RecipesWelcome To Life's Hills & Valleys Recipes
The recipes for the dishes on this page are ones that I have actually cooked, baked or fried in my kitchen. There is a picture of each of the dishes along with the recipe. I hope that you would try out some of these recipes for yourself and let me know how it turned out by clicking on "Send Me Your Comments" on the top right hand corner of this page.
Thanks for visiting my website and enjoy!
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Soft Ginger Cookies
Big soft ginger cookies are one of my favorite and a must when it comes to Christmas baking. They not only warm me up on a cold winter's day but they also fill the house up with the wonderful aroma of spices!
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup softened unsalted butter 1 cup brown sugar
1 egg 1/4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon orange juice
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the orange juice and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture.
4. Cool dough mixture in refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour before shaping them into walnut sized balls. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an un-greased cookie sheet and flatten slightly.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack.
Happy Munching!!!
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Nalysnyky - Cottage Cheese Filled Crepes
I've been making this dish for special family occasions for over thirty years. It has always been a favorite for large family gatherings during Christmas and Easter.
Originally I acquired the recipe from a book that was published by a local Ukrainian Ladies Group. Over the years I have made some changes to the recipe and developed my own techniques as to what works best for me.
Here I share my recipe along with some pointers. Although the whole process might sound like a lot of work which it is; the dish is well worth the effort.
Crepes
2 Eggs
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup shifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Vegetable Oil (for frying)
Beat the eggs with a rotary beater until light, add milk, water and beat again. Gradually add the flour and salt - continuing to beat with an egg beater as you add the flour. Beat until smooth. The batter will be very thin.
To Fry Nalysnyky (Crepes)
Pour a few tablespoons (I use 2 full measuring tablespoons - not soup spoons) of the batter into the center of a heated very slightly greased small frying pan. (I use two small frying pans that I bought at Home Sense; they are 4 inches in diameter). I wipe the pans with a oil soaked (not dripping) paper towel before frying each crepe.
Tilt the pan to distribute the batter evenly across the bottom. Cook the crepes over moderate heat. When lightly browned on the bottom and firm to the touch on top, remove the crepes.
I put them (single layer) on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Once they are cooled I pile them on top of one another. They do not stick together.
I continue frying the crepes until all the batter is used up.
Making the crepes is very time consuming - I sometimes fry up the crepes one day and roll them up the next day. You can wrap the crepes in small piles with parchment paper and put them in the refrigerator until you are ready to roll them. They roll very easily when cooled.
Frying the crepes could also be a bit messy. Be prepared to end up with a messy stove top and a smoky kitchen. I have also fried the crepes on a smooth grill or frying pan where you can do several at the same time. However you have to develop a skill to distribute your batter to make a reasonably round 4 inch crepe.
Pointers on Frying the Crepes
1. The temperature of the pan must be just right. Preheat the pan to about 340-350 degrees. It must be hot enough to cook the crepes quickly otherwise they will be pale and heavy. At the same time, if the pan is too hot you will get a brown crust and the top does not have a chance to set.
2. When the first few air bubbles appear on the crepe, the bottom should be light brown and the crepe is ready to be taken out of the pan. The top side of the crepe should be firm and pale.
Cottage Cheese Filling for Nalysnyky
2 cups Dry Cottage Cheese
2 Egg Yolks
2 tablespoons - plus more Sour Cream. NOTE: I always buy the largest container of sour cream especially if I'm making a large batch which I usually do. You'll need the extra sour cream later.
2 tablespoons of Ranch Salad Dressing - This is my addition to the recipe. I use a creamed dressing with a blend of herb and spices for the added flavor.
1/4 teaspoon Salt
6 Unsalted top soup crackers ( also my addition to the recipe) - crushed very fine. (If you are using salted top crackers do not add the salt)
Butter for baking
Combine the ingredients and mix until you get a smooth mixture. More cream may be added if the cheese mixture appears to be too thick or add more cracker crumbs if the mixture is to thin. The mixture should be the consistently of mashed potatoes; it should stick together.
Final Step in Making Nalysnyky
Butter the sides and bottom of a casserole dish.
Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling on the light side of the crepe and roll like a e cabbage or egg roll.
The browned side should be on the outside. Flatten the rolled crepe slightly with the palm of the hand.
Arrange crepes in the buttered casserole dish in layers. Butter each layer and spread some sour cream between each layer (here is where the extra sour cream comes in).
Cover the casserole and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. They are ready when they puff up. I also like them when they are slightly brown along the edge of the dish.
A Final Note
When I make a large batch for Christmas or Easter family gatherings; I increase my crepe batter recipe by four - 8 eggs; 2 cups milk....etc.
At the same time I increase my filling recipe by three - 6 cups dry cottage cheese; 6 egg yolks...etc.
I find that the above portions work out very well - with the right amount of filling for all the crepes.
Enjoy!
