Creamy Banoffee Pie with a Crunchy Pecan Crust

Everybody I know in Ireland absolutely loves banoffee pie, and why not? Bananas, caramel, toffee, cream, pie, yummy, yummy, yummy....but what is 'Banoffee Pie?' I hear you cry! Well, actually it's a dish that originated in England in the seventies and has spread through the UK and Ireland as a firm favorite in coffee shops throughout the land, or as the perfect suburban dessert, served as a 'sure bet' after the home cook has embarrased her guests with the weird exotic dish she dreamed up just last night...

But seriously, this is a suprizingly yummy dessert, made with suprizingly simple ingredients that will very much impress your guests at your next party event....

Here in the South there is already a love affair going on with 'pies' in general, so, to sweeten the deal I have added a pecan crust into the recipe to give it that little 'Southern twist' and make a wonderful dish even better, (oh, and I replaced that 'boil the can for hours' thing as well, which can be a little tiresome I'm afraid.)

So, give it a go...bananas, creamy caramel, rich pecan crust and fresh whipped cream...what could possibly go wrong!

(serves 8-10 people)

(crust)
8 oz (2 cups) graham crackers or Irish digestive biscuits (crushed)
1 Tbsp fine granulated sugar
½ cups finely chopped pecans
½ cup melted butter
¼ tsp cinnamon

(Cooked Toffee layer)
4 oz (1/2 cup) butter
9 Tbsp fine granulated sugar
1 ¾ 14 oz cans (2 cups) sweetened condensed milk

(Filling)
3 medium bananas
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp fine granulated sugar
1 tsp cocoa powder (sieved)

Method
1. To make crust combine all ingredients and press the crumb mixture in to the bottom of a large greased 9” pie plate.
2. Bake crust for 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Cool and set aside.
3. To make the toffee combine the butter and sugar and stir until melted. Add the sweetened condensed milk and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes until it becomes a rich caramel color. Remember to stir all the time as mixture can easily burn. Remove from heat and cool.
4. Slice the bananas and arrange on the bottom of the prepared crust. Squeeze lemon juice over bananas to help prevent fruit from browning. Then spread caramel mixture on top.
5. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Whisk fresh cream and sugar in electric mixer until soft peaks appear and spread over toffee layer. Using a sieve dust liberally with cocoa powder.

Enjoy!
Judith

*oh, and if you want to print this out for your own kitchen I suggest copying and pasting it into Word. If you print this blog you will depleat the entire forests of Canada in one fell swoop! ...you have been warned! :-)

Pan Seared Salmon & Dubliner Cheese Potato Bread

This week I will be at Whole Foods in Alpharetta GA taking part in a wonderful event entitled 'Take Home a Chef'. I will be one of several chefs taking part with the goal being to teach and encourage people to cook & eat quality wholesome food at home. Yes, you too can make restaurant qualtiy food with a little imagination, and a little help from your friends (thanks Paul McCartney!) So, my contribution to the evening is a wonderful 'Salmon & Potato bread' dish I created especially for the night. This dish is simple, yet elegant, tasty, wholesome, low in fat and can be prepared in minutes! Don't believe me?...go on and give this a try!

I infused KerryGold 'Dubliner' cheese into the potato bread for a more robust flavor that compliments the delicacy of the fish perfectly, and rubbed the salmon with a smoked paprika for an added kick. Put this altogether with a fresh salad and side of my special 'lemon caper mayo', and you are good to go! Serve with a cold crisp glass of chardonnay, and viola!

Enjoy!!

• 1 ½ lbs salmon (skin removed cut in to 4 pieces)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

(Baby arugula salad with citrus herb vinaigrette)

• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp honey
• Pinch of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups (packed) baby arugula salad greens
• Sprig of dill (chopped)
• Sprig of flat leaf parsley (chopped)
• 1 Tbsp finely sliced red onion

(Lemon caper mayonnaise)
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp capers (drained and chopped)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• pinch salt and ground black pepper

(Dubliner cheese potato bread)

• 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled (1 cup mashed)
• 1-cup flour
• ½ tsp baking powder (sifted)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese
• 1 Tbsp butter (melted)
• ¼ cup whole milk


Method:
1. Prepare the lemon caper mayo by mixing mayo, mustard, chopped capers, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a bowl, then refrigerate until ready.
2. To make potato bread, cut potatoes into quarters and place in a saucepan with cold salted water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Then drain and allow them to dry out on low heat for a few seconds in a colander over the warm pot. Finally, mash the potatoes.
3. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together then add to potatoes. Stir in the Dubliner cheese, milk and melted butter. Knead lightly on a floured surface.
4. Roll out to ¼“depth with a floured rolling pin and shape into a rectangle. Use a sharp knife to cut around uneven edges, then cut into 4 squares lengthwise and cut again to form 8 triangles.
5. Sprinkle salmon fillets with a little sea salt and smoked paprika. Add olive oil to a hot heavy based skillet and place salmon to sear for 3-4 minutes on each side (flesh will be pink and flakey).
6. Sprinkle a little flour on griddle and cook potato bread in small batches on medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side until the crusts are golden brown.
7. To make citrus vinaigrette, squeeze lemon juice in to bowl with sea salt and honey. Slowly whisk in olive oil until mixture emulsifies then stir in arugula, herbs and red onion. Gently toss together.
8. To assemble, place a dollop of mayo on each potato bread triangle (allow 2 per person) arrange on one side of the with the salad on the other. Place the salmon over the salad into the center of the plate, drizzle with olive oil, garnish and serve.

BLT Boxty Bites

So, the sun is shining in Atlanta at last. Shorts are back, flip-flops are here. Fire up the grill and pop a cold beer! (hey, that rhymes!) Yes indeedy, it's time for fun food on the deck and this week I thought I would take advantage of the wonderful weather in Georgia during Spring Break to introduce you to a light & fun favorite of mine - 'BLT' Boxty Bites.

These wonderful wee morsels pack a punch of flavor, go fantastic with a nice glass of your favorite chilled white wine, or a wheaty beer and are simply fun to share with friends on a back porch or as an appetizer when guests arrive.

'Boxty' is an old Irish recipe for a particular type of potato bread, and for my appetizer I have made the recipe 'current' by reducing them to 'bite sized' rounds which I prepare on the griddle then top with roasted red tomatoes, apple wood smoked thick cut bacon, mayo & olive oil. Try them....you'll enjoy a little bit of Ireland whilst basking in the sun!...and as the ol' Irish saying goes:

“Boxty in the Griddle
Boxty in the Pan
If you cannot make Boxty
You will never get a man”

Boxty BLT bites

• 24 potato rounds
• 12 roasted red tomato halves (cut in half)
• bunch Arugula leaves (stems removed)
• 1tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to season
• 8 slices Irish style or Apple wood smoked bacon (cooked and cut in to 3 pieces)
• ¼ cup mayonnaise

Boxty Bread rounds

(Makes 24)

• 2 medium baking potatoes peeled (1 cup mashed)
• 1-cup flour
• ½ tsp baking powder (sifted)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup Kerry gold Dubliner Cheese
• 1 Tbsp butter (melted)
• ¼ cup whole milk

Roasted Red Tomatoes

• 6 Roma Tomatoes (cut length wise)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• chopped fresh garden herbs (parsley, thyme)
• 1 Tbsp good quality olive oi1
• 1/2 tsp sugar (to sprinkle)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Toss tomatoes in olive oil and season well with sea salt, pepper, sugar and herbs. Place tomatoes face side up on a baking pan and slowly roast for 1 ½ to 2 hours. 3. Remove from oven and cool.

Method:

1. Cut potato into quarters and place in a saucepan with cold salted water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 15-20 minute until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain, and allow potatoes to dry out on low heat for a few seconds in a colander. Mash the potato.
2. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together and add to potatoes. Stir in the cheese, milk and 1 melted butter. Knead lightly on a floured surface.
3. Roll out to ¼“depth with a floured rolling pin and cut with a 1” biscuit cutter.
4. Fry bacon in a large heavy based skillet until crispy and set aside on a warmed plate.
5. Sprinkle a little flour on griddle and cook boxty bread bites in small batches on medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side and crust is golden brown.
6. To assemble bites begin by slicing bacon into thirds and dressing Arugula with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Place a small dollop of mayonnaise on top of the boxty bread. Follow with the Arugula leaves, apple wood smoked bacon and then the sliced red roasted tomatoes.

Enjoy!
Judith the I F

(oh, and as ever, if you want to print this recipe for your own kitchen be 'green' and paste the bit you want into Word and print. Don't print the blog or you will 'eat the planet') :-)

Happy St. Patricks Day!

March 17th is here again, and allow me to wish you every blessing as you don the green, pinch passers by, drink oddly green colored beer and raise a toast to dear oul Saint Pat. I wonder what he would make of it all, eh?

This year has been especially busy for me with teaching opportunities at Whole Foods, catering, selling, writing, and of course...cooking. Speaking of which, pictued above is the signature dish I have created for Murphys in Virginia Highlands, 'Braised short ribs in Guinness with shallots & peanuts, on a bed of Irish spring potatoes'. I will be there on St. Patricks day to create the dish along with chef Tom Harvey and it should be fun...

Looking forward to teaching my Whole Foods class also, next week on Tuesday evening (spaces are still available...) We will feature the very same dish and I hope you like it....the beef just melts in your mouth!

So here's to dear oul Patrick. The only Englishman famed for Ireland. A slave who returned to love his captors and in so doing won over an entire nation.

Pretty impressive, (even if he didn't drink green beer!)


My husband took this photo whilst in Ireland last year, and it's of St. Pat at the entrance to St. Patricks cathedral in Armagh.(how many times can I say 'St. Patrick in one sentence?) The place where the dear old saint first established the church and converted the king of Tara.
And again, not a drop of green harp in sight!

So, here's to you! Thanks for faithfully reading my blog and for enjoying food just as much as I do. Don the green!

Enjoy!
Judith xo

Paddy’s Chocolate Mint Pie with an Orange Twist

So here we are again, it's almost S.t Patricks day again and all things Irish are on the horizon. It's also my busiest season with lot's of cooking classes, demos and even an open house to boot....I wonder what ol' St. Pat would think of it all? Not sure about that, but I know he would love this dessert, that's for sure! Hence, the name, 'Paddy's Chocolate mint pie', yum, yum, yum. Oh, and if you know anything about Northern Ireland, and our 'wee history', you'll also get a kick out of the 'orange twist....enough said!

This recipe is also going to be featured in a cooking class I have coming up at Wholefoods in John's Creek, Atlanta. It's part of the menu I developed for Murphy's and I will be putting this together with chef Tom Harvey from Murphys at the event. Should be fun!

So, have a go at this one. It's a crowd pleaser, delcious with the mint flovors blending in the chocolatey base & sauce mix...and it's green. What could possilby be better in March!

Have fun out there!

Judith.

Paddy's Chocolate Mint Pie with an Orange Twist:

• 1 ½ cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
• 2 oz butter (1/4 cup butter)
• 32 large marshmallows (8 ½ oz)
• ½ cup (4 fl oz )whole milk
• ¼ cup Crème de menthe
• 2-3 drops of green food coloring
• 2 Tbsp Baileys Irish Cream or white chocolate liqueur
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• sprigs of Mint (to garnish)
• Chocolate Orange sauce (to drizzle)
• 1 orange (use to zest and segment)

Method :

1. To make crust crush cookies in food processor and combine with melted butter. Press in to the bottom of 8 lightly buttered ramekin dishes or a 9” spring form pan. Set pan aside.
2. In a medium saucepan over low heat melt marshmallows in milk stirring with a wooden spoon. Allow to cool.
3. Stir in the Crème de Menthe, Baileys and a few drops of food coloring. Beat heavy whipping cream on to soft peaks appear and slowly fold in green marshmallow mixture.
4. Pour in to prepared ramekins or spring form pan.
5. To serve pies place in center of plate, garnish with a slice of segmented orange and a little orange zest and a spring of mint. Drizzle plate with the Chocolate Orange Sauce.

Orange Chocolate Sauce

• 1 (12 ounce can) evaporated milk
• 12 oz quality semi sweet chocolate
• 1 Tbsp melted butter
• ¼ cup fine granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp Orange Liqueur or 1 tsp orange essence

Method

1. In a double boiler over a low heat stir together the milk, chocolate and sugar stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat.
2. Beat in the butter and orange liqueur. Pour in to a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

(As ever, please be truely 'green' by not printing this recipe directly from the blog. Instead copy & paste into Word & print from there. That way, ol' St. Pat will be smiling...)

Twice Baked Irish Cheese Soufflés

In a few days I will take another small step toward that perverbial 'dream' by teaching a gourmet Irish cooking class at Whole Foods in Alpharetta. I have wanted to do this for ever, and now at last I'm walking into this role, and I'm very excited (As I'm sure you can tell!) To me, Whole Foods is the 'creme de la creme' for foodies in Atlanta and it's an honor to be there.

So, the big question is?.....What am I making?

Well, I'm making several mouth-watering things such as my Beef & Guinness signature dish with Irish champ, etc...but as a starter, I will be teaching the 'art' of creating 'Twice baked Irish Cheese Souffles', which I think will be a winner. (we hope!)

I made these for my family yesterday and they were a BIG hit! The light 'melt-in-your-mouth' quality of the souffles partnered with the richness of the Cashel blue cheese is a match made in foodie heaven. Then, serve the souffles with a crisp mixed green salad in a warm bacon dressing and you will have your dinner guests begging for more!

Why not try these sometime as an elegant starter, or as a light lunch option. You will be suprized just how good these are!

So, wish me luck at Whole Foods!

Judith,

Irish Blue Cheese souffles.

• 3 Tbsp (1 ½ oz) butter (plus more for greasing ramekins)
• 1 cup (8oz) whole milk
• grating of nutmeg
• 6 Tbsp (1 ½ oz) flour
• 4 oz Vintage Irish Cheddar cheese (grated)
• 2 oz Cashel Blue cheese (crumbled) (or Roquefort)
• 4 eggs (separated)
• 1 tsp English mustard
• ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 ½ oz (5 cups) mixed organic greens
• warm bacon dressing (to drizzle)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 6 ramekin dishes and prepare baking pan for bain-marie (Pan must be at least 2 ‘deep).

2. In a medium size saucepan warm milk, onion and nutmeg and infuse for 10 minutes. Strain liquid in to a small bowl and discard the onion.

3. Prepare béchamel sauce by melting butter in a clean heavy based saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until it becomes a glossy, smooth paste, (being careful not to brown.) Whisk in the warmed milk a little at a time and stir until sauce thickens and comes to a gentle boil. Cook for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Stir in cheddar cheese. Beat in egg yolks one at a time and stir in mustard.

4. In a heavy duty mixer beat eggs whites until foamy. To lighten soufflés stir in a little of the egg white mixture and then fold the remaining using a large metal spoon.

5. Fill buttered ramekin dishes. Place them in a prepared pan and fill with boiling water from kettle at least ½” deep. Bake for 20 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool slightly. Turn out each soufflés upside down in to a large buttered baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

6. To reheat the soufflés bring to room temperature. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle blue cheese on top of each one and then bake for 25 minute until lightly browned and puffed up.

7. Spoon cream over soufflés and bake for 5 more minutes.

8. Plate mixed greens and drizzle over warm bacon dressing. Serve souffles immediately on the side.

Enjoy!

(oh, and as ever, if you want to print this recipe for your own kitchen I suggest copying the text into Word and printing. If you print this blog you may explode all and every printer you own!)

'Burns' the Scots bard, or burns the fat? You decide!

Ach aye! It’s ‘Burns night’, the one night of the year where we dish out the haggis and dance around with a wee dram o’ whiskey (um, which you will need after eating the haggis…) Ooh yes, and for those of you not familiar with the Scottish bard, you can just take my word for it!

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Anyhoo, if you did have a ‘Burns supper’, let me suggest you get an early night and plan to eat a ‘fat burning’ breakfast to get you going in the morning after all that haggis. Don’t be fat with Burns, burn the fat!

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Doctors also tell us that oatmeal lowers cholesterol and provides us with vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidents. So put away the kilt for another year and start your day off right by adding a few power packed walnuts containing Omega 3 fatty acids with a handful of vitamin rich cranberries. Feeling better? Now, with all that guilt free goodness in your breakfast bowl you can afford a ‘wee’ drop of sweet whiskey sauce to pour over the top and start you day off in the most delicious and healthy way! Speaking from experience I recently dropped more than a few pounds and I am not just sharing a recipe secret, but the best kept one for loosing weight! Blueberries and strawberries are of course not in season but they also are another healthy fat burning topping! Check it out! Time to do away with the deep fried mars bars and heavy fried starches often associated with Scottish food and rethink with another recipe from the Ulster Kitchen to break the myth!..

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Go ahead and cook Ulster-Scots, sure wee Robbie Burns would be proud!...

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Ulster-Scots Oatmeal with Cranberries and whiskey sauce

(serves 4)

• 7 oz (1 cup) organic steel cut Scots or Irish Oats
• 1 pint (2 cups) spring water
• 1 pint (2 cups) milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp dried cranberries (roughly chopped)
• 2 ½ oz toasted walnuts (chopped)

Sweet Whiskey Sauce

• 6 oz ( ¾ cup) butter
• 5 oz (3/4 cup) fine granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk (beaten)
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 3 Tbsp Irish Whiskey
• 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream

Method:

1. Bring water, milk and salt to simmering point in a medium heavy based saucepan. Slowly stir in the steal cut oats, sprinkling lightly so the grains do not stick together in clumps.

2. Stir with a wooden spoon until the oatmeal begins to thicken. After about 5 minutes, reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes or until oatmeal is cooked, remembering to stir several times.

3. To make the whiskey sauce combine the butter, water and sugar in a medium heavy based saucepan and stir on low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the beaten egg yolk, whiskey, vanilla and heavy whipping cream.

4. Strain sauce in to a wee jug.

5. To enjoy the traditional way, serve the porridge in small individual bowls steaming hot, with the whiskey sauce and cranberries and toasted walnuts on top.

Enjoy!

Judth the I F,.

(*oh, and as ever, if you want to print this recipe for your own kitchen I suggest cutting and pasting this entry into Word and printing, otherwise we will never replenish the Scottish highlands with those fabled trees from the Braveheart movie at all!)

Creamed Savoy Cabbage with Onion, Garlic and Wholegrain Mustard

So here we are, in the grip of a deep freeze. Georgia is in full panic mode. Wall to wall news coverage of the ice whilst hooded correspondents stand and point toward obscure patches of ‘something’ behind them. Oooh, shudder in horror!

Yes, it’s Winter fest in Atlanta.

But seriously, it is cold out there, and as it happens, it also shaping up to be one of the coldest winters globally! My family in Ireland are telling me that they are having the coldest winter in 80 years believe it or not. So much so that the river ‘Bann’ that flows through my hometown is frozen over! (And it’s comparable to the Chattahoochee in size!) Gulp!

Dublin has run out of grit for the roads, whilst Atlanta never had any in the first place! Go figure!

So what does all this mean? Could Al Gore be wrong!! We will never know, but I think it’s time for some yummy winter comfort food to munch on as we stoke the fire. Something you can make in a snatch, and something that will be healthy into the bargain. Try this…

‘Creamed Savoy cabbage, with garlic, onions, whole grain mustard and some warm bacon dressing’. Yum!

Growing up my mother always grew Savoy cabbage in our garden in Ireland and it was a regular side dish on the family table. My dad used to love it blanched and then quickly finished off in bacon fat, which sounds good, but these days we are all a tad more conscious of the type of fats we consume so I like to cook my bacon separately or eliminate it all together. Savoy cabbage is packed with nutrients and tastes great! Try this easy recipe for a quick warming winter lunch or snack whilst you settle back to watch more ‘winter fest’ on TV…Ha!

Enjoy!

Jude.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
• 4 cloves garlic (finly sliced)
• 1 whole savoy cabbage, about 2lbs (thinly shredded)
• kosher salt and white pepper
• 4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp whole grain mustard
• 4 slices of crispy crumbled bacon (optional)

Method:

1. Saute onion and garlic in butter with olive oil until onions ae soft but not browned. Set aside.
2. Pull off the tough outer leaves of the cabbage and gut around hard inner core. Wash and thinly slice cabbage.
3. Blanch cabbage for 2 minutes in boiling water. Drain in a colander.
4. On medium heat, add cabbage to fried onions in skillet and heat through for 2 minutes. Add cream and wholegrain mustard and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Serve right away garnished with bacon or straight from the pan.

(*remember, if you want to print this out for your own kitchen I suggest copying and pasting into Word. If you print this blog, Al Gore's nightmares of deforestation may become a reality indeed!*)

Winter Comfort Mulled Wine

The holidays are all about people, the cards, the letters, the photos, remembering those not with us and maybe those far away. It’s the coming and going of friends in the home and the spirit of hospitality, the warmth, the welcome, the memories, and the love! Living in Georgia, so far away from my childhood home, my family and my traditions it seems important to me to fan the flame of memory and extend this comfort to others, and one way to do this is with the offering of a hot cup of ‘mulled’ wine.

This tradition of greeting visitors to the home with mulled wine has been a delight to my American friends and I’ve been asked so many times for the recipe that I have decided to post it on my blog for all to enjoy and cheer the soul in these winter nights.

There’s no better comfort on a cold winter’s night than sitting down with a pot of mulled wine drank by a blazing fire. When I make this at home the aromatic warm and pungent spices with orange overtones fills the kitchen and even in Georgia I can close my eyes and am transported back to my mother’s kitchen in Ireland. The term ‘mulled’ simply refers to the adding of spices and juices to the wine, which are all blended and heated together to make a wonderful aromatic delight.

In my particular recipe I use an English Mulled spice called ‘Allspice berries’, and unlike the name suggests they are in fact a single berry and not a mixture of spices. The berry actually takes its name because its aroma is reminiscent of the combination of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. These amazing little berries are mainly grown in Jamaica and are harvested from the Bayberry Tree; but the evergreen tree is actually indigenous to the rainforests of South and Central American where it grows wild. The scent is so good that it’s no wonder it’s found in men’s colognes! You can pick up ‘mulling’ spices in various places, and I enjoy Williams-Sonoma’s version, simply called ‘Mulling Spices’, which can be found in their stores in a copper & green can.

Serve the mulled wine with spiced nuts, cheeses and mince pies for an authentic Irish winter holiday greeting and to give it an American Southern twist make sure the nuts are pecans!

Just the trick for your New Years party, or any winter gathering with friends…
Enjoy!

Mourne Comfort Mulled Wine:

1 (750ml) bottle of red wine (merlot, shiraz or cabernet sauvignon)
1 cup simple syrup
1 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed is best)
2 small oranges (thinly sliced)
6 whole cloves
2 3’ cinnamon sticks
2 tsp whole allspice berries (English spice)
¼ cup brandy

Basic Simple syrup:

1 cup sugar
2 cups water

(Bring sugar and water to a boil. Refrigerate and store.)

Method:
Prepare sugar syrup and set aside (ready for the next pot).

Place cloves, allspice berries and cinnamon or 2 Tbsp store bought mulling spices in a large tea leaf filter bag or tie in a small piece of cheesecloth. Slice oranges.

Heat the wine in a medium saucepan but do not allow it to boil. Add the orange juice, simple sugar syrup, thinly sliced oranges and spices and infuse for 20 minutes.

Add the brandy and taste to see if it needs a little more simple syrup.

Ladel in to punch cups and serve.

(*Remember, if you wish to print this recipe out for your own kitchen, I suggest you copy and paste it into Word. If you print this blog you will deforest Sweden, Norway and Lapland and we'll have no Christmas trees next year!)

Enjoy!
J the I F

Irish Butter Vanilla Fudge

‘Tis the season for our favorite sweet treat!

Oh yes, it’s chilly outside (even in Georgia!) and it’s that time of year for our Christmas traditions. The kinds of things that conjure up childhood memories and make the holidays ‘bright’, such as sharing community, being with family and eating together (eating lots together!). And of course, it’s a time for indulging just a little more with sweet treats to be eaten around the Christmas tree and drinking yummy hot chocolate, right? (We’ll go back to broccoli in January, along with the new Gym membership!)

Everyone seems to have that special secret sweet treat they make once a year, and for me that means getting out my saucepan, wooden spoon, candy thermometer, and reaching in to my pantry for those three simple ingredients, butter, sugar and milk. Oh yes, ‘Irish Butter Fudge’, nothing like it! My kids get excited now when they smell the browned boiling butter and sugar, and begin to count the hours until it’s ready to cut and eat. And As a child I remember taking turns with my mother to beat the fudge in to perfect submission after it had reached the soft ball stage. Oh yes, it’s worth it just for the wonderful aromas that will fill your home when you prepare this. Very ‘Christmassy’

When I moved to the South the common love of both fried foods and sweets between the Irish and Southern diets made it easy to discover an endless availability in country stores of home made fudge, and we enjoy the American fudge. However, it’s very different from the Irish variety. In my experience American fudge recipes generally have marshmallow cream and come like ice cream in many flavors like rocky road, peanut butter, pumpkin or filled with nuts. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just that when it comes to fudge the Irish are purists and feel you should not add to or change a good thing. I suppose, the closest thing I have tasted in the American South to Irish Fudge is New Orleans Praline.

My fudge was debuted at my Holiday Open House recently and I could not make it fast enough to sell to my friends and loyal customers. I have also incorporated the fudge in to an Oatmeal banana scone recipe for my cook book which could be best described like buttered banana bread with of course a totally Irish twist.

So loosen the belt and enjoy the season!
Merry Christmas!

Irish Butter Vanilla Fudge

· 10 oz unsalted butter
· 1 large tin (396g) sweetened condensed milk
· 7 fluid oz (200 g) whole milk
· 40 oz (5 cups) sugar
· 1 tsp vanilla

Method

1. Grease a 11x7x1.5’ pan.
2. In a medium saucepan combine butter, milk, sweetened condensed milk and sugar and bring to a boil.
3. When fudge reaches 115 degrees C on a candy thermometer begin to stir fudge constantly for the next 15 minutes until fudge reaches the soft ball stage. (to test fudge is ready drop a little mixture in to a glass of ice water and it should form a soft fudge ball when ready).
4. Remove from heat and begin to beat by hand. Add vanilla and continue to beat for about 5 minutes or until mixture becomes fudge like.
5. Quickly pour in to prepared pan. Mark pieces with a knife after about one hour and cut when set after 2 hours total.
6. Store in a dry air tight container (best not refrigerated).

(Remember...if you want to print this recipe for your own use I suggest cutting and pasting it into a new doc. Don't print this page unless you wish to deforest the planet!)

Enjoy!

Judith