Rouldaden

Recipe from Margaret Guthrie -- Good served with warm German potato salad.     Serves 4

Ingredients:

Sirloin tip cut 1/4" thick

large dill pickle cut in 1/4

1/2 lb. diced bacon

1 or 2 chopped onion

1 cup red wine

mustard

beef bouillon

salt

Directions:

Spread each cutlet with mustard, 1/2 tsp. salt, onion, bacon and pickle.  Roll and secure (with toothpicks or string).  Brown in butter.  Add 1 cup bouillon and wine.  Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  Remove toothpicks before serving.

Hand-Dipped Homemade Chocolates

This recipe is a special Christmas confection.  It was given to me by my mother-in-law, Margaret Guthrie, and is originally from the Ogdensburg Home Bureau.  Everyone seems to have their favorite flavors.  Ours are cherry, maple, orange, raspberry, strawberry and butter rum.  Allow at least 2  hours to do steps 5, 6 and 7. 


Ingredients:

4.5 - 5 cups chocolate chips/broken chocolate bars (I use combination of semi-sweet and bittersweet)

2 lb. confections sugar

1/2 lb. sweet unsalted butter

1/4 bar paraffin wax, grated -- I use a box grater. (Gulf Brand is good -- available in the canning department or in some craft stores -- check for FDA approval)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Strawberry

Directions: (My notes on time say:  3 hours for steps 1-5 and also allow 2 1/2 hours to do steps 5,6 and 7 -- leave plenty of time no matter how you do the steps, especially with  times in the refrigerator/freezer, which makes it much easier)

(1) Mix together sugar, butter and sweetened condensed milk; mix well.

(2) Divide into dishes for flavoring and coloring -- I do 5 or 6 flavors.

(3)  Flavor with extracts -- you'll need 1 tsp. or more flavoring per bowl, to taste-- flavors to use: almond extract (for cherry flavor), maple extract, orange extract, vanilla extract, strawberry extract, raspberry extract, for butter rum -- use both butter and rum extracts.)

(4) Cover dishes with plastic wrap and refrigerate dishes (an hour or more).

(5)  One-by-one, remove dishes from the refrigerator, and roll the candy mixture into about 1 inch diameter balls. Place on a cookie sheet covered with foil (I label the foil with the flavors to keep track).  Stick a toothpick into each ball; set completed cookie sheet in freezer while finishing the rest. Repeat process with the rest of the dishes, keeping the bowls refrigerated until ready to roll into balls.  Freeze balls with toothpicks for at least 10 minutes before dipping in chocolate -- makes the dipping process easier. (Note:  This is a very messy step, you will need to wash your hands and utensils after each flavor.  Refreeze balls if they are too warm to work with.)  

(6)  Melt the chocolate/chocolate chips with the paraffin wax shavings in a double boiler; stirring until the wax is melted and the chocolate mixture is very smooth.

(7)  One flavor at a time, remove candy balls from the freezer and dip the candy in the melted chocolate holding the toothpick and quickly dipping and then swirling back and forth to get rid of extra chocolate before returning to the foil covered cookie sheet. Fill hole caused by toothpick with a dab of chocolate.  Repeat process for all flavors, returning dipped chocolates to the refrigerator. 

(8)  Put the dipped chocolates into individual white candy cups.

(9)  Keep chocolates in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake

Recipe from Stacy Sossner's grandmother, Rosalyn Levine, of Great Barrington, MA.  Stacy and her family are long-time friends of our family, from Kingston, NY.  This old-fashioned Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is the best!

Ingredients for Cake:

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups grated carrots

8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained

3 1/2 oz. coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

  

Ingredients for Buttermilk Glaze:

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 lb. butter or margarine

1 Tbsp. corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/4 lb. butter or margarine, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 tsp. orange juice

1 tsp. grated orange peel

Directions:

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, generously grease 2-9" cake pans (also line with foil), sift flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together; set aside.  In a large bowl, beat eggs.  Add oil, buttermilk, sugar and vanilla; mix well.  Add flour mixture, pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.  Stir well, pour into pans.  Bake 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. While cake is baking, prepare buttermilk glaze.

Buttermilk Glaze: In small pan combine sugar, soda, buttermilk, butter and corn syrup.  Bring to a boil, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla,  Remove cake from oven and slowly pour glaze over hot cake.  Cool in pan until the glaze is totally absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Turn out of pan and cool completely.

Frosting:  Prepare  by creaming butter and cream cheese until fluffy.  Add vanilla, confectioner's sugar, orange juice and orange peel, mix well.  Frost cake.

Baked Beans

This North country family recipe is adapted from the one used by my Grandmother Zahn. The pieces of salt pork she added for flavor have been replaced with salt, butter and dry mustard. It is still a very simple recipe and I think the end result is as good as the original.


Ingredients:

16 oz. bag dried navy beans (Note: check the date to use the freshest ones available and find a brand that gives consistent results -- I like Goya)

7 cups water

1 medium-large onion (vidalia or white are best), sliced thinly

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. Coleman's dry English mustard

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. peanut oil

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Additional sugar for sprinkling on top prior to baking



Directions:

Remove dried beans from bag; rinse in a colander, sorting to remove imperfect beans and possible small bits that might be pebbles (really -- I have seen this).

Empty rinsed and sorted beans into a large (6-7 quart) pot. Add 7 cups water. On high heat, bring the water to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 1 hour. (This is the quick soak method).

After 1 hour, drain the beans and then add them back to the pot. Add another 7 cups water. Bring beans and water to a boil over high heat. While waiting for the water to boil, add the other ingredients, stirring occasionally. When the beans have come to a full boil, reduce the heat to bubbling ( a little more than a simmer). Cook like this for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans have absorbed most of the water and the rest of the liquid, which should barely cover the beans, turns milky colored and soupy textured. (Notes: (1) You may need to adjust the heat downwards to more of a low simmer if the water level gets too low and the beans are in danger of sticking or burning, and (2) You may need to add more water if the beans are still not tender, but the water level is too low -- add a little water at a time, 1/4 to 1/2 cup). Also, while the beans are cooking, you can adjust the salt, to taste. ** See Note

When you have tasted the beans to be tender, and the water which probably just barely covers the beans is that milky, soupy color and consistency, remove from the burner. Turn the beans into a pyrex, or other, baking casserole dish. Sprinkle with a bit more granulated sugar, about 1 tablespoon, on top to brown. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the top is nicely browned. Remove from the oven when done and let cool a bit before serving.

** Note:  If after cooking 3 hours, the beans still feel too firm, you can use a potato masher and mash them down a bit gently, and sitr.  This helps them take in a little more water.  Check again after 10  mins and repeat.  You can do this 2-3 times and then they will probably be soft enough (after 3 1/2 hours) and ready to bake.  

Peas and Dumplings

The dumplings in this recipe are egg dumplings-- smaller and heavier than the dumplings in chicken and dumplings -- more like spaetzle. The broth is lighter and more broth-like, and soupier (like chowder) than the broth in chicken and dumplings. This is an old family recipe from northern New York State, handed down by my mother and grandmother. It is best made when fresh peas are in season, but can be made with frozen peas.

Peas and Dumplings

From the kitchens of Mary Jane Zahn and Elta Zahn

(Makes 4-6 servings)

8 oz. fresh peas, shelled

½ cup water

2 tsp. salt, divided

1 ½ quarts milk (6 cups) -- for broth

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

4 eggs

Extra milk (1/2 eggshell full) – for dumplings

1 cup all-purpose flour, very slightly round, approximately – add more or less, as necessary to achieve correct consistency.

(NOTE: there is no baking powder in this recipe)

Peas and broth:

In a large pot (6-7 quart), bring ½ cup water to boil. Add peas and gently stir, only so they are hot, not cooked. Add milk, butter and 1 tsp. salt. Taste for flavor. Bring to a simmer and drop dumplings when ready.

Dumplings:

Mix together the cup of flour with 1 tsp. salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the 4 eggs with the ½ eggshell full amount of milk. Add the flour/salt mixture by tablespoonfuls, mixing thoroughly after each addition. The final consistency should be something like cream of wheat, but maybe a little stiffer (when dumpling drops from a spoon, the consistency should not hold it’s shape like a biscuit, but be softer – and should easily drop. Too much flour makes a tougher dumpling; too little flour will cause dumplings to cook into the broth like gravy).

Cooking the dumplings:

Drop by small amounts (about 1/2 tbsp) into the simmering broth. Cook -- simmering and uncovered -- for 15 minutes. After a minute or two, gently stir to make sure they are not sticking to the bottom (may have to scrape them off the bottom) and gently stir from time to time until they are done. Broth should simmer and gently bubble around dumplings. The final consistency of the broth is like chowder. Serve in bowls immediately when ready.