Swedish Osta Kaka

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Osta Kaka (Swedish Cheesecake)

Traditionally this delectable dessert is eaten on Christmas eve following a meal of lutefisk. Personally I'd go right for the Osta Kaka topped with lingonberry jam because I'm not too crazy for fish cured in lye, plus I'm an admitted sweet tooth. Please enjoy Grandma Katie's recipe.

1 Rennet tablet (Junket)

1 cup flour

1 gallon milk; lukewarm

Dissolve rennet tablet in a little warm water. Slowly stir a cup of the milk into the flour. In a large mixing bowl stir rennet and flour into remaining milk, let set for a few minutes. Now stir until flour and milk are well blended and let stand for several hours or until firm. The cake should be the size of a pint bowl. Drain off whey. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3 eggs; beaten

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk or cream

1  teaspoon cardamom

Add and stir eggs into the cake, then blend in sugar, milk, spice and mix well. Pour into pan, bake until firm and browned; about one hour. Serves 12. Enjoy with a dollop of jam (recipe follows).

Ligonberry Jam

1 quart fresh lingonberries (also known as; cowberry, low-bush cranberry, or mountain bilberry)

1 quart sugar

Add together in a large saucepan and cook on medium to medium/low heat to consistency of jam. Cool

and serve.

Until next time.

Fluffy Orange Marmalade Souffle

Who doesn't love orange marmalade? Sheesh, how could you even think that? It's ab fab spread on English muffins, used for a thumbprint cookie or in this Marmalade Souffle. Sometimes when I am feeling rather child-like I'll even dip a small spoon into my jar of marmalade and lick every last dab off the spoon - mmm, mmm, mmm!

For this souffle recipe make sure to follow the directions so you don't end up with an orange mush.Start it about one hour before you expect to serve dinner.

Ingredients:

1 cup orange marmalade

6 stiffly beaten egg whites

Use a brand of marmalade that is stiff with fruit, not too much jelly. Grandma always had the King Kelly brand in her pantry. Here's a link to a recent Taster's Choice they won.

Butter the top of a large double boiler, set aside. Start boiling water in bottom of double boiler. Gently fold stiff egg whites into the marmalade, add to top of double boiler - souffle mixture should fill half way in pan. Cook, covered over boiling water for one hour. DO NOT remove cover until ready to serve. This can be kept standing for about 15 minutes, with heat turned low, if dinner is delayed. Serve with whipped cream.

Marmalade Souffle Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons brandy

1/2 pint whipping cream

Beat yolks to lemony color. Add sugar, vanilla and brandy. In a separate bowl whip cream to soft peaks and gently fold into the yolk mixture. Dollop on top of the Marmalade Souffle.

Grilled Pizza Treat

Hot Italian Pizza Art Print

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I'll be the first to admit pizza is a comfort food - shh! settle down, it is! This recipe from Grandma Katie put smiles on a lot of faces - mine included! The comfort part came in when we were gathered 'round her table gobblin' these pizza grills down as fast as she could make em'.

This recipe serves 24 - cut all the ingredients by half to serve a pack of six hungry kids :)

PIZZA GRILL

Ingredients:

2 - 6oz cans tomato paste

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons oregano

48 slices cheese

48 slices bread

melted butter

To make the sauce mix all ingredients except butter in a large bowl.

Place slice of cheese on bread, spread a tablespoon of sauce over the top, top with another slice of cheese, cover with another slice of bread. Brush both sides of bread with butter. Grill on both sides until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Serves 24

Tips:

Use mozzarella for an 'oohey gooey' sandwich!

Make em' adult friendly by using a nice French or sourdough bread.

Add your fave spices to the sauce.

And Happy Halloween - Mwah ha ha!

Hot Apple Crisp - Crunchy and Good

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It's Fall - apple season is upon us! My home state of Washington is bustin' loose with apples of every variety - crispy, juicy, vibrant with color. Now is the perfect time to make my Grandma's recipe for Hot Apple Crisp. This tried and true recipe has been handed down and down and down through our family and passed on to our friend's that appreciate the taste AND the ease of this 6 ingredient dessert. From prep to plate in less then an hour too. An honest to goodness comfort food waiting to be eaten!

Ingredients:

4 to 5 apples - peel, core, and coarsely chop

2 tablespoon flour

3/4 cup old-fashioned oats

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

*Spices to taste

1/2 cup butter - room temp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking oil. Toss coarsely chopped apples with 2 T flour and add to baking pan. In another bowl mix in all remaining ingredients, except the room temp butter. With clean hands- this is how Grandma Katie did it - mix in the butter until all ingredients are coated and there are no chunks of butter in the apple crisp topping. Spread evenly on top of the apples and place in preheated oven. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, if you can stand it ;) Top with vanilla ice cream, homemade whipped cream, or pour in a few tablespoons of half&half. Enjoy your fresh baked comfort food - Hot Apple Crisp!

Tips:

*Spices you can add include; cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom (my all time fave!), allspice, pumpkin pie spice. Try 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon depending on how many spices you are going to add to the apple crisp topping.

Best baking apples: Jonagold, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Rome, Gala, Winesap. Ask your local apple farmer for more ideas.

Toss in 1/4 cup dried fruit with the coarsely chopped apples; raisins, dried bing cherries, dates, figs, your favorite.

Till next time.

Grandma's Love For Dogs

As much as my grandma Katie loved to cook she also had the biggest soft spot in her heart for dogs. Ours must have loved seeing her come in the door, because they probably had roast beef and Yorkshire pudding if it was on the menu. I cannot say for sure - just suspecting. I do know for sure that drippings from any of the meat pans had to top off their dinner bowls, as well as saving all the beef bones for them to nosh on the next day. Lucky dogs!

I can imagine that our big boy Buba would have been Grandma's fave today. All 110 pounds of him would be trying to fit into her lap, she would have hoisted up his back legs to help him too. Besides the occasional pan drippings, I'm into making doggie treats. I have a favorite recipe that I whip up and sell at the Woodland Farmer's Market, as well as keep a tin full at the door - they are great motivators to get our dogs to listen and return to the porch when they are itching to run in the woods and chase coyote's.

Here is my recipe - hope your 'doggie' enjoys them as much as our's do!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (unbleached white is fine too)

1/2 cup non-fat dry milk

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup beef broth

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients; stirring until well blended. On a lightly floured surface knead dough for two minutes. Then roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut out into desired shapes.

Tips:

~ Add more flour - a tablespoon or two at a time - if the mixture is too wet

~ I toss in a couple of small handfuls of flax seed and or raw sunflower seeds

~ Use fun shapes like hearts, small gingerbread men, ghosts, etc. People love that little touch

~ Once the treats are browned in the oven pile them all on a single cookie sheet, turn off the oven, and leave them to crunch up in the warm oven for a couple of hours or leave them in overnight.

Sweet Treats

We love dessert in our house. Make it a mini tart, add fruit and you have the best of both worlds - sweet and healthy. These miniature almond tarts fit perfectly in tiny little fingers, beautifully dress a tea party table, satisfy any sweet tooth. Enjoy Grandma Katie's recipe!

Almond Tarts

PASTRY
1 cup soft butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 fresh egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix these ingredients into a dough. Put one teaspoon in tiny tart shells. Press dough around the sides and bottom leaving centers hollow. Fill with almond filling and top with your favorite fruit. Bake 25-30 minutes in a 325 degree oven.

ALMOND FILLING
2 fresh eggs
1 1/2 cups blanched almonds - finely ground
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Beat eggs well. Stir in remaining ingredients.

TIPS
Cut up small pieces of fruit that is in season
Sprinkle tops with raw sugar just before baking
Dust with confectioner sugar once the tarts have cooled
Substitute pecans, walnuts, or macadamia nuts for the almonds

Drop us a note when you give this almond tart recipe a try.

Barbecued Beef Sandwiches- For a Crowd

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Perfect to feed the crowd - your church potluck, a family reunion, for a school fundraiser - this barbecue beef recipe is easy to make. The ingredients are simple and pull together very nicely for a delicious, wholesome, made with love recipe that will have them coming back for more. Maybe you better double it :)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fat or oil
1 1/4 cups vinegar
1 1/2 quarts water
2 1/2 quarts catsup
1 cup brown sugar - packed
2 cups onion - chopped
2 quarts celery - chopped
1/4 cup dry mustard - powdered
1/4 cup salt
12 lbs 8 oz beef - cooked and chopped
100 round buns
1 lb 2 cups butter - melted

Method:
Combine oil, liquids, sugar, vegetables and seasoning. Heat thoroughly but do not cook enough to soften vegetables. Add beef to sauce and stir well to coat. Brush both halves of the buns with the melted butter, warm in a steam pan or a low oven setting. This recipe serves 100 - 1/3 cup portions.

Tips:
~ Make the sandwiches open face - add 1/3 cup barbecue beef to 1/2 of bun
~ Adjust the seasonings - kick it up a notch with your favorite hot sauce