Azoresgal~Life on an Island

Why make English muffins... well  I say why not? They are easier to make than you’d think and you only need  a few basic ingredients and a griddle. Fluffy on the inside, a super crunchy crust, and all those lovely nooks and crannies for jam to sink into. On the weekends, these muffins nicely toasted and slathered in butter, make a wonderful morning meal with fried eggs and coffee. I am telling you, give them a try, you will love them! 1 1/4 cups warm water 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast 2 tablespoons melted butter or oil (canola, vegetable, olive etc.) 2 3/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt Cornmeal, for dusting Pour warm water into a large bowl. Sprinkle sugar, then yeast on top. Let sit and foam for 10 minutes. Add in melted butter/oil, flour, and salt and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Once combined, drop dough onto floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding just as much flour as needed to make the dough stop sticking ...

This cranberry ketchup is fantastic and festive too. The tangy, tart bite of the cranberries, and the sweetness of the onion and sugar, make it a winner ! It was really fast to make, less than 30 minutes ! I added extra spices, because I just can´t leave things alone. I will be serving this tonight with Tourtiere for our Christmas Eve dinner. I think they will compliment each other really well ! Hope you give it a try ! 1 2/3 cups fresh cranberries 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup chopped shallots ( onions would be ok ) 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup water 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (*pinch of cayenne) *pinch of cinnamon, pinch of cloves (added by me) Preparation Combine cranberries, brown sugar, chopped shallots, cider vinegar, water, salt, and red pepper in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Pour into a blender; pro...

What does one do with 61 store bought ground cherries ?? Well, make one very small, jar of jam...isn´t that what everyone does ? What is a ground cherry, also known as Physalis ?  It is a small, smooth round fruit wrapped in a papery case, the fruit itself is a pretty orange-golden colour. It can be eaten as is, they have a delicate sweet-sour taste – sort of a cross between a gooseberry and a cherry tomato. This is not something we have growing in our garden yet , as it is very invasive. They do however grow abundantly on the island, wild. When I saw these at the market, I just had to buy them. I got them home, and counted how many there were, 61 lovely little golden gems, so I decide to make a jar of jam, a very tiny jar of jam. It came together very quickly, I swear it was ready in 15 minutes. I love all the little flecks in it, all the tiny seeds, it was great paired with cheese, the sweet and tart flavor, a wonderful contrast. Now was it really worth it , just to have one ...

3 cups all purpose flour  1 teaspoon baking powder  1 cup unsalted, cool room temperature  1 cup granulated sugar  1/2 teaspoon salt  2 teaspoon vanilla extract  ( almond, or any other flavour) 1 large egg Thoroughly stir together the flour and baking powder; set aside. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the salt and extract. Scrape sides of bowl and beat in egg, beating only until egg is blended in. Add the flour mixture gradually (1 cup at a time) and stir until incorporated Preheat oven to  180C/ 350 degrees F.  Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface to approximately 5/8″ thick.  Cut the cookies into shapes and place the cut cookie shape on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown in color.  Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack fo...