5 And A Beagle
"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans." John Lennon
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Aunt Mary
I was sitting down in my dining room, ready to start in on the tax returns when my attention was drawn to a picture on the sideboard. This is a picture of me and my Aunt Mary taken in her kitchen sometime in the mid 60's. Aunt Mary passed away in January of this year at the age of 85. She was an absolute treasure. She was so many things ... the best cook and baker there ever was, the best listener, someone who would offer advice in such a way that you didn't even realize she was guiding you in a certain direction until she had already done it. She was a woman of strength, courage, forgiveness and love.
When my brother and I were young, my parents would take us every weekend to the Sunday School that was just up the road from Aunt Mary's. After Sunday School, we would spend time at her house and have the most delicious treats. Every Easter Aunt Mary would make a Yugoslav Easter Bread for her kids, her nieces and nephews, and, as the years went on she would add her grandchildren and her great-nieces and nephews.
Through the years she taught me and other family members how to make some of her wonderful treats. Somehow though, they would never turn out as good as hers. There was definitely a special touch she brought to the things she made.
I thought that I would add a side bar to this blog and try at least once a month to share one of my Aunt's recipes with you. She loved to cook, to bake, and to have people enjoy her creations. I think that even though she is gone, she would have loved to know a bit of her lives on. I hope that you can try the recipes and if you do and enjoy them, please let me know.
I just have to figure out how to get a link on my side margin to link up to the recipes I'll be posting, but for know, here's the first one. As is in the picture - Strawberry Shortcake.
Enjoy!
Shortcake -
2c Flour
2 tbsp. Sugar
4tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c unsalted butter
1 c milk
Sift dry ingredients together. Cut in butter with 2 knives or a pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk. Toss the mixture lightly with a fork until the liquid is absorbed. Knead the shortcake dough lightly on a floured surface. Divide dough in half and place in two greased 8" round pans. Gently pat dough down with hands. Bake in 450 oven until lightly browned. Approx 18 - 20 minutes.
Strawberry Topping -
4 c whole hulled strawberries
1/3 c confectioners sugar
1-3/4 c whipping cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
Slice the strawberries into halves and stir in cofectioners sugar (reserving at least 12 whole ones for the top of the cake). Whip the cream along with the icing sugar. Once shortcakes are cooked, allow to cool for 5 minutes and remove from pans. Place 1/2 of the whipped cream and halved strawberries between the layers. Place the remainder of the whipped cream on the top layer and garnish with the remainder of the strawberries, halved and whole.
Volim te, teta Mitza
|
