- Beef Barley Soup

BEEF BARLEY SOUP

2 c leftover (lean) roast beef, chopped
9 c cold water
1 c tomato juice
1 c barley
½ c finely chopped onion
½ c carrots cut into one inch strips
3 T beef Bovril
1 tsp salt
½ c celery, chopped

Combine all ingredients and cook for 3 hours until barley is tender.

- Chocolate Chip Square

CHOCOLATE CHIP SQUARE


2/3 c. butter
2¼ c. brown sugar
3 eggs beaten
2 ¾ c. flour
2½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 c. chocolate chips
½ - 1 c. chopped nuts

Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Mix together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and then remaining ingredients (strange consist¬ency but it works) and place in pan.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Slice while warm.

- Peanut Brittle

PEANUT BRITTLE


1 c white sugar
1/2 c clear corn syrup
1 c roasted salted peanuts
1 tsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda

Grease a cookie sheet.

In a 2 litre casserole dish (I use a clear glass pyrex dish), stir together the sugar and syrup. Microwave on high for 4 minutes.

Stir in the peanuts. Microwave on high for 7 to 9 minutes until light brown (the more powerful your microwave, the less time it will take).

Add butter and vanilla to syrup, blending well. Microwave on high 1 minute more. Peanuts will be lightly browned and syrup very hot.

Add baking soda and gently stir until light and foamy (caution – this will instantly increase in volume and will be extremely hot at this point - be very careful not to burn yourself).

Pour mixture onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Allow to cool. When cool, break into small pieces. Store in an air-tight container.

Notes:

1. Don’t underestimate how hot this gets. This is not a recipe to be made with a child.
2. I actually put the cookie sheet outside (if it is cold enough) and the brittle sets in about 10 minutes.

- Egg Nog

EGG NOG


12 eggs, separated
1½ c super fine sugar (I use Berry sugar)
1 litre homogenized milk
1½ litre whipping cream
1 c amber rum
1 c brandy
Freshly grated nutmeg

In a very large bowl, beat egg yolks until pale yellow. Gradually add the sugar to the yolks. With a wire whisk, beat in the milk and 1 litre of the whipping cream. Add the alcohol, stirring constantly.

Just before serving, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold into mixture. Whip remaining whipping cream until stiff and fold in. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Notes:

1. Think this is a lot of alcohol? The original recipe calls for 51/2 c alcohol.
2. This is not like anything you could ever buy in a store. It is creamy and delicious (what I would think tasting a cloud would be like).

- Sausage Rolls

SAUSAGE ROLLS


2 lbs. sausage meat
2 c. cracker crumbs (I use Vegetable Thins)
1 pkg. Lipton onion soup mix
2 pkg. Tenderflake frozen puff pastry
2 eggs (whisked with 1 T water)

Mix first 3 ingredients together.

Roll out pastry and cut each portion (there are two portions in each package) in half.

At the edge closest to you place 1/8th of the sausage filling along the length of the edge. At the edge farthest away from you, brush the egg wash along the top (this will become the glue). Starting at the edge with the sausage filling, roll up to meet the top. You can then cut them in your desired size (see notes).

Once cut, place on a rack on a cookie sheet (that way any excess grease goes on the pan and doesn’t stay in the sausage roll) and brush the tops with the egg wash.

Bake at 400º for 20 minutes.

Notes:

1. I like two-bite size sausage rolls so if you cut each portion you will yield around 60 cocktail-size sausage rolls.

2. After rolling, the best way to cut to desired size is to use dental floss. That way they cut but they don’t squish as they would with a knife.

3. These are hands down the best you will ever have.