Email from Yun in China

Our friend, Yun, from China writes:

Happy new year! We will have three days off , and then we will have the final exam.
By the way, there maybe are some troubles with my Christmas card.

Yun

Spatulatta Replies:

Happy New Year Yun!

We were not able to view your Christmas card. It is so nice of you to think of us!

Enjoy your three days off from school and best wishes on your exams.

Here is a simple recipe you can make on your days off to prepare you for exams.

It's called, "Baked Apples in a Snap" which you can see at:
http://www.spatulatta.com/week29_fathers_day/baked_apple.html

You'll need:

4 red apples (Red Delicious, Fuji or other red apples
4 to 6 teaspoons of brown sugar
Raisins or other dried fruit
2 tablespoons of butter
Aluminum foil
A little adult help

Equipment:

Potato peeler (the kind with the pointy end)
Melon ball maker
Butter knife
Small baking pan or pie pan
Long handled fork
Oven mitts

Directions:

1. Wash and dry the apples.

2. If you're using the oven, set it to heat to 375 degrees.

3. Take the potato peeler and pierce the top of the apple about 3/4 of an inch from the stem. Push the potato peeler in slowly. You don't want to go too deep because you don't want to go through the bottom of the apple. Go all the way around and then pop this center out. This way you'll make a cup to hold the good stuff in the apple!

4. Use the melon baller to dig out the apple seeds.

5. Fill the center of the apple with raisins or other dried fruit.

6. Put about a tablespoon of brown sugar on top.

7. Add a pat of butter. A pat is about 1/2 a tablespoon.

8. Wrap the apple up in foil by lapping one side then the other over the top of the apple.

9. Set the apples top-side up on the pan so they don't leak when the butter and the sugar start to melt.

10. These can be easily slid into the coals of your Father's Day barbecue, or placed on a grill. We did them in the oven at 375 degrees 18-22 minutes.

11. When you can easily pierce the fruit with a fork (you can test it right through the foil) the apples are finished. They taste just like apple pie!

Hope you enjoy this recipe. Let us know how it turns out!

Roasted Chestnuts

Roasted chestnuts are such a traditional winter treat that there's a song about them - sing along as you roast your own chestnuts.

Yield	4-6 servings
Time	30-45 minutes
Tools	knife baking sheet or cast iron pan clean kitchen towel
Ingredients	24 uncracked chestnuts
Directions	Preheat oven to 400. Have an adult carve an X into the flat side of each chestnut (otherwise they will explode) and place on the baking sheet. Bake about 30 minutes, until pressing a chestnut cracks the shell open easily. Wrap chestnuts in a towel until ready to eat. Squeeze open the shell, peel off shell and nut coating, and enjoy.

Cocoa Rounds by Sophie

I LOVE spatulatta.com! I have a recipe you could do.
I have more cool recipes but my favorite recipe are cocoa rounds, the ingredients are,   

• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cups soft butter
• 1 egg

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl.
Chill for 10 min. and bake at 375 f for 8-10 min.  

we like to roll them in powdered sugar after they're done.   

Love, 
Sophie ;-)

Spatulatta responds:
Hey Sophie, Thanks for your sweet recipe.  This could make a great treat during holidays.
Spatulatta loves you too!

-Team Spatulatta

Blue Corn Muffins

Blue corn muffins are a perfect addition to breakfast. Try this recipe from the Jalapeno Cafe.

(makes 1 dozen)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup blue corn meal for tortillas or for atole
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease a twelve cup muffin pan and place in oven to heat while preparing batter.

In a bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl beat eggs, milk and melted butter, until blended. Pour liquid into dry mixture, stir just to moisten.

Remove muffin pan from oven and spoon in batter.

*Make sure muffin pan is very hot when spooning in batter, this will keep the muffins from sticking to pan when you remove them.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes until tops browned.

Remove from oven and turn out muffins to plate. Serve with butter and honey.

Visit the Jalapeno Cafe for more recipes!