Mill Brook House Recipes

Maple Popcorn

This maple treat will brighten up a cold afternoon.

Maple Popcorn

a fun and healthy country treat

1/2 cup unpopped corn

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/8 t salt

1 T butter

1/4-1/2 cup of peanuts (optional)

Dry pop the popcorn.  Pick up the popped corn in your hands and remove to a large mixing bowl, leaving the unpopped kernels behind.  

Heat the butter, salt, and maple syrup in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens and becomes slightly stiff when a few drips are dropped into cold water.  If you use peanuts, add them to the maple mixture when you take it off the stove.  

Pour the maple mixture over the popped corn, mixing quickly with a wooden spoon until each kernel has a touch of maple on it. 

The maple popcorn will form into small chunks and can be eaten this way by hand.  To form popcorn balls, double the maple syrup and butter, and, after pouring the thickened maple syrup on the popcorn, form it quickly into firm balls.

 

 

Grandma Geist's Apfel Kuchen

My mother learned this recipe from my grandmother, who probably learned it from her mother, an immigrant from Germany.  It's labor intensive, and the flavors are simple, but it's the best kind of comfort food.

For the dough:

½ cup slightly warm milk

1 t granulated yeast

1 t sugar

***

1.5 cups of flour

1 T sugar

1 T butter

1 egg

¼ t salt

1 t vanilla

***

6-8 apples, peeled and sliced

cinnamon sugar

additional cinnamon (opt.)

Disolve the yeast and the sugar in the warm milk.  Let it sit until it forms bubbles.  Measure the flour, 1 T sugar, egg, salt, and vanilla into a bowl.  Add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is uniform.  Flour a large board or counter, turn out the dough and add more flour until you can handle it. Knead it for about 10 minutes, adding flour whenever the dough becomes too sticky to handle.  Place the dough back in the bowl and sprinkle it with more flour.  Set it in a warm place (or an 85° oven) and let it rise until you can push your finger into it and the dough does not spring back. Turn the risen dough back out on your kneading surface, punch it down and knead for a few more minutes.  Grease the bottom and sides of two round pans, c. 9-10 inches.  Divide the dough between the pans.  Roll each piece into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and 1.5 inches up the side of each pan.

(You can simplify this process by purchasing a roll mix and following the directions.)

Peel, core, and slice the apples one at a time and place the slices, cored-side down, in concentric circles on top of the dough.  Press the first circle firmly against the sides of the pan to hold the dough in place. Cover the pans and let the dough rise for about 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Add extra cinnamon if desired.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.  Turn the cooled kuchen out on a plate and slice as you would pie.

 

 

Rhubarb Pie

Many cooks and most restaurants add strawberries to their rhubarb pie, but I prefer mine straight.

Mix up a double pie crust, roll out half of it and line the bottom of a pie pan.  Roll out the top crust.

Cut up 6 cups worth of fresh rhubarb and mix with: 1/3 cup of flour, 1 beaten egg, and 1 cup of sugar.*  A dash of cinnamon is optional.

Pour this mixture into the pie pan and cover with the top crust, crimp the edges, pierce with a fork multiple times, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for an additional hour.

*This is a minimal amount of sugar and makes a somewhat tart pie.  (My mom used 1¼ cups of sugar for two cups of rhubarb!)  Vary the amount of sugar and the amount of rhubarb according to your taste and the amount of rhubarb you have on hand.

 

 

Pumpkin Spice Crumble

A delicious variation on pumpkin pie...

Mix the following ingredients together:

1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree or 2-3 cups puree from a sugar pumpkin

1 12oz. can evaporated milk

½ cup cream

½ cup light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 t cinnamon

½ t nutmeg

½ t ginger

¼ t cloves

½ t salt

Bake in a 9x13 greased baking dish for 25 minutes.

Run the following through a food processor:

1 cup gingersnaps

1 cup walnuts or pecans

Remove the pumpkin mixture from the oven and sprinkle the gingersnap/nut mixture over the partially cooked pumpkin.  Put the baking dish back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes more.  Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Coconut Macaroons

 These cookies make a delicious, healthy snack, low in fat and sugar.

Mix:

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup flour

½ t baking powder

1/8 t salt

¼ t cinnamon

Beat until stiff:

5 egg whites

Add:

3 T sugar

1 t vanilla

to the egg whites; continue beating for 5 minutes.

Carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the coconut mixture by hand.  Use a teaspoon to drop the batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.  Makes 2 dozen.

 

 

Lemon Pudding Cake

Amazingly delicious with or without whipped cream!

2/3 cup of sugar

3 T butter

1 t grated lemon rind

3 juiced lemons

4 eggs, separated

1/3 cup flour

1.5 cups milk

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the egg yolks; beat until light yellow.  Sift and add in the flour, beating on a lower speed, then add the milk, lemon rind and lemon juice.  Beat the egg whites and fold them into the lemon mixture.  Pour into a casserole dish and place it in a pan with water.  Bake for 45 min - 1 hour at 350°.

 

 

Mug Cakes for Breakfast

Four Healthy Mug Cakes 

My first mug cake recipe appeared in a newspaper circular.  Later I read that there are hundreds of mug cake recipes online.  I looked into that claim and discovered that most of them have been developed as desserts—good for homebound singles, maybe, but, taste-wise, not worth the time, trouble or calories.  The mug cakes below have healthy ingredients with comparatively little sugar or fat and are ideal for small meals taken alone: breakfast, lunch, or afternoon snack.

 As indicated by the term “mug cake,” most of these can be mixed up, microwaved, and eaten in the same large mug.     

 

Cocoa-Peanut Butter Mug Cake

Whisk together:

3T whole wheat flour

2-3t unsweetened cocoa powder

2t sugar

¼ cup milk

2T peanut butter

¼ baking powder

Microwave for 90 seconds.

 

Almond Mug Cake

Whisk together in the following order:

1 large egg

1T maple syrup

2T milk or buttermilk

¼t almond flavor

3T almond meal or flour

¼t baking powder

Microwave for 90 seconds.

 

Carrot Mug Cake

Whisk together in the following order:

1 egg

1T maple syrup

½t vanilla

2T milk

2T whole wheat flour

¼ t cinnamon

pinch of salt

¼ baking powder

dash of nutmeg and/or cloves (opt.)

 2T chopped or ground nuts

1 small carrot, peeled and grated

1T raisins

Microwave for 90 seconds.

 

Chocolate Banana Mug Cake

This one comes out more like a pudding.  A large banana and the chocolate chips may make it sweet enough without the sugar.

Put the following in a food processor or beat vigorously by hand:

1 ripe banana

1 egg

2T almond butter

2T cocoa powder

2t sugar (opt.)

Place the mixture in your mug and drop 2T chocolate chips on top.

Microwave for 2.5 minutes.

Maple Dumplings

 

Toast ½ cup of pecans in a 300° oven for 10 minutes, then chop.

Combine:

1.25 cups flour

1 t baking powder

½ t baking soda

½ t salt

Cut in: 2.5 T butter (by hand or in a food processor)

Place 1 egg in a measuring cup and whisk until it is uniform in color; add buttermilk to the cup until you have ½ cup liquid.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated into the dough.  (To keep the dumplings tender, do not over-mix or knead.)  Split the dough into 10 golf-ball-size balls and place them on a cutting board or plate. 

Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil:

1.5 cups water

¾ cup maple syrup

¼ t salt

Turn down the heat and drop half of the balls of dough into the pan.  Cover and let them boil for 8-10 minutes.  Remove them to bowls and place these in a warming drawer or warm oven.  Add 1.25 cups water to the liquid remaining in the saucepan.  Bring the liquid to a boil once more and repeat this process with the remaining balls of dough.

While the dough is cooking, beat 1 cup of whipping cream and stir in 2T maple syrup.

Serve the dumplings in bowls, topped with the remaining liquid from your saucepan, whipped cream and chopped pecans.

 

 

Maple Walnut Cheesecake

Light and not too sweet, this cheesecake is amazing!

8 double graham crackers

¾ cup walnuts

2 T brown sugar

2 T melted butter

Food process the graham crackers and walnuts with 2 T sugar.  Add 2 T melted butter.  Press the mixture onto the bottom of a 10” spring-back pan and bake for 10 minutes in a 325° oven.

***

4 8-oz pkgs Neufchatel (low fat) cream cheese

½ cup brown sugar

½ t cinnamon

¼ t ginger                             

1/8 t allspice (or cloves)

1/8 t nutmeg

1 cup low fat sour cream

½ cup maple syrup

4 eggs

Beat the cream cheese, spices, and sugar in a mixer until blended.  Add the sour cream and maple syrup and mix.  Add the eggs one at a time and continue beating on low.  Pour this mixture over the crust.

Bake at 325° for 70-90 minutes until the center is almost set.  Run a knife around the rim of the pan to loosen the cake.  Cool completely before removing the rim.  Refrigerate the cake for 4 hours or more.

***

½ cup whipping cream

½ cup maple syrup

¼ cup chopped walnuts

Remove the cake to a serving plate.  Bring the cream and maple syrup to a boil on medium heat, stirring constantly.  Simmer 10-12 minutes or until reduced to about 2/3 cup.  Cool mixture completely, then drizzle it over the cheesecake and sprinkle the nuts on top.

 

 

Hazelnut Macaroons

This is a popular Christmas cookie in Germany. It’s easy to make and, with no added fat, will keep throughout the Christmas season.

250 grams ground hazelnuts or 2 cups whole, roasted and blanched hazelnuts.

4 egg whites

½ cup sugar

whole hazelnuts for decorating

If using whole hazelnuts,* chop them as fine as possible in a food processor. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then add the sugar slowly with the mixer still running.  Set your timer for 10 minutes and continue beating.  A very stiff meringue will form.  Add the hazelnuts to the meringue and mix by hand.

Drop spoonfuls of this mixture onto cookie sheets covered with pergament (parchment) paper. Place a whole hazelnut in the middle of each cookie and bake at 325 for 18-20 minutes. Cool and store in airtight containers.

*Ground hazelnuts may be available somewhere in the U.S., but I don’t know where. Blanched, roasted hazelnuts are available at Trader Joe’s. 

 

 

Cherry Clafouti

This comfort food from France is easy to make.  It can be served for breakfast (or breakfast-like dinners) or you can add more sugar, make it in a pie pan and serve it for dessert.

Cherry Clafouti

4 eggs

2-3 T sugar

1 t vanilla

2 cups whole milk or 1 cup ½ & ½ and one cup low fat or skim milk

¼ t salt

¾ cup flour

12 oz. canned cherries (about 2 cups)

2 T melted butter

Beat the eggs with the sugar (by hand is fine) and add the vanilla, milk, salt, and flour. Drain any liquid off the cherries. Grease a square baking pan and place the cherries in the bottom. Pour half the batter over the cherries. Make sure the cherries are more or less evenly spaced, but try not to discolor the batter too much. Place the pan with the cherries and batter in the oven for 20 minutes.

Melt the butter and mix it into the remaining batter. Upon removing the pan from the oven, pour the batter with the butter over the partially baked clafouti and return it to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center is set.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.