Ecclefechan Scottish Tarts

When I asked my sister if I could bring a Scottish tart to Thanksgiving dinner, she said, "If (your wife) doesn't mind it isn't my place to judge."  So I brought one.

A southern Scotland tradition, these tarts are named for the village of Ecclefechan, a suburb of Lockerbie (much as Christmas is a suburb of Bithlo here in Central Florida).  They consist of a shortbread crust with a filling of sugar, eggs, nuts and dried fruit.  Some better known cousins include pecan pies, Canadian butter tarts, mince pies and shoo-fly pies.

I got the recipe from a friend we visited on vacation, Peg Murray. In addition to Thanksgiving, I've made them for office and church festivities where a number of people have asked for the recipe, so here it is.

Use two 9" tart pans (with removable bottoms) or 9" round cake pans lined with heavy foil.  Only bring the crust partway up the sides.

Preheat oven to 375°

Ingredients
Crust
3 c flour
8 oz butter, softened
6 T sugar
3 egg yolks

Filling
3 eggs
6 oz butter, melted
9 oz light brown sugar
3 T wine vinegar
12 oz mixed dried fruit ( I like to use Welch's Berry Medley - raisins, cherries, cranberries and blueberries -  but suit yourself)
3 oz walnuts

Directions
Crust
With mixer or food processor, whip butter.
Add all other ingredients and mix until it holds together in a ball.
Divide in half
Press into tart pans to form crusts

Filling
Chop fruit and walnuts until small - 1/8"
Mix all ingredients thoroughly
Divide between two crusts
Bake at 375° for 20-30 minutes

Serve at room temperature

Ith gu leòir!  (Bon appetit!)

Sloppi Giuseppi

Tonight I threw together some Italian Sloppy Joes for dinner; simple quick and a little different.

Using	Do This
medium skillet olive oil	Heat to medium
1/2 green pepper, sliced thinly 1/2 medium onion, sliced thinly 1 garlic clove, minced	Add to oil and cook until pepper begins to soften. Remove from oil and set aside.
1 lb Italian sausage	Crumble into skillet and sauté until well browned. Drain fat and return veggies to the skillet.
14 oz jar of your favorite store-bought  spaghetti sauce	Add to skillet and let heat for about 10 minutes.
4 Hoagie rolls, provolone slices	Slice roll, line with cheese and fill with the sausage mixture.

Belgian Decadence

This is my version of the treat sold on the street at the New York World's Fair. Vendors built a wall of whipped cream around the top of the a Belgian waffle and filled the interior with fresh sliced strawberries. I still don't think it's a real Belgian Waffle unless it features strawberries and whipped cream.

Ingredients:
• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 oz Grand Marnier liqueur
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 2 Belgian Waffles
• Stiffly whipped cream
• Optional: cinnamon and powdered sugar

Mix the strawberries, Grand Marnier and powdered sugar. Let marinate for ten to fifteen minutes.

Place a freshly cooked Belgian waffle on a plate. Make a wall of whipped cream around the top and fill the center with the strawberries.

If desired, dust with cinnamon and/or powdered sugar.
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Strawberries done this way are also great for shortcake, especially if you use fresh baked biscuits instead of storebought sponge cake cups.