The Clover Hill Dictionary

I knit, write, cook, garden, and keep house in general. Currently I have 2 nearly completed books; Christmas With Giselle, an allegory and The Two Step, a biblical study guide for reconciliation .... I am as yet unpublished but still working .... lately I've been in the kitchen knocking out some recipes for my next project; The Clover Hill Dictionary. I plan for it to be a little bit of this and that ... maybe some knitting, and other general but interesting information.

So here are some of my latest recipes;

Clover Hill Cookie Scones

2 c. flour

1 c sugar + T for dusting

3 t cream of tartar

1 t baking soda

6 T butter

1 c large chunks of walnuts

1 c raisins

3 eggs

1 T whole milk

Combine dry ingredients and cut in butter till fine. Add walnuts and raisins. Stir. Combine and add; egg and milk. Stir until just moist and roll out to  about 3/4 inch thick on a floured surface. Use a small biscuit cutter to make rounds and place, well spaced, onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Almond Sugar Cake

1/2 c butter softened

1/3 c shortening

1 3/4 c brown sugar

4 eggs

1 t almond extract

1 3/4 c cake flour

1 1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

3/4 c finely chopped almonds

1 recipe Butter Almond Icing

1 cup slivered almonds

Grease and flour three 8 x 1 1/2-inch round cake pans. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter, shortening and sugar with electric mixer until mixture is light and fluffy about 10 minutes. Add eggs and almond extract and continue beating. In another mixing bowl combine dry ingredients. Add alternately with buttermilk to the creamed mixture until just combined. Add almonds and stir. Pour batter evenly into the three cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and continue to cool on wire racks. Frost all layers, top and sides of cake with Butter Almond Icing and sprinkle slivered almonds on the top of the cake. Lovely for any birthday party!

Butter Almond Icing

1 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1 T vanilla extract

1 T almond extract

6-7 c confectioners sugar

Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add extracts and stir, add sugar until proper spreading consistency.

Banana Cakes

1 c very ripe banana

1 egg

1 stick butter

2 t vanilla

1 c sugar

1 c all purpose flour

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

confectioners sugar for sprinkling

Cream banana, butter and sugar well, about 5 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and continue to mix. Sift together dry ingredients and stir in until just mixed together. Pour into greased and floured muffin pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool completely before removing from pan and sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

Tweaking A Recipe

I had discovered Meyers Lemons this month. An exotic introduction for me so I sliced them up to serve with fish ..... (ick) and decided they were really a dessert item. So I went online to look for recipes and found one for marmalade .... actually I wondered if it might be enhanced by some fresh mint ..... the results were so amazing. The marmalade was good ... the mint made it so much more. Next I think I might try a cake recipe.

Meyer Lemon & Mint Marmalade

1 cup zested lemon peel
1/2 c Meyer Lemon juice
1 cup water
1/8 t. baking soda
3 cups finely chopped lemon segments (12-16 Meyer Lemons)
5 cups sugar
1 t unsalted butter
2 (3 oz.) pouch liquid pectin
12 leaves fresh pineapple mint
7 half pint canning  jars

In a measuring cup, soak the lemon zest in about a cup of water for about 10 minutes. Drain and discard the water.

Combine the zest, lemon juice 1 cup water, and baking soda in an 8-quart saucepan. Bring to a full boil over med-hi heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the fruit segments, cover and simmer another 10 minutes.

Add the sugar and butter. Heat stirring constantly till sugar is completely dissolved.

Increase the heat to med-hi and bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.

Add the pectin and return the mixture to a rolling boil for 1 minute. Add fresh mint, simmer lightly for a minute or 2 and remove the pan from the heat.

Allow the marmalade to cool just slightly before filling jars, about 5 minutes. Fill canning jars that have been sterilized in boiling water and are still hot. Fill to 1/2 inch from rim of jar. Wipe jars with a clean cloth and screw on the lids. Keep jars refrigerated up to 5 weeks. 

Irish & Linen Stitch

1. I have had this pattern for awhile and it is looking like time to start on it. I am still collecting some koigu yarn ... enough for three separate scarves. One in green, another in blue and also plum. The scarf is worked entirely in a linen stitch and can be knitted from almost any stash of odds and ends. You can find this pattern at Churchmouse Yarns & Teas.   Oh and Happy St. Patty's .... I've shamrocks in the window and on the table and I have been planning my;

St. Patrick's Day Menu 

Guinness,

Chicken Sausage

Scalloped Potatoes & Spring Peas

Irish Soda Bread 

  Irish Coffee &  Oatmeal Cookies

The Irish Soda Bread Recipe came from a very dear little Irish Grammie who makes the bread for the Irish festival at the Hagley Museum every year.

Irish Soda Bread

3 c. flour

2/3 c. sugar

1 t. salt

2 T melted butter

2 eggs

1 T. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 1/2 c. raisins ( I like golden)

1 3/4 c. buttermilk

1 T. caraway seed (opt.)

Sift all dry ingredients. Stir in raisins and caraway seed. Combine beaten eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a fork till just moist. Don't over stir. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from pan immediately.

Melanie's Rhubarb Coffee Cake

My Aunt Susan & Uncle Roger where here this past week and we had lunch in at our home and dinner out. Thank you Sue & Rog. Here is the Coffe Cake Recipe.

Melanie's Rhubarb Coffee Cake
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 c. regular cake flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1 c. sugar
1 large egg
2 c. chopped rhubarb
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 t ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8x8 baking dish; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda & salt; set asde. In a liquid measuring, combine buttermilk and vanilla; set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and beat to combine. Add the egg and combine. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, and starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in the rhubarb.
3. Spread batter evenly into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake until cake tester comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

A White Sale

It is a stay at home kind of day .... even my outdoor pictures where taken from indoors. So I added some more items to my vintage shop.
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Also, here is an earthy soup recipe to serve on a winter's day;
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Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup
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1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 cup wild rice
3 tsp. olive oil
1 1/4 lb.s assorted mushrooms
freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 leeks thinly sliced
1/2 cup sherry
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy cream opt.
1 Tbsp. chopped rosemary
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
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1. In small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to boil. Add salt & wild rice. Cover; reduce heat to med. lo and cook till tender, about 45-50 minutes. Drain; set aside.
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2. In large saucepan, heat half the oil over med. high heat. Add half the mushrooms; season w/ salt & pepper. Cook stirring till browned & tender, about 7 minutes; transfer to bowl and repeat with the remaining mushrooms.
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3. Reduce heat to med. lo. Melt butter, add leeks. Cook stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add sherry and soy sauce and cook one minute.
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4. Add stock to pot; bring to a boil over med. high heat. Add mushrooms & rosemary, and return to boil. Reduce to medium and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in wild rice, cream and parsley; season to taste. Serve from a beautiful English Ironstone Soup Tureen with a side of crusty bread.

Economy

I was going to garden today but strawberries were on sale at ACME. I couldn't pass up the deal so I bought four pounds of very pretty and fresh berries. As you know, strawberries are no bargain if they spoil before use. So there I was with four pounds of strawberries that needed immediate attention. The garden would have to wait.

Now I do have a large strawberry patch that has begun to flower but won't see fruit till June. So I have some fav. strawberry recipes. I made a Strawberry Cake to serve for breakfast the next morning. I also made my Gramma Kellogg's recipe for a frozen desert called Strawberry Delight and I froze a couple of pounds of strawberries for future use. Finally I saved a few for just eats. In order to freeze strawberries you simply hull them and place them in a freezer container cover with water and then into your freezer. Thaw for later use. My two favorite strawberry recipes follow:

Strawberry Cake

6 T. unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 c. plus 1 T. sugar

1 egg

1/2 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

1 lb strawberries hulled & halved

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees; butter a 10" pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a med. bowl. Put butter & 1 c. sugar in bowl & mix at med. speed until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes) Reduce speed to med. lo; gradually mix in flour mixture.
Transfer batter to buttered pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 T. sugar over berries.

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Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 325 Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on wire rack. Cut in wedges. Cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered for up to two days.

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Strawberry Delight

1 c. flour

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c. nuts

1/2 c butter

2 egg whites

2/3 c. white sugar

2 T. lemon juice

1 c. whipping cream

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Mix first four ingredients in shallow pan. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Mix with fork while baking. Sprinkle 2/3 of crumbs on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Save the rest for the top. Put whites, berries, lemon and sugar in bowl. Beat at high speed for 10 minutes. Whip the cream and fold in. Spoon over the crumbs. Freeze for 6 hours.

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Left over egg yolks may be added to a custard recipe:

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Egg Custard

2 1/2 c. milk

4 eggs plus any leftover egg yolks

1/2 c. sugar or agave nectar

pinch salt

1/2 t. vanilla

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Scald milk, sugar and salt. Remove from heat just before it boils over med. heat. Separate eggs beating whites slightly. Add yolks and beat slightly. Add milk mixture to eggs and mix thoroughly. Pour into pie plate or individual ramekins. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Lemon Cake

It being David's birthday April 12, I made a couple of cakes. First, Southern Living's Best Ever Carrot Cake ... and it is and a Lemon Cake that we used to make when we worked in the DuPont kitchen. David loves all things lemon. The recipe follows:

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Lemon Cake

2 1/4 c. cake flour (not self rising)

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

3 T. plus 1 t. lemon juice

1 c. plus 1 T. plain nonfat yogurt

1 1/2 T plus 1/2 t. grated lemon peel

5 T. plus 1 t. (1/3 c.) stick of butter softened

1 1/3 c granulated sugar

3 large eggs plus 3 large egg whites

confectioners sugar (for glaze)

Garnish: small edible flowers like pansies.

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 12 c. bundt cake pan w/ nonstick spray

2) Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix 3 T. lemon juice w/ 1 c. yogurt.

3) Beat 1 1/2 T. lemon peel and the butter in a large bowl w/ mixer on med. speed until creamy. Beat in granulated sugar (mixture will look like damp sand.) then eggs and egg whites until incorporated. On low speed, beat in yogurt mixture, then flour mixture just until blended. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.

4) Bake 45 minutes or until a pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean (over baking will dry the cake). Cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes. Invert cake on rack and remove pan. Let cake cool completely.

5) Whisk confectioners sugar and remaining lemon juice. 1/2 t. lemon peel and 1 T yogurt in a small bowl until smooth. Place rack with cake on wax paper. Spoon and spread glaze on cake, letting excess run down sides. Let stand until glaze sets Transfer to serving plate and garnish with flowers.

This Week So Far

One day Kim and I made a chocolate souffle. Kim had never made one before and it was on her Bucket List.





I subbed in the art department today (girls gym and computer lab too).

Apples .99 A Bag

Last year I had a Stoppe & Shoppe for my Longaberger customers. The homemade invites went out with a picture of a patchwork turkey and visitors received a jar of homemade apple butter for their Thanksgiving table.
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Making apple butter the old fashioned way was an adventure except that I did use a pot on my stove instead of a kettle over a camp fire. Still it takes 3 hours of standing over the stove and stirring constantly and usually a ruined pot. Since my pots and pans come from the flea market this isn't a big deal but in the interest of time a crock pot recipe sounded like genius.
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Finding apples on sale (.99 per 3 lb. bag) afforded me the opportunity to try my new crock pot recipe and it is a keeper.
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Crock Pot Apple Butter

Fill crock pot with thinly sliced Golden Delicious Apples and cook on high about 7 hours. Add 1 lg. cinnamon stick, 1 t. ground ginger, 1/2 t. ground cardamom, 1/2 t. ground nutmeg, 1/4 t. ground mace, small pinch of ground cloves, 2 T. brown sugar, 2 T fresh lemon juice.
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Continue cooking another 5 hours or so. If the butter is too thick you can add some apple cider, applesauce or even some water. When finished, transfer apple butter to a pot on the stove top and heat thru. Spoon into jelly jars that have been sterilized on the stove top as well.
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If refrigerated it will keep for up to 1 month ... in the freezer for 6 months. Ours is never around for that long.