Neddy’s Kitchen

This is a quick version of my authentic Belgian Waffle Recipe. I continue to love using my Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker. You may serve these with authentic New England maple syrup to go with the blueberries. I like them with whipped cream.

(Makes Six Waffles)

* 1 1/3 cups milk scalded
* 2 tablespoons dried blueberries
* 2 cups biscuit mix, such as Jiffy or Bisquik
* 1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast (1/2 packet)
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
* 2 eggs, separated
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Measure the milk and add the dried blueberries to it. Slowly scald the milk in a large heavy saucepan or in the microwave. Add the butter and when it has melted, stir in the vanilla and cool to lukewarm, 105°-110°F. Meanwhile fill a copper mixing bowl with hot tap water. Measure the biscuit mix into another large mixing bowl, adding dried yeast and grated nutmeg. Stir to blend and reserve.

Separate the eggs, adding the whites to the dry, warm copper bowl and the yolks to the lukewarm liquid. Slowly stir the egg yolk mixture until smooth and slowly stir that entire liquid mixture into the flour mixture until smooth. Do not beat, as it is necessary to keep the blueberries intact.

Whip the room-temperature egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold them into the batter.

Preheat your waffle maker on your preferred setting. Setting #4 for the Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker achieves a golden brown baked Belgian waffle. You can adjust the browning control if you prefer lighter or darker waffles. The green ready indicator light will turn on and the waffle iron will beep when preheated.

Using the provided measuring scoop, pour the batter into the preheated iron. You may use a heat-proof spatula to spread the batter evenly over the grids, however once you get the knack of pouring the batter evenly you will not need to do this. Close the lid and rotate the waffle iron 180° to the right. Bake until the beeper indicates that the waffle is done. Rotate the waffle iron 180° to the left to open.

For best results, do not open the iron during the cooking of the waffle, as doing so offsets the timing mechanism.

This old fashioned comfort food is really quite easy to make. It is a good way to use leftover cooked chicken.

The Dumplings

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup milk

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and milk in a medium bowl. Stir well until smooth, then let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes. Place the dough on a floured pastry cloth and with floured hands, pat into a square about a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch squares.

The Chicken Broth

• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 small onion cut in fourths
• 1/2 pound fresh carrots sliced
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/2 pound frozen peas
• 1 pound cooked chicken

Place the broth, onion and carrots in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and drop each dumpling square, one at a time, into the simmering stock. The dumplings will swell, then slowly shrink as they thicken the chicken broth. Simmer for 20-30 minutes uncovered until thick. Stir often.

While the stock is thickening, remove the chicken meat from the bones, removing all skin. Cut into bite-size pieces. Add the poultry seasoning, frozen peas and deboned chicken to the pot and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.

When the gravy has reached the desired consistency, sprinkle with freshly grated pepper and garnish with chopped parsley. Serves four.

This recipe is from the Washington home at Mount Vernon, Virginia where Mrs. Washington’s cake is on display at Christmastime. The original cake recipe below was one of her favorite recipes.

Martha Washington’s Great Cake
(from Mount Vernon)

Take 40 eggs and divide the whites from the yolks and beat them to a froth. Then work 4 pounds of butter to a cream and put the whites of eggs to it a Spoon full at a time till it is well work’d. Then put 4 pounds of sugar finely powdered to it in the same manner then put in the Yolks of eggs and 5 pounds of flour and 5 pounds of fruit. 2 hours will bake it. Add to it half an ounce of mace and nutmeg half a pint of wine and some fresh brandy.

The curatorial staff at Mount Vernon notes that when they made Mrs. Washington’s cake they followed her recipe “almost” exactly. For the five pounds of fruit, they used two pounds of raisins, one pound of currants, and two pounds of apples. They used cream sherry for the wine. Martha Washington baked her famous cake in one layer, however there is no pan now at Mount Vernon large enough to hold all of the batter, therefore the staff baked the batter in two 14 inch layers and afterwards stacked them. A 350 degree oven was used for 1 1/2 hours. The resulting cake was iced with a very stiff egg-white based frosting flavored with rosewater or orange-flower water.

Martha Washington’s Great Cake was originally uploaded by barneykin. It is posted here from

GOLDEN ALMOND COOKIES

6 hard boiled egg yolks, mashed.
3/4 pound softened butter (3 sticks)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp almond flavoring
2 1/2 cups flour (sifted)
1/2 cup ground almond meal (if not available increase regular flour to 3 cups)

Cream butter, adding sugar gradually. Add egg yolks and almond flavoring. Add flour and almond meal slowly, mixing well, but DO NOT OVERKNEAD.

Using a cookie shooter, press dough about 2 inches across onto a silicon or parchment-lined baking sheet. Press an almond, small chocolate morsel or 1/2 a maraschino cherry in the center of each one. Bake at 400 degrees until the edges are JUST brown, 10-12 minutes. Any more than that, and they are overbaked. Makes six dozen cookies (inspired by http://neddy.wordpress.com/2005/12/23/christmas-baking/).

Almond Cookies
Originally uploaded by barneykin

• COOKIES
• CAKES
• PIES
• BREADS
• CANDY
• EVERYTHING ELSE

If there was REALLY a “Mrs. Claus”, she would send some of the goodies already prepared along with Mr. Claus when he makes his rounds on Christmas Eve.

Cousin Violet’s Fudge Recipe

Long ago, before collecting recipes from the Internet became de rigueur , we homemakers often traded handwritten recipes. My cousin made the most delicious fudge and I was intrigued and asked for the recipe. I had stopped making fudge because I could only manage success about once in five tries. My usual result was a soupy concoction that could only be eaten with a spoon. Cousin Vi’s recipe changed all of that. It is simple - no boiling, and I make it in the microwave oven, which we didn’t have in those long ago days of yore.

Cousin Vi is now 78 years old and her handwriting is still as beautiful. That is because she has the genes of an artist coursing through her veins, as her father was my Uncle Ben, of whom I have written much.

Cousin Vi’s Very Easy Fudge

INGREDIENTS:

• 18 ounces semisweet baking chocolate (such as 3 bags of chocolate chips)
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (I toast them in the oven first.)

PREPARATION:
In a heavy saucepan over low heat melt the chips into the milk, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat. Add the vanilla, salt and nuts, and stir until smooth. Spread evenly into a waxed paper lined 8 or 9 inch pan. Chill for 2 hours, or until firm. Turn fudge onto a cutting surface, peel away the waxed paper and cut into even squares. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

*MICROWAVE METHOD: Heat chips and milk on high for 3 minutes, depending on the wattage of your oven. Stir until smooth, then follow the traditional recipe.

Christmas Tree Fudge: If you would like to made some beautiful edible gifts for Christmas, try this. Follow the recipe above using “white” chocolate and substitute 1/2 cup chopped green candied cherries plus 1/2 cup chopped red candied cherries for the chopped nuts. Oil or butter large Christmas tree cookie cutters, place on waxed paper, and pour the warm fudge into them. Let sit overnight until set. Wrap each tree, including the cookie cutter in a see-through bag and tie with a bright ribbon. VOILA!

The image, My Christmas Fudge, was originally uploaded by barneykin. It is posted here from