People love pictures of food and part of the fun of staying at a B&B is the breakfast. So, now you can see pictures of recipes I am trying on our Instagram page. I don't usually post the recipes until I think they are foolproof, but you can see what might be on your table if you come and stay with us.
Check our our new Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/whitegardenevents/.
Let me know if there is something you would like to see me try to make. I can't make any promises, but I am usually up for a challenge.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Something new to try for breakfast...and a dessert for the new year!
Happy New Year to all! I had intended to post some holiday recipes, but we had a wedding and the holidays got past me. To make up for it, I will share a new breakfast treat that is easy and SO good, plus a dessert that I reworked a little for a dinner party the other night. Here goes:
Easy Sticky Buns:
These come from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics--I would highly recommend her cook books. I have several and the instructions are excellent.
12 T. unsalted butter at room temperature
1/3 C. light brown sugar, packed
1/2 C. Pecans, chopped in large pieces
1 Pkg. Puff pastry, defrosted
Filling:
2 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 C. light brown sugar, packed
3 t. cinnamon
1 cup of raisins (I use currants)
Preheat oven to 400. Put a 12 cup muffin pan on a cookie sheet with sides that is lined with parchment paper. Don't skip this! If you do, your oven will have burnt butter all over it and the sticky buns will be smoked rather than cooked.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the 12 T. butter and 1/3 C. brown sugar until smooth. Place rounded T., 1 in each muffin cup. Distribute the pecans evenly between the cups.
Lightly flour a board or counter and spread out a sheet of the puff pastry with the seams left to right. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with half of sugar, cinnamon and raisins or currants. Roll up from front to back and slice into 6 equal portions, placing one in each muffin cup--repeat with second sheet of puff pastry, etc. Bake for 30 minutes; cool for 5 minutes and then turn them over onto the parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Important--do not let them cool longer than 5 minutes, or the sugar will harden and you will not get the results you want. These are easy and delicious!
Now for a knockout dessert that you can make a day ahead. We had a dinner party and I wanted to make a Tiramisu, but I am not a fan of uncooked eggs in a filling. I prefer to cook eggs for custard, pie, etc. I found Ina's recipe for Tiramisu, but then I wanted to change a couple of things, so I cooked the filling base and also changed the Rum to Creme de Cacao, because I prefer the lightly sweet chocolate liqueur to the stronger taste of Rum. Here is the final recipe, which our guests enjoyed, but alas, I forgot to take a picture!
Robin's Tiramisu:
6 Egg yolks
2/3 C. milk
3/4 C. sugar
1 C. heavy cream
16 oz. Mascarpone cheese (you can substitute cream cheese, but the result will be less light and airy)
1 1/4 C. espresso
1/2 C. Creme de Cacao
30 Italian Lady finger cookies
Dark chocolate bar for shavings
In a medium saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, milk and sugar. Heat over medium low, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. It should start to boil. Let it boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. Strain the custard to remove any bits of egg and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Combine 1 C. of the espresso and 1/4 C of the creme de cacao in a shallow bowl.
Whip the 1 C. of cream until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat mascarpone cheese and the chilled egg mixture until smooth. Add 1/4 C. of espresso and 1/4 C. creme de cacao. Fold in the whipped cream.
To Assemble:
Dip half the lady fingers in the espresso mixture and place in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with the dipped lady fingers. Spread half of the custard mixture over the cookies and repeat with the second half of the lady fingers and custard. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Top with chocolate shavings.
These come from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics--I would highly recommend her cook books. I have several and the instructions are excellent.
12 T. unsalted butter at room temperature
1/3 C. light brown sugar, packed
1/2 C. Pecans, chopped in large pieces
1 Pkg. Puff pastry, defrosted
Filling:
2 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 C. light brown sugar, packed
3 t. cinnamon
1 cup of raisins (I use currants)
Preheat oven to 400. Put a 12 cup muffin pan on a cookie sheet with sides that is lined with parchment paper. Don't skip this! If you do, your oven will have burnt butter all over it and the sticky buns will be smoked rather than cooked.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the 12 T. butter and 1/3 C. brown sugar until smooth. Place rounded T., 1 in each muffin cup. Distribute the pecans evenly between the cups.
Lightly flour a board or counter and spread out a sheet of the puff pastry with the seams left to right. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with half of sugar, cinnamon and raisins or currants. Roll up from front to back and slice into 6 equal portions, placing one in each muffin cup--repeat with second sheet of puff pastry, etc. Bake for 30 minutes; cool for 5 minutes and then turn them over onto the parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Important--do not let them cool longer than 5 minutes, or the sugar will harden and you will not get the results you want. These are easy and delicious!
Now for a knockout dessert that you can make a day ahead. We had a dinner party and I wanted to make a Tiramisu, but I am not a fan of uncooked eggs in a filling. I prefer to cook eggs for custard, pie, etc. I found Ina's recipe for Tiramisu, but then I wanted to change a couple of things, so I cooked the filling base and also changed the Rum to Creme de Cacao, because I prefer the lightly sweet chocolate liqueur to the stronger taste of Rum. Here is the final recipe, which our guests enjoyed, but alas, I forgot to take a picture!
Robin's Tiramisu:
6 Egg yolks
2/3 C. milk
3/4 C. sugar
1 C. heavy cream
16 oz. Mascarpone cheese (you can substitute cream cheese, but the result will be less light and airy)
1 1/4 C. espresso
1/2 C. Creme de Cacao
30 Italian Lady finger cookies
Dark chocolate bar for shavings
In a medium saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, milk and sugar. Heat over medium low, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. It should start to boil. Let it boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. Strain the custard to remove any bits of egg and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Combine 1 C. of the espresso and 1/4 C of the creme de cacao in a shallow bowl.
Whip the 1 C. of cream until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat mascarpone cheese and the chilled egg mixture until smooth. Add 1/4 C. of espresso and 1/4 C. creme de cacao. Fold in the whipped cream.
To Assemble:
Dip half the lady fingers in the espresso mixture and place in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with the dipped lady fingers. Spread half of the custard mixture over the cookies and repeat with the second half of the lady fingers and custard. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Top with chocolate shavings.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Lampasas Walks Historic Walking Tour now available...
Check out our new historic walking tour of the downtown Lampasas area at Voicemap.The app is free at the App Store or on Google Play and the tour is only $.99. Guests at the Markward Manor B&B may request a coupon for a free download. I wrote the tour using several sources for Lampasas history and recorded it so visitors can download it and take the tour whenever the mood strikes them.
The tour includes several buildings which are listed as a part of the Lampasas Historic District on the National Historic Register. It lasts about 30 minutes and begins and ends at the courthouse.
Walkers will learn some fun facts about local history--give it try!
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Aunt Frances Remembers...
Frances was born April 29, 1889 in Lampasas, a daughter of John & Adelphia Florence (White) Markward of Lampasas, TX. The Markward family grew up and lived in a white stone house now known as Markward Manor and the children attended Lampasas schools and went on to further their educations in Georgetown, Austin and San Antonio. Adelphia's family, the Whites, also long time residents of Lampasas, lived on the hill above the Markward property.
Frances Markward married John Hall of Royse City, Texas on June 10, 1919. They had a son,
John Walter Hall, and a daughter, Mary Ethel Hall. Mary died as an infant. Frances and her family lived in Dublin most of their adult lives; she died there in 1965.
Many guests ask about the water storage tank in the back of the property. There used to be a windmill—you can see it in older pictures of the house and Frances describes its location and purpose in her remembrances.
Here is what Aunt Frances has to say about bathing…
We had no running water except to the tin tub in the bath house which was clear across a big yard and at the far side of the garden next to the wind mill. It had windows with wooden Venetian blinds, and we splashed out there in the summer time.
Baths were taken in metal wash tubs [in the bath hosue] and we carried our water in and then emptied it out.
Note: the bath house was about a 200 yard walk from the main house in those days. Not bad in the summer, but in the winter, probably a little chilly.
So the next time you shiver a little before getting into a shower with hot running water in a heated bathroom, remember how Aunt Frances, Ethel, and Forest used to bathe.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
A busy couple of weeks...
We finally got a little bit of a chill in the air here at the manor, so I have been trying out some fall recipes--I am working on a baked oatmeal and dried cherry chocolate scones. I will post those when I have them perfected. In the meantime, we have had several visitors worth mentioning.
About two weeks ago, we had the privilege of meeting the last direct descendant of John and Adelphia Markward, who built the house and were its first residents. They were married October 29, 1880, and the portrait on the Manor homepage was taken on their wedding day. John O. Markward, the great grandson of John and Adelphia and his lovely wife, Annette, came out to see the Manor. We had a wonderful visit--they filled us in on a lot of family history and they also gave me permission to use some of Aunt Francis's Remembrances on the blog. I will be adding a special series called "Aunt Francis Remembers." Francis was the younger daughter of John and Adelphia and she lived here at the house until she went off to school as a girl. She took the time to write her memories down and Annette has transcribed and preserved them. Francis's memories of her childhood home and of Lampasas add precious color and detail to the history of the house. Below is a photograph of the Markward Store on the Lampasas Square, also graciously provided by the Markwards.
About two weeks ago, we had the privilege of meeting the last direct descendant of John and Adelphia Markward, who built the house and were its first residents. They were married October 29, 1880, and the portrait on the Manor homepage was taken on their wedding day. John O. Markward, the great grandson of John and Adelphia and his lovely wife, Annette, came out to see the Manor. We had a wonderful visit--they filled us in on a lot of family history and they also gave me permission to use some of Aunt Francis's Remembrances on the blog. I will be adding a special series called "Aunt Francis Remembers." Francis was the younger daughter of John and Adelphia and she lived here at the house until she went off to school as a girl. She took the time to write her memories down and Annette has transcribed and preserved them. Francis's memories of her childhood home and of Lampasas add precious color and detail to the history of the house. Below is a photograph of the Markward Store on the Lampasas Square, also graciously provided by the Markwards.
We were really thrilled to have them out and we hope to see them again soon. :)
The Markward Manor B&B has had its first famous-ish guest! This past weekend, we had the pleasure of hosting Ed Beckley, the World's Largest Motorcycle Jumper. He and his charming companion were interesting guests and we enjoyed visiting with them. You can find out more about Ed on his website. He does motorcycle shows and events all over the country.
Enjoy the cooler weather wherever you are and we hope you will come and visit Lampasas soon.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Fall has officially started, that means it is time for pumpkin muffins...
I have a few recipes I have been working on for fall. Pumpkin is one of my favorites, I always look forward to pumpkin bread, muffins and lattes. This past weekend, I made the first pumpkin muffins of the season. I decided to use the last of the summer blueberries and wed two of my favorite things.
Recipe for Pumpkin Blueberry Muffins:
2 1/4 c. flour
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cloves
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 c. (I use a little more) canned pumpkin
1 c. blueberries
Mix the flour, spices, soda and salt in a small bowl. Put the eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin in the bowl of a mixer and mix on low/medium until well combined. Add the dry ingredients with the mixer on low. Don't over mix. The key to a good crumb on a muffin is not to over mix, trust me. Stir in the blueberries with a wooden spoon. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes depending on the size of your muffin cups. I made mini-bundts, so it was about 28-30 minutes. You could also use dried cranberries or cherries, or fresh cranberries in this recipe for a change.
Another guest favorite that would go really well with these muffins is a crustless quiche recipe I found in the New York Times. Here is the variation I liked best.
Crustless Quiche:
1 c. half and half
3 eggs at room temperature
3/4 grated Gruyere cheese (I have also used Jarlsberg, but the Gruyere is my favorite.)
1/4 grated parmesan
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. cayenne
Mix all ingredients--I usually mix the eggs and half and half with the spices first and then add the cheese. Pour into greased/buttered ramekins and bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. They should be set, but may still wiggle in the middle.
Don't be tempted to use milk instead of the half and half--the flavor is worth the exra fat. Just take a walk around the block or do some extra sit-ups. Also, do not be tempted to skip the cayenne. It does not make the quiche hot or spicy, it adds just the right amount of flavor to a relatively plain dish. The flavor comes from the half and half, cheese and cayenne, so be sure to use a cheese that you like.
I am off to go enjoy an afternoon muffin and coffee!
Recipe for Pumpkin Blueberry Muffins:
2 1/4 c. flour
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cloves
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 c. (I use a little more) canned pumpkin
1 c. blueberries
Mix the flour, spices, soda and salt in a small bowl. Put the eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin in the bowl of a mixer and mix on low/medium until well combined. Add the dry ingredients with the mixer on low. Don't over mix. The key to a good crumb on a muffin is not to over mix, trust me. Stir in the blueberries with a wooden spoon. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes depending on the size of your muffin cups. I made mini-bundts, so it was about 28-30 minutes. You could also use dried cranberries or cherries, or fresh cranberries in this recipe for a change.
Another guest favorite that would go really well with these muffins is a crustless quiche recipe I found in the New York Times. Here is the variation I liked best.
Crustless Quiche:
1 c. half and half
3 eggs at room temperature
3/4 grated Gruyere cheese (I have also used Jarlsberg, but the Gruyere is my favorite.)
1/4 grated parmesan
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. cayenne
Mix all ingredients--I usually mix the eggs and half and half with the spices first and then add the cheese. Pour into greased/buttered ramekins and bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. They should be set, but may still wiggle in the middle.
Don't be tempted to use milk instead of the half and half--the flavor is worth the exra fat. Just take a walk around the block or do some extra sit-ups. Also, do not be tempted to skip the cayenne. It does not make the quiche hot or spicy, it adds just the right amount of flavor to a relatively plain dish. The flavor comes from the half and half, cheese and cayenne, so be sure to use a cheese that you like.
I am off to go enjoy an afternoon muffin and coffee!
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Our first review!
We have enjoyed several guests over the summer and we have received out first review. You can read it on Trip Advisor. (Search for Markward Manor.) I am so glad that our guests enjoyed their stay with us. We hope that as the weather cools off we may have more guests come to enjoy the cool mornings on the terrace and a nice warm cup of coffee with a great view.Make a reservation for the wine tour weekend September 26-27 or, coming in October 10, the 21st Annual Herb and Art Festival in Lampasas.
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