viXXXen's Recipe Box

Plum Pudding & Rum Hard Sauce

2005-12-22T16:22:00.000-08:00

Here is another tasty Christmas classic. It is sooooo delicious.

Plum Pudding and Rum Hard Sauce

1 lb stoned raisins
1 lb sultana raisins
3/4 lb flour
2 cups fine bread crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1 lb sugar
1 lb suet
1/2 lb mixed peel
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 lemon juice and rind
6 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
2-3 chopped apples
1 tsp allspice

Mix well. Cover and let stand over night. Put in buttered mold with buttered paper over top. Put watertight container into boiling water and boil 4-5 hours
according to size. You can also place the pudding in a steamer. When it is required, boil (or steam) again for 2 hours. If you don't have a pudding container, wrap
the pudding tightly in foil for steaming.

Rum Hard Sauce

2005-12-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

This is traditionally served with Plum Pudding, sometimes referred to as Christmas Pudding.

Rum Hard Sauce

1/3 cup soft margarine
1 cup icing sugar
4-5 tbsp rum

Cream the margarine, gradually add the icing sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the rum in a thin stream.

Date and Nut Loaf

2005-12-16T16:30:00.000-08:00

It's always nice to serve something at Christmas that isn't quite so rich or sweet. I like to serve a couple of different types of loaves. This is one of my favourites. It can of course be used all year long, not just at Christmas.

Date and Nut Loaf

1 cup chopped dates
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup boiling water
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup chopped floured walnuts
3/4 cup melted shortening

Put baking soda over chopped dates and cover with boiling water. Mix well and let stand until cool.

Beat eggs, add sugar gradually, add salt and vanilla. Combine with date mixture, add dry ingredients, floured nuts and melted shortening. Mix well.

Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 300-350°F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Fluffy Shortbread

2005-12-12T16:03:00.000-08:00

Here is a lighter form of shortbread that I grew up with. These are one of my favourite Christmas cookies. They are some times referred to as "Whipped Shortbread" as well.

Fluffy Shortbread

2 cups margarine
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together until it is like whipped cream. Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Do not touch with hands. Press cookies down with a fork that has been dipped in water.

Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Makes approximately 8 to 9 dozen. Garnish with pieces of red or green cherries before cooking.

Classic Scottish Shortbread

2005-12-06T10:04:00.000-08:00

Of course, being Scottish, it's not Christmas without our traditional Scottish Shortbread. Here is the recipe that has been handed down in our family. Enjoy them.

Classic Scottish Shortbread

2 cups margarine
1 cup berry sugar
3 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rice flour

Cream margarine well. Blend in sugar. Combine flours, using wooden spoon, gradually blend into creamed mixture. Press into ball and knead lightly on floured board until smooth.

Pat dough into two 9-inch square cake pans or into large round about ½ inches thick on baking sheets. Prick all over with fork. Bake at 275°F oven for 45 minutes (faintly brown). Let cool thoroughly before storing in tins.

Frozen Pineapple Delight

2005-12-03T01:32:00.000-08:00

Here is another yummy Christmas favourite I grew up with. And it's really convenient as well. You can make it up well in advance and keep it in the freezer until the morning you are going to serve it.

Frozen Pineapple Delight

2 cups vanilla wafers
1/4 cup melted margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup soft butter or margarine
1 1/4 cup icing sugar
2 eggs
1/2 liter whipping cream *
1 14-oz can crushed pineapple
Maraschino cherries

Combine wafer crumbs and margarine. Place all but half a cup in 9x12-inch cake pan and press. Cook at 275°F for 15 minutes.

Beat butter/margarine until smooth. Add icing sugar, then eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and spread over crumbs.

Whip cream until stiff, combine pineapple. Spread mixture in pan. Sprinkle crumbs on top and decorate with cherries. Freeze. Take out of freezer and put in fridge the morning to be served.

* An Imperial quart is approximately the same amount as a Metric liter.

Butter Tarts

2005-11-28T02:49:00.000-08:00

Here is another Christmas favourite in our family. These are uniquely Canadian but if you are looking for a comparison, you might compare them to the American Pecan Pie or the British Treacle Tart, although I was not brought up putting nuts in my tarts. Some people do. Some people use raisins instead of currants but to me that would make it a raisin tart, not a Canadian butter tart. Here is my recipe for Butter Tarts and my pastry recipe that I use with it.

Butter Tarts

4 eggs
4 cups brown sugar
4 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup melted butter
2 2/3 cups currants

Beat egg only until well blended. Beat in sugar and add vinegar. Stir in melted butter and currants.

Line the tart tins with vinegar pastry and fill 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until filling is firm.

Vinegar Pastry

2005-11-28T02:30:00.000-08:00

Vinegar Pastry

5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/3 cups shortening
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp vinegar
cold water as required

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Beat one egg, add 1 tbsp vinegar and cold water to make 3/4 cup of liquid. Add dry ingredients. Refrigerate for half an hour before rolling out.

Nanaimo Bars

2005-11-23T23:05:00.000-08:00

With Christmas coming up, I thought I would start with one of my family's favourite treats. I grew up with these at home during Christmas and at family gatherings. The origins of these treats are a little in dispute but all sources agree they originated here on Vancouver Island or Vancouver. I have also collected a few variations which have been circulating over the last few years. I hope you enjoy them as much we all do.

Nanaimo Bars

1/2 cup butter
3 to 5 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup white sugar
1 beaten egg
2 cup crushed graham wafers
1 cup coconut
1/4 cup butter
2 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp custard powder
3 tbsp milk
3 to 4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
1 tbsp butter

Melt butter, cocoa and sugar in the top of a double boiler. Add egg and vanilla, add graham wafers, walnuts & coconuts. Press into 8x8 cake pan.

Cream margarine. Combine with milk and custard. Add to butter. Blend in icing sugar. Spread over first layer.

Melt margarine and chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Spread on top of other layers. Chill until firm. Cut and serve.

To store: Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks before cutting.

Variation: Mint Filling

1/3 cup butter
3 tbsp custard powder
1/4 cup milk
3 cups icing sugar
1 tsp peppermint flavouring
1 to 2 drops green food colouring as desired

Variation: Cappuccino Filling

2 tbsp milk
3 tbsp butter
2 tsp instant coffee
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups icing sugar

Variation: Bailey's Irish Cream

1/3 cup butter
3 tbsp custard powder
1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
2 to 3 cups icing sugar

Nanaimo Bars - Cranberry

2005-11-23T22:17:00.000-08:00

Cranberry Nanaimo Bars

Base:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 squares semi-sweet chocolate
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
2 cup graham wafer crumbs
1 cup coconut
1 tbsp grated orange rind

Melt butter with chocolate and remove from heat. Stir in sugar and egg. Add crumbs, coconut and orange rind; mix well. Press into 9-inch square pan. Chill.

Cranberry Layer:
1/4 cup whole cranberry sauce, chopped
1 tbsp orange liqueur or orange juice
Combine cranberry sauce and liqueur. Spread evenly over base.

Custard Layer:
2 tbsp custard powder
3 tbsp milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cup icing sugar

Using electric mixer, beat together all ingredients. Spread over base. Chill.

Chocolate Layer:
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp butter

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat or in microwave on medium power for 2 minutes, stir until melted. Spread evenly over filling. Chill. Let stand at room temperature for fifteen minutes before cutting into bars.

To store: Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks before cutting.

Nanaimo Bars - Cherry Almond

2005-11-23T22:10:00.000-08:00

Cherry Almond Nanaimo Bars

Base:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 beaten egg
1 cup coconut
1 3/4 cups graham wafer crumbs
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Cook butter, sugar, cocoa, vanilla and egg in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until custard begins to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in coconut, crumbs and almonds. Pat firmly into a greased 9-inch square pan. Chill for 1 hour.

Filling:
1/4 cup soft butter
1 tbsp cherry juice
2 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup chopped
Maraschino cherries

Cream butter, cherry juice and extract. Gradually beat in icing sugar to a make a smooth spreading consistency. Stir in cherries. Spread over base and chill until firm.

Topping:
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate
1 tbsp margarine

Heat chocolate and margarine, stirring until smoothly melted. Drizzle chocolate over filling. Chill. Cut into bars. Will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks. Freezes well.

Nanaimo Bars - Grand Marnier

2005-11-23T22:03:00.000-08:00

Grand Marnier Nanaimo Bars

2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
2/3 cup margarine
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 beaten egg

In bowl, stir together crumbs, coconut and pecans. In small saucepan, gently heat margarine, cocoa and sugar until margarine melts. Remove from heat; whisk in egg. Blend into crumb mixture. Press into greased 9-inch square cake pan. Bake in 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Let cool on rack.

Grand Marnier Layer:
2 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup soft margarine
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1 tbsp grated orange rind

In bowl, place half of icing sugar with margarine, mix in half of the icing sugar with margarine; mix in Grand Marnier, remaining icing sugar and orange rind. Spread over base.

Chocolate Topping:
1 tbsp margarine
4 squares melted semi-sweet chocolate

Stir margarine into chocolate until melted; spread evenly over Grand Marnier layer. Let cool for 20 minutes in refrigerator; cut into bars.

Nanaimo Bars - Peanut Butter

2005-11-23T21:55:00.000-08:00

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars

Base:
3 squares semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 cup graham wafer crumbs
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Melt chocolate and butter in microwave on high power 2 minutes. Mix in sugar, vanilla and egg. Add crumbs, coconut and walnuts. Press into 9-inch square pan. Chill.

Filling:
2 tbsp custard powder
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp soft butter
½ cup smooth peanut butter
2 cups icing sugar

Using electric mixer, beat together all ingredients. Spread over base. Chill.

Icing:
5 squares chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1 tbsp butter

Melt chocolate with butter in saucepan on medium power 3 to 4 minutes. Spread over filling.