Quick Apple Strudel

6 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
3 Golden Delicious apples
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
5 sheets Phyllo Pastry, thawed
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. In small frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over MEDIUM heat; cook pecans and breadcrumbs, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.

3. Peel, quarter and core apple. Cut each quarter lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices. In bowl, toss pecan-breadcrumb mixture, apples, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon.

4. Melt remaining butter (ie 5 tablespoons). Place sheet of parchment paper slightly larger than phyllo sheet on work surface in front of you, long side facing you. Place phyllo sheets on parchment paper one on top of the other, brushing each with melted butter and sprinkling each with 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Place apple mixture in a line along long edge of phyllo stack, leaving bare 2 inches near edge of phyllo. Gently pull long bare edge up and over apple filling. Continue to roll strudel to completely enclose filling. Tuck short edge up and over apple filling. Continue to roll strudel to completely enclose filling. Tuck short ends of phyllo under roll. Centre strudel on parchment paper. Carefully lift parchment paper and place on large, rimmed baking sheet. Brush with remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon sugar. With sharp knife, pierce 1-inch vents every 2 inches along top of strudel.

5. Cover loosely with foil. Bake in centre of oven for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack. Serve warm. Cut into slices with a serrated knife.

Makes 6 servings.

Maple Apple Tarte Tatin

Here's a Canadian version of the classic French upside-down apple pie. Golden Delicious apples are best because they hold their wedge shape, making for a show- stopping presentation.

Ingredients
6 apples, 2-1/2 lb/1.25 kg
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup maple syrup

Pastry
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 tsp white vinegar or cider vinegar
1/4 cup (less 1 tsp) Ice water

Preparation
Pastry: In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Using pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger pieces. In measuring cup, whisk vinegar with enough ice water to make 1/4 cup (50 mL). Drizzle over flour mixture, stirring with fork until dough holds together when pressed. Press into disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days.)

Peel, quarter and core apples. Cut quarters lengthwise to make 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick wedges; set aside.

In 8-inch (20 cm) cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat; add sugar and cook, stirring, until bubbly and just turning golden, about 2 minutes. Add maple syrup; cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Starting at edge of pan, arrange apples, flat side down, in concentric circles in syrup.

Simmer over medium-low heat, basting often, until apples begin to soften and syrup starts to thicken, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, on lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 10-inch (25 cm) circle; cut 4 small steam vents in centre. Place over apples; press pastry edge down between apples and pan.

Bake in centre of 425°F (220°C) oven until pastry is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Wearing oven mitts, invert heatproof serving plate over skillet; turn over to unmould onto plate. Replace any apples that may stick to pan and scrape out any sauce over apples. Serve warm.

Country Seed Bread

Ingredients
2 cups (500 mL) all purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) whole wheat flour
1/4 cup (50 mL) flax seeds
2 tbsp (25 mL) sesame seeds
1 tbsp (15 mL) poppy seeds
2 tsp (10 mL) quick-rising instant dry yeast
1-1/4 cup (300 mL) water
2 tbsp (25 mL) liquid honey
2 tbsp (25 mL) vegetabIe oil
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt

Preparation:
In large bowl, stir together all-purpose and whole wheat flours, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and yeast. In small bowl, whisk water, honey, oil and salt ; stir into flour mixture to make sticky dough.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead for about 8 minutes or until still slightly sticky and dough springs back when pressed in centre, adding up to 1/4 cup (50 mL) more all-purpose flour as necessary. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free place for about 1-1/4 hours or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough; turn out onto lightly floured surface. Gently pull into 11- x 8-inch (28 x 20 cm) rectangle. Starting at narrow end, roll up into cylinder; press seam to seal. Place, seam side down, in greased 8- x 4-inch (1.5 L) loaf pan. Cover with towel; let rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk and about 3/4 inch (2 cm) above rim of pan.

Brush top with water. With serrated knife, make 1-inch (2.5 cm) deep cut lengthwise along top of loaf. Bake in centre of 400ºF (200ºC) oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350ºF (180ºC); bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until browned and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Remove from pan; let cool on rack.

Additional Information:

Bread Machine Method:
Into pan of 1-1/2- to 2-lb (750 g to 1 kg) machine, add (in order) water, honey, oil, salt, all-purpose and whole wheat flours, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and yeast. (Do not let yeast touch liquid.) Choose appropriate setting (whole wheat, powdered milk). Let loaf cool on rack.

vegan chocolate orange cake with orange 'buttercream' icing

Ingredients
1 1/2 c wholemeal flour
1 c unbleached sugar
1 tsp bicarb of soda (baking soda for left-pondians)
4 tbls unsweetened cocoa powder
2 clementines or mandarin oranges, used for zest and juice

2 tsp vegetarian orange extract
5 tbls vegetable oil
1 c orange juice/water (juice 1 and 1/2 oranges and top up to 1 c with the water)

1 tbls cider vinegar

Method
Preheat the oven to 350*F/170*C.

Zest the oranges separately (zest from one goes into the batter and from the other goes into the frosting). Chop the zest finely. Juice one and a half oranges for the batter, as listed in the ingredients.

Mix together the dry ingredients, including the orange zest. Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients (except for the vinegar). Mix together to make a thick batter. I just used a fork, but you can use an electric whisk. Add the vinegar and mix again. Pour immediately into a greased and floured 8 inch/22cm round, 4"/10cm high cake tin and bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine takes about 35 minutes. Or just test it after 35 minutes to see whether a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If it does, voila. You have a cake.

Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn out to finish cooling on a wire rack.

For the frosting:
1 c vegan shortening (try not to use vegan margarine, as it's got a lot of water in it. If you do, though, just go easy with the wet ingredients below.)
2 cups icing/powdered sugar - or more, depending upon consistency
1 teaspoon orange extract
juice from 1/2 an orange from above
zest of an orange, finely chopped

Cream together the shortening, orange extract and 1 cup of the icing sugar with an electric whisk, adding the sugar slowly after you've started whisking the shortening. Add 1 tbls orange juice and whisk again. Add 1/2 c sugar and whisk. Add another tbls orange juice and another 1/2 c sugar. Then, if the mixture is too thin, add a little more sugar (1/2 or 1/4 c at a time, depending on your inclination) or if it's too thick, more orange juice by the teaspoonful. When you get a good consistency, whisk for about 3-5 minutes and then fold in the orange zest (don't use your electric whisk for the zest, because it will catch in the beaters and you'll just end up having to scrape it off and fold it in anyway).

You can either slice the cake in half to create two layers and frost each layer with half the frosting mixture (leaving the sides bare) or just frost the whole cake as is. I usually save back a couple of long curls of zest for garnish, but you don't have to. I'd love to know if anyone else makes this and enjoys it as much as I do.

Easy Baklava 

Syrup:
1 cup turbine/raw sugar
1 cup honey or maple syrup*
1 cup filtered water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Filling:
2 cups walnuts, finely chopped but not pulverized
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar
1 to 1 1/2 cup vegan earth balance “butter”, melted
2 boxes of Puff Pastry Dough (EASY) or 24 sheets Fillo dough (Harder)

Prepare the syrup: Mix all the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer vigorously until thickened and reduced this takes about 14 minutes.
Allow syrup to cool to room temperature until ready to use. The syrup should remain pourable, if it thickens too much, simply warm up by placing in a glass jar and put the jar in hot water, stirring occasionally until it is pourable again.

Prepare the filling: In a bowl, mix together the walnuts, cinnamon, and sugar. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Assemble the baklava

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch deep baking dish with some of the vegan butter.

Puff Pastry Dough instructions: EASY
Cover the bottom of the greased 9x13 dish with one layer of puff pastry dough. Brush pastry sheet with melted vegan butter. Cover evenly with a third of the filling.
Place another sheet of puff pastry dough. Brush pastry sheet with vegan butter. Cover evenly with third of the filling.
Place another sheet of puff pastry dough. Brush pastry sheet with vegan butter. Cover evenly with third of the filling.
Cover with last puff pastry dough sheet. Brush pastry sheet with vegan butter.

Fillo dough instructions: HARDER
Place 2 sheets fillo dough in the bottom of the dish and brush the top with vegan butter. Add another 2 sheets, brushing the top with vegan butter, and then another layer, brushing the top with vegan butter, repeat until you have a stack 6 sheets high. Spread one-third of the filling evenly over the fillo. Layer.
Repeat the same process with the fillo dough until you have another stack of 6 sheets done the same way.
Spread another third of the filling over it.
Repeat the same process for the fillo dough until you have another stack of 6 sheets done the same way.
Spread with the final third of the filling, so that you finish with three nut layers.
Top the final nut layer with the remaining set of 6 fillo sheets, vegan buttering every other one as above. Finally, brush the top layer of fillo with vegan butter.

Bake Prep:
Using a very sharp knife, carefully cut through all the layers down to the bottom of the dish, making 16 to 18 diamond shaped cuts or 1 1/2-inch square sections.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Take out and pour the remaining vegan butter across the top and continue baking until pale golden and crispy, about 25 minutes.

Remove, place on cooling rack for 5 minutes until it is no longer bubbling.
While still warm, using oven mitts, angle the pan and pour off the excess vegan butter.
Pour the room temperature syrup carefully in between the cuts and around the edges of the segments. Be sure to avoid the top of each segment or it will get soggy. Allow to cool at room temperature until completely cool.

Serve, lift out the pieces starting with a corner piece. You may need to cut again, where you scored to remove easier. May be served right away or cover and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Chocolate cookies

The chocolate cookies perfect for every chance - brittle, crunching, a bit a bit too hard, strikingly cracked. Almonds are enriching their taste.

Elements:
• of 125 g of the plain chocolate (min. 70 % cocoas)
• of 150 g of the flour
• 1 egg
• of 30 g of the cocoa
• 1 teaspoonful of soda
• 1 / is salting 2 teaspoons
• 125 of the soft g of butter
• 125 of the brown g of the sugar
• 1 teaspoonful of vanilla extract
• 50 of the g of almonds chopped up finely or nuts


Preparation:
dissolve 125 g of the chocolate in the small pan, placed on steam. In the bowl mix flour, cocoa, soda and salt. Blend butter with the sugar to white cream, gradually add the dissolved, cooled chocolate, next egg and vanilla extract. Mix mass with loose elements. With teaspoon put mass on the flat piece of metal for baking, should be conical (while baking lightly will flatten). Bake in pace. 170 Sr. c 20 min.

Parmigiana Di Melanzane 

Ingredients
3 large aubergines
Olive oil for frying....not extra virgin.
1 onion sliced
2 cloves of garlic 
5oz/150g fresh mozzarella, sliced
9 fl oz/250ml tomato-based pasta sauce
7oz/200g Parmesan cheese, grated
fresh basil to taste
salt & pepper..

Wash the aubergines, dry and then cut into ½in/1cm-thick strips lengthways.
Generously sprinkle with salt to draw out their bitter water and place in a colander to let the water drip out, about 30 minutes..
Wash and dry to remove the excess salt and pat each slice of aubergine in some flour on both sides.
Heat the oil, then fry the aubergines until lightly browned on both sides and let dry on some paper towels.
Meanwhile heat a drizzle of oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic and sweat for 10 minutes, then add the tomato sauce and cook for 10/15 minutes adding some fresh basil at the end. 
Now arrange layers of aubergines, mozzarella, tomato sauce, then parmesan and more basil, in a baking dish, repeating to make a multi-layered dish and season each layer with a little salt & pepper..
Bake at 350F/180C/Gas 4 until heated through for about 20/25 minutes or until the Parmesan on top has lightly browned. 
Serve hot with crusty baguette or even better the next day cold with a nice salad..

P.S....you could also add mushrooms or other veg to make it more interesting, although that isn't the classic way.

Chicken Liver Pâté

Dried herbs can be substituted for fresh, but use only 1/4 teaspoon of each.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 kg chicken livers
4 tablespoons Cognac/brandy

Melt half the butter with the Olive Oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add herbs, allspice, and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken livers and cook until just pink on the inside, about 8 minutes. Add Cognac and allow alcohol to evaporate for a few minutes. Add mixture to the bowl of a food processor and purée until smooth. Transfer to a terrine or crock and smooth top.

Melt remaining butter in a saucepan set over low heat. Let stand to separate butter fat from milk solids. Skim foam from the top. Lay additional herb sprigs over pâté for decoration. 
Pour over clarified butter, leaving behind the white milk solids at the bottom. Chill until firm, then cover with plastic wrap. Leave for 1 week for the flavours to mature.

Chocolate Cake with Sour Cream

Ingredients
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions
• In a large bowl, combine the chocolate, water sour cream, shortening, vanilla and eggs; mix well. 
• Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and baking powder; gradually add to chocolate mixture. 
• Beat on low speed just until moistened. Beat on high for 3 minutes. 
• Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. 
• Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. 

FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter, softened
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
6 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
6 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, combine frosting ingredients. Beat until smooth and creamy. Spread between layers and over top and side of cake. Store in the refrigerator. 

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE FROSTING
3 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 c. sifted confectioners' sugar
3/4 c. cocoa powder
Dash of salt

In a chilled bowl blend ingredients, then whip until mixture holds a peak.

Refrigerate.