Simnel Cake (Easter Fruitcake)
Fruyte Fritours (Fruit Friters)
Chardwardon (Spiced Pear Sauce)
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups butter
6 eggs
4-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ pound raisins
¾ cup mixed candied fruits
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ pound almond paste
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 egg whites
Cream sugar and butter together. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add flour and salt to batter. Stir in raisins, fruits, vanilla and mix. Spread half the batter in a 9"x 9"x 2" pan, lined with waxed paper or foil. Blend almond paste, sugar and egg whites together and spread half over the cake batter. Cover with the rest of the batter and bake at 275·F for 2-1/2 hours until lightly browned. Remove from oven, spread the rest of the almond paste over the batter and bake a further 30 minutes until lightly browned. Slice 3/8 inch thick and cut into 2 inch pieces. Yields about 100 pieces.
Note: The name, Simnel, unfortunately has nothing to do with pretender Lambert Simnel. It came from Siminelllus, which was a Roman festive bread eaten during the Spring fertility rites. Marzipan balls were placed on top of the cake to represent the apostles, minus Judas Escariot. This cake was originally used for the 4th Sunday in Lent, Mothering Sunday, when servant girls were given one day off to visit their mothers, and take them a cake. Marzipan balls and the top layer of almond paste can be glued/stuck to the top of the cake quite nicely by brushing the top of the cake with apricot jam.
Melt 2 tbsp.
butter
Stir in 2 tbsp. flour, and blend smoothly
Add 2-1/2 cups
thoroughly skimmed hot chicken stock (or chicken broth powder). Whisk until
smooth (this will take some time!)
Add 1/2 tsp. salt, and a dash of white
pepper
1/2 tsp. finely minced onion
Cool mixture slightly and add 3
tbsp. prepared dijon mustard just before serving. Can be served hot or cold.
6 eggs
4 oz. mild white cheese, grated
1/4 cup bread
crumbs
2 large onions, sliced or chopped as you prefer
2 tbsp. butter
spices to taste (nutmeg, etc.)
Single crust pie shell
Microwave (this isn't the medieval part!) onions and butter for 5 minutes on high, or parboil onion and mix with butter. Place half the cheese on the bottom of the pie shell, then a layer of the onions, and top with the remainder of the cheese. Mix eggs, breadcrumbs and spices together, and pour over top into shell. Bake at 350° F for 30-40 minutes.
2
large cucumbers
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. sugar
Cut washed cucumbers into 1/4" circles. Mix cinnamon with sugar, and place mixture in a salt shaker. Shake cinnamon sugar onto each cucumber round. Serve.
4 large firm pears
4 large apples
2 eggs
2
tbsp. ale
1-1/2 tbsp. oil
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 lb.
butter
4 tbsp. brown sugar
Pare fruit, core and cut into
moon-shaped wedges that are firm, not flimsy. Beat eggs with the salt; add eggs
and ale to the flour and stir until blended (should be the consistency of thick
pancake batter). Coat each fruit slice with batter. Heat butter and oil in a
skillet, and saute fruit until golden brown. Drain on a rack. While still warm,
sprinkle each fritour with brown sugar and serve.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2
tsp. powdered cardamon
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
3/4 tsp. allspice
1-1/4 tbsp. caraway seeds
1 cup butter at room temperature
1/2 tsp. salt
Combine all dry ingredients except flour, separate into two portions and set one aside. On a kneading surface, mix one of the spice mixtures into the flour. Squeeze the butter in your hands, and gradually add the spiced flour, working it into the butter on the board, mixing well. Press the batter into an 8" square shallow baking pan. With a sharp knife, mark off the batter shallowly into "fingers" about 2" long by 1" wide. Sprinkle the reserved spice mixture over top, and bake about 1 hour until firm and yellow, at 350F. Cool in the pan, then break shortbread into fingers and serve. Tastes great when several days old, and keeps well in an airtight container.
1 lemon, room temperature
8 firm, ripe pears
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp.
ginger
1 cup water
1/8 tsp. salt
Squeeze lemon juice into a shallow bowl. Quarter the pears and remove skin and core. Put pears in juice to cover all surfaces. Boil water with salt. Drain the pears, and discard the lemon juice. Add pears to boiling water; stir in sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Simmer on low heat until pears are soft (about 12-15 minutes), stirring occasionally. Serve warm or cool. Excellent alone, or with hard cheese and dark bread. Wonderful if topped with Swithin Cream (see below).
2
large lemons
10 yellow dandelion flowers or golden squash blossoms
1/8
tsp. salt
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar
Finely
grind lemon rind and set aside. Remove dandelion petals, and cut them (or
squash blossoms) into tiny pieces. Gently mix with lemon rind. Whip cream with
rotary beater, adding salt and sugar until thick peaks form. Carefully mix
petals into cream.
8 small leeks, topped and tailed and thoroughly washed
3 tbsp. butter
1-3/4 lbs. mushrooms, quartered
8 oz. vegetable or chicken stock
1/2
tsp. brown sugar
pinch of saffron
1/2 tsp. fresh ginger root, chopped
small
2 tbsp. butter mashed with 2 tbsp. flour
salt and pepper to
taste.
Slice the leeks and fry them in butter until they collapse. Add mushrooms and mix thoroughly, Add stock, sugar, saffron and ginger and simmer (covered) until vegetables are cooked. Add butter and flour in little pieces to thicken juices (keep liquid under boiling). Stir constantly. Season to taste and serve.
1/2 cup butter
4 large onions, sliced into rings
salt
and pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Melt the butter in a deep frying pan and add onions. Saute over low heat, stirring frequently, until the onions soften. Add salt and pepper to taste, sour cream and nutmeg. Heat thoroughly, but do not boil, or the cream will curdle. Serve as is, or add broth and serve as a soup. Serves 4.
1- 6 oz can frozen orange juice, partially thawed
3
cans of water
4 cups apple cider
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground
ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
Orange slices
In a slow cooker, combine orange juice, water, cider, nutmeg and ginger. Tie cinnamon and cloves in a small cheesecloth bag and add to cooker. Cover and heat on LOW for 4 to 6 hours. Remove cheesecloth bag. Garnish with orange slices. Keep hot and serve punch from slow cooker.
2 cups all-purpose
flour
GLAZE (optional)
10 teaspoons sugar,
divided
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange
peel
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking
soda
ORANGE BUTTER (optional)
1/3 cup cold butter or
margarine
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup dried
cranberries
2 to 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
1/4 cup orange juice or rose water
1/4 cup half-and-half cream
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
In a bowl, combine flour, 7 teaspoons sugar, orange
peel, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. In a
small bowl, combine cranberries, orange juice, cream and egg. Add to flour
mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.
On a floured surface, gently knead 6 - 8 times. Pat dough into an 8 inch circle.
Cut into 10 wedges. Separate wedges and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Brush with milk; sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 400° for 12 - 15
minutes or until lightly browned. Combine glaze ingredients if desired;
drizzle over scones. Combine orange butter ingredients; serve with warm
scones. Yield: 10 scones.
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Filling:
Pastry:
Prepare and brown
filling
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 pound ground
beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound ground
pork
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 medium onion,
chopped
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
1 garlic clove,
minced
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2
teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to
1/16 inch thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2 inch round cookie cutter. Re-roll scraps
and cut more circles.
Mound a heaping teaspoon of filling on half of each circle. Moisten edges with
water; fold pastry over filling and press edges with a fork to seal. Place on
ungreased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling. Prick tops
with a fork. Bake at 375° for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. Yield:
about 2-1/2 dozen.
Roast Salmon in Onion Wine Sauce
6 Salmon steaks for broiling
1-1/2 cups red wine
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
4 small onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vinegar
Garnish: 6 foils of parsley wet in vinegar
Broil salmon steaks, (roast on a grid iron) about 5 minutes for each side.
Slowly simmer wine with spices, onions and vinegar, about 12 minutes.
Pour the hot syrup over the salmon and serve. Wet parsley foils in vinegar
to garnish each salmon steak.
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