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Greetings and Welcome to Morte's Morsels!
Here you'll find new recipes every issue, everything
from tried and true standards to new creations. I love
to cook and was taught by a woman who defines the term
domestic goddess, my mom. Most of my recipes are simple,
home style and NOT low fat but they’re ALL taste.
These recipes are from a Tea party I hosted recently.
We had a lot of fun planning the menu and I think everything
turned out well. I’ll provide the complete menu and
select recipes below. I would also like to give credit
to our own Karistan for always being willing to pitch
in and help me try out a new recipe, as well as cleaning
the watercress (see comments below) and so much more.
And to all of our victims… I mean taste testers, many
thanks!
Afternoon Tea
Scones
I think it’s possibly illegal to have a Tea and not
serve scones. This recipe came out wonderfully, light,
moist and just barely sweet.
Little Chicken Sandwiches
A suprisingly tasty Victorian style treat.
Tiny Roast Beef Sandwiches
Also tasty and very simple as well.
Little Cucumber-Mint Sandwiches
Another Victorian treat we found we liked.
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
A decadent variant of one of my all time favorites,
one spoon of this probably qualifies as an entire meal.
Fresh Veggie Platter
Since this is fairly self-explanatory I won’t be providing
a recipe.
Fruit Salad
Again no recipe is necessary.
Jam
Cookies
The recipe for these, my favorite cookies can be found
in our December issue.
Pig Pickin' Cake
A Southern recipe just as much at home at a Tea as the
“pig pickin'” (pig roast) it’s traditionally served
at. This is also a great summer recipe.
Chocolate to the 3rd
Degree (cake)
Decadent, rich and moist, if you love chocolate you
can’t miss this recipe.
Crème Puffs
We cheated and bought these at a bakery to save time;
maybe in a future issue I’ll dust off my mom’s excellent
recipe for this great dessert
Lemon Bread and Banana Bread
Two classic versions of quick bread.
Scones
Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 egg
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly
grease two baking sheets. In a small bowl, stir together
sour cream and baking soda.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder,
cream of tartar and salt. Cut in butter with a knife,
pastry blender or potato masher. Combine egg with sour
cream mixture; stir into flour mixture until moistened.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead
briefly. Roll dough out into a 3/4 inch thick round.
Cut into 12 wedge shaped pieces and place pieces on
prepared baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until
golden brown.
Little Chicken Sandwiches
Ingredients:
2 slices of Thin Sliced White Bread for every 4 little
sandwiches you need.
Cream Cheese with Chives
Watercress
Cucumbers
Thick Sliced Deli Chicken
Directions:
Peel and slice the cucumbers. I would recommend cutting
each cucumber in half and slicing it the long way so
slices are vaguely square.
Remove watercress leaves from stems. This takes a looong
time. We decided that Victorian ladies had kitchen maids
JUST to do this since they ate so much of the stuff.
Spread both pieces of bread with the cream cheese followed
by the watercress. On one piece place cucumbers then
the chicken. Place the other slice on top and press
lightly on top while cutting off the crusts. Cut into
4 smaller pieces (we cute these sandwiches into squares
and the cucumber into triangles so they were easily
distinguished)
Tiny Roast Beef Sandwiches
Ingredients:
2 slices of 12 grain bread for every 4 sandwiches
Good Mild but Tangy Mustard
Thinly Slices Roast Beef
Directions:
Spread Mustard on both pieces of bread place roast
beef on top of mustard on one slice. Place other slice
on top and cut off crusts while pressing lightly down
on top of sandwich. Cut into 4 pieces.
Little Cucumber-Mint
Sandwiches
Ingredients:
Butter, softened
Fresh Mint chopped
2 slices of thinly sliced white bread for every 4 sandwiches
desired
Directions:
Stir mint into butter combining thoroughly.
Slice cucumbers, again we recommend the procedure mentioned
above, after peeling cut each cucumber in half and slice
the long way for vaguely square slices.
Place cucumber on one slice of bread, cover with the
other and cut off crusts while pressing lightly on top
of the sandwich. Cut into 4 pieces.
Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients:
4 C. (8 to 10) tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped,
or 4 C. canned whole tomatoes, crushed
4 C. tomato juice
1 can (about 1 ½ C.) chicken broth
12 to 14 washed fresh basil leaves
1 C. heavy cream
1/4 pound sweet, unsalted butter
salt to taste
1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. Minced garlic
Directions:
Combine tomatoes, juice/and or stock in saucepan. Add
garlic. Simmer 30 minutes. Puree, along with the basil
leaves, in small batches, in blender, food processor
(we used a hand-held blender, right in the cooking pan).
Return to saucepan and add cream and butter, while
stirring over low heat.
We’ve had tremendous success with this recipe at various
potlucks; we serve it in a crock-pot to keep it warm.
Chocolate to the
3rd Degree
Ingredients:
One fudge/dark chocolate cake mix
1 package *instant* chocolate pudding mix
16oz Sour cream
3 eggs
1/3 C vegetable oil
1/2 cup chocolate liqueur (I use Godiva)
1 bag chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 grease and "flour" a
10-inch bundt pan (it has to be a bundt pan) but use
baking cocoa instead of flour
Combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil,
and chocolate liqueur. Beat until well blended
Fold in chocolate chips the batter will be VERY thick.
Spoon into bundt pan and smooth
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes (usual drill)
cool 10 minutes in pan and then cool cake on a wire
rack.
Pig Pickin' Cake
Ingredients:
1 YELLOW cake mix
1 can mandarin oranges (do NOT drain)
1/2 C oil
4 eggs
Directions:
Combine above ingredients and bake according to mix
instructions in two 8 or 9 inch round pans. When completely
cool remove the top of ONE cake and slice both into
two layers.
Combine:
1 can crushed pineapple VERY well drained
1 large packet INSTANT vanilla pudding
Stir until pudding is completely combined with pineapple
and then add to
1 LARGE tub of Cool Whip
Layer icing between layers of cake, securing with straws
and frost with remainder
This has to be kept refrigerated
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