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Delicious Date Bites

I recommend having a box of Medjool dates in your pantry or refrigerator. They make a satisfying dessert with a cup of tea. They are sweet, chewy, and jam-packed with vitamins and minerals. Take time to read the package because they have an expiry date. The average Medjool date has 66 calories and more food value than you will find in most other small snacks. You can usually find them in the produce department in a plastic cube box. 

My friend Sakina was born in Morocco and makes delicious, exotic treats. She often incorporates walnuts, ground almonds, dates, and spices. I learn something new from her at each visit. She introduced me to orange blossom water, which I was able to buy at Super Store. Sakina prepares a tray of 18 or more dates by washing them, splitting them with a paring knife, and removing the pits. She then dips them in orange flower water and places them on a tray to dry. You can also use a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you prefer. She stuffs a half walnut into each date and pinches the sides together. These delights will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks. 

A tea party at Sakina’s involves a tray of small bites, much like my mother used to serve for breakfast; for more small bite ideas read Breakfast Tea.  

Visit HERE for even more recipe ideas as well as stories about production and quality.

Mind Blowing Caramel Coconut Icing

Every fall I receive beets from my friend Aline, and I make several Beet and Carrot Cakes to place in my freezer. In response to my past blog about Beet and Carrot Cake, I received many comments and emails. Aline told me her recipe for Beet and Carrot Cake was identical to mine, but her icing was entirely different. She shared that recipe with me, and I am grateful.  

This year, I did a comparative test with tea time visitors. Each person received two pieces of my beet and carrot cake, one with cream cheese glaze and the other with Mind Blowing Caramel Coconut Icing. Our young friend took a bite of the caramel coconut topped cake, and, as he chewed, his expression brightened and he said, “Wow! That is good. It totally surprised me.” 

If I hadn’t told my guests we were testing one cake recipe with two different toppings, they would have thought the cakes were different too. Give this recipe a try, and let me know your thoughts by commenting below.    

Caramel Coconut Icing Ingredients: 

Make this icing as soon as the cake comes out of the oven. It is best to apply this icing to a warm cake. 

10 tablespoons of brown sugar

4 tablespoons of butter

6 tablespoons of cream (I used whipping cream)

1¼ cups of unsweetened shredded coconut

Place the above ingredients in a saucepan and stir until the mixture boils. Continue boiling for 3 minutes.   

Spread the icing on the warm cake. 

Return the cake to the oven and broil until the icing has browned. In my oven, the broiling step requires just over two minutes. Keep an eye on the process to avoid burning.

Patterns for Simple Gingerbread Houses

My Eats and Treats column for the winter 2018 issue of Prairies North Magazine is titled Starter Home - Gingerbread Style. To accompany that article, I am sharing a few ideas about making gingerbread house patterns. 

Designing a bungalow pattern is easy. Start with a pad of graph paper. If this is your first attempt, count out a rectangle that is 34 squares wide and 22 squares high, which provides a template for the front and back of the bungalow.

Draw the narrower ends of the house, beginning with a 22 X 22 square box. From the center top of the square, count up 13 squares. This creates the pitch of the roof. You will cut two of these pieces, creating the two ends. Add a hole in the lower third of the back. This opening will allow the lights to enter the building.  

Draw a rectangle for the roof, a little longer than the house and broader than the roof pitch. An overhang is a good idea in case the gingerbread pieces shrink while baking. 

Cut windows and doors as you like. Roll the dough on parchment paper and use a paring knife to cut away the windows and doors you have planned. You can also add a few windows or enlarge them at this stage. If you change your mind, crumple the dough into a ball and reroll.  

If you aren't sure about the pattern you have made, tape the pieces together to check on your plan. 

Use your dough scraps to cut out people, trees, or even a fence. The children who help decorate the house will find a way to use everything you provide. 

A-frames have fewer pieces than bungalows. They are simple and fun to decorate. You must cut the roof piece twice and cut the house front again, to create a back, adding a hole in the back piece for inserting a string of lights. An A-frame roof looks spectacular shingled in shredded wheat, chocolate squares, liquorice all sorts or tiny wafers. A sprinkling of icing sugar looks like freshly fallen snow.  

Click on GB1 and GB2 for printable pieces, but every printer is different. The roof measures 9 3/4" by 7 1/2" while the base of the triangular front and back pieces measure 7 1/4" across the bottom. This A-frame results in a 9" house, measured from the base to the pointed roof.   

There are many patterns available online. Enjoy the process and become more adventurous each year. Take pictures. 

REMEMBER: It isn’t the size of your house that makes it memorable but rather the fun and love that goes into building it. 

Vintage Half Hour Pudding

My husband, the boy from the Get a Bigger Wagon stories, truly loves this pudding. He keeps the leftovers in the fridge and happily warms further servings in the microwave. He assures me that this pudding keeps well for three days. 

I found the original recipe, written in fountain pen, in my mother’s personal cookbook, which she started in 1947. The recipe called for butter “the size of an egg” to be added to the sauce. I use two tablespoons of butter. My mother had made a note in the margin of her recipe saying that 2 cups of water was too much. My father preferred a more sticky pudding. I use 1¾ cups of water and like the resulting thicker sauce. 

This pudding cooks at 350°F for 30 minutes, so I often bake other dishes at the same time. For example, my Oven-Baked Rice Medley requires the same time and temperature. 

I keep this recipe handy, in case we spontaneously invite guests to stay for dinner. It serves six to eight people. 

Vintage Half Hour Pudding

Preheat oven to 350° F

Pudding:

1 cup of flour

¾ of a cup of white sugar

½ cup of milk

¼ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of baking powder

½ cup of dates, chopped

Mix the above ingredients and spoon into a greased dish (1.5 quarts). 

Sauce:

1 cup of brown sugar

1¾ cups of boiling water 

2 tablespoons of butter

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Pour the sauce over the batter, and place the dish in a 350°F oven. Bake the pudding for 30 minutes. The pudding will rise through the sauce allowing yummy delicious caramel taste to surround each bite. 

L to R Vintage Half Hour Pudding, pork chops, baked rice in broth  

Caramel Puffed Rice Cake

The Boy, of "Get a Bigger Wagon" fame, loves this treat!

Measure six or seven cups of puffed rice (not Rice Krispies) into a large mixing bowl.

Mix the following ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, and boil for two minutes.

½ cup corn syrup

½ cup butter

1-cup brown sugar

1-teaspoon vanilla

Pour the brown sugar sauce over the puffed rice and mix well. 

With damp hands, press the puffed rice mixture, evenly, into a buttered 9 by 13-inch cake pan. If you prefer a thicker cake, use a smaller pan. Cool the cake, then cover it with plastic wrap to keep it moist. 

Tip:

This sauce is lovely over puffed wheat as well. For contrast, try Best Chocolatey Puffed Wheat Cake Ever.  

Gertrude's Marinated Onion Slices

Our friend Gertrude made three batches of these onions in one week because my eldest daughter ate them, enthusiastically, on everything. My daughter was ten years old, at the time, and we were visiting Gertrude at the lake. This recipe is simple and the onions are delicious!!  

Prepare Onions:

Slice one large, sweet onion, thinly

Cover the sliced onions in cold water and let them stand for one hour

Prepare Brine:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup of cold water

1 tablespoon of salad oil

In a medium-sized pot, heat and stir the above ingredients until the sugar dissolves and the brine comes to a boil. 

After one hour, drain the onions. Place the onions in a clean jar. Pour the brine over the onions and refrigerate for at least one day, before serving. 

I Like Popcorn for Breakfast

Recent research indicates that plain popcorn provides the goodness of whole grains, including fiber and antioxidants. One cup of plain popcorn provides 30 calories. If you Google the vitamin and mineral content, you will be impressed. To benefit from popcorn, just pop your corn, with no added ingredients. Then, use your imagination to create healthy, interesting toppings.  

I have been popping corn for decades in my old, and slightly tired, hot air popper. Rumour has it that newer hot air poppers aren’t as good as the old ones. This morning, I tested a new microwave corn popper, which doesn’t require oil. I placed ⅓ cup of popping corn into the special bowl and cooked it on high for 2 ½ minutes. Every kernel popped and the crunch was wonderful. The magic is in the perfectly vented lid. My mind flooded with creative ideas.

I added low fat mozzarella cheese over a small bowl of popcorn and ate it for breakfast. I have often served popcorn and cheese with wine before dinner. Today, I discovered it goes well with coffee, too.

Mid-morning, I added blueberries and a bit of yogurt to another bowl. I tasted it, loved it, and ate that, too. I had some Italian Seasoned Olive Oil on hand and splashed a little over some popcorn and decided that would be delicious as an appetizer, later in the day. In case you think I have become a serious popcorn addict, let me assure you, I was experimenting for this blog.

If you are craving crunch, there is no need to grab chips or cookies. Popcorn can be ready in 2 ½ minutes. I bought my microwave popper at my local specialty kitchen shop. I love it! I will be giving these poppers as hostess gifts this summer, filled with popped corn, of course.

I like seasoned popcorn floating on soup; imagine…basil-sprinkled popcorn on tomato soup. Remove the popcorn from the popper and heat your soup in the same big bowl. The instructions say this popper is great for heating soups and stews in the microwave, and that is true.  

Of course, if you want a fast dessert or a great gift idea, make my Popcorn in Caramel Sauce. As 95 year old Marjorie Haddock says, while helping herself to a little bag of this delicious snack, "Everything in moderation, Maureen."