Witchin’ in the Kitchen at the Bubbling Cauldron

source unknown

3 cups glycerin soap base
1/4 cup infusion of lavender flowers and rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons of lavender oil
1 1/2 teaspoons of rosemary oil
1 teaspoon pulverized dried rosemary

Melt soap base and add other ingredients.
Stir until blended, then pour into molds.

Infusion basically means to make tea.
Pour hot water over fresh or dried plant parts.
Three tablespoons of herb per cup of water for ten minutes should do fine.
Use distilled water, if possible. Non-chlorinated water is best.

source unknown

1 tablespoon beeswax
1 cup melted opaque soap base
1 tablespoon honey

Melt beeswax in double boiler and mix with melted soap base.
Add honey and stir until melted. Pour into mold.
Release from mold when hardened. Let cure on a drying rack.

Try using a bee skip (hive) mold. This is a smooth, light fragrance soap.

1 cup baking mix
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1-1/2 cups raspberries
1 cup fresh blackberries
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
2 egg whites
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine baking mix, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, milk, and lemon rind. Press with floured fingers into the bottom and up the sides of a pie dish that has been sprayed with a
nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle berries onto crust.

Combine sour cream, egg whites, 1/2 cup white sugar, flour, spices, and vanilla extract. Pour over fruit. Cover
edges of crust with foil.

Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Turn heat down to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake
for 30 minutes, or until center is set.

Makes 1 - 9 inch pie ( 8 servings).

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2-cup sugar
1-tablespoon poppy seed
1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil

For topping:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, 1/2-cup sugar, poppy seed, lemon peel, baking powder and salt.

In another medium bowl combine egg, milk and oil. Add all at once to dry mixture. Stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans, filling each 2/3 full. Bake 20-25 minutes in preheated 375-degree oven. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin cups. Dip tops of muffins into melted butter then in the 2 tablespoons sugar. Serve warm.

Makes 12.

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
Grated peel of one lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Cream butter, sugar, lemon peel, milk, and egg yolks in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon juice.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl. Add to batter and mix until just blended.
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter. Spoon into 12 greased muffin-pan cups. Sprinkle with a mixture of nuts, sugar and nutmeg.
Bake at 375*F 15 to 20 minutes, or until done.

1 doz

4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 pkg. yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 tsp. allspice
2 cups warm milk
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 cup currants
1/2 cup candied peel

ICING:
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tbs. milk

Add yeast to sweetened milk let sit 5 minutes. Mix dry ingredients, cut in butter, then eggs, then milk. Stir in currants and candied peel. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Spray 24 medium/large muffin cups, fill 2/3 full. Spray tops with butter spray, cover and let rise until almost double, about 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375o. bake for about 20 minutes, until browned. Cool on rack until warm. Combine sugar and milk until smooth, spoon into piping bag.

Pipe Celtic crosses on top. Or cut across buns with bolline.

These cakes are traditional treats at the Vernal Equinox. The equilateral solar cross on top predates Christianity and represents the minor Sabbats; the solstices and the equinoxes

source:unknown

I flavored this up more by adding some cumin, cayenne, thyme and oregano. Delicious.

Lentils with Italian Sausage

1 pound dry lentils
Cold water
2 pounds fresh italian sausage, sweet or hot
About 3 cups homemade or canned chicken broth
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
8 fresh sage leaves, chopped, or 1 tsp dried rubbed sage
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp tomato paste, diluted in a little water

Clean lentils well by soaking them briefly and changing the water at least once. Put them in a 2-1/2-quart saucepan, add cold water to cover, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and cook until not quite done, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, pierce sausages in several places, and then put them in a small saucepan. Add enough chicken broth to cover, and place over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, and simmer for about 40 minutes. From time to time, skim off and discard foam and fat that rise to the top. When sausages are done, remove the pot from the heat and let them sit in the broth while you finish the lentils.

Warm the oil in a medium skillet, and saute the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and sage in the olive oil over medium heat until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are done. Drain the sausages, saving their liquid. To the lentil pot, add the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and add tomato paste. Mix gently using a wooden spoon. Add 3/4 cup of the broth in which you cooked the sausages. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.

To serve, slice the sausages and arrange them on a platter next to the warm lentils.

Per Serving (based on ten servings): 457 calories (22 percent from protein, 24 percent from carbohydrate, 54 percent from fat).

Yield: 10 servings

Credits
Recipe adapted by the Oregonia from: Celebrating Italy by Carol Field (HarperTrade)

Whole Wheat Bread with Ground Flax

Starting the Yeast
2 tsp Honey
4 1/2 tsp Yeast (2 packets)
1 cup Warm Water (105° - 115°)

For the Dough
3 cups Warm Water (105° - 115°)
2/3 cup Honey
1 tbsp Salt
1 cup Flax Seed (measure then grind)
8 - 9 cups Fresh ground wheat flour

Prep
Grind your wheat and flax and combine them in a separate bowl.

I use a KitchenAid mixer to make my bread, so I use the mixer bowl to start my yeast.

Start
Add one cup warm water and 2 tsp honey to the bowl. Stir til dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast onto the liquid. Let sit for 10 minutes, or until you have a nice foamy cap on top of the water.

Mix
Add 3 cups warm water, 2/3 cup honey, and salt to the bowl. Use the mixing beater on low (1) to begin to mix ingredients.

Add 3 or 4 cups of your flour to the bowl. Let it mix for a minute or two until you have a nice pancake batter-like consistency.

Knead
Slowly add flour a bit at a time and the dough will start to form. After adding a few cups of flour, take out the mixing beater and replace with the dough hook.

Continue to add flour, scraping the bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add flour until the dough pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Dough will be sticky, however. This isn’t white flour so don’t expect a nice pizza-dough ball you can spin around over your head.

Rise #1
Lightly spray a large mixing bowl with non-stick spray and drop the dough into the bowl. Cover with wax paper (also lightly sprayed) and a dry dish towel.

Place bowl in a nice warm spot to rise. I like to heat the oven up a little bit and then put the bowl in. Just warm it up. Don’t cook the dough. Some people use the oven light to do this.

Let dough double in size, about 50 - 60 minutes.

Lift & Separate
Punch down the dough with your clean fist and place the dough onto a cutting board.

Cut the dough into 4 equal sections. I use a culinary scale to weigh them. Each hunk should weigh between 1 lb. 4 oz - 1 lb. 8 oz.

Rise #2
Shape each hunk into something round, cover with a cloth, and let rise again for about 10 minutes.

While the dough is rising, get out 4 medium bread pans (I like Pyrex pans myself) and spray with non-stick spray.

Shape
Flatten each dough ball and form a rough rectangle. Roll the dough up like a jelly or cinammon roll, trying to avoid air pockets as you roll.

After rolling it up, pinch the ends and seam closed and drop the loaf seam-side down into your pans.

Rise #3
Place the pans in a warm spot with a towel covering them for about 50 minutes. The dough should rise almost to the same height the baked bread will be - 1 1/2 inches above the top of the pan.

Bake
Pre-heat over to 400°. Place pans in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake for another 20 minutes.

Bread is done when it’s nice and brown on top and makes a hollow sound when you tap on it with your finger.

Cool
Remove from the pans immediately and place bread on a wire rack. Do not bag the bread until it has cooled completely (it’ll sweat, otherwise).

Eat the bread within 2 - 3 days. After that, the bread will start to have a poor taste and texture. The bread will freeze and defrost perfectly when placed in freezer-proof ziploc bags. Just remove from freezer and let it defrost on the counter.

http://www.spiffyman.com/recipes-wheat-bread-flax.html

For the cake:
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (about 6 ounces
a 7-ounce jar macadamia nuts (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 sticks (l cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

For the glaze:
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup amber or dark rum

Preheat oven to 350F, and butter and flour a l0-inch (3-quart) bundt pan.
Make pound cake:
Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan and toast in middle of oven, stirring occasionally and watching carefully to avoid burning, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer coconut to a bowl and cool. Spread nuts in pan and toast in middle of oven until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool nuts and chop coarse. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy and beat in cream cheese. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into bowl and beat just until combined well. Stir in coconut and chopped nuts. Spread batter evenly in pan and bake in middle of oven 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto rack.
Make the glaze:
In a small heavy saucepan bring water with sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in rum. Brush hot glaze evenly over outside of warm cake until absorbed. Cool cake completely.

For the buns
450g strong white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
75g cold butter, cubed
1 (7g) packet fast-rising active dry yeast
30g caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
225ml room-temperature milk

For the filling
250g dried apricots
6 green cardamom pods
4 tablespoons apricot jam

For the topping
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons apricot jam

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.
Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine crumbs.
Stir in the yeast and sugar, then combine the egg and milk and pour the mixture into the flour.
Mix the dough together, pulling it into a ball.
Knead for 3-4 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
Put the dough back in the mixing bowl, cover and leave in a warm place to rise for about an hour, until the dough has doubled.
Meanwhile, put the apricots in a small pan, cover with water, bring to a boil and then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes.
Drain and chop the apricots into small pieces.
Crack open the cardamom pods and grind the seeds into a powder.
Stir that into the apricots with the jam.
When the dough has risen, pre-heat the oven to 220 C.
Punch the dough down, then roll into a rectangle about 40cm x 25cm.
Spread over the apricot mixture, spreading it as far out as and onto the edges.
Wet the top, long edge with water, then roll the dough from bottom to top into a long roll.
Press the wet edge to seal.
Cut into rolls, then place on a non-stick baking pan and leave in a warm place for 20-30 minutes.
Scatter the brown sugar over and bake for 12-15 minutes until risen and golden.
Melt the apricot jam in a small pan with 1-2 tbsp water.
When it is bubbling brush it over the top of the buns.
Cool slightly and serve.
12 buns

For our Solstice supper tomorrow night I am planning something fairly light as we usually have feasts on this night. For dessert I have selected the following, it will undergo some alterations, subbing brown rice syrup or barley malt syrup for the sugar. I’ll have to adjust the water. Here’s hoping it comes out!

Cranberry Tapioca Pudding

2 tbl quick-cooking tapioca
1 1/2 cup water
2 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 tsp pure orange extract
1/2 cup sugar

Combine tapioca and water in a saucepan; let stand 5 minutes.
Bring to a boil and simmer 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add cranberries and cook until all berries have popped, then remove from heat.
Add orange extract and sugar and mix well.
Allow to cool before putting in refrigerator. Chill thoroughly.

This recipe yields 4 (1/2 cup) servings.

(Cardamom Coffee Cake)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cardamom seeds
3/4 cup milk, heated to lukewarm
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg

Topping:
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon chopped or thinly sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and lightly flour a 9x9 square cake pan. Shake out any excess flour.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder; set aside. Crush cardamom seeds (use a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin). If using pods, remove the white hull pieces.

Beat egg until fluffy. Blend in sugar and cardamom. Alternate adding lukewarm milk and the flour mixture, blending well. Add melted butter or margarine and beat batter until well blended. Pour batter into 9x9 cake pan.

Mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle evenly on top of the cake in the pan. Sprinkle chopped or sliced almonds on top, pressing them into the batter very lightly.

Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool slightly before cutting.

Tip: this recipe doubles well, making 2 9x9 cakes. Freeze one, then warm it up for later use.

Makes 1 9x9 coffee cake.

Sugar Free Rugelach

1 cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup apricot spreadable fruit

Cream together the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer. Blend in the vanilla. Mix in the flour. Chill the dough.
To make the Filling: Mix together the chopped raisins, chopped walnuts, and cinnamon. If you have a food processor, place the whole walnuts and raisins into the bowl, sprinkle with the cinnamon, and chop them together by processing in short pulses.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a 10 - 12 inch circle 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured board or between two sheets of waxed paper.
Spread a light layer of preserves (approximately 2 tablespoons) onto each dough circle. Sprinkle each circle with approximately 1/4 cup of the chopped nut-raisin-cinnamon mixture.
Cut each circle into 16 wedges using a pastry cutter or a pizza cutter. Roll each wedge from base to point. Place point down on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheets.
Bake for 15-17 minutes at 375 degrees F (or until golden). Remove to racks to cool.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flours and next 5 ingredients (flours through ground ginger); stir well with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine 1 cup sugar, applesauce, and next 4 ingredients (applesauce through vanilla). Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist; cover and chill dough at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly coat hands with flour. Shape dough into 24 balls (about 2 tablespoons each; dough will be sticky). Roll balls in 1/4 cup sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on pan. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire racks.

Note: These freeze well. Place cooled cookies in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; store in freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature.

Yield: 2 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 123(18% from fat); FAT 2.5g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.7g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 1.5g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 24mg; SODIUM 98mg; FIBER 0.9g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24.2g

Cooking Light, MAY 2001

Pannu Kakku

2c. milk
2 eggs
1/2c. flour
1/4c. sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons melted butter

Beat eggs well then add sugar, salt, vanilla, flour, milk and butter.
Mix well and turn out into a greased pan (I use a pie plate and cook it an additional 10 min) (If doubling the recipe a 9inx13in pan works well) Bake in a 400* oven for 40 min or until custard has set and top is golden brown.
Serve warm sprinkled with icing sugar, spread with preserves or drizzled with maple syrup.