Wishing you every joy in the New Year!!

Sending you wishes for a happy year filled

with health, prosperity, love and loads of fun!

Thank you for visiting.

Hope to see you throughout 2015!

Anna Sultana’s Three Colour Bar Cookies with Apricot Preserves, Maltese Style

The recipe for Ma’s Three Colour Bar Cookies with Ganache would add a nice touch of colour to any cookie platter.

I was asked if they could be prepared with a different jam or preserves.

Of course… apricot preserves works well.

This recipe is a little different.

It is handy if your 9x13 inch pans are holding coffeecakes and you only have 8 inch square pans sitting on the shelf.

For goodness sake, don’t buy more pans!

Hints:

You can substitute chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate or milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips when making the chocolate icing.

For a mocha touch, add 2 or 3 Tablespoons strong coffee.

White chocolate also works well, too.

Mint chocolate can give a nice holiday touch, especially if you add a sprinkling of crushed candy canes.

Of course you can use raspberry jam, if you prefer.

If you’re preparing these cookies for a party that has a special colour theme you can use colouring to match, if you wish.

Or you could have just the middle stripe coloured.

These cookies freeze well.

                        Three Colour Bar Cookies with Apricot Preserves

Lined 3 8-inch square pans with wax paper and grease

Preheat oven to 350º F

In a medium bowl combine

3 Cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Separate, placing the yolks in a cup and  the whites in a medium mixer bowl.

6 large eggs 

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

In a large mixer bowl place

1 3/4 Cups butter, softened

1 1/2 Cups sugar

Beat at medium speed for 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Beat in

12 ounces almond paste, broken into pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

Beat in the eggs yolks.

Beat in flour mixture.

Fold the beaten egg whites into the butter / sugar mixture.

Pour one third of the batter into one prepared square pan.

Pour half of the remaining batter into the second prepared pan and add green food colouring (about 4 drops).

Pour the remaining batter into the third prepared pan and add red food colouring (about 5 drops).

Bake at 350º F for 20 minutes or until the edges are browned.

A toothpick inserted near the centre should come out clean.

Place the pan on a wire rack and cool.

Remove the white layer and green layer from their pans.

While the cookie batter is baking, place in a small pot

10 to 12 ounces apricot preserves 

Heat over low heat, stirring until the preserves are smooth.

While the preserves are still warm spread half of the apricot preserves on the red layer which is still in the pan.

Top with the white layer and spread the remaining apricot preserves on that layer.

Top with the green layer.

Remove the cake from the pan, wrap with plastic wrap and return it to the pan.

Place an 8 inch pan on top to weigh it down and put the cake in the refrigerator. 

Let set overnight.

Chocolate Layer

The next day place a small bowl over a pot of simmering water.

Place in the bowl

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt over low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator. 

Remove the cake from the pan, unwrap and place on a cutting board. 

Cut the cake into three equal pieces (about 8 x 2 1/2 inches each). 

Spread chocolate on the top of each layer. 

Cool and let dry. 

Slice into cookies. 

Anna Sultana’s Three Colour Bar Cookies with Ganache, Maltese Style

I recently posted the recipe for Ma’s Double Chocolate Cake and suggested it would be a nice dessert for ending a holiday feast.

A friend told me she’d had her fill of feasts, thank you very much, and was just going to serve veggie and cold cut platters, cookies and coffee.

Of course there’d be something bubbly at midnight.

Fair enough - feasts for some, snacks for others.

Ma’s Double Chocolate Cake and Ma's Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Butter Topping 

both have chocolate ganache.

So does Ma’s recipe for Three Colour Bar Cookies.

Along with the chocolate, there’s almond paste in the cookies, so there’s a bit of ‘something special’ oomph in them.

The Three Colour Bar Cookies would look nice on a platter, along with Ma’s Truffles and Ma's Christmas Cookies.

And, for something to drink, why not serve Carmela Soprano's Spiked Egg Nog as well as Carmela's Candy Cane Martini. 

Happy New Year!!

Hints:

You can substitute chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate or milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips when making the ganache.

For a mocha touch, add 2 or 3 Tablespoons strong coffee.

White chocolate also works well, too.

Mint chocolate can give a nice holiday touch, especially if you add a sprinkling of crushed candy canes.

If you’re preparing these cookies for a party that has a special colour theme you can use colouring to match, if you wish.

Or you could have just the middle stripe coloured.

                        Three Colour Bar Cookies with Ganache

Grease a 9×13 inch pan

Preheat oven to 350º F

Makes 30 bars

In a medium bowl combine

2 Cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

In a large mixer bowl place

1 1/4 Cups butter, softened

1 Cup sugar

7 ounces almond paste

1 teaspoon almond extract

Beat at medium speed for 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Beat in, one at a time

3 large eggs

Beat in flour mixture.

Pour one third of the batter into the prepared 9×13 inch baking pan.

Place the pan in the freezer and let sit for 5 minutes.

While the pan with one third of the batter is in the freezer:

Pour half of the remaining batter into a medium bowl.

Add to one bowl:

green food colouring

Add to the second bowl:

red food colouring

Use as much or as little colouring as you wish.

After the 5 minutes, gently spread the green batter over the batter in the pan.

Freeze the pan for 5 minutes.

Remove the pan and gently spread the red batter over the green batter.

Bake at 350º F for 30 minutes.

A toothpick inserted near the centre should come out clean.

Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely.

Spread evenly over the baked and cooled batter

1 Cup seedless raspberry jam

Chocolate Ganache

Place a small bowl over a pot of simmering water.

Place in the bowl

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 Cup heavy cream or half and half

Melt together over low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the ganache over the jam layer and spread with a spatula.

Allow the chocolate to set.

Cut into 30 bars.

Anna Sultana’s Double Chocolate Cake, Maltese Style

Wow!! Ma’s Truffles sure got popular quickly.

Yes, they are handy for using up odds and ends left over from baking holiday treats.

And truffles are a nice addition for the holiday cookie platter.

But sometimes you want a fancy looking cake to finish off an important meal.

Such as when you’ve invited the whole gang over for a holiday feast.

Ma’s Double Chocolate Cake is delicious and impressive.

And it’s not really that hard to make.

Ma's Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Butter Topping is very similar to her Double Chocolate Cake.

It is a bit quicker and easier to make.

It’s also a bit lighter in the calories department.

Hints:

If you don’t have the raspberries - or any berries - on hand, no problem.

You can melt all of the chocolate at one time, and pour the resulting chocolate sauce over the cake.

Serve a slice of cake with some whipped cream and who’d be the wiser.

You can substitute chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate or milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips when making the ganache.

For a mocha touch, add 2 or 3 Tablespoons strong coffee.

White chocolate also works well, too.

Mint chocolate can give the cake's flavour a nice holiday touch, especially if you add a sprinkling of crushed candy canes.

Yes, that’s another way to use up some of the holiday left over items.

Speaking of holiday left overs…

You can substitute whipping cream for the half and half.

Plain yogourt can replace the sour cream.

If you have a container of whipped topping in your freezer you can use that instead of the whipped cream.

Did you wash the bowl after you melted the chocolate for the ganache?

Don’t dirty it again.

Just shave or grate the remaining chocolate over the top of the berries or cake.

If you haven't invited  a crowd and are not likely to finish the cake at one seating, don’t top it with the cream, berries and chocolate drizzle.

You’d have to refrigerate the left over cake because of the cream, and, the next day the cream and berries would look a bit sad.

                        Double Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake

          

Grease a 9 inch springform pan

Preheat oven to 350º           

Bake 50 minutes  

Prepare

1 Cup double strength coffee

Let cool to room temperature.

Melt

5 ounces unsweetened chocolate

Set aside (don’t let it get too cool - you need it as a liquid to blend in).

Sift together into a large mixer bowl

1 3/4 Cups sugar

1 3/4 Cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Add

3/4 Cup sour cream

1/4 Cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

the cooled coffee

the melted unsweetened chocolate

Beat until well blended.

Pour into the prepared springform pan.

Bake 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

The cake will be a bit sunken in the middle.  That’s okay.

Cool 10 minutes.

Gently run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. 

Remove the rim. 

Carefully place the cake on a serving platter.

Poke holes, about an inch apart, into the cake with the end of a wooden spoon.

Allow the cake to cool before covering with ganache. 

Chocolate Ganache

Break into pieces

2 chocolate candy bars (100 g each)

Set aside 6 pieces.

Place a small bowl over a pot of simmering water.

Place in the bowl

all but the 6 reserved chocolate pieces

1/4 Cup half and half

Melt together over low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the ganache over the cake and spread with a spatula.

Let the ganache soak into the cake. 

Don’t wash the bowl - you’ll need it for melting the remaining pieces.

Refrigerate the cake at least 1 hour.

Just before serving 

Place the 6 chocolate pieces in the small bowl used for the ganache.

Place it over a pot of simmering water.

Melt over low heat, stirring frequently until the mixture is smooth.

Top cake with 

2 Cups whipped cream

1 Cup fresh raspberries

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the berries, cream and cake.

Wishing you all the blessings of the season...

Wishing you a Christmas filled with all you hold dear

and a New Year filled with all the best!

Thank you for visiting!!

Anna Sultana’s Truffles (Chocolate / Cream Cheese Treats, Unbaked)

Pumpkin is the current trendy flavour.

I mean, they’re even putting it in cups of coffee.

So the Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins should be popular with guests who follow trends.

But I’ve never seen anyone ever refuse a piece of chocolate, especially during the holidays.

Truffles are easy to make.

And you don’t have to wait for a special occasion to serve them.

This is something the kiddies could enjoy making... or at least helping you to make.

Hints:

This recipe is great for using up odd bits that might be left over from holiday baking.

You can change the flavour by using the following ideas:

Kahlua and crushed almonds

Godiva chocolate liqueur with skor toffee and crushed pecans

white chocolate and raspberry extract 

Bailey's Irish Cream Liquor

orange extract

rum extract 

vanilla flavouring

You can place in the centre of the balls either the following:

Candied cherries 

hazelnuts or other nuts

Instead of, or combined with, the semi-sweet chocolate in the balls you can use:

dark chocolate chips

butterscotch chips

white chocolate

1/4 Cup peanut butter

1/4 Cup seedless jam

Yu can also use a different chocolate, or the butterscotch chips, or crushed peppermint candies, or coloured sprinkles for the coating.
You can also dip plain truffles in either confectioners’ sugar or plain cacao.

Truffles freeze well.

But if you’re planning on freezing don’t dip them in either confectioners’ sugar or plain cacao before freezing.

If they’ve been coated with either, they would be a bit messy after they thawed out.

                        Truffles

18 to 36 truffles, depending on how big you like your balls

Toppings

Prepare for coating the truffles chopped nuts, or any of the above suggestions.

Set aside.

Truffles

Place in a medium pot that has been placed in a larger pot holding water

1 250 gram package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt over medium heat, stirring regularly.
Let cool slightly.

Place in a medium mixer bowl

1 250 gram package cream cheese, regular or light, softened

Beat cream cheese until smooth. 

Blend in melted chocolate. 

Add flavouring, if you wish.

Refrigerate 2 hours or until chocolate is firm. 

Cover baking sheet with waxed paper. 

Scoop about 1 to 2 teaspoons worth of mixture and shape into a ball. 

Place on the prepared baking sheet.

Repeat with remaining mixture and place the balls on the baking sheet.

Refrigerate 2 hours. 

Coating

Place in a medium pot

1 1/2  250 gram packages semi-sweet chocolate (or one of the options)

Melt as directed on package. 

Use a toothpick to dip the truffles into the chocolate, then use another toothpick to push the ball into the toppings. 

Roll the truffles in the topping, then return the truffles to the baking sheet.

Cover any bare spots with the toppings while the chocolate is still soft.

Refrigerate 2 hours or until chocolate is firm.

Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator until time to serve.

Anna Sultana’s Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins, Maltese Style

One holiday down, one to go.

Happy New Year!!

Everybody is still a bit full from enjoying the fantastic traditional Christmas feast.

But you do need to have something to serve as you watch the big ball coming down.

Pumpkin is a popular ingredient in Maltese cooking, especially in vegetable soups.

Now’s the time for simple finger food items that don’t need to be cut and served.

Ma's Pumpkin Pie is delicious but not exactly finger food.

Have about a cup of leftover pumpkin puree in the fridge?

That’s perfect for mini cheesecakes.

Waste not, want not!

Hint:

Check cheesecake doneness by gently shaking the pan. 

If the cheesecake is done, it will be set except in the centre that will be soft. 

Do not insert a knife into the centre.  

This may make the cheesecake crack during cooling. 

If you’d rather make Ma’s Pumpkin Cheesecake and cut it to serve as small dainties, just do the following:

Line the 9x13-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. 

Prepare the cheesecake batters, then spoon into the prepared pan and swirl. 

Bake in a 350°F oven 45 minutes or until centre is almost set. 

Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. 

Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.

                        Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

grease (or paper line) 16 medium-sized muffin cups

Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.

preheat oven to 325º 

Serves 16

The Crust

Combine in a medium bowl

1 Cup graham wafer crumbs

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Add

9  Tablespoons margarine, melted

Stir until mixed.

Press the mixture over the bottom of the prepared cups.

Set aside.

The Filling

Separate 

2 large eggs

place the whites in a small mixer bowl and reserve the yolks 

Whip the whites until soft peaks form.

Place in a large mixer bowl

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 Cup sugar

3 Tablespoons flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Beat at slow speed until smooth.

Add

1 teaspoon vanilla

the 2 reserved egg yolks

10 ounces pumpkin (canned or cooked and pureed)

Mix well.

Gently fold in the beaten egg whites until just blended.

Spoon the pumpkin filling into the prepared cups. 

Bake for 30 minutes.

The muffins should be set around the edges, with a slightly soft centre.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack 30 minutes.

Refrigerate at least 3 hours.

About an hour before serving remove the mini cakes from the refrigerator.

Run a knife around the edge of the cups and remove the mini cakes.

Garnish with 

whipped cream

Sprinkle with

nutmeg (optional)

Anna Sultana’s Cinnamon Roll Cake

A friend has just called and wants to drop by with a small gift.

She’s a dear and will probably stay for lunch.

You’re both dieting, so something light… 

No problem.

But then there’s dessert.

You have cakes all ready for Christmas.

But who wants to cut a slice out of them before the big day?

You’re not one to take foodie type pictures.

But then there’s that niece who can’t leave her cell phone home.

She’ll take a picture of your obviously used cake.

Bummer.

Time to whip up something quick… easy… cheap… but tasty.

Ma’s Cinnamon Roll Cake is perfect as a quickie dessert.

It has a rich flavour to it, so a little slice will go a long way.

Leaving you some cake to slice and add to the dainties platter.

Hints:

If you’d like less cinnamon, fine.

You can also combine the cinnamon with allspice or nutmeg for more of a kick.

If you’d rather use oil in the cake, substitute 3 ounces oil for the 1/2 Cup butter.

You could do the same for the topping, but it’ll lose a little something in flavour.

But then some people don’t care for a buttery taste.

Takes all kinds and ’tis the season to put up with quirks.

                        Cinnamon Roll Cake

For the Topping

In a small bowl combine

1 Cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

1 to 2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Cut in

1 Cup butter, softened

You’ll want to have something that looks like a crumb topping.

After it’s been baked it will be like a sauce.

Set aside.

For the Cake

Preheat oven to 350º F

Grease a 9×13 inch pan

In a medium bowl combine

3 Cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

Add

1 1/2 Cups milk 

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 Cup butter, melted

Mix the liquids in just until done.

Pour the batter into the prepared 9×13 baking pan.

Drop the topping crumbs evenly over the batter.

Swirl the crumbs in with a knife. 

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

The cake should be a golden brown.

A toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean.

Place the pan on a wire rack.

For the Glaze

Prepare while the cake is baking.

In a medium bowl combine

2 Cups Confectioners’ sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Add

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 Tablespoons milk 

Stir together to make a runny glaze. 

Add more milk if needed.

While the cake is warm drizzle the glaze over the cake.

If you’d like to make a cake that has cinnamon but isn’t as gooey,

Ma’s Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream Coffee Cake is very good.

It has a crumb topping, and the recipe calls for sour cream and chopped nuts.

But it bakes for an hour.

It’s good, but nothing’s perfect.

Muriel’s Christmas Dinner by Margaret Ullrich

This was a holiday piece I wrote a few years ago for the CKUW radio show ‘2000 & Counting’.  

Being politically correct - and politically sensitive - was and is a part of menu planning.

The family that eats a holiday dinner together… can still be in for a whole lot of trouble.

My friend Muriel still hasn't recovered from last Christmas. 

The poor dear had tried to please everybody. Solomon couldn't have pulled that off. Muriel was willing to go with the flow, but she was caught in a tsunami. Her husband Tom is a simple man with simple tastes. He just wanted a roasted bird with stuffing and cranberry sauce. 

He should never have had children.

Their eldest daughter, Donna, keeps up with trends. Muriel had asked Donna to bring the appetizers. Muriel expected their traditional celery sticks with cream cheese, crackers and cheese cubes. Donna waltzed in with an oriental party pack and assorted seafood and chicken wing platters. Something for everyone. Uh, huh. 

Tom backed off when he saw the eggrolls. "I don't like Chinese."

Donna said, "I got you BBQ chicken wings."

Ignoring her, Tom said, "They don't serve bread." He went to the kitchen for bread.

Then Betty arrived. Betty lives in a commune and supports the rights of everything and everybody… except those of the hostess. Betty always carried tofu because she never ate dairy products or anything with eyes or eggs. Muriel had prepared a nice salad for Betty. Not good enough.

"Were the pickers paid a decent wage?"

"The lettuce had a union label."

"I only eat organically grown food. Did they use manure."

"We had to scrub the carrots with bleach to get the E coli off."

"Oh... okay."

Tom heard E coli and reached for another slice of bread.

Finally their son Bill arrived with his wife Carol and their children, Krystal and Jason. Bill and Carol had every allergy in the book. Bill also had high cholesterol and Carol had her waistline. They avoided the platters of appetizers and drank the water that they had brought. 

Krystal, a tender-hearted child, burst into tears when she saw the chicken wings.

"Oh, those poor birdies. Do you know how they treat chickens, Grandma?"

Muriel figured the birds were better off than she was. They never had to make a holiday dinner for the family. But this was her granddaughter.

"Krystal, dear, these birdies lived in a happy place where they laughed and played and sang songs for a long, long time. Then one day they just went to sleep and woke up as chicken wings.  They were so happy they jumped onto the barbecue."

"Oh... okay."

Who says the next generation knows it all? 

Tom heard Muriel's tale of the laughing, singing chickens with the kamikaze wings, figured she'd finally lost it, and ate more bread.

Ignored by his elders, Jason gobbled a fistful of seafood appetizers and started wheezing. Muriel packed away the appetizers before her children could start a food fight and led them to the main event.

The table looked like a sailboat regatta that had been designed by Martha Stewart. Every dish had a tiny flag listing all of the ingredients. Muriel did not want to have to call the paramedics again. Krystal cried when she saw the turkey. 

When Betty reached for the potatoes, Bill said, "But they have eyes". Betty meant to kick her brother, but got her sister-in-law, Carol, who screamed and kicked back. Muriel yelled at her kids. The holiday dinner was just like always. Damn.

After everyone had eaten what they could, Muriel brought out a carafe of hot cranberry apple cider. This was her gift to herself. Seeing all the different coffees at the supermarket had made her go all woozie. Whatever happened to plain old coffee, black or with cream? Muriel’s children didn't say a word while visions of cappuccinos, espressos and lattes danced in their heads.

Betty was in charge of the dessert. She had created something that was just what the doctor ordered. No eggs, no cream, no butter, and no taste. 

Tom just saw a pumpkin pie and it looked fine. He helped himself to a slice, smiled and thought that Betty was returning to the food of her mother. 

But, something tasted... off. Maybe a new spice?

"Betty, what's in this pie," he asked.

"Tofu."

"Geez." Tom reached for the bread. 

Jason had wheezed throughout the whole meal. 

All in all, it had been just another family holiday get together. 

God help Muriel. The holidays are back.

About Sunday night’s new moon in Capricorn…

According to the folks at astrology.com:

The Sun's entrance into this earthy sign on December 21 marks the Winter Solstice. 

The new Moon makes for the perfect day to plan your New Year's resolutions!  During this magical day, reflect on where you've been and where you're headed. Do you know what you'd like to achieve in the year ahead? Set your sights high as you put together a plan. If you take the first step, you'll be amazed at what you'll be able to achieve by the time the Sun enters Aquarius on January 20!

The year's final major astrological transit on December 23 is also the biggest astrological news of the month: Saturn saunters into Sagittarius for a major emotional overhaul. As it meanders through Sagittarius for the next three years, the overall mood and atmosphere will be less impassioned and more thoughtful.

Uranus turns direct on December 21, which is sure to bring plenty of changes.

Even in the midst of an unpredictable environment, count your blessings!

Anna Sultana's Christmas Cookies, Maltese Style

Christmas Cookies!!

Perfect when you want something light to finish off a holiday meal.

Or to serve with a cup of coffee or tea when someone just drops by.

They also make a never fail Christmas gift.

Just place a few on a paper plate, wrap with saran wrap and smile.

Hints:

If you prefer you can shape the cookies in this way:

Cut a small piece and, by hand, roll it into a thin, long strip about 1/4 inch thick.

Cut the strip into sections about 1 inch long.

Connect the two ends by pressing them together with your fingers.

Or you can roll it in your hands to form a log and then twirl it into shape. 

                              Christmas Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Cookies

Grease 3 large cookie sheets

In a medium bowl sift together

3 1/2 Cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder

In a large bowl place

1 Cup sugar

1/2 Cup butter

Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Beat in, one at a time

4 eggs

Add

2 teaspoons vanilla

Gradually add

the flour / baking powder mixture.

Mix at a low speed until the dough is firm. 

Knead and if necessary add flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.

Pinch off about a tablespoonful of dough.

Roll it into a ball and place it on a greased cookie sheet. 

Repeat with the remaining dough and place them on the cookie sheets.

Preheat oven to 375º F

Bake cookies 10 minutes until lightly golden.

Let cool on the pans 5 minutes.

Transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

Icing

Combine in a medium bowl

2 Cups sifted confectioner’s sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

6 teaspoons water

Stir until creamy.

Place wax paper under the wire racks to collect the dripping icing.

Dip the cookies into the icing and place them on the wire rack.

Repeat the process for the remaining cookies.

Before serving sprinkle over the cookies

coloured sprinkles