Spiced Applesauce Cake
Spiced Applesauce Cake
As a kid, I loved applesauce, right out of the jar. I still do. I admit to being spoiled these days, because I usually make and can my own sauce. You don’t have to limit yourself to just eating applesauce as is. You can bake with it, too. This cake is one way to enjoy applesauce, homemade or store bought. I used butter in the recipe, but if you used coconut oil instead, the recipe would be vegan. The spices work so well together. Simple and full of flavor.
Spiced Applesauce Cake
2 c. unsweetened applesauce
½ c. butter
2 c. sugar
3 c. flour
1 T. baking soda
½ t. salt
1 t. each cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg
¼ t. cloves
1 c. raisins or chopped nuts
Heat together applesauce and butter until butter melts. Cool down a bit. Preheat oven 375 and grease 9×13-inch pan. Stir all ingredients together bake 30 minutes. Cool in pan.
Ruth Stevens’ Overnight Slaw
Ruth Steven’s Overnight Slaw
When I was growing up, I had a neighbor, Ruth Stevens, who was like a grandmother to me. I adored her. She loved gardening and animals, and had a gentle quality about her, that I will never forget. I spent many happy days in her garden and learned so much from her. She gave me this recipe. I was about 12 at the time and Mrs. Steven’s was in her 80’s. I still have her recipe, written in her slightly shaky handwriting. Since she said it was her mother’s recipe, I am guessing this recipe to be at least a hundred years old. When I look through old recipes and come across it, I always think of her, and miss her even to this day.
I got some beautiful red cabbage and decided to make this salad for a class I was teaching. It is meant to be made a day ahead- even a few days ahead. You can make the salad with red or green cabbage or a combination. After a few days in the fridge, if you make the combination of red and green the green cabbage will pick up the color from the red cabbage and the whole thing will look red. Because of the acidity of the cider vinegar in the dressing, the red cabbage not only maintains its color, I think it gets a little brighter. With the vinegar dressing the slaw will keep for at least a week in the fridge- it just gets more “pickled” over time.
Ruth Steven’s Overnight Slaw
8 cups shredded cabbage- about 1 medium head
1 c. cider vinegar
1/2 c. sugar, or to taste
1 T. celery seed
2 t. dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste
Place cabbage in large bowl. In jar with a tight fitting lid place the rest of the ingredients and shake well until sugar is dissolved. Pour over the cabbage and stir to coat. Cover bowl and place in fridge overnight to let the flavor blend and the cabbage soften. Salad will wilt down quite a bit. Keeps in fridge for a week or two. Serves 6-8.
Tahini Dressing
Spinach Salad with Tahini Dressing
I love this salad dressing. The combination of tahini, garlic and lemon juice really works. It is also very simple to make. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. Think of it like peanut butter, but made with sesame seeds instead. I asked a few friends who do a fair amount of cooking, about how they cook with tahini. The answer was the same, they use it in hummus. That was about it. But tahini can be used in more dishes than just hummus or baba ghanoush. It can be the base for any number of sauces, dressings and dips. Tahini can be found in most larger grocery stores and in specialty stores. You can also make your own by combining sesame seeds with a little olive oil in a blender and mixing until smooth.
Tahini Dressing
1/3 c. tahini
1/3 c. water
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 c. olive oil
Salt to taste
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. You can also place all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake well to combine. Use on green salads or on fish dishes and falafel.
Note: Tahini is a sesame seed paste used a lot in Middle Eastern and African cooking. It can be found in specialty food stores and in some grocery stores. You can also make your own, in a pinch, by blending sesame seeds in a blender with a small amount of oil, and blend until smooth. I use olive oil. Store home-made tahini in the freezer for best results and just scoop some out when needed. You can also add a little more lemon juice to this recipe when using on seafood dishes.
Candied Orange Peel
Candied Orange Peels
During the winter months, when citrus is in season, I find myself eating a lot of oranges. I also find myself with a lot of orange peels. I dry some, and powder it up for use in baking and cooking. But there is always more. A dear friend of mine loves candied orange peel so I am sure to make her at least a couple of batches this time of year. It’s a pretty easy thing to make and a nifty way of turning something that might otherwise be discarded into something tasty. You can also candy other citrus peel this way like grapefruit or even make candied ginger by using slices of fresh ginger. Best to use organic oranges, since you are eating the peels.
Candied Orange Peel
2 large oranges ( you can also use 1 grapefruit or 3 lemons)
or 1 lb. of ginger root*
¾ c. water
¾ c. sugar, plus extra for rolling
3 T. light corn syrup, optional
Remove peel from fruit using a sharp knife. Try to get the peel off in 4 pieces. Cut the peel into ¼-inch wide strips. Place peel in a pot with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, drain and rinse under cold water. Repeat process 2 more times. Return to pan with fresh water and boil 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Bring ¾ c. water and ¾ c. sugar to boil in sauce pan with the corn syrup. Boil 2-3 minutes and then add the peel. Simmer, stirring occasionally until all but a spoonful of the syrup is left. This should take about 10 minutes. On a wax-paper lined baking sheet sprinkle 1 cup of sugar and arrange the peels on top of the sugar. Toss the peels around until cooled adding more sugar if needed. Place peels on a drying rack for 24 hours before storing. Once dried you can also dip one end of the peels in dark chocolate. Makes ½ pound.
* If making the candied ginger root peel and cut into 1/4- inch slices. Then cut the slices into 1/4-inch thick strips
Dukkah
Dukkah
Dukkah is an Egyptian dish that is a mix of toasted nuts and spices. It has a wonderful fragrance and crunchy texture. A lot of the flavor comes from toasting the nuts and spices before grinding them up. Toasting really brings out the flavor of both the nuts and the other ingredients. It is traditionally served with olive oil and bread. You put some Dukkah in a little bowl, and put olive oil in another little bowl. Dip your bread in the oil and then in the Dukkah. I like to sprinkle it on fish or chicken before baking. Dukkah is also good tossed with cooked veggies, or sprinkled on an omelet. So simple and so tasty.
Dukkah
¾ c. each whole, blanched almonds and hazelnuts
½ c.(scant) coriander seeds
¼ c. cumin seeds
6 T. sesame seeds
In 300-degree oven toast nuts for about 20 minutes or until golden. Bake cumin and coriander seeds, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until you can smell them. Toast sesame seeds about 5 minutes. Cool all ingredients. If you prefer, you can toast the seeds in a skillet, over medium heat. Just place the coriander and cumin seeds in a skillet and heat, stirring often until they become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the sesame seeds and continue toasting until sesame seeds are golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Be careful not to burn them. Grind sesame seeds and spices into a coarse powder. In processor chop nuts fine and combine with spices. To serve dukkah: pour olive oil in a small bowl. Place crusty bread and dukkah on a plate. Dip bread in oil then in the dukkah. I also use dukkah sprinkled on chicken and fish. Store in fridge or freezer for extended freshness.
Toasting the spices
Serving Dukkah with olive oil and bread
Really Easy Blueberry Crumb Cake
Blueberry Crumb Cake
When local berries are in season I freeze plenty so I can enjoy them all year round. In a recent cleaning out of the freezer, I pulled out a package of blueberries and decided to make something with them. I love blueberries in pretty much anything. I cook with them all the time. This is one of my favorite blueberry recipes- and that is saying a lot. It is a classic and always a favorite when I make it for friends and family. The cake is moist, tender and delicate but the magic is that crumb topping. The cake isn’t too sweet, so you can enjoy it for dessert, or even for breakfast or brunch. I like it plain, but friends have been known to serve it with ice cream. There is something extra nice about a blueberry cake on a snowy day.
Blueberry Crumb Cake
For cake batter:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ stick (¼ cup) butter, softened
¾ c. sugar
1 egg
½ c. milk
1 pint blueberries, fresh or frozen
For topping:
½ c. sugar
¼ c. flour
½ t. cinnamon
½ stick (¼ c. butter, chilled and cut into bits)
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and milk. Add flour mixture gradually until just mixed in. Fold in blueberries. Grease and flour an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan and add prepared batter. Combine topping ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in pan and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. Use toothpick to test.
Note: I have used a 9-inch round pan and it worked fine.
English Toffee Crunch
English Toffee Crunch
If you are looking to make a special sweet treat for someone, English Toffee Crunch is always a good choice. The crunchy, sweet toffee is coated with chocolate on the top and bottom along with a sprinkling of fine chopped nuts. A classic, for sure. I know people are sometimes a little scared about making candy, but this is pretty easy to make, and well worth the effort. The only special piece of equipment you will need is a candy thermometer. Just be careful when handling the hot ingredients. The end result is a special treat for a special someone.
English Toffee Crunch
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 sticks butter (not margarine)
3 T. water
1 T. light corn syrup – recipe follows for homemade
3/4 lb. milk or dark chocolate, or chocolate chips
1/2 c. very finely chopped walnuts
Over low heat, stirring constantly, cook sugar, butter, water and corn syrup until mixture reaches hard crack stage (300-310 degrees). Pour onto ungreased jellyroll pan tilting quickly in all directions to get toffee as thin as possible. It hardens up unbelievably quickly so work fast. I like to warm the cookie sheet a little in the oven so it buys me a few extra seconds to thin out the toffee. Harden in fridge about five minutes or let stand at room temperature until cooled down. Melt chocolate in double boiler and spread half of it over toffee, spreading to edges. Sprinkle with half the nuts and return to fridge it harden chocolate. Turn toffee carefully onto another sheet and coat the bottom with the remaining chocolate and nuts. Chill until chocolate hardens then break up into bite sized pieces. Note: you can use even more chocolate if you like a thicker coating. Store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container. Makes 1 1/2 lbs.
Homemade Corn Syrup Substitute
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup Water
1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar
dash of salt
Combine all in a large, heavy stainless steel pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover with lid for 3 to 4 minutes to get the sugar crystals off the sides of the pan. Uncover and cook to softball stage, 238 to 240 degree’s F. or when a small amount is dropped into cold water and does not hold its shape; stir constantly. Cook for another minute. Cool and store in covered jar at room temperature, will keep well for 2 months at room temperature.
For dark corn syrup add 1/4 cup molasses
Homemade Eclairs
Homemade Eclairs
If you want to surprise someone with a very special sweet treat this weekend, you could make eclairs. These are a bit or work, but the end result is so wonderful. I think they are worth the effort, especially for special occasions.
You start by make a pate a chou, or cream puff pastry. This is the same dough used to make cream puffs. It is a combination of water, butter, milk and flour- cooked on top of the stove, then enriched with the addition of eggs. The dough is piped onto baking sheets and baked until puffed, golden and crisp. Once cooled, they are filled with sweetened whipped cream or, more traditionally, a custard filling, then topped with chocolate ganache.
Homemade Eclairs
1 recipe Cream Puff Pastry (Pate a Chou)- recipe follows
Egg custard- for filling, or sweetened whipped cream- recipe follows
Chocolate Ganache- for topping- recipe follows
Start by making the dough. This recipe will make 12-18 medium eclairs.
Cream Puff Pastry
¾ c. water
¼ c. milk
¼ t. salt
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1¼ c. flour – unbleached or bread flour preferred
4 large eggs
Extra milk for brushing
In saucepan, heat together water, milk butter and salt into a full boil. Butter has to be melted. While stirring, dump flour into saucepan, stirring constantly. Mixture will form into a ball. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking dough, while stirring, for another minute or two. Place dough in an electric mixer and allow it to cool down a little before adding the eggs. Mixture has to be at 140 degrees F, or below, before you start adding the eggs. I use the paddle attachment and beat the dough before adding the eggs. This cools the dough down faster. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until each is fully incorporated. Beat until dough is shiny. A spoon, lifted out of the batter, should leave a peak that does not fall down.
Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. I used a silicone liner and was happy with the result. Don’t grease the pan. Using a piping bag, squeeze the dough into 5-inch strips on the baking sheet- leaving a little room in between. Strips should be about ¾ -inch in diameter. Using a little milk on your finger, smooth down any peaks on the puffs. They should resemble little hot dog buns. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 375. Bake eclairs 10 more minutes, or until golden brown. Tap the shells. They should sound hollow. Turn off the heat and leave oven door open a crack, allowing them to dry completely. Cool before filling. Makes 12-18.
Custard Filling
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1⁄3 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
Using a whisk, combine milk, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat on stove top. Allow milk to scald (heat to the point when tiny bubbles form around edges of pan). Whisk occasionally to prevent cornstarch from clumping on bottom edges of pan. Remove milk mixture from heat, preferably to a burner that’s turned off.
Mix about 2 tablespoons of scalded milk mixture into eggs using whisk, then introduce eggs into milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking milk mixture constantly. Immediately return pan to heat and whisk gently until custard thickens, another two or three minutes. Do not allow to boil. (If you find that you have egg white strands in custard, feel free to pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into a different bowl now.) Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool before using. Makes 3 cups.
To fill the eclairs, using a small piping tip with a pastry bag, filled with the custard. Squeeze filling in on one end, on through the bottom, squeezing until it seems full.
Once eclairs are filled, top with a chocolate ganache. I just dip the tops of the eclairs in the warm ganache and chill until chocolate sets. Filled eclairs should be stored i8n fridge until ready to serve. They can be frozen.
Chocolate Ganache
4- 6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped- or 1 cup chocolate chips
2 oz. heavy whipping cream
In saucepan, heat chocolate and cream together until just heated through. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. You can also do this in a microwave safe bowl, in the microwave for about a minute. Remove and stir until smooth. Makes 1 cup.
Homemade Vegetable Soup Base
Vegetable Soup Base Ingredients
I make a lot of homemade soup and soup stock. I will admit to sometimes using a paste-type soup base to stretch my homemade stock or to boost the flavor. They are so much better than bullion cubes, and can help you out in a pinch. They are also very convenient. I have made a lot of stuff from scratch- could I make my own soup base? I could- and I did. I made a vegetable soup base that is a mixture of vegetables, both fresh and dried, herbs, mushrooms, nutritional yeast, spices and salt. There is pretty good amount of salt, but I wanted to be able to store it in the fridge and be safe. Figured out that every teaspoonful of the finished base has less than 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Not great, but a lot less than bullion cubes. If you want to make yours with less salt or no salt- you’ll have to freeze the mixture in ice cube trays and take it out of the freezer as needed. Sort of like your own bullion cubes. The nice part is I can now make a vegetable soup easily and I know exactly what is in it. It can also be added to chicken or other meat-based stocks, in place of the salt, to add extra flavor.
Homemade Vegetable Soup Base
4 carrots, peeled and cubed
3 celery ribs, washed and cubed
1 large sweet onion, peeled and cubed
3 green onions, washed and cut up
1 c. sun- dried tomatoes, soaked in water 30 minutes, and drained
1 c. dried mushrooms, soaked in water 10 minutes and drained
1 c. chopped cabbage
1 c. parsley, chopped
1/2 c. chopped sweet pepper
1/4 c. nutritional yeast, optional
2 T. turmeric
8 oz. salt- I used sea salt and used a scale to weigh it. It’s around a cup but will differ if you are using a coarse salt
Combine all ingredients, except the salt, in a food processor and blend until smooth. I have a decent size Cuisinart and still had to do this in batches. Combine in a bowl with the salt and stir well to blend. Store in a clean jar in the fridge until ready to use. I ended up with about 5 cups of soup base. To use, add about 1 teaspoonful to a cup of hot water for vegetable broth. Use less or more according to your taste. Use in place of salt in other soups, stews and sauces.
Finished Soup Base
Vegetable broth made from the base
Kat’s Ricotta Fritters
Kat’s Ricotta Fritters
I have made these ricotta fritters before and they are always a big hit. However, no one seems to like them as much at my friend, Kat. She loves them. Really loves them. So I have decided to add her name to the recipe from now on.
Ricotta cheese is the ingredient that makes these fritters so special. They are delicate and tender on the inside, with a light crunch on the outside. If you are looking for a fast and easy addition to a dessert tray or brunch menu you can’t do much better than home made fritters. You just heat up oil, mix up the batter ingredients, and start frying. In less than 30 minutes you can have a plate of warm fritters. You can also make the batter up a day or two ahead of time- and chill until ready to use. When finished, you can eat them plain, roll them in cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar, or drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze.
Kat’s Ricotta Fritters
3/4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 T. cinnamon
1 c. ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3 T. sugar
2 t. vanilla
Powdered sugar for dusting
oil for deep frying
Heat oil to 370 degrees in heavy saucepan. While oil is heating combine dry ingredients with cinnamon and set aside. Beat together cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in dry ingredients. Working in batches spoon batter by level tablespoonfuls into hot oil, turning occasionally until golden brown, about 3 minutes in all. Transfer with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Dust with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar and serve. Makes about 3 dozen.
Note: You can make the batter up a day ahead of time and chill until ready to use.
