Recipe Swap

Welcome to The Recipe Swap! Karrie is having a wonderful swap, so stop by her blog and check out the links to the other people who are giving recipes.

I am starting off with my favorite thing of all....chocolate. Here is a recipe for Chocolate Truffle....Enjoy!

5 oz of dark chocolate in small pieces

1 and a quarter pint of double cream

1 oz unsalted butter

To coat:

2 oz pistachios, chopped

2 oz, dark chocolate

2 oz coconut

Place the chocolate, double cream and butter in a bowl, set it over a pan of barely simmering water and allow to melt slowly, stirring occasionally. Once melted, put in a cool place or in the fridge until the mixture is firm, but not completely solid.

Then grate the dark chocolate and set aside. Take a heaped teaspoon of truffle mixture and roll out in your hands to make a ball. Roll the ball in one of the coatings, then repeat with the rest of the mixture, alternating coatings to create a selection. Place in paper cases and put in the fridge until you are ready to box them up....,Yummy!

This is a popular dessert in Ireland.....Figgy pudding. This one can be eaten straight away or in a few days.

8 oz dried figs, chopped

1 and three quarters dates chopped

grated rind and juice of 1 orange

2 tablespoons brandy

4 and a half ounces plain flour

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon of mixed spice

1 teaspoon of baking powder

3 and a half oz fresh white breadcrumbs

4 and a half ounces of shredded suet

4 and a half oz of dark muscovado sugar

4 eggs

butter for greasing

Put the figs and dates in a bowl and pour over the orange juice and brandy. Cover and leave to soak overnight. Sift the flour, salt, spices, and baking powder into a large bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs, suet, sugar,soaked fruit and grated orange rind. Beat the eggs and stir into the fruit mixture. Butter a 1 and a half pint pudding basin and spoon the mixture into it. Make a pleat in a large circle of foil and use this to cover the pudding basin. Tie around the edge with a string to secure and steam for three hours until cooked. Turn out of the basin and serve with custard of brandy butter....Delicious!

Also, if you have leftovers over Christmas, this recipe uses some of the extras to make a great snack or lunch.

Turkey and Ham Spread

8 oz cold roast turkey

4 oz cold cooked ham

7 oz cream cheese softened

2 oz watercress, finely chopped
a few drops of tabasco
1 lime halved
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the turkey and ham into a food processor and whiz until chopped.Stir in the creamed cheese and add the watercress, a few drops of tabasco or slices of lime. Use to make sandwiches or spreading on toast. It will keep for a few days in the fridge.....Don't freeze!

Finally, you know how the Irish love potatoes, well here is a recipe called Potatoes with Parmesan, which is a winner.

1 and a half oz butter

2 lb, 4 oz waxy potatoes, thinly sliced

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 sprigs fresh thymes, leaves pulled out

18 fl oz double cream

1 and a half pint sour cream

7 fl oz full fat milk

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 oz parmesan, grated

Preheat the oven to 300F . Butter a large oven proof baking dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with a layer of overlapping potato slices and season with salt, pepper, and thyme.

Continue until you have used all of the potatoes, remembering to add seasoning at each level.

Mix together the double cream, sour cream, milk and garlic and pour over the potatoes so the liquid just covers them. Scatter with the parmesan. Place on a baking sheet to catch any drips and cook for one hour. Increase the temp. to 400 degrees F and cook for a further 45 minutes. Stand for 5 minutes before serving to allow the cream to settle.....Yummy on a cold day.

Enjoy the recipes. Don't forget to visit Kerrie's blog to get more blogs to visit, so you can gather recipes.