Crepes with Strawberries and Toffee Sauce

1 Tbsp superfine sugar
1 3/4 c plain flour
2 eggs
1 c milk
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 c light cream cheese
7 oz sliced strawberries

Toffee Sauce:
1/4 c butter
1/3 c light brown sugar
1/4 pint thick cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine sugar and flour in a bowl. Make a well in center. Add eggs + milk and beat until smooth.

Heat oil in a small pan. Pour a little batter into the pan, tilt to coat the pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Carefully turn over and cook on the other side. Repeat to use remaining batter.

Spread a tablespoon of cream cheese over a crepe. Arrange a few slices of strawberries on top, fold in half, and then in half again. Repeat with remaining crepes.

To make toffee sauce, melt butter in a small pan. Add sugar and cream and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour over the crepes.

Makes 8 crepes.

NOTES
From Parents magazine.
Untried.

Red Velvet Hearts

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
2 tsp red food coloring
6 Tbsp softened butter
3/4 c superfine sugar
1 egg + 2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing:
8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
6 oz butter at room temperature
1 1/2 c confections' sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
red and pink candy

Line an 8"x8" baking pan with parchment paper, coming part way up the sides of the tin. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Heat milk until lukewarm. Add food coloring and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat together egg, yolks, and vanilla. Beat into butter. Mix in 1/3 of the flour, then half of the milk, 1/3 of the flour, the rest of the milk, and finally the remaining flour.

Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, until cake is risen and a tester comes out clean. Let cake cool 30 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack and cool completely.

Icing: Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Beat in remaining ingredients.

Turn cake right side up onto a cutting board. Cut out 4 hearts using a 4" cutter.

Split cakes in half horizontally. Spread 1/4 icing over the four bases and sandwich the hearts. Ice the tops and sides of cakes with remaining icing. Decorate with red and pink candies. Store in a cool place in airtight containers.

Makes 4 cakes.

NOTES
From Parents magazine.
Untried.

Plum Kuchen

1/2 c sugar
1 c butter
2 eggs
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c ground almonds
2 lbs plums (or apples or peaches) quartered
brown sugar
cinnamon
butter

Cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in cinnamon, cloves, extract and lemon juice.

Sift together flour and baking powder. Stir into sugar mixture. Stir in almonds. Chill dough for 1 hour.

Press dough into a 9" x 13" baking pan. Arrange fruit over dough in rows. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Dot with butter.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

NOTES
Untried.
From "From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens" by Phyllis Pellman Good and Rachel Thomas Pellman.

Frozen Pumpkin Parfait Sqaures

1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c butter, melted
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c pecans, finely chopped
1 qt vanilla ice cream
1 1/2 c pumpkin, mashed
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/3 tsp ground cloves
whipping cream
chopped pecans

Combine crumbs, butter, sugar and chopped nuts. Press mixture firmly against bottom and sides of 9" square pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool.

Allow ice cream to soften until it becomes custardy. Stir in pumpkin, brown sugar and spices. Pile into cooled crust. Place in freezer until hard. Cover with foil to store.

Remove from freezer 20 minutes before serving, then cut into squares. Dollop with whipped cream and sprinkle with chopped nuts.

NOTES
Untried.
From "From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens" by Phyllis Pellman Good and Rachel Thomas Pellman.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

1 1/4 lb broccoli
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 c mushrooms, chopped
1 Tbsp onion, chopped
4 Tbsp flour
3 1/2 c milk
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp salt

Cook broccoli. Chop and set aside.

Melt butter in large heavy pan. Add mushrooms and onion. Saute until tender.

Add flour and stir until bubbly.

Gradually add 1 1/2 c milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add cheese and stir until smooth. Stir in remaining milk.

Add broccoli and heat thoroughly.

NOTES
Untried.
From: "From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens" by Phyllis pellman Good and Rachel Thomas Pellman.

Apple Fritters

1 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c + 1 Tbsp milk
1 1/2 c apples, peeled and diced

Sift dry ingredients together. Beat egg and add milk. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until batter is smooth. Add apples to batter and blend well.

Drop by spoonfuls and fry in hot oil in a heavy skillet. Fry until golden brown on both sides.

Variation: Apples may be cored and sliced in round rings. Dip in batter and fry until golden brown.

Notes
Untried.
From: "From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens" by Phyllis Pellman Good and Rachel Thomas Pellman

Roasted Squash Soup with Maple-Glazed Bananas

2 medium butternut squashes
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1 - 2 c apple juice and/or water
3 - 4 Tbsp butter
2 bananas, cut into slices
1/4 c maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squashes in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds and pulp. Cover the bottom of two baking dishes with water and lay squashes cut-side-down in pans. Bake for 45 min - 1 hr or until you can easily pierce through the skin of the squash with a fork. Let squash cool until you can handle it. Scrape out the flesh. You can either scrape it into a blender, if you want a smoother consistency, or right into the soup pot to mash with a potato masher if you want a chunkier consistency.

In soup pot, combine squash with brown sugar, cinnamon and salt to taste. Add enough apple juice or water (or a combination of the two) to give you the consistency you prefer. Add butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until soup bubbles and is cooked through, and butter is melted.

While soup is cooking, in a separate pan, combine bananas and maple syrup and heat through, stirring to coat bananas.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a generous spoonful of bananas. Drizzle any extra maple syrup over the top of soup.

Serves about 6 as a side dish.

NOTES
Adapted from recipe of the same name at culinarycovers.com.

All amounts are approximate. I didn't actually measure anything -- just added a little of this and a little of that until the texture and taste were right.

The bananas really make this soup something special.

Kid ratings: 7-year-old gives it 7/10, 4-year-old gives it 100/39.