Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

Mashed and boiled have their merits, but sometimes you need a new way to serve potatoes. Scalloped Potatoes are my favorite side dish and go well with fish and pork. Use a mandolin to make the slicing process a snap.

CREAMY SCALLOPED POTATOES
(From Tide’s Table: Maritime Cooking from Inn on the Cove)


4 or 5 Potatoes, thinly sliced
¾ cup onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp flour, seasoned with salt, pepper and paprika
Unsalted butter
1 ½ cups milk, heated
Dash of paprika
Grated Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F

Arrange alternate layers of potatoes, onions and seasoned flour in a greased 2-quart casserole. Dot each layer with butter. Pour hot milk over top and sprinkle with paprika. Bake, covered for 45 minutes. Remove cover and sprinkle with cheese; bake 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender and top lightly browned.

Serves 4

Chocolate Bailey's Butter Cookies

A little chocolate and a hint of Bailey's makes this smooth, buttery cookie even harder to resist. Drizzle a little green icing (flavored with Bailey's of course) to make it a wee bit of a St. Patrick's Day celebration.


1 c. unsalted butter
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream

pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and Bailey's. Mix in dry ingredients.

Drop rounded tablespoons onto a lightly-greased baking sheet. Bake until cookie looks "dry" -- about 10-12 minutes.

Yields about 3 dozen cookies.

Sherry-Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup Sherry
1/3 cup water
1 ½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
Dash salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, butter, water, sherry and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Stir the dry ingredients and cranberries into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.