Mrs. Wigworthy's Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

This is how I make it. The quantities are approximate - I always do 'roughly a pound' etc... To convert to metric weights note that one pound is approximately half a kilo (so half a pound is approx. 250 grammes etc...)

Makes 3 - 4 lbs

2 1/2 lb trimmed and chopped rhubarb
A few tablespoons of orange juice

2 1/2 lb sugar (preserving sugar with added pectin will aid the set)

Juice of 2 lemons

2 teaspoons ground ginger

4 oz finely chopped preserved or crystallized ginger

1. Cover the base of a jam pan with the orange juice, add the rhubarb and gradually bring to the boil over a gentle heat.

2. When the rhubarb has stewed until it is all soft gradually add the sugar, stirring well to aid dissolving.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a full boil, stirring frequently. Keep the mixture boiling hard until it reaches setting point (I use the cold saucer test).

4. Transfer to warm sterilised jars and cover immediately.

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Magic Middles

Makes 26 small cookies or 12 large cookies

Bake 7-9 minutes for small; 9-12 for large

Preheat oven to 375°

Line with parchment or lightly grease 2 baking sheets

Dough

1 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 c cocoa powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1/2 c granular sugar (plus more for dipping)

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c butter, unsalted (or omit salt from recipe)

1/4 c smooth peanut butter

1 t vanilla extract

1 large egg

Magic Middle

3/4 c smooth peanut butter

3/4 c confectioners’ sugar

To make dough:

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In another medium bowl, beat together the sugars, butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg, beat to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.

To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. With floured hands, rill the filling into 26 on inch balls (or 12 larger balls).

To shape the cookies:

Break off about 1 Tablespoon of the dough, make an indentation in the center with your finger, and press one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation. Bring the dough up and over the filling, pressing it closed; roll the cookie in the palm of your hand to smooth it out. repeat with remaining dough and centers.

Dip the top of each cookie in granulated sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass and use it to slightly flatten each cookie.

Bake the cookies for 7-9 minutes (or longer for larger cookies), until they are set. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes then move to wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

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Yule Logs

Here is the recipe that I posted on my blog. It makes a great snack when watching Quidditch Matches or Muggle Football! (Go Pats!)

Yule Logs

2 - 8 oz. tubes of refrigerated crescent rolls
1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 lb. sausage, cooked and crumbled
1/8 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
1 - 2 tbs. poppy seeds
Unroll each tube of crescent dough into a rectangle, pressing to seal perforations. Combine cream cheese, sausage and salt; spread evenly over each rectangle of dough. Starting with the long side, roll each rectangle jelly roll style, then pinch seams together.Slice each log into one inch pieces. Place slices on a greased baking sheet, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.

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Two Recipes

Hello all! I'd like to share with you two recipes. One is a new recipe to me and I modified it right out of the gate. The other is an old family recipe that has been passed down for... um... lessee here... 6 generations at least.

To start with, the Hogwarts recipe:

Treacle Tart (yep!)

the recipe I modified can be found HERE.

Ingredients: (This tastes kind of like candied lemon.)

1 refrigerated pie crust (1/2 box)
9 TBSP golden cane syrup (I got mine at Cost Plus World Market)
*note: if you don't have cane syrup, you probably could use a light-in-flavor molasses.
9 TBSP plain breadcrumbs
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Use pie crust to line a 9" pie pan. Cut off all the crust above the top of the pan. I ran a knife along the top, parallel to the counter to do this. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Put the syrup in a small saucepan on medium low heat. When the syrup becomes a little more fluid, add the breadcrumbs, lemon rind, 1 TBSP of the lemon juice, and the ginger. Cook for about 5 minutes, just until it's almost bubbly and well mixed. (The cooking step can be ignored, but I found it blended the flavors better) Pour into the pie pan. It won't be very deep.

Use a knife to loosen the edges of the pie crust from the pie pan. Fold the crust over gently, without pushing the crust into the filling or pinching it together. Mine ends up looking like waves of crust. If you want, you can roll out the leftover crust and cut it into strips to make a lattice top. Mine looked kinda stupid.

Bake 25-30 minutes or so. The important thing is the pastry being cooked - the filling will simply follow suit. Let cool a bit and nosh the deliciousness.

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And now, for my family recipe. Not one person I've fed this to has ever not liked this.

Paprikasch (sometimes called Hungarian Goulash, but not in THIS family!!!)

4 TBSP bacon grease (you should ALWAYS save your bacon grease!)
Onion the size of an egg, chopped fine

- saute the above until golden

Add:

1 heaping tsp paprika (yeah right... we usually add 2 TBSP or so, laughing all the way)

1 pound cubed veal, young chicken, or beef (we usually do beef, but that's cause we're a beef packing plant family)

1 tsp salt or more to taste (we actually tend to just do a quick sprinkle)

1 quart water

Simmer VERY slowly for 1.5 hours. 45 minutes before serving, add 1 med potato, diced. Five minutes before serving, you may also add the following:

Spoon Dumplings (often called the best part of Paprikasch)

1 c flour
1 egg
enough water to make the dough the consistency of baking powder biscuits.

Drop by scant teaspoon into the paprikasch. COVER and LEAVE IT ALONE for 5 minutes or until the biscuits are floating. (I hope you have a glass lid!)

Enjoy. Oh so very yummy, and now I think I'll have to cook it this week sometime.

As my great grandmother Weinschrott used to say (and I have no clue what it REALLY means)

Ich wunsch, Ich wunsch
Ich wissen nicht vas
Greifen zei sak
Ein gabe fur alles

Cheers!

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