Archives for April 12, 2012

Devilish Deviled Eggs

I know, I know—you’re going to tell me all deviled eggs are alike—NOT!

First–Do you REALLY know how to hard-boil an egg so that it’s easy to peel?  Well, here’s how:  Use eggs that you’ve had on hand for three or four days.  Put them in a sauce pan with cold water.  Bring the water to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to medium low.  Simmer for ten to twelve minutes, making sure the water is simmering—not a high boil,using a TIMER.  Remove from heat and drain off the boiling water, and replace it with running cold water..  IMMEDIATELY, take a teaspoon and gently tap the egg all around while holding it under cold water. Tap, tap, tap tap. tap, until there are little cracks everywhere.  Then, while still holding the egg under water, peel it.  If the peel doesn’t come off easily, you haven’t followed my directions!  When you slice the eggs, if there’s a ‘gray’ ridge around the yolk, that means the next time, lower the simmering time until you get it right!

Now you have your hard boiled eggs.  You can cover them in paper toweling and put them in a zip lock bag at this point and refrigerate.  They’ll keep for three or four days.  When you’re ready to make deviled eggs:

  Roll them until they lie flat.  then give them a quarter turn, and slice them lengthwise.  this way, after they’re sliced, they’ll lie flat. 

Next, take a small teaspoon and gently scoop out the yolks.    I like to put the yolks on a flat dinner plate.

Ingredients: (And these are approximate amounts—you can figure out how much you want, depending on how many eggs your deviling.)

Fresh dill chopped fine.  If you don’t have access to FRESH dill, then I guess the bottled variety will have to do.

Finely minced red onions

Pickle relish, WELL DRAINED in paper toweling

Mayonnaise mixed with a small amount of good grainy Dijon mustard

Salt, to taste

A couple of shakes of cayenne pepper

Procedure:

With a fork, mash the yolks until they’re smooth.  Add the other ingredients and mix.

Spoon generously into the egg whites, trying to cover all the white and mound the mixture up.

If desired, shake a TINY amount of paprika for color on top and decorate each with a sprig of FRESH dill.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

The first time I tasted this cake, I offered to BUY the recipe from my hostess; however, she was kind enough to share it.  After my family ate it for the first time, they declared they never wanted another kind of coffee cake—this was it!  I have also served it for dessert, with a dollop of ice cream snuggled up to it. Rich, moist and yummy! A Christmas breakfast specialty.

Ingredients:

One Cup softened unsalted butter combined with 2 Cups sugar.  Beat together until soft, fluffy and light in color.

Two eggs and 1/2 tsp. real vanilla–beat into mixture one egg at  a time.

One Cup Sour Cream-FOLD into mixture

Sift Two Cups flour with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. baking powder, then fold into mixture.

Combine 6 T  of sugar and 1 and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon with 1 and 1/2 Cups chopped pecans.

Procedure:

In a greased and floured Bundt pan, place 1/3 of the batter. 

Sprinkle on 3/4 of the nut mixture

Spoon in the rest of the batter

Sprinkle the remainder of the nut mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for approx 50 minutes–remembering that all ovens are different. 

Test with toothpick—don’t overcook.  If the nuts get too dark, then you’ll know your oven should be turned down a notch. You DO NOT want the coffee cake dried out–it should be moist.

When done, invert and cool on rack.

Let sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing.