~ sweets & treats ~

Sweets for fun...

2010-05-03T10:46:00.001+09:00

Celebrating the love of sweets...

more later...

The tea treats are ready...

2009-04-06T18:36:00.001+09:00

Christmas cake...

2009-01-06T14:46:00.000+09:00

These are some of today's special tea treats.

2008-04-27T10:40:00.000+09:00

Unfortunately, these are too difficult to make, but they looked so beautiful. I do not have a recipe to make these.

Gingerbread People

2008-01-13T10:08:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of a friend

3-4 dozen good-sized ginger people

My modification: I took a hint from lebkuchen and let the dough rest in the fridge or a cold room for 3-14 days before baking (in other words, you can easily bake the cookies in batches). Doing this with honey/molasses/syrup cookies turns a sticky, messy dough into a wonderfully plastic dough which is a dream to roll and cut! The syrup, sugar and spices preserve the dough -- I've never had a hint of rancidity. Who knew...

150z/425g bleached all purpose flour
1/4tsp salt
1 tsp/5g baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (fresh grated even better!)
1/4 tsp ground cloves (omit for Japanese or replace with ground
allspice/pimiento)
6.25 oz/180g dark brown sugar (muscovado, powdered kurozato etc -- ordinary
kurozato has lumps in it)
6 oz/170g unsalted butter
5.5oz/160g unsulfured molasses (Grandma's brand recommended, apparently...)
1 large egg (50g)

Mix dry ingredients.
Cream butter, add sugar, cream till fluffy, beat in molasses and then egg, adding a little of the dry ingredients occasionally to prevent separating. Put dough in a plastic bag or wrap, squeeze out air and refrigerate for 2 hours (or 2 weeks, as the case may be...)

Roll on a floured pastry cloth (this really is the best way to roll cookies -- buy canvas or use a tea-towel if you haven't got one) to 1/8" thick. I roll mine a touch thicker. Cut into desired shapes.

Bake small cookies 8-10", larger ones up to 12" in a moderate oven, 350deg. F. I would say about 170 deg. C, depends a little on your oven.

Cool for a minute on the tray so that they firm up a little, then transfer to cooling racks. If you can buy racks with folding legs, you can stack 'em up in limited counter space.

Lazy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

2008-01-09T10:22:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of a friend

One cocoa or chocolate drop cookie recipe. A candy cane or two, or failing that, hakka candies. Crush candy into large chips.

Prepare drop cookies as usual. Before baking, drop a few chips of candy onto each cookie (don't press down) and bake. Candy will melt to make chewy peppermint chunks in the cookie.

Rugelac

2008-01-07T10:17:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of a friend

8 oz/227g cream cheese
8 oz/227g unsalted butter
1.75oz/50g sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (less if using vanilla oil)
8 oz/228g bleached all purpose flour
pinch salt if desired

Cream the fats together, beat in the sugar, then the flour. Divide in four and refrigerate overnight in plastic wrap. This dough is devilish to handle but delicious to eat!

Prepare filling:
2.5oz/75g sugar (or less)
2 oz/54g light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3.75oz/108g raisins, preferably golden raisins, sultanas
3.5oz/100g walnuts, coarsely chopped
4 oz/113 apricot preserves (jam), stirred up
Topping: Mix 2 tab sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon

Take out one portion of dough and place on a lightly floured board. Flour rolling pin and roll out into a 1/8" thick circle about 9 inches across. Rotate dough as you roll to prevent sticking. keep flour handy. Spread circle with 2 tsp of apricot jam, smoothing out with back of spoon. Sprinkle about 1/2c of the raisin/walnut mixture over. Press firmly and evenly into dough, and cut circle into 12 wedges. Roll up each triangle from the outside in, to make croissant shapes. Slip a sharp knife under the dough if needed to loosen as you roll. Puton baking sheet (baking paper is good here!), point down to prevent unrolling. Cover with wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Clean away split filling and repeat with remaining dough. I bet you could freeze these guys at this point and bake later.

To bake, brush rolls with milk and sprinkle with topping. bake 16-18 minutes, until evenly browned in 350 deg F oven. Can be frozen after baking.

Cranberry Bread Recipe

2008-01-06T09:20:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of a friend

Sift: 2 cups flour (sifted), 1 cup sugar, 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt (I never use it), and 1/2 tsp baking soda.

Cut in 1/4 cup butter (I use Promise Extra Light margarine sticks-it makes the bread really moist) until mixture is crumbly (I use a mixer to crumble-ize it)

Add 1 beaten egg, 1 tsp grated orange peel (I use a grater/peeler doohickey and grate an entire orange for every two loaves.), and 3/4 cup orange juice. (If you can get your Elves to do the grating, it will help) mix until
mixture is evenly moist.

Fold in as many light raisins as you think looks good (the recipe calls for 1 and 1/2 cups, I never measure) and about a half bag of chopped cranberries per loaf. spoon into a greased 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan bake at 350' for 1 hour
and 10 mins or until toothpick in center comes out clean. I never use the toothpick test, but I suppose it is a good idea.

Cool out of pan on a wire rack. keep stored in aluminum foil, unless you eat it all before it cools.

DELICIOUS CHEESECAKE (NO-COOK TYPE)

2007-06-02T19:07:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of a friend

INGREDIENTS

250 g or 9 oz plain biscuits (graham style)
120 g or 1/2 cup butter
250 g or 9 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup condensed milk
4 tablespoons lemon juice
300 mL or 1 1/4 cup fresh cream
1 teaspoon sugar
ground nutmeg or fruit for topping

HOW TO PREPARE

A) TO MAKE PIE CRUST

1) smash or crush biscuits to almost crumb state
2) add melted butter to crumbs and mix
3) press crumb mixture into pie dish
4) refrigerate until crust is set

B) TO MAKE PIE FILLING

5) whip cream and set aside
6) whip cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth
7) mix lemon juice into milk mixture
8) fold mixture into one-half of the whipped cream
9) pour or spoon mixture on top of crust
10) place on shelf in refrigerator until set

C) TO MAKE TOPPING TO SERVE

11) add sugar to remaining whipped cream
12) spread whipped cream on top of pie
13) sprinkle top with ground nutmeg or with fruit before serving

Short Crust

2007-06-02T18:41:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of a friend

8 3/4 oz (248g) flour
4 1/4 oz (120g) butter
1 egg
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cold water

This recipe makes a good basic pastry that can be used for a variety of sweet and savoury dishes. To prepare, sift the flour in a bowl. Add the butter, egg and salt blending them quickly into the flour. Add the water little by little and form the dough to a ball. Chill for two hours. Press the dough directly into the pie dish or roll it out first between two pieces of wax paper. Bake the crust in a fairly hot over 400 degrees F (200c) or as the recipe directs.

SOUTHERN SWEET POTATO PECAN PIE

2007-06-02T18:32:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of a friend

1/4 cup soft butter
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
1 1/4 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecans
Pastry for 1 9 inch pie, unbaked

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in salt, eggs, corn syrup, sweet potatoes, and vanilla. Add 1 cup of the nuts and pour into pastry lined pie pan. Sprinkle remaining nuts over top.

Bake preheated 375 F oven for 50 to 55 minutes.

Last-minute Christmas Fruitcake

2007-06-02T18:16:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of Sandy

Here is a very easy fruitcake to make for Xmas. I sent the recipe to several people told me they had tried it successfully. Dare I say - it is even better than the ones my mum makes!!

1 1/2 cups of any combination of dried fruit (e.g. raisins, sultanas, pitted chopped prunes, candied peel, candied cherries, etc.) 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped nuts (I like walnuts and almonds) 1 medium carrot, grated (makes the mixture nice and moist) 1/3 cup of rum, whiskey or any other boozy beverage, or orange juice if you prefer
1 3/4 cups of flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (omit if you don't have any!) 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large can of crushed pineapple, drained

In a microwave-proof bowl, mix dried fruit, nuts, carrot and boozy beverge (or OJ). Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 2 mins. (Or leave the mixture overnight at room temperature.) Preheat oven to 170 deg. and grease a cake tin with butter. Mix flour, baking powder, spices and sugar in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix eggs, oil and pineapple, and then add to flour mixture. Finally add dried fruit, and mix everything together until just moist. (It will be lumpy.) Turn batter into cake tin and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours until a chopstick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins, then run a knife round the edge of the tin and turn out the cake to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap or foil and keep in the fridge until needed.

my friend also notes:
In New Zealand, we would cover the cake with marzipan (very sweet paste made of almonds), and then royal icing (highly sweet hard white icing) on top of that. But we don't need all that here! So I usually just drizzle a simple icing over the cake and serve it with candles on Xmas Day. My mum would think this was highly strange, but somehow candles on cakes at Xmas seems quite normal after living in Japan!

LAST-MINUTE CHRISTMAS CAKE

2007-06-02T17:53:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of a friend

- 1 1/2 cups of mixed fruit (raisins, sultanas, candied peel, cherries, chopped prunes, whatever you have)
- 1/2 cup of roughly chopped nuts (I use almonds and/or walnuts)
- 1 small carrot, grated (can be omitted but helps to make it moist)
- 1/3 cup of rum, brandy or other boozy beverage, or orange juice if you prefer
- 1 3/4 cups of flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 small can of pineapple, drained and roughly chopped

Mix the mixed fruit, nuts and carrot and boozy beverage (or juice) in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high, covered with plastic wrap, for 2 mins.(Or cover and leave overnight at room temperature.)

Preheat oven to 350F (170C) deg, and grease your tin (loaf pan or round pan both work
OK). Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl. Mix eggs
with oil and pineapple in another bowl, and pour into the centre of the flour
mixture. Add fruit mixture, and combine everything until moist. (Batter will
be lumpy) Pour into tin and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, till a knife inserted
in the centre comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins in tin and then turn out the
cake and cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap well and refrigerate.

Decorate as you wish - I just drizzle over some icing and add candles for Xmas, but
marzipan (yum) or even just whipped cream would be fine!

Chocolate cake without eggs

2007-06-02T17:47:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of a friend

2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups WARM water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

Mix the dry ingredients and then add the liquid ingredients.

Bake 180 C for 30 min. or until done.

Warm water, means not at the boiling point but quite hot (60 C). As
for vinegar I used the "genmai su" (white vinegar).

Cranberry Delight

2007-06-02T16:43:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of a friend

3 cups unpeeled apples -- chopped
2 cups raw cranberries
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats -- uncooked
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter or margarine -- melted

Combine apples, cranberries and sugar in a
2 quart buttered casserole. In a separate bowl, mix oats, brown sugar,
flour , pecans, and melted butter. Top fruit mixture with oat mixture.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake 1 hour or until bubbly and lightly browned.

6-minute chocolate cake

2007-06-02T10:51:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of a friend

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking SODA
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup cold water or brewed coffee
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vinegar

glaze (not necessary)
1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup hot water OR milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F (170C)
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar into an ungreased
8-inch square or a 9-inch round baking pan. In a 2 cup measuring cup,
measure and mix together the cold water or coffee and vanilla. Pour into
baking pan and mix batter with a fork or small whisk. When the batter is
smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. There will be pale swirls in the
batter where the baking soda and vinegar are reacting. Stir just until the
vinegar is distributed throughout the batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Set cake aside to cool. Reset the oven to 300 if you choose to make the glaze. For the glaze melt the chocolate in a small oven proof bowl for about 15 minutes. Stir in the hot liquid and the vanilla until smooth. Spoon over cooled cake and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Chocolate yogurt fruit parfait

2006-12-27T15:05:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of a friend

2 cups fruit cocktail
2 cups plain yogurt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Drain fruit cocktail and reserve juice. In a small bowl, blend yogurt, sugar, cocoa until smooth.

In a lovely glass, alternate layers of chocolate mixture and fruit cocktail. Chill before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Easy, Easy Fudge

2006-12-04T19:25:00.000+09:00

From the kitchen of Vickie

3 cup chocolate chip morsels
1 cup can condensed milk
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tsp vanilla

In a microwave bowl, melt chips and milk. Once melted, spoon in vanilla and nuts. Pour into an 8 x 8 greased pan and cool in refrigerator. Simple, simple but delicious.

Frosted Date Balls

2006-12-03T16:21:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of an American friend

1 1/4 cup sifted flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped nuts
(extra confectioner’s sugar)

Combine flour and salt and sift together. Cream butter and gradually add sugar. Add milk and vanilla, stir in the sifted flour. Blend in dates and nuts. Roll into small balls (approx 3/4 inch diameter). Place about 2 inches apart on an un-greased baking sheet.

Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 300°F for approximately 20 minutes or until light brown.

While still warm, roll in confectioner’s sugar.

Yields: approximately 36 cookies.

Cherry Dump Cake

2006-12-03T06:08:00.000+09:00

from the kitchen of MaryJo

1 15 oz can crushed pineapple
1 can cherry pie filling
1 box white cake mix
1/2 cup crushed pecans (optional)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

Layer ingredients in a 13 inch x 9 inch pan in order given. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

It is so quick and easy for instant get-togethers and potluck dinners.

Note: You can change it by using chocolate cake mix and strawberry pie filling instead of cherry or blueberry with lemon cake mix.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves 12

Sesame kookies

2006-11-21T16:36:00.000+09:00

1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine
7 Tbsp white sesame seeds, whole
1 3/4 Tbsp white sesame seeds, ground
1 3/4 Tbsp black sesame seeds (optional)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

Melt butter. Lightly beat egg. Mix all ingredients well.

Divide dough into 2 or 3 parts. With floured rolling pin, roll each part out very thin on baking sheet or aluminum foil.

Sprinkle very small amount of salt on top. With a knife, score into cookie/cracker size portions (approximately 4 x 4 cm or 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch) or as desired.

Bake in 180 C/375 F for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool. Break along scored lines.

Note: This is a non-sweet “sweet”, a delicious addition with an afternoon cup of either black or green tea, you can choose...

Banana pudding

2006-11-15T12:12:00.000+09:00

From the kitchen of a friend

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
Dash of salt
4 eggs (separated, at room temperature)
2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
40-50 vanilla wafers
5-6 ripe bananas (medium sized, sliced)
1 extra banana for garnish
5-10 vanilla wafers for garnish

Combine sugar, flour, and salt in top of a double boiler. Stir in egg yolks and milk and blend well. Cook stirring constantly, uncovered over boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.

Line glass bowl with vanilla wafers to cover surface.

Place sliced bananas on top of wafers.

Pour pudding over top of bananas and refrigerate for 2 hours.

To serve: Garnish with sliced bananas and wafers just before serving.

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

2006-11-13T16:21:00.000+09:00

From the kitchen of Wendy

2 egg whites at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
6 oz chocolate chips
1/8 cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Beat egg whites till foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until very stiff. Add sugar, 1 tsp at a time and beat until all is added.

Fold in chocolate chips (and chopped nuts, if desired) and vanilla.

Drop by the teaspoon on waxed paper covered cookie sheets. Space about 1 inch apart.

Bake 30-40 minutes at 300°F oven.

Remove at once to wire rack to cool.

Yields: approximately 4-dozen.

Note: Watch your cookies and DO NOT let cookies brown.

Tea ice cream soda

2006-11-13T15:20:00.000+09:00

1 1/2 cup boiling water
6 tea bags
1/4 cup sugar
3 cup apple juice, chilled
3 cup ginger ale, chilled
Ice cream of choice

Pour water over tea bags, steep for 5 minutes, and remove teabags.

Stir in sugar and cool. In a large pitcher, combine tea and juice.

Just before serving, add ginger ale and top with 1 scoop of ice cream. Serves 8.

Lavender tea whipped cream topping

2006-11-05T19:16:00.000+09:00

1 tbsp fresh lavender blossoms
1 cup whipped cream

Pour whipped cream over lavender blossoms and refrigerate overnight. Make whipped cream before serving. However, be careful not to over-whip the cream.

Ideas for serving:

Serve tea in cup and top with lavender cream.

Lavender cream can be served with warm scones.

Add a heaping spoonful as a topping for fresh fruit.

Note:

You can use edible dry lavender. However, be sure to add little warm water to the blossoms and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain off the water. Then, begin to follow the above recipe.

If you desire white whipped cream, remove flowers before whipping cream.

Ice Cream Tea

2006-11-05T19:15:00.000+09:00

4 cup strong cold tea
4 tsp sugar
1 cup vanilla ice cream
1 cup whipped cream

Strain cold tea into a pitcher and add sugar. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours (until chilled). Pour into 4 tall glasses and add a scoop of ice cream to each glass. Top with whipped cream. Do not mix. Serves 4.