Holiday Cheese Ball

Tired of the same old store bought cheese balls during this time of year? Try my recipe which you will find relatively easy to prepare, can be made up to a week ahead, and may restore your taste buds and appetite for cheese balls!

Holiday Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. Philadelphia Brand cream cheese (1 1/2 8 0z. pkg), softened to room temperature.
• 6 oz. blue cheese, crumbled and softened to room temperature
• 6 oz. processed cheddar-cheese spread (I use Kaukauna Brand Port Wine spreadable cheddar), softened to room temperature
• 2 tbs. dried grated onion flakes
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup ground pecans
• 1/2 cup ground dried parsley flakes
• assorted crackers (holiday shapes if you can find them)

Directions:

1. In medium bowl, combine cheeses, onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Beat until well blended.
2. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans and 1/4 cup parsley. Shape into 1 large or 2 smaller balls. Wrap in wax paper, then aluminum foil. Refrigerate overnight.
3. About 1 hr. before serving, roll cheese ball in remaining pecans and parsley. Place on serving plate, and surround with crackers.

Next Time: Holiday Punch

Cobblers - Cherry Cobbler

A cobbler generally consists of a thickened fruit filling with a batter topping over it. For the novice, and those short on time, cobblers are a quick and easy method of making something similar to a pie. There is nothing short on taste, however. Cobblers, bubbling hot out of the oven, are a warm treat to have on a cold winter's night. Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream over the plated cobbler and you have a wonderful dessert just like Grandma used to make.

Cherry Cobbler

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature


• 1 cup sifted flour


• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder


• 1/4 tsp. salt


• 2 tbs. sugar


• 2 cups pitted tart fresh or canned cherries


• 3/4 cup juice drained from the cherries


• 2/3 cup sugar


• 1 tbs. plus 1 tsp. quick-cooking tapioca


• pinch of salt


• 1 tbs. butter


• 1 extra large egg


• 1/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Into medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and the 2 tbs. sugar.
2. Add the 1/4 cup butter to the flour mixture and cut in using a pastry knife until the texture resembles course crumbs.
3. Preheat oven to 400 F.
4. Drain the cherries in a sieve, setting aside the liquid. Add enough water to the cherry juice to make 3/4 cup liquid.
5. Pour the liquid into a medium saucepan. Add the 2/3 cup sugar, tapioca, and salt. Stir. Bring the mixture to boil on medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Let boil for about 5 min., still stirring. Add the cherries and boil 5 more min., until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the 1 tbs. butter, stirring until butter is melted. Set aside.
6. Using a spoon, make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Set aside.
7. Beat the egg in a small bowl of electric mixer, or use hand mixer. Add the milk and beat until blended. Pour the egg mixture into the well of the flour mixture. Using a spoon stir until the flour mixture is moistened. Set aside.
8. Pour the hot cherry mixture into an ungreased 6" x 10" baking pan, spreading evenly. Using a medium sized spoon drop about 6 spoonfuls of the flour batter, evenly spaced, over the cherry mixture. (Note: Don't worry about evenly covering the cherries with the batter as the batter will slightly spread during baking.)
9. Bake for 18 to 20 min., or until topping is golden.
10. Remove from the oven and serve warm, cutting into 6 portions.

Until next time, Happy Baking!

Scones - Pumpkin Scones Recipe

While I await the article to post on Italian Biscotti from my guest contributor, I shall skip ahead this week and post on Scones.

Scones are small quick bread (although dryer than what we think of as a quick bread) that originated in Scotland. Like French Madeleine cookies, scones were not readily available in this country until recent years. Now it seems every bakery cafe in the U.S. has at least one or more varieties. Their slightly dry, slightly sweet texture and taste make them well suited to enjoy with coffee. In Great Britain scones are the traditional accompaniment to afternoon tea time, served with jam and cream.

Now, just in time for you to serve to your Thanksgiving guests.....

Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (by the way, my favorite brand for all my baking is King Arthur)
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/8 allspice
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter, chilled
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup Libby's brand canned pumpkin
• 1/3 cup milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. In large bowl of electric mixer combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. With a pastry blender cut in the 1/2 cut chilled butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Make a "well" in the center of the dry mixture and then set aside.
3. In a separate bowl combine egg, pumpkin, and milk. Add the egg mixture into the well of the dry mixture. Stir just until moistened.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. (Tip: I like using freezer paper for all my doughs, lightly flouring it. Not only does my dough roll out with minimal sticking, but it makes clean up a breeze.) Knead dough by folding and pressing gently until nearly smooth. Pat dough into an 8 inch circle and then cut into 12 pie shaped wedges.
5. Place wedges 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 min., or until golden. Remove scones from the cookie sheet and cool for about 5 min.
6. Serve warm with jam.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and, as always...Happy Baking!

Ethnic Cookies - French Madeleines

I have been away from my blog for a month, still recovering from a recent surgery. I am back on the blog now, and none too soon as it is "officially" Holiday Season. This week and next time I am finishing up the cookie section with Ethnic Cookies. Hopefully I have given you, throughout the months of the cookie section, enough ideas and recipes to get started making those holiday cookies.

Madeleines are a traditional French cookie. Actually, it is a cake-like cookie, created in a special Madeleine mold pan. The pan can be purchased in gourmet cooking shops such as Williams Sonoma. Being French myself, I grew up enjoying the lemony sweet cookies. However, the cookies were relatively unknown in this country until recently. Now I see them everywhere including grocery stores and coffee shop stands, typically packaged in small quantities.

I used to bake and bring in my desserts to the Transportation Department of Toys R Us, where I used to work as a "second job". At times I would cater my pies and cookies there as well. One particular time my co-worker and friend, Diane, asked me to bake her some Madeleines and she would pay me for them, asking me how much they would be. I had no idea what to charge at the time. The next day as I was leaving a Panera's coffee shop I was thinking about just how much I should charge for the Madeleines. "Falling from the sky" (the wind was blowing hard as it is apt to do in the Chicago land suburbs) and landing right at my feet was a Five Dollar bill. I decided to charge $5.0o for the madeleines, thinking it a sign. All this was before stores started carrying madeleines. By the way - the price on those store bought madeleines - $5.00! Guess I got it right.

The following recipe won me Blue Ribbons for the Ethnic Cookie division at a country fair, out of numerous entries, two years in a row (I didn't enter them after that, choosing to enter other types for variety's sake).

A few tips: For best results, try to purchase the standard size madeleine pan, instead of the miniature ones, and try to have it all metal (not Teflon coated). When mixing in the butter, there will be a lot of butter; just keep stirring until all the butter is incorporated. There is so much butter (which makes them so "yummy") that I have dubbed them Cholesterol Sticks! Coat the madeleine pan with butter, then flour, shaking off the excess flour.

Dori's French Madeleines

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sifted flour
3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
confectioner's sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and slight flour madeleine pans.
2. In top of double boiler, over not, not boiling, water beat eggs and granulated sugar with wire whisk while the mixture heats to lukewarm, - about 2 minutes. (Note: Water at bottom of the double boiler should not touch the base of pan above it.)
3. Set the top of the double boiler in cold water. Beat egg mixture about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
4. With wire whisk, or a rubber spatula, gently fold in flour until well combined. Stir in cooled butter and lemon peel just until blended.
5. Pour into prepared pans, using 1 tbs. batter for each mold.
6. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Col 1 minute, then remove from pans with a small rubber spatula. Cool completely on wire racks.
7. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Next Week: Ethnic Cookies, Italian Biscotti

Brownies

Hi Folks. I have been out of commission for several weeks due to an emergency surgery. I am not fully back to "normal", recovery to be a slow process, but good enough to sit back down to the computer finally to share my love of baking with you.

Just about everyone loves brownies. They are convenient snacks, being relatively small like other forms of bar cookies, and oh so good tasting! There are two general categories of brownies; soft and chewy or fudge like, and slightly dryer cake like. Some include nuts, and some are lighter in color and taste such as Blondies. Personally I don't have a preference; I like both types, but there are some who prefer one or the other. I am especially fond of butterscotch, so I will post the following recipe for you to try if you are fan of butterscotch as well:

Butterscotch Brownies

1/2 cup sifted flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2 pkg butterscotch pudding and pie-filling mix, 4-oz size packages
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly grease a 9" x 9" x 1 3/4" square baking pan.
2. Sift flour with sugar, baking powder, and salt and then set aside.
3. In large bowl beat eggs until thick. Add the flour mixture and rest of the ingredients; stir to mix well.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 min., or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Let cool slightly in pan. Cut into 24 pieces.

Since I will be taking more time off to recuperate, as well as to travel, my next post will be in 3 weeks. In the meantime, Happy Baking!

Next Time: Ethnic Cookies: French Madeleines

Bar Cookies/Pumpkin Bars

Well, here we are in our first weekend of Autumn. Baking time! (As always!). Before I get to the discussion on Bar Cookies, I want to briefly mention the concept of using quality ingredients. There is no doubt about it, baking generally takes time, and if you are going to spend your time doing so, you want to ensure a measure of success. I have tasted both store bought and homemade bakery made from quality ingredients, and those made from lesser and usually cheaper ingredients. Hands down, the product made from premium or at least quality ingredients always tastes better than its counterpart of lesser ingredients, same recipe used.


From time time to time, I mention certain brand names or products. That is because I have had great success using them myself and highly recommend them for that reason. I have tried, for example, different brands of pure vanilla extract, made from different regions of the world, and I still stand by the pure vanilla extract from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc. The product can be found in cookware shops such as Williams-Sonoma, and in finer grocery stores. I am proud to say that Mr. Matt Nielsen, of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, took the time to read my blog and recommendations, and sent me a very nice thank you comment on my blog. Thank you Mr. Nielsen. By the way readers, I do not get paid by any company for such endorsements.

Bar cookies are popular. They are easy to make, and they store and ship well; great for those holiday gifts. Generally, they are made in a rectangular or square pan and then cut into bars or squares, hence the name. A couple of general tips when making bar cookies:

1. I usually use aluminum pans. However, if you prefer to use glass pans, try reducing the oven temperature by 25 degrees F.
2. The bar cookies should be stored in the baking pan and tightly covered.

Having spent a good portion of my life in the Midwest, specifically Northern Illinois, here is a bar cookie that is typical of the Midwest, especially during Autumn, that I enjoy:

Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup Crisco or Wesson vegetable oil
4 extra large eggs (Note: the extra large size provides additional moisture, so do not substitute large eggs)
1 15-oz. can Libby brand canned pumpkin (Note: Use plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix)

1. Preheat oven to 35o F. Grease and flour a 10 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 1 inch baking pan.
2. Onto wax paper, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, place the butter, sugar, and oil and beat on medium-high speed.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well each time.
5. Add the pumpkin and beat until completely blended.
6. Add the flour mixture in halves, beating on low speed only until blended.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread the batter evenly in the pan using a spatula.
8. Bake for about 25 min.
9. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool.
10. Frost the uncut bars with a frosting of your choosing. I recommend a cream cheese frosting.
11. Place the uncut bars in the refrigerator and let stand until the frosting sets.
12. Cut into 48 bars. Arrange the bars in a covered container and keep refrigerated.

Happy Baking!

Next Week: Brownies

Molded Cookies/Jewel Cookies Recipe

I have decided to enter the South Florida Fair with a few of my baked items this year. It will be the first time I have entered this particular fair, not having entered fairs since I moved from Illinois. Now comes the agonizing task of deciding what I want to make and enter. The fair, and in particular the judging, will be January 22 (we have our fairs in Florida during the winter). I also plan on teaching a baking class one night a week for a couple of months at Wellington High School, which is a continuing ed. class for adults. The class starts in January. As you can see, I will be busy during that time!

OK, now for my weekly discussion on the cookie section:

Molded cookies are somewhat similar to rolled cookies in that they are generally symmetrical in shape. The dough is slightly stiffer, and is either pressed into a cookie press or shaped with the hands to form small balls, depending upon the recipe. Most of the doughs should be refrigerated for at least one hour. To be perfectly honest, although I have a cookie press that was given to me as a gift years ago, I have never made those type of cookies. The press and all its attachments still sit on the shelf brand new. I don't have an aversion to cookie presses; I just never got around to trying it out. Hand rolled molded cookies, on the other hand, I do frequently make. Here is one of my favorite recipes. I make them with my homemade jams, but of course can be made with store bought jams.

Jewel Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 cup finely chopped pecans
2 tbs. jam or jelly, any flavor you prefer

1. In medium bowl, with wooden spoon, beat butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
2. Stir in flour. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Using hands, roll dough into balls 1 inch in diameter. Dip in egg white then roll in the pecans.
4. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With your thumb, press center of each cookie.
5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until a delicate golden-brown. Remove to wire rack and cool.
6. Place 1/4 tsp. jam or jelly in the center of each cookie.

Makes approximately 2 dozen.

Next Week: Bar Cookies

Rolled Cookies - Gingerbread Men Cookies/Recipe

Gingerbread is a dough that is generally made with molasses, and of course ginger, as well as other spices. Gingerbread can take many forms; cakes, gingerbread houses, and cookies such as ginger snaps and Gingerbread Men. Because of the strong flavor combination of the molasses and spices this type of cookie can often be an acquired taste. However, making and decorating gingerbread men is fun for bakers and children alike.

For you history buffs out there, here is a little background information on gingerbread. Gingerbread dates back to the 15Th century, with the now familiar man shape coming into being in the 16Th century. The first reported use of gingerbread figures was in the court of England's Queen Elizabeth I. The queen had gingerbread figures made and presented in the likeness of some of her important guests. For those of you really talented and love creative decorating, you might try making your gingerbread men to resemble your family members or other holiday guests you are serving them to. As for me, I am not that talented, so I will stick with the generic likenesses in order to avoid offending anyone with a poorly decorated figure!

Gingerbread Men

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup light molasses

1. Sift together flour, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
2. In large bowl, with wooden spoon, beat together shortening, sugar, and egg until fluffy. Add molasses and beat well.
3. Stir in half the flour mixture, mixing until smooth.
4. Add the rest of the flour mixture. Mix with hands until dough is all one color.
5. With your hands, shape dough into a ball. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate about 2 hours, or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease cookies sheets, using butter to grease them.
7. Divide dough into two parts. Return one part to the refrigerator.
8. On well-floured board, roll out dough about 1/8 inch thick.
9. Using a 5" gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out the cookies.
10. To avoid breaking, slip a pancake turner under each cookie and lift, placing them on the cookie sheets, 2 inches apart.
11. Bake 8 to 10 min., or until lightly browned.
12. Remove from pan to wire rack and cool.
13. Frost and decorate as desired; have fun with this part!

Makes about 20 gingerbread men.

Next Week: Molded Cookies

Rolled Cookies/Almond Raspberry Cookies Recipe

Well, here we are Labor Day Weekend. Where did the summer go??? Before you know it winter, and the holidays, will be here. If you plan on making batches of different cookies to freeze for the holidays (which keep up to 3 months in the freezer) you will be starting them in a few short weeks. From my posts you will have a few recipes to try, if you so choose, by then.



Many of you are familiar with rolled cookies. They are the ones that are made from a slightly stiffer dough suitable for rolling out like a pie crust. What appeals to most cookie bakers is that you cut the cookies out of the dough from the myriad of shapes and sizes of cookie cutters available on the market, and then have fun decorating them. As for me, I am always adding to my collection of cookie cutters.



When people think of rolled cut out cookies they think of sugar cookies. However, there are so many other choices of recipes to try in this category. One of my favorites, which I make every year, is Almond Raspberry Cookies. It is a little more work, but is delicious and pretty. In addition, it is a great way to use one of my homemade jams! Here is the recipe:

Almond Raspberry Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tbs. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup ground almonds (unblanched preferred)
1 tbs. grated lemon peel
1/2 cup butter
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1 egg yolk

1. Sift flour, cocoa, cinnamon, and sugar into a medium bowl. Stir in almonds and lemon peel.
2. Add butter. Cut in with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse corn meal.
3. Stir in egg, mixing with hands until dough holds together.
4. Preheat oven to 375 F.
5. On lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough about 1/8 inch thick. With 2" floured cookie cutter, cut out cookies.
6. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Spread each cookie with 1/2 tsp. raspberry jam, 1/4 inch from the edge.
7. Roll out the remaining half of dough. Cut out cookies. With 1 inch cutter, cut out centers to make rings. Discard centers (I reroll them to make more cookies).
8. Place rings on top of the jam-covered cookies.
9. Brush tops lightly with egg yolk beaten with 2 tbs. water.
10. Bake about 10 min., or until golden-brown. Remove to wire rack and cool.

Makes about 3 dozen

Next Week: Gingerbread Men Cookies Recipe

Drop Cookies/Tropical Snow Cookies Recipe

I love drop cookies. Once the dough is prepared, the rest of the preparation is quick and simple. Many of our all time favorite cookies are drop cookies; chocolate chip and oatmeal are two that immediately come to mind.

Drop cookie dough is somewhat softer than other cookie doughs, enabling them to be easily dropped from a spoon onto the cookie sheet, or first rolled into balls. The heat of the oven spreads the dough out so that we are generally left with a rounded flatter cookie.

Since I live in South Florida, and the holidays will be here before we are ready, here is a recipe that evokes both the tropics and northern winters...

Tropical Snow Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pure butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. dark rum, or pure rum extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup tropical-blend mixed dried fruit bits (may substitute other dried fruit bits such as those used for fruit cakes)
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In large mixing bowl, beat butter and shortening on high speed.
3. Add sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined.
4. Beat in eggs, vanilla extract, and rum or rum extract until combined.
5. Slowly beat in the flour, the fruit bits, the coconut, and the nuts.
6. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Lightly press additional coconut onto the tops of the cookies.
8. Bake for 9 to 11 min., or until the edges are light brown.
9. Gently transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Makes approximately 60 cookies.

Happy Baking!

Next Week: Rolled Cookies

Refrigerator Cookies and Brown Sugar Refrigerator Cookies Recipe

Refrigerator cookies are made from a dough that is, as the name suggests, refrigerated and then sliced. Another name for these are icebox cookies. Back in the day, well, actually my mother's day, refrigerators were still known as iceboxes. For you young folk of the computer age, well before even my time refrigerators were not powered by electricity, but by large blocks of ice delivered by the ice man and his truck. Just my historical trivia for the week. Now back to the cookies:

Many of you are already familiar with this type of cookie - they can be purchased in the grocery stores as already prepared logs of cookie dough, of various brands, and sliced and baked. The advantage of refrigerator cookies is that the dough can be made in advance, refrigerated, and sliced and baked as needed, just as in the case of the store bought logs of dough.

Brown Sugar Refrigerator Cookies

Ingredients:

3 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped pecans

1. Sift flour with baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. In large bowl of electric mixer, at medium speed, beat butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and continuing beating.
3. At low speed, beat in half the flour mixture until smooth. Mix in the rest, with hands, to form a stiff dough. Add nuts and mix well.
4. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough in thirds. With hands, shape each third into a roll about 8 inches long.
5. Wrap each in wax paper. Refrigerate until firm, about 8 hours. Note: The rolls may be stored in the refrigerator for about 10 days.
6. Preheat oven to 375 F. With sharp knife, cut 1/8-inch slices for baking. Rewrap rest of roll if not baking all of the dough that day and refrigerate.
7. Place slices, 2 inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 7 to 10 min., or until lightly browned. Remove to wire rack and let cool.

Makes about 16 dozen.

General note about making any type of cookie: Cookies will harden while cooling. For that reason, if the color is right but they seem soft, remove them anyway. Otherwise you will overcook them.

About cookie sheets: Purchase the largest cookie sheets that will fit in your oven. I recommend the ones that are "double layered" for best results. They are more expensive, but worth the cost if you will be making cookies often. They can be found in better cookware shops like Williams Sonoma, or online.

Happy Baking!

Next Week: Drop Cookies

Cookies

For many people, making homemade cookies is the first baking project attempted. Everyone loves cookies, especially warm out of the oven. Cookies can evoke happy memories of our childhood or of those of our children growing up. They also can be part of holiday memories and traditions. Then, too, there are cookie jars some people collect because they come in many fanciful shapes and sizes.

You moms or grandmothers may have fond memories of your children reaching up to get at a cookie jar filled with the tasty treats. My daughter, at age 1 1/2, climbed on a chair to reach the table she then stood on by tippie toe, reaching the cookie jar resting on a shelf just behind the table! If you have children, take some time to make cookies with them.

Most varieties of cookies keep well in the refrigerator for weeks, or even in the freezer for months. They also ship well. For that reason, years ago I started the tradition of making cookies, starting months ahead, for Christmas Day. Each time I would make one type of cookie, then the next time a different type, and so on, freezing each batch. I would leave out one cookie for each of my children from each batch as they were baked, placing one cookie on a plate individually. Come Christmas Eve, I would thaw out all the different varieties and arrange them on a pretty cookie platter for serving the next day.

Another tradition I have is that each year I buy and save the new cookie magazines that can be found in the grocery stores. Usually these are annually put out by Better Homes and Gardens, but there are others too. Currently I have a large stack of the magazines, dating back to the 1970's. I pick out one recipe from several of them each year to try and include on my Christmas platter. I am sure you will come up with your own traditions and memories when it comes to cookies.

One thing that people like about cookies is that there are hundreds of recipes of cookies, so there is always a flavor or type to choose from. Cookie varieties are divided into groups, depending upon how they are made or where they come from. There are refrigerator cookies, drop cookies, rolled cookies, molded cookies, and bar cookies. In addition, there are ethnic cookies, such as Italian Biscotti or French Madeleines. Ethnic cookies really are a traditional cookie from whatever country they come from, but fall into one of the above mentioned categories.

As the weeks go on I will be posting recipes so that all the categories are eventually covered. One of the recipes I will share is for my French Madeleines. However, making Italian Biscotti is not within the realm of my expertise. That expertise and honors belongs to my Aunt Tess, who makes the best biscotti I have ever tasted, and believe me I have tried biscotti from numerous Italian bakeries. Perhaps she will type up a little discussion on biscotti making, and share one of her recipes, for me to post on this blog that you may all enjoy (hint, hint, Aunt Tess ; ) )

Next Week: Refrigerator Cookies/Recipe

Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

The first time I tasted a New York style cheesecake was at my aunt's house, many years ago at Christmas time. Hers had a blueberry topping, and I was hooked on New York style cheesecakes ever since. I guess you could say I keep up the tradition by making a cheesecake every year at Christmas.

For this recipe, have on hand a 9" springform pan. Also, plan on making this cake one before it is to be served. Kelly, this one's for you...

Strawberry Cheesecake

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

2 cups boxed graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
9 tbs. melted butter

1. Mix thoroughly together the graham cracker crumbs and sugar, mixing the ingredients right inside a 9"springform pan.
2. Pour into the crumb mixture the melted butter and mix thoroughly, pressing the mixture evenly across the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
3. Refrigerate while making the cheesecake filling.

For the Cheesecake Filling:

5 8-oz packages of Philadelphia brand cream cheese, softened to room temperature.
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tbs. flour
1 1/2 tsp. grated dried lemon peel
1 1/2 tsp. grated dried orange peel
5 whole large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 500 F.
2. In large bowl of electric mixer, combine cheese, sugar, flour, lemon peel, orange peel, and vanilla extract. Beat at high speed just to blend.
3. Beat in eggs and egg yolks, one at a time. Add heavy cream, beating just until well combined. Pour mixture into crust filled springform pan.
4. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature immediately to 350 F., and bake 1 hour longer. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake in oven 1 hour with the door slightly ajar.
5. Remove cheesecake from oven and continue cooling to room temperature an additional hour.
6. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, pour Strawberry Topping on top.

For the Strawberry Topping:

1 qt. fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced in half. If strawberries are large, cut into fourths. Sprinkled strawberries with granulated sugar, and let sit for at least hour to produce its own "syrup".
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbs. cornstarch
2 tbs. lemon juice
4 drops red food color

1. Drain strawberries, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. If needed, add enough water to bring the liquid to 1/2 cup.
2. In small saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Add reserved strawberry liquid, stirring until mixture is smooth. Heat at high temperature, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat.
3. Add lemon juice and red food color, and stir to mix. Add strawberries and mix again.
4. Mix strawberries into the finished glaze.
5. Pour topping over the top of the cheesecake, spreading mixture evenly.
6. Refrigerate cheesecake with the topping on it for 1 hour.

You will want to cut this cheesecake into thin slices as it is very rich and heavenly, but oh so wonderful! Your family may like this cheesecake so much that you might start your own tradition! Happy Baking!

Next Week: Cookies

Cheesecakes

I thought I was done with the "Cake Unit" of my Baking Blog, but then I realized that I neglected my favorite dessert, Cheesecakes. July 30Th is National Cheesecake Day in the United States. Since that day just passed, I thought it appropriate to discuss cheesecakes at this time.

There are three basic types of cheesecakes that we are familiar with in the United States. There is, first of all, the very creamy type that is not very tall or heavy, the type that is made with cream cheese, and closely resembles that which can also be made out of a box from a popular brand. This type is quick to make, and also relatively affordable in ingredients. I have seen this type in the traditional round pie shape, as well as in small squares. I have heard of this type of cheese cake referred to as Philadelphia style, but I feel that might be misleading to my readers as I recommend using Philadelphia Brand cream cheese in New York Style Cheesecake.

There is a European style of cheesecake. This type is typically made with either Ricotta Cheese, or with Farmer's Dry Cheese, depending upon whether the recipe is from Western Europe such as Italy, or from Eastern Europe, such as Poland. This type can be slightly heavier than the first type mentioned due to the different cheese used. Many Americans are not familiar with this type of cheesecake, and I find that it is an acquired taste once one is already used to the familiar cream cheese versions.

The third type of cheesecake is the New York Style Cheesecake. This type is my favorite. It is heavy, and relatively expensive to make, however. One of its ingredients is cream cheese, like the first type, but also includes many more eggs, heavy cream, etc. It also requires more time to prepare, although it is not difficult to make. Because of the cost and time involved, I typically make this type of cheesecake on holidays, particularly in the winter. If you plan on making this type of cheesecake, I recommend stocking up on the cream cheese (it takes five 8 oz. packages) when they are on sale. Cream cheese keeps for quite a while in the refrigerator, but be sure to check the expiration dates on the packages first to make sure it will be still good when you plan to bake the cake.

Cheesecakes have a bottom crust that is either made of ground graham crackers (either freshly ground yourself or from a package) or a dough like crust. Cheesecakes may be served plain, or with a fruit topping. There are also numerous variations of cheesecakes such as Key Lime Cheesecake, Marble Cheesecake, etc. As you may have noticed from my blogs each week, I tend to be a traditionalist. Most of the time, therefore, I make a New York Cheesecake, plain in that it does not incorporate other flavors within the cheesecake itself, with a simple fruit topping and glaze. However, since there are so many wonderful flavors out there made from great recipes, I encourage you to make whichever type and flavor that make your stomach sing with joy.

If you would like additional information regarding the history and types of cheesecakes from around the world, I highly recommend you visit the Wikipedia website on Cheesecakes. There is a lot of information and photos regarding the subject.

Cheesecakes are not for the faint of heart in terms of calories. Yet, cheesecake is a wonderful comfort food/dessert. At least once a year throw caution to the wind and enjoy a slice!

Next Week: Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

The right ingredients make the difference between a good baked item, or a great one. If poor quality ingredients or substitutes are used, the results can even be poor, despite following the recipe. In most cases, especially with our high tech busy lives, baking takes time. We want the results of our time to be well worth it. For that reason I strongly urge you to not only not make substitutions, but to use the finest quality of ingredients called for. The following is a listing and description of items generally called for, what you should stock your kitchen with, and sizes of certain items as in the case of eggs.

Milk Products:
My recipes call for Whole Milk. Not 2%, not skim, not powdered milk, not soy or other type, not even goat milk. Whole Milk. Unless you drink this yourself, however, only keep this on hand when you plan on baking something.
Carnation Condensed Milk (or other major brand). Keep 1 can on hand.
Carnation Evaporated Milk. Keep at least 2 or 3 cans on hand. Do not use other brands; I have experience bad results with others.
Heavy Whipping Cream. Only purchase when needed for a recipe.
Cream Cheese - Only use Philadelphia brand. I tried others with poor results. Only purchase as needed for a recipe.

Butter:
Use pure salted butter, unless the recipe specifically calls for unsalted butter, which is often used. Do not use margarine, not even for greasing pans as the margarine burns quicker, and gives an off taste. Do not use butter or margarine substitutes. Personally, especially for holiday baking, I like to use pure butter imported from Europe (these can be found in the grocery stores these days.) The European butter contains a higher fat content and gives superb results. However, it is pricey, so unless you want to go "all out" it is not necessary. Watch for sales at the grocery store and stock up as butter keeps for quite a while.

Eggs:
Unless otherwise stated, the size of egg to use is Large. The difference of the size of egg produces either less or more liquid, depending upon the size. Large is just the right amount of liquid for most recipes. It doesn't matter if you use regular, organic, white, or brown eggs. Brown eggs just come from a different breed of chicken; the taste is the same. Do not use egg beaters or other substitute. Most people keep 1 dozen on hand in the refrigerator.

Flour:
Any major or even store brand is good for All-Purpose Flour. Do not use self-rising or pre-sifted flour. Keep at least one 5-lb. bag on hand.
Cake Flour: Keep 1 box on hand.

Sugar/Syrups:
Pure Granulated Sugar - One 5-lb. bag
Pure Confectioner's Sugar - 1 bag
Light Brown Sugar - 1 bag
Karo light corn syrup - 1 bottle
Karo dark corn syrup - 1 bottle
Splenda - if you are baking for someone who is diabetic. This is the only sugar substitute I recommend for baking. Use the same amount as you would for granulated sugar. 1 box if you will be using Splenda.

Shortening:
I prefer Crisco Shortening, regular, in a can. I do not recommend the butter-flavored shortening as I feel it gives an "off" taste. I also do not recommend the "sticks" of shortening. Granted, they are convenient, but for reason the consistency is not quite the same. Keep at least 1 medium sized can on hand.

Oil:
Pure Vegetable Oil, any brand. Do not use olive oil, canola oil, sunflower Oil, etc. Keep one medium sized bottle on hand.

Salt:
Regular table salt, either Iodized or non-Iodized. Can also use sea salt if you prefer. However, do not use salt substitute or Kosher salt. One container of salt is probably already in your kitchen shelf for all of your cooking and seasoning needs.

Other Items to Keep On Hand for Baking:
Baking Powder - 1 box, any brand
Baking Soda - 2 boxes, any brand (one box is great kept in the refrigerator to absorb odors)
Minute Tapioca 1 box (used for thickening in some recipes, such as for Cherry Pie)
Graham Cracker Crumbs - one box, any brand
Pecans and or Walnuts, shelled and in either halves or pieces - 1 bag of each
Shredded Sweetened Coconut (use a major brand as store brands tend to be too dry)
Maraschino Cherries - 1 jar, kept in refrigerator. Great for quick decorating.
Raisins - 1 box, any brand
Food Coloring - 1 bottle of red food coloring, and 1 box of assorted colors of food coloring
Baker's Chocolate Squares - or other premium brand - 1 box of unsweetened squares, and 1 box of unsweetened squares.
Cocoa - 1 can
Chocolate Chips - 1 bag
Dried yeast packets (watch the expiration dates on these, and keep in the refrigerator)

Extracts:
I cannot stress enough the importance of using only PURE extracts. The imitation extracts are fake flavors and chemicals. Use high quality pure extracts as they use more natural flavor ingredients and less alcohol.
Vanilla Extract: I recommend pure vanilla extract made from vanilla beans from Madagascar. Has a superb flavor. Nielsen-Massey is one brand of this type, which can be found in specialty food stores. 1 large bottle. Yes, this stuff is expensive, but worth it, and keeps for quite a while.
Pure Almond Extract - 1 small bottle

Spices:
Again, use only good quality spices, and replace at least once a year, ideally every six months. One bottle of each of the following, any good brand:
Allspice
Cinnamon
Cream of Tartar
Ginger
Ground Cloves
Ground Nutmeg
Dried Lemon Peel
Dried Orange Peel

Nice to have:
Rum, either light or dark (Better to use the real stuff rather than the rum extract)
Sambuca or Anisette (Italian liquor used in some desserts)
Sprinkles, decorator icings, etc. for cake decorating
Additional flavors of pure extracts (there are many)
Cardamon
Poppy Seeds
Pastry fillings
Whipped Cream Stabilizer (these come in packets)

Next Week: Cheesecakes

Drop Biscuits

From personal tasting experience, biscuits can either be wonderful...or horrible. There is almost nothing better than a light, fluffy, slightly golden biscuit, either eaten plain, with butter or jam, or incorporated into a dish of biscuits and gravy. Sadly, though, I have eaten my share (usually in restaurants) of what they call biscuits...hard like a rock and usually tasteless.

Personally, I think the dough for biscuits is something that gets "hard textured" the more it is worked with. For the typical symmetrically round biscuit one must of course make the dough, roll it out, cut it with a biscuit cutter, place it on the baking sheet, and finally bake it. For the novice, this is too much working of the dough and can result in those overworked and dried out versions I have referred to as bad restaurant fare.

When it comes to baking, I have never been one for how it looks, but more importantly how it tastes. With that in mind, my favorite...and easiest...biscuit recipe is not one that is rolled out, but rather mixed and then "dropped" onto the baking sheet rather than rolling it out. It is quick and easy to make, and the results are heavenly to eat. OK, so they often resemble the Rock of Gibraltar in shape, but who cares when they are so yummy. Here, then is my recipe, which I consider relatively fool-proof.

Drop Biscuits

2 cups sifted flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Sift flour with baking powder and salt into medium sized bowl.
3. Cut shortening into flour mixture with a pastry blender until mixture is "crumbly".
4. Make a "well" in the center of the mixture. Pour milk in. Stir quickly to mix thoroughly.
5. Drop dough, by tablespoons, onto lightly greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake about 10 min, or until lightly golden brown.

Next Week: About Ingredients

Specialty Cakes - Pineapple Upside Down Cake

For those of you in the United States (there are readers of this blog in other countries), have a fun and safe Fourth of July. As part of our barbecue menu I made a dessert of Triple Berry Pie. I may get to pies as a topic in the future, but for now I wanted to finish up the cake section with another specialty cake, Pineapple Upside Down Cake. It seems appropriate as Pineapple Upside Down Cake has long been a traditional favorite by many bakers for summer desserts including the Fourth of July.



To my knowledge, by nature of what it is and its required ingredients, there are not a lot of variations of the recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake. I have seen a few that call for a rectangular baking pan, but for the most part they are usually baked in a round pan, often a large skillet as is the case with my recipe, and inverted onto a serving plate.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:

1 twenty oz. can of pineapple slices
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs. butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
maraschino cherries, halved

1. Drain the juice from the canned pineapple.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
3. In a sifter place the flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift into large bowl together.
4. Cream 1/2 cup butter (beating in an electric mixer) with 1 cup sugar.
5. Beat the egg yolks with egg beater or fork in a separate small bowl. Add yolks to creamed mixture and beat well, then add flour and 1/2 cup milk, alternately, again beating well.
6. In another clean small bowl beat the egg whites (with a hand mixer if you have one, or with a clean egg beater or fork).
7. Fold the egg whites and vanilla extract into the batter.
8. Melt the 2 tbs. butter in a 10" heavy frying pan, one that has a heat resistant handle. (You can also use a 9" x 9" x 2" rectangular baking pan if you don't mind the non-traditional shape.)
9. Spread the brown sugar over the surface of the buttered pan.
10. Place the pineapple slices over the surface of the pan and add maraschino cherries in the centers of the pineapple.
11. Pour the cake batter over the fruit.
12. Bake about 45 min.
13. When done and slightly cooled, invert the pan and turn the cake (upside down, hence the name) onto a serving platter.

Next Week: Baking Powder Biscuits

Specialty Cakes - Baba au Rhum (Rum Cake)

For lovers of rum, (and I am one) you might like Baba au Rhum (French Rum Cake). Unlike many cooked dishes such as Cog Au Vin (Chicken in Red White sauce), the alcohol content does not burn off. Rather, the rum is poured into a finished cake to soak up. The recipe I am including below was entered into a county fair in the category of Ethnic Cakes. It did not win first prize, taking second instead. However, the judges were quick to let me know that they sure did enjoy sampling the cake!



First, though, a little history: The original version of the cake had the name Babka, which is Eastern European for grandmother. The word in the name was later shortened to Baba. Although we think of Baba Au Rhum to be French, it was originally a Polish cake, hence the original name of Babka. The cake was allegedly first introduced to France in the 18Th century, by the exiled King of Poland, Stanislas, who made his way to France through the french province of Alsace and Lorraine. However, this is just one of a few theories of how the cake made its way from Poland to France.



This cake may be of interest to those of you who would like a slightly more challenging recipe, as it takes longer than most recipes I have introduced thus far, and requires yeast. However, assuming you follow the recipe exactly, you will have good results, even as a beginner.

Baba Au Rhum

Ingredients:

3/4 cup warm (not hot) water

2 pkg. active dry yeast

1 tsp salt

6 large eggs

3 3/4 cups flour, sifted

3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup finely chopped citron

1/4 cup currants



Rum Syrup:

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 medium orange, unpeeled, sliced crosswise

1/2 lemon, unpeeled, sliced crosswise

1 cup light rum



Apricot Glaze:

1 cup apricot preserves

1 tsp. grated lemon peel

2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:

Grease a 10" x 4" tube pan.
Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl of electric mixer and stir until dissolved.
Add sugar, salt, eggs, and 2 1/4 cups flour. At medium speed, beat until smooth.
Add butter and beat for about 2 minutes.
At low speed, beat in rest of flour until smooth.
Stir in citron and currants. The batter will be somewhat thick.
Turn batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Cover with a towel to prevent drafts.
Let rise in a warm area until the batter has risen to within 1/2 inch from the top of the pan.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Gently place the batter filled pan on the oven shelf; this is the important part because if the pan is jarred the cake may "fall".
Bake approximately 40 min. (until deep-golden brown).

To make the rum syrup:
In medium saucepan, combine sugar with 2 cups water and bring to boiling, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Boil uncovered 10 min.
Reduce heat. Add orange and lemon slices and simmer 10 min.
Remove from heat and add the rum.

Carefully loosen sides of cake from pan. Turn out of pan and let cool 15 min. Return cake to the pan.
Set pan onto aluminum foil sheet. Gradually pour the hot syrup and fruit slices over the cake. Continue pouring until all the syrup is absorbed.
Let the cake stand at least 2 hours.

To Make the Apricot Glaze:
In small saucepan, over low heat, melt apricot preserves.
Stir in lemon peel and juice and strain. Refrigerate 30 min.

Discard the fruit slices. Invert the cake onto a large serving platter. Brush top and sides with the apricot glaze.

Next Week: Specialty Cakes - Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Bundt Cake

Readers, please take another look at last week's blog on "More is Not Always Better", the Macaroni and Cheese recipe. I have posted a photo of the finished product by one of my readers of the blog. If any of you would like to see a photo of yourself and/or your finished recipe posted, please email them to me at DoriBasaraba@hotmail.com and I will happily upload them. Your name will not be included unless you specifically request it.

Several weeks ago I posted a blog on Angel Food cakes, and briefly mentioned decorating them. Check out the magazine stands for the July issue of Woman's Day; in it are recipes and photos of uniquely decorated angel food cakes.

I will not be posting next weekend because I will be recuperating from eye surgery, which I will be having tomorrow. I will resume posting in two weeks. There are plenty of recipes within this baking blog to try (previous posts) that should keep you busy until then. In the meantime, here is my discussion/recipe on Bundt Cakes.

One of the purposes of my DoriPieCafe blog is to get more people to bake. As a store clerk once told me, "No one ever bakes anymore.". Well, I aim to change that. Baking can be a great hobby, certainly satisfying to one's taste buds, and doesn't have to be complicated or difficult. With that in mind you will not see time consuming and great talent requiring recipes for elaborate pastries that a professional baker would prepare for a 5-star restaurant. I will include a few recipes that are more involved than others, but also some that show you one can have great results as a beginner or even advanced home baker.

The bundt cake recipe I am including is designed for the beginner in mind as it is one of the few times I utilize a cake mix as part of the ingredients. However, this cake is so easy to make, and so tasty, that I want everyone to try it. It is actually a recipe I got from my Aunt Tess, who was instrumental in inspiring me to bake years ago. She is an excellent baker (and cook too!). I do not believe this is actually a recipe she created, but not sure of the source either as I have seen this recipe in circulation by many people for years now.

Bundt cakes are baked in a specially molded pan, usually Teflon coated for non-sticking. The molds come in numerous different shapes and themes, from simple fluted rings to elaborate castles. There are so many shapes and designs of bundt pans that some people make a hobby of collecting them.

"Aunt Tess's" Bundt Cake

• 1 package of cake mix (any flavor, but do NOT use one with pudding in the mix)
• 1 package Jello instant pudding (any flavor that goes well with the flavor of cake mix you are using)
• 1/2 cup of Crisco or Wesson vegetable oil
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Grease (with butter) and flour a large bundt pan.
3. Beat in, one at a time, the oil, milk, vanilla extract, pudding mix, and cake mix.
4. Pour into the prepared bundt pan.
5. Bake 1 hour, then let cool 10 minutes and invert pan to remove cake.
6. May dress up or decorate cake by dusting top with powdered sugar or drizzle with glaze. Putting shredded coconut, maraschino cherry halves, or shelled pecan halves on top of the glaze is a nice touch too.

In two weeks: Baba Au Rhum (French Rum Cake)

"More is Not Always Better" AND a bonus recipe

Last month I attended a Bunco party. For those of you who haven't heard of it, Bunco is a game where people get together once a month to play a game bearing that name involving dice, and to bring a food or dessert dish to share. What I brought was homemade macaroni and cheese. It is something that I have made for years that is relatively quick to make and good tasting.



Everyone at the Bunco party loved my macaroni and cheese and in fact I had many requests for the recipe. One lady, upon asking me about the recipe, asked me how many types of cheeses I had put in, asking me if I used three or four cheeses. When I replied that I only use one type of cheese, I got an incredulous look from her. I almost think she didn't believe me.



As a society hooked on television cooking shows and grocery magazines filled with the latest versions of "new and different recipes", aspiring bakers and cooks have became involved in searching out, creating, and trying new recipes many, if not most, have changed the food by adding more and more ingredients. When the limit of different types of ingredients seems to have been reached, different types of the same ingredient have thus served to create a "new" recipe. Thus, where a basic but good recipe of one type of cheese once existed, its successor now has four different cheeses. The result is not always better, or even good. Often the dish (in this example macaroni and cheese) becomes bland in taste and more complicated to make. As a result there is less interest to cook or bake.



Now I do not wish to downplay creativity or personal taste. What I do recommend, especially with the recipes I provide you, is to make the recipe exactly as stated for the first time. After that if you are creative, go ahead and experiment with changes that suit you. Baking is, and should be, fun. However, keep in mind that sometimes the simplest recipes with the least amount of varieties of ingredients are the best tasting and the easiest to make. And with those results you will want to make more baked goodies as time goes on.



Since my macaroni and cheese dish is baked in the oven for a time, I feel it qualifies itself to be included in this baking blog! Given below is a macaroni and cheese recipe I use which includes one type of cheese...

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

• One 8 oz. package of elbow macaroni
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 2 cups milk
• 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese (as a block, not pre-shredded)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water, just until tender. Drain.
3. Grate the cheese and set aside. (Freshly grated cheese tastes much better than the packaged pre-shredded stuff.)
4. Melt butter in a medium saucepan.
5. Into the melted butter stir in the flour, salt, and pepper until blended and smooth.
6. Add the milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat.
7. Stir into the thickened sauce approximately two-thirds of the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.
8. Add the drained macaroni to the sauce and carefully stir. Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2 qt. casserole pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the mixture.
9. Bake 15 min. Turn on the broiler and brown the top for 5 min. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.
10. Note: This recipe can easily be doubled, which I usually do.

Next Week: A quick and simple Bundt cake

Carrot Cake Recipe

Looking for a dessert to make for your Memorial Day meal? Here is my Carrot Cake recipe I promised all of you. Rosemarie, this one's for you. : )

Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake

This recipe makes a square loaf, (9" x 9" x 2" pan), but you can easily double the recipe to make a 2 or 3 layer cake.

• 4 or 5 medium carrots, peeled
  1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup Crisco or Wesson brand vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ginger
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
• 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Grease (with butter) and flour a 9" x 9" x 2" square baking pan.
3. Shred carrots in a food processor with a shredder blade, or shred by hand using a hand held grater.
4. In large mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, oil, eggs, water, baking soda, baking powder, salt, the spices, vanilla extract, and the shredded carrots until well mixed.
5. Add the flour and pecans and mix well.
6. Pour the batter into the pan and bake 30 min. to 35 min.
7. Let cool in the pan for 5 min., then remove by first loosening the edges with a spatula.
8. When cool, may frost with Cream Cheese Frosting (See below for recipe), or may leave plain.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Two 3-oz. packages of Philly Cream Cheese (other brands, especially store ones, are generally not as good)
• 6 tbs. salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In large bowl of electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy.



Next Week: Macaroni and Cheese - You don't need a lot of different cheeses for it to taste good. (A discussion which also applies to baking, plus a bonus recipe of Homemade Macaroni and Cheese)

Carrot Cakes

With the economy being on the downturn for the past 2 years, many people are turning to growing their own vegetables. If you are fortunate to have the space to plant your own garden, I would encourage you to consider growing carrots. Like most homegrown fruits and vegetables, there is just no comparison of fresh grown and harvested carrots to the ones in the store. By the time carrots reach market the sugar in the vegetable has diminished. In addition, the typical variety you find in the prepackaged form is not sweet to begin with, and the texture resembles cardboard. If you don't believe that is so, try the following experiment I did myself - make a carrot cake out of fresh grown carrots, and then one from store bought ones. Enough said.

If you don't have the ability for whatever reason to grow your own carrots, don't despair. Just look for carrots that are in a bunch or individual, not prepackaged, and with the carrot tops still attached. They are more likely to be fresher and/or sweeter. Try shopping in local markets and vegetable stands as these are also more likely to carry fresher carrots. If you are able to grow your own, select a short fat variety of carrot seeds; these too are sweeter and produce wonderful carrot cakes, or are great for fresh eating and cooking.

You may noticed the sweetness of carrots that I have emphasized. Their sugar content, second only to sugar beets, have lent themselves to be used in cakes since medieval times. During those times sweeteners were not available to the masses of people due to their cost but the "lowly" carrot was. I venture to say that the peasants, eating such fare, were eating healthier than the lords who devoured the sugary sweet cakes their wealth enabled them to indulge in.

There is no standard type of carrot cake. There are carrot cupcakes, loaf cakes, and layer cakes. Being moist and slightly dense, they are great eaten plain, or served with the "traditional" cream cheese topping. Even some of the additional ingredients may vary according to taste, which may include nuts, raisins, shredded coconut, etc. What is consistent is the method of preparation. In an earlier post I discussed the preparation of quick breads, whereupon all the dry ingredients are mixed together, and then the wet ingredients are added to the dry ones. In that regard carrot cakes are similar to quick breads in that the wet to dry method is used as well.

When I first started this blog series I promised my readers a few of my Blue Ribbon winning recipes as a reward for their loyalty. Next week I will post such a recipe, one for my Carrot Cake. In the meantime, be on the lookout for fresh carrots, ones with their lacy green carrot tops attached, and ones not in those clear bags.

Next Week: Dori's Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake Recipe

Angel Food Cakes

Most of you are very familiar with butter cakes, either from grocery stores, cakes mixes, or homemade ones. Butter cakes are represented by chocolate, white, yellow, and other flavors. They are made with fats and whole eggs. In contrast, however, Angel Food cakes are made without fats, using only egg whites and a light type of flour, usually cake flour. For this reason, angel food cakes have a very light texture and taste. Their lack of fat also makes them ideal for those watching their weight but still want to indulge in a great tasting cake. Their simple nature also makes them well suited for a base for desserts, whether by adding whipped cream and/or fruit, light glazes, etc.

Angel food cakes originated in the late 19Th century. They were originally called the food of the angels, and then became known as angel food cake. Kitchen equipment needed for making this type of cake includes a 10" tube pan and a serrated knife. The tube pan, with its center tube, allows the cake batter to rise higher by sticking to all sides of the pan. Since the leavening agent is only air beaten into the batter, the enhanced rising ability becomes especially important. Do not grease or otherwise prepare the pan, however before pouring in the batter. A serrated knife is used to cut the cake. Other types of knives tend to smash down the cake rather than cut it neatly. Here is a recipe for you to try:

Angel Food Cake

• 1 and 3/4 cups egg whites
• 1 and 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 and 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract

1. In large bowl, bring egg whites to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 375 F.
3. Sift flour with 3/4 cup sugar and set aside.
4. In a separate large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form when beater is raised slowly.
5. Slowly beat in remaining sugar until stiff peaks form.
6. With a wire whisk, gently fold extracts into the egg whites.
7. Sift flour mixture over egg whites and gently fold in, making sure flour is thoroughly blended in.
8. With rubber or silicone spatula, gently push out the batter into an ungreased 10" tube pan. With a knife cut through the batter twice. This forces air into the batter. Spread the batter evenly, making sure it touches the sides and is smooth on top.
9. Bake on lower oven rack, 35 to 40 min., or until top of cake slightly springs back when touched.
10. Invert pan and let cool for 1 to 2 hours.
11. With spatula, carefully loosen cake from pan and then remove.
12. Use serrated knife to slice.

Next Week: Carrot Cakes

Chiffon Cake Recipe

Good morning and Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers! For all of you daughters, (and sons too) I hope you have become inspired to bake something for your mom. It doesn't have to be elaborate or complicated. Whatever you bake for them will be made with love and memories for them. Although it wasn't for Mother's Day, one of my cherished memories is of when my two sons were in grade school. When I came home from work at that time there was a kitchen chair placed in my path after walking in the door. On the chair was a plate of homemade cookies my boys had made to surprise me. Their first attempt at baking, and a loving memory I will always remember.

I posted last evening on a few tips and background information on Chiffon cakes. If you have not already read it, please refer to it below this post. Now for the recipe:

Chiffon Cake

• 2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tbs. baking powder
• 1/2 cup cooking oil (pure vegetable oil such as Crisco or Wesson, NOT others such as canola, sesame, etc.)
• 7 egg yolks (large eggs)
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 2 tsp. finely shredded orange peel (Please note that you do not have to use fresh oranges. I often use a good quality dried orange or lemon peel that comes in the spice section of your grocery store.)
• 7 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1/4 tsp. salt.
2. Into the center of the flour mixture add the oil, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and 3/4 cup of cold water.
3. Beat with your electric stand or hand mixer on low speed to combine, then beat on high speed about 5 minutes.
4. Fold in orange and lemon peels and set aside.
5. With clean beaters and a clean bowl beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff peaks form.
6. Pour flour mixture over the egg white mixture and gently fold in (the purpose is the avoid deflating the air beaten in, which is the leavening agent.
7. Gently pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and bake at 325 F. for 65 to 70 min., or until top springs back when lightly pressed with your finger.
8. Immediately after removing from the oven, invert cake in pan and cool completely.
9. Using a spatula, loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and then remove cake.

As you have noticed, I usually send out email notices that my newest blog post is available. I gather the names from my email friends and family contacts. If you do not wish to receive these email notices, please email me back to say you no longer wish to be emailed, and I will comply.

On the other hand, if you enjoy the blogs, please recommend my blog to all your family and friends you feel may be interested. This is not a private blog, but rather a public blog, so your recommendations are appreciated!


Next Week: Angel Food Cakes

Chiffon Cakes

Since my last post I realized that the subject of cakes was too big to just devote to one week's discussion and then a couple of recipes. I will therefore expand to at least several weeks.

Most everyone is familiar with the basic chocolate, white, and yellow cakes and their variations, whether homemade or (gasp!) box mix. I, therefore, will not devote blog space to them other than to say that any of those can be made into the smaller version, cupcakes. I would like to get into, rather, the less familiar but more interesting varieties of cakes. This week I will start with Chiffon Cakes

Chiffon cakes, like their "cousins" Angel Food cakes and Sponge Cakes, are delicate and tender. Although they can be basic like an angel cake, they also can be elaborate works of art depending upon the choice of cake and recipe. Now, I know what a chiffon cake tastes like and looks like, but I wanted to more about the subject before I share it with you so I researched it on Wikipedia. (I am more of an expert in the area of pies, quick breads, etc. than I am on cakes). What I learned was really interesting. It turns out that the chiffon cake was invented by an insurance salesman, who also ran a catering business, in 1927. He later turned around and sold the recipe to a famous company, who proclaimed it to be the "cake discovery of the century."!

As to what makes a chiffon cake a chiffon cake is how it is made and, of course, its ingredients. Instead of butter, oil is used. Eggs are also part of the recipe. The light texture of the cake is created by beating egg whites until stiff (use your highest setting of the mixture to achieve this) and folding them in the cake batter before baking. Due to the high oil /egg content you should end up with a moist cake, one that does not harden or dry out as fast as a "traditional" cake.

A couple of tips when making Chiffon cakes:

• Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
• Be sure to add the cooking oil to the flour mixture first, then add the egg yolks. Otherwise, egg yolks will combine with the flour and form streaks.

Other than that, the key to a successful Chiffon cake is to follow the recipe.


My next post (most likely tomorrow morning) will be a recipe for Chiffon Cake.

Cakes

Yes, I know, I am somewhat late in posting this week's Blog. My neighbor's Mulberry Tree has a bumper crop of ripe berries, so I spent most of the weekend picking the mulberries and making pies and jam.

In my previous posts I have started you out on relatively foolproof bakery. Now we are going to get into cakes. Some people shy away from baking a cake because it either seems complicated to them or doesn't come out right. Furthermore, the variety of cake mixes on the market are easy and quick to prepare, so most people opt for them instead. Really, baking cakes is not difficult as long as you follow the recipe exactly. In addition, there are a few basic rules to follow.

First of all, however, let me state that I am not a cake decorator. Cake decorating is a specialty and an art into itself,; one that I have no inclination for. My bakery, cakes included, are all about the taste rather than how they look. Because of the time and often special techniques involved creating flowers, multiple layers with "pillars" (think wedding cakes), etc., many beautiful masterpieces are not necessarily moist and delicious cakes. Often they are dry and bland on the inside. To give a real life example, my step-daughter's wedding cake, catered by the reception hall, had beautiful red roses and black ribbons of hardened icing. Great for photos. Not so great for eating. Close family and friends returned to my home after the reception to enjoy an additional cake, one made by me. Needless to say they enjoyed the taste of my cake more that the highly decorated catered one.

Now, before you come to the conclusion that to make a good tasting cake it has to look plain, let me reassure you that there are simple decorative things you can do to dress it up. If no one is allergic to nuts who will be eating your finished product, you can place shelled pecan or walnut halves around the bottom and top rims of the cake. Or you can sprinkle the top with crushed nuts. Shredded coconut sprinkled on top looks pretty too. These are just a few ideas to quickly and simply decorate a cake and still have a great tasting product. They do not require skill or talent. Of course, if you are really creative and prefer to learn cake decorating, there are short courses given at community colleges, cookware stores, and at stores that carry cake decorating equipment.

Now for the few basic, but important, tips regarding baking a successful cake:

1. As stated above, follow the recipe exactly. Every ingredient has a purpose and leaving something out, decreasing or increasing the amount, or making substitutions can and will affect the end result. Measure the ingredients accurately.

2. Do not overbeat. Overbeating removes the little bubbles of air, causing the cake to fall. While I mentioning "falling", do not open the oven door while the cake is baking. The cake will also fall for that reason. Instead, turn on the oven light so you can keep an eye on it without resorting to opening the door.

3. Know your oven. If a recipe calls for 350 F., and your oven heats up hotter than that at that setting, or colder at that setting, make the adjustment accordingly. Better yet, have your oven checked and repaired if it is not keeping accurate temperatures.

4. Have on hand fresh ingredients, especially the eggs. Most of us keep eggs in the refrigerator a while and I am guilty of that as well. While they do usually do not spoil, old eggs will not keep their egg yolk intact when cracking open the egg. If the yolk spreads it indicates they are old. Great for scrambled eggs, but not great for a perfect cake. Keep on hand cake flour. Flour is the main ingredient of a cake; cake flour creates a finer texture.

As for variety of cakes, there are many flavors and types of cakes. Most of you are familiar with birthday or layer cakes made of chocolate, vanilla, yellow, strawberry, etc. Please do not limit yourself to just those types of cakes. In addition, there are spice cakes, cakes made with fruit such as bananas or apples, chiffon cakes, sponge cakes, and angel food cakes to name a few! There are even cakes soaked throughout with rum, for those so inclined.

Next week I will provide you with a couple of cake recipes. In the meantime, have a safe and healthy week. Happy Baking!

Next Week: Cake Recipes

Baking Equipment to Stock Your Kitchen With

I thought I would take a break from baking topics and recipes to discuss what equipment you may want to stock in your baking section of the kitchen. Some of you may have a well-equipped kitchen, especially if you have been baking for years. For those of you who don't, here is what I would recommend to start out with:

• Cake pans: either 8" or 9" round, 3 of them (so that you can make a 3 layer cake)
• One 8" x 8" or 9" x 9" square pan (good for brownies and other small cakes)
• One large rectangular pan, approximately 9" x 13" (good for making sheet cakes)
• Bread pans: "standard" size, at least 2 of them as some recipes call for splitting the batter into 2 pans)
• One standard sized muffin pan (You can make a lot more than just muffins in these; popovers or cupcakes, for example.)
• 2 or 3 cookie sheets, the largest size that will fit in your oven (Even if you don't want to get into baking cookies, cookie sheets are used for other things, such as jelly rolls for example. I have even used them to dry pumpkin seeds in the oven!)
• One 10" tube pan (This is a pan that is in 2 pieces and is round. Used for pound cakes, angel and chiffon cakes, etc. The two pieces are designed for easy removal of delicate cakes)
• One bundt cake pan. (These days they come in different shapes. Essentially it is a mold. Choose one that has a design or shape that appeals to you. Some people even collect these as some can be quite elaborate)

The items listed above I recommend in heavy gauge metal, but not Teflon coated. Teflon, in my opinion, alters the baking slightly, and eventually scratches. If you purchase good quality pans they will last you for years, perhaps a lifetime.

• Two 9" pie plates, made of glass (Pyrex). (Glass bakes better pie crusts)
• 1 rolling pin
• 1 pastry cutter
• 1 flour sifter
• measuring spoons and measuring cups, in a variety of sizes
• 1 spatula, silicone or rubber
• 1 wire whisk
• 1 mixer, ideally a stand mixer of good quality. Otherwise, at least a hand mixer. If you can afford it I would suggest having both a stand mixer for large and heavy jobs, and a portable hand mixer for quick or small jobs, or for mixing at the stove.

All of the above list of items will enable you to bake just about anything and everything. If you are fond of baking a particular category of items, you may want to expand on your equipment inventory. For example, if you love baking cookies, you may wish to consider adding cookie presses or molds. If you are into making all kinds of muffins, try adding mini muffin pans, jumbo muffin pans, etc. Then there are specialty pastry pans, and other sizes of baking pans and pie plates. As long as you have the basics you can always add on to your equipment collection as need arises.

I generically mentioned rolling pins and pie plates. I will discuss these in a little more detail when I get into Pie Making.

Whether you are just starting out and need all or some of the basics, or if you are advancing into specialty items and want a particular piece of equipment, take the time to enjoy looking around the bake aisles of the stores, catalogs, or online. You just might find something to spur your interest in a particular area of baking. In the meantime, have a great week filled with tasty treats.

Next week: Cakes

Old Fashioned Pound Cake Loaf

A few weeks ago I recommended that you look for what is in season when planning out your baking for optimal taste and cost savings. The other day Costco had a sale on large containers of fresh blackberries. I purchased several containers and made a blackberry pie, and today I will be making blackberry jam. My adult children will be thrilled as they look forward to receiving my jams as well as my pies.

As for pound cakes, in the previous post earlier today I gave you a recipe for Chocolate Pound Cake, which is a large cake, utilizing a tube pan. Now I will give you a recipe to try for a smaller loaf sized cake, one that is old-fashioned basic and "goodness". This recipe does not use leavening agents. Instead air beaten into the eggs will do the "rising", so be sure to beat them well as per the instructions.

Old Fashioned Pound Cake Loaf

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Butter and flour a 9" loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Sift flour, salt, and nutmeg together and set aside.
3. Beat (cream) butter until light, then add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy.
4. Beat egg yolks until thick and light, then add to butter mixture, a little at a time, beating well.
5. Blend flour in gradually, then add in vanilla and beat until smooth.
6. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and fold gently into batter. Note: When beating egg whites, always use highest speed of mixer for best results.
7. Pour batter into pan. Bake 1 hr. and 10 min., or until knife inserted into middle comes out clean.

Next Week: Baking Equipment to stock your kitchen with

Chocolate Pound Cake

Last week I briefly wrote that one can get creative with desserts made with poundcake. Last evening I went to a Bunco party ( a ladies night out of playing a game called Bunco whereupon the attendees bring a dish to pass for snacks. Someone brought a homemade pound cake that they elaborately decorated by "frosting" it with whipped cream and then covering it with slices of fruit and nuts. Just another example of how a relatively simple cake can be the basis for endless possibilities of desserts.

Chocolate Pound Cake

This recipe calls for unsweetened cocoa. You might notice that some brands of cocoa are labeled as "Dutch" cocoa. Dutch cocoa goes through a process of treating the cocoa bean with an alkaline substance prior to grinding the beans. Natural cocoa has a bitter flavor which is neutralized by the alkaline treatment. Therefore, if you can find it, I recommend the Dutch version of cocoa for your baking needs.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
2 tbs. grated unsweetened chocolate
1 tbs. vanilla extract

1. Sift flour with cocoa, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
2. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F.
3. In large bowl of electric mixer, at medium speed, beat butter, shortening, and sugar about 4 or 5 min.
4. Add eggs, beating after each is added.
5. At low speed, beat in flour mixture, in 4 additions, alternating with the milk, adding a little milk at a time.
6. Add grated chocolate and vanilla.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour and 15 min., or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Let cook in pan 10 min. Turn out of pan and cool completely.

Next post to follow this one today: Another Pound Cake recipe

Pound Cake

Most everyone is familiar with pound cake; usually bought at the grocery store, wrapped in a loaf sized box by a familiar brand name. If that is, however, your only exposure to this type of cake you are missing out on a cake that is moist, spongy, and slightly sweet rather than the dry and relatively bland version.

Some of you may be familiar as to how Pound Cake got its name. If not, I am providing you with a little history here. In the middle ages pound cake started out as a "sweetened bread" Sometime towards the 19th century the bread evolved to a pound cake. The pound in the name literally refers to the four main ingredients and their quantity in the recipe, or weight. Hence, the traditional pound cake contains 1 lb. of flour (about 3 cups), 1 lb. of eggs (about 6 large), 1 lb. of butter (four sticks), and 1 lb. of sugar (about 2 cups).

Today the recipe has evolved and improved with the addition of various ingredients from leavening agents for better rising to chocolate for marble pound cakes. One can make the full sized cake in a bundt or tube pan, or a smaller version in a loaf pan. The pound cake is also versatile in how it can be used. Serve thin slices, plain or with jam, with coffee for a snack, make a simple but tasty dessert of berries or ice cream placed on top of a slice of cake, or create an elaborate dessert comprised of pound cake, whipped cream, and strawberries for a version of strawberry shortcake. The possibilities are practically endless since the cake does not have an overpowering flavor to interfere with your creativity.

A few tips on preparation:
Have all the ingredients at room temperature in order to end up with a fine-grained texture.
Eggs are the primary source of rising by virtue of air that is whipped or beaten into them. Therefore, add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 to 2 minutes before adding the next egg. When you add the flour, turn the mixer to the low speed, or gently fold in by hand. This will prevent the air you incorporated into the eggs from being dispersed.

Next Week: A couple of Pound Cake recipes

Zucchini Bread Recipe

Here is the second post for today, a recipe for Zucchini Bread. I entered Zucchini Bread at a county fair a few years ago using this recipe. Out of 32 entries, mine won the Blue Ribbon for First Place. I also had this recipe published in the fair's book entitled Exhibitors' Favorite Recipes, in 2005. Enjoy.

Zucchini Bread

3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil (Note: Do not use oils such as canola, safflower, etc., as these will give an off taste. Use only pure vegetable oil such as Crisco or Wesson brands.)
2 cups finely grated zucchini
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups sugar

Butter and flour the bottom and sides of 2 loaf pans.
Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
In large bowl, sift flour. Stir in the flour the salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.
In another large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar at medium speed. Add oil, vanilla extract, and grated zucchini, and beat until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and beat until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans.
Bake 1 hour.


Next Week: Pound Cakes

Quick Bread Recipe - Date Nut Bread

Did any of you follow my suggestion to see what was in season in your supermarket? I did yesterday, and I found locally grown, red ripe strawberries. The strawberry packages were on sale, two 32-oz. packages for $5.00 total, which was a savings of over $7.00. Today I will be making home made strawberry jams and some strawberry pies. The pie lessons will be in the future. For now, as promised, here are a couple of quick bread recipes, starting with a basic, Date Nut Bread.

Date Nut Bread

Ingredients

• 4 cups pitted dates, chopped
• 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 3/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour (I recommend an unbleached flour)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar Note: When measuring brown sugar, whether light or dark, always pack down firmly into measuring cup.
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Note: for an added variation, try substituting 1 tsp. brandy or rum, either the real thing or the extract.

Directions

1. Place the chopped dates into a bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Set aside to cool.
2. Grease and flour two standard sized loaf pans (generally 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 1/2").
3. Sift flour with baking soda and salt. Set aside. Note: For those of you new to baking, there are inexpensive hand held sifters on the market, any of which are satisfactory.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Note: Those of you in Europe or Asia, please make the appropriate conversion to Centigrade.
5. In large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat butter with sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
6. Add cooled date mixture and mix well.
7. Add fluor mixture and beat slowly until well combined.
8. Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing between the two loaf pans.
9. Bake about 1 hour and 10 min., or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
10. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans and let cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap, zip lock bags, etc., then in aluminum foil, and store overnight. Serve the next day, or freeze for later use.

Next post this afternoon: Another quick bread recipe. In the meantitme, I am off to making the Strawberry Jam!

Quick Breads

Happy Saturday to all. Today's blog is about quick breads.

There is not too much difference between muffins and quick breads. Both are relatively simple to make. Quick breads, however, are generally in a loaf shape and take longer to bake due to the shape and quantity. Of course, recipes will slightly differ as well.

Besides muffins, the quick breads category also includes biscuits, coffee cakes, popovers, pancakes, and waffles. Today I will be addressing the loaf shaped, generally sweet, breads that most of us think of as quick breads. Those include Banana Bread, which many of you are familiar with, Date Nut Bread, Zucchini Bread, and many other tasty treats.

In my blog regarding muffins I mentioned the quick leavening agents of baking powder and baking soda. To go into further detail, baking powder is a combination of baking soda and usually cream of tartar. Baking powder starts to produce gas bubbles as soon as they come in contact with the wet ingredients. Therefore, as with muffins, quick breads are made by mixing first the dry ingredients, then adding the wet ingredients.

Some recipes will include buttermilk as an ingredient. Last week, for example, I gave you a recipe for Bran Muffins that included buttermilk. Buttermilk was originally the product left behind from the butter making process. It is slightly acidic but gives a pleasant taste when blended with sugar. If you do not have buttermilk on hand you can make a close substitute in taste by adding 1 tsp. lemon juice to 1 cup of whole milk and let stand for a few minutes before using.

Before starting your baking, have all your ingredients and equipment ready to start. Loaf pans come in several sizes. In general, most recipes call for the standard 9" x 5" pan. For those of you following this blog in Europe please note that there are equivalent sizes in the metric system that are close to the 9 " x 5 " size, so you will want to choose that. Preparation of the loaf pans is slightly more involved than muffins. To prepare the pans, use butter to thoroughly coat the bottom and sides with, then pour in some flour and shake thoroughly the flour around to completely cover the butter. Invert the pans over a garbage area and shake off the excess.

You should place your batter filled loaf pans in the center of the oven, allowing space between the pans. When baked, allow the bread to cool slightly. Although muffins are best eaten right after they are made, the sweeter loaf quick breads are generally best the next day when their flavors have developed. Quick breads also freeze well, making them perfect for making ahead for busy holidays or to take advantage of a bumper crop of fresh fruit. To freeze, simply wrap tightly in plastic zip lock bags, plastic wrap, freezer paper, or plastic containers, squeezing out as much air as possible. The frozen breads keep well in your freezer for up to six months.

When selecting a recipe, I like to make my choice based on what is available locally in the market. For example, if blueberries are season, you might want to make Blueberry Bread. Or, if you have some home grown zucchini, Zucchini Bread is a great way to use up that abundance of vegetable the zucchini plants are noted for. If fact, it is a great way to get your children to eat a vegetable; my children growing up would never eat cooked zucchini; but, put it in Zucchini Bread, and "voila".

Selecting your recipe by what is in season or available locally will ensure that your baked goods will have the best possible taste, and will generally provide some economic savings as well. In addition, it gives you reason to appreciate the seasons and all that they have to offer. During this week go out to the store (or your garden if you have one) and find out what fruits are in season for making quick breads.

Next Week: A couple of Quick Bread recipes

Additional Post, Muffins

Happy Spring to all of you. I wanted to mention a few more things about my muffin recipes I posted yesterday before moving on next week to Quick Breads.

Please note that yesterday I put up two separate posts. Each one is a recipe. I felt that separating them would better allow to print each separately if you so choose. So, if you only read the topmost post for Bran Muffins, please scroll down to the Blueberry Muffin recipe post as well. I will be doing that format when posts are recipes.

In regards to Blueberry Muffins, you may substitute other berries such as cherries or strawberries. Delicate berries such as raspberries or blackberries taste great too. Keep in mind, however, that the more delicate berries will color the muffin throughout.

If you have a request for a particular muffin recipe, let me know. I will do my best to either provide you with one of mine, or do the research for you.

Have a wonderful Sunday; hopefully it will include warm muffins.

Old Fashioned Bran Muffins

You can check out a multitude of cookbooks and cooking magazines to find a plethora of fancy and tasty muffin recipes, and I encourage you to do so. Many great recipes can be found that way. What is harder to find these days are the basic wholesome recipes we may remember from our childhood. With that in mind I wish to share a back to basics recipe that is also delicious.

Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 cups whole-bran cereal
1/2 cup seedless raisins
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk (Note: if you prefer, you may substitute whole milk for the buttermilk)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line muffin pan cups with paper liners.
2. Sift flour with baking powder, soda, and salt into medium bowl. Add bran and raisins and mix well.
3. In large bowl of electric mixer, at medium speed, cream butter with sugar until light and creamy. Beat in egg.
4. At slow speed, stir in flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Batter should be slightly lumpy.
5. Pour batter into muffin pan cups, filling approximately 2/3 full.
6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden.

Makes 1 dozen

Next Week: Quick Breads