Shepherd’s Pie
Posted On: November 6th, 2009
Ingredients
1 lb lean lamb
1-2 medium carrots
1-2 stalks celery
1 medium yellow onion
2 cups beef stock
1 tbsp corn starch
salt and pepper
vegetable oil
(optional) Sharp chedder cheese block
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice carrots, celery and chop the onions. In a dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat. Put carrots, celery, and onions in the dutch oven and place in the oven.
Cut the lamb in to 1 inch pieces. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a skillet. Brown both sides of the lamb pieces and put in the dutch oven. Add 4 tbsp corn starch. Add 2 cups of beef stock in the dutch oven or until all the lamb meat is covered. Place back in the oven and cook for 1.5 hours.
While the filling is cooking, make a Bowl of Mashed Royal Taters.
Follow pie crust recipe (you only need one bottom crust). Cover the bottom of a pie tin with a pie crust.
When the filling is done, scoop out of the dutch oven and place in the pie tin. Cover the mashed potatoes over top of the lamb filling and tap the potatoes to create peaks. You can optionally add some grated sharp chedder cheese to the top. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.
Inspired by: Shepherd’s Pie.
Bowl of Mashed Royal Taters
Posted On: November 6th, 2009
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs yukon gold potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tbsp heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp milk
Directions
Peel the potatoes and boil in plenty of water for 45 minutes or until a fork can easy pierce them. Pour off the water and let cool.
Warm the cream and the butter in the microwave. Put the potatoes in a large bowl and smash with a potato masher. Add the salt, cream, butter and milk into the mashed potatoes and whip with a large spoon.
Inspired by: Royal Taters.
Perfect Pie
Posted On: November 1st, 2009
Ingredients
1 cup fresh strawberries, halved
2 cups fresh raspberries
1.5 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups fresh blackberries
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup white sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
Follow Pie Crust recipe or buy Pillsbury unrollable pie crusts.
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Add strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Gently toss until berries are coated and add lemon zest. Set aside.
Place 1 of the crusts over a pie tin. Place the berry mixture in the pie tin, mounding berries in the center. Top with second crust, and seal and crimp the edge. Place pie in the refrigerator until chilled, about 30 minutes.
Place pies on prepared baking pan. Brush each pie with water, and sprinkle with sugar. Transfer to oven, and bake at 425 degrees until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. and continue baking until juices begins to bubble up, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer pies to a wire rack to cool.
Inspired by Perfect Pie and Berry Pie
Ultimate Carrot Cake
Posted On: November 1st, 2009
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups light brown sugar
2 3/4 cups shredded carrots
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, applesauce and eggs. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, chopped nuts and flaked coconut. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
After cooling, apply some tasty frosting to the top of one cake, then place the second cake on top of the first cake. Cover the entire double-layered cake with the rest of the tasty frosting.
Inspired by: Moist carrot cake and Ultimate carrot cake.
Tasty Frosting
Posted On: November 1st, 2009
Ingredients
one pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter
four large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Clark’s clover honey
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Add the eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, honey and cinnamon to the top pot of a double boiler and whisk until combined.
Pour 1/2 inch of water to the bottom pot of a double boiler and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and place the pot with the ingredients over the pot with the water. Whisk continuously over the steaming water until the eggs reach at least 160°F (use a cooking thermometer).
After the mixture reaches 160°F, remove the pot from heat and beat the mixture on medium-high for five minutes. The mixture should now be light-yellow and fluffy.
Cut the butter into 16-20 pieces. Assure that the mixture has cooled by touching the side the pot. If cool enough to touch, slowly add the butter pieces, waiting approximately 10-15 seconds before adding the next piece of butter.
After all the butter has mixed in, continue to run the mixer until the mixture turns smooth and silky.
Inspired by: American buttercream frosting, Honey-cinnamon frosting and Tasty frosting.
Lembas
Posted On: November 1st, 2009
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup
King Arthur flour
1 cup wheat germ
8 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
8 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon
Clark’s clover honey
2/3 cup of
Organic Valley heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the flour, baking powder, wheat germ and salt into a large bowl. Add the water and butter and mix until the mixture resembles fine granules.
Add the sugar and cinnamon, and mix them thoroughly into the mixture. Add the honey, heavy cream and vanilla and stir them until a nice, thick dough forms.
Roll the dough out about 1/2 in thickness. Cut out 3-inch squares and transfer the dough to a cookie sheet. Criss-cross (DO NOT cut all the way) each square from corner-to-corner with a knife.
Bake for about 12 minutes or more (depending on the thickness of the bread) until it is set and lightly golden.
So there you have it, Lembas, the fabled waybread of the Elves, or at least a close approximation.
Spiced Apple Pie/Apple Pie Filling
Posted On: November 1st, 2009
ngredients:
6 large Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and sliced about 1/2-in. thick
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/2 to 2/3 cups tightly packed dark brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
Follow Pie Crust recipe or buy Pillsbury unrollable pie crusts.
Directions:
Toss together the apples and lemon juice. Add the sugar, salt, cinnamon, allspice and ground ginger. Turn into a sieve and set over a bowl. Leave for 30 to 60 minutes.
If making pie crust from scratch:
Grease a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out the bigger piece of dough on a well-floured board into a big circle that’s about 1/8- to 1/16-inch thick. Lightly flour the top of the dough to keep it from sticking. Fit it into the pie pan, leaving about a 2-inch overhang. Roll out remaining dough to a circle about 16 inches in diameter.
If using unrollable dough:
Grease a 9-inch pie plate. Place one of the pie shells in the pie plate and gently form it around the plate, leaving an overhang.
Turn the drained juices from the filling into a saucepan and boil them into a thick syrup. Scrape back into the apples. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Fill the bottom of the pie shell with the apples, mounding them high. Cover with the other pastry. Seal edges together by rolling the overhang over the top crust and pinching them together. There should be a high ridge of crust around the pie-plate rim. With a pastry brush, brush beaten egg over the top of the pie and sprinkle with sugar. Cut three steam vents into top crust with small sharp knife.
Bake the pie on a cookie sheet for 45 to 60 minutes, or until juices are bubbling and the apples are tender when you pierce them through one of the steam holes. If edges get too dark, cover them with foil. Cool the pie on a rack. Serve it warm or at room temperature.
Inspired by First Autumn Apple Pie and Spiced Apple Pie.
Complete Hobbit Breakfast
Posted On: November 1st, 2009
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
8-12 uncooked bacon slices
3-5 red taters, cubed
6-9 flat mushrooms
3-4 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp melted butter
extra lard if you run out of bacon grease for cooking
Directions:
First, preheat your oven to a low “holding” temperature, around 100F, and prepare a covered platter to keep the various ingredients hot while you’re cooking those that come after them.
Choose between back or streaky, smoked or unsmoked bacon, preferrably dry-cure. Add a small scoop of lard to a frying pan. Add bacon and fry for 2-4 minutes each side or until your preferred crispiness is reached. Place in warming platter.
Add the taters in the pan and cook over medium heat. Flip taters and cook until golden brown. Remove from pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in warming platter.
For the mushrooms, brush away any dirt using a pastry brush and trim the stalk level with the mushroom top. Season with salt and pepper and pour some melted butter on top. Place stalk-side up on the grill plate and cook for 1-2 minutes before turning and cooking for a further 3-4 minutes. Avoid moving the mushrooms too much while cooking, as this releases the natural juices, making them soggy. Place in warming platter.
Cook eggs according to preferred style. Add all ingredients to the warm plate and serve.
Inspired by: various background research about Ulster Fry and Complete Hobbit Breakfast.
Blueberry Muffins
Posted On: November 1st, 2009
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Working over the bowl, toss blueberries in a fine sieve with about 1 1/2 teaspoons flour mixture to lightly coat; set aside the flour mixture and the blueberries.
Beat butter and 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in vanilla.
Add reserved flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add milk, beating until just combined. Do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. If desired, in a small bowl, mix together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle sugar mixture on top of muffin batter.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn muffins on their sides in their cups, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Inspired by: blueberry muffins and blueberry muffins.
Pie Crust
Posted On: November 1st, 2009
two 9 inch pie shells
Ingredients
5 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 lb cold lard
1 egg
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2-1 cup cold water
Directions
Measure flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into large bowl. Cut in the lard. Break egg into measuring cup and beat with fork until frothy and add vinegar to egg mixture. Add enough water in same cup to equal 1 cup. Pour a little at a time over flour mixture and continue to work pie dough with hands–continue this until all liquid is absorbed. Wrap and refrigerate. Store in refrigerator up to two weeks or in freezer for longer period.
Inspired by: Pie crust recipe and Pie crust.
