Aunt K's Pot Roast & Polenta Rounds

 

Ingredients:

3 1/2 lb chuck roast

kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp powdered rosemary

2 tablespoons butter

1 carrot, minced

1 celery stalk, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup dry red wine, cabernet or merlot

3 1/2 cups beef stock

6 thyme sprigs OR 1 tsp dried thyme

2 rosemary sprigs OR 1 tsp dried rosemary

Optional secret ingredient: 1 packet unflavored gelatin

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Cut roast into approximately 4 chunks along the fat veins. Liberally salt all sides with kosher salt. Sear all sides until well browned in dutch oven on stovetop, remove to plate.

Add minced vegetables and butter to dutch oven and let cook uncovered, scraping up browned beef residue. There should be a good bit of steam as the vegetables cook down slightly.

Mix wine, tomato paste, broth, and spices together, add to vegetables. Cook down slightly. Add browned roast chunks into the liquid, along with the rosemary and thyme.

Roast in oven, covered, for 2 hours, flipping beef chunks every 30-45 minutes or so. Cook uncovered for last 30 minutes.

Optional: When you remove from oven, stir gelatin into the liquid and let rest submerged approximately 30 more minutes until serving. 

Store any leftovers submerged in liquid for optimal moistness.

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Polenta rounds

Preheat oven to 450

Slice polenta in chub form into 1/2 inch slices. Brush with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and arrange on baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake 10-15 minutes, flipping once, or until both sides are slightly brown and crispy. Serve rounds with beef and some braising liquid drizzled on top.

Pizelle

 2 sticks butter, melted and slightly cool

in blender: 

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 T vanilla

1 t almond extract

dash orange oil

1 t salt

 

2 C flour

2 t baking powder

mix together dry ingredients, egg mixture & melted butter, whisk well.    Refrigerate overnight. 

Preheat pizelle iron, brush with melted butter, bake 90 seconds each

Pesto Egg Bites

 Spray two silicone egg bite pans (7 bites each) with non-stick spray. 

Into the bottom of each cup:  

1 T chopped roasted red peppers

1 T shredded cheese

blend together: 

5 eggs

1 C whole milk yogurt

4 oz cream cheese 

2 T pesto 

split egg mixture between egg bite holes

One at a time, steam the egg bite pans in instant pot - 1 C water in pot, trivet, then egg bite pan, tented with foil.  Use "steam feature" for 8 minutes, then natural release a few minutes.  

Mr. Tumnus Sour Cream Coffee Cake

 Do you want your tea to be just like Lucy's first visit into the wardrobe?   This was my take on an appropriate cake for a girl and a faun sharing a pot of tea.  

 

 

Grease a 13 x 9 pan, preheat oven to 350  

In mixer bowl stir together:

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tsp salt

freshly grated nutmeg

dash of mace

 

then mix in:

2 cups sour cream

4 eggs

 

Pour into 13 x 9 pan, then  use mixer and beater:

swirl:

cream together 

3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons cinnamon (I like to use some each of cassia and ceylon if you have two types on hand)

1 teaspoon cardamom 

(any other warming spices you'd like)

put well creamed soft mixture into a zip-top bag, snip tiny corner of bag and swirl over the top of the cake.   It will sink in during baking.   

Bake ~40 minutes, until tester comes out clean.

If desired make a glaze: 

2 cups powdered sugar

3 T milk

(dash of vanilla extract, almond extract or orange oil)

Whisk well until liquid, then I use the whisk to drizzle lightly over warm cake.  

 

Pimiento Cheese - Tavern Crock of Cheese

 Adapted from the Colonial Williamsburg Chowning Tavern recipe to feed less than a tavern full of people 

mix together well:

1 quart mayo

8 oz cream cheese, softened 

1 T salt

1 T black pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 oz horseradish

1 oz Worcestershire sauce

1 T hot sauce (like Texas Pete)

1 lemon, zested and juiced  

couple tablespoons chopped shallots or finely chopped sweet onion

~ 1/2 jar of roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

stir in:

1.5 pounds shredded cheddar cheese - I prefer a mix of yellow and white extra sharp cheddar, maybe with a bit of smoked cheddar or dubliner as well

 

Serve with crackers and/or veggie slices.   Could easily be converted into a cheeseball.   

Browned Butter Shortbread

Brown and then cool 5 sticks of butter

soften 4 sticks of butter

 

 Preheat oven to 300

Cream combined butter with 3 C brown sugar

Once well creamed (color light), add 10 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time

Press into ungreased 1/2 sheet pan, as evenly as possible. use fork to pierce all over shortbread.   

Bake approx 50 minutes.    Cut immediately, but do not try to remove from pan until completely cool.

Brew a pot of tea and enjoy!

Soft citrus sugar cookies

 

A very soft sugar cookie, no rolling! 

 

Preheat oven to 350 (convection)

Mix together:

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• zest of one lemon, one grapefruit, one orange

 

Cream sugar mixture with:

•  2 sticks butter, room temp
  
• 3/4 cup canola oil (yes really!)
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

 With mixer whipping, sprinkle in: 

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

 

When that is WELL CREAMED (light color), add:

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 T vanilla
• dash of orange oil and/or bergamot oil, if you have it
• 3 large eggs

Mix very well, then add one cup at a time: 

• 5 3/4 cups flour

This is a VERY wet fluffy dough.   Drop using a 2 T scoop onto parchment on a baking sheet.    They don't spread much.    Spray the bottom of a small glass (or glass yogurt container) with oil, then into granulated sugar and flatten cookie.    Repeat - dip in sugar - flatten a cookie - dip in sugar - flatten cookie ... 

Bake 9-10 minutes until just before lightly browned edges to keep the cookies soft.     Allow to cool on tray.    

Add a buttercream frosting from creaming: 

2 sticks butter

5 cups powdered sugar

citrus fruit zest 

1 T sour cream

yellow or orange food coloring, if desired

orange juice to texture