Saint George and the Dragon Cake

Catholic Cuisine contributor Charlotte, from Waltzing Matilda, has been amazing and inspiring us with her Dragon Cakes for the feast of St. George for well over a decade now! Here are a few of her past creations. 

You can find her dragon cake direction, as well as her directions for a Dragon Cupcake Cake and Dragon Scone for Good Saint George, in the archives. If you end up making one we would love for you to share a picture on our Facebook page or tag us over at Instagram!

Scroll through all posts for the feast of St. George here.

St. George, ora pro nobis! 

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A Dragon Scone for Good St. George

This post was written by Catholic Cuisine contributor, Charlotte from Waltzing Matilda.

The Feast of St. George is coming up tomorrow. We have spent many years slaying a cake dragon in honor of this noble and holy saint. Last year, however, we made a Dragon Scone for the feast of St. George. If you are looking for an alternative to the Dragon Cake and would prefer something not slathered in frosting, maybe give this one a try. I used a basic scone recipe (which I will include below) to make a serpentine shape. It took a little longer to bake than normal scones but otherwise, everything else was the same.

Last year, I used a left over slice of cake to make the head. This year, I think I'm just going to use another scone. That will probably mean I'll make a double or a 1.5 batch of of the recipe below.

I covered the body in homemade whipped cream and used sliced strawberries for the scales and feet. The pastry wing was also leftover from Easter brunch. I'm not sure our dragon will have wings this year. Two M&M's make the eyes. You can serve it for breakfast or as an after dinner treat.

Let us know below… are you doing anything special for St. George's Day?

Basic Scones 
(single batch: yields 12 scones or 1 dragon body)

1 1/2 C. all purpose flour
1/4 C. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. cold butter
1/4 C. sour cream (can substitute plain greek yogurt)
1/4 C. milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs (you can use a food processor just pulse it to get the coarse crumbs). Stir in sour cream (greek yogurt) and milk. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out desired shapes, place on parchment paper covered cookie sheet. (For the dragon scone, I just shaped the dough into the shape I wanted on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

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St. George and the Dragon Veggie Platter

With the feast of St. George falling on Easter Wednesday this year, following a weekend filled with Easter and Birthday cakes in our home, I decided to make a Veggie Platter for the feast of St. George instead of a dragon cake or our Saint George Cookies. Our veggie platter was inspired by a couple snake themed veggie trays I found through a google image search, with the addition of some lettuce wings at the suggestion of Charlotte's oldest son.  I thought it turned out great and my children love it! We will devour the dragon this evening with dinner, after reading a couple new books (Saint George & the Dragon by Jim Forrest and The Saint Who Fought the Dragon: The Story of St. George - affiliate links) that one of our boys discovered in his Easter Basket! You can also read The Ballad of St. George by Eliana Murphy over at Shower of Roses.

St. George and the Dragon Veggie Platter

Ingredients:

• Cucumbers - I used 2 for the head and body
• Carrots - I used baby carrots
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Olives - 1 can of black olives
• Lettuce - 2 leaves for Wings
• Veggie Dip of your choice

Directions: 

Using the end of one of the cucumbers and some carrot slices, create a dragon head.

Slice the rest of the cucumbers and shape into a body on a platter, wrapping around the dip bowl.

Add the broccoli, carrots, tomatoes and olives, along with the two leaves of lettuce for the wings.

Happy Feast of St. George! 

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Dragon Cupcake Cake for St. George

This post was written by Catholic Cuisine contributor, Charlotte from Waltzing Matilda.

With a cold front blowing in dropping our temps by 20-30 degrees, I did not want to head to the store with the baby to get supplies to make one of our traditional Dragon Cakes, so I decided to see what we had in the pantry. We had a gluten free chocolate cake mix, candy melts and the makings of this frosting which tasted good but could have used more powdered sugar to set up better.

This is what it looked like before decorating. The layout is pretty simple. I cut one cupcake in half to use for the eyes. Melted candy melts piped from a ziploc bag make the spikes and claws. 

Happy Feast of St. George, the dragon slayer!

O GOD, who didst grant to Saint George strength and constancy in the various torments which he sustained for our holy faith; we beseech Thee to preserve, through his intercession, our faith from wavering and doubt, so that we may serve Thee with a sincere heart faithfully unto death. Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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St. George and the Dragon :: A Sugar Cookie Story Quilt

I just realized that I never shared our Sugar Cookie Story Quilt, inspired by our much loved picture book,  here at Catholic Cuisine!  Our children had so much fun creating this last year on the feast of St. George. You can find my original post over at Shower of Roses.

"A story quilt is an ideal whole-class extension project that works at all grade levels. Quilt squares feature chapters, characters, or significant scenes from the literature circle book. They can include a border with a repeated design or symbol that represents a key idea. Quilt squares can incorporate visual as well as written components (e.g., an important quote or brief summary). Effective adaptations are possible for all grade levels." ~ Source

Our Supplies:

St. George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges

Study Guide from Catholic Mosaic: Living the Liturgical Year with Children

Sugar Cookie Dough

Marble Rolling Pin

Square Cookie Cutters (I love that these are plain on one side and fluted on the other!) 

Green and White Candy Melts

Dragon Candy Mold

Castle Candy Mold

(From Captain's Medieval Knights, Dragons, and Castles Birthday Party)

Cookie Icing

Gel Decorating Icing

Food Writers

Sprinkles

The completed cookies for our St. George and the Dragon Story Quilt:

The Path traveled by the Young Knight and Princess by Rascal

"In the Days when monsters and giants and fairy folk lived in England, a noble knight was riding across a plain...   The Red Cross Knight had never yet faced a foe, and did not even know his name or where he had been born.   But now he was bound on a great adventure, sent by the Queen of the Fairies to try his young strength against a deadly enemy, a dragon grim and horrible."

The Dragon by Rascal

"He was laying waste to her land so that many frightened people had left their homes and run away. Others had shut themselves inside the walls of a castle with Una's father and mother, the king and queen of the country. " 

The Castle by Captain

"Now we have come to my own country," said Una. "Be on your guard.  See, there is the city and the great brass tower that my parents built strong enough to stand against the brassy-scaled dragon."

St. George's Shield by Captain

"He wore heavy armor and carried an ancient silver shield marked with a red cross.  It was dented with the blows of many battles fought long ago by other brave knights."

St. George Pray for Us by Mom

"He called your George, which means 'Plow of the Earth' and 'Fight the Good Fight.' For you were born to be England's friend and patron saint, Saint George of Merry England." 

St. George's Sword by Chiquita

"And the knight's bright weapon, taking advantage of that open jaw, ran it through with such strength that the dragon fell dead, breathing his last in smoke and cloud."

The Battle by Chiquita

"Then they heard a hideous roaring that filled the air with terror and seemed to shake the ground.  The dreadful dragon lay stretched on the sunny side of a great hill, like a great hill himself, and when he saw the knight's armor glistening in the sunlight, he came eagerly to do battle."

Defeating the Dragon by Twinkle Toes

"Like a mountain he fell, and lay still.  The knight himself trembled to see that fall, and his dear lady did not dare to come near to thank her faithful knight until she saw that the dragon would stir no more."

The Victory Celebration by Twinkle Toes

"Trumpets sounded the news that the great beast had fallen...  And Una and the Red Cross Knight were married and lived together joyfully." 

Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten. ~G. K. Chesterton

   

Happy Feast of St. George!

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Snake-Bite Calzone

This past weekend we celebrated my daughter's 8th birthday!   One of the recipes I made was a Snake-Bite Calzone, at the suggestion of Charlotte's daughter!  (Thank you Shortcake!)   I thought I'd post the recipe here, since I'm planning on making another snake dragon calzone (maybe adding a few spikes, wings and feet) for my children to eat slay on today's feast of St. George!  It would also be perfect for the feast of St. Patrick.

Snake-Bite Calzone

adapted from Kraft

Ingredients:

• 1 can (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza dough
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 31 pepperoni, divided
• 1 egg white
• 1 drop each yellow and green food coloring, divided
• 2 manzanilla olives
• 1 cup pizza sauce

Directions: 

Heat oven to 350°F.  Unroll the pizza dough on lightly floured work surface; roll or flatten to 17x10-inch rectangle.

Cut 1 pepperoni slice to resemble a snake's tongue; set aside. Arrange remaining pepperoni slices over dough rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border around all sides.

Combine cheeses. Top pepperoni with spoonfuls of the cheese mixture. 

Roll up dough, jelly-roll fashion, starting at one long side; pinch seams together to seal. Place, seam-side down, in "s" shape on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray to resemble snake.

Insert olives into one end of dough for the snake's eyes. Add pepperoni tongue.

Beat egg white and yellow food coloring lightly with fork; brush about half over dough. Add green food coloring to remaining egg white; brush randomly over dough to resemble a snake's splotched skin.

Bake 30 to 35 min. or until golden brown. Meanwhile, heat pizza sauce just until warmed.  Serve the calzone with the pizza sauce.

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Meatless Fridays: Falafel

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

So here is the deal.  I don't really like fish.  Ok, I like fish, but only the expensive stuff and when you are feeding 11 people expensive fish is not on the menu.  So generally when it comes to meatless Fridays we eat vegetarian.  This would also be am excellent meal for any Middle Eastern or Greek saint!  Especially, Saint George, etc.

One of our new favorites is falafel.  My husband actually likes it so much he requested it for a special family meal!

Falafel

This recipe is half what I make, so it will serve about 6 people.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons cumin
• 1 Tablespoon parsley
• 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
• 1/2 cup flour

Cook onions and red pepper in olive oil.  Remove from heat.  In bowl mix garbanzo beans, eggs, onion and red peppers.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Add to food processor and pulse till you smooth.

Spoon about a large spoonful of falafel mixture into about a half inch of hot olive oil in a skillet.  This is kind of sticky so you may have to use your spoon to smooth them out into patty form.  Flip after you notice the edges turning brown.

When cooked serve with tzatziki sauce, spinach (or lettuce), chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, and feta cheese on pita bread.

I usually mix my cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta together.  It is a yummy mix for all kinds of things!

 

Here is my recipe for Tzatziki Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cucumber, finely grated and squeezed of juice
• 1 cup of Greek style yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon Greek Seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or Cajun seasoning

Mix together!  That easy and quite yummy!  Taste it first to see if you want to add more or less seasoning.

Enjoy!

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Dragon Cakes for St. George

Did you make a Dragon Cake in honor of St. George today? Did your kids have fun slaying their dragon? We'd love to see it!

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Red Cross Crispies for St. George!

These great Red Cross Crispies, in honor of St. George whose feast day is celebrated on April 23rd, were submitted by Tiffany at Family at the Foot of the Cross. Thank you Tiffany!

"This was the easiest "unplanned" snack I've ever made. I happened to have Rice Krispies on hand so I made them while the kids were doing their dramatic arts lesson. I just cut them into triangles with a touch of red icing to be the shield of the Red Cross Knight. I think it took a whole 15 minutes...Yay for simple!"

Red Cross Crispies for St. George 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1-10 oz. package (about 40) regular -OR- 4 cups miniature Marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies®
Red Icing


Directions:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool.

4. Cut into triangles.  Add red icing as pictured. Best if served the same day.

Don't forget to read Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges. Tiffany's children had a darling impromptu dress-up party and reenactment after reading this story. Be sure to click over to her blog to see the rest of her pictures!

Hope you all have a very Happy St. George's Day! 

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Cry 'God for Harry, England and St. George!'

St. George's feast day is April 23rd. St. George is the patron saint of England (and tomorrow marks its National Day) but also of other regions and countries such as Aragon, Catalonia and Valencia; Portugal, Cyprus, Georgia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Macedonia. Wikipedia shares the vast popularity of this saint.

There are already some great ideas for St. George from last year, one post marking my one year anniversary writing for Catholic Cuisine (thank you, Jessica).

William Shakespeare's birthday is also celebrated on this day, April 23. His famous and often quoted 'Battle of Agincourt' speech includes the rally call by Henry V: Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge, Cry 'God for Harry, England and St George!'" (Henry V, Act Three, Scene 1).

I thought I'd share these fun links for more English observation of St George's Day:

BBC Good Food: St. George's Day Recipes

How To...Celebrate St George's Day. This is a wonderful .pdf file with information, recipes, and crafts.

Although in the back of my mind I knew St. George's feast day was tomorrow, I hadn't really put together some firm ideas for my son and I to celebrate. We have lots of other busy plans, but we definitely need to fit in one of his favorite soldier saints. I know once we start talking and reading about St. George, some Playmobil knights are going to action!

Enjoy remembering the Bard and St. George! Pin It

St. George -- A Boy's Feast Day!

I have to thank Jessica for inviting me to be a part of this terrific idea. I'm honored to be a part of these very inspiring women.

I had a few additional thoughts about this feast of St. George. Last year we missed celebrating this feast, but I can't let it pass without doing a little something to honor this soldier-saint. My 4 year old son is a typical boy, playing knights and soldiers to his heart's content.

Ann Ball's Catholic Traditions in Cooking goes away from the English tradition and presents Gazpacho and Moros y Christianos, Spanish dishes, to celebrate the day freed from the Moors.

Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding is very common on this day in England. But any good English recipe, like fish and chips or shepherd's pie would be good.

There is also a Melachrino Cake from Greece served on this day. Ann Ball has a simpler recipe than Cooking With the Saints.

I was continuing the idea of a dragon theme. Matilda's dragon cake is just so awesome, but for some other fun, how about Taco Dip Dragon? I also found a Dragon's Breath Dip, but that isn't as colorful. Now how about a Red Dragon Pie instead of Shepherd for this day?

As for me, I served my roast beef yesterday. I'm going to incorporate skewers or toothpicks in my meal, either with the meat or the fruit for dessert, so we can mimic St. George slaying the dragon. I wish I knew of a source for those little swords that are used for cocktail drinks, as there are quite a few feasts we could use those!

St. George, pray for us!

Photo from Taste of Home Pin It

Recipes for St. George

Tomorrow, April 23rd, is the Feast of St. George.

In addition to Matilda's wonderful dragon cake here are a couple more ideas:

• Risotto with Asparagus and St. George's Mushrooms
• Saint George's Day Cupcakes

Since St. George is often associated with England, you could even choose an "English" theme! Here is a link to many English recipes... As for our family, I'm thinking we will be having some English Fish n' Chips! Yum!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful feast! And if you have children, don't forget to read Saint George and the Dragon. It's wonderful! Pin It

In Preparation for St. George's Day

First of all, let me say "thank you" to Jessica for providing such a lovely place to gather and for inviting me to contribute. I am putting together this post from my archives since I won't be making our dragon until the day before or maybe the day of St. George's Day this year.

My oldest son has always loved St. George. We even had a father/son party once with a homemade dragon pinata. The little boys loved it and I think the Dad's did too!
Last year, we kept things very low key. I made a dragon shaped cake for the children to devour and you can do the same with a box cake mix, a couple of cans of frosting, food coloring, a package of Ding Dongs and four Hershey's kisses.
I used two 9 inch round cakes. The first, I cut down the middle and "glued" the flat bottoms together with frosting to make the mound that is his belly. The second one, I cut something like this (it has been too long for me to remember specifically):
I used the Ding Dongs, cut in half, to make mounds on the head for the eye sockets and the feet. Cut them into triangles and they can be extra spikes. Toothpicks help hold them in place. Frosting will cover so many mistakes so never fear if it doesn't look pretty at this stage. The eyes and nostrils were made by inserting the pointy end of a Hershey's kiss into globs of frosting. The final touch was turning butter knives into kid friendly swords with some strips of tin foil to hack away at the more cute than ferocious beast.

Here is another variation for those who need more visual assistance. That would be me! I am such a visual learner! Happy baking!

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