away. She had been one of my best room mothers, I had taught her children, and Andy and I bought this house from her in 1986. On the July trip we stopped in Williamsburg. It is where we each bought Virginia Hospitality which is my all time favorite cookbook. In among its pages I have squirreled away secret recipes and really good examples of delicious dishes. My niece, Linda Klies, gave me the egg nog recipe and every time I have a holiday open house, I serve this ...
Holiday Egg Nog:
6 eggs separated
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
2 cups brandy or whiskey
1 ounce rum
grated nutmeg
Beat yolks along with 1/2 cup of the sugar until thick and lemon colored.
In another bowl beat the egg whites to a very stiff peak while adding 1/4 cup of the sugar.
Fold the beaten egg yolks into the whites carefully then add the cream and milk and then the brandy and rum. Stir completely and serve this brew cold with grated nutmeg. Serves 30-35 depending on how drunk you want your guests to get.
The Steak and Ale restaurant was one of my favorites in Columbus. I loved the taste of their steak or chicken that had their secret marinade. I knew someone who worked there and was able to secure this wonderful recipe before they closed all of their establishments. The recipe makes 3 1/2 gallons and will marinade 128 chicken breasts for 36 hours. You can always cut the recipe down to size, but I will give you the restaurant directions... By the way it is fabulous used on chicken wings as well as steak. This is one of the recipes I used for David's wedding reception, and believe me, I needed the 3 1/2 gallons for the 250 hungry guests.
Steak and Ale's Recipe:
2 quarts soy sauce
2 1/2 quarts sherry wine
5 # 5 cans unsweetened pineapple juice
3 1/2 quarts red wine vinegar
3 cups sugar
4 1/2 tsps. granulated garlic
Stir it all together and put the chicken or the beef in and leave it for 36 hours in a frig. I turned the items more than once when ever I thought of it. Then grill, bake or fry the results. Throw the marinade away--don't try to reuse it for anything.
Champagne Punch is the easiest way to serve big crowds, but look out, this sneaks up on you and you are speaking gibberish before you know it. It is yummy. I want to try this with (Italian)Prosecco, Champagne's sexy Italian cousin at the next party.
Golden Champagne Punch
46 ounces pineapple juice
6 ounces frozen orange juice
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 fifth Sauterne
2 fifths champagne
1 cup apricot brandy (or brandy of your choice)
Have you heard of milk punch? It is so good. I served this at the last Christmas open house and it went quickly.
1 gallon whole milk
1 gallon vanilla ice cream (or coffee ice cream )
2 fifths bourbon
1 fifth rum, medium dark
1 cup creme de cacao
1 quart vanilla ice cream (or coffee ice cream)
One day prior to serving mix first 5 ingredients and refrigerate. At serving time, place the remaining ice cream in punch bowl. Pour punch mixture over quart of ice cream and sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.
LaVonn Rogers was a collector (too) and a frequent visitor here and she once brought delicious cookies for me to try. I went nuts over these delicate, soft dessert cookies, and I thank here to this day. (Watch out, if you add too much flour, the essence is lost and they become hockey pucks.) I try to make them once a year and I love them still.
Butterscotch Dessert Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted flour (be careful here, you can use 3 but probably not more)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. double acting baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup nuts (optional)
Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Add dry ingredients with sour cream to butter and sugar mixture. Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Stir in nuts. Chill. drop by tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet about 2 inches a part. flatten slightly with back of spoon. bake in a hot 375 oven 10-12 minutes depending on your oven. Cool and frost with brown butter frosting. THESE COOKIES ARE BETTER THE NEXT DAY.
Brown butter frosting:
6 tablespoons butter
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup hot water
Brown butter over low heat. Add remaining ingredients and beat together. frost the butterscotch cookies and then eat them the next day and the next and next...
One of my favorite blogs, and I change favorites often, is David Lebovitz's snarky essays and recipes. He is American but lives in Paris and usually sees the city the way I did. Any way, he has this recipe for persimmon bread which is most like the one I tried and liked very much. It may not be one of the best recipes in my drawer, but it is appropriate for this time of year when you can get those squishy (when ripe) orange globes of goodness. He has adapted this recipe as mentioned and I have given it to you in case you want to try this unusual bread during the busiest times of the year--or later.
Persimmon Bread
Two 9-inch Loaves
Adapted from Beard on Bread by James Beard.
3½ cups sifted flour
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 to 2½ cups sugar
1 cup melted unsalted butter and cooled to room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2/3 cup Cognac, bourbon or whiskey
2 cups persimmon puree (from about 4 squishy-soft Hachiya persimmons)
2 cups walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
2 cups raisins, or diced dried fruits (such as apricots, cranberries, or dates)
1. Butter 2 loaf pans. Line the bottoms with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Sift the first 5 dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
4. Make a well in the center then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, persimmon puree then the nuts and raisins.
5. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Storage: Will keep for about a week, if well-wrapped, at room temperature. The Persimmon Breads take well to being frozen, too.
Two 9-inch Loaves
Adapted from Beard on Bread by James Beard.
3½ cups sifted flour
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 to 2½ cups sugar
1 cup melted unsalted butter and cooled to room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2/3 cup Cognac, bourbon or whiskey
2 cups persimmon puree (from about 4 squishy-soft Hachiya persimmons)
2 cups walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
2 cups raisins, or diced dried fruits (such as apricots, cranberries, or dates)
1. Butter 2 loaf pans. Line the bottoms with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Sift the first 5 dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
4. Make a well in the center then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, persimmon puree then the nuts and raisins.
5. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Storage: Will keep for about a week, if well-wrapped, at room temperature. The Persimmon Breads take well to being frozen, too.
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