Welcome to Grama's

How to Vacation in Palm Desert

Barbara Vance

How to have a great Vacation in Palm Desert when you don't golf.

Palm Desert is a beautiful place of warmth and serenity away from the stress of your busy everyday life.

We stayed at a luxurious vacation townhome and from there we could enjoy Palm Desert at our leisure.

We enjoyed first rate amenities at the resort! Click here to see photographs of our Palm Desert Vacation.

Rusks (Skorpa) - the Recipe and the Memory of my Grandmother

Barbara Vance

Rusks (Skorpa) - the Recipe and the Memory of my Grandmother

Rusk or Skorpa (Swedish Toast)
Skorpa is a traditional Scandinavian coffee (kaffe) time treat.

My Grandmother Peterson's kitchen was well known for it's sweet aroma of skorpa' and fresh brewed coffee. My grandmother's hospitality was even warmer than her cozy kitchen with a beautiful wood cook stove and big round table. At 3pm sharp it was kaffe time at the Peterson's and anyone was welcome. I loved being there at 3 because you never knew who would drop by and my grandmother always kept little cakes for just such an occasion and always there was skorpa in the warming oven on the big stove. Skorpa was wonderful for dunking into hot cocoa! Her cake tins never became empty and the warming oven was never without skorpa staying dry and toasted. How did she manage that? Then one day it dawned on me - "love kept them full!"

I have made this recipe many times:

Rusks (you can make half a recipe if you want - but you'll be sorry )

4 cups Milk
2 Tblsp yeast
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs - beaten lightly
1 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
13 cups of white (unbleached) flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp ground cardamom

With the new yeasts these days - follow the instructions on the package. And add accordingly.
Heat the milk until just lukewarm. Add all liquid ingredients.
Add 3 cups of four and beat until smooth - beat in sugar, salt and cardamom.
Mix in the rest of the flour as per regular bread instructions.
And follow your regular bread making method. Bake in loaf pans as per standard bread recipes.
When done remove from pan and let cool until the next day.

Slice all the loaves into finger size rectangles. Place rectangle pieces of bread on cookie sheets and put in oven at very low temperature 170' to 200'. The rusks must toast and dry all the way through each piece. This may take 2 or 3 hours. Better yet at the end of about 2 hours or so - turn the oven off and leave them in the oven for a few more hours.
Perfect for dunking' into hot cocoa or fresh brewed coffee.

Enjoy!

More recipes from my kitchen Grandma's Favorite Recipes

(Bukisa ID #135381)

Content Source: Rusks (Skorpa) - the Recipe and the Memory of my Grandmother - Bukisa.com

More Grandma's Favorite Recipes

Homemade Oat Bread

Barbara Vance

Homemade Oat Bread

Rolled oat cereal

Very Good Homemade Oat Bread
from Grama Barb

(note: please follow yeast instructions for bread on the package purchased in your area)

Pour 2 cups hot mild over 3 cups of Rolled Oats. Add - ¼ cup of Blackstrap Molasses, ½ cup margarine, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, 3 Tablespoons sugar. Mix.
Add to hot mixture: 1 cup cold water; Stir in 1 cup unbleached flour; 2 eggs and yeast (yeast as prepared as package instructions directed) Slowly add more flour - up to 6 to 7 cups until dough is no longer sticky but has become elastic and fairly smooth.

Proceed as for regular bread:
KNEAD dough, adding a little more flour as necessary, until dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky (about 10 minutes).
PLACE in lightly greased bowl. Turn dough to greased top. Cover with greased waxed paper and tea towel. I use a little oil on top to keep dry spots from forming.
LET RISE in warm place (75°-85°F/24°-29°C) until doubled (45-60 minutes).
PUNCH DOWN. Turn out onto lightly floured board and divide into 2 (or 3 - as it depends on the size of your loaf pans) equal portions. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
SHAPE each portion into a loaf. Place seam side down in 2 greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 3/4" (1.5 L) loaf pans. Cover with tea towel.
LET RISE in warm place until dough rises 1 1/2" (3 cm) above top of pan in centre and corners are filled (45 to 60 minutes).
BAKE at 350°F on lower oven rack for 40 to 45minutes. Remove from pans immediately. Brush top crust with butter if a soft crust is desired. Cool on wire racks.

(Bukisa ID #132879)

Content Source: Homemade Oat Bread - Bukisa.com

Homemade Raisin Bread

Barbara Vance

The Aroma of Fresh Baked Bread Remains in Your Memory Forever

Old Fashioned Raisin Bread

from Grama Barb's Kitchen

Scald 1 cup milk Stir into the hot milk 2/3 cups butter; ½ cup sugar; 2 teaspoons salt; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Cool this mixture until lukewarm. Put ½ cup lukewarm water in a BIG bowl. Stir in 2 teaspoons sugar. Sprinkle 2 Tablspoons yeast (or follow directions of the new yeast that is available in your area) Let it stand until the yeast has become bubbly. Now add the lukewarm (make sure if has cooled to lukewarm) milk mixture. Add 3 well beaten eggs and 4 cups unbleached white flour. Beat until the dough is smooth. Beat in 2 cups raisins that have been plumped (how to plump raisins: in a separate bowl pour boiling water to cover the raisins and let sit until cool then drain well). Work in enough flour to make a soft dough which leaves sides of bowl. (not sticky anymore) which will be about 3 cups of unbleached flour. Turn out on floured board/counter. Round up into a ball.
Proceed like regular bread:
KNEAD dough, adding a little more flour as necessary, until dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky (about 10 minutes).
PLACE in lightly greased bowl. Turn dough to greased top. Cover with greased waxed paper and tea towel. I use a little oil on top to keep dry spots from forming.
LET RISE in warm place (75°-85°F/24°-29°C) until doubled (45-60 minutes).
PUNCH DOWN. Turn out onto lightly floured board and divide into 2 (or 3 - as it depends on the size of your loaf pans) equal portions. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
SHAPE each portion into a loaf. Place seam side down in 2 greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 3/4" (1.5 L) loaf pans. Cover with tea towel.
LET RISE in warm place until dough rises 1 1/2" (3 cm) above top of pan in centre and corners are filled (45 to 60 minutes).
BAKE at 350°F on lower oven rack for 40 to 45minutes. Remove from pans immediately. Brush top crust with butter if a soft crust is desired. Cool on wire racks.

A TIP:I always tap the top of my baked bread before removing it from the oven to make sure it has baked properly - if your tap sounds like the bread is hollow - then your bread is done.
ENJOY: Go ahead and cut yourself a fresh warm slice and butter it so the butter melts into the bread as you are eating it. It's a treat you deserve for all your work.

(Bukisa ID #130917)

Content Source: The Aroma of Fresh Baked Bread Remains in Your Memory Forever - Bukisa.com