Beltane (May 1)
Food and Drink of Beltane: Beltane cakes, cherries, dairy, green herbal salads, honey, nuts, oats/oatmeal cakes, red fruits, red or pink wine punch, sweets, and strawberries
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Beltane
Cake
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 nut nutmeg, freshly grated 1 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon ground cloves 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate 3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup brandy 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger 1 ounce damiana extract 1 1/2 cups butter 1 lb dark brown sugar 6 eggs 1 5/8 cup amaretto liqueur cocoa powder 1 Have all ingredients at room temperature. 2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 3 Grease a large bundt pan. 4 Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave then set aside to cool. 5 In a small bowl mix milk, brandy, vanilla extract, ginger and damiana extract. 6 In a large bowl, cream the butter. 7 Add the brown sugar to the butter and beat until fluffy. 8 Beat the eggs, one at a time, into the butter mixture. 9 When the chocolate has cooled to body temperature, mix it into the butter mixture. 10 Alternately add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter mixture in small amounts at a time. 11 Bake for 2 hours, or until done (knife test). 12 Let the cake cool for 20 minutes, then remove from pan. 13 Allow the cake to cool fully, then invert it into a bowl that is just large enough to hold it, but no larger. 14 Pierce the cake bottom (now on top) in several (8-10) places with a skewer, being careful not to go all the way through. 15 Pour about 1/5th of the amaretto over the cake. When it has all been absorbed, add another 1/5th of the amaretto. Continue until all of the amaretto has been absorbed by the cake. This will take at least several hours. Keep the bowl covered during this time. 16 When all of the amaretto has been absorbed, gently invert the cake onto a plate. The cake is soaked with amaretto, thus every bump or brush will leave a scar, so treat it delicately. 17 Dust the cake with cocoa powder until there is a layer of dry powder (the first applications will soak up moisture). 18 Keep the cake covered until serving. It will get better if you wait 8-24 hours, but can be eaten immediately. 19 This cake is very rich and intensely flavorful, so serve small slices. Also, you might want to let guests know that it contains a fair amount of alcohol. |
Beltane Passion Cookies
¾ cup unsalted butter 1 cup brown sugar 1 egg ¼ cup molasses 1¾ cups whole grain flour ½ tsp. salt 3 tsp. ground cinnamon 1½ tsp. ground cloves 5 tsp. powdered ginger ⅛ tsp. granulated 2 tsp. baking soda ½ cup crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped (optional) Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a hand mixer, cream the butter with the sugar then beat in the egg and molasses. Sift all the dry ingredients into a medium bowl, then stir into the wet batter. Add crystallized ginger. Roll batter into 1 inch balls and dip one side into granulated sugar. Place sugar side up on baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire rack. |
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Chicken Barley Stew with Herbs
2-3 LB chicken breasts on the bone 2 Tablespoons Butter 1 LB leeks (3-4 large ones, 4-5 little ones) thickly cut. May substitute onions 4 cloves garlic, chopped fine 6 oz barley 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar 3 3/4 cups water 2 bay leaves 1 Tablespoon dried sage Comment: This is originally an Anglo-Saxon recipe. The original calls for rabbit, but chicken is just as good. In a large Dutch Oven, melt the butter, then fry the leeks and garlic in the butter. Add the chicken and brown. Add remaining ingredients, reserving the sage. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Remove chicken from pot and let cool. Remove meat from bones and add back to the pot. Add sage. Stir well and serve. Serves 8 |
Farls
3 cups real mashed potatoes 2 cups dry oats 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt Pinch of pepper Pinch rosemary Soak oats in warm water for 15 minutes until soft and swollen. Mix them with all other ingredients in a large bowl. Knead until mixture is like thick dough. Make patties, fry in hot oil until brown. Serve immediately. |
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Fried Honeycakes
These cakes were left in the garden to please Faery visitors. If you plan to leave an offering to the Faery, double the recipe to keep some for your family. They're scrumptious. 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. Yield: 1 1/2 Dozen. |
May Day Maple Hearth Bread
1 envelope active dry yeast 1/3 cup real maple syrup 1/4 cup warm water (105ºF-115ºF) 3 cups flour 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup shortening Dissolve the yeast in the water. Mix 1 1/2 cups of the flour with the brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in shortening. Add the syrup to the yeast mix and let the syrup dissolve too. Now add yeast mix to the flour mix; stir. Add flour until dough is easy to handle. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes. Form into round, place on cookie sheet. Let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Slice pleasing image into bread top. Bake for 30 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Loaf can be brushed with syrup or butter during last 5 minutes of baking. Note: This bread is quite dry without something to moisten it, so definitely serve it with butter. Also, your bread will have trouble rising if the syrup is too cold! Warm up the syrup if it has been in the refrigerator, it should be room temperature or warmer. Yield: 1 loaf |
