rolled biscuits

Biscuits*

Preheat oven to 450F (230C)

In a large bowl combine:

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

3 tsp. baking powder

Cut in:

4-6 tbsp. (75g) chilled butter

Make a well in the center and add:

3/4 cup milk

Kneed 8-10 folds on a floured surface then cut into shape and bake 12-15 minutes.

Option: Can make them bigger and used for strawberry shortcake

*I heard comes from bis - cuit which means twice cooked in French, like an Italian biscotti in origin.

pumpkin pie

Pumpkin Pie

(makes 8)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

2 large eggs

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin - or bake a whole pumpkin or potimarron

1 can (12 fl oz./ 340 ml) evaporated milk

1 unbaked pie shell

Mix:

Sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and evaporated milk with sugar/spice mixture.

Pour:

In unbaked pie shell.

Bake: Preheated oven 425F for 15 minutes, reduce to 350F; bake 30-40 minutes. Cool 2 hours.

cornbread

Cornbread

Preheat oven to 425F (220C)

Grease pan.

Mix in a large bowl:

-1 1/4 cup stone ground cornmeal

-3/4 cup flour (need to try some gluten free flour substitutes, think it could turn out ok)

-1-4 tbsp sugar

-2 tsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp baking soda

-1/2 tsp salt

and in a small bowl:

-2 large eggs

-2/3 cup milk

-2/3 cup buttermilk (lait ribot)

Add wet ingredients to the dry, stir and fold in:

-2-3 tbsp warm melted butter (or veggie oil)

Bake 10-12 minutes for muffins

or 10-25 minutes for bread

cranberry sauce

Cranberry Sauce

1 cup (200 g) sugar

1 cup (255 mL) water

4 cups (1 12-oz package) fresh or frozen cranberries

In a saucepan bring to a boil water and sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cranberries, return to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries burst.

Remove from heat. Cool completely at room temperature and then chill in refrigerator. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

For those of you ex-pats who don't want to fork over an arm and a leg for a teeny-weenie jar of cranberry sauce I found that fresh cranberries are reasonably cheap at my local Monoprix so I just make the sauce from scratch. Easy-peasy!

stuffin'

Apple and Onion Stuffing

Place in boiling water for 5 minutes

-1 cup raisins

Drain well.

Add to them 7 cups bread crumbs (soft, not dry)

Melt 3/4 cup butter and saute for 3-5 minutes:

-1 cup chopped onion

-1 chopped garlic clove

-1 cup chopped celery

Cook until clear but not brown.

Add all this to the bread. Then add:

-3 cups diced tart apples

-1/4 cup chopped parsely

-1 1/2 tsp salt

-1 tsp paprika

Stuff turkey loosely, or put into a dish, cover and bake at 350F.

This is the recipe my mom always used and yum yum! + its veggie so unless someone is opposed to something cooked in the turkey (you could always bake some extra in a dish) its great for everyone :-) Even those who don't like stuffing get converted!!!

fondant chocolat noix de coco

Fondant Chocolat Noix de Coco

150 grams (2 cups) unsweetened dried grated coconut
170 grams (6 ounces) bittersweet chocolate (the best quality you can afford), chopped
125 milliliters (1/2 cup) light whipping cream (crème fleurette légère)
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
125 grams (1 1/4 cups) sugar

Serves 8 to 10.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 24-centimeter (9-inch) round cake pan with parchment paper or use a springform or silicon pan. (Alternatively, you can bake the cake in a loaf pan, in muffin tins, or in ramekins.)

Spread the coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 7 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and fragrant. Remove from the oven (leave the heat on) and let cool.

Heat the chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring from time to time, until melted and smooth. Transfer to a large mixing-bowl and let cool for three minutes.

Crack the eggs one by one, separating the egg whites from the yolks: set the egg whites aside in a medium mixing-bowl or in the bowl of a food processor with a whisk attachment, and add the yolks to the chocolate mixture, stirring well with a wooden spoon after each addition.

Add the coconut to the chocolate mixture, and stir to combine. The batter will be thick.

Using a handheld electric whisk, a manual whisk and strong forearms, or the whisk attachment of your trusty food processor, start beating the egg whites with the salt -- slowly at first, then at medium speed. When the egg whites get frothy, up the speed, add the sugar little by little, and keep whisking until the mixture is shiny and smooth. Lift the whisk from the bowl: if the eggs form an elegant swan-neck shape that doesn't collapse, you're all done.

Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in three additions, working gently with a soft spatula to lift the chocolate mixture up and over the egg whites in a circular motion.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes, until the top is dry and the blade of a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes if you're using a loaf pan, and for 10 to 15 minutes less if you're using muffin tins or ramekins. Either way, keep a close eye on the baking and use the blade test to be sure.)

Transfer to a rack to cool completely and unmold carefully -- the cake will be quite fragile.

I can't take credit for this recipe which I found on Chocolate & Zucchini and made it yesterday. It turned out very well if I do say so myself! There were a few things that I did differently... First of all I don't have a mixer and so I was beating the egg whites by hand... As you can imagine my arm was very tired so I didn't get them to the stage that the recipe called for, but more of a a soft peak. I also hadn't noticed that it was at that point that the sugar should be added so I added the sugar with the coconut before the chocolate mixture was added. It turned out pretty well even with the changes. A lot more dense then it should have been but I love a rich chocolate cake! Plus it was really different to try and make a cake sans flour :-)