars and lids. Place a small plate (for testing the jel of the jam) in the freezer.
Place peaches, water, and lemon juice in a large measuring bowl. Mash to crush peaches. Add rhubarb. Measure the total volume.
Add 3/4 c. homemade pectin for every cup of fruit and juice. (Set aside the equivalent amount of sugar as pectin plus 1/2 cup. This is science kids. Don't mess with science. If you use more pectin than sugar your glorious jam won't set.)
Bring mixture to a boil over med-high heat and cook until fruit is the desired doneness. Add 3/4 to 1 cup sugar per and stir until dissolved. (15 minutes in all - boiling fruit and adding sugar and cooking further.) Lower heat to medium and keep jam at a simmer, stirring to prevent burning on the bottom of the pan, for at least 15 minutes. Skim off foam and discard as jam cooks.
Place a small spoonful of jam on the plate in the freezer. Jam is set when it holds its shape on the plate. Otherwise, keep cooking over medium-low heat until set.
Pour jam into sterile jars to bottom ring of neck. Tap the jar on the counter to release any air bubbles. Wipe the rim of the jars with a clean damp towel and secure the lids and rings. Process pint jars in water bath for 5 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool undisturbed. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to one year.
Notes from Guthrie: Here's a helpful tip. To peel peaches, plunge into boiling water for 1-2 min - peels will slough off easily with your fingers. Then slice in half and remove the pit.
Notes from Eli: Here's a helpfuller tip. Use a peeler to peel those peaches and get the freestone kind that fall right away from the pit when you slice them.
Orange or Lemon Pectin
2 lb. seeds and peel (including pith) from 6 lb. of oranges or lemons
2 c. water
2 Tb. lemon juice
Chop the citrus peel finely, including the pith. Mix with water and lemon juice and let stand 1 hour. Bring to a boil (in a non-reactive pan). Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 20 min. Strain through cheese cloth overnight. Bring to a boil over med-high and boil to reduce by 1/2.
# # # This marks the end of our journey into Peach-Rhubarb Jam.
We dogs have been trying to please our Girl. She found reference to a recipe for Peach Rhubarb Jam and was beside herself with desire. Imagine her dismay when it was not real authentic jam, but called for Jello as the thickener. She would not rest until we could find and old fashioned recipe for Peach Rhubarb Jam.
It turns out that maybe it's not an old-fashioned thing, because we found information nowhere. We kept tripping upon the same Jello recipe from various sources. So we, the Hounds Who Cook, put our noggins together and came up with this quite stellar recipe. Now our girl is sitting pretty with a tray of Scones and Peach-Rhubarb Jam aplenty. Another catastrophe averted.
We combined and contrived to make this recipe from two, nay three sources. Easy Rhubarb Jam, Peach Jam, and Homemade Pectin. And another site that actually tells you how to use the homemade pectin (nobody tells you how to use the homemade pectin...) Making Pectin 101. We are posting Eli's Easy Peach Rhubarb Jam first because we don't want Guthrie's Jam with Homemade Pectin to daunt you. Adventurous learners will want to try that one. In that case, allow two days to make homemade pectin (it drains overnight) and three hours to make jam. For Eli's Easy Jam, three hours should do.
Eli's Easy Peach Rhubarb Jam
(because Rhubarb-Peach is somehow hard to say)
Skip the pectin boys, this recipe just uses Lemon Seeds from your summer lemon squeezing. Elias B likes to keep it simple. Have a little lemonade whilst you cook.
2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1 or 2-inch lengths
2 pounds peaches (ripe but not overripe; on the under ripe side), peeled and chopped
1 cup water
3-1/2 c. sugar
1 lemon, halved and juiced. Reserve peels and seeds - put seeds in a tea ball or cheese cloth pouch.
Place peaches, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mash peaches. Add rhubarb, lemon skins (with pith), and tea ball with seeds. Let sit at room temperature for one hour.
Place a small plate in the freezer for testing jam later.
Pour the peach mixture into a large pot (including peels and tea ball with seeds) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, stirring the jam constantly, for about 15 minutes. Skim the foam from the surface as the jam cooks.
Pour the peach mixture into a large pot (including peels and tea ball with seeds) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, stirring the jam constantly, for about 15 minutes. Skim the foam from the surface as the jam cooks.
Reduce
the heat to medium and keep a constant simmer, stir frequently. After
15 minutes, drop a spoonful of jam onto the plate from the freezer. The jam is set when it holds its shape on the cool plate; otherwise,
continue cooking over medium-low heat until set. Ours took about 22 minutes.
Remove the seed bag and lemon halves.
Pour jam into sterile jars and secure the lids and rings. Process pint jars in water bath for 5 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool undisturbed. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to one year.
Notes from Elias: We did not find a tea ball and simply set a strainer in the cooking jam, which kept the seeds contained. We also did not find a canner - oops. Our Girl sold that at the last sale when she was sure she would be Moving Within A Few Months. Here we still are, and no canner. For jams, we just flip them upside down on their caps as soon as we screw on the tops and let them cool that way. Just make sure the top is sealed (does not give when you press on the center of the lid), if not store in the fridge!
Guthrie's Peach-Rhubarb Jam with Homemade Pectin
2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1 or 2-inch lengths
2 pounds peaches (ripe but not overripe; on the under ripe side), peeled and chopped
1 cup water
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3Tb)
[AMT] = 3/4 cup orange pectin per cup of fruit/juice (recipe follows)
[AMT] = 3/4-1 cup sugar per cup of pectin (aim for 3-1/2 cups sugar?)
Sterilize 5 pint canning jars and lids. Place a small plate (for testing the jel of the jam) in the freezer.
Place peaches, water, and lemon juice in a large measuring bowl. Mash to crush peaches. Add rhubarb. Measure the total volume.
Add 3/4 c. homemade pectin for every cup of fruit and juice. (Set aside the equivalent amount of sugar as pectin plus 1/2 cup. This is science kids. Don't mess with science. If you use more pectin than sugar your glorious jam won't set.)
Bring mixture to a boil over med-high heat and cook until fruit is the desired doneness. Add 3/4 to 1 cup sugar per and stir until dissolved. (15 minutes in all - boiling fruit and adding sugar and cooking further.) Lower heat to medium and keep jam at a simmer, stirring to prevent burning on the bottom of the pan, for at least 15 minutes. Skim off foam and discard as jam cooks.
Place a small spoonful of jam on the plate in the freezer. Jam is set when it holds its shape on the plate. Otherwise, keep cooking over medium-low heat until set.
Pour jam into sterile jars to bottom ring of neck. Tap the jar on the counter to release any air bubbles. Wipe the rim of the jars with a clean damp towel and secure the lids and rings. Process pint jars in water bath for 5 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool undisturbed. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to one year.
Notes from Guthrie: Here's a helpful tip. To peel peaches, plunge into boiling water for 1-2 min - peels will slough off easily with your fingers. Then slice in half and remove the pit.
Notes from Eli: Here's a helpfuller tip. Use a peeler to peel those peaches and get the freestone kind that fall right away from the pit when you slice them.
Orange or Lemon Pectin
2 lb. seeds and peel (including pith) from 6 lb. of oranges or lemons
2 c. water
2 Tb. lemon juice
Chop the citrus peel finely, including the pith. Mix with water and lemon juice and let stand 1 hour. Bring to a boil (in a non-reactive pan). Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 20 min. Strain through cheese cloth overnight. Bring to a boil over med-high and boil to reduce by 1/2.
# # # This marks the end of our journey into Peach-Rhubarb Jam.
06 June 2014
~ Peach Rhubarb Pie with Coconut Pecan Topping Mmmmm
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We dogs thought that this recipe might be Excessive due to having a full crust And a strusel topping, but we were wrong and it was stupendous. Our girl and the Elders ate 3/4 pie in one sitting while we dogs ran amok in the Raspberry Patch. We found it on the Pillsbury Website and made it our own.If only we had Photo-graphed it. 'Twas a sight to behold.
Guthrie's Peach Rhubarb Pie
Me's Independent Rating: 3 of 3
1-3/4 cup raw sugar
3 Tb. tapioca flour (generous tablespoons)
1 Tb (scant) cinnamon
dash of salt
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups chopped rhubarb (1-1/2" lengths)
3 peaches, peeled and cut into 8 wedges and cut in half
pie crust for 2-crust pie
Topping
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup coconut
2 Tb. raw sugar
3 Tb. butter, melted
Line 9" pie pan with one crust. Mix pie ingredients together and pour into pie crust. Roll out top crust and cut with designs or slash x's with a knife in the center of the crust. Lay atop the filled pie pan and flute the edges of the pie, sealing top and bottom crusts together. Bake at 375 for 35-40 min. until juice is bubbling and fluted edge is nicely browned.
While pie is cooking, leave butter in a heat proof bowl by oven vent to melt. Mix pecans, coconut, and sugar together. Toss in melted butter. Remove pie from oven after 35-40 min and sprinkle coconut topping over top crust of pie. Return to oven for 10 minutes to melt and brown the topping.
Cool pie for two hours before serving. Or, as you probably can't wait, prepare for it to be a little soupy when warm.
Notes from Elias: I highly recommend this pie for humans, though dogs find rhubarb to be poisonous. The occasional piece of peach is ok if it is sweet as sugar.
Notes from Guthrie: We like to experiment with Thickening Agents in our pies, according to what we have on hand. You may benefit from knowing the following equivalencies:
1 Tb cornstarch (it's GMO so we never use) = 2 Tb tapioca flour = 2 Tb. flour = 1 Tb arrowroot powder = 1 Tb. potato starch / rice starch
We found this alarmingly comprehensive Subsitutions Reference Manual online for your leisure reading, especially for the novice hound who doesn't know that one squash could be substituted for another. It also boasts some handy suggestions such as equal parts buttermilk and applesauce are a substitute for Butter. As (currently) Wisconsin dogs, we do not believe in substitutes for butter, but isn't that a clever attempt? Here's another Substitutions Chart, the internet is rife with them.
We dogs thought that this recipe might be Excessive due to having a full crust And a strusel topping, but we were wrong and it was stupendous. Our girl and the Elders ate 3/4 pie in one sitting while we dogs ran amok in the Raspberry Patch. We found it on the Pillsbury Website and made it our own.If only we had Photo-graphed it. 'Twas a sight to behold.
Guthrie's Peach Rhubarb Pie
Me's Independent Rating: 3 of 3
1-3/4 cup raw sugar
3 Tb. tapioca flour (generous tablespoons)
1 Tb (scant) cinnamon
dash of salt
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups chopped rhubarb (1-1/2" lengths)
3 peaches, peeled and cut into 8 wedges and cut in half
pie crust for 2-crust pie
Topping
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup coconut
2 Tb. raw sugar
3 Tb. butter, melted
Line 9" pie pan with one crust. Mix pie ingredients together and pour into pie crust. Roll out top crust and cut with designs or slash x's with a knife in the center of the crust. Lay atop the filled pie pan and flute the edges of the pie, sealing top and bottom crusts together. Bake at 375 for 35-40 min. until juice is bubbling and fluted edge is nicely browned.
While pie is cooking, leave butter in a heat proof bowl by oven vent to melt. Mix pecans, coconut, and sugar together. Toss in melted butter. Remove pie from oven after 35-40 min and sprinkle coconut topping over top crust of pie. Return to oven for 10 minutes to melt and brown the topping.
Cool pie for two hours before serving. Or, as you probably can't wait, prepare for it to be a little soupy when warm.
Notes from Elias: I highly recommend this pie for humans, though dogs find rhubarb to be poisonous. The occasional piece of peach is ok if it is sweet as sugar.
Notes from Guthrie: We like to experiment with Thickening Agents in our pies, according to what we have on hand. You may benefit from knowing the following equivalencies:
1 Tb cornstarch (it's GMO so we never use) = 2 Tb tapioca flour = 2 Tb. flour = 1 Tb arrowroot powder = 1 Tb. potato starch / rice starch
We found this alarmingly comprehensive Subsitutions Reference Manual online for your leisure reading, especially for the novice hound who doesn't know that one squash could be substituted for another. It also boasts some handy suggestions such as equal parts buttermilk and applesauce are a substitute for Butter. As (currently) Wisconsin dogs, we do not believe in substitutes for butter, but isn't that a clever attempt? Here's another Substitutions Chart, the internet is rife with them.
02 June 2014
~ Our Elder's Fav Old Fashioned Custard
Old Fashioned Custard
6 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Dash of salt
6 cups milk (room temp - or warmer, warmer is better)
fresh nutmeg
Set a 2-quart 8x8 pan into a 13x9 pan (which will hold a water bath)
Blend ingredients in a blender (in two parts, if needed). Pour the 8x8 pan. Grate nutmeg o'er the top. Set on oven rack. Pour boiling water into 13x9 pan, in which the 8x8 sits, as high as can be.
Bake at 325 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Remove pan from water bath and let cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or cover and refrigerate.
Notes from Elias: We dogs are especially fond of this when we have an unsuspecting occasion to lick a bowl. We think of it as a good way to use up the little boxes of milk the elders get in excess from Meals on Wheels, and then it's a dessert to boot!
01 June 2014
~ Citrus Dishwasher Soap
Yesterday 'twas laundry soap and to-day dishwasher soap. Our Girl does not want to expend funds on pre-made products. Here is the recipe she adapted for Dishwasher Soap wherein she used table salt (because it is what she had) rather than Kosher Salt, which is what makes more sense. Kosher would be better because it's included for its scrubbing properties and possibly the table salt just dissolves right away in the water without scrubbing. Also, she is in a phase of grapefruit seed extract (GSE) she puts it on our food to kill parasites, she washes fruits and vegetables with it, she puts it on Toe Fungii, she mixes it with coconut oil for a facial treatment. It's antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasite (inCLUding anti-amoeba - she kilt her amoeba in Belize with it) and anti- a lot of bad things. It also leaves things clean and sparkly. Some recipes will call for citric acid in this recipe. We have used actual citrus and GSE for the sparkle feature. 
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda (not baking soda)
1/2 cup Kosher Salt
2 Tb. Lime Juice
15 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract
10 drops Dish soap (max, if desired)
Mix thoroughly and use dry (1 Tb. per load) or make pods. To make pods, add barely enough water to mix dry ingredients into a wet sand. Spoon with a tablespoon measure onto a tray and leave to air dry for two days.
~ Fluffy Silky Laundry Soap
Yesterday our girl washed our blankets and used up all Laundry Soap. Her own sister told her of a recipe for making her own and we write it herewith, including changes from our Girl as she never follows recommendations precisely.
Fluffy Silky Laundry Soap
1 bar fels-naptha soap (or Zote, like we use in Belize, or Castille)
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda (not baking soda)
1 gallon of hot water
Grate the fels soap super fine with a microplane grater. Put it in a Large Pot and cover with hot water. Heat the water on the stove and stir til soap is Fully dissolved. Remove from heat and mix in borax and washing soda. Mix in remaining hot water. Mix and mix to dissolve the granules. Fill a blender 1/2 full of said soap mix and blend for one minute. It becomes very fluffy and silky now. Also, with our blender, it fills with air and rises to the top of the blender. Pour into mason jars for storing or a one-gallon large-mouth container. Repeat with remaining mixture - blending by the 1/2 blender-full.
We have heard that the mixture may separate. If so, shake it up before using. Use 2 Tb. per load of wash - hold it under the water as it flows into the washer to dissolve and distribute it.
Fluffy Silky Laundry Soap
1 bar fels-naptha soap (or Zote, like we use in Belize, or Castille)
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda (not baking soda)
1 gallon of hot water
Grate the fels soap super fine with a microplane grater. Put it in a Large Pot and cover with hot water. Heat the water on the stove and stir til soap is Fully dissolved. Remove from heat and mix in borax and washing soda. Mix in remaining hot water. Mix and mix to dissolve the granules. Fill a blender 1/2 full of said soap mix and blend for one minute. It becomes very fluffy and silky now. Also, with our blender, it fills with air and rises to the top of the blender. Pour into mason jars for storing or a one-gallon large-mouth container. Repeat with remaining mixture - blending by the 1/2 blender-full.
We have heard that the mixture may separate. If so, shake it up before using. Use 2 Tb. per load of wash - hold it under the water as it flows into the washer to dissolve and distribute it.
27 November 2013
Chocolate Filled Bomboloni (Doughnuts)
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We have tried something new and something fried with big success. It's Italian yet we've Belized it to be tropical and even Fabio - who keeps saying he's not much for sweets - loves it. Bomboloni. A doughnut filled with luscious cream (or jam).
We started with a recipe for the French Beignet which we could neither spell nor say so immediately developed it into Bomboloni - which is fun to say and has now become a household word. (Elias himself has begun reminding us of a little bomboloni due to his roundness of shape). We also made Frittelli out of the dough (adding rum and raisins and frying in little haphazard balls (fritters) and raining upon them with superfine sugar.) Both were highly successful among our small group of biased testers.
However, none really compared to "Bomboloni, Batch Two" which was the plain bomboloni made perfect with a chocolate cream filling. We all ate three or four. (Whereas a usual serving would be One.)
Here is our tropical version of Beignet-turned-Bomboloni with Chocolate filling. The signature mark of the Bomboloni (compared, say, to a Wisconsin bismark) is that the filling is inserted into the Top of the doughnut and overflows by one small dollop onto the outer top in a manner so as to entice eating.
Chocolate Filled Bomboloni
3/4 cup warm water
1/8 oz active dry yeast (1/2 pkg in the US; 1/3 pkg in Belize)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1.75 oz coconut milk powder
1/2 cup water
1 egg
2 Tb. coconut oil
3-1/2 - 4 cups flour
Coconut Oil for deep frying
Sugar or powdered sugar for dusting OR
Chocolate Bomboloni Filling (below)
Stir yeast into 3/4 cup warm water with a teaspoon of the sugar and let stand til foamy - 5-10 min.
Combine sugar, salt, coconut milk powder, 1/2 cup water, egg and oil in mixer bowl. Stir in yeast mixture and gradually add flour. It will be very sticky dough. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Make chocolate filling recipe below and also chill overnight.)
Next day: Pour 3 inches of oil into a pot or fryer. Heat til just barely smoking and reduce heat slightly to keep at that point. Prepare two racks with a cookie sheet and/or paper towel beneath.
Remove dough from fridge and place on floured surface. Roll to 1/4 inch. Cut into 3-inch squares or into rounds. Drop three doughnuts into oil at a time. Turn after about 15 seconds for even raising. Then turn several more times while they fry until they are golden brown. Transfer from oil onto a cooking rack.
Either take superfine sugar and rain it down over the doughnuts on the rack or inject filling into the doughnuts while still warm (not hot). Insert filling into the side or - for the authentic Italian look, right into the top, leaving a dollop of filling top and center on the outside too.
Set filled doughnuts on second cooling rack.
Serve with espresso or cappuccino.
Chocolate Filling for Bomboloni
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tb. cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup coconut milk (or 1.75 oz coconut milk powder + 1 cup water)
3 Tb. cocoa
1 Tb. coconut oil
1 egg yolk
1 tsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix 1/2 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/8 tsp salt in sauce pan. Mix in coconut milk, cocoa and oil with a whisk. Boil 1 minute.
Place egg yolk in small heat-proof bowl. While whisking the egg yolk, drizzle some of the pudding mixture from the sauce pan onto the yolk to blend - about 1/2 cup. Whisk yolk mixture back into the saucepan and boil 1 minute.
Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Let cool. Then chill filling overnight. Inject cool filling into warm doughnuts.
Notes from Elias: While Guthrie does most of the culinary experimentation, I Elias am the foremost taste-tester. And while Guthrie has a finer and more discerning palate, I Elias am able to find good and appreciate something in nearly any food opportunity. Tonight our girl is Experimenting with a rum-and-raisin filling. Not what the American palate waters for, but in Belize rum-and-raisin is the favorite flavor of ice cream. We think for Christmas Belizeans will love to have a rum-and-raisin filled Bomboloni. Wait and see.
Notes from Guthrie: The coconut oil in this recipe makes all the difference. Crispness, aroma, and even a day-after lusciousness that seem to come only with oil from the mighty coconut.
Notes from Guthre - the Day After: We thought we would try a rum-and-raisin filling but are here to testify that it was global disaster. The texture was of cornstarch, it was too thick in the end and overall a heavy experience. But, never-we-mind. We have excessive bananas to use up and are headed toward a Cranberry-Banana Bread on this Thanksgiving Day, 2013.
We have tried something new and something fried with big success. It's Italian yet we've Belized it to be tropical and even Fabio - who keeps saying he's not much for sweets - loves it. Bomboloni. A doughnut filled with luscious cream (or jam).
We started with a recipe for the French Beignet which we could neither spell nor say so immediately developed it into Bomboloni - which is fun to say and has now become a household word. (Elias himself has begun reminding us of a little bomboloni due to his roundness of shape). We also made Frittelli out of the dough (adding rum and raisins and frying in little haphazard balls (fritters) and raining upon them with superfine sugar.) Both were highly successful among our small group of biased testers.
However, none really compared to "Bomboloni, Batch Two" which was the plain bomboloni made perfect with a chocolate cream filling. We all ate three or four. (Whereas a usual serving would be One.)
Here is our tropical version of Beignet-turned-Bomboloni with Chocolate filling. The signature mark of the Bomboloni (compared, say, to a Wisconsin bismark) is that the filling is inserted into the Top of the doughnut and overflows by one small dollop onto the outer top in a manner so as to entice eating.
Chocolate Filled Bomboloni
3/4 cup warm water
1/8 oz active dry yeast (1/2 pkg in the US; 1/3 pkg in Belize)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1.75 oz coconut milk powder
1/2 cup water
1 egg
2 Tb. coconut oil
3-1/2 - 4 cups flour
Coconut Oil for deep frying
Sugar or powdered sugar for dusting OR
Chocolate Bomboloni Filling (below)
Stir yeast into 3/4 cup warm water with a teaspoon of the sugar and let stand til foamy - 5-10 min.
Combine sugar, salt, coconut milk powder, 1/2 cup water, egg and oil in mixer bowl. Stir in yeast mixture and gradually add flour. It will be very sticky dough. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Make chocolate filling recipe below and also chill overnight.)
Next day: Pour 3 inches of oil into a pot or fryer. Heat til just barely smoking and reduce heat slightly to keep at that point. Prepare two racks with a cookie sheet and/or paper towel beneath.
Remove dough from fridge and place on floured surface. Roll to 1/4 inch. Cut into 3-inch squares or into rounds. Drop three doughnuts into oil at a time. Turn after about 15 seconds for even raising. Then turn several more times while they fry until they are golden brown. Transfer from oil onto a cooking rack.
Either take superfine sugar and rain it down over the doughnuts on the rack or inject filling into the doughnuts while still warm (not hot). Insert filling into the side or - for the authentic Italian look, right into the top, leaving a dollop of filling top and center on the outside too.
Set filled doughnuts on second cooling rack.
Serve with espresso or cappuccino.
Chocolate Filling for Bomboloni
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tb. cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup coconut milk (or 1.75 oz coconut milk powder + 1 cup water)
3 Tb. cocoa
1 Tb. coconut oil
1 egg yolk
1 tsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix 1/2 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/8 tsp salt in sauce pan. Mix in coconut milk, cocoa and oil with a whisk. Boil 1 minute.
Place egg yolk in small heat-proof bowl. While whisking the egg yolk, drizzle some of the pudding mixture from the sauce pan onto the yolk to blend - about 1/2 cup. Whisk yolk mixture back into the saucepan and boil 1 minute.
Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Let cool. Then chill filling overnight. Inject cool filling into warm doughnuts.
Notes from Elias: While Guthrie does most of the culinary experimentation, I Elias am the foremost taste-tester. And while Guthrie has a finer and more discerning palate, I Elias am able to find good and appreciate something in nearly any food opportunity. Tonight our girl is Experimenting with a rum-and-raisin filling. Not what the American palate waters for, but in Belize rum-and-raisin is the favorite flavor of ice cream. We think for Christmas Belizeans will love to have a rum-and-raisin filled Bomboloni. Wait and see.
Notes from Guthrie: The coconut oil in this recipe makes all the difference. Crispness, aroma, and even a day-after lusciousness that seem to come only with oil from the mighty coconut.
Notes from Guthre - the Day After: We thought we would try a rum-and-raisin filling but are here to testify that it was global disaster. The texture was of cornstarch, it was too thick in the end and overall a heavy experience. But, never-we-mind. We have excessive bananas to use up and are headed toward a Cranberry-Banana Bread on this Thanksgiving Day, 2013.
14 October 2013
~ Munavalgekook
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We have been remiss in keeping you up-to-date on our culinary exploits. We are dogs of leisure in the jungle of Belize and find being on the computer distracts us from our rest and relaxation. However, Our Fabio went to Italy and left approximately 30 egg whites in the fridge for us to do with as we willed. (The egg whites are leftover from his gelato making.)
We did not make meringues and we did not make macaroons, we did not make egg white omelets and we did not make pancakes. No. This time we made Munavalgekook. We know! You've never heard of it, have you? It's from Estonia and it translates Egg White Cake and we think our girl's mother might call it Sponge Cake. It's delicious, keeps fresh for days, and stands alone without accoutrements. (Don't even think of frosting it, but a nice side of berries would be very pleasant.)
Eli's Best Cake
(a.k.a. Munavalgekook)
6 oz. of egg white (5 or 6 eggs)
1 tsp vanilla (or we used vanilla bean scrapings)
250 grams white sugar
160 grams white flour
1-1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
100 grams coconut oil
Beat the egg whites and vanilla with 2 Tablespoons of the sugar to stiff peaks. While the mixer is mixing (we don't imagine you are doing this freestyle with a whisk), in a separate bowl stir together the rest of the sugar, the flour, the cornstarch, and baking powder.
Sift the dry ingredients over the stiff whites and Carefully fold in with a long flat spoon. Add the oil and gently but completely fold in. Pour into a well-greased bundt pan (or a cast iron pan with a metal cup in the center like we used - we had to improvise!)
Bake at 180C or 350F for 30-40 minutes. Cake will be lightly browned and a toothpick should come out clean when inserted in the middle. Cool slightly before turning out of the pan. When cool, sift a few teaspoons of powdered sugar over the top for show, if desired.
Tip: Check your baking powder before you bake. It only lasts about 6 months - especially in the tropics - as it is so sensitive to humidity. Put 1/4 tsp. baking powder in a cup. Pour in a bit of boiling water. The powder should bubble up like crazy right away if it's good. If it's bad, like ours was, it will do nothing at all. That's the test. We went and bought fresh.
Notes from Guthrie: We experimented with adding 3/4 cup of pureed ripe banana into the recipe of two of the five cakes we made on Saturday. We thought this was an unmitigated disaster as they were our first cakes (after Friday's test cake) and we found out (the hard way) that the baking powder had expired in its can. It still had time on the label, but it was not puffing anything up anymore. (Then we learned about the test mentioned in the Tip above.) HOWEVER, we could not discard two whole cakes and took them to Fellowship Snack at church (as back up for the other Good Cakes) and they were eaten up and received possibly more compliments than Eli's Best Cake. They were very tasty but quite dense. We were informed that Belizeans like a very dense cake. We believe this means ours is an indestructible recipe. But we voted on what to call it and Eli's Best Cake overruled "Indestructible Cake." Enjoy!
We have been remiss in keeping you up-to-date on our culinary exploits. We are dogs of leisure in the jungle of Belize and find being on the computer distracts us from our rest and relaxation. However, Our Fabio went to Italy and left approximately 30 egg whites in the fridge for us to do with as we willed. (The egg whites are leftover from his gelato making.)
We did not make meringues and we did not make macaroons, we did not make egg white omelets and we did not make pancakes. No. This time we made Munavalgekook. We know! You've never heard of it, have you? It's from Estonia and it translates Egg White Cake and we think our girl's mother might call it Sponge Cake. It's delicious, keeps fresh for days, and stands alone without accoutrements. (Don't even think of frosting it, but a nice side of berries would be very pleasant.)
Eli's Best Cake
(a.k.a. Munavalgekook)
6 oz. of egg white (5 or 6 eggs)
1 tsp vanilla (or we used vanilla bean scrapings)
250 grams white sugar
160 grams white flour
1-1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
100 grams coconut oil
Beat the egg whites and vanilla with 2 Tablespoons of the sugar to stiff peaks. While the mixer is mixing (we don't imagine you are doing this freestyle with a whisk), in a separate bowl stir together the rest of the sugar, the flour, the cornstarch, and baking powder.
Sift the dry ingredients over the stiff whites and Carefully fold in with a long flat spoon. Add the oil and gently but completely fold in. Pour into a well-greased bundt pan (or a cast iron pan with a metal cup in the center like we used - we had to improvise!)
Bake at 180C or 350F for 30-40 minutes. Cake will be lightly browned and a toothpick should come out clean when inserted in the middle. Cool slightly before turning out of the pan. When cool, sift a few teaspoons of powdered sugar over the top for show, if desired.
Tip: Check your baking powder before you bake. It only lasts about 6 months - especially in the tropics - as it is so sensitive to humidity. Put 1/4 tsp. baking powder in a cup. Pour in a bit of boiling water. The powder should bubble up like crazy right away if it's good. If it's bad, like ours was, it will do nothing at all. That's the test. We went and bought fresh.
Notes from Guthrie: We experimented with adding 3/4 cup of pureed ripe banana into the recipe of two of the five cakes we made on Saturday. We thought this was an unmitigated disaster as they were our first cakes (after Friday's test cake) and we found out (the hard way) that the baking powder had expired in its can. It still had time on the label, but it was not puffing anything up anymore. (Then we learned about the test mentioned in the Tip above.) HOWEVER, we could not discard two whole cakes and took them to Fellowship Snack at church (as back up for the other Good Cakes) and they were eaten up and received possibly more compliments than Eli's Best Cake. They were very tasty but quite dense. We were informed that Belizeans like a very dense cake. We believe this means ours is an indestructible recipe. But we voted on what to call it and Eli's Best Cake overruled "Indestructible Cake." Enjoy!
03 December 2012
~ Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We dogs have created what has been said to be "The Best Chocolate Cake in Belize" by an anonymous source. (We promise it was not us.) We made it for our girl to present to Fabio for his birthday, which was in November. He says he does not like dogs, but we think he is playing hard to get, so we made him a cake.
One of the secrets to this cake is its Moistness due to zucchini. We did not think to Peel said zucchini so Fabio's first question was, "Oh a chocolate cake...with sweet pepper?!" He saw the Tinges of green therein. (We believe he found the information "No, it is zucchini" as strange as if we had said, "Yes it's green pepper.") Next time we will peel it.
This is also a good cake for masking Whole Wheat Flour. We made it with white but half whole wheat would do just fine. We started with a recipe from epicurious.com and Belized it with coconut oil and cutting the sweetness for Fabio, who does not like "Sweets" but loves this cake. We also used almond milk for the non-dairy diet Our Girl requires.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
(a.k.a. Fabio’s birthday cake 2012)
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup coconut oil (or other)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup almond milk + 1 tsp. lemon (or use 1/2 cup buttermilk)
2 cups grated zucchini or other tender summer squash (such as yellow)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
powdered sugar
Butter and flour 10 inch round pan.
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter and oil in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Mix in dry ingredients alternately with almond milk in 3 additions each. Mix in grated zucchini, chocolate chips and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake cake at 325 degrees until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan. Dust with powdered sugar.
Sincerely,
King Guthrie for Elias and The Gute (Hounds Who Cook)
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,We dogs have created what has been said to be "The Best Chocolate Cake in Belize" by an anonymous source. (We promise it was not us.) We made it for our girl to present to Fabio for his birthday, which was in November. He says he does not like dogs, but we think he is playing hard to get, so we made him a cake.
One of the secrets to this cake is its Moistness due to zucchini. We did not think to Peel said zucchini so Fabio's first question was, "Oh a chocolate cake...with sweet pepper?!" He saw the Tinges of green therein. (We believe he found the information "No, it is zucchini" as strange as if we had said, "Yes it's green pepper.") Next time we will peel it.
This is also a good cake for masking Whole Wheat Flour. We made it with white but half whole wheat would do just fine. We started with a recipe from epicurious.com and Belized it with coconut oil and cutting the sweetness for Fabio, who does not like "Sweets" but loves this cake. We also used almond milk for the non-dairy diet Our Girl requires.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
(a.k.a. Fabio’s birthday cake 2012)
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup coconut oil (or other)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup almond milk + 1 tsp. lemon (or use 1/2 cup buttermilk)
2 cups grated zucchini or other tender summer squash (such as yellow)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
powdered sugar
Butter and flour 10 inch round pan.
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter and oil in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Mix in dry ingredients alternately with almond milk in 3 additions each. Mix in grated zucchini, chocolate chips and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake cake at 325 degrees until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan. Dust with powdered sugar.
Sincerely,
King Guthrie for Elias and The Gute (Hounds Who Cook)
27 March 2012
~African Curried Coconut Soup with Chickpeas
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We live in the Tropics now, of Central America, where we have all of the coconuts we want. Our Girl is a temporary vegan. (We dogs are not. We would eat as much chicken and Rabbit as could be had.) So we are always in search of luscious recipes for her good health. This is luscious:
African Curried Coconut Soup with Chickpeas
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (about 6 ounces), chopped
1 medium red bell pepper (about 6 ounces), chopped
1 jalapeño chili, seeded and finely chopped
5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or blackeyed peas, etc.)
1 cup chopped tomatoes, seeded and peeled, fresh or canned
1 medium onion (about 6 ounces), chopped
1 medium red bell pepper (about 6 ounces), chopped
1 jalapeño chili, seeded and finely chopped
5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or blackeyed peas, etc.)
1 cup chopped tomatoes, seeded and peeled, fresh or canned
2 cups chopped vegetables (zucchini, carrot, spinach...what-have-you)
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
14-ounces light coconut milk
3/4 cup cooked white or brown rice or quinoa
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
14-ounces light coconut milk
3/4 cup cooked white or brown rice or quinoa
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
fresh lime
Optional:
2 Tablespoons tahini (ground sesame seed)
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
In a medium stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and chili; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, curry powder, salt, and black pepper; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to simmer, stirring occasionally, 5-10 minutes. Serve warm with lime wedges (or squeeze lime over each bowl)
Option: For thicker stew to serve over rice, rather than including the rice in the pot, puree two cups of soup and return to the pot to thicken the soup.
Option: For thicker stew to serve over rice, rather than including the rice in the pot, puree two cups of soup and return to the pot to thicken the soup.
26 March 2012
~ Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We have used this chili recipe for years. Our girl likes to use its leftovers as bean dip for chips and such. Or to put it in breakfast burritos. We started with the recipe at Epicurious.com and made it our own.
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
We have used this chili recipe for years. Our girl likes to use its leftovers as bean dip for chips and such. Or to put it in breakfast burritos. We started with the recipe at Epicurious.com and made it our own.
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 2/3 cups coarsely chopped bell peppers (about 2 medium) - every color
2 cups chopped onions
1 2/3 cups coarsely chopped bell peppers (about 2 medium) - every color
Vegetables, as desired (zucchini, corn, broccoli, spinach, carrot)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder (or less)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 pounds beans - black, garbanzo, kidney, pinto, etc.
(water or broth to cook beans)
16-ounces tomato sauce
Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped green onions
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder (or less)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 pounds beans - black, garbanzo, kidney, pinto, etc.
(water or broth to cook beans)
16-ounces tomato sauce
Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped green onions
Soak beans overnight. Drain and rinse. Cook ahead if desired til tender, or plan for two hours to cook the chili.
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté until onions soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne; stir 2 minutes.
Stir in soaked/cooked beans and tomato sauce and any other vegetables, chopped. (If beans are soaked, not cooked, add enough broth or water to cover by two inches in the pot.) Bring chili to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend and chili thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes for cooked beans or up to 2 hours for soaked beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions.
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté until onions soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne; stir 2 minutes.
Stir in soaked/cooked beans and tomato sauce and any other vegetables, chopped. (If beans are soaked, not cooked, add enough broth or water to cover by two inches in the pot.) Bring chili to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend and chili thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes for cooked beans or up to 2 hours for soaked beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions.
23 March 2012
~ Ginger Scones
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We dogs were very busy for the last year catching rabbit and running amok in Wisconsin so we hardly cooked at all. Now we are jungle dogs, relocated to Belize, Central America, where our Girl is writing a book and we hounds are tracking scents like we have never smelt before. We are full-on jungle dogs who run free all of the time now. It's the happiest we've ever been.
Tonight we have found a use for our real buttermilk (the water the comes off of real cream when you shake it into butter) in the exquisite crumb of these Ginger Scones. We started with a recipe from Bon Appetit 2011 from www.epicurious.com and we went Jungle on them from there. Ginger and coconut oil make these healthy as can be when sugar is present. And not too much sugar either.
Guthrie's Jungle Ginger Scones
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup raw sugar (+ some for sprinkling)
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup coconut oil (or substitute butter)
1/2 cup plus chopped crystalized ginger (about 4 ounces)
1 cup buttermilk (+ some for brushing)
1 Tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (peeled)
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc.) if desired
Coconut oil becomes solid at a cool room temperature. If your oil is liquid, measure it out and pour it into a shallow bowl. Refrigerate til it turns white and is partly solid.
Whisk flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in large bowl.
Add solid coconut oil quickly. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to barely work it into the flour. Your hands will melt the oil, so stop before it is fully worked in and refrigerate the flour mixture. (This refrigeration is optional if you use butter instead of coconut oil.)
Mince the crystallized ginger. Grate the fresh ginger and whisk into the buttermilk in a small bowl.
When flour mixture is chilled so that the oil is solid, work quickly with your fingers to break up lumps until mixture is a coarse meal. Toss in crystallized ginger and nuts (if desired). Form well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in buttermilk with a fork until moist clumps form. Add a few tablespoons of flour if dough is too moist.
Drop about 1/3 cup dough per scone onto lined baking sheet. Brush or sprinkled with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 400 degrees until scones are golden and toothpick inserted horizontally into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool scones on the baking sheet on a rack.
Notes from Elias: We made these when our Girl was on a juicing fast so she couldn't even try them at all. So we froze them and they were wonderful.
We dogs were very busy for the last year catching rabbit and running amok in Wisconsin so we hardly cooked at all. Now we are jungle dogs, relocated to Belize, Central America, where our Girl is writing a book and we hounds are tracking scents like we have never smelt before. We are full-on jungle dogs who run free all of the time now. It's the happiest we've ever been.
Tonight we have found a use for our real buttermilk (the water the comes off of real cream when you shake it into butter) in the exquisite crumb of these Ginger Scones. We started with a recipe from Bon Appetit 2011 from www.epicurious.com and we went Jungle on them from there. Ginger and coconut oil make these healthy as can be when sugar is present. And not too much sugar either.
Guthrie's Jungle Ginger Scones
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup raw sugar (+ some for sprinkling)
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup coconut oil (or substitute butter)
1/2 cup plus chopped crystalized ginger (about 4 ounces)
1 cup buttermilk (+ some for brushing)
1 Tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (peeled)
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc.) if desired
Coconut oil becomes solid at a cool room temperature. If your oil is liquid, measure it out and pour it into a shallow bowl. Refrigerate til it turns white and is partly solid.
Whisk flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in large bowl.
Add solid coconut oil quickly. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to barely work it into the flour. Your hands will melt the oil, so stop before it is fully worked in and refrigerate the flour mixture. (This refrigeration is optional if you use butter instead of coconut oil.)
Mince the crystallized ginger. Grate the fresh ginger and whisk into the buttermilk in a small bowl.
When flour mixture is chilled so that the oil is solid, work quickly with your fingers to break up lumps until mixture is a coarse meal. Toss in crystallized ginger and nuts (if desired). Form well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in buttermilk with a fork until moist clumps form. Add a few tablespoons of flour if dough is too moist.
Drop about 1/3 cup dough per scone onto lined baking sheet. Brush or sprinkled with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 400 degrees until scones are golden and toothpick inserted horizontally into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool scones on the baking sheet on a rack.
Notes from Elias: We made these when our Girl was on a juicing fast so she couldn't even try them at all. So we froze them and they were wonderful.
01 February 2011
~Date Pinwheel Cookies
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We dogs have searched out the Very Best date pinwheel recipe. We have made many recipes over the holly-days and find this one to surpass others. It comes from the 2007 Riverside County Fair National Date Festival.
Date-Nut Pinwheels
Cookie Dough:
2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmet
2/3 cup butter, room temp.
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
We dogs have searched out the Very Best date pinwheel recipe. We have made many recipes over the holly-days and find this one to surpass others. It comes from the 2007 Riverside County Fair National Date Festival.
Cookie Dough:
2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmet
2/3 cup butter, room temp.
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Beat butter until light. Gradually beat in sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the flour mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Filling :
1 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
Cook dates, sugar and water in medium saucepan over medium heart. Mash until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon zest and walnuts. Cool completely.
Divide the cookie dough in half. Roll each half into 10 x 8 inch rectangles. Spread half the filling evenly on each of the dough rectangles. Roll up and wrap each roll in plastic. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Using a shape knife, cut dough into ½ inch slices. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until lightly brown.
~Snicker Doodle Cookies
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
On these wintry days, we pups enjoy nothing more than coming in from the out of doors to the good smell of cookies baking. Our Girl's elders love in particular the Snickerdoodle and the Date Pinwheel. So these are the cookies we have been concocting.
Herewith is the Doodle recipe from Betty Crocker (we don't know if she has dogs):
Snickerdoodles
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
2-3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Topping
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
Cream the sugar and butter. Then blend in eggs. Measure dry ingredients separately and mix. Stir into butter mixture until well combined. Mix sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Roll teaspoons of dough into balls and roll in sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes until set. Don't overbake.
On these wintry days, we pups enjoy nothing more than coming in from the out of doors to the good smell of cookies baking. Our Girl's elders love in particular the Snickerdoodle and the Date Pinwheel. So these are the cookies we have been concocting.
Herewith is the Doodle recipe from Betty Crocker (we don't know if she has dogs):
Snickerdoodles
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
2-3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Topping
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
Cream the sugar and butter. Then blend in eggs. Measure dry ingredients separately and mix. Stir into butter mixture until well combined. Mix sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Roll teaspoons of dough into balls and roll in sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes until set. Don't overbake.
29 January 2011
~Blue Berry Pie
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
Tonight we have done the remarkable. We have improved upon the Blue Berry Pie. First. we cooked the pie crust in advance. We brushed it with goat milk (it's what we had on hand) and sprinkled it overall with sugar. Then, we used half raw berries, so the pie has a wonderful fresh berry not mushy berry texture. Mmm.
We started with GroupRecipes.com recipe and had to eat two pieces almost right away.
Guthrie's Blue Berry Pie
4 cups fresh blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 Tbsp. butter
1 8-9" pie shell
1 Tbsp milk
1-2 Tbsp sugar
Flute edges of pie shell and brush all over with milk. Sprinkle with sugar, aiming for the crust rim and letting excess fall into center. Bake til nicely browned. (450 degrees for 11-13 minutes). Cool crust completely.
Wash berries and drain. Set 2 cups aside. In saucepan, combine remaining 2 cups of berries, sugar, salt, lemon, water and cornstarch. (Reserve butter for now.) Cook over medium heat til thickened, stirring periodically. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Stir til incorporated throughout. Cool to room temperature.
Place 2 cups of raw berries into cooled baked pie shell. Pour cooled berry filling over raw berries. Refrigerate til firm.
Serve with whipping cream!
Eli's Notes: As you are washing the berries, and plucking out any stems, be sure to toss a few berries to the pup of the home. We appreciate any whether they be mishapen or squished or very small. A dog enjoys a good berry.
Tonight we have done the remarkable. We have improved upon the Blue Berry Pie. First. we cooked the pie crust in advance. We brushed it with goat milk (it's what we had on hand) and sprinkled it overall with sugar. Then, we used half raw berries, so the pie has a wonderful fresh berry not mushy berry texture. Mmm.
We started with GroupRecipes.com recipe and had to eat two pieces almost right away.
Guthrie's Blue Berry Pie
4 cups fresh blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 Tbsp. butter
1 8-9" pie shell
1 Tbsp milk
1-2 Tbsp sugar
Flute edges of pie shell and brush all over with milk. Sprinkle with sugar, aiming for the crust rim and letting excess fall into center. Bake til nicely browned. (450 degrees for 11-13 minutes). Cool crust completely.
Wash berries and drain. Set 2 cups aside. In saucepan, combine remaining 2 cups of berries, sugar, salt, lemon, water and cornstarch. (Reserve butter for now.) Cook over medium heat til thickened, stirring periodically. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Stir til incorporated throughout. Cool to room temperature.
Place 2 cups of raw berries into cooled baked pie shell. Pour cooled berry filling over raw berries. Refrigerate til firm.
Serve with whipping cream!
Eli's Notes: As you are washing the berries, and plucking out any stems, be sure to toss a few berries to the pup of the home. We appreciate any whether they be mishapen or squished or very small. A dog enjoys a good berry.
08 December 2010
~ Pumpkin Ravioli
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
To-day our culinary senses are focused upon the Pumpkin Ravioli. "Last Morning" as our favorite 5-year-old would say, our Girl made a moderately delicious pumpkin ravioli with homemade egg pasta and filling of only Pumpkin and a particularly expensive sheep cheese. She ate a very large plate of it (4 servings' worth) which was boilt, and I, the Gute, polished off the equivalent amount in the kitchen which was still waiting to be boilt. I didn't mind. It was all fresh and delicious. (The Girl was displeased and today has not fed me full servings due to how my rib cage was stretched to nearly the girth of my brother Elias in my fullness.)
Today, with remaining pasta dough that we reserved, we improve upon Martha Stewart's pumpkin ravioli recipe. We start with canned pumpkin, not fresh, as it is zero degrees and the Frost is on the Pumpkin to say the least.
Guthrie's Pumpkin Ravioli
14 oz. pumpkin puree
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup hard cheese, grated. lightly packed (such as Asiago, Parmesan, Romano)
1/2 cup minced nuts (walnuts or almonds)
1 tablespoon minced onion
2 tablespoons coconut (we used organic which is drier)
1 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
salt and pepper
fresh sage leaves (we only had dried)
1/2 cup butter
balsamic vinegar
Mix together first set of ingredients. Lay out a fresh sheet of pasta (4" wide). Drop a tablespoon of filling every 3 inches on the sheet. Moisten area around the filling if sheets have been drying (or purchased at the store. Cover with another sheet of pasta, pressing around the filling. Cut into 3-inch squares with fluted pastry wheel.
Line a baking sheet with parchment and sprinkle with semolina flour. Spread ravioli on sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
Drop into rapidly boiling water. Cook 3-4 minutes, just til it floats. Drain.
In frying pan, melt butter, add sage and cook one minute over high heat. Remove from heat. Whisk in balsamic vinegar and toss over Ravioli.
Eli's Notes: This ravioli was as much as we had hoped. The coconut and walnuts made it much more interesting and complex than yesterday's pumpkin and cheese alone. The sage butter drizzled over was visually pleasing and flavorful. We used walnut pieces - not as small as minced - and liked the crunchy texture they gave. We dogs shall retire tonight with another winning recipe in our caps. Now we shall work on how to freeze this and give as Christmas presents....
To-day our culinary senses are focused upon the Pumpkin Ravioli. "Last Morning" as our favorite 5-year-old would say, our Girl made a moderately delicious pumpkin ravioli with homemade egg pasta and filling of only Pumpkin and a particularly expensive sheep cheese. She ate a very large plate of it (4 servings' worth) which was boilt, and I, the Gute, polished off the equivalent amount in the kitchen which was still waiting to be boilt. I didn't mind. It was all fresh and delicious. (The Girl was displeased and today has not fed me full servings due to how my rib cage was stretched to nearly the girth of my brother Elias in my fullness.)
Today, with remaining pasta dough that we reserved, we improve upon Martha Stewart's pumpkin ravioli recipe. We start with canned pumpkin, not fresh, as it is zero degrees and the Frost is on the Pumpkin to say the least.
Guthrie's Pumpkin Ravioli
14 oz. pumpkin puree
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup hard cheese, grated. lightly packed (such as Asiago, Parmesan, Romano)
1/2 cup minced nuts (walnuts or almonds)
1 tablespoon minced onion
2 tablespoons coconut (we used organic which is drier)
1 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
salt and pepper
fresh sage leaves (we only had dried)
1/2 cup butter
balsamic vinegar
Mix together first set of ingredients. Lay out a fresh sheet of pasta (4" wide). Drop a tablespoon of filling every 3 inches on the sheet. Moisten area around the filling if sheets have been drying (or purchased at the store. Cover with another sheet of pasta, pressing around the filling. Cut into 3-inch squares with fluted pastry wheel.
Line a baking sheet with parchment and sprinkle with semolina flour. Spread ravioli on sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
Drop into rapidly boiling water. Cook 3-4 minutes, just til it floats. Drain.
In frying pan, melt butter, add sage and cook one minute over high heat. Remove from heat. Whisk in balsamic vinegar and toss over Ravioli.
Eli's Notes: This ravioli was as much as we had hoped. The coconut and walnuts made it much more interesting and complex than yesterday's pumpkin and cheese alone. The sage butter drizzled over was visually pleasing and flavorful. We used walnut pieces - not as small as minced - and liked the crunchy texture they gave. We dogs shall retire tonight with another winning recipe in our caps. Now we shall work on how to freeze this and give as Christmas presents....
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