Wassail Hot Apple Cider

Blake remembered the first time he had tasted Wassail at Sharon Lyons home(Brittany's Mother-In-Law)

He said it was the best.  So we copied her recipe and added to our Blog.  

Ingredients

1 c sugar

4 c water

10 whole cloves

8 allspice berries

2 cinnamon sticks

1 piece of ginger root

4 c orange juice

2 c lemon juice

2 quarts of apple cider(8 cups)

Combine sugar and water, boil 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and add spices(I put mine in a cheese cloth bag  tied with a string) Cover and allow to stand for  1 hour.  Add juices and cider and bring quickly to a boil and serve.

Marshmallows

Dad has become quite the expert at making homemade marshmallows.  Plain, crushed peppermint, and dipped in chocolate to eat or melt inside 2 graham crackers to have a yummy S'more. Try dropping one of these fluffy mallows into a cup of hot chocolate...amazing goodness.

INGREDIENTS

•  Neutral flavored oil, for greasing the baking dish
• 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
•            1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• ¼ teaspoon  salt
• 1 tablespoon  vanilla extract
•          1/4 c powdered sugar mixed with 1/4 c. cornstarch 

PREPARATION

1. Lightly oil an 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Combine gelatin with 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Set aside while you prepare the syrup.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup cold water. Stir the mixture just enough to combine the ingredients then cook over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
3. With the mixer on low speed, carefully pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture and mix until gelatin is dissolved. Add the vanilla  extract.
4. Turn the mixer to high and whip the batter until it is very thick, stiff and opaque, about 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it with a knife.
5. Let sit uncovered until firm, about 4 hours at room temperature or 2 hours in the fridge.
6. Sift a generous amount of confectioners’ sugarwith cornstarch onto a work surface, use a knife to cut around the edges of the pan and unmold marshmallow onto the sugar. You will have to pull it out of the pan with your fingertips; it will be very sticky but will pull out in one piece. Dust the top of the marshmallow with confectioners' sugar and use a long, sharp knife to cut the marshmallow into roughly 1 1/2-inch cubes. Clean and dry your knife periodically throughout this process when it gets too sticky. 
7. Toss the cubes in the confectioners’ sugarmixed with cornstarch to make sure they are coated on all sides and store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Tip

• Variations: Add 1 teaspoons of peppermint extract for peppermint marshmallows. Leave out vanilla extract for a pure peppermint flavor. At this time if you want add crushed peppermint. Dip in melted milk chocolate and let dry for chocolate covered marshmallows.

Clotted Cream British Topping

 

When Dad and I were in England we found a new love for crumpets(alot like an English Muffin) with jam and a dollop of clotted cream on top.  

Ingredients

• 2 c heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)

Instructions

Day 1

• Preheat your oven to 170-180F.
• Pour the cream into a shallow casserole dish or glass baking dish. (The cream should only come up the sides about 1-2 inches. The key here is to have a lot of surface area.)
• Place the cream in the oven for 12 hours, uncovered. (This works great overnight.**)

Day 2

• After heating for 12 hours, the cream will develop a skin. Carefully remove the dish from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Once cool, cover the dish and refrigerate it for 8 hours (or overnight again).

Day 3

• After chilled, gently skim the thick layer of clotted cream from the surface, leaving the thinner liquid behind. (It will feel like you’re pulling a layer of slightly softened ice cream from the top of a layer of milk*. The skin in fine, it will soften as it is mixed into the cream.)
• Gently stir the skimmed clotted cream to create a smooth texture. (If your cream is too thick for your liking, you can always stir a little bit of the thin liquid back into your cream, until it reaches your desired consistency.)
• Store the clotted cream in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeeks. (Clotted cream can also be frozen and thawed in the refrigerator, if desired.) 

Porcupine Meatballs

 Meatballs

2 lbs groundbeef

1 c jasmine/basamati rice

1 diced onion

1 diced green pepper

1 large clove garlic minced

3 T chopped Parsley

1 t Italian Seasoning

2 eggs

1 1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

Sauce

2 15oz cans of tomato sauce

1 1/4 c chicken broth

2 t worchestershire

1 T chopped parsley

shredded mozzerella cheese  for serving(optional)

Mix meatballs and shape into balls.  Put  in 9X13.  Cover with the sauce and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

You can brown in a skillet  carefully turning and simmer in skillet with sauce for about 30 minutes. 

Southern Skillet Cornbread

 This cornbread is my family tradition.  It s true southern cornbread baked in a black cast iron skillet.

It is not a  sweet cornbread.  I  break it up and put it in  a glass of milk and eat it with a spoon.  My mother and grandfather would put it in  a glass of buttermilk and eat with a spoon.

Heat a heaping Tablespoon of Crisco shortening in black cast iron skillet in oven at 350.

In a bowl mix

2 cups White Lily self rising corn meal( you can take your cornmeal and make it self rising by adding 3 T baking powder and 1 t salt)(not as good as the White Lily)

2 eggs

2  Heaping T white flour

Pour some of the melted crisco into the batter and then add buttermilk until it resembles a cake batter.  Pour into hot cast iron skillet and bake 30 minutes.

Turn out onto plate to cool

Fried Okra with Fresh Okra

 Rinse Okra. Cut tips and ends off fresh okra. Slice into 1/4 inch slices. 

2 eggs

1/2 t salt

Beat eggs and salt and toss okra in mixture. Soak for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in black cast iron skillet until water drops pop.  375°

In a gallon zip bag add: 

1 1/4 c yellow corn meal

1/4 c flour

1/2 t ground black pepper

1 t salt

 Remove okra from egg with a slotted spoon shaking off excess egg.  Place in ziplock bag with seasoning and shake until well coated. With slotted spoon take out 1/2 of okra and fry until golden brown.  Drain on plate with paper towels. continue frying the other half.  Salt with Kosher salt as needed.

Chicken Fried Chicken

4  chicken breasts. fillet and pound

1-2 beaten egg

Seasoning (put in a gallon zip bag)

36 saltines crushed

2 T flour

2 T potato flakes

1 T Seasoned Salt

1 t pepper

1 t parsley

1 t garlic powder

Coat  chicken in flour (shake in zip bag)

Dip flour coated chicken in beaten egg 

Drop in  seasoning filled zip bag.  shake until coated

Fry in non stick pan with bottom covered in oil.

Can bake in oven to finish cooking. Chicken should cook until internal temperature of 170.

If you don't want to fry  chicken put in to a 9X13 and bake for 45 minutes at 350.  Then melt 1 stick of butter and pour over chicken and bake for 5 more minutes.( I have not tried this method but it was an option) 

Great served with mashed potatoes and white country gravy.