Saturday, December 27, 2008

La Buche De Noel

Hannahlily makes Buche De Noel every Christmas Eve. She uses the french recipe but has translated it into English.
Le Gateau

ingrededients:
6 blancs
6 jaunes
3/4 tasse de sucre
1/3 tasse de cacao
1 1/2 t vanille
peu de sel
1) Grasser: 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 poele. Linez avec papier. Grassez le papier.
2) Mettez le four a 375
3) Fouettez les blancs avec un batteaur electrique. Ajoutey 1/4 tasse de sucre, 2 cuillerees a soupe a la fois.
4) Fouettez les jaunes (epais). Ajoutez une 1/2 tasse de sucre, 2 cuilerees a soupe a la fois.
5) Ajoutez le cacao, la vanille, et le sel.
6) Melangez les blacs et les jaunes avec un fouet.
7) Mettez dans le plat: au four-15 min. Touchez avec la doigt.
8) Prennez une serviette. Sau poudrez avec du sucre en poudre.
9) Roulez le gateau dans la serviette.
10) Restez le gateau pour 1/2 heure.
La Creme
ingredients:
1 1/2 tasse de creme
1/2 tasse de scure en poudre
1/4 tasse cacao
2 t cafe
1 t vanille
1) Fouettez la creme et ajoutez les autres ingredients.
2) Mettez la creme dans le gateau et roulez le gauteau.
La Buche De Noel

6 egg whites ¾ cup sugar 1 ½ t vanilla
6 egg yolks 1/3 cup cocoa powder pinch of salt


1) Grease a 15 ½ x 10 ½ x 1 inch jelly role pan. Line the pan with wax paper. Grease the wax paper.
2) Preheat the oven to 375
3) Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Continue beating while gradually adding ¼ cup of the sugar until stiff peaks form.
4) Beat the egg yolks while gradually adding the remaining ½ cup sugar.
5) Sift the cocoa powder over the egg yolk mixture. Add the vanilla and salt and mix together.
6) Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture.
7) Spread the cake batter into the jelly role pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
8) Spread out a clean dish towel and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar.
9) As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, invert onto the dish towel and remove the wax paper.
10) Roll up the cake in the dish towel and rest for 30 minutes.

La crème

1 ½ cups whipping cream 2 t instant coffee (optional)
½ cup powdered sugar 1 t vanilla
¼ cup cocoa powder

1) Whip the cream until it is stiff
2) Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa over the whipped cream.
3) Add the coffee and vanilla to the cream and mix until well blended
4) Unroll the cake
5) Spread the whipped cream over the cake and reroll the cake (but without the dish towel this time)
6) Transfer the rolled cake to a platter and dust the top with powdered sugar (to look like snow!)

Monday, December 22, 2008

Debi's bookmark

Debi gave these bookmarks she made at one of the meetings. Everyone was delighted with the gift and some said they made them to give away also. The top portion says: This is what I got for Christmas.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Nothing can...

I printed this list (taken from Lists to Live By - compiled by Alice Gray - reference Romans 8:38-39) on computer paper. The holly-ribbon design was already on the paper. I put it in a frame and display it on a desk during the Christmas season. Simple & quick.
Nothing Can Separate Us
From God's Love

Not death

Not life

Not angels

Not demons

Not fears for today

Not worries for tomorrow

Not the greatest powers

Not the highest star

Not the deepest ocean

Not anything in all creation


Saturday, December 20, 2008

Making Cloth Napkins

Cloth napkins are better for the environment and it is so much nicer to use cloth instead of paper. There's always room in the washer for napkins. It's hard to find cloth napkins especially ones that are inexpensive. TJ Max has tablecloths for $7.99.

A 102" x 60" tablecloth should give you about 15-18 napkins. Another option is to get a table cloth too big for your table, cut it to fit your table, and use the excess to make napkins. You can simply turn the edges under and stitch a narrow hem by machine. A set of cloth napkins make a wonderful gift.


I got a coordinating tablecloth and made a square from a rectangle to use on a round table. We do all sorts of crafts at this table so I've had a glass top cut to fit the top.















Thursday, December 18, 2008

Paula's Peppermint Cake

Hannahlily made this delicious, rich peppermint cake.





The recipe is in the November/December 2008 Cooking With Paula Deen Magazine on page 60.



Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Divinity

Divinity and flowers from Hannahlily
Hannah's Pop-Pop is a master divinity maker. It was a such a priceless gift to her for him to the take time to teach her how to make this special recipe.
Divinity

2 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. light-corn syrup

2 egg whites

1 t . vanilla

1/2 c. chopped nuts

1- Combine sugar, corn syrup, & 1/2 c water in a 2 quart heavy saucepan. Cook & stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, without stirring.

2- When thermometer reaches 260, hard-ball stage (10-15 minutes), remove pan from heat and remove thermometer. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Gradually pour hot mixture in a thin stream over whites, beating on high speed about 3 minutes; scrape sides of bowl occasionally. Add vanilla. Continue beating on high just until it starts to lose its gloss (5-6 minutes).

3- Drop a spoonful onto waxed paper. If it stays mounded, it has been beaten sufficiently. If mixture flattens, beat 1/2 to 1 minute more. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

**This recipe does not turn out well in humid or rainy weather.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Chocolate-Coconut Charlotte

Hannahlily made this delicious Chocolate-Coconut Charlotte.

Chocolate ladyfingers
The lady fingers were arranged in four inch mold. She made three Charlottes from one recipe. The recipe called for a six inch mold but we only had four inch molds.

Coconut custard.





Chocolate Custard.



The custards were layered in the ladyfingers.





The top layer is whip cream.




The recipe is in the December 2008 Martha Stewart Living magazine on page 43.

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