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Médaillons de Porc à la Sauce Robert

7/21/2016

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This weeks recipes come from a F2F member John Monroe. He sent in four of his favorite recipes using pork. They all look delicious and today I am posting two of the four, the other two will follow. Thanks for the recipes!

Médaillons de Porc à la Sauce Robert
(Boneless pork chops with Robert sauce)
This is a classic French way to serve pork chops.  In French cooking, a “médaillon de porc” is a pork chop that has had the bone trimmed off – an “America’s cut” more or less.
I’ve simplified this dish to make it easier in an American kitchen.  It’s an old friend: I’ve been making it since I worked out the recipe in graduate school, when I was learning French cuisine to impress my dissertation advisor.  
One of the great things about this dish is that the sauce can be frozen (though you need to do that *before* you add the parsley), so you can take any extra and keep it for later.  Pour the sauce into a Ziploc bag, push out any trapped air, and put it in the freezer.  When you want to use it, just thaw the sauce over low heat in a saucepan.  Be sure to flambé the chop-drippings every time, though – the more cooked-down Cognac you add, the deeper the flavor.
When I serve this dish, I like to have a side of roasted sweet potatoes, which go especially well with the sauce.  Just cut some sweet potatoes into ½ inch dice, toss them in salt and pepper and ¼ cup of olive oil, arrange them on a sheet pan so they have a little space between them, and cook them at 450 degrees until they are tender and lightly browned (20-25 minutes).  The sauce is also great with mashed potatoes or green beans (call them “haricots verts” for an extra jot of class) and some crusty bread to sop up the rest.
A hint for singles, especially men: this is an excellent dish to make if you’re having someone over for dinner who you want to impress.  You can make the sauce a day in advance, put it in the fridge, and then reheat it when you are serving the meal.  The chop-cooking and sweet-potato roasting can happen once your guest has arrived.   
Above all, be sure that he or she is there and watching when you ignite the cognac.  Once you get the knack, you’ll be able to generate either a gentle blue flame (if the pan is cool) or a raging fireball (if the pan is hot) – and either way, it’s quite impressive.  It certainly worked for me, since the woman I first made this for 18 years or so ago is now my wife!  (And yes, she got a pretty impressive fireball.)
Wine-wise, this is good with either a lightly-chilled, good quality American pinot noir or a Chardonnay.

Ingredients
For the sauce
1 cup beef stock
1 ½ tablespoons demi glace or “better than boullion” beef concentrate
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch dissolved in 1 ¼ tablespoons cold water
1 small onion
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¾ cup dry white wine (try “Barefoot Pinot Grigio” in the 4-pack from Hy Vee)
1 or 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (to taste)
4 or 5 sprigs parsley
For the chops
2 pork chops
1 ½ tablespoons butter
¼ cup cognac (doesn’t need to be fancy)
Make the Sauce
Combine the stock and demi-glace or “better than boullion” concentrate, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Then reduce the heat to medium.  Once the stock is gently boiling, whisk in the arrowroot-water mixture, stirring vigorously until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.  Take off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Finely chop the onion.  Combine it with the wine and vinegar in a small saucepan.  Bring it to a boil over high heat, and reduce the liquid by two-thirds, which will take 5 minutes or so.
Add the reduction to the pot of thickened beef stock.  Simmer the mixture until it has thickened enough to lightly coat a spoon, about 2 to 3 minutes.  You might need to reduce the heat to keep the simmer even.
Take the thickened mixture and pour it through a strainer to remove the onion pieces.  Return the strained sauce to the saucepan, and whisk in the mustard.  Taste after adding 1 tablespoon, and add more to taste.
Set the sauce aside.
Cook the porkchops and finish the dish

Pat the porkchops dry with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper.
In a skillet large enough to hold the pork chops, heat the butter over high heat.  Once the butter is melted, add the pork chops.  Leave them for a minute on one side to brown them, then turn them over.
Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Cook for 10-12 minutes, until the chops are firm and cooked through.
Transfer the chops to a plate and cover them with foil.
In the pan, turn up the heat to medium-high and reduce the pan juices to a glaze.  Take the pan off the heat and let it cool a bit, 30 seconds to a minute.  Pour in the cognac, light a match, and ignite the alcohol.  As the alcohol burns, shake the pan.  Once the flames die out, use a wooden spoon to dislodge any remaining browned bits.  When the process is finished, pour the cognac and pan-dripping mixture into the saucepan with the thickened stock and wine-vinegar-mustard reduction.  Add the chopped parsley, and stir to combine.  Transfer to a sauce boat.

Serve the pork chops with the sauce and the roasted sweet potatoes, or other side of your choice.
Recipe serves 2, but you’ll have enough sauce for four to six chops.



Ginger pork burgers with black-bean mayonnaise (adapted from Blue Apron)
These are very tasty, and work well with any kind of vegetable as a side dish.
Ingredients
1 pound ground pork
2 potato buns
1 cucumber
A few sprigs of cilantro
2 tablespoons plus one teaspoon Chinese black-bean garlic sauce
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1-inch piece of ginger
Prep work
Finely mince the ginger, ideally in a food processor.
Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems.
Thinly slice the cucumber and put it in a bowl with the vinegar.  Leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
Combine the mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of the black bean sauce.

Cook the dish
Combine the ground pork, ginger, and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the black bean sauce.  Season with salt and pepper, and then form the mixture into two ½ inch thick patties.  Heat two teaspoons of peanut oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet until shimmering.  Cook the patties, loosely covering the pan with aluminum foil, 3 to 5 minutes per side.  The patties should be browned and cooked through.  When cooked, transfer the patties to a plate and set aside.
Put the buns in the pan you used to cook the patties, cut sides down.  Toast the buns for 1 to 2 minutes, until browned.

Spread black bean mayonnaise on the bottom buns, then place the patties on top.  Arrange some marinated cucumber slices on top of each patty (you’ll probably have extra cucumber), garnish with the cilantro, and then put on the top buns to complete the burgers.
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Asparagus!

5/19/2016

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Tis the season to find asparagus! This veggie is one who most people either love or strongly dislike. To most of us though it's a spring vegetable to look forward to and savor when it's plentiful, because there is no comparison to local, freshly picked asparagus. 
My favorite way to make asparagus is on the grill. I wash and trim a couple handfuls of asparagus, place it in a foil packet with a drizzle of olive oil, a couple pats of butter and either Cy Salt or regular ol' salt and pepper and put it on the grill for 10-15 minutes. You want to cook asparagus till it's crisp tender to get the most enjoyable eating experience. 
If you want to try something more creative with your asparagus I've included a couple delicious recipes below!

How do you like to cook and/or eat your asparagus? Let us know in the comments! 

Gingered beef stir-fry (Taste of Home April/May 2009)
3 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 T. sherry
1/4 t. minced fresh ginger root or dash or ground ginger
1/2 lb. beef flank steak, cut into thin strips
1 t. cornstarch
1/2 c. beef broth
1 1/2 t. hoisin sauce
1/8 t. sugar
2 T. canola oil, divided
2 lbs. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
3 c. hot cooked rice
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 2 T. soy sauce, sherry and ginger; add the beef. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 30 minutes. 
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, broth, hoisin sauce, sugar and remaining soy sauce until smooth; set aside. 
In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry asparagus in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Return beef to the pan; heat through. Serve with rice. 

Creamy Fresh Asparags Soup (Taste of Home April/May 2014)
2 T. butter
2 lbs. fresh asparagus, trimmed, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large sweet onion, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 carton (32oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. minced fresh tarragon or 1/4 t. dried tarragon
3/4 t. salt
1/8 t. freshly ground pepper
1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 t. grated lemon peel
In a dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and onion; cook and stir 10-12 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender.
Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 6-8 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Remove from heat; cook slightly. Stir in lemon juice, tarragon, salt and pepper.
Process in batches in a blender until smooth. Serve with yogurt and lemon peel. 

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Rhubarb...oh rhubarb

5/5/2016

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If you have a rhubarb patch in a sunny area it's probably going crazy by now...I know mine is (pictured above). I love rhubarb: rhubarb pie, rhubarb crisp, rhubarb jam, strawberry-rhubarb, rhubarb sauce...you name it, I eat it. 

Today a friend mentioned she'd heard about finely chopped rhubarb being used in CHILI! I had never thought of this, but it does make sense. So that started me thinking, what else would rhubarb go well in? Salsa, maybe? Tomato sauce, maybe? Pizza, crazy!?! I think the possibilities are endless. 
Do you have a favorite way to use rhubarb? Let us know in the comments below. I know I'd love to learn more ways to use this awesome fruit (or is it vegetable?). 

I found this recipe for Roasted Rhubarb in my Simply in Season cookbook and I think it will be a new recipe I try this spring! 

Roasted Rhubarb
4 c. rhubarb, chopped
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. orange or lemon juice
2 T. candied ginger or fresh ginger root (minced)
1 t. orange or lemon peel (grated)
Combine in a baking pan. Spread evenly and bake in preheated oven at 450 degrees until rhubarb is soft but retains its shape, about 25 minutes. Stir, cool slightly, and serve with ice cream or yogurt. 


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Using Spring Greens!

4/21/2016

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What to do with all those awesome spring greens? Chard, spinach, arugula and more...Here are a couple recipes that include greens of any kind! 

Spanish Tortilla
I've probably posted this before but this is one of the easiest and pleasing dishes to make. It's simple, the vegetables you choose to use can vary greatly and the result is always satisfying. Normally made with potatoes and onions you can switch up the veggies easily. This week I made mine with spinach and a tomato I happened to have on hand. 
1 bag spinach
10 eggs
2oz Manchengo cheese (more or less to taste)-or other good melting cheese
olive oil
garlic
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a round 9 or 10 inch pie plate or round pan. In a skillet heat olive oil and one clove of minced garlic, more or less to taste. Add the bag of spinach and heat till wilted. In a separate bowl beat the eggs and add salt and pepper to taste. Approximately 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of ground black pepper again, to taste. Spread the spinach around the bottom of the prepared pan and pour the eggs on top. Slice the cheese this and lay on top of the egg. Bake for approximately 1 hour or till done in the middle. 
*You can use any combination of veggies in this dish
* I like to grate a little cheese and add to the egg mixture then use slices of cheese on top

Another recipe I made this week is Savory Bread Pudding. I found the recipe in the Tartine cookbook and since I usually have everything on hand for this recipe it had become a go-to on nights when I can't decide what to make for dinner. 

Savory Bread Pudding
340g/12oz Country bread or any type of good crusty read, preferably day old
2 Tbsp Olive oil
3/4 c. yellow onion, chopped or leek, chopped

Custard
10 large eggs
3/4 tsp salt
2 c. whole milk
2 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
115g/4 oz sliced smoked ham, cut into strips
2 Tbsp thyme, chopped
1c. swiss chard or other braising green, chopped (optional)
3/4c. Gruyere, Cheddar or other good melting cheese, grated

Topping
1/2 c. Gruyere, Cheddar or other good melting cheese, grated
Black pepper freshly ground

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish with olive oil. 
Cut the bread into 11/2 inch cubes. If the bread is fresh, spread the pieces on a baking sheet, place in the oven and toast for few minutes to dry them out. Set aside.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion or leek and saute, stirring with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, if using onion, or soft, if using leek, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. 

To make the custard, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs an salt until the eggs are well blended. Add the milk and cream, whisk to combine, and then whisk in the pepper and nutmeg. 

In a large bow comine the bread, custard, ham, thyme, chard, sauteed onion or leek, and cheese and mix well. Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. The custard should come right up to the top but not cover the highest pieces or bread. 

Top the pudding evenly with cheese and then grind a light dusting of pepper over the surface. Place in the oven and bake until the custard is no longer runny in the center, about 1 hour. If the top startes to get too dark before the pudding is done, cover the dish with aluminum foil. Serve the bread pudding hot or at room temperature. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

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Steak sandwich on almost sourdough

4/14/2016

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This easy and delicious recipe idea came to us from Heather of Heather's Bread. It's a great way to use her 'almost sourdough' to make a great tasting sandwich.
Heather's instructions are:
Sear the steak on the stovetop about two minutes per side, sautéed onions and mushrooms separately, then layer it all up inside the bread with cheese, I used cheddar and Swiss. Put it in the oven for 45 minutes at 350° wrapped up in foil. You can even make it ahead of time and put it in the refrigerator. If you do this, increase your cook time to about an hour. Then slice and serve!

The spring warm appears to be sticking around a while! CSA share will be starting soon. Make sure and reserve your spot! If you have any 'spring time' recipes you can't wait to make and would like to share the recipe please email: alaina@farmtofolk.com
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Spring Open House a success

3/31/2016

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The warmer temperatures are getting us excited to get our gardens planted and a variety of fresh produce and fruits on our table! If you were able to stop by last Tuesday to the F2F pick up site you were able to meet all of the F2F producers and sample just a few of the wonderful products offered! 
Now is the time to sigh up for your summer share if you haven't yet. There are many wonderful options available and they will be starting soon! Go to the CSA sign up page. 
Here are a few pictures from the Farm to Folk open house!
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 An adventure in making croissants

3/17/2016

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I have always been a intimated by croissant recipes. For me they are intimidating because 1. the recipes all seem very time consuming and 2. they use so much BUTTER! So, if they don't turn out I've wasted a lot of time and a lot of butter. 
Recently, I have been reading and baking from the cookbook Tartine written by Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson, they are owners of a famous San Francisco bakery named, Tartine. The book has wonderful recipes in it with helpful "kitchen notes" and step by step instructions. The first recipe in the book is croissants, so after weeks of deliberation, I decided to MAKE THE CROISSANTS. I started by making the pre-ferment on Friday night and leaving it in the fridge overnight then started the mixing, resting and adding butter phase on Saturday. Then Sunday morning I shaped, proofed and baked the croissants. AND...they turned out. They were delicious, light and flaky and worth the effort. So, the next time I decide to make croissants, this is the recipe I will use. Although croissants do take time, the individual steps are not time consuming. Below are the ingredients used but I won't be writing out the four pages of instructions! The book is currently $2.99 for the kindle edition on Amazon and if you are wanting to make croissants, it's worth the $2.99 just for this recipe! 

Croissants ( makes 16-18 croissants)
Preferment
3/4 c. nonfat milk
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
175g (1 1/3c.) all purpose flour

Dough
1Tbsp + 1 tsp active dry yeast
1 3/4 c. whole milk
800g (6 c.) all purpose flour
70g (1/3 c.) sugar
1Tbsp + 1tsp salt
1 Tbsp Unsalted butter, melted

Roll-in Butter
625g (2 3/4c.) unsalted butter, cool but pliable

Egg Wash
4 large egg yolks
1/4 c. heavy cream
pinch of salt
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The many uses of Cy Salt!

3/3/2016

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If you have yet to try one of the spice blends from SALTLICKERS, I recommend starting with Cy Salt. Not by any means my favorite (I love them all) but for me it is by far the one I use the most. In fact I used it pretty much everyday this past week. I used it to...​

make pizza sauce - 8oz jar tomato sauce and a little sprinkle of Cy Salt (best guess scant 1/4 tsp)
seasoned croutons - day old bread cut into 1" pieces and dried on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Cy Salt and baked in the oven at 400 for about 15 minutes
sprinkle on olive oil - then dip bread in olive oil mix then parmesean - then eat. Yum, delicious! I seem to be doing this daily. It's good for breakfast, lunch and dinner! 
smashed potatoes - boil potatoes till soft then smash them down using a potato masher or fork and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil and (have you guessed yet?) Cy Salt. Then put them in the oven at 350 for a couple minutes. Oh man. 
seasoned roasted veggies - you can pretty much guess how this works. Olive oil and sprinkle Cy Salt. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-45 minutes depending on the veggies you're makin'! 

These are just a couple simple ways I use Cy Salt on a weekly basis. Remember a little goes a long way, so start light and you can always add more depending on your tastes. For more ideas and a good laugh check out the SALTLICKERS website. ENJOY! 

What's your favorite SALTLICKERS blend and how do you use it? Share in the comments! 


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Cooking Demo by Anne Kinzel

2/18/2016

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Farm to Folk hosted it's very first cooking demo this past Tuesday! During the regular pick up time, F2F member and French cook, Anne Kinzel demonstrated the ease in preparing a quick and vegetable hearty meal. Members learned how to make a quick and easy vinaigarette for a lettuce salad, a delicious soup using winter vegetables and a braised turnip dish. Everyone who attended the demo enjoyed sampling all the dishes and learning about French cooking, and none of us will ever buy a bottled salad dressing again! 
If you were unable to attend the demo, don't worry...we've got the recipes for you! 

Navets Braises (Braised Turnips)

Ingredients
1 Kg Turnips 
30 g butter
30 g flour
1 tsp tomato paste
1 small shallot
1 clove garlic
.75 L water & beef or vegetable bouillon cubes
Bouquet Garni (Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary) -tie the herbs in a piece of cheesecloth
Salt & Pepper to taste

Technique
1. Boil the water. Peel the turnips. Cut the turnips into half inch or so chunks. Add turnips to boiling water for a fe minutes. Drain them well.

2. Heat the butter in a thick bottom pot. Add the turnips. Let them slightly brown for a few minutes. Dust the turnips with the flour. Stir well. Add the tomato paste, the shallot, the garlic the bouquet garni and the salt and pepper. cover the opt. Cook on low heat for about 45 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and serve. 

Notes: Strong turnip flavor! Works nicely with lamb chops. 
​
*Recipe from Les Recettes Faciles de Francoise Bernard

Alpine Potato-Vegetable Soup

1 clove garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp, butter or margarine
5 c. chicken broth (homemade, canned or bouillon cubes)
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium celery stalks, sliced (reserve tops)
1 zucchini, sliced
1 Tbsp, snipped fresh dill or 1 tsp dried dill weed
2 or 3 sprigs fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp salt, if desired (omit if using canned broth or cubes)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Thickener (optional): 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp cold water

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, saute the garlic and onion in the butter until the onion is translucent.
2. Add the broth, potatoes, carrots, celery (without tops) and zucchini to the pan
3. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender
4. Add the dill, parsley, salt, pepper, reserved sliced celery tops and, if desired, the thickener and simmer the soup until it is slightly thickened
5. Serve immediately, with croutons, if desired. 
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
Preparation tip: Suggests not to freeze this since the vegetables lose some of their texture.

​*Recipe from Jane Brody's Good Food Book
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Pretty Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

2/11/2016

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There are still a few days left to decide on that something special you're going to do for the special loved ones in your life. I've got a recipe for the blog this week that is delicious and oh, so-not-that nutritious but, will make whomever you give them to, fall in love with you!

Pretty Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, comes from Taste of Home, October/November 2008 issue. I've made this many times and I almost always get a request for the recipe. It's a nice big batch so if you have lots of love to spread around this is the recipe to use!

Pretty Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 c. warm water (110-115degrees)
4 eggs
1 c. shortening ( I always use butter)
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. warm milk
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. instant vanilla pudding mix
1/3 c. instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 tsp salt
7-8 c. all-purpose flour

Filling
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Icing (side note: i've always had to make a double batch of icing to have enough for all the rolls)
1 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 c. confectioners' sugar
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions: In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the eggs, shortening, pumpkin, milk, sugars, pudding mixes, salt and 6 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
 Turn onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. 
 Punch dough down, divide in half. Roll each portion into a 12in. x 8in. rectangle, brush with butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. 
 Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal. Cut each into 12 slices. Place cut side down in two greased 13in x 9 in x 2in baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubles, about 30 min. 
 Bake at 350 degrees for 22-28 minutes or until golden brown. In a small mixing bowl combine the water, butter and cinnamon. Add confesctioners' sugar and vanilla, beat until smooth. Spread over buns. Serve warm.
Yield: 2 dozen
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