Apple-Pepper Jelly

4 Servings

2 c Water
6 oz Frozen Apple Juice, Thawed
1 3/4 oz Powdered Fruit Pectin,1 Pk
3 3/4 c Sugar
1 Red Pepper, Crushed, To Taste
1/8 t Red Food Coloring

Stir the water, apple juice concentrate and pectin in a 3-quart saucepan, until the pectin is dissolved. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Add the sugar and red pepper then heat to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and strain. Add the red food color.
Immediately pour into hot sterilized jars or glasses or freezer containers. Cover tightly and cool. Refrigerate no longer than 4 weeks or freeze no longer than 2 months. Serve with meat.

Makes 4 half pints of jelly.

GRAPE JELLY:

Substitute 1 can (6 oz) of frozen grape juice concentrate for the
apple juice concentrate. Omit the red pepper and food color.

TANGERINE JELLY:

Substitute 1 can (6 oz) frozen tangerine juice concentrate for the
apple juice concentrate. Omit red pepper and food color.

Apricot-Ginger Cranberry Sauce

6 Servings

INGREDIENTS
14 Dried apricots,each cut into 3 strips
1/2 c Cranberry juice
12 oz Fresh (or thawed),Frozen
-cranberries
1/2 c Plus 1 tbsp. sugar
1 T Minced,pared, fresh ginger

Soak the dried apricots in the cranberry juice in a medium saucepan for ten minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir them well. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the cranberries have popped and the syrup has thickened slightly – that should take about 5 minutes. Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it (covered) until it’s *cold*.

It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Transfer the sauce to a serving dish and serve while it’s still cold. The colder the better, so long as it isn’t frozen.

Apricot-Raisin Jam

6 Servings

1/2 lb apricot halves, Dried
-coarsely, chopped
1 c Golden raisins
Juice and rind of 1,Grated
-lemon
1 c Orange juice
2 c Sugar

1. Place the apricots and raisins in a bowl and add water to cover. Cover the bowl tightly and let it stand overnight.

Drain the liquid into a large, heavy saucepan and chop the apricots coarsely. Add the apricots, raisins, lemon juice and rind, and orange juice to the pan, place over low heat, and bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the sugar and continue cooking, stirring frequently until the mixture of fruit is very soft and the syrup sheets when dropped from the side of a spoon (220 degrees on a candy thermometer), 15 to 20 minutes.

Spoon the jam into sterilized half-pint jars. Seal the jars, process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes and cool.

Store in a cool, dark place.

Artichoke Appetizer

12 Servings

4 Eggs,beaten
1/2 lb Cheddar cheese,grated
12 oz Jars marinated artichokes
-cut up
Salt & pepper,To Taste
Dash of tabasco
3 Green onions,chopped fine
6 Soda crackers,crushed
1 Clove garlic,crushed

Saute’ onions and garlic in artichoke oil; then drain. Mix all
ingredients and spread in greased 8×8″ pan. Bake at 325 for 30 min.

Can be baked, frozen and re- heated.

Aunt Sadie’s Brisket of Beef

8 Servings
3 Large onions-Sliced Paper Thin
8 Whole allspice
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Hungarian paprika
5-6 lb brisket; 1st cut

Remove any excess fat from brisket, but leave a little on top. Place one half of the onions on bottom of pan.

Season the onions with a little salt, pepper, garlic powder and lots of Hungarian paprika. Place brisket on top of onions, then other half of onions and allspice on top of the brisket. Cover and roast in a 300 degree F. oven for 3 hours.

Test your brisket and when it is fork tender, take it out. Let it cool and then slice it very thin. Strain juice and either thicken it with a little cornstarch or serve it au jus. You will have a very dark brown juice.

NOTE: Best when made one day in advance.

Aunt Velma’s Shortbread

1 c Butter
1/2 c Sugar,icing
2 1/2 c Flour,all purpose – sifted

Preheat oven to 350F. Place butter in bowl, should be at room temperature. Add icing sugar. Work together with hands. Add flour.

Keep working with hands till well mixed. Put the dough on a board and pat to 1/2″ thickness.

Cut in rectangles or fancy designs. Bake 20 – 25 minutes at 350F till light brown on edges.

Eggnog Bread

16 Servings

2 T Sugar
1 pk Active dry yeast
2 1/2 c All-purpose flour
2 T Butter
1 t Salt
1/4 t Nutmeg
3/4 c Eggnog,at room temp.*

Place ingredients in the Bread Maker according to your manufacturers’ directions. Then adjust by adding flour or liquid as needed.

Babka

1 pk Yeast
4 c Bread flour
1/2 c Sugar,plus
2 T Sugar
1 t Salt
1/4 c -warm water
1 c Milk
1/4 lb Butter
2 Eggs
3/4 c Golden raisins

Bake in your Bread Maker according to manufacturers instructions.

Barbecued Butterflied Leg Of Lamb With Mint And Pocket Bread

9 Servings

1 Leg of lamb (5-6 lb)*
3/4 c Balsamic vinegar
1/3 c Mint jelly
1/3 c fresh mint leaves,Minced
Fresh mint sprigs (opt)
Salt
Pepper
Small pocket bread**

* – boned and trimmed of surface fat
** – or regular pocket bread, cut in half crosswise

1. Lay meat boned side up. Slash about halfway through thickest portions, as needed, and pull meat, patting cut edges down, to make the piece relatively even.

2. Place lamb in a 9×13″ pan. In a 1 1/2 quart pan over medium-high heat, stir vinegar with 1/3 cup mint jelly just until boiling. Stir in mint and pour evenly over lamb. Cover and chill 2 hours or up to a day. Turn meat over occasionally.

3. On fire grate in a barbecue, with a lid, ignite 50-60 charcoal briquets. When briquets are dotted with ash, in about 30 minutes, spread them into a single layer; scatter 10-12 more briquets over coals. Set grill 5-6″ above coals. Lift meat onto grill; reserve marinade. Put lid on barbecue and open vents.

4.Turn meat as needed to brown evenly; baste with marinade. Cook until thickest part of meat is done to your liking; for rare (140′ on a thermometer) in center of thickest part, allow about 40 minutes total. Thinner sections will be well done.

5. Transfer lamb to a platter and let rest 5-10 minutes. Garnish with mint sprigs. Slice meat thin. Season to taste with mint jelly, salt, and pepper. Eat with knife and fork or tuck into pocket bread.

Be Mine Buttermilk Cake

-Truffle Cream
8 oz Bittersweet (not unsweetened or semisweet) chocolate,chopped
1/3 c Whipping cream
2 T butter,Unsalted room temperature
1/4 c Chambord (or other berry liquid)(such as creme de cassis)
-Cake
1 3/4 c All-purpose flour
2 t Baking powder
1/2 t Baking soda
1/2 t Salt
3/4 c Sugar
1/2 c (1 stick) butter,Unsalted room temperature
4 Large egg yolks
1 c Buttermilk
-Glaze
6 oz Bittersweet (not unsweetened or semisweet chocolate)
1/4 c Unsalted butter,cut into small pieces
1/4 c Light corn syrup
1/4 c Chambord (or other berry liquid)-Fresh raspberries (or strawberries)

For Truffle Cream: Stir chocolate cream and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until chocolate and butter meld and mixture is smooth. Mix in Chambord. Let stand at room temperature till very thick and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.

For Cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter 9-inch heart-shaped pan with 1-1/4-inch-high sides. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer at high speed, beat sugar and butter in large bowl till fluffy. Add yolks 1 at a time, beating just to combine after each addition. Using rubber spatula, mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake cake till tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 mins. Turn out cake onto rack and cool. Cut cake horizontally in half. Place botttom layer of cake on plate. Spread truffle cream over. Arrange top layer over and press gently to adhere. Using spatula, smooth cream on sides of cake if necessary. Chill until set, at least 1 hour.

For Glaze: Stir chocolate and butter in heavy med. saucepan over lo heat till melted & smooth Remove from heat. Add corn syrup and liqueur & whisk till smooth. Let glaze stand till slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Place cake on rack set over baking sheet or large piece of foil. Pour glaze over cake, coating completely. Chill cake on rack till glaze is set, about 30 mins. Transfer cake to platter.

Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome & chill. (Bring to room temp before serving.)