On April's Show: Strawberry Mousse Cups

1 pint whipping cream
2 1/2 cups strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup water
2 boxes frozen phyllo cups

Puree strawberries in blender or food processor.
Whip cream with sugar until stiff. Fold strawberry puree
into cream until fully incorporated.
Bring water to a boil and add gelatin. Stir until dissolved.
Let cool 5 minutes. Add to strawberry-cream mixture.
Combine thoroughly and chill until set.
Spoon into phyllo cups or use pastry bag / ziploc bag to pipe
strawberry cream into cups. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix in large bowl:
2 cups flour and 2 cups sugar

Melt in pan:
1 stick butter
1 c. water
3 1/2 T. cocoa
1/2 c. oil
Pour over flour mixture and stir.
Add:
2 eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla extract

Place mini muffin papers into two 24-cup
mini muffin tins. Fill each cup 3/4 full with batter.
Bake 8-12 minutes or until set. Cool before frosting.

Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
Melt 1/4 c. butter and 6 oz. Nestle semi sweet chocolate
chips over med.-low heat in saucepan. Heat until smooth.
Remove from heat. Cool 10 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
and 1/2 cup sour cream. Combine. Gradually, add 3
cups sifted powdered sugar, stirring after each addition
untl smooth and creamy. Frost cooled cupcakes.

Lemon-Currant Scones (Vanilla Scone variation)


Sweetened, dried cranberries can be substituted for currants

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
In large bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour,
1/4 cup sugar, 3 t. baking powder, and 1/2 t. salt.
Mix in 1/2 c. dried currants and 1 t. grated lemon peel.
Add 1 1/3 c. heavy whipping cream. Stir just until dry
ingredients are moistened. Knead dough 6-7 times on
floured surface until smooth. Pat dough to 3/4" thick.
Cut with 2-inch round cutter (or smaller) and place on
cookie sheet.
Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Cool 15 minutes,
In small bowl, combine 1 c. powdered sugar and 2-3 T.
lemon juice until smooth and thin ecough to drizzle over
scones.

Vanilla Scone Variation
Follow above directions, omitting currants, lemon peel,
and glaze. Increase sugar to 1/2 cup and add 1 T. pure
vanilla extract.

Blue Cheese - Apple Cups


1 pkg. frozen pastry dough
1 container crumbled blue or gorgonzola cheese
1 large apple, cored and chopped into small chucks
1 T. butter
2 T. brown sugar
1/2 c. whipping cream
1 egg
1/4 t. salt

To make 12 cups:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Follow pastry defrost directions. Cut 12 squares (3" x 3")
from pastry sheets and refreeze unused dough.
Gently press the squares of dough into a 12-cup mini-
muffin tin (sprayed with veg. oil). Crimp the edges.
Melt butter in skillet. Add brown sugar and chopped apple.
Saute until apple is soft, carmelized, and apple juices are
syrupy. Set aside.
Place 1 tsp. crumbled blue cheese into each cup.
Whip together cream and egg.
Pour 1 1/2 tsp. egg mixture over blue cheese.
Top each cup with 1 heaping tsp. carmelized apple.
Bake 20 minutes or until golden and set.
Enjoy warm or room-temperature.

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches


1 cucumber, peeled
1 container Garlic & Herb spreadable cheese
8 slices very thin white bread (Pepperidge Farms)
salt

Cut cucumber in half. Standing each half on the cut end,
slice lengthwise making very thin slices.
Spread 1 tsp. cheese on each slice of bread.
Layer 2-4 cucumber slices on each of 4 slices and
top with remaining 4 slices of bread. Press gently.
Using a serated knife, carefully slice the crusts off the
bread. Gently holding the sandwich in place, carefully
slice each one into 4 finger-length strips.

On March's Show: Irish Soda Bread

2 cups flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. golden raisins, brown raisins, or currants
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
3 T. shortening
3 T. butter
2 t. carraway seeds
1 c. buttermilk

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.
Add raisins and nuts and toss. Cut in butter and shortening
using a pastry blender, two knives, or a food processor until
combined and butter/shortening pieces are no bigger than
pea-sized. Slowly add buttermilk until mixture is soft and holds
together (you may not need the whole cup).
Turn dough out onto floured cutting board and knead for 1 to 2
minutes. Form into a round loaf and cut a cross into the top.
Place on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for approx. 45
minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Citrus Honey Mustard Glaze


Combine equal amounts of the following:
- butter
- honey
- spicy brown mustard
- orange juice
Melt butter in saucepan first, then add the other ingredients.
Simmer until reduced by almost half.
Excellent served with corned beef, poultry or pork.

Sweet Spiced Corned Beef Brisket

Cook corned beef brisket according to package directions
(either boiling method on stove or simmering method in oven).
Do not use the spice packet - retain it for later use.
Remove corned beef from water and place on baking pan or
sheet.
Combine the following:
3 T. brown sugar
Contents of spice packet from corned beef
1 t. dry mustard
1 t. salt
1 t. garlic powder
Rub generously over corned beef and then tent loosely
with aluminum foil. Place in 375 degree oven for 15 minutes
or until sugar has carmelized and is bubbly hot.
Serve by slicing thinly against the grain.
Great served with Citrus Honey Mustard Glaze