DeAnna Cameron's Blog, page 13

Move Over, Baileys -- We've Got Homemade Scottish Cream

I'm a big fan of Bailey's Irish Cream, but there's always been a part of me that has wished for a more Scottish alternative. While surfing the Internet recently, I found the perfect -- and easy! -- answer on Food.com: a homemade version of Irish Cream that uses scotch instead of Irish whiskey. Voila! Scottish Cream.
This weekend, I gathered the ingredients and fixed up a batch. It was creamy and tasty -- perfect over a few ice cubes or added to coffee.
To give my plain brown bottle a little more personality, I also downloaded a template and created our very own "Cameron Rampant Lion Scottish Cream" label in Photoshop. 
I think it's going to be a fun aperitif to have around for the holidays. I hope you'll think so, too.
HOMEMADE SCOTTISH CREAMYield 4 cups
1 c. light cream                                   1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk1 2/3 c. single malt Scotch whisky1 t. instant coffee2 T chocolate syrup1 t. vanilla extract1 t. almond extract
Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix on high for 30 seconds. Pour the mixture in a tightly sealed container and keep in the refrigerator. The Scottish Cream will keep for up to two months in the fridge. Shake the bottle well before serving.
COOK'S NOTE: I used half and half instead of light cream, but whole milk can also be used. I also used a blended scotch whisky instead of a single malt because I didn't want to waste the good stuff, in case the recipe didn't work out.
RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.food.com/recipe/scottish-cream-as-opposed-to-irish-cream-68068

A Scotch Pie Story That Finally Has A Happy Ending

Finally, our family has discovered a way to make our much-loved Scotch pies at home.

It hasn't been easy. I've searched every corner of the Internet for a recipe I could manage, but every one I tried came up short. The filling has never been the problem. It's the pastry. I found it impossible to get that perfect tuna-can shape, even the time I used a tuna can as a mold. (It was very well washed so there was no stinky residue, but it was still a horrible failure.)

So, I was beside myself when I came across the DIY Scotch Pie Company (http://www.diyscotchpie.co.uk/home). I had come across online pie shell sellers before, but they were always in the United Kingdom and they never offered delivery to the United States. But when I checked, I discovered this one did. You can't imagine my joy. I placed my order then and there.

Unfortunately, that order had to be cancelled because the seller discovered the bureaucracy involved in shipping food products into the U.S. was trickier than he thought. I received a very kind letter of apology, along with a pledge that he would contact me as soon as the matter was resolved and shipping could be managed.

I never expected to hear from that kind man again, but a few months later, I did! Just a short note to let me know the shipping problem has been resolved. I immediately ordered the 6 standard & 12 small shell kit. It was £8.99 for the kit, plus £11.60 for shipping. Converted into dollars, it was $32.85.

Nine days later, I received the shells. I was a bit concerned when I saw they weren't packed with freezer packs, but I forged ahead, trusting that the DIY Scotch Pie folks knew their stuff.

They do! I cooked up a batch of Scotch Pies the next day using the filling recipe and seasoning packet included with the shells, as well as the recipe for DIY lids (the shells do not come with lids).

The pies were a resounding success. Terrific for dinner, lunch and anytime we have a craving for a savory Scotch pie. I think it's safe to say, from now on, our freezer will always have a stash of ready-to-heat Scotch pies, thanks to the kind and determined people at the DIY Scotch Pie Company.

A Not-So-Traditional Toad in the Hole

Every year our family looks forward to attending the Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire, and one of the things I look forward to most is my annual toad-in-the-hole.

At the fair, a toad-in-the-hole is a pastry with a savory pork sausage filling. Although I've never had a toad anywhere but the fair, I've known it's a dish with a long history. This week I wanted to create this dish at home, so I set out to find a traditional recipe.

It turns out, the dish was originally a peasant dish that made use of leftover bits of meat. I'm sure it has deeper roots, but the oldest version I could find came from the Victorians, in The Book of Household Management, by Isabella Mary Beeton, published in London in 1861. Mrs. Beeton offers two versions of the recipe, which she calls "homely, but savory."  One calls for a rump steak and kidney, and another for leftover bits of mutton and kidney. Both versions are cooked and served in the same pan, and the meat is partially covered with a batter made of 3 eggs, 1 pint of milk, 4 to 6 tablespoons of flour, and a half teaspoon of salt.

I'm not a big fan of kidney or mutton -- and I doubt I could persuade my family to give it a try -- so I kept searching for a recipe that used sausage. I found a terrific one in the "Traditional Scottish Recipes" archive at the Rampant Scotland website (http://www.rampantscotland.com/recipes/blrecipe_toad.htm). 

In the spirit of keeping this a utilitarian dish, I adapted mine to use ingredients I already had on hand. The results were delicious,  and I while I have nothing but respect for Mrs. Beeton as a pioneer of cookbookery, I must disagree with her "homely" assessment. With a little effort, toad-in-the-hole can look quite pleasing. I fanned out the sausages and added a few sliced cherry tomatoes. Herbs, thinly sliced onions or mushroom would also make attractive garnishes.

 
NOT-SO-TRADITIONAL
TOAD IN THE HOLE
Yields eight servings

1/2 pound link sausages*3/4 cup flour10 fluid ounces milk2 large eggs4 ounces shredded cheese*2 tablespoons parsley, chopped pinch salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste4 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)Spray cooking oil Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray a skillet and cook the sausage links over medium heat until browned on two sides, about five minutes each side. Set aside.  Meanwhile, sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, then stir in the cheese. In a small bowl, beat together the milk, eggs and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Add half the mixture to the flour and cheese and stir until smooth. Let stand 5 minutes, and then stir in the remaining milk mixture. Arrange the links in a lightly sprayed 9-inch pie pan and pour the batter over them. Arrange the tomatoes, if using, or another garnish. Lower the oven heat to 400 degrees and bake until the batter is puffed up and brown. About 30 minutes. *I used Sabatino's Smoked Mozzarella with Artichokes and Garlic Chicken Sausages and Mexican-style shredded cheese.

Dancing at The Chance: CRW Award of Excellence Finalist

I'm thrilled to announce that Dancing at The Chance has been named a finalist for the 2013 Award of Excellence in the Mainstream with Romantic Elements category by the Colorado Romance Writers. Winners will be revealed at the group's June 8 meeting in Denver.

Signing at the L.A. Times Festival of Books

Happy Friday!

It's going to be another wonderful weekend for this year's L.A. Times Festival of Books! I'll be soaking in the warm California sunshine on the USC campus and signing copies of DANCING AT THE CHANCE and THE BELLY DANCER at the Red Phoenix Publishing booth (#183) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

I've got bookmarks and other goodies to share with anyone who stops by, and a special gift for anyone who buys a book :)

Hope to see you there!

Guest Post and Giveaway at The Bookworm

Happy Sunday!

I'm visiting The Bookworm today -- one of my very favorite book blogs -- to discuss the important role the 1893 Chicago World's Fair played in our nation's history and the history of belly dance in this country. I'm also giving away a free copy of THE BELLY DANCER to one lucky commenter.

Please stop by The Bookworm to find out more!

Here's the link: http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/2013/04/author-guest-post-and-book-giveaway.html

The Toasted Cheese interview

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by the lovely Erica Ruedas for an article at the Toasted Cheese Literary Journal website. We talked about writing and belly dancing, and how my writing took off when I combined the two...

Please check it out, if you're interested...

http://www.toasted-cheese.com/ab/13-03.htm

Meet the Authors Luncheon on Saturday

I'm looking forward to taking part in the Friends of the San Clemente Library's 13th annual "Meet the Authors" Luncheon on Saturday, February 23 at the Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo. Also featured will be Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year writer Miles Corwin and author Debra Oliver. If you're in the area, please join us. It's a wonderful, volunteer-run event dedicated to helping our local libraries.

For more information, check out the library's events page at http://ocpl.org/libloc/sc/calendar.

Hope to see you there!

Recipe: Scottish Dumpling

My husband was lucky enough to inherit several handwritten recipes from his Scottish grandmother when she passed away. While he has fond memories of many of these dishes -- shortbread, lemon curd, Scottish pancakes -- there was one that has remained a mystery: Scottish Dumplings.

We have lived with this small, handwritten index card for years, but have never done anything with it. That is, until a few days ago after my husband assured me again that he had no recollection of such a dish and would not even be able to tell me if I had concocted it correctly if I tried it.
My curiosity got the better of me.
I did some research and discovered the more common name for Scottish Dumpling is Clootie Dumpling. "Clootie" means a strip of cloth or rag, and it was so named because the oldest forms of the recipe call for the dumpling -- which is much more like an English pudding -- to be boiled in a cloth.
Grandma Cameron's version called for cooking the dumpling in a bowl in a steamer with wax paper and foil, but try as I might, I could not figure out what I was supposed to do with the wax paper and aluminum foil.
So I compromised. I used Grandma Cameron's ingredients, and cooked them according to the traditional boiling method.
I don't know if my dumpling comes close to her version, but I do know it has become a welcome traditional Scottish treat in our house, and one that we'll definitely be having again.
 
Scottish DumplingAdapted from Nessie Cameron's family recipe.

3 cups flour, plus 2 tbls. 1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. all spice
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1/4 lb. butter, melted
1 apple, grated
1/2 lb. currants
1/2 lb. golden raisins
1/2 c. milk

Sieve 3 cups of flour and the other dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl; add the  fruit. Mix in the melted butter, eggs and milk. Invert a heat-proof plate in the bottom of a large soup pot, fill about two-thirds  with water and bring to a boil. Dip a 20-inch square of muslin in the boiling water, remove and wring until just damp (use tongs, the cloth will be very hot). Spread the cloth out on the counter, dust the center with the remaining flour, and turn the batter out onto it. Pull the cloth ends together until you've made a little sack, with the dumpling batter in the center. Tie with kitchen twine, leaving a bit of room for the batter to expand as it cooks. Place the sack into the boiling water and lower the heat till it reaches a slow simmer. If the sack tail is long, straddle a wooden spoon across the pot and drape the tail to keep it away from the flame. Cook for three hours, replenishing the water as needed to keep the dumpling at least two-thirds covered.
Remove the dumpling sack and place on a plate. Peel back the cloth. When the top of the dumpling is exposed, place another plate on top of it and invert so that you may carefully remove the sack from the bottom of the dumpling. This will be the presentation side of the dumpling, so peel carefully.
Allow the dumpling to sit for at least fifteen minutes to dry. Yields 10 servings.
Suggestion: If you tear the dumpling skin and want to serve your dumpling intact, you may consider disguising the broken area with a glaze, or a dusting of powder sugar and strategically placed mint leaves.

Love Christmas? Thank the Victorians

I'm over at the Author Sound blog today talking about the Victorian roots of many of my favorite Christmas traditions. Join me?

http://authorsoundrelations.blogspot.com/2012/12/deanna-cameron-love-christmas.html?showComment=1354728817966#c3993405246789960872