Carrie's Modern Monte Cristo Sandwich

 A  modern healthier version of a classic sandwich.

(A fancy grilled ham & cheese)

Ingredients:
4 slices of multi-grain bread
6 slices thin sliced Black Forest Ham (Non GMO, Hormone & Nitrate Free)
3 slices Muenster cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs
1/8 cup (2 tablespoons)  half & half, milk, cream, or evaporated milk
powdered sugar (optional)
strawberry jam (Optional)

Method:
Ham slices are often packed in water, so pat the slices between a couple of paper towels. Fold each slice of ham in half. Cut one slice of cheese in half. Place two folded ham slices on top of one slice of bread. Top ham with 1 1/2 slices of cheese. Top cheese with one more slice of folded ham and one slice of bread. Repeat with remaining bread, ham and cheese. Beat eggs and half & half until well blended. Place a large frying pan on medium/low to medium heat. Add butter and olive oil. Pour beaten eggs into a shallow pan. Quickly dip both sides of assembled sandwiches into egg mixture. (Long enough to moisten the bread, but not so long to make the bread soggy.) Place sandwiches in preheated frying pan. Cook until bread touching the pan is golden brown. Turn the sandwiches over and cook until the uncooked side is golden brown. Remove sandwiches from pan. Cut in half. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar. Garnish with strawberry jam. (If using a frying pan that only fits one sandwich, use one tablespoon of butter and olive oil for each sandwich.)

Fresh Multi-grain Bread from Boudin Bakery

Sliced Muenster Cheese & All Natural Black Forest Ham

Notes: A traditional Monte Cristo sandwich is made with white bread, ham and Swiss cheese. My version is made with fresh multi-grain bread, all natural, nitrate free ham and a milder, creamy Muenster cheese. Traditionally the sandwich is dusted with powdered sugar and served with strawberry jam. 
When I described the sandwich to my husband Greg, he was skeptical about trying it. (Before we married, he had never had bread dipped in egg, that wasn't soggy.) Until this sandwich, he had never tasted Muenster cheese and he thought he didn't like strawberry jam. He was very pleasantly surprised at how delicious a Monte Cristo sandwich is!

Almond Float "Hsing-jen-tou-fu" (Asian style gelatin with fruit.)

This is a light & healthy Asian Style almond gelatin with fruit.

Ingredients:
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 3/4 cups of cold water
1 1/2 cups milk (or 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup half & half)
1 tablespoon almond extract (or if preferred, vanilla extract)
1/3 cup honey (or sugar)

Garnish: canned mandarin oranges, lychee fruit, fruit cocktail and or fresh berries

Method:
In a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water and let soften for 5 minutes. Bring the remaining
1 1/4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add to the softened gelatin along with the honey or sugar. Stir until dissolved and clear. Add milk and almond extract. Pour mixture into a square pan. Refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours, until completely set. Cut into cubes. Spoon cubes into individual serving dishes. Garnish with fruit. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Notes: I first made this recipe in the early 1980's. It is very simple to mix together and pairs nicely with Asian dishes and summer meals. (I always have the ingredients on hand in my refrigerator and pantry.)
 

Uncut pan of almond jello.

 I doubled the recipe and used a 15 inch by 9 inch pan, to make a large bowl, for a party.

Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Loaves

Mini loaf and slices of Lemon Poppy Seed Bread.

Ingredients:
Two 9 inch loaf pans or five 6 inch mini loaf pans
butter or shortening for greasing
1 cookie/baking sheet (optional)
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 tablespoons coarsely grated lemon peel
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 eggs
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

Method:

Preheat oven too 350*. Grease the bottoms of the loaf pans. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in lemon peel and poppy seeds.  In another bowl, combine sugar, oil, milk, vanilla & almond extracts and eggs; beating at medium speed of electric mixer, until the ingredients are well blended. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until blended. Pour batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans. (If desired, place loaf pans on a baking sheet to make them easier to place into and remove from the oven.) If using 9 inch pans, bake for 1 hour, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. If using 6 inch pans, bake for 45 minutes, or until an inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pans ready to go into the oven.

While the bread is baking, stir together powdered sugar, lemon extract and lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until bread has finished baking. Remove loaves from the oven and immediately drizzle with the lemon icing. Cool in pans on rack for at least 10 minutes. Slide a knife around the edges of the pans. Remove loaves and continue to cool completely on racks. 

Five glazed loaves.

Notes: 

To make muffins, lightly grease muffin pans with butter or cooking spray. Fill muffin cups to 2/3 full.. Preheat oven to 400* & bake for 15 to 20 minutes. (or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean) 

This quick and easy bread is delicious! Perfect to be served at breakfast, brunch, snack, tea time and for dessert, alone or topped with fruit.

Lemon Pecan Coconut Meringue Cookies (Gluten Free)

These are flavorful and light little cookies.

Ingredients:

parchment paper (optional)
butter

4 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

1 1/3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 2/3 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped Toasted Pecans (see recipe for "Toasted Pecans")
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 325*.  If desired, line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Lightly butter parchment paper or unlined cookie sheets. In a large mixing bowl beat the egg whites and lemon extract, on high speed, until soft peaks form. (When the beaters are lifted, the tips curl over.) Gradually add the sugar while continuing to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks forms. (The tips stand straight when the beaters are lifted.)  Beat in lemon juice. Gently fold in coconut, pecans and lemon peel. Use 2 teaspoons to drop rounded teaspoons of mixture, 2 inches apart, onto cookie sheets. Bake about 20 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool slightly on cookie sheets (5 minutes) and then finish cooling on wire racks. Makes about 5 dozen. Store in airtight containers. 

Notes: This is an original recipe that I created for my mother-in-law Danuta, who likes meringues, coconut, pecans, lemon and desserts that are not overly sweet. (She was quite pleased!) "Grandma Winifred's English Chess Tarts" recipe calls for 4 egg yolks, so I always use the leftover whites to make Meringues. (Please see my recipe for regular "Coconut Meringue Cookies (Gluten Free)".)

Packaged to deliver to family.

Perfect Iced Sugar Cookies

Patriotic Star Cookies 
Iced, red sugar sprinkles & candy 
sprinkles with icing drizzle.

Ingredients: 

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)

 1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

parchment paper (optional)

colored sugar

candy sprinkles

icing

Icing Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla, almond, lemon or rum extract

2 - 3 tablespoons  milk, orange juice, Gran Marnier or other liqueur (Do not use an extract if you are using Gran Marnier or a liqueur.)
food coloring

Method:

Sift together the f lour, baking powder and salt.  Beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer, on medium to high speed, for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until well combined. Add half of the flour mixture, the egg, milk and vanilla to the blended butter and sugar. Beat until thoroughly mixed. Beat in the remaining flour. Divide the dough in half. Cover and chill for 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 375*. On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of the dough to an 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. (approximately 2 1/2 inches) If desired, line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place cookies on lined or ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar or candy sprinkles. Bake for 7 -8 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms are very lightly browned. Cool completely on a rack. makes 2 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the shapes.

If desired, make an icing to drizzle over the cookies.  Place the powdered sugar, in a small bowl. Add extract and liquid of choice, one teaspoon at a time, until the sugar mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Add food coloring. (If you want more than one color of icing,Makes 1/2 cup of icing to drizzle or spread over cookies. Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If the cookies are iced, add one layer at a time to container. Add a layer of waxed paper and another layer of cookies. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Notes: Sugar Cookie Cutouts are festive and fun for any occasion! Another option is to wait to add the colored sugar or candy sprinkles until after the cookies have been lightly covered with the icing, or you can omit the sprinkles and just decorate with the icing. If all of the cookies are being iced, double the amounts of the icing ingredients. (When making these cookies for children, I do not use liqueur in the icing.)

Iced and Sugared Shamrock Cookies

Packaged with waxed paper between layers of cookies.