Lemon Tassies

Elegant little bites.


1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 cup cold butter, diced into 1/2-inch cubes

1 egg yolk, beaten

2 tablespoons cold water

Lemon Curd

Stir together flour, sugar and zest in a mixing bowl.

Cut in cold butter until mixture is crumbly.

In a small bowl, combine 1 beaten egg yolk and the 2 tablespoons cold water.

Gradually stir yolk mixture into flour mixture.
Knead the dough just until a ball forms.

Shape into a ball and chill for 30 to 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Divide dough into 36 pieces.
Press one piece onto bottom and up sides of a mini muffin tin.
Repeat with remaining pieces.
Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Cool in tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Remove tassies from pans.
One to two hours before serving, spoon a rounded teaspoon of lemon curd onto each tassie.

Makes 36 tassies.

Lemon Curd Recipe

Tip:
You can prepare the dough for the crusts ahead of time.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.
Thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight.

Printable Recipe

Pineapple Casserole

• 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks, in its own juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup crushed buttery round crackers
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Drain pineapple, reserving juice.
In medium bowl mix sugar and flour.
Add water to reserved juice to make 2/3 cup.
Stir juice into sugar mixture until smooth.
Add pineapple and cheese.
Pour into a greased 1 quart casserole dish.
Mix crushed crackers and butter.
Sprinkle on top of casserole.
Bake in pre-heated 350-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until top is golden brown.

Printable Recipe

Buttercup Biscuits

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups self-rising flour

Cream butter and sour cream together.
Add flour, mix.
Fill mini muffin tins about three-fourths full.
Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 48 mini muffins

Tip:
Recipe is easily halved.

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Irish Soda Bread

What is thought of as Irish soda bread is really an American invention. In the 1840's baking soda mixed with buttermilk allowed people to make bread at home without ovens. The bread was baked in cast iron pots with lids placed directly over hot coals. The original recipe did not include sugar, butter, eggs or dried fruit. Several recipe books published in the UK in 1866 and 1868 give the standard recipe for soda bread with the note that "it is much eaten in the United States."

Cutting an X into the top of the loaf allows the heat to penetrate into the thickest part of the bread.
There is the expression "to let the devil out of the bread," so it is slightly superstitious. And if you make that cruciform shape on the bread, when it bakes it will break beautifully.
So you have the blessing of the bread by putting the cross on it and then you have the symbolic breaking of the bread.


Irish Soda Bread   

 

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon for currants
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 extra-large egg
• 1 cup dried currants

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer.

Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.

Mix the buttermilk and egg together.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture.

Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough.

It will be a very wet dough.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it a few times.

Shape into a round loaf.

Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and cut an X into the top of the loaf with a serrated knife.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

When tapped the loaf will have a hollow sound.

Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Tip:
Martha White or White Lily flour are the best flour to use for this bread.  A soft winter wheat
flour will produce the lightest bread.


Printable Recipe

 

Lemon Curd

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 lemons

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

4 extra-large eggs

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

 

Zest lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith.
Cream the butter and beat in the sugar.
Add the eggs, one at a time.
Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and salt.
Mix until combined.
Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer.
Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.


Printable Recipe

Lemon Tart made with lemon curd.

 

Oreo Cookie Pops

• 1 package Oreo cookies, crushed
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 24 ounces almond bark candy coating
• 48 lollipop sticks
• sugar crystals

Mix crushed cookies with softened cream cheese.
Refrigerate mixture 20 minutes.
Roll into 48 balls.
Refrigerate balls 20 minutes.
Melt candy coating.
Dip sticks into melted candy coating.
Insert into balls.
Refrigerate balls 20 minutes.
Dip balls into melted candy coating.
Sprinkle with sugar crystals.

Crescent Spinach Pinwheels

• 1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 2-ounce jar chopped pimiento, drained
• 1 small onion, finely minced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Combine spinach, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, pimiento, onion and nutmeg.
Mix until well blended.
Unroll dough. Separate into four rectangles. Firmly press perforations together to seal.
Spread with spinach mixture.
Roll up, starting on short side.
Freeze before slicing and baking.
Cut each roll into 8 slices.
Place cut side down on parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Printable Recipe