Fairy Nectar
1 1/3 cups milk per serving (if using North American Milk 2 cups is about right)
1 tsp. honey (All natural honey is best)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Cinnamon (freshly ground is best, but store bought will do)
Warm milk; be careful not to boil it.
In each mug add your honey and vanilla. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Spiced Milk with Honey
1 quart milk
1 tablespoon honey
4 cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole allspice or spice bush berries
1/4 teaspoon shavings of fresh nutmeg
1 bay leaf
Tie up all the spices in a cheesecloth square, or strain out before
serving. Combine spices, milk and honey in a saucepan. Heat gently
for 20 minutes (do not boil). Serve hot.
Bride's Brunch
From Akasha
2 [9-inch] pie shells
3 tbs. green onions/chives, finely chopped
1/2 pound Canadian style bacon/ thin sliced ham 1/2 tsp. salt
8 eggs
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tbs. milk
Line a quiche dish with 1 pie shell. Arrange 1/2 of bacon or ham in bottom of shell. Break 7 eggs into the dish. Pierce the egg yolks with a fork, but do not mix the egg yolks with the egg whites. Add the green onions/chives, salt, and pepper. Arrange the remaining bacon or ham on top. Cover with remaining pie shell. Mix the remaining egg with the milk and lightly brush the top crust with the mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Serve hot or cold. Makes 6 servings.
Swedish Waffles
From Sabbats by Edain McCoy
Serves four
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 cup evaporated milk or cream
3 eggs
¼ cup melted butter (not margarine)
1 ½ + cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
Prepare and preheat waffle iron. Mix all ingredients until the mixture takes on a slightly fluffy appearance. Pour the batter into a hot waffle iron and bake until done (about 3 minutes). In Sweden it is traditional to use preserves or honey to top the waffles.
Brede’s Braid Bread
From Candlemas by Amber K and Azrael Arynn K
2 ¼ cups white flour + 1 cup + 1 ¼ cups
1 Tbs. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
2 pkg. dry yeast
¼ cup butter, softened or melted + 2 Tbs. melted butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 ¼ cups very warm, not hot, water (120-130 degrees)
2 Tbs. molasses
1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
1 ¼ cups yellow cornmeal
In large bowl, combine 2 ¼ cups white flour, salt, sugar, and dry yeast. Add ¼ cup butter, eggs, and water and beat either by hand or with mixer, until all ingredients are combined. Add 1 cup white flour. Beat at high speed for 2 minutes (or if making by hand, knead it more later). Divide equally into three bowls. (This is most accurately done by weight with a kitchen scale, but by eye and intuition works, too.)
In the first bowl, add and beat in molasses and whole wheat flour. In the second bowl, add and beat in cornmeal. In third bowl, add and beat in 1 ¼ cups white flour.
Knead each batter on slightly floured board (use whole wheat flour, cornmeal, or white flour on board), about 5 minutes if you’ve been beating the dough in a mixer, about 10 minutes if you’ve been mixing by hand. Dough should be smooth and elastic, bouncing back when poked. Grease all three bowls, place doughs in them, cover with damp cloths, and let rise in warm place (oven with pilot light works well) until doubled, about an hour. Punch down. On lightly floured board, divide each dough in half, roll each half into a rope about 15 inches long. Braid together a white, a corn, and a whole wheat rope. (It’s easiest if you start in the middle, go to one end, and turn the braid around to finish the other end.) Tuck ends under, and repeat with three remaining ropes. Place in greased 9x4 inch loaf pans. Cover with damp cloth over waxed paper, let rise again until doubled, about an hour.
Heat oven to 350F. Bake 20-30 minutes, until cornmeal braid is light brown on top. Baste with 2 Tbs. butter. Return to oven for 10 more minutes. Loaf should sound hollow when tapped. Remove from oven, remove from pans onto wire racks, cover with damp cloth and let cool at least half an hour before cutting.
Serve with lots of butter. Excellent toasted the next morning if there’s any left, serve with butter and apple butter or jam. Makes 2 loaves. Double the recipe and you might have some left for tomorrow! Variation: Make the entire batch one grain.
Rosemary Cheese Biscuits
From Awakened Woman
Old fashioned biscuits are a treat at any season. According to Goddess lore,
sprinkling rosemary into the dough helps us to attract love and longevity.
2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 stick unsalted butter or margarine, chilled
1/2 cup milk (or more if needed)
2-3 Tbs. dry sherry
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl combine the flour, cheese, baking powder, salt, rosemary and cayenne. Cut the chilled butter into pieces and mix into the flour mixture, crumbling the dough. Add the milk and sherry and quickly mix the dough just until the ingredients are moistened.Lightly knead the dough inside the bowl a few times to form a ball, and place on a floured surface. Roll out the dough with floured fingers (or a floured rolling pin), to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out rounds with a cookie cutter or jelly glass and place them on a baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are golden brown. Serve warm in a festive basket.
Makes about 15 to 18 biscuits.
White Bean Hummus with Capers and Dill
From Awakened Woman
Serve this delightful white bean hummus as an appetizing dip for crisp veggie
crudités or toasted French bread slices (crostini.)
1 1 lb. can white northern beans, drained and rinsed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup sesame tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dill
Dash sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 Tbs. capers, rinsed
Place about 3/4 of the white beans into a blender and add minced garlic, tahini,
lemon juice, cumin, dill, sea salt and pepper, cover and puree until smooth.
Combine the puree with the remaining whole white beans and capers, and mix
well. Chill, covered, for 1 hour or more. Serve this creamy dip/spread slightly cool
or at room temperature, garnished with a sprig of fresh dill and a few capers.
Perfect with crudités, bagel chips or crostini.
Serves 6
Ewe-L Love This Potato Soup
From Akasha
2 oz butter/margarine
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 medium onions, peeled
Salt & pepper (to taste)
3 large potatoes, peeled
1 sprig thyme, bay leaf, and bunch parsley
2 pints milk
Chopped chives to garnish
Melt butter in a large pan and add thinly sliced potatoes and onions. Toss well in the butter. Put a lid on the pan and allow the vegetables to simmer over a low heat for about 10 minutes. Don't let the vegetables turn brown. Add the milk and all other ingredients, except for the chives, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove thyme, bay leaf, and parsley. Pour soup into food processor or blender (on chop) for about 1 minute. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with chives. Makes 6 servings.
Imbolc Feast Lamb Stew
From Akasha
2- 1/2 lb. lamb neck chops
1 tbs. lamb fat
4 medium onions
1 tbs. butter/margarine
4 medium carrots
2 1/2 cups water
4 medium potatoes
1 tbs. parsley, chopped
1 tsp. each salt & pepper
1 tbs. chives, chopped
Don't let the butcher trim the fat off of the lamb chops. Shred some of the excess fat and cook it down in a large pot or Dutch-oven. Peel the onions, carrots, and potatoes. Cut the onions and carrots into quarters, and put all the vegetables aside. Cut the meat into 8 pieces, and trim away the rest of the excess fat. The bones need not be removed. Place the meat in the hot fat and brown. Repeat with the onions and carrots. Add water, salt, and pepper carefully. Put whole potatoes on top. Cover pot and simmer gently until meat is cooked, approx. 2 hours. Remove from heat. Pour off the cooking liquid into a separate sauce pan, allow to cool for a few minutes, skim off grease, and reheat. Add butter, chives, and parsley to the reheated liquid in the sauce pan. Pour heated liquid back over the stew. Serve hot. Makes 4-6 servings.
Bubble and Squeak
From Candlemas by Amber K and Azrael Arynn K
This is named for the noises it makes while cooking. The vegetarian version—without ham or bacon—is good too; be sure to add salt.)
2 cups potatoes
2 cups turnips
2 cups cabbage
1 large onion, chopped coarsely
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup cooked, diced ham
4 cooked bacon slices (reserve the drippings)
Salt, pepper, sage, tarragon, and thyme to taste
Boil and mash potatoes and turnips. Chop and blanch cabbage, add to potatoes and turnips. Add onion, garlic, ham, bacon, and spices. Heat bacon drippings (or 2 Tbs. butter) on griddle or large frying pan, add mixture to form a large, flat, cake, and cook over medium heat. Serve in large wedges with beer, stout, or ale. Serves 6-8, depending on appetites.
Honey Cake
From Sabbats by Edain McCoy
2 ½ cups flour
½ tsp. baking soda
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 heaping tsp. allspice
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground ginger
4 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
½ safflower oil
1 cup raw honey
1 ¼ cups unsweetened orange juice
1 Tbs. milk
2 cups confectioners�?sugar
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan. Combine all ingredients well, pour into the pan, and bake for 45 minutes. This cake is traditionally served unfrosted, but you can make a frosting with the confectioners�?sugar, milk, and orange juice.
Brigit’s Cross Cookies
From Candlemas by Amber K and Azrael Arynn K
Dough:
½ cup butter
3 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 egg, well beaten
2 Tbs. buttermilk or yogurt
2 cups flour, separated
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Filling:
3 oz. cream cheese
¾ cup sweetened coconut
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
¼ cup chopped macadamia nuts or almonds
Glaze:
2 Tbs. milk
Granulated sugar
Colored sugar, red
Preheat oven to 350F.
With hand mixer, cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar. While beating on low, add egg, buttermilk or yogurt, 1 cup flour (added slowly), baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract. Using a strong spoon, add 1 cup flour. Divide dough in half, make into two ½-inch-thick discs, wrap in plastic, and chill until firm, 1-2 hours.
For filling, soften cream cheese. With strong spoon, add coconut, white chocolate chips, and nuts.
Use parchment paper or grease 3 baking sheets.
On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc into an 8x13 inch rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Using pizza cutter, pastry wheel, or plain old knife, cut into fifteen 2 ½-inch squares, transfer to baking sheets, about 1 ½ inches apart. Place 1 tsp. filling (flat, not heaping) in center of each. Cut 1-inch diagonals in from corners toward filling. Fold every other corner in to center end of opposite cut, over filling, glue together with a drop of water if needed.
Using pastry brush (or put milk into a clean squirt bottle), lightly dampen tops of pinwheels. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and colored sugar. Bake for about 12 minutes, until pastry is golden and puffed. While first batch is baking, prepare second batch. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring the finished cookies to rack to cool. Bake second batch. Makes 30 cookies
Free Forum Hosting
Important Announcement
First 
Return to ~*~ IMBOLC