Toasted Bread Cups
½ pound butter, melted homemade-type white bread, trimmed
8 slices thinly sliced fresh of crusts
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Preheat the oven to 375°. With a pastry brush, spread the melted butter
liberally on both sides of each slice of bread. As you butter the slices,
fit each one into a cup of a muffin tin. Press the bread gently but firmly
against the bottom and sides of the cup, and let the corners of each slice
extend like points above the surface of the tin. Toast the bread in the
middle of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it is crisp and lightly
browned. Then turn the toast cups out on wire racks to cool while you
prepare the creamed chipped beef.
Creamed Chipped Beef
4 T butter paper-thin, then torn into 1-inch
¼ c finely chopped onions pieces (about 2 cups)
¼ c flour 2 T finely chopped fresh parsley
1 c light cream 2 T dry sherry
1 c milk 1 T strained fresh lemon juice
4 to 5 ounces dried beef, sliced 1/8 tsp paprika
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In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, melt the 4 T of butter over moderate
heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until they are soft and
translucent but not brown. Add the flour and blend well. Stirring the
mixture constantly with a wire whisk, pour in the cream and milk in a slow,
thin stream and cook over high heat until the sauce comes to a boil,
thickens lightly and is smooth.Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 2 or 3 minutes to remove any taste of raw flour. Stir in the dried beef, parsley, sherry, lemon juice and paprika, and simmer for a minute or so longer to heat the beef through. Taste for seasoning.
Arrange pairs of toast cups on 4 individual heated serving plates and spoon the creamed chipped beef into the cups. Serve at once. Serves 4.
