Bon Apetit!

French Crepes

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 pinch salt

Directions:

In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, egg and salt. You can add more milk if it is not thin enough.
Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. When the pan is hot add a teaspoon of butter and lightly coat the surface of the pan with the melted butter.
Pour one quarter cup of the batter into the pan and tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface in a smooth and even layer.
After two minutes, lift up an edge of the crepe with a spatula to see if it is browning. When the underside has begun to brown, flip the crepe and cook the other side until it is also brown; about 2 minutes.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 to cook the remaining crepes. Serve hot.

We like ours with powdered sugar, strawberry jam, bananas, and Nutella

Wontons Anyone?

We made some simple, steamed won tons and ate them with soy sauce, mandarin, and orange dipping sauces. The boys even experimented with their own fillings, making banana filled steamed won tons.

Easy Steamed Won tons

Ingredients:

1 package won ton wraps

dipping sauces

water

canola oil for cooking

Filling:
1 lb. ground pork, crumbled and browned
4 cups chopped cabbage
1 Tbsp. minced green onion

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. sesame oil

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients. Drop one heaping teaspoon of filling into center of wrap. Moisten edges with water using your finger tip and fold wrap in half and pinch to seal, creating a ripple pattern along edge by pinching and gently pushing together small segments.

For steamed won tons, heat a pot of water until it is steaming, place steamer basket over steam. place individual won tons in basket and steam for about 5-7 minutes.

Serve hot with dipping sauces.

German Cookies with a Touch O' the Irish

We wanted to make something fun for St. Patrick's Day, so we made these traditional German Spritz cookies,colored them green, and made them in shamrock shapes. We also sprinkled them with green sugar before baking them. Yummy!

Spritz Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Thoroughly cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, vanilla, and almond extract; beat well. Stir together flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough. Do not chill. Place dough into cookie press and press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 400 for 6 to 8 minutes; remove cookies from sheet; cool on rack.
Makes 6 dozen cookies.

Storytime while the cookies bake.

British Scones

We enjoyed a treat from our family heritage this week.

The boys cooking club made these scones and ate them with cream, strawberry jam, and honey, with a cup of milk on the side.

Easy British Scones

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup margarine
1/8 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda
and salt into a bowl.
Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles
fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and enough milk to mix to a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface, knead lightly and
roll out to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch rounds and place on the
prepared baking sheet. Brush with milk to glaze.
Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10
minutes then cool on a wire rack. Serve with butter or clotted cream and jam.