Parsnip Puffs

I had no idea how these would turn out... but.....they have been declared "a keeper" by Mr. BumbleVee...

Without further ado... may I present these tasty little parsnip puffs from the April issue of Recipes Only Magazine.... oh, and I guess I better admit.... it was April 1988 .... told ya I saved things...especially old recipes and mags with recipes in them. Every so often I drag out a handful and peruse...admire the beautiful food photography...and purge ...or not... this one gets to stay. It's a tiny little thing... 5 X 7.. more like a brochure..won't take up any space at all tucked in with my cookbooks.

This is the recipe straight from the book...but, don't forget... all recipes are meant to be toyed with.... I used Apple Jelly as I had some home made from a friend on hand... and I halved the recipe as I only had a pound of parsnips... ...

Parsnip Currant Puffs

2 lbs. parsnips

2 eggs, separated

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

salt and pepper

3 TBSP red curant jelly

Peel parsnips, cut into about 6 pieces each and cook, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water for 10 minutes or until soft. Drain well in a sieve. Place in food processor (in batches if necessary) and puree.

Add egg yolks, ginger and salt and pepper to taste. Process until light and fluffy. (Recipe can be prepared ahead to this point, covered and refrigerated up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

In medium bowl, whip egg whites until stiff but still moist. Fold into parsnip mixture.

Divide most of the mixture amongst 8 buttered (6oz./175ml) custard cups or individual souffle dishes.

Make well in each, spoon in one eighth of the jelly and cover with remaining parsnip mixture, smoothing the top. Place filled dishes in shallow pan with boiling water halfway up sides of dishes.

Bake in preheated 325 F (160) oven about 20 minutes or until slightly puffed and set on top. Serve immediately.

I didn't bother with a food processor... I cut them in small pieces.. boiled them.. they mashed up nicely ... I even saved the lovely parsnip-y water with all the nutrients in it. I freeze all water I ever boil a veggie in.. and save it for soups.... you can't believe how much flavour it adds..not to mention nutrition.

I just filled each ramekin half full.. placed a big flat dollop of the Apple Jelly .. and then filled the ramekin with more parsnip mixture.

I served the ramekin right on the plate... it was still pretty hot... but, we were careful... peas, couscous and leftover chicken got a new lease on life with this interesting and pretty little side ....

Frozen berries...

I prefer fresh blueberries when making scones... they don't leave streaks of colour ... but, not many fresh berries around now...so ... we'll take 'em how we can... just to get scones at all.

Days go by and by the time I think about putting some wonderful recipe on here... the moment passes... or it is a day when I haven't done any baking or perhaps haven't made a very exciting meal...or.... as in this day... I baked Blueberry muffins...which are already on the blog... somewhere.... and... Artichoke Chicken... which is also on here.

All of a sudden a month passes... yikes! how it flies...the time that is... not the chicken..

Today I found some old Homemaker magazines in my purging and moving of "stuff". Tomorrow, ...I'm trying parsnip puffs. I've got parsnips... let's see what puffs taste like.

Give the Artichoke Chicken a try sometime...it's yummy.....

World bread day......

Today is a special day.... World Bread Baking Day ..... here is the link to my easy recipe for my first bread.... and also Tuscan Peasant Bread... my second try.... Check out Zorra's .... and read more about the day and her bread and see other wonderful recipes and fun blogs........

If I can do it so can you.... I only began playing with yeast a couple of years ago after being too afraid (which is silly) to give it a try. I love baking ...why wouldn't I have tried bread years ago? Again..... silly me... now I'm even trying Artisan type breads. Find a recipe..give it a try and it turns out yummy....every one. There's nuthin' to this bread baking thing now that I'm onto it ... hahahha.... it's fun! My only regret? Why the heck didn't I start much sooner. There is nothing better than the lovely aroma of freshly baked bread right there in your own kitchen.

almost feels like Christmas....

.....except for the unseasonably warm and beautiful blue sky days we are having in the foothills of the Rockies. Well, they say that is where we are...but, they are a bit further away than our doorstep ... at least an hour and a half..or so......
but, be that as it may, what great days!! I burned a lovely scented candle earlier in the day to get rid of the popcorn smell.... I tried out a new popcorn maker...and a few kernels got caught under the little sweeps... back to the shopit goes. Sigh ... some year I will find the perfect popcorn maker.














'tis the season for those great little Italian plums again too... remember those from last year? You don't ... shame on you for not seeing my plum loaf then...hahaha..... or not... never mind.... it's not that important. But...it is that tasty and if you haven't tried some of these little guys... maybe now is the time. They are the backyard variety.. found in any of the older neighbourhoods.











You only need 8 or so to make a cup... which will make one loaf.












Do you ever crack an egg into the mixture only to realize you also got a bit of shell in there as well? ...then you have to spend time digging it out? I began breaking my eggs into a separate bowl years ago.... saves time and frustration.










oooooh....a lovely soft mixture.... dollops of yogurt in there....











I love the tart hits of some of the plums.... maybe they are not quite as ripe as the rest.

I'm a delinquent...

...but, I have excuses..... oh, yeh...I remember now...nobody wants to hear them.

Well, in honour of me finding half an hour while my slave driver is having a bath....I'm doing a post about something beginning with a big D.... maybe he won't notice that I'm not painting doorframes......

Dark and delicious.... chocolate!!














here's the picture...and mine.....

They are from the Company's Coming Chocolate Everything book by Jean Pare. Somebody named them white chip cookies...huh? ...terrible...I call them Double Chocolate Chunk cookies. .. cuz I used chunks of white chocolate instead of chips.

Here they are. You'll notice I always throw in my own twobits as I tell you the recipe... sometimes I think they put in too much of this or that ... suit yourself....but, here it is straight from the book.......

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sifted cocoa
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chips (I only used about 3/4 cup semi sweet dark and white chocolate chopped into chunks..it was plenty...)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (1/2 cup was enough... I toasted them beforehand... better flavour)...

Cream butter, brown sugar and cocoa in large bowl or mixer bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla ..mix til fluffy.
Add remaining 5 ingredients. Mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet. (I have enamel sheets and they didn't need greasing..test bake one to check on your sheets.... but, they probably won't need much at any rate...)
Leave as drops or flatten slightly with glass or fingers.... Bake at 350F or 170C for 10 to 12 minutes. Remember...it's chocolate... keep an eye on it! Mine barely needed 10 minutes.

Says it makes 3 dozen.... only made 23 of my tablespoon size...... hmmmmm.... my tablespoons must be bigger... *grin*** .......

Ohhhhh.....are they delish!! I just made them last night and already only 5 left... but, I did take a few for the old guys at the golf course today...and gave a few to my neighbour..... .........