Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Sauce
Posted on: August 20, 2010
Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Sauce
Old fashioned favorite…delicious served warm!
Serves 9.
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening such as Crisco
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses, not blackstrap which is too strong
1/2 cup boiling water
1. Grease and lightly flour an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ square baking pan. Sift together the first 6 ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat shortening on medium speed with an electric mixer for about 1 minute.
2. Add brown sugar to shortening and beat 1-2 minutes til fluffy. Add egg and molasses; beat 1 minute. Add dry ingredients and boiling water alternately to sugar mixture, beating after each addition.
3. Turn batter into prepared baking pan. Bake in middle of oven in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until cake is done. (Tip: If baking in a glass pan, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees.) Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan and serve warm or cold with lemon sauce**, apple sauce, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
** See Lemon Sauce recipe below.
Lemon Sauce
Makes 2 cups.
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 cups water
4 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. grated lemon rind, optional
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan (1-2 quart size) and stir constantly over medium-low heat.
2. After sauce thickens, approximately 5 minutes, remove from heat and stir in remaining 4 ingredients. Spoon over individual servings of gingerbread and serve.
You’re invited to visit Teapots ‘n More to browse a large selection of teapots, tea accessories, teacups, tea miniatures, teas and more.
Lemon Cream Puffs
Posted on: June 21, 2010
Lemon Cream Puffs
(Makes 30-40 puffs)
30 – 40 Mini Cream Puffs**
2 Containers of Cool Whip Non-Dairy Whipped Topping (8 oz.)
2 cups Lemon Curd or 16 oz. ready made
1. Mix together 1 cup lemon curd with whipped topping. Slice tops of cream puffs almost all the way through. Lift top and fill each with 1-2 teaspoons of lemon filling. Add a small dot of remaining lemon curd to top of lemon filling. Replace cream puff tops and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Note: This recipe can be made a few hours in advance and kept covered, in the refrigerator. Other fruit jams can be used in place of the lemon curd. Sweet tart flavors work best. Also try substituting a thin slice of fresh fruit or small berry for the dot of lemon curd/jam.
** See Cream Puff recipe below.
Cream Puffs
(Makes 30-40 mini puffs)
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
4 eggs
1. In a medium saucepan melt butter. Add water and bring to a boil. Add flour and salt all at once; stir vigorously.
2. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball that doesn’t separate. (It will pull away from the side.)
3. Remove from heat and cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition until smooth and glossy, 1-2 minutes. (The batter gets more glossy with each egg you add. Just make sure egg is completely beat into the flour mixture. Even if your arm gets tired, don’t rush this step. Beating the eggs is what makes the cream puffs rise so don’t try to beat them in all at once.)
4. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls (about the size of a quarter) onto a greased baking sheet, approximately 1 inch apart. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Puffs will be golden brown, dry and sound hollow when tapped. Store in an airtight container for 2 days until ready to use or freeze up to 2 weeks.
You’re invited to click Teapots ‘n More to browse a large selection of teapots, tea accessories, teacups, tea miniatures and elegant tea sets.
Chocolate Tea Truffles
Posted on: March 17, 2010
Chocolate Tea Truffles
Tea & chocolate…a perfect pair!
Makes approximately 2 dozen truffles.
10 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped in small pieces
3 Tbsp. sweet butter (unsalted)
½ c. heavy cream
1 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 ½ tsp. loose green tea
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Powdered sugar
1. Place cream and corn syrup in saucepan. Heat over medium heat just to a simmer. Take off heat and add green tea. Steep 3-4 minutes and strain out tea leaves.
2. While tea steeps in cream mixture, place chopped chocolate and butter in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave on high for 30 seconds more. Stir to mix. Chocolate mixture should be smooth.
3. Pour strained cream mixture over chocolate. Let sit 2 minutes. Stir chocolate and cream together to mix.
4. Pour into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish and place uncovered in refrigerator for approximately 1 hour.
5. Remove from refrigerator and spoon 24 equal portions onto a wax or parchment covered cookie sheet. Place back in refrigerator for 1 hour.
6. Pour some cocoa powder into a pie plate or round, shallow pan. Add enough powdered sugar to make it slightly sweet.
7. Remove truffle portions from refrigerator and roll quickly into balls. Roll in cocoa powder mixture and place in airtight container, placing wax paper between layers.
8. Arrange on tray shortly before serving. Keeps 2 weeks in refrigerator.
Variations:
Use Earl Grey black tea or 1/3 cup fresh, clean, pesticide free mint leaves or violets in place of green tea.
Coat with melted chocolate before rolling in unsweetened cocoa powder.
Serving suggestion: Place truffles in small paper candy cups.
You’re invited to click Teapots ‘n More and browse our newest selection of teapots, tea accessories, teacups, tea miniatures and elegant tea sets.
Penuche Walnut Fudge
Posted on: March 3, 2009
Penuche Walnut Fudge
Delicious Maple Walnut flavor…another great recipe from Julie in California!
3 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. Bourbon vanilla**
1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, salt and cream. Sitr until dissolved. Cook until temperature reaches 235 degrees on a candy thermometer, or soft ball stage.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Cool to 110 degrees, or lukewarm. Add the vanilla and beat vigorously by hand until mixture loses its shine.
3. Quickly stir in the nuts and spread into a greased 9″ x 12″ pan. Chill before cutting into small squares. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed airtight container with wax paper between layers. Keeps for one week.
** Bourbon vanilla is a richer tasting vanilla extract. You can find it at Trader Joe’s Market or Cost Plus World Market.
Serving Suggestion: For a pretty treat, cut the fudge slab with a very small cookie or candy cutter like the butterfly used in the picture above.
You’re invited to click Teapots ‘n More and browse our newest selection of teapots, tea accessories, teacups, tea miniatures and elegant tea sets.
Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches with Smoked Almonds
…a tasty sandwich from our dear customer, Julie E. in California!
Makes 48 tea sandwiches.
3 cups chicken broth
2 whole boneless chicken breasts with skin, halved (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced shallot
1/4 cup minced apple (optional)
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh tarragon leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
24 thin slices of bread
1/2 cup finely chopped smoked almonds (about 2 ounces)
1/2 cup softened butter
1. In a deep 10″ covered skillet, bring broth to a boil and add chicken breasts in one layer. Reduce heat and poach chicken at a bare simmer, turning once. Approximately 7 minutes.
2. Remove skillet from heat and cool chicken, covered, in cooking liquid 20 minutes. Discard skin and shred chicken fine.
3. In a bowl, stir together chicken, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, shallot, tarragon & apple. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Thinly butter all slices of bread. Spread 12 slices with the chicken mixture and top with remaining 12 bread slices, butter down. Press gently together. (At this point you can wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the next day if desired.)
5. Trim crusts and cut each sandwich in half and then half again, making either squares or triangles.
6. Put chopped, smoked almonds on a small plate. Spread one or all edges of each sandwich with remaining mayonnaise and roll edges in almonds.
You’re invited to click Teapots ‘n More and browse our newest selection of teapots, tea accessories, teacups, tea miniatures and elegant tea sets.
Mock Clotted Cream
Posted on: February 9, 2008
Mock Clotted Cream
…a good substitute!
Makes approximately 2 1/2 cups.
1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese (equal to 1/3 cup)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1. Beat cream cheese in mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add powdered sugar and butter flavoring and beat well.
2. Gradually add the heavy whipping cream and continue beating until solid peaks form. Do not overbeat.
3. Handle gently and as little as possible. Turn very gently into a plastic container, seal tightly and refrigerate until use. Will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days.
4. Don’t put the clotted cream on the table until you are ready to serve with the scones. It will separate if it sits on the table too long.
Tip: Butter flavoring can be found in the Baking Aisle of grocery stores, near extracts.
You’re invited to click Teapots ‘n More and browse our newest selection of teapots, tea accessories, tea spices, tea miniatures and elegant tea sets.
Brandy Fruit Sauce
Time honored recipe to create and cultivate your own authentic brandy sauce.
Approximately 3 cups of Starter Sauce
1 can (approximately 20 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained
1 can (14-16 oz.) peach slices, drained
1 can (14-16 oz.) apricot halves, drained & quartered
1 jar (approximately 10 oz.) maraschino cherries, drained, no stems
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups brandy (regular or fruit flavored)
1. Combine all ingredients in a large, clean jar with a loose fitting lid. Stir gently with a wooden or plastic spoon.
2. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 3 weeks, stirring at least twice a week. Do not cover tightly. Safety note: As the fermentation process produces gas, it needs to escape or jar will explode.
3. At this point, you can serve the sauce over ice cream, sherbet, pound cake or angel food cake for a regal dessert, or “feed” the jar as shown below. To keep the starter jar going, maintain at least 3 cups of it in jar at all times. Store at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
Feed the Jar: Once every 2 weeks, stir in 1 cup sugar and one 14-16 oz. can of pineapple chunks, sliced peaches, sliced and quartered apricots OR maraschino cherries (10 oz. jar), well drained*. Stir gently. Cover and let stand for at least 3 days before using. Stir daily.
*Add a different fruit every two weeks to maintain a balanced mix. You should not have to add more brandy. You can delay feeding for a day or two, but you should not feed more often than every two weeks.
Share the Jar: Whenever you have more than 6 cups of fermented fruit, you may divide it into two portions of at least 3 cups each into 2 large clean jars. Do this just before a normal feeding, then go ahead and feed each portion. Give one portion to a friend with feeding instructions and keep the other.
You’re invited to click Teapots ‘n More and browse our newest selection of teapots, tea accessories, teacups, tea miniatures and elegant tea sets.
Cream Puff Tuna Bites (or Crab)
Posted on: December 31, 2007
Cream Puff Tuna Bites (or Crab)
(Makes 30-40 puffs)
30 – 40 Mini Cream Puffs**
2-3 cups of Tuna Salad** or your favorite Crab Salad (no recipe provided)
1. Slice tops of cream puffs almost all the way through. Lift top and fill each with 1-2 teaspoons of salad.
Note: Keep cream puffs and tuna salad separate until shortly before serving. This keeps cream puffs from becoming soggy.
** See Cream Puff recipe below.
Cream Puffs
(Makes 30-40 mini puffs)
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
4 eggs
1. In a medium saucepan melt butter. Add water and bring to a boil. Add flour and salt all at once; stir vigorously.
2. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball that doesn’t separate. (It will pull away from the side.)
3. Remove from heat and cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition until smooth and glossy, 1-2 minutes. (The batter gets more glossy with each egg you add. Just make sure egg is completely beat into the flour mixture. Even if your arm gets tired, don’t rush this step. Beating the eggs is what makes the cream puffs rise so don’t try to beat them in all at once.)
4. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls (about the size of a quarter) onto a greased baking sheet, approximately 1 inch apart. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Puffs will be golden brown, dry and sound hollow when tapped. Store in an airtight container for 2 days until ready to use or freeze up to 2 weeks.
Tuna Salad
(Makes 3-4 cups)
3 cans of tuna, drained (6 ounce)
3-4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
Mayonnaise to moisten (1/2 -1 cup)
1. Mix together drained tuna, lemon juice, relish, onion and celery.
2. Add mayonnaise one large tablespoon at a time until tuna is moist and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
You’re invited to click Teapots ‘n More to browse a large selection of teapots, tea accessories, teacups, tea miniatures and elegant tea sets.
The World’s Best Scones
Posted on: December 30, 2007
We’ve updated this recipe at TeaPartyIdeas.wordpress.com, World’s Best Scones Made Even Better.
The World’s Best Scones
(makes 10-12 scones, 2″ or 8-12 wedges)
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter
1 large egg
1/2 cup of cream or milk
1 teaspoon grated orange peel, if desired
1/2 cup of one or two of the following if desired:
currants, raisins, dried cranberries, dried chopped cherries,
mini chocolate chips, dried chopped apricots, chopped nuts,
peeled and diced apple, etc
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients until the size of peas.
2. Add one of the above dried fruits/chocolate chips or leave plain.
3. In a separate bowl, mix egg, cream and orange peel. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until moistened.
4. Pull dough together and knead in bowl 5-10 times until dough holds together reasonably well. Turn onto a floured cutting board and pat out at approximately 1/2″ thickness with hand.
5. Cut into desired shapes and place on a lightly greased baking sheet, 1/2″ apart. Brush with milk or cream and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon if making plain scones.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Best served warm with butter or clotted cream and jam. Store in airtight container if serving later in the day.
Tips for great scones: Scones are like biscuits. To get a tender, flaky scone, the dough should be handled as
little as possible and you should always use cold butter and cold milk or cream.
You’re invited to click Teapots ‘n More and browse our newest selection of teapots, tea accessories, teacups, tea miniatures and elegant tea sets.
Tea Party Recipes 
VISITOR COMMENTS