Fried Ham in Cream

The title pretty much says it all. 

This is a Mennonite Community Cookbook recipe. Simple and old fashioned. Also delicious. 

Fried Ham in Cream

Ham steaks, cut into serving size pieces 

Flour

Oil

Heavy cream

Dip ham pieces into flour to coat. Heat a tablespoon or so of oil over medium heat and lay ham slices in pan in a single layer. Fry until browned well. Flip and fry other side. Pour cream over all and cover pan. Simmer 10 minutes. Serve over starch of choice : pasta, potatoes, rice, even buttered toast would be good!

Bonus tip: if there are leftovers, mix chopped ham with your potatoes, noodles, veggies, whatever, and add a splash of milk. The next day, heat it all in oven or microwave for a tasty lunch. 

Maple Streusel Muffins

Well. A lot of life has been lived since I last popped in here! 

A sugar shack has been built. 

We’ve been collecting sap. 

And look! Syrup! And sugar. And sugar bears!

Last spring my brother tapped a tree up at our cabin and just for fun boiled down a cup or so and made a thin syrup. That was all that was needed to get my dad’s wheels spinning and around Christmas, he and Brad and some of my brothers started a sugar shack. Mid February they purchased an evaporator and we’ve been learning the syrup details ever since. 

What hard work! I’ll never again complain about the price of real syrup. It’s worth every penny. 

I’ve been learning so much about trees, sap, and syrup the last few weeks. This week we made maple sugar and today I baked with it. 

Whoa. So wonderful!! I never purchased maple sugar before so I don’t know if ours is the same but it made some fabulous muffins. 

We also made some maple sugar candy and the leftover wet sugar I ground up and used in these muffins. I’m guessing these would be just as yummy using regular maple sugar but for now I’m writing the recipe exactly as I made it. 

Maple Streusel Muffins 

Topping:

1/3 cup moist maple sugar

1/4 cup fine maple sugar

3 T all-purpose flour

1/4 t cinnamon

2 T melted butter

Mix all together and set aside.

Muffins:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 T moist maple sugar

1 T baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter 

1/4 t salt

Mix floors, sugar, and baking powder in large bowl. 

In small bowl mix egg, milk, butter, and salt. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and divide between twelve greased muffin tins. Sprinkle topping on evenly. Bake in preheated 350F oven for 15-18 minutes or til toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. 

Remove from tins and place in a cloth lined basket. Eat immediately with a smear of butter. Swoon and repeat. 

Yield: 12 regular muffins 

Sourdough Waffles

I realize I should probably be starting out with a how-to on feeding a sourdough starter but for now I’ll leave that to the pros like Peter Reinhart and Nancy Silverton. 

Once you have that figured out, waffles are easy!

I have never come close to matching my mom’s waffles but these are the ones that turn out best for me :: light and airy with just a hint of sourness. 

Sourdough Waffles

2 cups milk 

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup white starter, 100% hydration

2 T honey

2 eggs

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 t salt 

1 t baking soda

Mix milk, flour, and starter. Cover and let sit on counter overnight, 8-12 hours. 

Add remaining ingredients and whisk well. Cool in preheated waffle iron until browned and lightly crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Eat immediately with favorite toppings or store at room temp for a few days. I’ve never frozen them but I’m sure it would work. We heat the leftover ones in the toaster. 

Yield : about 4 large waffles (serves 4)

Sweet Cherry Hand Pies

I’ve always wanted to make hand pies but had a fear of there being too much crust and not enough fruit.

Turns out that if the crust recipe is good enough, I won’t care if there isn’t much fruit. 

Another fear I had was baking with sweet cherries. I made a pie using them about 8 years ago and it was awful. But they worked for these hand pies. Maybe it’s precisely because there is a high crust to fruit ratio?

Check out that crust flake. Mmmm. 
Update: I made these again this evening and used all whole wheat flour. Just as tasty, tho they don’t stay as crispy as the half white version. 

Sweet Cherry Hand Pies

Dough:

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour (or whole wheat bread flour)

1/4 t salt

4 T cold butter

1/3 cup sour cream

1 T milk

Mix flours and salt. Using a small grater, grate the butter into the dry ingredients. Mix with a fork, gently coating the butter strands with flour, and then smash around to evenly distribute the butter. Stir in the sour cream and enough milk to make a smooth but not wet dough. 

Roll out on well floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut 4 inch circles. Reroll scraps and cut again. I got 12 circles. 

Filling:

1 – 1 1/2 cups sweet cherry halves

Honey

Cream 

Place 3-4 cherry pieces on one side of each circle. Dot with a smidge of honey and fold circle in half, being careful not to tear dough. Crimp edges with a fork and brush tops with cream. 

Bake at 425 on parchment lined cookie sheet until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack. 

Freeze any pies that don’t get eaten within a day. 

Molasses Raisin Bars

I’m a sucker for baked goods with molasses. I just adore the deep, rich flavor. 

These bars don’t disappoint. I’ve made them several times but this last time tried all whole wheat flour. 

These are not an overly sweet bar. I cut back on the sugar quite a bit from the original recipe, which I don’t know where I got. 

A note about the sucanat: when creamed with butter, it takes ages to dissolve so I grind it in an old coffee grinder to a powder before using it.

A delicous snack with a cold glass of milk!

Molasses Raisin Bars

3/4 cup softened unsalted butter

1/4 cup white sugar

3/8 cup brown sugar (I use sucanat)

3/8 cup molasses, part black strap is fine

1 extra large egg

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, sprouted if you have it 

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 t baking powder 

3/4 t baking soda

3/4 t cinnamon

1/4 t allspice

Heaping cup of raisins

Cream butter and sugars into smooth. Add molasses and egg and mix well. 

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Add to creamed mixture along with raisins and mix well. 

Spread into a greased 1/4 sheet pan (or 9×13). Bake at 350 for about 29 minutes or until set in center. Try not to overbake!

Cool in pan before cutting and serving. These freeze well. 

Yield: 20 small bars