Penuche Walnut Fudge

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.

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The World’s Best Scones

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.

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Pineapple Nut Bread

Pineapple Nut Bread
(Makes 2 small loaves)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1¾ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

½ cup golden raisins

¾ cup chopped walnuts

3 Tablespoons softened butter or margarine

1 cup (8 ounces) undrained, crushed pineapple in syrup
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift first 4 ingredients together and set aside. Rinse raisins with boiling water to plump them; drain well and set aside with walnuts.

2. Gradually beat sugar into softened butter. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

3. Add raisins and nuts to sugar mixture.  Stir in about 1/2 the flour mixture (stir, don’t beat)  just until it is moistened and fairly smooth.

4. Add pineapple with its syrup, then stir in rest of flour mixture.

5. Quickly, but gently, spoon heavy batter into 2 small greased loaf pans.  Sprinkle with a topping of 2 Tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon.

6. Bake for 45-60 minutes. Bread is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

7. Cool completely. Slice thin and serve with butter. Bread may be stored in freezer for several months before use. (Double wrap in plastic wrap and then foil if storing in freezer.)

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Cranberry Orange Bread

Cranberry Orange Bread
(makes 2 small loaves)

2 cups sifted flour

¾ cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon nutmeg

grated rind of 1 orange

1 cup cranberries, chopped

¾ cup orange juice

2 tablespoons salad oil

1 egg slightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Add orange rind and mix.

2. In a separate bowl, combine orange juice, egg, and salad oil.

3. Add to dry ingredients,stirring just until flour is moistened.  Fold in cranberries.

4. Divide batter between 2 small greased loaf pans.  Bake  for 45-60 minutes. Bread is done if top of loaf springs back when lightly depressedor toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Slice thin and serve with butter. Bread may be stored in freezer for several months before use.

(Double wrap in plastic wrap and then foil if storing in freezer.)

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Grandma’s Canadian Lemon Bread

Grandma’s Canadian Lemon Bread
(makes 2 small loaves)

½ cup shortening

1 ¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

Grated rind & juice of 1 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend shortening and eggs in a bowl. Reserve ¼ cup sugar, and sift remaining 1 cup of sugar with baking powder, salt and flour. Add to egg mixture along with milk and mix well.

2. Stir in grated lemon peel and pour into 2 small greased loaf pans. Bake for 45-60 minutes. Bread is done if top springs back when lightly depressed or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

3. Combine lemon juice with remaining ¼ cup of sugar and mix well. Spoon lemon glaze slowly over hot lemon bread so glaze will soak into cake. Cool completely. Slice thin and serve with butter. Bread may be stored in freezer for several months before use.

(Double wrap in plastic wrap and then foil if storing in freezer.)

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Grandma’s Christmas Nut Cake

Grandma’s Christmas Nut Cake
Make this delicious cake 2 weeks before your tea party.

(makes 1 large cake)

32 oz. chopped walnuts or 24 oz. chopped pecans
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup rum or brandy
1 1/2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
Sherry
Cheese Cloth

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Lightly grease bottom & sides of a 10″ angel food cake pan. Line the greased botton and sides with brown paper and grease the paper.

2. Place chopped nuts in a large bowl and set aside. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.

3. Combine milk and rum(or brandy); set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large mixing bowl until fluffy.

4. Add eggs one at a time, beating at high speed until fluffy after each addition.

5. At low speed, alternately beat into the butter mixture, the flour and milk a quarter at a time. Begin and end with the flour.

6. Pour batter over the chopped nuts and fold the nuts into batter. Then pour into prepared pan and bake for 2 1/2 hours.

7. Let cake cool 30 minutes in pan and take out. Cool completely on a rack.

8. Soak cheese cloth in Sherry and wrap around cake. Next wrap cake in plastic wrap and finally in foil. Store in refrigerator for 2 weeks. Periodically check cheese cloth and re-soak as needed to keep it damp.

9. Serve in thin slices.

This cake is not only Grandma’s favorite, it’s very rich. Warn your guests not to eat too much at one time.

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