Reclaiming the porch!

We're back on the screened in porch! What a treat after the winter to have a late breakfast al fresco! And what a gorgeous day!

I have some recipes for ya'll....some of you requested them. I'm finally getting around to writing them up. I don't know how to make a link to them, so I'll just put them here in their entirety.... ENJOY!

For An:

AUSTRIAN LINZER COOKIES

Note: most linzer cookies are a round cookie bottom with a top cookies with a hole cutout...then jam in between. I've been making this recipe for years and it's a bar cookie.....with a lattice top. You won't be disappointed. The ground almonds are a must!)

1 ½ c. flour
¼ c. sugar
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon

Sift above together.

Stir in :

½ c. brown sugar

Cut in:

½ c. (1 stick) butter

Add:

1 slightly beaten egg
1/3 cup ground almonds

Mix well with hands.
Divide dough and use a bit more than ½ to pat into the bottom of an 8x8x2 inch pan.
Spread dough with ½ cup raspberry jam. (stir jam a bit to smooth out any lumps)

Roll remaining dough out on lightly floured surface. Cut into strips about ¼ inch wide.
Lay in a lattice pattern across surface of jam. Don’t be too fussy if they break…just patch them up. Baking will make them look fine.
Brush surface with 1 slightly beaten egg yolk mixed with 1 tsp. water.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Cool, cut and enjoy!!



Hot Cross Buns (See here for a photo) (Scroll down)

Scald 1 ¼ cup milk. Add ½ cup sugar, ½ tsp. salt, and ½ cup (1 stick) butter. Cool to lukewarm.

In large mixer bowl, mix 2 cups flour, ½ t. cinnamon, 1 pkg. yeast (about 2 tsp. if you don’t use the pre-measured pkts.)
Pour in the milk mixture and beat to combine. Beat in 2 eggs and then beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl as mixing.

Stir in 1 c. currants (you can use raisins, but I like currants) and ½ c. chopped candied fruit and 2 ¼ - 2 ½ cups additional flour to make a soft dough. Stir vigorously by hand.

Place in a greased bowl and turn to bring greased side to top. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled.

Shape into 18 buns and place in a 9 x 13 inch greased baking pan.

You could let them rise again now and then bake, but I lightly oil the tops of the buns and cover them with saran wrap and put them in the refrigerator. The next morning…tatke them out, uncover, place a clean dish towel over them and let them warm up a bit….
Then bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

When the buns are cool, make a confectioners sugar frosting and pipe a cross on the top of each bun.

the day before Easter

I'm turning this:

into this:
Usually I would have the butcher do this...but I got these baby lamb racks (3) at Trader Joe's yesterday. I did find that I needed to make some cuts between the ribs to make it go in a circle.

That's my part of Easter dinner....well and the Hot Cross Buns for morning coffee. I make mine today...they rise in the refrigerator and then just get baked in the early AM. An easy delicious recipe.

sure signs of spring....

bishop's weed covering the ground







iris pushing up in the sun








ah.....coffee out in the sun








lungwort in bloom







and....buddy's been shaved again!
Who is his barber??

What could be better than

rice pudding?

The creamy, top of the stove, slow cooked kind....you know total comfort food.

I read the article about this recipe in Bon Appetite, but now you can find the recipe on Epi.

I took this to my Friday night pot luck....I added a dish of sliced strawberries on the side for those who would adulterate such food from the gods....

Happy Anniversay flowers

from Saipua:
We celebrated 29 years this week.

Dinner home with Sarah and Eric: I made Braised Chicken w/ Artichokes and Peas with Brown Rice and Barley. For a sweet treat: Lemon Cornmeal Cake....all from Epicurious.

Then the next night....dinner out at our favorite local restaurant: Tuscan Oven.