Why yes, there was a brandy sauce yesterday. Here is another with different proportions, still sketchy directions.
I do feel it necessary to explain that while my great-grandmother cooked with brandy…and other alcohol…she put up a strong anti-alcohol front.
4 egg yolks
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
Cook 5 minutes, then cool over ice water.
My great-grandmother made a mean hard sauce. Not only that, many people would like to know how she does it.
Here is one recipe from her files. It may or may not be “the one” but it is tasty.
1/4 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
1/2 cup cream or milk
Cook over hot water until thickens, add beaten egg whites.
This is an unusual little dressing for fruit salads. You can use it on green salads too if you are a cranberry salad dressing fan. I cut the oil a bit when I make it.
9 tbsp oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mild paprika or suit taste
6 tbsp strained cranberry sauce
2 tbsp sugar, more or less
Beat oil, lemon juice and seasoning togethr. Add the cranberry sauce slowly, a tablespoon at a time. Sweeten to suit and use with fruit salads.
I am not sure who Norma Peterson was in relationship to my great-grandmother. I do know though that this is a fab cranberry recipe.
2 c. raw cranberries, ground
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 cup seedless green grapes
1/2 cup broken California Walnuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups tiny marshmallows
2 c. diced unpared tart apples
1 c. heavy cream, whipped
Combine cranberries, marshmallows and sugar. Cover and chill overnight. Add apples, grapes, walnuts, and salt. Fold in whipping cream. Chill. Turn into serving bowl or serve into individual lettuce cups. May omit apples and grapes and serve as a dessert. Takes 24 hours in all. Serves 8-10.
This is a large large mold that doesn’t require any fresh cranberries. Yay! Boo! This one is better received among the younger folk because of it.
2 envelopes unflavored gelatine
3 1/4 cups cranberry cocktail juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 8-oz can crushed pineapple in juice
1 cup non-dairy whipped topping.
In small saucepan, combine gelatine, 1/2 cup cranberry juice, sugar, nutmeg and allspice. Cook and stir over low heat until gelatine dissolves. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Add cranberry juice to pineapple juice to make 3 and 1/4 cups, mix in dissolved gelatine. Remove 1 1/2 cups to a small bowl. Chill until mixture mounds when stirred with spoon. Fold in topping. Coat the inside of a six-cup mold with Pam. Pour in whipped mixture. Chill until almost set. Meanwhile, chill remaining juice mixture until slightly thickened; fold in crushed pineapple. Carefully spoon over mixture in mold. Chill at least 6 hours or overnight.
And now we begin our week of cranberry recipes. Cranberries rank as one of my favorite fruits. Unfortunately, finding them out of season proves difficult. So, enjoy them now.
1 pkg orange jello
1 pt hot water
1/3 cup sugar
1 teasp. vinegar
2 cups cranberries
1 3-oz cream cheese
Dissolve gelatine in hot water, add sugar, salt, vinegar and set aside to cool and thicken. Run cranberries through food grinder (or processor) twice. Add to gelatin. Mash the cheese fine and add to gelatin mixture. Beat with rotary beater until well blended. Chill. Serve on lettuce.
This recipe is incredibly delicious. I probably would do amazing things for the gift giver who brought me this one. Everlasting thanks, prayers for good health, happiness, that sort of thing. Fabulous on English muffins, on date bread, on ham, on a spoon.
Even if you are not sure about the whole canning and preserving thing, you can do this, skip the paraffin and give with instructions to refrigerate. As with all retro recipes for home canned items, please check for updated processing information from your local cooperative extension service or the USDA.
1 8-oz package dried apricots
1 can (1lb 4 oz) crushed pineapple
2-3 cups seedless raisins
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups sugar
1/2 bottle liquid fruit pectin
Melted paraffin
Wash six 8-oz jelly glasses and lids; cover with water in large kettle and boil 10 minutes. Leave jars in hot water while preparing conserve.
Add just enough water to apricots in small saucepan to cover; bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes. Drain and chop; reserve 1/2 cup juice. Combine apricots, reserved juice, pineapple, raisins, nuts and lemon juice in 4-qt saucepan. Add sugar. Stir to blend well. Bring mixture to full boil over high heat, stirring constantly. When conserve is bubbling rapidly over entire surface, boil hard 1 more minute, stirring. Remove from heat; stir in pectin. Remove jelly glasses from hot water with tongs and drain; ladle in conserve. Cover at once with 1/8-inch layer of melted paraffin; replace tops of glasses.
Another recipe card, another quick bread, but a fabulous one. This does make a nice gift. Do flour the loaf pan unless you have a penchant for mucking up a loaf pan and a pretty loaf of bread. It does freeze well…so bake now and save for the holidays.
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sifted flour
1 lb chopped pitted dates (about 3 cups)
4 cups pecan halves
Beat together the eggs, sugar and oil. Add the dry ingredients and mix together well. Pour into a greased and flour loaf pan and place in a COLD oven. Turn on the oven to 300 and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until cake is firm in the middle.
Let cool completely. Remove from pan and slice with very sharp knife. Or, wrap and freeze for slicing and serving later. Makes a three pound loaf.
Yum! Corn…Fairfax even. Entirely tasty…easy and terribly popular.
1/4 c minced onion
1/4 c. minced celery, simmered
4 T. butter
2 c. cream style corn
2/3 c. green beans
minced parsley
Add T flour, 1 t. salt, 1/4 t. paprika. Stir 1 1/2 c. rich milk. Cook 4 minutes. Add 2 well beaten eggs. Pour in buttered baking dish. Top with 2/3 c cracker crumbs, mixed 4 T butter and 2/3 cup grated cheese. Bake 15 min at 375.
As the middle school girl says, who doesn’t love a caramel lemon sponge?
Caramel Lemon Sponge1 1/2 cups milk
3 tbs flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
3 tbs lemon juice
1/2 grated lemon rind
Scald milk over hot water. Mix flour, sugar, and salt and add to beaten egg yolks. Gradually add the scalded milk, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice and rind. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into an ungreased 8-in. casserole or baking dish. Set in a pan of hot water and bake in a moderate oven (350 F.) for 30 min. Cool and place on serving dish. Pour caramel sauce over top of pudding. Garnish with slices of orange and frosted grapes. This is a particularly good dessert to serve with fish.
Caramel Sauce: Melt 1/2 cup sugar in heavy pan over slow heat until golden brown. Add 1/3 cup boiling water gradually. Boil a few minutes. Pour over pudding.
Frosted Grapes: Beat an egg white with 2 tbs. water until white is well broken up, but not frothy. Immerse grapes, a few at a time, into egg white, then coat well with fine powdered or confectioner’s sugar. The powdered sugar gives more sparkle to the grapes. Serves 6
