Anna Sultana’s Blueberry Lemon Upside-Down Cake

This has been a very different summer in Manitoba.
We’ve been surrounded by forest fires, which gave the sky a surreal hazy appearance, turning the setting sun and moon orange.
Day and night, it smelled like we were always gathered around a campfire.
Take my word for it… after a day that 'campfire smell' loses its appeal.
We’ve also had to endure 35 days of temperatures above 30º Celsius, matching the record set in 1988, which was another miserably hot summer.

We needed to get away.

After we got double vaccinated we joined McCarthy’s Party to tour Newfoundland and Labrador, a marvelous place to explore.
One of the places we visited was Auk Island Winery which makes wines from Newfoundland berries and fruits, as well as some specialty wines using Iceberg water.
It’s worth the trip.

They gave us lists of their products and allowed us to sample their blends.
A little hint if you’re with your spouse:
Choose ten drinks your spouse didn’t pick and share each sample.
Now you know. It never hurts to get a two-fer.

Auk Island has explored every way one could add a bit of a kick to their local fruits.
Newfoundland and Labrador will probably become the province with the healthiest, oldest Canadians.
Picture it. Seniors gathered together and enjoying wines blended with:
Partridgeberries (lingonberries) which increases the body’s red blood cells and liver enzymes, key factors in antioxidant protection.
Bakeapples (cloudberries) a juicy berry that fights infections and colds, slows the aging process and boosts the immune system.
Crowberries (Newfoundland Blackberries) which is an excellent source of manganese, copper and vitamin C.
Blueberries which are full of antioxidants, and has been one of the top ten health foods for the past decade.

We enjoyed partridgeberries, bakeapples and crowberries in drinks and desserts.
But now we’re back in Manitoba and only have blueberries.
So it goes…
Blueberries are good, and available year-round in the frozen food section.
Good to know and good to bake in delicious desserts.
About seven years ago I posted the recipe for Anna Sultana's Blueberry Cake.
It’s time I posted another of Ma's blueberry cake recipe.


Hints:

Fresh blueberries work best.
You can add 1 teaspoon lemon extract to the cake batter for extra flavour.

If you’d like to use cranberries use 1 teaspoon almond extract instead of vanilla.
Don’t top with more cranberries.
You can have some on the side if someone likes a really tart dessert.

For that matter, the blueberry cake is delicious without the whipped cream.
Also a little bit healthier.

After you have covered the cake with whipped cream and berries, serve immediately.
If you’re having a slice or two at a time, add the topping to the cake slice just before serving.


                        Blueberry Lemon Upside-Down Cake

Preheat oven to 350° F
Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.

For the blueberry topping

Place in a small bowl
2 Cups blueberries

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Toss to coat.
Pour mixture into the prepared pan and spread the fruit into an even layer.

For the cake

Place in a medium bowl

1 3/4 Cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt
Whisk together.

Place in a large mixer bowl
1/2 Cup butter, softened

1 Cup sugar

1/2 Cup lightly packed brown sugar
Beat together until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add, one at a time
2 large eggs
Add
1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat until combined.
Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating until just combined.
Pour in
3/4 Cup milk
Mix until well blended.
Add remaining dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Pour cake batter over the blueberries and smooth with a spatula.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
Gently run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan.
Carefully transfer the cake to a serving platter and allow to cool.

While the cake is cooling

Quarter
3 slices lemon
Set aside.

Place in a medium mixer bowl

1 Cup cold heavy cream

2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Beat until stiff peaks form.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Just before serving, spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake.
Garnish with

1/4 Cup fresh blueberries
The quartered lemon slices

Serve immediately.

Anna Sultana's German Oven Pancake & Yorkshire Pudding / The Autumnal Equinox & The Harvest Moon

I recently posted the recipe for Yorkshire Pudding.

It’s been around a long time, and I really think it has inspired a few variations.
Cousin recipes, if you like.

German Oven Pancake is similar to Yorkshire Pudding.

But you can make a meal of it and serve it as a brunch.

You can also serve it as a dessert

Ma got a recipe for German Oven Pancake from a neighbour, whom, I’m sure, got it from another neighbour, who got it from her mother, and so on...

So it goes with good old recipes.

Ma made a change so that she could save some time.

But she still called them German Oven Pancakes.

It would’ve been confusing if she called them Maltese Oven Pancakes.

Well, that’s what Ma said when she served them.

Hints:

If you are feeding a crowd follow Ma's example.

She found the recipe easy to multiply and that it could be baked in pie plates.

If your plates are glassware, as Ma’s were, reduce the temperature by 25º F to 325º F.

Here’s how Ma made her pancakes:

Have on hand 4 9-inch pie plates

In each pie plate place

2 Tablespoons butter

Place the pie plates in the oven to melt the butter.

Place in a large bowl

8 eggs

2 teaspoons salt

Beat together.

Add

1 Cup flour

Beat until smooth.

Add 

2 Cups milk

Beat to blend.

Remove the plates from the oven and jiggle them to spread the melted butter.

Pour one quarter of the batter into each plate.

Return the plates to the oven and bake 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven, loosen, fill, roll up and place each pancake on a platter.

About the filling... you’re going to need more filling than in the recipes below.

Double or triple the recipes, or choose two or three and give your family a choice.

If you’re in a rush, canned pie filling can also be used.

The Apple Filling can also be made using peaches, nectarines or berries.

If you're using blueberries in the Berry Filling use lemon juice instead of orange.

If you want the pancakes to be more of a meal, they can also be served in the pie plates - either as is or rolled - one per person, with your choice of filling.

                                   German Oven Pancake

Preheat oven 350º F

Place in medium bowl

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat together.

Add

1/4 Cup flour

Beat until smooth.

Add 

1/2 Cup milk

Beat to blend.

Melt in a 10 inch oven proof skillet

2 Tablespoons butter

Pour in the batter.

Bake 25 minutes.

Remove from oven, loosen and place the pancake on a platter.

Add filling, roll up, cut into portions if you wish to, and serve.

                                   Filling Ideas

Jam Filling

Spread on a cooked pancake

1/2 to 3/4 Cup plum jam (or another jam, such as strawberry)

Roll up and top with

1/4 Cup sour cream

2 teaspoons sugar

2 Tablespoons toasted walnuts

Slice and serve.

Apple Filling

Melt in heavy skillet

1/3 Cup margarine

Add 

4 Cups peeled apple slices

Cook 5 minutes.

Combine in a small bowl

1/3 Cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the cooked apple slices.

Cover and simmer another 5 minutes.

Uncover and cook 5 minutes more.

Spread the fruit over the cooked pancake.

Roll up and sprinkle with

1 Tablespoon sugar

Slice and serve.

Berry Filling

Thaw in a saucepan

1 package (about 10 ounces) frozen raspberries or strawberries

Mash with a fork and heat.

Combine in a cup

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

2 Tablespoons orange juice

Add to raspberries and continue cooking, stirring until thick.

Spread on the cooked pancake

1 Cup sour cream

Roll up and pour the cooked berries over it.

Slice and serve.

Dairy Filling

Spread on the cooked pancake

1 Cup sour cream or ricotta

Roll up and top with

1/2 Cup sour cream

4 Tablespoons toasted walnuts

1 Tablespoon sugar (regular or vanilla sugar)

Slice and serve with lemon wedges.

Back to the Yorkshire Pudding…

Thanks to a misunderstanding with Napoleon, after which Malta became a part of the British Empire, English recipes became popular in Malta.

Of course Ma had her own way of making Yorkshire Pudding.

She had developed her own money-saving way of making it.

Yorkshire Puddings can be made even if you haven’t just cooked a large roast.

Really.

Bacon fat, lard, rendered chicken fat, and vegetable oil can also be used. 

The different fats will give different flavours:

Bacon fat will give your pudding a salty, mildly smoky flavour

Beef drippings or lard will add a beefy flavour 

Chicken fat will give a more delicate, yet still meaty, flavour

Vegetable oil is perfect for when you’re serving something vegetarian, like mushrooms

While you can’t use butter because the milk fats burn at a low temperature, you can use clarified butter, which is easy to make:

Gently melt butter in a pot for about 10 minutes, until the milk solids look like they are about to burn. Strain the liquid into a jar, and discard the milk solids.

The strained oily liquid is clarified butter and can be used for frying, since the removal of the milk solids allows it to be heated to higher temperatures without smoking.

This recipe can be made using the pan in which you roasted the meat.

You'll need 1/2 Cup fat. Remove and save the rest of the drippings for another meal.

You can also make the pudding in pie pans, cast iron frying pans, or baking pans, or you can divide the fat between 12 muffin cups.

When pouring the batter into the pans or muffin cups the containers should be filled about 1/3 of the way. 

If you’re using a glass pan, reduce temperature by 25º F.

                                   Yorkshire Pudding

Serves 8

When the meat is almost done, sift together into a bowl

1 Cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt or 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Set aside.

Place in another bowl

4 eggs

1 Cup milk

Beat together until light and foamy. 

Remove the roast from the oven and place the meat on a platter to rest.

Remove excess fat if using the roasting pan, or scoop out 1/2 Cup of drippings to add to the other pan(s).

Place the oven rack in the middle position.

Preheat oven to 425° F

Place in the pan(s) or divide in the muffin tins

1/2 Cup beef drippings or other fats (see above)

Put the pan(s) in the oven and get the fat hot. 

While the fat is being heated, add the dry ingredients into the egg / milk mixture and stir until blended with no lumps. 

Carefully take the pan(s) out of the oven and pour in the batter. 

Put the pan(s) back in the oven.

Bake until the pudding is puffed and golden.

This can take 12 minutes in the muffin tins, or 15 to 20 minutes in the other pan(s).

Remove from the oven. 

If prepared in large pan you can slice and serve. 

If prepared in muffin tins, remove the puddings and place them on a platter to serve.

This is delicious with gravy, if you’ve made some.

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

September 21 - Venus reaches greatest brilliancy on September 21st, shining at magnitude –4.8 and casting an eerily brilliant light from low in the west. Since the end of February, it has been a very prominent object in the evening sky soon after sunset. 

By month’s end the Red Planet sets well before the end of twilight. Its sunlit hemisphere currently is oriented mostly away from the Earth, so it appears as a crescent. Telescopic observers may want to keep Venus under surveillance and watch this crescent grow rapidly thinner and longer. Even with steadily held binoculars you might discern it, especially toward the end of the month, but, unfortunately, Venus may be a bit too low after sunset to show a steady image. 

By mid-October, Venus sets only a half-hour after the Sun and then will be gone. It will pass between the Earth and the Sun on October 27th, then a couple of weeks later it will reappear in the predawn sky as a “morning star”.

September 22 - The Autumnal Equinox, 9:54 p.m. While there’s nothing to see in the sky, this is the official first day of Fall!

September 24 - Full  Moon at 10:52 p.m. At this phase, the visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight. 

But is it the full Harvest Moon or the full Corn Moon?  

Because this full Moon is nearest the autumnal equinox (September 22 in 2018) so it is the Harvest Moon. When the September full Moon is not the Harvest Moon, we call it the Corn or Barley Moon.

Anna Sultana’s Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake (Old-Fashioned & Light), the Full Sturgeon Moon and Orion

In less than two weeks it will be September.

September… Autumn… heavier meals, holiday dinners, family get-togethers.

And then there’s getting ready for the mother of all holidays - Christmas.

Yes, it feels like it was Christmas a month ago.

Time may fly when you’re having fun, but when you’re past 60, both fun and misery whiz by at warp speed.

Just the thought of the upcoming ‘festivities’ is making me nervous.

Time to follow The Golden Girls’ example and have a slice of cheesecake.

About a week ago I posted the recipe for Ma’s Quiche Lorraine.

Not a cheesecake, but a nice dairy dish.

It’s been a few months since I posted Ma’s Ricotta Cheesecake recipe.

That was back in April, and I posted it to get us through preparing our taxes.

I know, tax season feels like it was just a couple of days ago.

At this rate we’ll be doing taxes again next month.

I digress. Back to the cheesecake…

Ricotta cheesecakes give you that comforting texture with a bit less fat and calories.

For more ways to use ricotta check this post.

For us seniors time has speeded up, while our metabolism has slowed down, so we have to keep an eye on what we eat.

No problem… some of the lighter calorie foods, like ricotta, have charms of their own.

Ricotta makes a lovely cheesecake, with or without the lemon.

Be good to yourself and bake a cheesecake.

And remember to stop at one serving.

Hints:

If you’d like to make this recipe a little healthier, use 6 ounces oil instead of 1 Cup butter - or 3 ounces oil and 1/2 Cup butter - in the cake layer.

Don’t have grated lemon rind? A teaspoon of lemon extract is just as good.

                                   Old-Fashioned Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

Serves 16 to 20 

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan

Cake Layer

Combine in a medium bowl

2 Cups flour

1/2 Cup confectioners’ sugar

Cut in

1 Cup butter

Pat the mixture into the greased baking pan.

Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350º F

Place in a large bowl 

3 eggs, lightly beaten

30 ounces ricotta cheese

3/4 Cup sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

Beat until well blended.

Spoon the ricotta mixture on top of the cake layer.

Bake for 60 minutes, or until lightly browned and a knife inserted 2 inches

from the centre should come out clean.

LEAVE THE CHEESECAKE IN THE OVEN.

Turn off the oven and leave the door open a crack - prop it with a spoon.

Cool the cake for 30 minutes in the oven.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for one hour. 

Refrigerate overnight. 

Before serving dust with 

confectioners’ sugar

Cut into squares. 

The leftover squares can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator.

                                   Light Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

Serves 10 to 12

Combine in a medium bowl

1 cup graham cracker crumbs 

3 Tablespoons melted butter
Press into bottom of 9-inch springform pan and chill. 

Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.

Preheat the oven to 325º F

Place in a medium bowl 

15 ounces light ricotta cheese 

1/2 Cup light sour cream 

1/2 Cup sugar 

3 large egg yolks

2 Tablespoons flour 

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind 

Beat until well blended.

Place in a large mixer bowl 

3 large egg whites

Beat egg whites until stiff.

Using a spatula, push the beaten whites to one side.

Pour the cheese mixture into the empty space next to the beaten whites.

Fold in the beaten whites just enough to combine. DO NOT OVERMIX.

Pour into prepared springform pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

A knife inserted between edge and middle should come out clean, while the middle will quiver a tiny bit.

Remove from oven and run a knife all around the inside edge of the pan. 

Place pan on a rack and let cool to room temperature. 

Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.

Serve garnished with, or without, fresh fruit

The leftover cheesecake can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator.

Here are a few more cheesecake recipes:

Carmela Soprano's La Pastiera

Carmela Soprano's Cassata / Iced Sponge Cake with Ricotta Filling

Carmela Soprano's La Pastiera - Easter Ricotta Pie, Italian Style

Carmela Soprano's New Jersey Cheesecake recipe / Graham Wafer Crust

Carmela Soprano's Pasticiotti / Tartlets with Vanilla Cream Filling

Carmela Soprano's Pizza Rustica recipe / Pizza Gaina 

Carmela Soprano's Ricotta Cheesecake / Uses for Ricotta

Carmela Soprano's Ricotta - Pineapple Pie (Cheesecake)

The 1960s Co-Op Refrigerator Cheesecake

Lindy's Cheesecake with Red Cherry Glaze, New York Style Cheesecake

Sweetened Condensed Milk Cheesecake, with and without fruit 

Anna Sultana's Qassatat ta I-Irkotta (Small ricotta pie, Maltese Style)

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

August 23 – The Moon is at apogee at 7:11 a.m., meaning it’s farthest away from Earth in its orbit. An easy way to remember: Apogee “A” = Away

August 24 – Set your alarms for 90 minutes before sunrise to see an unobstructed view of Mercury along the horizon.

August 26 – August’s full Sturgeon Moon at 7:56 a.m.  In this phase the visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight. Although the Moon is only technically in this phase for a few seconds, it is considered full for the entire day of the event and appears full for three days.

August 27 & 28 – The Moon is now in a waning gibbous phase following a full Moon, so a daytime view is visible after sunrise the 27th in the eastern sky, and in the western sky on the 28th.

August 29 – Orion the Hunter rises before dawn and can be seen by the three stars that make up Orion’s belt. See if you can also spot the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, a.k.a., the Dog Star.

Slurpees, Water & Golden Milk Lattes / Friday the 13th Supermoon Solar Eclipse

Over the years I’ve posted about Winnipeg’s love affair with the Slurpee.

One of the things Winnipeg prides itself on is being "The Slurpee Capital of Canada".

Oh, well, it’s better than being known as other types of capitals I can think of.

I know Slurpees are pure sugar.

And, yes, the resulting brain freeze headache is something this side of a kick in the head. 

But we are Winnipeggers and Slurpees are given away FOR FREE on July 11th!

A few years ago, as we sat outside sucking the slush and freezing what few remaining brain cells we had, the 7-11 manager walked by and said, “It tastes better when it’s free, doesn’t it?”

Oh, yeah!!

Paul and I have enjoyed quite a few Slurpees since we moved to Winnipeg in 1975.

But, to be honest, water is becoming our preferred summer drink.

Ah… water!

It is the single most important thing your body needs to survive. 

Really. You can survive longer without food than without water.

Water makes up more than half of your body weight.

It helps you digest your food, improves your skin and hair, and helps you to maintain a healthy weight.

Feeling hungry? Have a glass of water - or a cup of broth in the winter.

Way less calories than having some junk food and it's good for you.

Water helps your body do a lot of things. For example:

Water in your blood carries oxygen to all the cells of your body.

Lymph, a fluid that helps you fight off disease and infection, is mostly water.

Sweat rids your body of toxins and helps you to stay cool.

Don’t like plain water? No problem.

Try a carbonated water, such as mineral water or seltzer. 

You can also add natural flavour to your water.

Add slices of cucumber to a pitcher of water, stir, and place the pitcher in your fridge for a great, low calorie, inexpensive refresher.

The cucumber makes the water smoother and adds a slightly tangy flavour.

Lemon, lime, or orange slices, both alone or in combination, can also add a punch to your glass of water.

The citrus slices also combine well with slices of cucumber.

Mix or match and stay healthy!


Golden Milk Lattes are also good for what ails you.
Turmeric, ginger and cinnamon are said to have health benefits.
As well as being tasty!

Hints:

Unsweetened almond milk can be used instead of regular milk in this recipe.
You can use a 1 inch piece of peeled fresh ginger in place of the ground ginger.

If you have fresh turmeric, substitute a 2 1/2 inch piece of peeled fresh turmeric.

If you do use the slices of fresh ginger and turmeric, transfer the cooked mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.

You can also enjoy Golden Milk Latte without refrigerating before serving. After you stir in the vanilla let it sit for 10 minutes, then pour the milk into a glass and enjoy. 

About those Slurpee posts - some of them had recipes. Why not check them out?

Piña Coladas and Slurpees by Margaret Ullrich - Piña Colada recipe

Safeway Tuscan White Bean and Zucchini Soup

Slurpees and Flapper Pie 

                        Golden Milk Latte

Makes 4 servings

Combine in a medium pot
1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons dried turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 to 4 teaspoons honey or 1/4 Cup golden yellow sugar 

1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir in 

2 Cups milk

Bring to a simmer over medium heat, reduce heat to low and, stirring occasionally, cook for 15 minutes. 

Remove from heat and stir in

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Let cool to room temperature.

Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool completely.

Fill 4 tall glasses with ice.

Stir and divide chilled latte between the glasses. 

Garnish with ground cinnamon and serve.

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

The term Dog Days of Summer means the 20 days before and 20 days after the alignment of Sirius with the Sun (from July 3 to Aug. 11).

Yesterday Jupiter became stationary in the night sky and resumed its eastward course, meaning Jupiter will no longer be in retrograde (westward motion). 
If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere you can see the planet high in the southwest sky as soon as darkness falls.

July 12 - New Moon at 10:48 p.m. EDT.  It is completely invisible to the naked eye.

July 13 - The Friday the 13th supermoon solar eclipse will be the first of its kind since Friday the 13th on December 13, 1974. The partial solar eclipse begins after dark at 9:48 p.m. EDT, and unfortunately will only be visible to penguins, as the viewing area will fall in open waters between Australia and Antarctica.

July 14 - Catch the waning crescent Moon pair up with Mercury after sundown. You may need binoculars to spot them, especially if you live in the mid-northern latitudes like the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

July 15 - Following its proximity to Mercury, the waning crescent Moon with move on to Venus. With the unaided eye or binoculars, you may be able to spot the soft glow of earthshine (twice-reflected sunlight) on the nighttime side of the Moon.

Anna Sultana’s Pumpkin Scones, Pumpkin Recipe Links and the Full Flower Moon

A week ago, in honour of the royal wedding of Prince Harry and his bride, Meghan, I posted the recipes for No knead Orange Scones and Clotted Cream.

We’re so glad the weather was good, the wedding went smoothly and everyone had a brilliant time.

Ah… royalty and marriages. What’s not to love?

Another thing to love is another pumpkin recipe.

Pumpkin is a staple ingredient in Maltese cooking, so of course it found it’s way into a scone recipe.

Just think - 

the flour is a starch

the pumpkin is a fruit 

the egg is a protein

the cream is a dairy

This recipe has something from each of the four major food groups!

Yes, a pumpkin is a fruit.

It has seeds, just like a tomato.

Yes, a tomato is a fruit, too.

It’s so good to learn something new every day!

Are you a pumpkin lover, too? Here are a few more old favourites:

Anna Sultana’s Pumpkin Smoothie

Desserts

Anna Sultana’s Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Anna Sultana’s Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars and Pumpkin Pie Spice

Anna Sultana’s Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana’s Pumpkin Cheesecake, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana’s Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins - Margaret Ullrich

Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars - Margaret Ullrich

Soups

Anna Sultana's Soppa Qara - Pumpkin Soup, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana's Pumpkin Soup, Maltese Style, 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds and Pumpkin Pie Spice

Anna Sultana’s Pumpkin Black Bean Soup / Preparing Dried Beans

Anna Sultana's Kawlata - Vegetable Soup with Meat, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana's Kawlata #2 - Vegetable Soup with Meat, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana's Minestra tal-Haxix (soup, Maltese Style)

Anna Sultana's Minestra tal-Haxix #2 - Vegetable Soup, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana's Soppa tal Kirxa - Tripe Soup, Maltese Style

Hints:

If you don’t want to serve these scones with butter or clotted cream, you can also drizzle a simple glaze over the scones.

                                                Glaze 

Combine in a small bowl

!/4 Cup confectioners’ sugar

3 Tablespoons lemon juice or water (more or less)

Drizzle over the scones.

Of course, they are also good plain.

                           Pumpkin Scones

                       

Grease a large cookie pan         

Preheat oven to 425º F        

Makes 8 scones

In a large mixer bowl mix together

2 1/2 Cups flour

1/4 Cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

Make a well in the centre and add

2 Tablespoons butter, melted 

1 Egg, slightly beaten

1 Cup canned pumpkin

Mix well.

Add

1/8 Cup milk

Stir enough to combine.

Add more milk (about 1/8 Cup milk) to make a soft, but not sticky, dough.

Turn out dough on a floured surface and knead gently.

Pat dough into an oblong, about 1 inch thick.

With a floured knife cut into 8 rectangles.

Place scones on prepared sheet.

Bake 20 minutes

Serve warm with butter or clotted cream (or see hints)

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

May 29 - Full Flower Moon, 10:29 a.m. The visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight. Though the Moon is only technically in this phase for a few seconds, it is considered “full” for the entire day of the event, and appears full for three days. May’s full Moon is called the Full Flower Moon.

Anna Sultana’s Tapioca and the Blood Moon / Full Blue Moon

About a month ago I posted the recipe for Ma’s Fettuccine Alfredo.

I posted the recipe because I had recently seen the movie The Holiday, and the stars, Cameron, Kate and Jack, had felt much better after enjoying plates of fettuccine.

I hope you felt better after enjoying a plate or two of fettuccine yourself.

Another winter movie which has a bit of food in it is New in Town, which starred Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr.

The wintery scenes were supposed to take place in New Ulm, Minnesota, but were actually filmed in Winnipeg and Selkirk, Manitoba.

It’s always a bit of a kick for Winnipeggers to see local places in a movie.

Well, in the movie Renée manages to save everybody’s jobs when she adapts a former yogurt production line to produce her secretary’s recipe for tapioca.

I know, that must be some tapioca recipe!

If you’ve never tried it, tapioca is a sweet pudding that is a bit lumpy.

It can be thin or thick or firm enough to eat with a fork.

You won’t find tapioca on any low-carb diets as it is pure starch, from the same plant as cassava.

You can find packaged tapioca mixes in the pudding section of your grocery store.

It’s fine if you’re in a rush.

Tapioca made with pearl tapioca takes a bit longer, but isn’t hard to do.

I haven’t a clue what Blanche Gunderson’s recipe has in it.

I do know what Ma’s recipe had, and that was pretty good, too.

I don’t know if it would save anybody’s job, but it would be a nice way to finish off a winter meal... or a meal any time of the year.

About the upcoming first eclipse of 2018, which will also be the first total lunar eclipse in over two years…

A lunar eclipse happens when the earth is positioned between the sun and the moon. Some indirect sunlight still escapes around the earth’s edges, giving the moon a bit of light. But this light is passing through the earth’s atmosphere, which filters out all blue and green light. So the only light that is passing through is a reddish-brown colour. 

The moon will be reflecting this colour and is called a Blood Moon.

This full moon will be extra special since it is the second full moon of the month and will be called a “Blue Moon”. 

This might be a good time to do some good deeds. 

Tibetan Buddhists believe that the deeds you do - both good and bad - during a lunar eclipse are multiplied tenfold.

Hints:

Brown sugar gives a nice caramel flavour.

While you are cooking the tapioca the pudding will look watery. Don’t worry - the liquid will be absorbed as it cools. 

If you don’t like a skin on your pudding you can press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the top surface before you put the bowl of pudding in the refrigerator.

Yes, you can also do this with regular pudding.

After the pudding has cooled you can add either

minced maraschino cherries, and a teaspoon of almond extract, or 

mandarin oranges, flaked coconut and drained, crushed pineapple or

whatever you like.

You can also just sprinkle servings with nutmeg or cinnamon.

                        Tapioca 

Serves 6

Place in a large bowl 

1/2 cup medium pearl tapioca

1 quart cold water

Cover and let soak for at least 12 hours. 

Drain off the water and set the soaked pearls aside.

Place in a large saucepan

4 Cups whole milk

1/2 Cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Set aside.

Place in a large bowl

3 large eggs

Beat until they are well blended.

Slowly add a little at a time

1/2 Cup sugar

Beat constantly, until all of the sugar is added and the egg mixture is a very light yellow colour.

Set aside.

Place the saucepan with the milk mixture over low heat and bring to a simmer. 

When the mixture begins to bubble, remove the pot from the heat.

Temper the eggs with the hot liquid by beating the eggs while adding the hot liquid a little at a time.

Once the two mixtures are completely combined, pour the custard back into the original pot and and add the tapioca. Beat constantly over low heat. 

The mixture will begin to thicken and the pearls will become translucent. 

Stir in

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Scrape the pudding into a bowl. 

Chill in therefrigerator at least 2 hours.

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

January 28 - The waxing gibbous Moon can be located inside the Winter Circle asterism. The Winter Circle is really more the shape of a hexagon, and made up of these first-magnitude stars: Sirius, Rigel, Aldebaran, Capella, Castor, Pollux, and Procyon.

January 31 - Full Moon at 8:27 a.m. In this phase, the visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight. 

We’re also getting a total lunar eclipse, which occur when the Earth passes between the Sun and Moon, and lines up precisely so that it blocks the Sun’s light, which otherwise reflects off the Moon. Learn more about this eclipse here.

January’s second full moon, the Blood Moon, is also called a Full Blue Moon.