Favorite Ingredients Friday

I haven't had a chance to participate in this for so long, but I wanted to be sure to do it today.

This is what I have sitting on my counter right now, it's such a wonderful dessert, brings back great memories from my Greatgrandma, and this is her recipe too, enjoy :)

For more Favorite Ingredients Friday recipes, run on over to Overwhelmed with Joy.

Arroz Doce
(Portuguese Rice Pudding)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 quarts of milk
1 1/4 cup of uncooked white rice
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs beaten
1 cinnamon stick

Over high heat, combine cinnamon stick, sugar and milk. When bubbles form at edges, stir in rice and reduce heat to medium-low.
Cook 60 minutes, stirring often, until rice is tender. Do NOT allow to boil.

Remove from heat, remove cinnamon stick and vigorously stir in beaten eggs, a little at a time, until well incorporated. Pour into serving dish, sprinkle with ground cinnamon and serve warm.
Refrigerate the leftovers.

Now, in my family we let it cool down a bit and then eat it warm, but I have to say that the next day, it tastes just as good cold out of the refrigerator.

This makes a great dish for a get together, church potluck etc.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

I love these, they are easy and quick to make and taste wonderful....and the smell of that orange and cranberry coming from the house, is enough to make anyone salivate :)

CRANBERRY ORANGE MUFFINS

Yield: 1 dozen

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 tbsp. baking powder
1/3 tsp. salt
5 tbsp. butter, melted
2/3 cup orange juice
3 eggs
1 tbsp. grated orange peel
1/3 cup dried cranberries or 6 oz. fresh cranberries
1 11 oz. can mandarin oranges

Instructions:

If using dried cranberries, soak overnight in juice from mandarin oranges.

Combine dry ingredients. Melt butter and whisk in eggs. Stir in orange juice and orange peel and beat well. Stir liquid into dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. Add drained cranberries and mandarin oranges. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Menu Plan Monday!

Well it's monday and time to share our menus. Thank you Laura, my sweet friend over at "I'm an Organizing Junkie" for hosting this each week, I've come to look foward to seeing everyone's menus :)

Will post the recipes as I make them, if there is one in particular you want, just let me know and I'll come back and post it :)

MELKTERT (MILK TART)

This is another of my favorites and boy does it bring back memories of that beautiful country.

MELKTERT

INGREDIENTS

* 3 tablespoons butter, melted
* 1 cup white sugar
* 3 egg yolks
* 1 cup cake flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 4 cups milk
* 3 egg white
* 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Coat a 9 inch deep dish pie plate with vegetable oil cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg yolks and beat until light and fluffy. Sift in the cake flour, baking powder and salt, and stir until well blended. Mix in the vanilla and milk. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks using an electric mixer. Fold into the batter. Pour into the prepared pie plate, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top.

3. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Continue to bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the center is set when you gently jiggle the pie. Serve hot or cold.

KOEKSUSTERS *Cook-Sisters*

Are you ready for some wonderful treats??? The day you taste these you will be hooked, and don't say I didn't warn you ;)

They do take a bit of time to make, but they're well worth it :)

KOEKSUSTERS

The syrup - to be made the day before and left in the fridge to cool.
Boil 3 cups of water with 24g of root ginger. Remove the ginger and add 3 more cups of water. Bring to boil again. Add 2.5 kg (12 cups) of sugar and allow to boil for 5 minutes. Allow to cool and store in fridge.

For the pastry:

6 cups plain flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
125g of margarine
2 eggs
125ml evaporated milk
312ml lukewarm water
A pinch of salt

Mix all the above together and knead well, then leave to rest.

The method:

Roll the dough flat into an oval/square until it is 5mm thick. Cut the dough into strips 2.5cm across. Then cut these strips into lengths of 6cm so that you are left with rectangles 2.5cm x 6cm
Make two cuts along the length of the rectangles so that you can braid them – you are aiming for a braid similar to a 3-strand hair braid! When you have plaited each one, press the tree strands together firmly at each end so that they do not come undone.
Deep-fry each koeksuster in hot oil until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and dip the whole cooked koeksuster immediately into your cool syrup. Remove from the syrup and allow to cool on a paper towels before eating.