Oatmeal Pancakes

I have to admit, my daughters and I love these oatmeal pancakes, but I seldom follow a recipe. I make these the good old fashioned Italian way, by simply adding the ingredients and judging the amounts with only my eyes until I reach the right consistency.

So I made these this morning and wrote down the amounts as I went. They turned out perfectly. And now I have a recipe!

1 large egg
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats, uncooked

Beat the egg. Add milk and butter, mixing well.

Combine flour and next 4 ingredients.

Add to the egg mixture, mixing until blended.

Stir oats into batter.

Heat a lightly greased griddle or skillet over medium heat (375*F / 190*C). Griddle is ready when a few drops of water bubble and skitter rapidly around.

For each pancake, pour scant 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes until surface is covered with bubbles and appear dry around the edges. Turn and cook other side until golden brown.
Makes about 10 (4-inch) pancakes.

Shortbread Cookies

If you were to pick up my recipe card for this, you'd likely laugh. It's corners are worn, the words are faded, and there are years of stains on it. And that's how I know this is an all time, beloved, family favourite.

These shortbread cookies are the light and fluffy kind.

Shortbread Cookies

1 pound of butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
3 cups flour

Use very soft butter and whip. Add icing sugar gradually and whip. Add cornstarch and flour and continue whipping gradually.

Form into balls and press gently with hands or fork.

Bake at 300 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes

Festive Eggnog

I found this recipe in a newspaper over twenty years ago. I've been making it ever since. It's extremely decadent and my family's favourite. Once you've had a taste of the real stuff, you'll never buy the supermarket eggnog again.

Festive Eggnog

12 eggs separated
1 cup sugar
2 cups light cream or half and half
1/2 cup rye, rum, or brandy
3 cups heavy cream

Combine the yolks with the sugar and beat until thick and lemon colored. Slowly add the light cream and liquor and beat until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks are formed. Beat whipping cream in a large bowl to very soft peaks. Then fold in egg whites. Add this to the yolk mixture in the punch bowl. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Makes 16 cups

Please keep refrigerated at all times.

Please make sure you use the freshest grade AAA eggs with intact shells and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shells.

Christmas Morning Wife Saver

I've had this recipe in my collection for about 25 years now. I guess you can consider it a classic. It's a great little casserole, meant for breakfast, which can be used all year round. I like to serve it with a little fruit salad, coffee, and/or some juice. You make it up the night before, leave it in the fridge, and then pop it into the oven in the morning. What could be easier than that?



Christmas Morning Wife Saver

16 slices bread with crusts removed
Slices of ham or back bacon
Slices of sharp cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup green pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cups milk
dash taobasco sauce
1/4 lb butter
Special K cereal or crushed Corn Flakes

In a 9 x 13 buttered glass baking dish, put 8 pieces of bread. Cover with ham or back bacon, cheese slices, and the remaining bread.

In a bowl, beat eggs, salt, pepper. Add dry mustard, onion, green pepper, Worcestershire sauce, milk, and tabasco.

Pour over bread. Cover and let stand in fridge overnight.

In the morning, melt butter, pour over the top. Cover with Special K. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let sit for 10 minutes. Serve with fresh fruit.

The Romantic History of Italian Panettone

In Italian folklore, it is widely believed that Panettone originated in the city of Milano in northern Italy during the 15th century. It became instantly popular. Today, hundreds of years later, people around the world continue to enjoy the sweet bread. It was originally called Tony's Bread or Pan de Tonio . The name has since evolved to become known as the panettone we enjoy today.

As with all ancient recipes, several legends circulate about how is one came into being. Here is the most popular, and most romantic of the versions. How typical of the Italians to meld together romance and food.

In the city of Milano in northern Italy during the 15th century, there lived a baker named Tony who had a beautiful daughter named Adalgisa. A wealthy young man, Ughetto della Tela, fell in love with the beauty and wanted to marry her, but he knew his family would oppose the marriage because she was a commoner.

Ughetto, a quiet, studious man, worked as a hawk breeder in the court of Duke Ludovico Maria Sforza. Undaunted in his quest to marry Adalgisa, he began to secretly meet the lovely young woman late at night, far from prying eyes. Meeting at such odd hours made a lot of sense because Adalgisa was required to start mixing the bread in the wee hours of the morning in her father’s bakery.

Soon, a strange series of misfortunes befell Tony. A new bakery opened nearby and he began to lose clients. Then he fell ill. This left Adalgisa to do all the work in the bakery, including all the heavy chores.

The gallant Ughetto seized upon this misfortunes and offered himself to assist her. He wanted to improve the bread by adding some butter to the mix, but the struggling bakery had no money to buy the additional ingredient, which was very expensive at the time. So Ughetto sold a few of his prized hawks and with the money purchased all the butter needed.

The bread was an immediate success. Loaves disappeared from the shelves. When Ughetto decided to add a little sugar to the recipe, it became even more popular. Soon word about the tasty bread spread. The beautiful Adalgisa smiled, for the bakery was once again turning a profit. Happy to see his beloved happy once more, Ughetto decided to improve upon the recipe once more. This time, he added candied citron and eggs. At Christimas time, he added raisins. Now the bread really became a huge success, well known throughout the entire city of Milano. Tony's bakery prospered and he became very wealthy.

Without hesitation, Ughetto's family approved the marriage to the wealthy young woman and Ughetto and Adalgisa were soon married. Their secret recipe and other bakers soon began to imitate the bread, ever-increasing quantities to satisfy the palates of Italians.

Today, the bread is produced and shipped throughout the world. It is always given away as gifts and graces the tables of all Italians at Christmas.

Once December hits, I find myself making panettone almost daily. My family loves it. Here is my favourite recipe, easily made in the bread machine:

Mirella Patzer's Panettone

3 1/4 cups bread flour (divided)
1/4 cup each golden raisins
1/4 cup candied mixed peel
1/4 cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
2 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 cup softened butter
1 tsp anise extract
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh grated orange peel
1 tsp fress grated lemon peel
2 tsp yeast

Mix 1 tbsp of the flour with raisins, candied peel and citron. Add milk, eggs, butter, vanilla, sugar, salt, orange and lemon peels in bread machine pan or proceed as per manufacturers instructions.

Turn on machine and set to normal/basic bread setting, choosing light color setting if possible. Sprinkle reserved fruit mixture into machine when fruit alarm sounds or just as second kneading is ending. Makes one 1 1/2 lb. loaf.

(If candied mixed peel is not something your family likes, this bread tastes just as good with only the raisins.)