Measurements January 1, 2008

Measurements 3-15 08

B 44 - w 44 - H 51.5

Measurements 1-23-08

45-43.5 - 53


1-1-08

47- 43.5 - 53

Started end of March 2006

51-49-62

Spiced Peaches

For me, this is an absolute Christmas/ Holiday Must and, as with so many good things in my life, comes to me from my sister-in-arms, Hettie Potter. I've used bottled peaches, I've used tinned peaches, and it honestly doesn't matter which, but I'm afraid you have to resist the healthier peaches tinned in fruit juice rather than syrup. If you can find only slices, not halves, so be it. This is a beautiful condiment to eat with roast ham, hot or cold, and I love it with cheese, too. It makes the kitchen feel like a proper Christmas/ Holiday kitchen - and it's a very easy present to whip up for people, too, beautiful in old fashioned glass jars.
2 (14-ounce) cans peach halves in syrup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 short sticks cinnamon
1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced thinly into rounds
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 whole clovesEmpty the cans of peaches into a saucepan with their syrup. Add the vinegar, cinnamon, sliced ginger, chiles, salt, whole peppercorns and cloves. Bring the pan to the boil, and let boil for a minute or so then turn off the heat and leave it in the pan to keep warm.

Serve the peaches with a hot ham letting people take a peach half and some of the spiced juice. Any leftovers can (and should) be stored in a jar and refrigerated and then eaten cold with cold ham.

Chocolate Pistachio Fudge

I am willing to believe that a confectioner wouldn't call this proper fudge, but it tastes divine, and you won't need a sugar thermometer or have to test for frightening soft or hard ball stages. I like this best made slightly less express, but with no greater effort, by stashing it in the deep freeze. It goes really grainy and fudgy this way. If I'm not handing this straight round at a party or with coffee after dinner, I might keep half in my freezer, and put the other half in 1 or 2 boxes for Christmas presents. Make sure they stay cold, though.
12 ounces 70 percent dark chocolate, chopped or 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened condensed milk (Eagle brand)
Pinch salt
1 cup shelled pistachios
Melt the chopped chocolate, condensed milk and salt in a heavy based pan on a low heat.
Put the nuts into a freezer bag and bash them with a rolling pin, until broken up into both big and little pieces.

Add the nuts to the melted chocolate and condensed milk and stir well to mix.
Pour this mixture into a 9-inch square foil tray, smoothing the top.

Let the fudge cool and then refrigerate until set. You can then cut into small pieces approximately 3/4 by 1 3/4 inches or cutting 8 by 8 lines in the tin to give 64 pieces.

Once cut you can keep it in the freezer, no need to thaw just eat straight away.

Butternut Squash with Pecans and Blue Cheese - Nigella Lawson

This has many strings to its bow: it serves as a vegetarian alternative to the Christmas/Thanksgiving turkey; it gussies up a plate of cold leftover turkey; it adds the right balance of mellow warmth and tang to any plain wintry dish; it is a good whole meal on days when you just feel fleshed-out.
4-pounds 8-ounces butternut squash
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 stalks fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup pecans
1 cup crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Halve the squash, leaving the skin on, and scoop out the seeds, then cut into 1-inch cubes; you don't need to be precise just keep the pieces uniformly small.

Put into a roasting tin with the oil and strip about 4 stalks thyme of their leaves, sprinkling over the butternut squash. If you can't get any fresh thyme, sprinkle over dried.

Roast in the oven for about 30 to 45 minutes or until tender.

Once out of the oven, remove the squash to a bowl and scatter over the pecans and crumble over the cheese tossing everything together gently. Check the seasoning and add the last couple of stalks of thyme torn into small sprigs to decorate.

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

1 pound very lean stew beef
1 chopped onion
1 (16 oz) bag of classic coleslaw
2 cans beef broth
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes in puree
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup long grain rice

Brown the beef in a little oil. Add onion and coleslaw, cover and simmer 5 minutes on med-high heat. Add broth, tomatoes, anf all other ingredients except for rice and cook until boiling. Add rice, lower heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Creme Anglaise

1/2	vanilla bean, split
6	tablespoons sugar
2	cups milk
6	egg yolks
1	pinch salt

1. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the milk in a heavy saucepan.
2. Add the vanilla bean pod and the sugar and heat until the milk is warm but not simmering.
3. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath--a bowl partially filled with ice, with another bowl nested inside it.
4. Lightly whisk together the egg yolks in a separate bowl, then gradually add some of the warmed milk, whisking constantly.
5. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
6. Cook over low to moderate heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, always scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.
7. Immediately strain the cooked custard through a fine sieve into the bowl set in the ice.
8. Stir the creme anglaise with a clean spatula to cool it down.
9. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
10. Crème anglaise will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Buttermilk Donuts

1	tablespoon dry active yeast
1/2	cup warm water
1/2	cup buttermilk
3	tablespoons shortening, melted (DO NOT use oil)
3	tablespoons sugar
2 1/2-3	cups flour
3	teaspoons baking powder
1	teaspoon salt
	vegetable oil
2 1/2	cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4	cup milk

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes.
2. Add buttermilk, shortening, sugar and 1 1/2 cup flour, baking powder and salt; mix well.
3. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
4. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead several times.
5. Roll dough to 1/2 inch thick and cut with a 2 1/2 inch doughnut cutter.
6. Place doughnuts on lightly floured surface, cover and let rise 45 minutes or until double in bulk.
7. Heat 2-3 inches of oil to 375°F.
8. (I use my Fry Daddy) Drop in 4 or 5 doughnuts at a time.
9. Cook about 2 minutes or until lightly golden in color, turning once.
10. Drain well on paper towels.
11. Combine 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1/4 cup milk, stir until smooth.
12. Dip each doughnut in glaze while still warm; allow excess glaze to drip off.
13. Cool on wire rack or serve warm

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

You will need to chill the dough at least 4 hours. Also, if you bake these cookies a couple of days ahead, the vanilla flavor will become more pronounced.

Servings: Makes about 36 cookies.

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
2 vanilla beans
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, shortening, and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. With a knife halve vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape seeds into butter mixture and beat in egg and vanilla extract until combined well. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into mixture and beat until just combined.

On a large sheet of wax paper form dough into a 10- by 2-inch log and roll up in wax paper. Chill dough until firm, at least 4 hours. Dough keeps up to 3 days wrapped in wax paper and foil.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Put remaining 1/4 cup sugar on a platter. Remove wax paper and roll log in sugar (not all sugar will adhere to log). Cut log crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and dip cut sides of slices in sugar on platter. Arrange cookies 1/2 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets and bake in batches in middle of oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are pale golden. With a metal spatula transfer cookies to a rack to cool. Cookies may be made 2 days ahead (see note, above) and kept between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container.

Dutch Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

4 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), melted

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix just to combine. Divide dough in half. Gather each piece into ball; flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Roll out 1 dough disk on floured work surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using assorted cookie cutters, cut out cookies. Transfer cookies to ungreased baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather dough scraps; reroll to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out more cookies.

Bake cookies until pale golden, about 13 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks; cool. Repeat with remaining dough disk.

Spoon melted chocolate into pastry bag fitted with 1/16-inch plain tip. Pipe chocolate onto cookies. Let cookies stand until chocolate sets. (Can be made ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.)

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

2 1/2 cups self-rising White Lily or cake flour
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
11/2 cups sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Put flour in a bowl and make a well in center. Beat together butter and sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then beat in egg and vanilla until blended.

Add butter mixture to flour and rub it into flour with your fingertips just until dough comes together in a ball (do not overwork dough, or it will be tough). 3Halve dough and work with 1 half at a time. Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Cut out cookies with a floured cutter (we used a 2 1/2-inch fluted round cutter), arranging cookies, as cut, 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Reroll scraps once, using as little flour as possible, and cut out more cookies.

Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, in middle of oven until very pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 1 minute, then transfer to a rack to cool 5 minutes if serving warm, or to cool completely.

Cooks' notes:
• If your kitchen is very warm, you may need to chill dough to keep it from sticking to work surface.

• Cookies keep in an airtight container 1 week.

Sugar Cookie Cornmeal

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Granulated sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, and salt.

Blend butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla, and zest in a food processor until creamy, about 30 seconds. Scrape down side of bowl, then add all of flour mixture and pulse until dough just begins to come together.

Roll out dough on a well-floured surface with a well-floured rolling pin to 1/3 inch thick. Cut out as many rounds as possible with a 2-inch round cookie cutter or drinking glass and transfer to an ungreased large baking sheet. Reroll scraps and cut out more rounds. Sprinkle tops with granulated sugar.

Bake until undersides are pale golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

4 ingredient Coconut Cookies

Coconut Cookies

Makes about 2 and 1/2 dozen cookies

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add shredded coconut, mixing well with a rubber spatula.

3. In a large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed, just to blend. Beat in sugar, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in coconut until thoroughly mixed.

4. Drop rounded teaspoons of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2-inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, until the tips of the cookies are pale gold. Slide the parchment papers, with the cookies on them, onto wire cooling racks and let the cookies cool completely.