Queen Elizabeth’s Chocolate Biscuit Cake and the Lyrid Meteor Shower

Today is Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday!

She looks fantastic, God bless her!

They’re having quite the celebration in London.

She looks like she’s enjoying the party.

We’ll just have to make do with watching the fun events on the television and reminiscing about when the Queen and Prince Philip visited Winnipeg in 2002 and 2010.

The 2002 visit didn’t go quite as planned.

That water taxi broke down mid-river and had to be towed by another boat which was carrying her security detail.  

Paul and I, along with a few hundred people, were waiting for her on the St. Boniface shore.  Some of the youngsters were in their Folklorama costumes.  

We were being witnesses to History… more or less.  

Since there wasn't any real danger, we just watched and, truth be known, giggled a bit about how the best laid plans often go awry.

The Queen was a good sport about it.  

All she said was "That was interesting," as she was helped from one boat into the other to reach shore.

What a trouper she is!

We were quite thrilled when they decided to return to Winnipeg in 2010.

They didn’t go for another water taxi ride.

Perfectly understandable.

I've always admired Queen Elizabeth.  

She just keeps going and nothing gets her down.  

In honour of her birthday I made a Queen Elizabeth Cake.

The same one I made in 2012 when we celebrated Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.

It’s a delicious Date and Walnut Cake with a Brown Sugar Coconut Topping.

Over the years I’ve posted a few other royalty inspired recipes:

Anna Sultana's Queen Elizabeth Cake #2

Anna Sultana’s Coronation Chicken, Maltese Style

Bloody Mary Recipe

Anna Sultana's Queen Elizabeth Barley Water Drink for Skin Care

In keeping with that tradition, I’m posting another royalty-linked recipe today: Chocolate Biscuit Cake. 

Prince William, the second in line to the throne, had requested that the cake, a favourite tea time snack of the Queen’s, be served at his wedding brunch.

It’s nice to know that a favourite recipe of the Queen’s is an easy no-bake cake. 

Hope it becomes a favourite of yours, too!

If you’d like to bake this to celebrate Prince William’s birthday, it is on June 22.

He was born in 1982, so he will be 34 this year.

Yes, time does fly!

Hint:

If you can't find McVitie's brand Rich Tea Biscuits, use a mild butter cookie.

Slide a knife around the inside upper edge of the cake to help the sides come away.

If you don’t plan to serve the cake immediately you can refrigerate it until needed. 

Instead of the confectioners’ sugar you can decorate the top with squiggles of melted milk or white chocolate.

This cake is very rich. Serve it in small slices - you can always have seconds!

                        Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Serves 10-12

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of an 8-inch round springform pan.

Spray the pan with cooking spray.

Place the parchment paper in the bottom of the pan and spray the bottom again.

With your hands break into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch pieces 

1 package McVitie's brand Rich Tea Biscuits or Chocolate Digestives (7 - 8.8 ounces)

Place in a heat-proof bowl

1 Cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoons honey

4 Tablespoons butter

Microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until bubbling. 

Add 

2 1/2 Cups bittersweet chocolate chips

Stir until melted and smooth.

Fold in

1 teaspoon vanilla

the biscuit pieces

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.

Gently tap the pan on the counter to eliminate any air pockets.

Smooth the top with the back of the spoon. 

Refrigerate for 3 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.

About 1/2 hour before removing the cake from the refrigerator, prepare the glaze

Place in a small saucepan

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 Cup heavy cream

Stir over medium heat until the mixture reaches a boil. 

Take the pot off the heat and stir in 

1 Cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.

Take the cake out of the refrigerator.

Remove the cake from the springform pan. 

Invert the cake onto a wire rack.

Remove the cake bottom and the parchment paper.

Place the cake on a platter.

Place strips of waxed paper underneath the cake sides to catch drips.

Pour the glaze evenly over the cake, letting the glaze drip down the sides. 

Smooth with a spatula or butter knife. 

Let the glaze set about 30 minutes before you serve. 

Dust with

Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

About the sky this week…

According to the Farmers Almanac:

This month, the annual Lyrid meteor shower will reach maximum activity between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. local time in the Northern hemisphere on the morning of April 21-22.

The radiant point of this shower is near the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra the Lyre (or Harp), hence the name “Lyrids.” The source of the meteor shower is the Comet Thatcher. Every year in April, Earth passes through through Thatcher’s dusty tail of comet debris, some particles of which are no larger than a grain of sand. When they hit the Earth’s atmosphere traveling at 110,000 mph, they disintegrate as “fireball” streaks of light that linger for minutes.

The Lyrid meteor shower has the distinction of being among the oldest of known meteor showers with records dating back over 2,500 years.

Usually when meteor showers occur so close to a full Moon (April’s Pink Moon will be astronomically full on the 22nd)  they can be “drowned out” by the Moon’s glare. However, this Moon may not be as bright, so look to the northeast in the late evening and you might catch a few!

On April 22 enjoy the full moon, if you can.

April is known for its showers and ever-warming temperatures, but it is also known as a month when spring flowers begin to show up. Herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. As the name infers, the flowers are pink in colour, thus the name for April’s full moon.

This pink moon has also been called: the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes, the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

Enjoy the video!

Anna Sultana’s Roasted Lemon Potatoes and Rice, Greek Style

A few days ago I posted the recipe for Ma’s Greek Spinach & Cheese Quiche.

I mentioned that, if you’d like to have a meal without doubling up on the quiche, you could serve it with a salad.

Got an email… where’s the starch?

Okay… here’s the starch.

When we find a Greek restaurant or place in a food court, they usually serve spanakopita with a salad, rice and roasted lemon potatoes.

The roasted lemon potatoes are a little different from Ma’s Roasted Potatoes, which she usually served with her Lemon Chicken.

Somehow word got around so that the Greeks and Maltese learned that lemon was a great way to add flavour to a dinner.

Hope you enjoy a lemon flavoured dinner, too.

Hint:

Sometimes they also add peas to the rice.

Sometimes they don’t.

Suit yourself.

                        Roasted Lemon Potatoes, Greek Style

In a small bowl combine

1 Tablespoon salt

2 Tablespoons chicken bouillon granules

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

Peel and cut into wedges

6 large russet potatoes

Put them in a 9 x 13 inch pan

Drizzle over the potatoes

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 350º F

Sprinkle the spice mixture over the potatoes.

Mix until all of the potatoes have been seasoned.

Pour over the potatoes

1 1/4 Cups water

1/3 Cup lemon juice

Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and stir around the potatoes so that the darker potato edges are turned under.

Bake for another 30 to 45 minutes.

                        Rice, Greek Style

Place in a medium pot

1 Cup uncooked long grain rice

2 1/4 Cups water

1 Tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules

1/2 teaspoon dried mint

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

About the sky this week…

According to the Farmers Almanac:

On April 7 there’ll be a new moon.

On, April 8, about 45 minutes after the Sun sets, look very low near the western horizon. If the sky is very clear, you should be afforded a view of a delicately thin waxing crescent Moon, just about 1½ days past new phase. To the lower right of the thin lunar sliver will be the planet Mercury.

This little planet nearest to the sun is almost always confined to the day, when it cannot be seen. So it has to be looked for during its twilight appearances, but these are briefer, generally occurring during the brightest time of twilight and the brightest and lowest part of the twilight sky. Thus relatively few people have set eyes on it; there is even a rumor that Copernicus, living in misty northern Poland never saw it.

You simply must know when and where to look, and find a clear horizon. An excellent window of opportunity opens on Monday, April 4th and will remain open through perhaps April 25th. During this time Mercury will stand almost straight above where the Sun has set. Initially, Mercury shines nearly as bright as Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, but thereafter it gradually fades in brightness.

The Full Worm Moon, Easter, and a Planters' Punch Recipe for the Family

Well, it’s been a bit of an busy time.

A week ago we had Daylight Savings Time.

Sleepy or not, we soldiered on to bake traditional foods to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, then St. Joseph’s Feast Day.

Yesterday was both the First Day of Spring and Palm Sunday.

That’s right, Easter is this Sunday.

I know, you haven’t finished setting all the clocks in the house and car ahead an hour.

Too bad.

Easter has to be held on the first Sunday following the first Full Moon of Spring, which is happening this Wednesday.

March 22 is the earliest Easter can occur, and April 25 is the latest.

No real reason, it just was decided to do Easter this way in the Fourth Century.

If you’d like to plan ahead, here are the dates for the next four Easters:

2017    April 16

2018    April 1

2019    April 21

2020    April 12

So, yes, it’s a bit early this year.

Too bad.

If you’re in the Eastern Orthodox Churches, thanks to the Julian calendar, you can ignore all of the above.

You usually have a bit more time.

Don’t gloat.

If you’re not so lucky, you might be hosting the family Easter dinner this Sunday.

I know, it just gets better and better.

I’ve posted a page with links for Easter Recipes.

Also a page that has some of Carmela Soprano’s best family dinner menu items: appetizers, vegetable and pasta courses, main meat courses, and desserts.

Hopefully they’ll help you plan your menu.

You’re welcome.

But, since the family is coming, it might be a good idea to have something on hand to, well, smooth over the rough edges.

Like when everyone's favourite uncle comments on the fact that a certain nephew is still living with his parents.

Back in his day, a man that age was a man…

Yeah, family… gotta love it.

Planters' Punch is a simple cocktail made of dark rum, lemon juice, Grenadine syrup and a dash of Angostura bitters.

So it’s quick and easy to make more of  this punch to keep those glasses filled.

This recipe has been around a while.

The September 1878 issue of the London magazine Fun mentioned it.

The recipe is a classic that everyone will most likely enjoy.

In the 1942 spy thriller Across the Pacific Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor both order a Planter's Punch at a bar in Panama.

The movie's plot was set on the eve of World War II.

If the writer thought a glass or two of Planters' Punch could help Humphrey Bogart get through an oncoming world war, well, who am I to disagree?

Hints:

Some people also add orange juice and pineapple juice.

The glasses can be garnished with a cocktail cherry and a pineapple slice.

                        Planters' Punch

In a large pitcher pour

a fifth of dark rum

1 Cup lemon juice

3/4 Cup Grenadine syrup

1 teaspoon Angostura bitters

Stir well.

Pour into tall glasses filled with ice.

Garnish with 

a cocktail cherry and an orange slice

About the sky this week…

According to the Farmers Almanac:

On March 20 we welcomed spring with the Vernal equinox. This marks the change of seasons where the length of daylight hours begin to win out over the length of nighttime hours.

On March 21 the waxing gibbous Moon is very close to the planet Jupiter, which will be just northwest of the Moon.

On March 23 we’ll have the first Full Moon of Spring. 

See the video on how March's Full Worm Moon got its name.

On March 25, and for the next two weeks, look to the western sky for the Zodiacal light or “false dawn,” in the early evening.

On March 30 the Moon reaches its southernmost point, sometimes referred to as lunar standstills.

Anna Sultana’s Cinnamon Monkey Bread, A Solar Eclipse and Jupiter

We’re in the middle of Lent.

Hot Cross Buns are traditional and delicious.

But, after you’ve reached your mid-sixties, you’ve been through quite a few Lents.

And even a good recipe can get boring after eating it for more than sixty years.

Monkey bread is a different way to serve buns.

It isn’t very sweet, so it doesn’t seem like a non-Lent dessert.

And it’s always okay to have bread, even during the season of Lent.

At least that’s my opinion.

If you’d like even more variety, try these Monkey Bread variations:

Anna Sultana's Monkey Bread Sticky Buns

Anna Sultana's Monkey Bread Muffins / Monkey Bread Coffee Cake

Anna Sultana's Lemon Monkey Bread

Hints:

You can also bake this in 2 9-inch spring form round pans or in 2 9x5-inch loaf pans.

If you’re in a rush, you can use 2 cans (340 g each) of refrigerated country biscuits.

Cut each biscuit into quarters, coat with spiced sugar and continue.

These balls don't need to rise before baking.

If you prefer nutmeg or allspice or a spice mix, substitute 2 Tablespoons of the spice of your choice for the cinnamon in the original recipe.

You can also sprinkle a cup of chocolate chips over the first layer of balls.

Or a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans, or diced apples, or cranberries or raisins.

For a bit of a surprise, you could put a spoon of apricot or raspberry jam in each ball.

If you want to have this recipe for breakfast the next day it’s easy.

After you have placed the small balls in the pan, wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap, then place it in the fridge overnight. 

In the morning take the pan out and let the dough finish rising before baking.

For an icing that can also be a dipping sauce you can combine in a small bowl

1/4 Cup cream cheese

1/4 Cup confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons milk

You can also drizzle the icing over the cake.

Or you could use a caramel sauce as an icing.

If you don't want the icing, skip it.

You could also put the icing in a bowl and let the kids dip their balls in it.

A dusting of confectioners’ sugar before serving is pretty and quick.

                        Monkey Balls

Grease a 10-inch tube pan and set aside.

Place the oven rack in the medium low position.

In a medium bowl combine

3 1/4 Cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl mix together

1 Cup milk, warm (around 110º F)

1/3 Cup water, warm (around 110º F)

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 Cup sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Gradually stir the flour / salt into the liquid ingredients. 

Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead about 10 minutes. 

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl.

Rotate the dough around to grease all of the surfaces.

Cover the bowl with a damp towel and leave it in a warm place for 1 hour.

The dough should be doubled in size.

On a floured surface roll the dough into a rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. 

Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into about 60 pieces.

Roll each piece of dough into a ball. 

                        Cinnamon Monkey Bread

Combine in a medium bowl

3/4 Cup granulated or brown sugar
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

Melt in a small pot

1/4 Cup butter

Place batches of the balls in the sugar / spice mixture.

Toss to coat.

Place half of the balls in the prepared 10-inch tube pan.

Drizzle with half of the melted butter.

Repeat with the remaining balls. 

Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar over the top of the balls (optional)

Cover the pan with a damp towel and leave it in a warm place for 1 hour.

The balls should be doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350º F

Bake 30 - 40 minutes until the top is golden brown. 

Remove them from the oven and cool 5 minutes.

Remove the cake from the pan and place it on a large platter.

While the cake is cooling, combine in a small bowl

!/4 Cup confectioners’ sugar

3 Tablespoons lemon juice or water (more or less)

Sprinkle over the top of the cakes (optional)

2 Tablespoons chopped toasted pecans or walnuts or almonds

About the sky this week…

According to the Farmers Almanac:

On March 8 there’s a New Moon at 8:54 p.m. It’s completely invisible.

There will also be a Total Solar Eclipse, but for most of you this isn’t important.

To see it you’ll have to be in Indonesia, which is west of the International Date Line, where the calendar date is March 9.

So the eclipse begins on the day after it ends.

Be warned - do not look at the eclipse. You could go blind.

Also on March 8, Jupiter is opposite to the Sun in our sky. 

So, Jupiter rises around the time the Sun sets, and shines at its highest about midnight and sets around sunrise. 

Jupiter is also at its closest to the Earth for the year, and will appear at its biggest and brightest. Look for it in the east as the blue sky darkens.

Jupiter burns at magnitude -2.5, nearly three times as bright as Sirius, the brightest star in the sky.

You can safely look at Jupiter all you want.

A Winnipeg Staycation by Margaret Ullrich - Margarita recipes

Is there anything that feels longer for Winnipeggers than the six weeks we have to live through while waiting for Spring to come?

Some folks wimp out and fly off for a few weeks.

They figure it’s a necessary mental health expense.

Most of us tough it out here at home.

A few years ago I posted about how Eaton’s, a Department store, would take pity on Canadians and have a sales promotion known as ‘Uncrate the Sun’ at about this time.

There’d be fancy displays and posters, as well as a few exotic dishes for us to try.

Hard to believe, but in the late 1970s we thought eating a five-cent taco was exotic fare.

Amazing what a minus 40º C week can do to a person.

Well, a little pretending can be fun.

National Margarita Day is celebrated on February 22. 

As Jimmy Buffett sang in Margaritaville: 

But there's booze in the blender

And soon it will render

That frozen concoction that helps me hang on…

It’s time to pull out the straw hats and have a staycation.

The Margarita recipe was first published in the December 1953 issue of Esquire.

Some say it was invented in 1938 by "Danny" Herrera at his restaurant Rancho La Gloria in Mexico.

He created it for former Ziegfeld dancer Marjorie King who, allergic to many spirits, enjoyed tequila.

Marjorie is a variation of Margaret, so I guess he thought the Spanish variation, Margarita, would look better on the menu.

There are a few other stories - most involving women - but I like this one.

A bit of History trivia…

The first frozen margarita machine was invented on May 11, 1971 by Dallas restaurateur Mariano Martinez. 

The machine was originally a soft-serve ice cream machine and now sits in the Smithsonian National Museum of History.

If you’d like to cook something Mexican to go with the Margaritas, here are some spice mixes you could easily make at home:

Spice Blends: Fajita, Chili, Taco Seasoning Mixes 

Crushed Red Pepper / Homemade Chili Seasoning Mix and Taco Seasoning Mix 

It’s National Chili Day on February 25… Celebrate!!   

You could also offer your guests a choice by making a Piña Colada or two.

That drink also inspired a song.

Hints:

Margarita can be served shaken with ice (on the rocks), blended with ice (frozen margarita), or without ice (straight up).

Use glasses ranging from cocktail and wine glasses to pint glasses and schooners.

The drink is traditionally served in the margarita glass, a stepped-diameter cocktail glass that looks like an inverted sombrero.

In formal settings margaritas are served in a cocktail glass, while in informal settings, particularly with ice, margaritas may be served in an old-fashioned glass.

Besides Cointreau, other orange-flavoured liqueurs that might be used include Grand Marnier, Gran Gala, other brands of triple sec, or blue curaçao (for the blue margarita).

Alternate fruits and juice, such as mango, peach, strawberry, banana, melon, or raspberry, can also be used in a margarita. 

It’s traditional to prepare the glass in this way:

Place salt in a smal bowl.

Rub the rim of the glasses with a lime slice.

Dip the rim of the glasses in the salt.

Set aside.

                        Margarita, as in Esquire magazine, December 1953

Pour over crushed ice

1 ounce tequila

Dash of Triple Sec

Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon

Stir and carefully pour into prepared glass.

                        Margarita ll

Pour into a blender or shaker with crushed ice

7 ounces tequila     

4 ounces Cointreau    

3 ounces lime juice 

Blend or shake very well until smooth.

Carefully pour into the glasses, taking care not to dislodge any salt.

Garnish with 

a lime slice

About the moon and sky next week…

According to the Farmers Almanac:

February 22 – February’s Full Snow Moon at 1:20 p.m. Learn how it got its name in this short Farmers’ Almanac video.

On February 22 Jupiter shines as a brilliant silvery “star” in Leo low in the eastern sky as evening twilight is ending. Jupiter will arrive at opposition to the Sun on March 8th and thereafter will now appear to climb higher in the evening sky. 

This giant planet is ready for telescopic observing by 9:30 p.m., roughly one-third of the way up from the horizon.  It reaches its highest position in the south around 1 a.m. and is heading toward its setting in the west after sunrise.

February 23 – Look to the east in the evening and see Jupiter sitting just 2° to the upper left of a nearly-full Moon.  Usually when the Moon is this bright, it will overwhelm most stars that are this close to it, but not Jupiter.  

Please don’t call the local radio station to say you’ve seen a UFO!

February 29 –  Castor and Pollux, the brightest stars of Gemini are nearly overhead at around 9 p.m.

Anna Sultana's Spongecake with Lemon Cream Filling, Maltese Style

Well, the sky was overcast on February 2.

Various rodents throughout North America didn’t see their shadows.

So, with any luck, it will be Spring in six weeks.

I sure hope they were right.

I don’t know what it is about cloudy skies.

I crave lemons... in my drinks, in my meals and especially in my desserts.

Maybe I just need something round and yellow.

Whatever… I need to make lemon desserts.

About five years ago I posted two custard recipes:

Anna Sultana's Cannoli - Spongecake with Custard Filling, Maltese Style

Carmela Soprano's Zuppa Ingles, Neopolitan Trifle

Needless to say, Ma’s recipe is easier.

This recipe of Ma’s is even easier.

And it has lemon pie filling in it.

Need I say more?

Hints:

Sponge cakes are usually sold in pairs.

This recipe calls for four layers - that’s two packages.

This dessert also works with canned pie filling.

Or homemade, if you have the time.

This recipe makes a dessert large enough for a family get together.

If you’d like something smaller, just make it with:

one package of sponge cake (two layers)

one package of lemon pie filling & dessert mix

one half tub of whipped topping

Cover each layer with half of the lemon cream filling. 

                        Spongecake with Lemon Cream Filling

Prepare 

2 packages of lemon pie filling & dessert mix as per package instructions

Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Fold in

1  1-quart tub of whipped topping

Place in a deep bowl

1 8-inch sponge cake layer

Spread over it

a thin layer of apricot jam (optional)

Top with 

1/4 of the lemon pie / whipped topping mixture

* Place another 8-inch sponge cake layer on top of the lemon cream filling.

Cover with a layer of jam (optional) and 1/4 of the lemon cream filling.

Repeat from * two more times.

Cover and refrigerate.

Easy, no?

About the sky this week…

According to the Farmers Almanac:

February 4 is the midpoint of winter, the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.

On February 6 look to see a very thin waning crescent Moon forming a broad triangle with Venus and Mercury this morning, the Moon hovering about 4° above both planets. Mercury also reaches greatest elongation on this morning, 26° west of the Sun.

On February 8 there’s a New Moon at 9:39 a.m. It’s completely invisible.