Favorite Recipes to share with you!
Tomato Paste Recipe
Basically tomato paste is tomato that has been reduced, reduced again, and then reduced some more! It's ideal to make on a cold day over the gentle heat of a coal range.
- 24 large tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
- olive oil
First score a cross on the bottom of each tomato using a sharp knife. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, then drop into ice cold water. After this the tomato peel should almost fall off. Pull the remaining peel off the tomatoes. Cut the core out and remove all the seeds. I keep the peelings for making homemade stock and the seeds for adding into stews etc. Chop the flesh and measure what you're left with which would normally be around 4 litres. Add ½ teaspoon of salt to each litre. Place the tomato and salt in a large pot and simmer over a low heat for around 1 hour, stiring often to prevent any catching and burning. Remove from the heat and press through a fine sieve or process through a food mill. Return the tomatoes to the pot and continue to cook very slowly until the paste holds its shape on a spoon, approximately 2 to 3 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent any sticking.
Spoon into hot sterilized jars, leaving 3cm (1 in) at the top. Slop on a little olive oil to cover and seal. Ensure the lids have vacuum sealed, or the paste will spoil. Alternatively you can fill and freeze ice cube trays and free flow cubes of paste in freezer bags for use later.
More of Our Family Holiday Candies and Cookies Favorite Recipes
Amy’s English Toffee
2 ½ cups Sugar
¾ Lb. Real butter (Unsalted)
½ cup White Karo Syrup
Salt- A Pinch
1 Lb. Slivered Almonds
1 cup Chopped Almonds
10 oz. Cadberry Chocolate or any good Milk Chocolate
Put Butter into saucepan and melt.
Add Karo & Sugar carefully being sure not to touch sides of pan with utensil.
Boil (stirring constantly) to 250 deg. (Hard Boil) Add “Almond Slivers” and Salt.
Keep boiling until it reaches 300 deg. (Hard Crack) It will start to look golden in color.
Pour onto lightly buttered two cookie sheets & spread as thin as you can.
Place chocolate on top immediately and spread evenly. Sprinkle “Chopped Almonds” over the top. Let cool for several hours or overnight. Break into pieces.
Mary’s Peanut Brittle
1 cup Sugar
½ cup White Karo Syrup
¼ cup Water
1 Tbls. Butter
Boil to 250 degrees on thermometer
Then add 2 cups Raw Peanuts
Cook until 310 degrees, and then remove from heat
Add 1 tsp. Vanilla and 1 tsp Baking Soda and Stir Well
Spread on Cookie Sheet
Macaroons
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon grated Lemon rind
1/3 cup Flour
¼ teaspoon Baking Powder
Pinch salt
2 2/3 cup flaked Coconut
In large bowl, combine Sugar, Eggs, Butter, Vanilla, and Lemon rind; mix well. In small bowl, combine Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt; mix well and stir in Sugar mixture until well blended. Stir in Coconut and drop by tablespoons onto greased and floured cookie sheet. (A Cherry or Nut may be placed on top before baking-if desired). Bake at 325 degrees 15 to 18 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to waxed paper and cool. Store in air tight container, Makes about 2 ½ dozen macaroons.
Fabulously Flawless Fudge
1 package (8 squares) Bakers Semi-Sweet Chocolate
2/3 cup sweetened Condensed Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
¼ teaspoon Salt
½ cup chopped Nuts (optional)
Heat chocolate and milk in sauce pan over low heat, stirring until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat; blend in Vanilla and Salt. Stir in Nuts, if desired.
Spread in buttered 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Chill until firm; then cut in small squares. Makes about 18 pieces.
Lovie’s Ultimate Sugar Cookies
Cookies:
1 ¼ cups Sugar
1 cup Butter (softened)
2 eggs
¼ cup corn syrup or pancake syrup
1 Tbls. Vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour (plus 4 tablespoons divided)
¾ tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp. Baking Soda
½ tsp. Salt
- Heat oven to 375 degrees
- Combine Sugar and Butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add Eggs, Syrup and Vanilla. Beat until well blended and fluffy.
- Combine 3 cups Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt. Add gradually to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix until well blended. Divide dough into 4 quarters. Wrap each quarter of dough with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of Flour on large sheet of waxed paper with hands. Turn dough over and cover with another large sheet of waxed paper. Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out with floured cutter. Transfer to ungreased baking sheet with large pancake turner. Place 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with granulated sugar or colored sugar crystals. Or leave plain to frost when cooled.
- Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375 degrees for 5 to 9 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies (bake smaller, thinner cookies closer to 5 minutes, larger cookies closer to 9 minutes). DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Place sheets of foil on countertop. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely, then frost as desired.
Makes about 3-4 Dozen Cookies
Decorations:
Your choice! – Granulated sugar, colored sugar crystals, frosting, decors, candies, chips, nuts, raisins, coconut, decorating gel, sprinkles, etc.
Lovie’s Ultimate Sugar Cookie Glaze
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Confectioners’ Sugar
1 Tbls. Light Corn Syrup
2 Tbls. Water OR Milk
10 Drops Food Coloring
DIRECTIONS:
- Stir Confectioners’ Sugar, Corn Syrup, and Water together. Stir in Food Coloring if desired. This glaze must be stirred each time you use it. If it is not stirred before each use it will dry with a mottled look instead of a solid color.
- Just dip the cookie face-down in this glaze and twist, place on a piece of waxed paper and let sit for a couple hours. Make another bowl of this glaze in a contrasting color, take a spoon and drizzle it over the cookie for a neat effect too. Dries nice and hard! GREAT RECIPE!
- A kid's paint brush (found in those water color kits) works great to spread glaze out for detail work.
Lovie’s Famous Oatmeal Cookies
1 c Sugar
1 c Brown Sugar
1/2 c Peanut Oil
1 stick butter
2 lg. Eggs
1 Tlbs Vanilla
1½ c Sifted Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt
3 c Oatmeal
1 c Chopped Pecans
Variations-ADD:
½ c Chocolate Chips
½ c Peanut Butter Cips
½ c Butterscotch Chips
½ c Heath Bar Toffee Chips + 1 T. Cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 deg. Cream Sugar and Oil and Butter, add Eggs and Vanilla,
Mix dry ingredients – Flour, Baking Soda and Salt - gradually add.
Fold in Oatmeal and Pecans or variations.
Divide recipe up to make different variations.
Bake at 350; 10-12 minutes, Do not over bake-will look undercooked when ready!
