M is for Manatees and Magnolia Lace Trumpets

I knew that manatees went to Florida for the winter, I had forgotten it was the Crystal River where they accumulated, Apparently this is the only place in the States where you are legally allowed to swim with them. Although not the prettiest of creatures, manatees are such gentle critters. They are often hurt by outboard engines speeding up and down the waters where they congregate, and you will frequently see great gashes on their backs. There is a theory that manatees are what sailors of old took to be mermaids because they have breasts. I didn’t know before that there are several species of manatee, some in West India, West Africa and the Amazon basin. The name manatí comes from the Taíno, a pre-Columbian people of the Caribbean, meaning "breast”.

This recipe is one of Paula Deen’s and I found it on the Food Network. In England we call these lace trumpets Ginger Snaps. I like the Magnolia lace name much better. It has just occurred to me, one could always use Philadelphia Chocolate Cream Cheese, maybe add a little salt.

Magnolia lace trumpets with chocolate cream cheese filling

 

Ingredients

• For the trumpets:

• 3½ oz (100g) sugar
• 4 oz (110g) butter
• 3 fl oz (85 ml) golden syrup
• 4¼ oz (120g) plain flour
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ fl oz (15 ml) Irish cream liqueur, optional
• Cream cheese filling, recipe follows

• For the chocolate cream cheese filling:

• 3¼ oz (90g) cream cheese
• 1.6 fl oz (45 ml) milk
• 8¾ oz (250g) sifted icing sugar
• 2 oz (60g) unsweetened chocolate, melted
• Salt

Method

How to make Magnolia lace trumpets with chocolate cream cheese filling

For the trumpets:
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/Gas 4. Line a baking tray with foil.
2) In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and golden syrup. Cook mixture over low heat until butter melts; remove from heat.
3) Stir together flour and ginger; add dry mixture to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in liqueur, if desired.
4) Drop batter by rounded tsp 7.5 to 10cms apart onto the prepared baking tray. Bake only 2 or 3 biscuits at a time because you must work quickly to form the cones before they cool and become brittle (If biscuit gets too brittle to roll, pop back in the oven for 1 minute to soften).
5) Bake in oven for 9 to 10 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown.
6) Quickly invert biscuits onto another baking tray, and wrap each biscuit around the greased handle of a wooden spoon or a metal cone to form a trumpet shape. When biscuit is set, slide biscuit off spoon or cone; cool on a wire rack.
7) Fill biscuits with filling and serve.
8) To store, place unfilled biscuits in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to 3 days or freeze unfilled biscuits for up to 3 months. Thaw biscuits and fill.
For the filling:
1) Soften cream cheese in milk. Add melted chocolate and salt. Beat until smooth.

Have a great day