Hallowe'en Recipes
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Roasted
Pumpkin Seeds
2 cups pumpkin seeds (approx.)
water
2 TSP melted butter or oil (approx.)
Salt to taste
Optional: garlic powder; cayenne pepper; seasoned salt; Worcestershire
Sauce; Cajun seasoning; or Hot Spice Mix (1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce, 1
tsp. cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 2 tsp. chili powder)
Rinse seeds in a colander, removing, as much as possible, any pulp that
sticks to them. Preheat oven to 350° F.
Put the seeds in boiling water, and let boil for 10 minutes. Drain
really well and let dry a bit.
Toss pumpkin seeds in a bowl with the melted
butter or oil and any optional ingredients of your choice. Spread
pumpkin seeds in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for about 30
- 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy
(some might pop while roasting, so don't be scared). Store
airtight.
Option: If you roast them without any of the above optional flavorings,
you can now flavor them Spicy-Sweet by doing this:
Heat a TBSP of peanut oil in a skillet, add 2 TBSP sugar, and the
seeds. Cook the pumpkin seeds over medium high heat for about 1 minute
or until the sugar melts and starts to caramelize. Place pumpkin seeds
in a large bowl and sprinkle with this mixture: 3 TBSP sugar, 1/4 tsp.
salt, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ginger, and a pinch of ground cayenne
pepper.
Cake
Doughnuts (makes 20)
2 quarts canola oil
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 packet active dry yeast or 0.6 ounces cake yeast
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk
1 extra-large whole egg
2 extra-large egg yolks
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups nonmelting or confectioners' sugar
1. Heat oil in a low-sided six-quart saucepan over medium-high heat
until a deep-frying thermometer registers 375°. Lightly dust a baking
pan with all-purpose flour, and line a second one with paper towels;
set both aside.
2. Meanwhile, place sour cream in a heat-proof bowl or top of a double
boiler; set over a pan of simmering water. Heat until warm to the
touch. Remove from heat; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, cake flour,
granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Make a
large well; place yeast in center. Pour warm sour cream over yeast, and
let sit 1 minute.
4. Place buttermilk, whole egg, egg yolks, and vanilla in a medium
bowl; whisk to combine. Pour egg mixture over sour cream. Using a
wooden spoon, gradually draw flour mixture into egg mixture, stirring
until smooth before drawing in more flour. Continue until all flour
mixture has been incorporated; dough will be very sticky.
5. Sift a heavy coat of flour onto a clean work surface. Turn out
dough. Sift another heavy layer of flour over dough. Using your hands,
pat dough until it is 1/2 inch thick. Using a 2 3/4-inch doughnut
cutter, cut out doughnuts as close together as possible, dipping the
cutter in flour before each cut. Transfer doughnuts to floured pan, and
let rest 10 minutes, but not more.
6. Carefully transfer four doughnuts to hot oil. Cook until golden,
about 2 minutes. Turn over; continue cooking until evenly browned on
both sides, about 2 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer
doughnuts to lined pan. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.
7. Gather remaining dough scraps into a ball. Let rest 10 minutes; pat
into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Cut, let rest 10 minutes, and cook.
8. When cool enough to handle, sift non-melting sugar over tops; serve
immediately. (Recipe from Martha Stewart).
Barmbrack
1 1/2 cups sultanas (golden raisins)
1/4 cup whiskey
Warm brewed tea (enough to cover the sultanas)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
For the dough:
2 cups bread flour
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp dried yeast
1 1/5 cups milk, at room temperature
3 1/2 TBSP butter, softened
3 1/2 TBSP sugar
1 egg, beaten
For the top:
1 TBSP butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
Soak the sultanas in a mixture of the whiskey, tea, lemon juice, and
zest for 30-45 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Put all the dough ingredients into a bowl and mix until a dough forms.
Knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes. Put the dough in a
bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave for about an hour, until
the mixture has doubled.
Knead the dough again on a floured surface, adding the sultanas as you
go until the fruit is evenly spread throughout. Place in an 8 or
10-inch buttered cake tin, cover with a damp tea towel, and leave in a
warm place for about 20 minutes until the dough rises up some. Heat
oven to 375F. Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven.
Cream the butter and spices together until soft and spread on top of
the brack as soon as you take it out of the oven. Let it cool
completely.
To make a very old-school brack, bake into it a ring, a pea, a tiny
stick, a piece of cloth, a coin, a bean, and a medallion of the Blessed
Virgin. These items are said to reveal the fortunes of those who
receive the slice containing it. Whoever gets the the ring will marry
in the coming year; whoever gets the pea will not marry in the coming
year; whoever gets the stick will experience problems with others;
whoever gets the cloth would have bad luck; whoever gets the coin will
receive money; whoever gets the bean will lose money; and whoever gets
the medallion will have a religious vocation.
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