Whatever the reason for a potluck, a little something sweet is always needed.
Oatmeal flax cookies
1 cup (250 mL) butter or margarine
1 cup (250 mL) sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla
11/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour
11/4 cups (310 mL) oats
1/4 cup (60 mL) milled flaxseed (whole flax ground in a coffee grinder)
1/2 cup (125 mL) coconut
1 tsp. (5 mL) baking powder
1 tsp. (5 mL) baking soda
1 cup (250 mL) chocolate chips
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1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped, pecans, optional
Cream margarine or butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat.
Mix flour, oatmeal, flax, coconut, baking powder and soda together. Stir into creamed mixture. Add chocolate chips and pecans. Mix until blended. Form into one inch (2.5 cm) balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving about two inches (five cm) apart. Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 10 to 12 minutes. Yield: Approximately 72 cookies.
Melba cream puffs
1 cup (250 mL) boiling water
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter
1/4 tsp. (1 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) flour
4 eggs
whipped cream
Combine water, butter and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir to melt butter. Bring to a boil.
Add flour all at once. Stir vigorously until it forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat.
Add eggs, on at a time, beating thoroughly after each is added. Using a teaspoon make small mounds about a half inch (one cm) in diameter, on a greased baking sheet leaving room for expansion since they will double in size. Bake in a 425 F (220 C) oven for 15–20 minutes. They should look dry with no beads of moisture showing. Cool on a rack. When cool, cut top almost off, fill with whipped cream. Makes 24 mini puffs.
Stabilized whipped cream
1 envelope unflavoured gelatin
6 tbsp. (90 mL) water at room temperature
2 cups (500 mL) whipping cream
5 tbsp. (75 mL) icing sugar
2 tsp. (10 mL) vanilla
Sprinkle gelatin over water and stir to dissolve. Beat cream until like custard. Continue beating while slowly pouring in gelatin mixture. Add icing sugar and vanilla. Beat until stiff. This will not weep if put on a dessert early and refrigerated until serving time.
Source: Phyllis Sedgwick, Rosetown Alliance Church Daily Bread cookbook, 2002.
Melba sauce
15 oz. (425 mL) frozen raspberries, thawed and drained, juice reserved
11/4 cups (310 mL) raspberry juice
plus water, if needed
4 tsp. (20 mL) cornstarcH
2 tbsp. (25 mL) white sugar
Combine raspberry juice, cornstarch and sugar in saucepan. Heat and stir over medium heat until it boils and thickens. Add raspberries. Blend in blender and strain or force through sieve to remove seeds. Cool.
To serve, pile cream filled puffs on a large serving plate, in the shape of a pyramid. Pour sauce over top, allowing it to run down the sides. Serves eight.
Adapted from Company’s Coming Desserts by Jean Paré.
Pumpkin cheesecake
Crust:
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
or margarine
11/2 cups (310 mL) ginger snaps, crushed
Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in crumbs. Press into ungreased nine x nine inch (22 x 22 cm) pan. Bake in 350 F (180 C) oven for 10 minutes.
Filling:
2 packages (8 oz./250 g) cream cheese , softened
2/3 cup (150 mL) granulated sugar
2 eggs
14 oz. (398 mL) pumpkin
1/2 tsp. (2 mL) cinnamon
1/2 tsp. (2 mL) nutmeg
1/2 tsp. (2 mL) ginger
1/2 tsp. (2 mL) salt
Beat cream cheese and sugar together well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour over crust.
Bake in 350 F (180 C) oven for about 50-60 minutes or until firm. Chill. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls. Serves 12.
Source: Company’s Coming Desserts by Jean Pare.
Caramel cider tea
4 cups (1 L) apple juice, crab apple juice or cider
2 cups (500 mL) water
2 tbsp. (25 mL) brown sugar, packed
1 cinnamon stick, 4 inch/10 cm long
1 orange pekoe tea bag
11/3 cups (325 mL) whipped cream
(or prepared dessert topping)
3 tbsp. (45 mL) thick caramel ice cream topping
sprinkle of ground cinnamon, optional
4 cinnamon sticks, 4 inch/10 cm long, optional
Heat apple juice, water, brown sugar and cinnamon stick in a large saucepan until boiling. Remove from heat.
Add tea bag. Cover and let steep for five minutes.
Remove and discard tea bag and cinnamon stick.
Ladle into four large mugs.
Top each with about 1/3 cup (75 mL) whipped cream.
Put ice cream topping into small resealable freezer bag. Cut tiny hole in one corner.
Squeeze over whipped cream in zigzag pattern. Dust cinnamon over top.
Add one cinnamon stick to each mug.
Serves four.
Adapted from Company’s Coming Home for the Holidays by Jean Paré.
Chokecherry cordial dessert
Crust:
1 cup (250 mL) butter
or shortening
2 cups (500 mL) flour
2 tbsp. (25 mL) sugar
Combine all ingredients. Press into a nine x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan. Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 10 to 12 minutes.
Cream cheese layer:
8 oz. (250 g) cream cheese
3/4 cup (175 mL) icing sugar
1/4 cup (60 mL) frozen whipped topping, thawed
Beat cream cheese with sugar and topping. Spread on crust.
Pour all but 1/2 cup (125 mL) cooled chokecherry sauce over cheese layer.
Chokecherry sauce:
3 tbsp. (45 mL) cornstarch
2 cups (500 mL) chokecherry
juice
1 cup (250 mL) sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. (2 mL) almond extract
Add cornstarch to 1/2 cup (125 mL) of cold juice. In a saucepan, add sugar to remaining juice; bring to a boil.
Stir in cornstarch mixture; cook and stir until thickened. Stir in salt and almond extract. Cool.
Topping:
2 cups (500 mL) frozen whipped
topping, thawed, divided
1/2 cup (125 mL) reserved
chokecherry sauce
Beat 3/4 cup (175 mL) whipped topping and reserved sauce together; spread over sauce in pan. Use a small spoon for best results. Garnish with remaining whipped topping. Yield: 15 servings.
Note: Can be made into two pies instead of a nine x 13 (22 x 33 cm) dessert. For the base, use two baked pie shells. Fill with the layers the same as for the dessert.
Source: The Fruits of our Labours by Saskatchewan Fruit Growers Association, June 2005.
Chokecherry syrup
This is good on ice cream, pancakes or waffles.
4 cups (1 L) chokecherry juice
61/2 cups (1.625 L) sugar
2 cups (500 mL) corn syrup
Place all together in a saucepan and bring to a hard rolling boil, stirring constantly. Simmer five minutes. Remove from heat. Pour into hot sterilized jars.
Yield: Eight cups (two L).
Source: Saskatchewan Sportsman’s Gourmet Guide by Henrietta Goplen.
Beverages
You can’t have a gathering without serving some type of beverage. It is always a good idea to have at least one drink that does not contain alcohol.
Pink rhubarb/strawberry punch
16 cups (4 L) rhubarb, chopped
8 cups (2 L) water
2 cups (500 mL) sugar
1 can (121/2 oz./355 mL) frozen
orange juice concentrate
1 can (121/2 oz./355 mL)
frozen pink lemonade
concentrate
1/2 cup (125 mL) lemon juice
1 cup (250 mL) fresh
strawberries
1 bottle (2 L) chilled 7 Up or
lemon/lime flavoured pop
Boil rhubarb with water until soft and mushy.
For a clear, pink juice, strain through cheesecloth. For a darker juice, strain through a colander and for a pulpy rich coloured juice put the juice and pulp through a blender and puree. Measure out the juice (and pulp) and reheat to a boil.
To 20 cups (five L) of juice add two cups (500 mL) sugar. Boil and stir one minute to dissolve the sugar.
Cool and add frozen orange juice, lemonade and lemon juice.
Mix together and freeze in two to four litre ice cream buckets, leaving an inch (2.5 cm) of headspace.
Dilute the extra juice, half and half with water. Pour one inch (2.5 cm) of juice into a bundt pan, add half of the strawberries and freeze. Add enough juice to cover the fruit and refreeze.
Once the berries are frozen, fill up the mould with water and freeze.
After the ice is frozen, hold the bundt pan upside down and run some warm water over the bottom until the ice ring releases. Place the ring in a plastic bag. Return it to the freezer until needed.
Make a second ice ring using the rest of the strawberries and juice following the same process.
To serve, place one bucket of thawed or partially thawed punch in a punch bowl and add the pop and ice ring. This will serve 25.
Source: Adapted from Company’s Coming Home for the Holidays by Jean Paré.
