What are your family traditions? Do many of them center around food? It could be as simple as this...when I was pre-teen age, every Saturday night my Mom would make hamburgers. You could count on it.
There are many family food traditions I'd like to share on this blog but the one on my mind today revolves around General Conference. Twice a year our church convenes for a general conference broadcast over cable, satellite, internet around the world.It is a spiritual feast. One of the great things about it is that we can view it in our own home. [There are four hours on Saturday and four on Sunday and the men have two more hours Saturday evening.]
A tradition I've carried on from my Mom is that we have a big family breakfast meal to eat while we watch conference. Mom usually made "Cosby pancakes" which are basically crepes with brown sugar and orange juice squeezed from a wedge sprinkled over them. We called them Cosby pancakes because we had them for the first time when visiting the Cosby's in California. Here's the recipe.
Jackson/Williams Crepes AKA Cosby Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or butter, melted)
Brown sugar and oranges
Beat eggs and milk together. Add flour, sugar, salt and beat until smooth…
Put a little veg oil in bottom of pan and spread around and heat the pan over medium heat. Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup batter in bottom of pan and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook 1-2 minutes until you can flip it and it is lightly brown on that side. Cook just a bit longer so second side is lightly browned.
(butter optional)Sprinkle with brown sugar, then squeeze juice from a wedge of orange over all. Roll it up and enjoy!
Other fillings like fruit & whip cream or meat and veggies can be used.
I've added some of my own recipes to the menu like my husband's favorite- French Toast and mine, buttermilk scones.
Buttermilk Scones
3 cups flour
1/3 c. sugar
2.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. Soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter/margarine
1 cup buttermilk
Cut butter into flour mixture. Add buttermilk and stir to incorporate milk. Turn it onto floured surface and knead once or twice.
Divide and form into two balls. Flatten them, leaving them higher in the center. Slice each round into quarters/sixths like a pie.
Place pieces on cookie sheet. Bake @ 425 for 12 minutes.
Makes 8/12 scones. Serve with honey or jam. I often fold into the dough fresh berries or dried currants or cranberries.
In recent years for the Fall Saturday morning Conference session, my husband helps me peel apples( I know! Isn't it great?! He rarely helps in the kitchen except with dishes but since he grew up in Yakima and loves apple pie...). Then during the 2 hours break between sessions, I make and can apple pie filling. To keep the apples from browning after peeling, I put them in a big bowl filled with cold water with a tablespoon or two of salt in it.
APPLE PIE FILLING FOR CANNING
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 teas. cinnamon
1/4 teas. nutmeg
1 teas. salt
3 Tbs. lemon juice
2-3 drops yellow food coloring
8 lb. (3 different kinds is best) tart apples pared, cored & sliced
In large sauce pan combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in 10 cups water: cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add lemon juice and food coloring. pack apple in to hot quart jars, leaving 1-inch head space. Fill with hot syrup, leaving 1/2 in head space. (use spatula to help distribute syrup) Adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Make 6-8 quarts.
TO MAKE PIE:
Prepare pastry for a 2 crust 8 or 9 inch pie. Line pie plate with pastry: add 1 quart pie filling. Adjust top crust, cutting slits for steam to escape. Bake at 400 for 45-50 minutes.
This year I've added another recipe to my Conference menu, thanks to my friend Lynne McLean. They invited us over for Sunday afternoon session of conference. I made crepes and a fruit melange. Lynne showed me her mastery of Popovers and boy, were they gorgeous and yummy!She has blended a couple of recipes (family and professional)together to achieve greatness! It was such fun to work with her in her fabulous kitchen and create this delicious fare for our extended families.
Lynnie's Popovers
Preheat oven to 425
Place in a blender:
4 eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cup sifted flour
3/4 tsp salt
butter, softened (Lynne puts out a whole pound of butter in a dish with pastry brush)
Preheat two 6-cup popover pans (or two 12-cup muffin tins)in the oven for 5 minutes, then quickly brush cups generously with butter. Fill each cup with batter. Bake 20 minutes.
DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR!
Reduce the heat to 350 and bake an additional 25 minutes until golden brown. (STILL NO PEEKING!) Remove from oven,. Let stand for 5 minutes. Turn out popovers and serve warm. They can be split down the middle and opened up to receive whatever topping is your favorite- syrup & butter, jam, fresh fruit & whip cream...DELICIOUS!
Of course these can also be served with a main course as more of a savory treat.
For Fun and to keep kids engaged, search for Conference Bingo online and print out cards for kids to find key words as they listen to the speakers.
http://lds.about.com/od/generalconferencegames/General_Conference_Activities_and_Games.htm
So think about it for the next few months and plan to establish (if you haven't already) a family Conference tradition of your own. Maybe invite another family to eat and view with you if you think it won't be too chaotic. Or consider getting some women together to prepare food while the men are at the Priesthood session and enjoy it when they get home.I remember when I was at BYU my sister-in-law Lynette invited all the women over while the men were at Priesthood session to make a big batch of holiday bread and form it into rolls & different shapes and adorn with various fruits and nuts.[I think Lynette had already made and risen the Basic dough]It is a recipe now yellowed and oil-stained that I often pull out and use during the holidays.My favorite is the braided bread.
Holiday Breads
Basic Roll Dough
2 cups scalded milk 6 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 cup sugar 1 cup warm water
2 cubes soft margarine 3 Tbsp. yeast
10 cups flour (approx) 1 tsp sugar
3/4 Tbsp. salt
Add milk to sugar & margarine. Beat eggs. Add yeast and 1 tsp sugar to warm water. When margarine & sugar are dissolved, add egg & dissolved yeast. Fill sifter with flour & salt. Beat enough flour into milk mixture until firm enough to knead. Knead enough flour in to make smooth soft dough. Put dough into greased bowl. Let rise till dough is double in bulk. Shape & let rise again.
Bake at 350 until golden brown.
Danish Rolls
Divide basic dough into 6 equal parts. Roll into rectangle shape. Spread 1 cup raisin filling on dough. Roll dough as for jelly roll. Form into circle on oiled pan. With scissors cut dough every 1 1/2 inches on outside of circle, cutting 3/4 way through. Turn pieces on side. Brush entire top with beaten egg then decorate with sliced almonds. Dribble icing over top after baked & cooled.
Raisin Filling for Danish Rolls
Cook together:
1 cup raisins 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water 1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar
Mix together 1/4 cup water, 2 Tbsp. corn starch. Add to raisin mixture. Cook to thicken. Remove from heat, add 1 Tbsp. butter, 1/2 cup pecans, 1 tsp lemon flavoring, 1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Cool.
Onion Cheese Rolls
Basic dough
Use long finger-shaped pieces of dough. Tie into knot, tuck one end in top, other in bottom. Place on oiled pan. Brush with beaten egg. Top with chopped onion & shredded cheese. For plain hamburger roll, top with beaten egg & sesame or poppy seeds.
Use for sandwich or hamburger buns.
Orange Crescent Rolls
Basic dough
Shape into triangles. Spread with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon & grated orange peel. Roll into crescent shape. Brush with beaten egg. Bake. Ice with orange icing.
Orange Icing
Powdered sugar
Canned milk
1 tsp vanilla
grated orange/orange flavoring
Make thin icing & ice rolls when cool
Braided Bread
Make Basic dough. Shape dough into 16 inch long ropes about 1 1/2 inch diameter . Braid ropes like you do hair, then pressing together & tucking under the ends. Let rise & bake at 350F until brown.
Ice and decorate.
I make several of these up and give them as gifts in December.
