Savoury Squirrel Bakes

My roommate Natalie and I threw a vegetarian potluck last night, so I figured it was time to start Redwall cooking again! I chose these Savoury Squirrel Bakes (from the Winter section) because they are bite-sized and easy to eat! What they are, basically, are mashed potato balls. 

The first step was to boil and mash the potatoes. This part really steamed up my glasses. The original recipe calls for boiled & mashed potatoes. Like it just assumes we all know how to boil potatoes? Good thing the internet exists. 

The mashed potatoes are then mixed with cheese, butter, chopped chives, and a bit of flour. I could have just eaten this without baking it or anything, and was very tempted to stop here and just serve the dough. Next time I have to make mashed potatoes, I think I will use this recipe!

I then used my hand to roll the dough into balls. I dipped each ball into a beaten egg, then into breadcrumbs. A fork works good for this if you don't want to get your hands egg-y. 

I didn't follow the recipe exactly; I tried to multiple it by 1.5, but ended up making some measurement estimates. Either way, it worked well and made plenty of Squirrel Bakes!

Snowman!

They are then baked for about 20 minutes. I didn't take any photos after baking, but they look pretty much the same. They just solidify a little more.

There were only 3 left by the end of the potluck, so I would declare them a success! A lot easier to make than I first expected too. Thanks for the recipe, Lady Amber!

Here is the modified recipe that I made up. There are only a few changes from the cookbook:

Savoury Squirrel Bakes

Makes 24

• 3 large potatoes (I used Russet)
• 1/2 bag shredded Cheddar cheese (6-8oz)
• 3 Tbsp margarine, softened 
• 2 Tbsp chopped chives
• 1 Tbsp flour

• 1 egg, beaten
• breadcrumbs (about 1.5 cups)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat 2 baking pans with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper. 
2. Peel the potatoes and cut into even chunks. Cover with cold water then boil until soft enough to poke through with a fork. 
3. Drain potatoes and transfer to large bowl. Mash with a fork. Add cheese, margarine/butter, and chives, then mix. If dough is not sticking together enough, add flour. 
4. Use your hands to roll balls of dough. Dip each ball into the egg mixture then coat with breadcrumbs. Place on baking sheet. 
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. 

This recipe seems like it would be pretty easy to make gluten-free too - just omit the flour and use GF breadcrumbs! 

Nunnymolers

"What is a nunnymoler?", you may be asking yourself. Basically it is a thumbprint cookie, but a million times harder. According to the book, they were supposed to be called Honey Moles, but in molespeak are known as Nunnymolers. Those silly moles. 

The dough is just flour, a bit of confectioner's sugar, and 2 whole sticks of butter. So it's a lot like shortbread. 

After flattening dough into circles, you spread honey on top. Something weird happened to my honey. It froze or crystallized, maybe. Don't worry, I didn't use it! I borrowed Natalie's honey. 

Then you put one strawberry and one raspberry in the middle of each and fold it up. 

So pretty!

THEN you put a dollop of jam on top of each one. I used my mom's homemade blackberry jam :)

The recipe made exactly 12. 

They are then baked in the oven for 20 minutes. We ate them right when they came out and I burnt my tongue. Worth it. 

I didn't take any pictures after they were cooked, but they looked cute. The honey kind of oozed out of a few - next time I think I would put them on parchment paper. 

They were a lot of work, but they came out well. I think if I worked at it I could get them to look prettier too. 

One thing I don't understand is how the seasons work in this book. This recipe was in the winter section. Who has strawberries and raspberries in the winter? Maybe the moles have a greenhouse. 

Autumn Oat Favourites

I made these a long time ago, but I am finally getting my act together in the new year and getting things up on this blog!

I took all these pictures on my phone, so they are not the best quality. 

These were a basic oat cookie with coconut flakes. I got both the coconut and the oats at the hippie health store down the street from me. Hooray for bulk bins!

I substituted half the butter for coconut oil since I had some, and I figured the more coconut the better. Also, where are Redwall creatures getting all this coconut? They must trade for it overseas.
The dough is made on the stovetop by melting the butter and adding sugar, corn syrup, flour, and the other ingredients. Then it's cooled and shaped into balls which are cooked in the oven.

They spread out a lot! I wonder if it was the coconut oil, or the fact that the pan I was using sucks. 

 I pried them off the pan and they were quite good! Very thin and crispy. Only slightly burnt.

I gave some to Santa Craig when he came later that night to delivery our Christmas tree. 

Mole's Favourite Deeper'n'Ever Turnip'n'Tater'n'Beetroot Pie

The best thing about this cookbook is that it is arranged by season! I've started in the Autumn section - let's hope I can get through it before we have another snow storm. It's also great because it is meant for children which means a) the recipes are easy and b) there are fun pictures and stories to go along with them! And almost all the recipes are vegetarian because cute little animals don't eat each other. 

For anyone reading this who does not know Redwall, put down your computer immediately and start reading. (I would recommend my favorite, Martin the Warrior). It's too hard to explain all the intricacies, but basically small mammals have wars and feasts. And the moles are known for their deeper'n'ever pie!

You basically just peel, chop, and boil potatoes, carrots, turnip, and rutabaga.

 The recipe actually says to use either turnip or rutabaga, but I couldn't decide so I used both! I'm not sure if I had ever eaten a rutabaga before this actually. Not going to lie, I google-image searched it before I went to the store. 

Then you mash them with a fork, and layer the potato and other vegetables. You are supposed to add butter before you do this, which I almost forgot, but remembered at the last minute. 

 And sprinkle the top with cheese and bake for 15 minutes!

It is recommended to be served with a crisp green salad and pickled beets. Pickled beets? Who has such a thing? It was good though! Very hearty, definitely needed salt and pepper added. Maybe I would add more herbs next time, but overall it was easy and a successful first recipe! 

There is still quite a bit left over if anyone is hungry and wants to come to JP!

All images of cute animals wearing clothing are property of Christopher Denise, the artist of all the Redwall books (who, fun fact, was born in Massachusetts!)