Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Cooking : Breakfast Sausage Roll

Ingredients
2 (1 pound) loaves frozen white bread dough
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground pork sausage
1 pound ground spicy pork sausage
1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can canned mushrooms
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons water

Directions
Rub the frozen bread dough with vegetable oil, cover and allow to thaw overnight at room temperature.
Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Roll out one loaf of bread and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Layer cooked sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, and cheese on top of bread. Leave 1 inch border at the edges bare. Roll out second loaf of bread and place over bread and filling. Enclose filling by pinching edges of both loaves together.
In a small bowl, beat together egg and water. Brush surface of roll with egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cooking : Bee's Knees II

Ingredients
1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
1 (46 fluid ounce) can grapefruit juice
1 (8 ounce) jar honey
2 cups gin

Directions
In a blender combine pineapple juice, grapefruit juice, honey and gin. Blend until frothy. Pour into a pitcher and serve.

Cooking : Blueberry-Topped Custard

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (15 ounce) can blueberries
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Gradually add cream and lemon peel until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. Return all to pan; bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into four parfait glasses or dessert dishes. Cool. Drain blueberries, reserving juice. Spoon blueberries over custard. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch and blueberry juice until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Spoon over berries.

Cooking : Burrebrede (Scottish shortbread)

Ingredients
1/2 cup superfine sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup butter, softened

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice and salt. Divide into two equal parts, and set one aside. Add the flour and butter to the other half, and stir until blended. It should be slightly grainy.
Press the dough evenly into an 8 inch square pan. Cut into 1x2 inch pieces using a knife, and prick with the tines of a fork. This will keep the shortbread from warping while baking. Sprinkle the reserved sugar and spice liberally over the top, brushing into all of the cuts and holes.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden at the edges. Do not brown. Cool completely in the pan, and break into pieces along the lines to serve.

Cooking : Bearnaise Sauce

Ingredients
2 tablespoons dried tarragon
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 pinch salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup butter, melted

Directions
In a heavy skillet, saute tarragon, red wine vinegar, and diced shallot over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture becomes paste-like. Remove from heat.
Combine egg yolks, 1/8 cup hot water, lemon juice, salt and pepper in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Cook and stir until the mixture reaches the consistency of mayonnaise. Remove the mixture from heat. Add the melted butter slowly, stirring continuously. If the mixture becomes too thick, thin with the remaining 1/8 cup of hot water. Add the tarragon, wine, vinegar, and shallot mixture and blend well.