Monday, February 02, 2009

PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL SPEAKS: "SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER!" ~ GROUNDHOG SUNDAES / CHOCOLATE SAUCE / SPICY GROUNDHOG COOKIES



"Hang in there!"
_____________

GROUNDHOG SUNDAES
~ Fun treat from the Gourmet & Groundhogs cookbook
________
1 quart good vanilla ice cream, cut in slices
Groundhog Cookies
(recipe below)
Chocolate sauce

Place slices of ice cream on individual serving plates. Place a Groundhog cookie in the center of each slice. Drizzle chocolate sauce across ice cream and on plate to suggest a shadow.
_____________
CHOCOLATE SAUCE
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Melt chocolate & butter in top of double boiler over simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, salt, milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Serve warm. (2 cups)
_______________
SPICY GROUNDHOG COOKIES

2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg yolk
1 egg slightly beaten
currants or raisins
  • Sift flour, salt, soda, baking powder and spices together. Set aside.
  • Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Blend in molasses and egg yolk. Stir in flour mixture and mix well. Form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper. Chill 1 hour or longer.
  • Roll out small amount at a time on a sugar-sprinkled board. Roll 1/8-inch thick. Cut out cookies with lightly floured cutter. Place cookies on greased baking sheet. Brush with slightly beaten egg. Decorate with currant eye, buttons, etc. Bake 8-10 minutes in preheated 350-degree oven. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. (12-15 large groundhogs or 3-4 dozen small cookies.)
    NOTE: Groundhog Cookie Cutter (H.O. Foose Tinsmithing Co.)

19 comments:

Roses and Lilacs said...

The bad news about winter will be easier to take if we have one of those sweet sundaes first;)
Marnie

Kathy said...

sounds good... i wish they had let the poor animal sleep... oh well!

Unknown said...

Definitely a sundae feels in order; I'm celebrating Groundhog day with the cold my hubby gave me....

RURAL said...

I don't want six more weeks of winter.......

Great recipes.

Jen

Jane O' said...

Here in Michigan, it's ALWAYS 6 more weeks of winter or one and half months, which ever comes first. ha ha

Rose said...

Did we have any doubt about Phil's prediction?:) Spring will come when it's good and ready.

After seeing your title, I am so glad, Joey, that these sundaes don't have any groundhog in them, LOL!

Gail said...

6 more weeks is 4 weeks longer then I want to wait!
After this I am going to fix something hot and chocolate!

gail

Country Mouse said...

I hate to tell you all how warm and sunny and spring-like it is here in Santa Cruz area of California. You might think I'm gloating. But we need the rain - hopefully some will come soon.

Lovely pictures though! Glad they don't come with the full reality!

Joey, thanks for visiting our California native gardening blog today (tmousecmouse.blogspot.com). I don't know how you found it - can you tell me how people do that? I'm pretty new to blogging.

joey said...

Ah yes, Marnie ... you've got it girl!

Funny ksr ... thanks for visiting!

Dear Jodi, enough is enough and please get well soon. (I'm also wishing this for myself since I've had the 'creeping crud' since New Years Eve!).

Thanks Jen but I'm afraid 'It is what it is!' I'll consider myself lucky if the snow melts in 6 weeks!

Glad you still have your sense of humor, Jane Marie! The snow is not as bad as the deep freeze, which is comin' around again Wed. ... so don't put away your longjohns!

Rose, you cracked me up your comment! Thanks dear, I think we all needed a bit of humor today. And regarding groundhogs, my cookbook GOURMETS & GROUNDHOGS (a gift from my sister 30 years ago when she lived near Punxsutawney, actually a good book) includes 2 recipes for Groundhog. If interested, let me know ... I'd be happy to share. (Can you imagine how fun it must be to clean and dress a groundhog ... to begin with, removing the 7-9 white muscle-like sacs under the front legs and small of the back!)

The way time seems to fly, Gail, spring will be here before we know it. I must admit, I'm enjoying (and need) this down time.

inadvertent farmer said...

Those cookis sound yummy! LOVE the photo!

Anonymous said...

I figured we were going to have winter a bit longer. It will give me more time to prepare for spring. ;)

Brenda Pruitt said...

A rather mischievous wink he has! Our weather goes back and forth. Hot and cold. Cold and hot.
Brenda

joey said...

Enjoy your spring-like weather, Country Mouse. Yes, it's as cold as it looks in the photos. (I found your site thanking you for faving me as a blotanist.)

Indeed Racquel ... lots more time to complete all your projects.

Thanks Kim ~ sounds like the kind of cookies you might bake, complete with the groundhog cookie cutter.

Glad you caught that, Brenda! Does your hot/cold & hot/cold weather feel like a major hot flash?

Anonymous said...

You are loads of fun. Phil doesn't watch football silly, he watches gardening shows. You must be talking about the other brother Phil.

If I never get to come eat chocolate with you, it will be a great loss to me. You have to wait till my cold sore goes away. It's half the size of my head and grower bigger every day.

Unknown said...

Just sending some tropical warmth your way! Thanks for the recipes!

joey said...

Phil sounded pretty vocal with praise for his beloved Steelers, Anna :) Oh do please come for chocolate ... how fun, with or withoug cold sore!

Thanks for the welcome warmth, Desmone ~ it's been quite the winter here!

JGH said...

Nice to be able to find a way to celebrate groundhog day rather than just complain about more bad weather.

marmee said...

with the winter we have had so far we all knew it wasn't about to end in the near future.
i say six more weeks on fires in the fireplace
six more weeks of hot tea in the kettle
six more weeks snuggling to stay warm...

joey said...

Thanks JGH ~ it was a fun post and silly day to celebrate!

Indeed Marnee ~ many more fires and lots of tea and snuggling ahead. Stay warm!