Spain’s Quesada Recipe
This is what I would call Spanish "cheesecake", but it is so very different that I hesitate to even mention that to you. It is more dense, browned top, not as sugary-sweet, with an amazing texture and I think about two thousand times better than what you probably know as cheesecake. For me it is one of those comfort foods that if you know is in the fridge you will want to go back to it and take little slivers off here and there hoping no one will notice so that you won't have to share! I usually double the recipe and jut put it in a larger skillet to back and add about 10 minutes. If I don't double it I end up being way too protective of it. Not good.
I baked mine in a cast iron skillet, but you don't have to, I've made it in a baking dish and it turned out just as good. If you do have cast iron though, I think you'll enjoy the convenience of using it for this recipe.
Quesada Recipe
(from The Taste of Spain by Camillia Jessel)
500 ml or 18 fl. oz Cups Milk (2+1/4 cups)
1 Cinnamon Stick
Peel of 1 Lemon
Butter
300 g (11 oz) Sugar (1+1/3 cups approx.)
150 g (5 oz) Flour, sieved with a pinch of salt (1+1/4 cups approx)
150 g (5 oz) Natural Plain Yogurt (1+1/4 cups)
2 Eggs
Powdered Cinnamon
Heat the milk with the cinnamon stick and lemon peel. When it boils remove from heat and keep.
Heat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease an appropriately sized tin, ceramic or cast iron mould generously with butter and put it in the oven. The sides should be about 2 inches (5 cm.) height as the quesada rises slightly.
Beat the sugar and flour with the yogurt and eggs in a bowl. Beat in the strained milk little by little. Pour the mixture into the hot mould, sprinkle with powdered cinnamon and bake for 45 minutes.
Chocolate Peanut Tart
A delicious dark and sweet chocolate, made perfect by its marriage with peanuts and topped with ice cream it is just heaven. The chocolate is that chewy-fudgey taste bud tempter, a lot like tender brownies on a crust, but better.
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup of peanuts
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons of Honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 pie crust (enough for bottom and lattice)
1. Heat chocolate chips and butter in a bowl in microwave, stirring every 20 seconds until melted. In a mixing bowl combine the peanuts, brown sugar, egg, honey, and vanilla and add in the microwaved chocolate mixture. Mix together.
2.Roll out half of your dough for the crust on a lightly flowered surface. Roll out the second dough, fold it in half, then with pizza cutter or knife cut strips about 3/4 inch wide.
3.Pour chocolate mixture in the center of crust on baking stone. Spread out to edges, to about 3/4 of an inch from edge. Place your lattice strips pressing each firmly into the crust (I ran out of dough in the pictures, you can get quite creative with your lattice, twerling and jazzing up the whole dessert!) when you have laid your lattice fold the edge of the crust over, pinching to seal.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until crust is golden. Allow time to cool as this is best when just lightly warm. Cut into wedges with pizza cutter. Tastes excellent with some good quality vanilla ice cream! Enjoy!
Dreamy Cream Scones
Scones, these are so amazing, and such a staple in our baking diet that I have to share this recipe. I initially printed this off from joy of baking in 2004 and have used it very frequently (probably at least 3 times a month) since then. I chuckled when I read the "these scones freeze very well" at the bottom, as I have doubled and sometimes quadrupled this recipe and never, EVER felt the need to save any for later- we consume these like crazy! We eat them for breakfast, for tea, and for dessert- stinkin' good!
Cream Scones:
2 C. flour
1/3 C. white sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt
1/3 C. unsalted butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1/2 C. heavy whipping cream
Egg mixture for brushing tops of scones:
1 large egg
1 T. heavy cream
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1.)Mix all scone ingredients together, do not over mix, until just incorporated.
2.)Knead dough gently on floured surface.
3.)Roll out on surface until about 1 +1/2 inches thick and cut (pizza cutter works really well).
4.)Place on a baking sheet and brush scones with the egg mixture above.
5.)Bake for 15-25 min. or until lightly browned on the tops.
6.)Transfer to wire rack to cool.
7.) *Optional: Serve with Devonshire cream, whipping cream o jam for an extra enjoyable experience.
These scones freeze very well. (but, like I said about I have never, NEVER had these go stale!)
My Personal Notes:
You can add whatever you want to them. I have made the following variations:
Chocolate chip scones (adding about 1 Cup of chocolate chips)
Lavender scones: add 1 t. dried lavender
Blueberry scones: these are harder to work with since the blueberries quickly mush and then mixture becomes way too moist- but if you are quick these are our all time fave!!! Add 1 cup of frozen blueberries. Fresh would work too, but would be softer and much harder to keep intact.
Strawberry Shortcake: when baked plain, these would be perfect for use in making Strawberry Shortcake
Let me know if you come up with other really good variations and I'll add them and for sure will want to savor them as well!!
Enjoy!
Basic Homemade Pasta Recipe
I have dreamed of that home-cooked, home-made pasta on my lips, and my life is now pasta complete. I used some of my Christmas money to buy the CucinaPro 150 Imperia Pasta Machine. Since the day it was dropped off at my door, every time I have made pasta, in each variety and shape it has been a meal that we have almost eaten in complete silence. I know that does sound funny maybe, unless you know what it is like to eat with small children, at least at our house know that those quiet meals are my best meals. The boys are silent while they take bite after bite and lick their lips and fingers while they are at it. There is nothing like fresh, homemade pasta, if you like pasta you will find homemade pasta a revelation(could I say life changing??), and if you consider yourself a non-pasta loving creature- I dare you to try it homemade. Dare you.
I will include sauce recipes and other tips as I continue to get better at writing the recipes down as I make them, so far I do have a fave though which includes some of my home canned summer tomatoes and cubed mozzarella cheese-terrific. I will need to check on quantities though as I am a handful here and a pinch there type of cook.
Here I leave you with the following recipe, it is the basic pasta recipe by which I have made all different types of noodles and dishes so far- it has yet to let me down. I include it here so that you see just how simple homemade pasta is, so that you will try it and love it as much as we do.
Basic Homemade Pasta Recipe:
3 Eggs (the fresher the better)
3 Cups of Bread Flour
Water (as needed)
Put the 3 eggs and 3 cups of flour into the mixer or into your bowl. Stir until combined, add water slowly and continue to mix. Knead by hand after mixing until uniform. The consistency of the dough should be firm, elastic and smooth. Work the dough in your hands for at least 5 minutes after desired consistency is reached to result in a perfect dough. Store dough wrapped in plastic wrap in fridge for 60 minutes to rest and cool. Remove dough and roll out flat. Use your pasta maker to roll dough through, on largest setting, then double and roll through on same (largest) setting. Turn nob to desired thickness, liberally flour flattened dough and run though pasta machine. Run through your noodle attachment being sure to coat dough with enough flour beforehand. Your noodles are formed! Lay them out or hang them to dry for at least 30 minutes. This drying time will make tender pasta noodles, while avoiding the sogginess.
These will only need to boil for less than half the time than the store bought dried pasta you may be used to. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add generous amount of salt (this is the only salt in your noodles) I generally add 2 Tablespoons or so. Gently place your pasta in the boiling water. Boil for approximately 4 minutes, or to taste.
Stew up your favourite sauce, or just add salt, butter and pepper for a great snack to hold you until the rest of the fam gathers for dinner.
Bath Salts Soak Recipe
Spring Scents Bath Salts
3 Cup Epsom Salt
1 Cup Course Sea Salt
1/2 Cup Baking Soda
2 Tbs. Liquid Glycerin
12 drops lavender essential oil
6 drops Ylang Ylang essential oil
Food Colouring Red and Blue (optional)
Use more or less essential oil depending on how strong you want your bath to be scented. Combine ingredients. I never use a particular order, just be sure to combine them completely so that you have a uniform mixture of relaxation and calm. I poured the salts into pint sized jars and added a lavender flower to the front of each just for pretties sake. The lavender and Ylang Ylang really settle a body down, bringing calm and peace. For an extra charged bath grab your Bible and some worship music to blast you into perfection.
Citrus Blooms Bath Salts
4 Cups Epsom Salts
2 Cups Sea Salt
3 Cups Baking Soda
2 Tbs. Liquid Glycerin
10 drops Lemon essential oil
10 drops Sweet Orange oil
10 drops Ylang Ylang oil
Food Colouring (optional)
Combine ingredients in a big bowl. I realized when I was dumping some of this into the bath, that yellow is not a great choice for bath salts, so I would recommend making this a different colour, or leaving it white. It is up to you. This is perfect for that soothing bath after a long day, read the Bible, listen to some tunes and restore all that faith goodness back into you. Great for relaxation and refreshing of the body too! Just as above I poured the salts into pint size Ball jars for gifts this Christmas. I also left half of the mix without colour and alternated to make a striped pattern.
This is the second recipe I have shared out of our Christmas a la Homemade (a handmade Christmas). I will be posting these up until Christmas to give you ideas for gifts you can make for your friends and family.
Enjoy a Homemade Christmas with your family too! Get started now.
This is a gift idea that I have shared for my Christmas a la Homemade (a handmade Christmas). I will be posting these up until Christmas to give you ideas for gifts you can make for your friends and family.
Previous Ideas from my Christmas a la Homemade (A Handmade Christmas):
Rosemary Sea Salt Recipe
Bath Salts Soak Recipe
Knit Granny Washcloth (or Dishcloth) Pattern
Make a Reading Pillow for the Bookaholic(s) in Your Life
Breakfast Recipe: Pears with Cottage Cheese
Why have oatmeal or cereal everyday? Well, I can’t find any reason for that myself, so we switch things up. Fruit and cottage cheese is nothing new, but I know that for me I sometimes need to see things in order to remember to eat them. That may be just me thoguh. This is one of our favourites, and it is actually quicker than oatmeal. I canned peaches last year in a very light syrup (which I hope to do again this year) on top of that is cottage cheese and then a sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon.
Do you have a breakfast dish you’d like to share? We always are on the lookout for new treats!
Curried Egg Salad Delight
Oh, this was delicious it got two thumbs up from us all. I am trying to work on using up more and more eggs and this recipe was perfect for using up tons, while at the same time being extremely scrumptious.
I tend to just dump stuff into my recipes and it is hard for me to remember that if I want to put it up here I need to measure things out. Yes, I am the "handful of this" and "this much of that" type.
For this recipe I followed two recipes I searched for: how to make perfect hardboiled eggs and Curried Egg Salad. However I never follow a recipe right, and I made some amendments.
Curried Egg Salad Delight (for egg salad sandwiches)
15 hardboiled eggs
1 Tablespoon curry powder (add more to taste)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 cup plain organic yogurt (more if it seems dry)
small jar of bread and butter pickles (I used some of our homemade ones)
one red onion chopped
handful of minced chives
So for the updo, you boil the eggs (with this recipe) and then peel when they are done. Dump all of the ingredients in together as you stir be sure to get the eggs all good and chunked. Don't get them too mushy- a good egg salad needs that texture.
When I made this I used well over 20 eggs. I mean we have tons of them anyway so why not? Now they are all cooked up into something that we can just eat quick and it is very good too. I am not huge mayo lover, and with all the eggs it seems like over- kill. I wondered if the yogurt would give it a strange flavor but I can't taste it at all.
Be sure and let me know how yours turns out!
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