I was looking for a good biscotti recipe and my friend, Cheri, had the perfect one for me. This is super easy to make with many variations. The cookies store well for a few weeks too.
If desired, these cookies are firm enough to dunk in chocolate.
Profiteroles- Cream Puffs
Many years ago, Andrea discovered “creamy puffs”. After her first taste she insisted that she wanted to learn how to make them. So, at the age of 9, Andrea learned how to make “French Profiteroles“.
Years later, Andrea still loves cream puffs and insisted that we make them to celebrate National Cream Puff Day (2 Jan).
Fill the puffs with vanilla ice cream for french profiteroles. Filling with whipped cream makes them cream puffs. Either way is wonderful!
If you want to make these gluten free, substitute the flour with your favorite gluten free flour*. They do not puff up as nicely, and they did not brown the same, but they taste great!
Daddy’s Pasties
Pasties are popular in Calument where Daddy spent a lot of time growing up. He said that Petila’s taxi in Calumet would often take his family to McLain park and then come back at a prearranged time to take them home. His grandmother made them also. There are many recipes for pasties, but all are similar.
Feel free to experiment with the basic recipe. We often make the pasties with cubed meat instead of ground. Be careful not to over stuff the crust, it is much better to have leftover filling! If you can find it, replace part–or all– of the carrots with rutabaga for a more traditional taste.
When serving, I like them best with a little extra butter. Some people serve them with gravy. My mom eats them with ketchup.
Lemon Bars
My girl friend Heather and I would often make these at her house. We almost always doubled the crust and would eat one batch of it as the second batch baked.
Now Adrian loves lemon desserts and this is one of his favorites.
Rhubarb Pie
Growing up, I can only remember eating strawberry rhubarb pie. I was happy to learn that plain rhubarb pie is so much better than strawberry rhubarb!
Allan and I were given this recipe many years ago when we were first married. This is the pie we make most often and will eat it often while the rhubarb lasts. We also try to freeze some rhubarb for a special treat later.
Dumplings
My Great Grandma Zetsell shared the “recipe” for these dumplings, though my father thinks the recipe was brought from England with my great great Grandma Heighes. He said that they were a very inexpensive way to fill up hungry tummies when times were tight.
Dumplings are wonderful in chicken broth, with veggies, or with sausage, fried onions, mushrooms, garlic and butter. My favorite way though, is warm with some good butter and salt and garlic.
They do not reheat very well, so only make enough for one night.
(What fun, I learned that they are also called Kluski Kładzione and they are a polish drop noodle. Some recipes use milk in place of the water!)
Great Grandma’s Pizzelles
Grandma Bea would make pizzelles and store them in tin coffee containers. After she died, my parents bought a pizzelle maker and passed the recipe on to Andrea.
Cream Puffs
When Andrea was nine years old, she discovered cream puffs. She wanted to learn to bake them and would keep asking for me to teach her. Finally, I gave her a recipe for French Profiteroles and let her make a batch. Was she surprised to learn they were cream puffs.
While we usually eat these with whipped cream and homemade nutella or chocolate sauce, they are also very good with vanilla ice cream.
Saffron Rolls
Whenever we go to Calumet, Michigan, Daddy stops to buy us saffron bread or saffron rolls. Often he buys extra and brings some home to freeze until Easter. My rolls are not quite as pretty as the ones he buys, but they sure taste great!