“While these are customary consumables at Hornmoot, the traditional human-dwarven trading festival that marks the dawn of Spring, there isn’t a holiday on the eventful dwarven calendar that doesn’t feature these scrumptious meats on the menu.” - Heroes’ Feast, p. 90
Personally, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more dwarven food than the good old-fashioned meatball.
Heroes’ Feast’s Delzoun “Tide-Me-Overs” bring dwarven kitchens to life with these extremely tasty and juicy meatballs! Leagues better than anything you’d buy at the grocery store, I would absolutely suggest making these yourself.
This recipe is also ridiculously forgiving. Once, I doubled nearly all the ingredients by accident, aside from the meat, and they still came out amazing!
If you don’t eat pork, no worries! They’re just as tasty using only beef!
Check out below for tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Prep: 15 mins Cook: 1h 30 mins Total: 1h 45 mins
Ingredients:
¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream*
1 egg
2 slices dark bread (such as rye), crusts discharged, remainder torn into pieces**
3 tbsp. (43 g) unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt
¼ tsp. (2 g) ground allspice
8 oz (225 g) ground pork
8 oz (225 g) lean ground beef
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. (8 g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups (350 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. (4 g) light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. (7 ml) soy sauce
½ tsp. (2 ml) fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp. (12 g) finely chopped fresh dill or parsley
* I’ve used both heavy cream and half-and-half with no issues.
** I used Vienna-style Pumpernickel Bread, cut into standard ½ -inch sandwich slices at the thickest part of the loaf.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cream and egg (top-left).
Add the bread, mix well, and set aside, stirring occasionally, until the bread is softened, about 20 minutes (top-right).
Using a fork or sturdy spoon, mash the bread into a paste and set aside (bottom).
NOTE: Apparently, the bread is not what binds the meat/other ingredients together, but works with the milk to give the meatballs moisture and texture! The eggs are the only binding ingredient.
In hindsight, this makes sense, since in baking eggs are a binder…
Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp. (14 g) of the butter. Add the onion and ½ tsp. (3 g) salt and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes (left).
Add the allspice and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 40 seconds (right).
Remove from heat and let them cool to room temperature. Laying mine in a single layer in the skillet, it took about 10 minutes.
TIP: Don’t be afraid to eat some of the onions to see if they’ve softened enough.
TIP: Cooling my onions in a single layer in the skillet took about 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 475℉ (245℃) with a wire rack in the middle of the oven. Coat a large wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and set it in a large, rimmed baking sheet.
Add the cooled onion mixture, pork, ground beef, baking powder, 1 tsp. (5 g) salt and ½ tsp. (1 g) pepper to the bread paste and, using a large spoon or your hands, mix until well combined and uniform.
TIP: To save yourself time when doing the dishes, line the baking sheet with aluminum foil so you don’t need to scrape any burned bits off.
NOTE: Personally, I didn’t run into this problem while making mine, but it’s important to only mix the meat mixture until everything is just combined. Overmixing will result in stiffer, tougher meatballs.
With moistened hands, form the mixture into generous 1-tablespoon-sized balls (left).
Arrange the meatballs on the rack in the baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through (right).
NOTE: I had to make double the amount of pork/beef meatballs since 8 oz packages of each ground meat were not available. Expect about half the amount of meatballs that you see here if making this yourself.
NOTE: The meatballs will sag through the wire rack a little bit when placed, this is fine!
NOTE: The ones shown above are the size Heroes’ Feast recommends. I wanted them to be a little bit larger the second time I made them, so I went for golf-ball sized. The cooking time stayed the same, but I found the weight of them might have been a bit too much and they lost way more structure than the smaller ones.
However, that was also the time I accidentally doubled all the ingredients aside from the meat, so I’m sure there was more at play there. Just something to keep in mind. They still came out great though! In fact, they’re the ones shown in the final picture.
Wipe out the skillet used for the onions to remove any stray onion bits, set it over medium heat, and melt the remaining 2 tbsp. (28 g) butter. Stirring constantly, cook until fragrant and a shade darker, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes (top-left).
Switch to a whisk and, whisking constantly, gradually add the broth. Continuing to whisk often, cook for about 2 minutes (top-right).
Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, and ¼ tsp. (0.5 g) pepper and continue to whisk and cook until thickened, about 2 more minutes (bottom).
NOTE: The Heroes’ Feast “cook’s notes” mentions that the sauce will thicken quickly as it cools, and to add extra chicken broth to loosen the consistency.
They’re absolutely right! It’s more obvious in the next pictures but the sauce thickens a lot. It’s also a lot darker than what’s shown in the preview image in the book, so I’m not sure how much extra broth they had to add, but it seems like quite a bit.
Add meatballs to the sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 4 minutes (left).
Stir in most of the dill or parsley and taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if necessary (right).
Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with remaining dill or parsley, and serve hot.
Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. It was a little daunting since the ingredients list was so long, but once I got started making the meatballs it was actually remarkably simple! They’re really juicy, have great texture, and the allspice-seasoned onions are so tasty!
The sauce is a little awkward to make, but it does add amazing flavour. But, again, the meatballs retained so much moisture you don’t really need a sauce to enjoy them!
Honestly, if you have the time and are sick of store-bought meatballs, definitely give these a try.
Finally, as I mentioned earlier, you can totally make these with only beef (shown in the final picture above)! They’ll still retain quite a bit of moisture and be super delicious.
RESULTS ARE IN the winners of the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase are:
In 1st place, @afinickyguide with their fancy inn!
In 2nd place, the cozy 3 Weird Elves inn by Samantha Nahra!
In 3rd place, Luboffin’s grandiose castle!
And in 4th place, myself with the Homely Halfling House!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the showcase and to those who voted - this couldn’t have happened without you!
Traditionally prepared with sharp “ved” cheese and presented with onion butter, these crusty buns are best served warm, [...] this particular recipe comes from Lorren’s Bakery in Faerûn’s Village of Red Larch, and features mushrooms and cheese from local, outlying farms. - Heroes’ Feast, p. 27
Ever since I first started looking through Heroes’ Feast, Vedbread has been one of the recipes I’ve been most interested in trying. Although they may appear a little strange at first glance, the best way to describe them would be a ‘savory cinnamon rolls’. The mushroom filling mixed with the cheesy dough gives the buns an awesome flavour combo!
Delicious and filling, these buns are sure to make an interesting alternative to a typical lunch or midday snack. Not only that, but they’re great for a fall aesthetic as the perfect match for a steaming cup of broth!
See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Prep: 15 mins Cook: 60 mins Overall: 1h 15 mins
For the filling ingredients:
12 ounces (345 g) cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped*
2 tbsp. (28 g) unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
Kosher salt
1 tsp. (1 g) finely chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup (23 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
For the dough ingredients:
2¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 tbsp. (14 g) baking powder
1 tsp. (4 g) sugar
½ tsp. (3 g) kosher salt
6 ounces (170 g) Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated
¾ cup (177 ml) buttermilk, cold
6 tbsp. (85 g) unsalted and butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
Truffle oil for brushing (optional)
* Heroes’ Feast mentions you can substitute the cremini mushrooms with the same amount of shiitake.
For the filling:
First, I pulsed the mushrooms in the food processor until they were very finely chopped (about 8-10 pulses).
Next, I cooked the mushrooms:
I melted the butter over medium heat and cooked the shallots until they began to soften - about 2 minutes;
I adjusted the heat to medium high and added the processed mushroom and ¼ tsp. salt. While stirring I cooked them until all of the liquid from the mushrooms had evaporated - about 9 to 12 minutes (keep an eye on it);
I added the thyme and cooked, stirring, until fragrant - about 1 minute;
I removed the skillet from the heat and stirred in the Parmesan.
After cooking, taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. I found there was enough salt but needed a couple shakes of pepper.
After seasoning, I spread the mixture on a plate to cool for assembly.
Then, I preheated the oven to 425℉ (218℃) and lined a large rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment (you could also use a reusable silicone liner).
For the dough:
To prepare the dough, I started by whisking the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Then, I stirred in the grated Gryère cheese.
Next, in a small bowl, I whisked together the buttermilk and cooled melted butter. The butter will clump, this is normal.
I added the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and used a wooden spoon to form a chunky dough.
Heroes’ Feast notes that the dough should be sticky at this stage. However, I found it to be rather dry - with bits and pieces of cheese and flour not being incorporated. Don’t worry if your dough turns out similarly. Mine incorporated into a stickier dough while kneading.
After creating a chunky dough, I turned it out onto my breadboard and kneaded until it held together and was mostly smooth - about 4-5 minutes. Take care not to overknead.
After creating the dough ball, I floured the board and under the ball to keep it from sticking to the surface while rolling out.
TIP: The techniques I use for kneading (and a helpful video) can be found on my post about Dwarven Flatbread.
Assembly:
To start the assembly, I rolled out my dough ball into a roughly 12 by 18-inch rectangle. Dust off any excess flour from the surface.
Next, I spread the mushroom mixture over the entire surface. Expect the layer to be thin and patchy.
To roll the vedbread, I started by working with the widest side (18-inch) furthest from me. I then rolled the dough into a very tight, even, compact cylinder towards me.
When I finished rolling, I pinched the seam along the entire length of the cylinder to close it.
Next, using a serrated knife in a sawing motion, I trimmed off the ends of the cylinder to discard and cut the remaining cylinder into 1 ¼-inch pieces.
NOTE: When you make these, you will find it makes about 14. I only have 11 because I misread the dimensions for rolling out the dough.
I arranged the buns cut-sides up on the baking sheet and brushed the top and sides with eggwash - an egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water (above-left).
I cooked them for 18 minutes on the middle rack of the oven until they were golden brown, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. I let the buns cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
I let the buns cool on the wire rack for a little while before storing them. They are best eaten warm or at room temperature (would not recommend cold).
If using, brush the buns with some before serving.
Overall, I would give this recipe a 4.5/5. If it’s not already obvious from the ingredients list, these buns are very mushroomy.
I would suggest trying these buns both at room temperature and warm out of the oven to see how you best enjoy them. Personally, I found the taste of the mushrooms mellowed when left at room temperature and made them much more enjoyable. On the other hand, my dad, who doesn’t particularly enjoy mushrooms, found them tastier warm. So make sure to try them both ways and see how you feel.
There’s a general tip that it’s best to store baked goods in a paper bag at room temperature to keep the crust harder on the outside and softer on the inside. However, I would advise against this for these buns. The dough is too thin to benefit from this and will just go stale-ish - like they’d been left uncovered on the counter. Keeping them in an airtight container is the best way to preserve that softness that you get right out of the oven.
Want to enjoy them again later? No trouble! Reheat them at 300℉ (149℃ ) for about 8 minutes to snack on them warm.
Did you know? In MCC 22, the Yellow Yaks were nicknamed The Golden Girls and were MCC's first all-female team!
Welcome to the stage, the Yellow Yaks themed dessert: Oat-Fudge bars!
I’ve had this idea knocking around in my head since last summer and now it’s done and I finally get to share it! This event is so much fun to watch and participate in as an audience member, so I really wanted to create something that everyone could enjoy!
Check out what I made for the Green Guardians, and, of course, thank you Scott Smajor.
(Check out the recipe below and huge thanks to Garbange for fixing the lighting in the picture! Inspired by these.)
Prep: 5 mins + cutting out the template Cook: 4h 50 mins* Overall: 5 hrs
* Includes cooling time (3 hrs).
Ingredients
For the oat layers:
½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (100 g) packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. (10 ml) vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 tbsp. (135 g) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. (2 g) salt
½ tsp. (1 g) cinnamon (optional)
1 ⅓ cups (105 g) old-fashioned oats
For the chocolate fudge:
¾ cup + 2 tbsp. (170 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup (175 ml) sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp. (21 g) unsalted butter
¼ tsp. (2 g) salt
First, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and with the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter and sugars (picture 1).
Then, whisk in the egg and vanilla extract (picture 2).
Next, fold in the flour, salt, and cinnamon (picture 3).
Finally, fold in the oats (picture 4).
Lightly grease an 8x8-inch square pan. Cut parchment paper to fit the pan so that the bottom is covered and the parchment only hangs over two sides of the pan.
Then, spoon about a ¾ cup of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and spread it so that it creates an even layer.
Set the remaining oatmeal mixture aside.
To make the fudge, add about ½-inch of water to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and place a large glass or stainless steel bowl over top (picture 1). Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water!
Then, add the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter to the bowl (picture 1). Gently stir the mixture as it melts.
Once the mixture has a smooth consistency (picture 2), remove the pan from the heat.
Pour the chocolate mixture over top of the oatmeal layer (picture 3).
NOTE: You can also melt the chocolate mixture in the microwave using a microwave safe bowl and stirring after 10 second increments until the mixture has a smooth consistency.
NOTE: Make sure to hold the bowl with a kitchen towel if using stainless steel - it really heats up!
To make the faces, first place the cut-out template overtop of the fudge layer (picture 1).
Then, fill the void areas with the remaining oat mixture that was set aside (picture 2) reserve a very small amount to fill in the areas where the nose was kept attached (the white spots).
Next, remove the template and fill in the areas where the nose was kept attached (picture 3).
Finally, bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. The pieces of oatmeal cookie on top should look set.
After the bars are done baking, allow them to FULLY COOL IN THE PAN (about 3 hours).
TIP: I recommend cutting out the faces on the template with an x-acto knife and the pan border with scissors. Don’t forget to leave a little bit of the white area to keep the nose holes and nose bridge attached!
NOTE: You can cook the bars for longer if you want crispier, less chewy bars.
To cut out the faces, start by lifting the bars out of the pan using the overhanging parchment paper and place it on a cutting board (picture 1).
Slice into four pieces (picture 2).
Finally, print a second template and cut the face of one of the Yaks. Place it over top of each bar and use it as a guide to cut out the shape of each face (picture 3).
TIP: The ears are a difficult since they’re really thin on the cutout. I recommend letting all of that chocolate area be for the ears and to cut out the head starting at the oats. See the title and final picture as an example.
Ta-da! Time to enjoy your tasty treat!
Honestly, I love these so much, 10/10. Not only did the designs come out super well but they taste amazing.
I’m used to, and still kinda prefer, the ones at Starbucks that don’t include cinnamon (why I made adding it optional) but they’re fantastic either way!
Now, time to get energized and watch our favourite streamers compete in this MCC!
TEMPLATE:
Follow the following instructions to print this in the right size for an 8x8-inch pan (for Windows, sorry Apple users, idk if this works with mac):
Left click the image > Right click > Save image as… > Save
Right click the downloaded image > Open with > Paint
File > Print > Print > Select Print to PDF > Apply > Cancel
File > Print > Page Setup > Select Portrait > Set all margins to 0 > Ok
File > Print > Print to PDF > Print > Name the file > Save
Double left click the saved PDF > Select your browser of choice > Click the print button > Select your printer > Print
LAST DAY TO VOTE in the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase ft. myself, @afinickyguide , Luboffin_ , and Samantha Nahra!!!
VOTE: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD
Winners will be announced the 24th at 3pm EST!
“A traditional treat served in the waning light of the month of Sunsebb in Greyhawk, this style of gingerbread man memorializes a legend about the ancient ruins of Castle Greyhawk.”- Heroes’ Feast, p. 43
Here’s my entry for the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase that I’m participating in with:
@afinickyguide
Samantha Nahra
Luboffin_ (Luna)
Check out their gingerbread houses and use this Survey Monkey link to vote for your favourite! : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD
As the chilly winds descend on Fearûn, there’s nothing more comforting to a halfling than cozying up in their house by the fireplace with their favourite book and a steaming cup of cocoa broth.
So, as we all settle in for the winter months ahead, bring some cozy warmth and joy to your holiday season and create your own halfling house!
Spiced without being overbearing, these cookies are a great dessert to serve with coffee or hot chocolate, or pack them in a cookie bundle with some Earl Grey cookies and Banana-Cranberry muffins!
Remember to vote for your favourite house using the Survey Monkey link!
Check out below for my process in creating the house and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
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Canadian Cooking Gremlin™ | Cooking through Heroes' Feast and other stuff | Sideblog of @Letuce369
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