Beltane Marigold Custard
2 cups milk
1 cup unsprayed marigold petals
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 to 2 inch piece vanilla bean
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. rose water
Whipped cream
Using a clean mortar and pestal reserved for cooking purposes, pound marigold petals. Or, crush with a spoon. Mix the salt sugar and spices together.
Scald milk with the marigolds and the vanilla bean. Remove the vanilla bean and add the egg yolks and dry ingredients. Cook on low heat.
When the mixture coats a spoon, add rose water and cool. Top with whipped cream. Garnish with fresh marigold petals.
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Beltane Raspberry-Almond Coffee Cake
Almonds are commonly know today as wedding favors; in ancient times they
were used abundantly in folk remedials, especially for sleep and headaches.
The air-like qualities of this nut, when combine with the water element
of raspberries, allows abundant love to sprinkle like rain, encourages
health, and expresses joy.
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 oz. almond paste, chopped
1 egg
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 cup milk
1 cup raspberries
2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a 9 x 9 x 2-inch pan. In a
medium-sized bowl, beat the softened butter, sugar, egg, milk, and
extract at low speed until smooth. Add the flour; beat at low speed for 4
minutes.
Spread half the batter in the baking dish. Mix the melted butter, brown
sugar, almond paste, almonds, and raspberries. Sprinkle half the brown
sugar mixture on top of the batter. Spread the rest of the batter; top with
the remaining brown sugar mixture. Bake until a knife inserted near the
middle comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Yields 12 pieces
Note If you are not using self-rising flour, add 3 teaspoons baking
powder and 1 teaspoon salt.
Variation Strawberries, blueberries, or cranberries may be substituted
for the raspberries in this recipe. Cranberries may need additional
sweetening.
Magical Attributes Happiness, celebration, romance; well-being of body,
mind, and spirit.
Celebrations Handfasting or courtship rituals, Valentine's Day, Sweetest
Day, anniversaries, and May Day.
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Beltane Oatmeal Bread
3 c. sifted flour
1 1/4 c. quick rolled oats
1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. salt
1 egg
1/4 c. honey
1 1/2 c. milk
1 tbsp. melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan. In large bowl mix dry ingredients. In another bowl beat egg with honey and milk. Pour egg mixture into dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. The batter will not be smooth.
Spread batter in greased loaf pan. Bake 75 minutes or until golden brown and tester comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool on rack. While warm, brush with melted butter.
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May Wreath Cake
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 lemons
3 eggs
4 tablespoons rum
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda
Add the oils and mix with a wooden spoon or with the paddle of an electric mixer until crumbly. Grate the zest of the lemons directly over the mixture. Beat the eggs. Rum, milk, and vanilla and lemon extracts together. Add this to the dry ingredients and stir until completely incorporated.
Shape the dough into a ball. Set it in a round baking pan (9 1/2 to 10-inch round) lined with parchment paper, and using your hands, make a hole in the center. Gradually stretch the dough from the center, increasing the size of the hole to about 6 inches wide. The hole will close up somewhat during baking. Makes one round cake.
Bake at 375 degrees until a testyer comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Icing for May Wreath Cake:
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
Colored sprinkles
Just before the cake is finished baking, beat the egg whites briskly until they form soft peaks. Add the sugar and beat until glossy. Remove the cake from the oven, spread the icing over the top, then shower with colored sprinkles, and return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until icing is lightly browned.
From "Beltane" by Raven Grimassi
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Beltane's Rosemary, Lavender, Ginger Granita
A granita has larger ice crystals than a sorbet, and does not require an
ice cream maker. This elegant recipe is spiked with sparkling wine, but it
can be omitted for an alcohol-free version.
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups water
• 2 rosemary sprigs, about 3 inches long
• 2 teaspoons lavender buds, fresh or dried
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup sparkling wine (optional)
1. Bring sugar and water to a boil in small saucepan. Drop in rosemary,
lavender and ginger, then cover pan and remove from heat.
2. Steep for 15 minutes. Strain syrup into a stainless steel bowl.
3. Chill. Stir in lemon juice and sparkling wine. Put the bowl in the
freezer and stir every 30 minutes to 1 hour until slushy.
4. Freeze granita completely. When ready to serve, scrape granita with
side
of a large metal spoon to break up ice crystals.
Beltane Oat Cakes
Oatcakes are part of the Beltane ceremony. Their roundness is symbolic of the life-giving sun whose return is marked by this festive sabbat. During Beltane a huge bonfire is kept going all night long. Pieces of the cake are thrown into the fire as an offering to the protective deities.
Participate in this ancient custom by casting the oatcakes into an outside bonfire or even your fireplace. Begin by blessing these cakes. Say a prayer of gratitude, giving thanks to the Goddess and God for their abundance. Pass around the cake in a clockwise direction. Invite each of your guests to take a piece of the cake. Say:
We are each a part of the joyous circle of love.
As we cast the bread into the fire,
We fuse together into the One Being,
That always was and always will be.
Recommend to your guests that they remember the joy in their hearts
as they experience the gaiety of the season.
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1/3 cup boiling water
3 cups medium rolled oats
1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). In a small pan, heat the shortening and water, until the shortening has melted. remove from heat and let cool.
Mix the oats, sage, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Mix the cooled liquid and the oat mixture, adding water,if necessary, to maintain a dough-like consistency.
Pat the dough into a circle, about 8 inches in diameter. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes.
Cut into 8 wedges, then leave to cool on a wire rack.
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Quick Microwave Beltane Custard
1 cup milk
4 eggs
2 tablespoons honey or sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Beat together until thoroughly blended. Divide into 3 or 4 small microwave containers.
Cook at 30 percent power in 600-700 watt oven or at 50 paercent power in 500-600 watt oven (1 custard 6-7 minutes, 2 custards 9-11 minutes, 3 custards 12-15 minutes, 4 custards 15-22 minutes). Turn as necessary for even cooking. Custards are done when a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let custard stand 5 minutes before serving.
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Beltane Fried Honeycakes
These cakes are not unlike those made on the night before Beltane by women around the turn of the century. These cakes were left in the garden to please Faery visitors.
1/2 cup sweet white wine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 cup honey
2/3 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Oil for frying
1/8 teaspoon salt
Beat the wine & egg in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt & sugar in a small bowl. Stir into the egg mixture. Let stand 30 minutes. Combine the honey & nutmeg in a small bowl. Heat 1/2-inch of the oil in a frying pan until hot, but not smoking. Drop the batter into the oil 1 tablespoon at a time; fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Dip into the honey.
Can also be eaten on Lammas and the Day of the Dryads.
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Lemon Shortbread from wizard and witch newsletter
I love shortbread and this recipe has a great tangy lemon taste too! If you decide to make these for Beltane get inventive with the cookie cutters - you could make leaves to symbolise the green man, flame shapes for the fires or even phallic shapes (not sure where you'd get a cutter for that!!) for fertility!
* 1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
* 1/2 cup cornstarch (cornflour)
* 1/2 cup confectioners sugar (icing sugar)
* 2 tablespoons grated fresh lemon rind
* 3/4 cup butter, softened (don't substitute margarine)
Combine flour, corn starch, icing sugar and lemon rind in a large bowl.
With a wooden spoon, blend in butter.
Work with hands until a soft, smooth dough forms.
Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut in shapes with cookie cutters.
Place on un-greased baking sheets.
Bake at 300F/160C for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Remove from sheet and allow to cool completely
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Beltane Burdoct Root Medley
Preparation time: 30 minutes. Grating or shredding fresh roots before cooking increases their already abundant energy. This food/medicine gives optimum nutrition for great strength, staying power, rooted energy, and creativity. Serves four.
1 tablespoon/15ml olive oil
1 burdock root*, grated
2 carrots, grated
1 parsnip, grated
1 Tbs/15ml dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon/5ml tamari
handful water
*or salsify, sunchoke, wild carrot root, turnip, or cattail roots.
Heat oil. Add shredded or grated roots. (Soak burdock in vinegar water before grating; do not par-boil.) Saute while stirring for five minutes or so. Then toss in water, tamari, and sesame oil. Cover well and cook until tender, roughly ten minutes more.
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Jam filled Lemon Tarts
Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
1--3oz package softened cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
Add sugar and lemon.
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Mix in flour.
1 cup flour
Gather dough into two balls, chill one hour. Roll out dough, cutting 2" disks out with cutter. Spoon 1/4" of jam into center of disc. Gather edges into three equally spaced corners--like a tricorn hat--and roll points over slightly, pinching shut. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Tasty jam: rhubarb ginger, apricot, cherry, raspberry. etc.
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