Molasses Applesauce Cake
I can remember the first time I made a molasses cake. I was about 17. The recipe was in one of my Mom’s “women’s magazines”. I loved the earthy flavor that the molasses gave the cake.
I also remembered that the cake had applesauce in it. I canned a lot of applesauce last fall and have been looking for recipes using applesauce.
I found the original recipe last night and decided to make the cake. I did change a few ingredients around. The recipe I originally used had shortening in it. I swapped it out for butter. I also added more spices.
It is every bit as wonderful as before. Moist, not too sweet, with just a kiss of spices. So, if you have a jar of molasses and some applesauce, give this cake a try.
Molasses Applesauce Cake
2¼ c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
½ t. nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
4 oz. butter, softened, 1 stick
1 c. applesauce
1 c. molasses
1 egg
¾ c. raisins, plumped in warm water, then drained well, optional
Glaze:
1½ c. powdered sugar
2 T. lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish. Set aside. In mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and stir to blend. Cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Add remaining ingredients to flour mixture and stir until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Spread out evenly. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool cake then top with glaze. To make glaze, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in small bowl, stirring until smooth. Pour over the cake. Serves 8.
Roasted Curry Cauliflower Soup
This may be one of my favorite soups yet. Creamy and flavorful it was a big hit at dinner the other night. This recipe was inspired by what I had on hand and a dinner planned with friends. It started with this enormous cauliflower I had picked up at a produce market. I knew I wanted to use it. I had thought of just roasting it and having it as a side.
I also knew we needed a soup for dinner. Ended up roasting the cauliflower anyway but using it as part of the soup. Added other veggies for color as well as flavor. I also made sure to get it really smooth. I used an immersion blender but it could have been processed in a blender. We topped it with croutons, but it could be served without, if you prefer.
Roasted Curry Cauliflower Soup
3 onions, peeled and sliced
1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
3 T. oil
salt
6 c. stock- chicken or veggie- or more if needed
2 medium or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can ( 13.5 oz.) coconut milk
1 c. half and half- or more coconut milk, if you prefer
2 T. curry powder
2 t. turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degree. Place onions in and cauliflower in roasting pan and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle on some salt and place in oven. Roast until veggies are turning golden brown, stirring occasionally. This will take about 20-30 minutes. Place cauliflower mixture in a crock pot and add the stock and other vegetables and cook on high for at least 4 hours. Add remaining ingredients and puree soup until smooth. Adjust seasonings. You can add more stock if soup is too thick. Serve as is or top with croutons when serving. Serves 6-8.
Cherry Crumb Cake
I was experimenting with a new cake recipe this week. I wanted to use some fresh cherries in a cake and I ended up deciding to make a cherry crumb cake. I already had a recipe I liked for a blueberry crumb cake. I changed the recipe a little and I really like the way it came out. I added an extra egg to the original recipe. Not because of some intuitive idea of how to improve the recipe. I just thought it had two eggs in it to begin with. Turns out I like the recipe with the extra egg.
So here is the cherry crumb cake recipe. I loved it and think you will, too. I used sweet cherries, because that is what I had. Sour cherries would also work well in this cake.
Cherry Crumb Cake
For cake batter:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ stick (¼ cup) butter, softened
¾ c. sugar
2 eggs
½ c. milk
2 c. pitted cherries, coarsely chopped
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 cherries. Grease and flour an 8 or 9-inch 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.
Frozen Chocolate Malted Cheesecake
Here is yet another variation on that frozen dessert recipe I have been playing around with. This is the recipe with cottage cheese as the base and any number of add-ins for different versions. I have already made a cherry- strawberry “cheesecake” and a lemon curd one, too.
This chocolate one came out very nice. I might experiment with adding other flavors later or maybe freezing it in Popsicle molds.
Another idea is to pour the mixture in a graham cracker pie crust, rather than crumbling the crackers in the dessert. I could see that working nicely. Maybe even put graham cracker crust in muffin tins…..
They are so simple to make and require just a food processor to blend the ingredients together. No ice cream machine is needed. I called them cheesecakes because that is what they reminded me of.
You can “fatten” them up a little by adding 1/2 cup of whipping cream, but they are nice and creamy without. I also used sugar to sweeten so far, but you could use any sweetener you prefer. So here is the recipe for my latest version of what might be my favorite frozen dessert this summer.
Frozen Chocolate Malted Cheesecake
1 (28 oz.) carton of cottage cheese
¾ c. chocolate syrup
¾ c. malted milk powder
Sugar to taste, I used about ½ cup
1 T. vanilla extract
5-9 graham crackers, crumbled depending on your preference
Combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor or blender until very smooth. Taste to see if you want to add more sugar. Pour into a 2 quart bowl and stir in the crushed crackers. Place mixture in a freezer safe container that has a lid. Affix the lid and freeze. Makes 5-6 cups.
Note: I could see a lot of possible variations for this recipe. I used cinnamon graham crackers, but it might be fun to use chocolate graham crackers or crushed up chocolate sandwich cookies. You could add some instant coffee powder or mint extract. Perhaps some chopped chocolate. Have some fun with this recipe.
Giant Strawberry Shortcake
This is a great dessert for a party, picnic or barbecue. Instead of making a bunch of individual shortcakes, make one really big one. It makes quite an impression.
When ready to serve it, just cut into slices, like cake or pie. I often serve this shortcake with ice cream on the side. Feel free to switch up which fruits you use. I used kiwi fruit with the strawberries, but you can add different fruits. Peaches would go well with the strawberries or blueberries. Just have fun and use fruit combinations you like. We made it with strawberries and blueberries in class yesterday.
For the 4th of July, you could use a combination of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
Giant Strawberry Shortcake
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1/2 t. lemon juice
2 c. flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 stick cold butter plus 1 T. softened
1/2 c. plus 1 T. sugar
1 qt. strawberries, sliced thin
2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced thin or use other fruit like blueberries or blackberries
1/4 c. nuts, toasted, I left the nuts whole
whipped cream, optional
In small bowl combine egg, milk and lemon juice and set aside. In larger bowl combine the flour, brown sugar and baking powder. Cut in cold butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Add egg mixture and stir until mixture forms into a soft dough. Knead dough gently on a lightly floured surface about 10 times. On greased baking sheet pat dough into a 15×6-inch oval. Sprinkle dough with the 1 tablespoon of sugar and dot with the softened butter. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden. Place on wire rack to cool. Toss the berries with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Allow to stand 30 minutes. Split the shortcake lengthwise and remove the top. Spoon over the half the berries and replace top of shortcake. Combine the kiwi with the remaining berries.Spoon over the remaining fruit and sprinkle with the nuts. Dot with whipped cream, if desired. Cut in wedges to serve. Serves 8.
Note: you can bake shortcake day ahead and prep the fruit day ahead, keeping it chilled and just assemble when ready to serve.
Mini Fruit Tarts
These little tarts are a perfect dessert any time or place. They are a wonderful dessert for picnics. They pack and travel well and make use of seasonal fruit. I used blueberries this time, but cherry or peach pie filling would also work. You can also fill them with jams. I have a nice supply of cherries in the freezer and I think cherry tarts might be next.
I used coconut oil in the crust recipe instead of butter. The crust worked out fine, although it is very crumbly. The texture after baking is amazingly tender, but I found the dough a little harder to handle than when made with butter. It’s a nice choice if you need a vegan dessert.
I used a jar of homemade blueberry pie filling made with wild Maine blueberries. You can use store bought, but I include the recipe at the bottom of the post. The recipe makes 4 cups of filling- you can use all the dough and all the filling and have 48 tarts. I didn’t need that many.
I made 24 and used a little over half of the dough recipe. Had I rolled them out a little thinner, half a recipe would be enough. I had a little blueberry filling left over, too.
Blueberry Mini Tarts
dough for 1 pie crust
About 2 cups blueberry pie filling, room temp or chilled
Flaky Pie Crust
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
3/4 c. coconut oil, chilled – you could use butter, lard or shortening
1 T. cider vinegar
4-5 T. cold water
Combine flour and salt in food processor and add coconut oil. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Toss in vinegar and water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing as you add, until dough just holds together. Remove from processor and press dough together to form a ball. Chill at least 30 minutes before using. Makes enough for 2 pie crusts or up to 48 tarts.
Blueberry Pie Filling
3 1/2 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 c. sugar, or to taste
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 c. water
1 T. lemon juice
In saucepan, bring blueberries and sugar to a boil, stirring often. Combine cornstarch with water and lemon juice and add to the blueberry mixture. Return to the boil and cook until thickened and bubbly. Makes 4 cups. You will not need the whole batch for the tarts.
Note: This recipe could also be made with blackberries or raspberries.
To make the tarts: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness on lightly floured board. Cut out with 2-inch round cutter and place dough circles in mini muffin tins or mini tart pans. Re-roll scraps and keep cutting out until you have 24 circles. Save the rest of the dough for another use. It can be frozen. Place a rounded teaspoon of filling in each tart. I used fairly shallow pans, you can add more filling if your pans are deeper. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn down the oven to 350 and bake about 15 minutes longer, or until edges of the tarts are golden brown. Cool a little before you remove from the pans. Makes 24.
Easter Egg Biscotti
I get so many requests for this recipe, I decided to post it again. This is a treat from my childhood. Rose Dieglio was the mother of my best friend, Debbi. Rose made these every year, and I loved them. Years later, she was kind enough to share her recipe with me. I always make a bunch to hand out to friends and family. It is a tradition I enjoy very much.
The dough is a type of cookie. You roll the dough out in pieces about the size of eggs. Make an indent in the dough and press in a tinted egg. The egg does not have to be cooked- it will cook when the biscotti bakes.
The dough will be a little sticky. Just add some flour to your fingers when shaping the dough, if needed.
The original recipe calls for shortening. I make them with butter, instead. If you use butter in the dough- chill it before baking.
For years I made the biscotti with hard cooked eggs, that I dyed. My mom always asked if I needed to cook the eggs. She wondered if the eggs would cook during the baking process. So I tried it a few years ago. I placed a raw, un-decorated egg on one of the biscotti “nests” and baked it with the rest. What do you know? The egg cooked in the oven when the biscotti baked. The lesson here- always listen to Mom. Saves a whole step in making this recipe. Just be gentle when you press the eggs into the dough. They are raw eggs, after all.
Once baked, the biscotti can be topped with a powdered sugar glaze and sprinkles, if you like. Because they have hard cooked eggs in them, store in fridge after cooking.
Easter Egg Biscotti
1 c. shortening or butter- I use butter*
1 ½ c. sugar
4 eggs
5 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 t. vanilla
1 c. milk
6 c. flour
24-30 eggs, plain or dyed
Powdered sugar glaze
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter or shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs. Add next 4 ingredients and blend until smooth. Stir in flour 2 cups at a time. Dough should be pliable. If dough is too sticky add a little more flour. Take a piece of dough about the size of a large egg and place on a greased baking sheet. Indent middle slightly and then place an egg in the center, pressing down slightly. It should look like a nest. Continue with remaining dough allowing about 2-3 inches in between as they spread when baking. You can fit 6-8 on a large baking sheet. Bake 20 –25 minutes or until browned on the bottom. Cool on wire rack before drizzling with frosting. Makes 24-30. Store in fridge.
* If using butter- chill dough a couple of hours before baking.
Sugar glaze
2 c. powdered sugar
2-3 T. milk or orange juice
1 t. vanilla
Food coloring, if desired
Mix together until smooth and of drizzling consistency.
Cooling down
Coconut Shrimp
Coconut shrimp is a favorite of mine, and pretty easy to make. Cleaned, raw shrimp are dredged in flour, egg wash and a Panko bread crumb-coconut mix, then fried. I add some homemade curry powder to the eggs, for a little extra flavor.
You can serve coconut shrimp as an appetizer or over rice as a main dish. I serve mine with a sweet chili sauce. These would be fun to serve for a Super Bowl party or Valentine’s Day.
At a recent class, I was using desiccated coconut in a dessert. I was asked a lot of questions about it. This is not the coarsely shredded sweetened version you will find at the local grocery store. Desiccated coconut looks like white bread crumbs. That is the coconut used in this dish.
Here is my recipe for coconut shrimp. You don’t need a special occasion to make it, but it makes any occasion special.
Coconut Shrimp
2 cups oil – I like to use peanut oil or avocado oil
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut- often found in Asian grocery stores or in candy making stores
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1-2 t. curry powder, or to taste
Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. In a large bowl, combine Panko bread crumbs and shredded coconut; set aside. Combine eggs with curry powder, set aside. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste. Working one at a time, dredge shrimp in the flour, dip into the egg mixture, then dredge in the coconut mixture, pressing to coat. Working in batches, add shrimp to the Dutch oven and fry until evenly golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce, if desired. Serves 4.
North Carolina Lemon Pie
This might be one of the best lemon pies I have ever had. It was simple to make, with a surprise ingredient in the crust. That ingredient is saltine crackers! They work so well in this crunchy and slightly salty/slightly sweet crust. Perfect with the lemon filling.
I first heard about this pie in one of my cooking classes. A woman mentioned it to me after class. Said she saw it on a TV show. I looked for it online. Odd thing was that every recipe was exactly the same. Even down to the wording in the directions.
I found one reference to the recipe first showing up in Cook’s Country Magazine about 6 years ago. I prefer to credit the source of a recipe, when possible.
I did change a couple of things from the original recipe. I added more lemon zest- from 1 tablespoon to 2. What can I say? I like a zesty pie.
I also thought it was odd to make so little whipped cream for the topping. Assuming you had a cup of whipping cream to start with, you use 1/4 cup in the pie filling. That leaves you with 3/4 cup of whipping cream. The recipe only calls for whipping up 1/2 a cup of whipping cream. I rounded it up in the recipe to 3/4 cup. Honestly, I would make even more topping the next time.
I really enjoyed the pie. I think you will, too.
North Carolina Lemon Pie
Crust
6 oz. saltine crackers (about 1½ sleeves)
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup light corn syrup
Filling
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14-ounce)
4 large egg yolks
¼ cup heavy cream
1-2 T. grated lemon zest- I used 2 tablespoons
½ cup lemon juice
Topping
¾ c. heavy cream, chilled- increase from original recipe. I think even more whipped cream would be better. Just my preference.
1 T. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Add the saltines and salt to the food processor and pulse until you have coarse crumbs (about 15 pulses). Add the melted butter and corn syrup and pulse until the crumbs are well combined.* Add the cracker mixture to a greased 9-inch pie plate. Use the bottom of a dry measuring cup or glass and press the crumbs into an even layer on the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake until light golden brown, 17 to 19 minutes. Prepare filling while the crust is baking. Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, cream, and lemon zest together in a bowl, add the lemon juice and whisk until well combined. With the pie plate on the baking sheet, remove it from the oven and pour in the filling (the crust does not need to be cooled) and place it back in the hot oven. Bake until the edges of the pie are set but the center still jiggles, 15 to 17 minutes. Place the pie on a wire rack and let it cool completely. Refrigerate the pie until completely chilled.
For the topping, use a stand mixer fitted with a whisk and whipped the cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium low until foamy (about a minute). Increase the mixer speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the pie and serve cold.
*Note: I will admit to just crushing up the crackers by putting them in a bag and using a rolling pin. I had a few larger pieces. Still worked. I think it gave the crust a crunchier texture. Although it sank down into the pie pan when I baked it- so maybe next time I will crush the crackers a little more.
Baked Potato Soup
When I was a kid, I loved getting a baked potato, when we went out for dinner. I loved my Mom’s home cooking, including her baked potatoes, but it was different at a restaurant. It would come to the table wrapped in foil and all puffed up in the middle. As a kid it looked very special to me. They also had so many toppings you could get. Choices included sour cream, butter, chives, bacon and cheese. This soup starts off as a cream of potato soup, and then combines many of the toppings you might have on a baked potato. It feels just like those baked potatoes at the steakhouse. Comfort food on a couple of levels.
Baked Potato Soup
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4- 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4-5 cups chicken stock
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
2 c. half and half
3 T. flour
salt and pepper to taste
Toppings:
Sour cream
chopped green onions or chives
shredded cheese
extra bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
In soup pot combine bacon and onion and cook over medium heat until bacon is cooked and onion is tender. Add potatoes and stock and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add parsley and most of the half and half. Reserve a couple of tablespoons of the half and half and combine with the flour and stir until smooth. Ladle a little of the warm soup into the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the rest of the soup and stir until smooth. Cook until soup is thickened and bubbly. Adjust seasonings and serve. Add toppings of your choice at the table. Makes 4 servings.
