Gingerbread Leaves

Ginger is an aromatic autumn or winter spice which also enhances the flavour of cakes, pies and cookies during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. However, the cookies from this recipe can be made throughout the year using various cookie shaped cutters. My family loves them.

¾ cup / 180 ml butter, softened

1 ¼ cups /310 ml brown sugar, packed

1 egg

½ cup / 125 ml molasses

4 cups / 1 L all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp / 7 ml baking soda

2 tsp / 10 ml ground ginger

1 ½ tsp / 7 ml ground cinnamon

1 tsp / 5 ml ground cloves

Thin icing for decorating (optional)

Using a mixer with a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. (Dough can be refrigerated for several hours or overnight for easier handling.)

Roll dough to 1/8 inch / ½ cm thickness on a lightly floured board. Cut shapes with desired cookie cutters. Place on parchment covered baking sheets.

Bake at 350F/180C for 8-10 minutes or until cookies look firm. Remove from oven and let cool. Decorate with icing as desired. Yield: 4-5 dozen.

Favorite Easter Paska

Traditionally, my Oma, Mother and Aunties would make Paska every year for Easter. I have continued making this Easter bread and experimented with many recipes to find my favorite. Most good recipes are large and yield a large number of loaves; this gives me the opportunity to share them with many friends who don’t bake with yeast. This recipe is not in my cookbook From Oma’s Kitchen.

4 Tbsp / 60 ml granular yeast

1 cup / 250 ml warm water

2 tsp / 10 ml sugar

15 eggs, at room temperature

4 cups / 1 L sugar

1 cup / 250 ml butter, melted

3 cups / 750 ml milk, warm (half - potato water if available)

Zest and juice from 1 orange and 1 lemon.

12 drops lemon oil (optional)

1 Tbsp / 15 ml salt

20 cups / 5 L all-purpose flour

Combine first three ingredients and set aside to soften. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy, gradually add sugar. Add melted butter, warmed milk, citrus zest and juice, salt and lemon oil when available.

Place 5 cups / 1.250 L flour in a very large mixing bowl. Make a well in flour and pour egg mixture onto flour. Add yeast mixture and beat together with a wooden spoon. Add 5 cups / 1.250 ml flour three times to make soft dough. (total 20 cups / 5 L) Set aside to rest for 20- 30 minutes.

Knead dough to make it smooth. Place dough in a large bowl, cover and let rise to double in a warm place. Punch down and let rise again.

Shape into balls or place into Bundt pans; let rise to double and bake.

Bake @ 325F/ 160C for approximately 40 minutes. Allow to cool on cooling racks. Ice when still slightly warm.

Drizzle with soft icing made with icing sugar and orange juice and decorate with colored sprinkles. Enjoy! Loaves can be frozen with or without icing.

Makes 10 loaves.

Delicate Pink Cupcakes

Delicate in pink, these cupcakes are a hit with children and teenagers, especially for birthday parties. I made them for my granddaughter, who was involved in a high school bake sale raising money for their grad celebrations. This recipe is not in the cookbook From Oma’s Kitchen.

1 cup / 250 ml butter, softened

1 ¼ cups / 310 ml sugar

4 drops pink food coloring

3 eggs, large

2 tsp / 10 ml vanilla

2 ½ cups / 625 ml all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp / 7 ml baking powder

½ tsp / 2 ml baking soda

½ tsp / 2 ml salt

1 cup / 250 ml milk

Juice of ½ lemon.

Icing: ½ cup / 125 ml butter, softened

3 cups / 750 ml icing sugar

¼ cup / 60 ml coffee cream or milk

1 tsp / 5 ml vanilla

In the large bowl of the mixer, cream the butter, sugar and food coloring until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, soured with the lemon juice. Beat well to mix. Fill paper lined muffin cups ¾ full.

Bake @ 350F / 180C for 20 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks and cool completely before icing.

Icing: Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add icing sugar and enough cream or milk to make a smooth icing. Add vanilla and apply to cupcakes.

Enjoy! Makes 18 cupcakes.

Cream Cake

This cake is moist and tasty when iced with a butter icing, and also great for strawberry shortcake or trifle. (Recipe can be doubled.) I have added orange zest to the cake and orange juice to the icing to give a luscious citrus flavor. Lemon would also be a wonderful variation. This recipe is in the cookbook From Oma's Kitchen.

2 eggs

1 cup / 250 ml sugar

1 cup / 250 ml whipping cream

1½ cups / 375 ml all-purpose flour

3 tsp /15 ml baking powder

½ tsp / 2 ml salt

1 tsp / 5 ml vanilla

Beat eggs, sugar, and cream together until batter is smooth. Add vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together and add to first mixture. Pour into a 9 x 9" baking pan.Bake @ 350F / 180C for 40 - 50 minutes.

Variation:

Orange cake - add 1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh orange rind to the cake batter. Then ice with icing made with icing sugar, cream or orange juice, plus 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh grated orange rind.

This recipe can be made into cupcakes. Adjust baking time to 20 minutes (less for smaller cupcake).

Mom's Piroshki

A tasty, fruit filled pocket. You can use any fruit in season including berries, apples and cherries. These delicacies are an excellent addition to lunches, picnics or barbecues. This recipe is in the From Oma's cookbook.

3 ½ - 4 cups / 875ml - 2 L regular flour

1 tsp / 5 ml baking powder

½ tsp / 2 ml salt

½ cup / 125 ml butter

½ cup / 125 ml lard

1 cup / 250 ml milk

Filling:

Fresh blueberries (or other fruit)

1 cup / 250 ml sugar

½ cup / 125 ml flour

½ tsp / 2 ml cinnamon (optional)

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut butter and lard into flour mixture with a pastry blender as for pastry. Add milk and knead lightly. Roll out very thin, cut into squares and fill with fruit (apples, blueberries, raspberries, rhubarb etc.). Pour ½ tsp (2 ml) filling over fruit on each square. Bring the four corners of the square to the center and press together to close. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets. Brush with cream.

Bake @ 400EF (200EC) for 20 minutes or until golden brown