Friday, February 27, 2015

Heath Bar Frosting - Recipe #79

Yesterday was Trent's birthday. I ended up working the late shift at the library, but we did have a wonderful breakfast together of waffles with frou-frou maple syrup made in Woodinville in whiskey barrels, complete with a batch and bottle number. I also had time to prepare pot-roast tacos in the slow cooker and bake an ¨All-purpose Chocolate Cake¨ from my America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. The frosting had to wait until my return at 9:30 last night.

Heath Bar Frosting is the favorite of Jack, Trent's grandfather who recently passed away, so it felt a little as though we were honoring him when eating it. Very tasty, but I don't think I mastered the consistency - it seemed thick enough on the stove, but very runny once I finished mixing the ingredients and frosting the cake.

  • 1 c. milk
  • 3 T. sugar
  • 5 T. flour
Cook until thick, stirring constantly.
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1/4 lb. butter
Cream together until light and fluffy. Add cooked mixture and beat together.

Frost cake, then pat on 3 small chopped Heath bars (I had some left-over from cookies made earlier in the challenge).

I resisted the urge to have cake for breakfast this morning, but who knows what will happen on Saturday?

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Thursday Thought

¨Happy people are not people who have more; rather, they are happy with what they already have.¨

Agree? Disagree? Certainly in the case of physical possessions I agree whole-heartedly, as well as the sense of not envying others their skills and abilities. But there is something that makes us strive for more - to seek out a challenge. I suppose it is possible to be of two minds - to be happy with what you have, as well as wanting more (without necessarily thinking that more will complete you).

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Forgotten Chicken # 78

Let's go back - back to the days of cheesy casseroles and Jello salads at church potlucks (wait, I think that tradition lasts until today), back to the days before kale and quinoa hit it big, when no dinner was complete without a ¨cream of¨ something soup in it. Growing up, cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup were staples on our block. One of the more popular dishes - and one of my favorites - was this chicken-rice casserole, which also usually featured the addition of frozen peas.

This week, I've been channeling Nancy, the neighbor who provided both the Mrs. Manifold Bars and Beef Stroganoff recipes, as well as this Forgotten Chicken, at my bridal shower a decade ago. Not surprising that so many of her recipes are quick and easy to prepare - not only was she a working mom with 4 kids, but she also has an active civic and social life, always taking in strays (pets and people), swimming, playing the flute, etc.

We both enjoyed this dinner as a guilty pleasure. Trent said he thought it might be a bit too unhealthy to have regularly, though I countered that a can of cream of chicken soup can't be that bad for you. If you make this, do not make the mistake that I did and decide that if you halve the chicken, you can use a smaller, deeper pan - after an hours time, the chicken was still uncooked and the rice crunchy, so I moved it to a pan with the specified dimensions and stuck a meat thermometer in the chicken. Forty minutes later it was really done.

Forgotten Chicken
Buy a cut up chicken (do they even sell these anymore without actually asking someone at the meat department? I just ended up buying a package of chicken thighs). Lay chicken pieces in 9 x 11 pan over 1 c. rice mixed with one can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup and two cans water. Add onion, celery or spices as desired. Bake at 350, 1 hour. Makes: a great casserole.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Mrs. Manifold Bars - Recipe #77

Mrs. Manifold Bars are a neighborhood favorite. Our best friends' mom would make them for special occasions and we loved them. I was excited to find the recipe at my bridal shower. Unfortunately, coconut is one of the main ingredients and Trent is not a fan. What to do? Prepare them for the Book Club Oscars night, of course and share any leftovers with co-workers. I brought 8 small bars to work today and they all disappeared (though admittedly, I ate one of them myself). These are super-easy and totally decadent. I have no idea where the name came from and it looks as though there are similar bar recipes (5 layer bars, 7 layer bars, etc.) that have the addition of nuts or butterscotch chips. However you make them they are sure to be sweet and delicious - so make sure you have plenty of friends to share your bounty.

Crush 1 c. graham crackers. Melt 1 cube butter in 9 x 11¨ pan, press graham cracker crumbs into butter. Layer 1 c. sweetened coconut flakes, 1 c. chocolate chips, 1 can sweetened condensed milk. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes.

Monday, February 23, 2015

White Chocolate-Cashew Coffee Biscotti - Recipe #76

My third, last and possibly favorite of my biscotti recipes for the Challenge. Saturday morning seemed like the perfect time to bake this crunchy treats as an accompaniment to our morning chai/tea. This was the December 2004 cover recipe of Cooking Light. Mine did not turn out quite so elegant - probably because I need to work on my drizzling technique. Also a perfect snack while watching a movie (Interstellar, which I loved despite its long running time and my narrow escape from IMAX-induced motion sickness).

  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large egg white (finally, a use for the egg white leftover from my chocolate espresso cinnamon rolls)
  • 2 1/2 c. flour
  • 1/4 c. instant coffee granules
  • 3 T. unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 t. baking soda (I omitted this because I used my go-to cocoa blend)
  • 1/2 t. cinnamon
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 1/8 t. nutmeg
  • 3/4 c. dry-roasted cashews, coarsely chopped
  • Cooking spray (or a Silpat)
  • 1 T. sugar
  • 3 oz. premium white chocolate, chopped (I used white chocolate chips)
Preheat oven to 350.

Place first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.

Combine flour, instant coffee, cocoa, baking soda (if using), cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in the cashews. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 7 times. Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a 12-inch-long roll. Place rolls on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat to even 3/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle rolls evenly with 1 T. sugar (I used the sugar/cocoa/cinnamon/coffee mix left-over from the Quick and Dirty Chocolate and Espresso Cinnamon Rolls).

Bake at 350 for 22 minutes. Remove rolls from baking sheet; cool 10 minutes on a wire reack. Cut each roll diagonally into 21 (1/2 slices). Carefully stand slices upright on baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 325; bake 20 minutes (the cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove from baking sheet, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Place chocolate in a small heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until the chocolate is soft. Knead bag until smooth. Snip a tiny hole in corner of bag; drizzle chocolate over biscotti.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Linguine with Chicken and Peanut Sauce - Recipe # 75

In the interests of minimalism - using regularly or loving what I have - I donated some cookbooks a couple of years ago to the Friends of the Library booksale. Before I did so, I carefully copied down the one or two recipes that I made regularly from those cookbooks (why keep an entire book for only two recipes?) and tried one or two that I had not prepared before to see if they might make the cut. Linguine with Chicken and Peanut Sauce is one of the ones I kept from the Better Homes & Gardens Pasta Cookbook, purchased in early college years from the West Seattle Target. My note at the end of the recipe states: ¨Rich - could use something extra - maybe lime/cilantro??¨. I followed my own advice, as well as adding red pepper flakes, which definitely helped. This is a good recipe for when you have a craving for Thai food, but are too lazy to go out or make it authentically from scratch.

Linguine with Chicken and Peanut Sauce
  • 8 oz. linguine
  • 14 1/2 oz. chicken broth
  • 2 T. dry white wine or water (I used dry sherry, since I had it on hand)
  • 2 T. soy sauce
  • 1 T. cornstarch
  • 1/4 t. ground red pepper
  • 1/2 c. peanut butter
  • 1 T. cooking oil
  • 1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 t. grated ginger
  • 4 medium boneless, skinless breasts - 1¨ pieces (I only used 2 and it was ample)
  • 2 green onions, sliced
Cook pasta. Drain; keep warm.
In medium bowl, stir together liquid ingredients, cornstarch and red pepper. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. Set aside. In wok or large skillet heat cooking oil over medium high. Add onion, garlic, ginger; stir fry 2-3 minutes or until onion is crisp tender. Remove from skillet. Add chicken to wok. Stir fry until no longer pink (recipe says 3 minutes, but it took a bit longer for me). Push to side of pan. Stir sauce, add to center of pan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, then cook and stir two minutes more. Return onion mix to pan. Stir all together. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with green onions.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Thursday Thought

¨We have all the time there is. The problem is: How shall we make the best use of it? There are three ways in which I have been able to solve that problem: first, by achieving an inner calm so that I can work undisturbed by what goes on around me; second, by concentrating on the thing at hand; third, by arranging a routine pattern for my days that allots certain activities to certain hours, planning in advance for everything that must be done, but at the same time remaining flexible enough to allow for the unexpected. There is a fourth point which, perhaps, plays a considerable part in the use of my time. I try to maintain a general pattern of good health so that I have the best use of my energy when I need it.¨
Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn by Living

I have read numerous books on time management, mindfulness, habits and flow. All of them can be distilled into this one thought of Eleanor Roosevelt's. What a role model!

One of the observations that has been written in a number of annual performance reviews by various supervisors is that I project an air of calm, which extends to those around me. That said, I don't always feel calm, with my mind racing on to the next thought. But I always feel happiest when I calm down and concentrate on the thing at hand.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Quick and Dirty Chocolate and Espresso Cinnamon Rolls - Recipe #74

Yes, we have a cinnamon roll problem. I had already finished all of the cinnamon-roll-type recipes for the Recipe Challenge, when this article appeared in my RSS Feed. Not only did they look delicious, but they require far less raising time than other recipes I'd been baking. ¨Trent, how do chocolate espresso cinnamon rolls sound? Should I make them?¨ With the answer a resounding yes, I printed out the recipe and looked for the perfect occasion.

President's Day is one of those fake-holidays that only schools, libraries, governmental agencies and banks seem to have off. That includes me, but does not include Trent. Our friends invited us out on the maiden voyage (at least since the journey from L.A.) of their 47' sailboat. Destination: Bainbridge Island, home of Bainbridge Bakers, our go-to cinnamon roll place on the Sound. So President's Day morning was the perfect day to inaugurate these buns. I love the Joy the Baker blog, but she does love to go overboard with butter and sugar. I would have been just as happy with a little less butter, and I still have half a cup or so of cinnamon-cocoa-espresso sugar (I'm not worried about using it up though - it made a delicious topping on some pear-chocolate chip-ginger muffins).

For the dough

  • 1/2 c. whole milk
  • 2 T. unsalted butter
  • 2 T. sugar
  • 1 1/2 t. yeast
  • 1 1/2 to 2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 1 large egg yolk
For the filling
  • 6 T. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 c. granulated sugar
  • 3/4 t. ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 t. instant espresso powder
  • 3/4 t. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/3 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
For the glaze
  • 3/4 c. powdered sugar
  • 1/2 t. instant espresso powder
  • 3 T. heavy cream
In a small saucepan, combine milk, butter, and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves and the butter melts completely. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to just warm.

Place milk mixture in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast over the liquid. Stir. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 c. flour salt and the egg yolk to the milk mixture. Use a wooden spoon and stir until incorporated. Add more flour, a few tablespoons at a time if the dough feels too wet. Bring the dough together into a ball and knead a few turns.

Cover the bowl and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Roll onto a lightly floured work surface into a 9 x 12-inch rectangle.

Spread with about 4 T. of butter. In a small bowl stir together sugar, cinnamon, espresso powder, cocoa powder and salt. Sprinkle generously over the dough. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Roll starting at the longer edge into a tight roll.

Slice into 6 pieces.

Use remaining butter to lightly grease bottom and signs of 8x8 inch baking pan. Place rolls in pan leaving about 1/2 inch of room between them. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

While rolls rise, place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Uncover and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven, allow to cool just slightly.

In a small bowl whisk together ingredients for glaze Drizzle over warm rolls and enjoy.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Pollo in Fricassea - Recipe #73

Several years ago, my aunt and uncle went to Italy, discovered a number of new wines, took a cooking class and came back filled with enthusiasm. Pollo in Fricassea hales from this trip - the accompanying note reads ¨April 2007 Tuscany - Recipe from Tutti A Tavola in Ciona¨. A year later, my sister and mom planned a trip of a lifetime to Italy. I was in the midst of a temporary job and couldn't get away. They came back noticeably closer, laughing with photos and stories of drinking wine and eating gelato in rustic cafes, while I was left with regret.

Since then, I have been promoted at work, due, in no small part, to that temporary job. I still have never found the right occasion to visit Italy, though I will go someday. But until I do, I can get just a taste of it through this recipe.

Pollo in Fricassesa
  • 20 pieces skinless chicken (dark meat - chicken breast is too dry - can also be made with lamb or rabbit)
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 8.8 oz. or 1 c. cream (250 g.)
  • 1 glass of white wine
  • 2 egg yolks
  • butter
  • olive oil
  • milk q.b. (whatever is best)
  • salt & pepper
  • 1/2 glass of Marsala wine
Saute chicken in mixture of 1/2 butter and 1/2 olive oil until lightly brown. Deglaze with a glass of white wine. When wine has evaporated, add the cream and cook until tender. When the sauce tends to thicken, add a little milk. After about 30 minutes, the meat is ready. Put aside and add 2 egg yolks to the sauce and the juice of one lemon. Mix well. Before serving, add the 1/2 glass of Marsala wine & pour the sauce on the meat.

We both enjoyed this recipe. However, I had tasted the sauce earlier in the cooking process and preferred it before the addition of the lemon juice, egg yolks and Marsala. You may want to experiment to see what's right for you.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Cajun Blue Cheese Burgers - Recipe #72

I worked on Valentine's Day. The library was bustling until about 4 p.m. - I'm assuming everyone left early to get ready for dinner with their sweeties. Neither of us particularly enjoys dinner crowds, so I decided to cook one of two choices: chicken fricassee or blue cheese burgers. Of course, I had ingredients for neither, so I headed to QFC, where there were a number of men buying last-second flowers. About 60 minutes after disembarking the bus, I arrived home to find a romantic Valentine's Day surprise - Trent had adjusted the gears in my Brompton so that they could shift again (when I got home from work yesterday, I called across the house to him, ¨you've made me the happiest woman in the world! Riding both ways for work has lifted my mood!¨).

However, after a full day of work and a grocery store trip, I had no desire to wait for a lengthy dinner, so I made a meal far more reminiscent of our early days of dating, when we'd walk across the University Bridge either alone or with a passel of dorm-mates to the original Red Robin, with the stoned-looking robin on the wall. We'd get a fancy burger, bottomless fries and a frou-frou drink, like Cookie Magic (¨yeah, it's been a long time since we've had one of those,¨ Trent mused at the dinner table). This meal was a step above and included non-bottomless sweet potato fries, made from the two sweet potatoes hiding in my kitchen cupboard and seasoned with Lowry's Seasoning Salt, and beer - Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin'.

This recipe is a Trent original. I have a few recipes for the challenge that originated from him. Most of them are written on an old phone bill or a piece of paper with circuit diagrams and lines of code written next to them. Some have directions included, while others are simply a list of ingredients. I just now unfolded the sheet of paper this one comes from and noticed that above it are three separate recipes for blue cheese OR cajun burgers in the quest to get the perfect hybrid (now that I've noticed, does that mean I should make each individually to follow the true spirit of the challenge? perhaps).

Cajun Blue Cheese Burgers
  • about 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1/2 c. diced onion
  • 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 t. Tabasco sauce
  • 1 egg
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1 T. cajun seasoning (our local grocery store didn't carry this the last time we ran out, so I substituted Creole seasoning)
  • 1/3 c. blue cheese
  • some parsley
  • 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
  • 2-3 T. breadcrumbs
This particular recipe did not have instructions included, so I just combined the ingredients, divided them into 4 patties and made two of them on the George Foreman grill. I had a few mushrooms remaining from an earlier dinner, so I sauteed them and added them and some spinach to the burger, serving on Macrina brioche buns. It made my taste buds so happy - I might have to have one of the leftover patties for lunch today.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Birthday Brownies - Recipe #71

In my family, cake does not have most favored dessert status. For our wedding, Trent and I opted for a variety of cheesecakes (¨no one really likes wedding cake anyway¨). When my brother got married a year and a half ago, he and his bride served pies from Little Ladybug Bakery, owned by one of their best friends. (They were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G and if you go down to Oakland, you should definitely check out Rozlyn's baked goods at the Farmer's Market. But I digress...) So it should have come as no surprise that when I posed the question to my father, ¨would you like me to make a cake or brownies or???¨ for his birthday, he chose brownies.

While normally, I would have baked my fudgy-cocoa brownies, I couldn't repeat them so soon after making them for a staff meeting - especially since I had another delicious option that would count for the Recipe Challenge. This is just as delicious, but requires the step of melting the chocolate, which I am usually too lazy to do. Apparently, I am my father's daughter, as when I was looking through his cupboard and saw some old-ish baking chocolate, he admitted that he usually uses cocoa in baking because he doesn't like to melt chocolate.

I halved this recipe and baked it in a 9¨ x 9¨ pan. And in case you're wondering how to halve an egg, I just use 2 instead of 1.5. I chose the chocolate chip option for topping, mainly because my last brownies used up the remainder of my walnuts.

Brownies (from An Everlasting Meal)

  • 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 c. butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 c. sugar
  • 1 c. flour
  • 2 t. vanilla
  • chocolate chips or walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13¨ x 9¨ pan. Melt chocolate and butter in mixing bowl over small pot of boiling water. Let cool 5 minutes. Beat in 1 egg at a time. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until combined, then add flour. Spread in pan and top with chocolate chips or walnuts. Check after 20 minutes (though it will likely take more like 25-30 minutes)

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Thursday Thought

¨Child had always known that what she did was teach people to be fearless, unintimidated, to try and if necessary to try again, to cook, to taste, to enjoy, to have fun....And M.F. too, had not simply been celebrating French food and hedonism all these years; she been writing about something more essential, about how to live, to find pleasure in the moment.¨
Provence, 1970 by Luke Barr

The more I read about Julia Child, the more I admire her. Never a snob, she was about food for flavor, connection with friends and family, and fun. As I continue through the Recipe Challenge (and really through life as well), I want to emulate her adventurous spirit.

You may have noticed, I've been a little quiet on the recipe front lately. I haven't made any new recipes (from the Challenge at least), since last Tuesday. We were in Indiana last weekend for Trent's grandfather's memorial service last weekend and life was hectic leading up to it, while this week, I've been away two nights out of three. I have tomorrow off though, so hopefully I'll have just a little bit of time for cooking - maybe even one of my numerous cakes for my father's 60th birthday. We shall see. He is diabetic, so I tend to feel guilty supplying him with sweets, even though I know he'll eat them with or without me (and he has drastically cut back).

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Thursday Thought

¨There's a difference between being happy doing something (and) finding happiness in doing something.¨
Ida Herbert, world's oldest yoga instructor as quoted in Margaret Webb's Older, Faster, Stronger

My mind is wrapping itself in somersaults working out the exact meaning of this particular quote. Is it about how your particular task or line of work has less to do with happiness than having a positive frame of mind? Or is it about finding work that gives you joy? Whatever the case, I will try to find joy in everyday life, as well as seeking out new activities that I find happiness in doing.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Fudgy Cocoa Brownies - Recipe #70

Brownies - the perfect treat to eat plain or with ice cream and caramel sauce for a sundae. While I've been spending my dessert energies on making new Recipe Challenge desserts, this is my go-to, favorite recipe, found on the back of the box of the Saco cocoa. I almost don't need to keep it because 1) it is on the back of the cylinder of cocoa and 2) I've memorized it after making it so many times. But memories fade, and sometimes companies change things up on you and I CANNOT lose this recipe.

We still have Beet Cake leftover, but I had my first staff meeting at my new branch, so I made a treat that Trent had eaten often enough that he wouldn't mind (too much) if he didn't get any. There was just one tiny corner piece left at the end of the day, which he gladly ate when I got home. Lots of people asked for the recipe and unless I take it to a friend who prefers their desserts on the less-sweet side, this is always a hit. Keep in mind that Saco Cocoa is a blend of Dutch-processed and natural cocoa, so if you substituted either one, you might need to add baking soda or powder for leavening.

  • 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
  • 1/2 c. cocoa
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 1/2 c. chopped nuts (opt. - I love making this with walnuts!)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8x2 inch pan. In a medium saucepan melt butter. Remove melted butter from heat, add cocoa and stir until well-blended. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Stir in vanilla, salt and flour. DO NOT OVERBEAT. Fold in nuts. Spread in prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting - Recipe #69

There's something intriguing to me about wartime rationing and creatively making do with ingredients that might not normally grace your table for dessert, so when I saw this one in Cooking Light in March 2001 (which was even before my Farmer's Market love affair which begat my love of beets began), I knew I had to clip it. But it is hard to rally support for a cake made of beets, so I waited for an opportunity to subject some guinea pigs to a slice or two of cake - the Super Bowl. It also gave me a chance to use my nifty cake carrier. Our friends were similarly intrigued by the concept of the cake and cautiously nibbled at a slice. They pronounced it good enough to let me leave some behind as leftovers, which was greatly needed to help protect our waistlines. Overall, I enjoyed this cake, especially since I'm a sucker for cream cheese frosting. I did have one earthy beet bite, though for the most part, it blended in well and was similar to a carrot cake. I will likely make this again, but probably not very often, as I don't have very many cake-worthy occasions.

Cake:
  • 1 lb beets (about 2 medium)
  • Cooking spray
  • 2/3 c. granulated sugar
  • 2/3 c. packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 c. vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 t. baking powder
  • 1 t. ground ginger
  • 1 t. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 t. baking soda
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 1/2 c. 1% milk
Frosting:
  • 2 t. grated orange rind
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • 1 (8-oz) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, chilled
  • 3 c. sifted powdered sugar
  • 2 T. finely chopped walnuts, toasted
Preheat oven to 350. To prepare cake, peel beets using a vegetable peeler. Grate beets, using the large holes of a grater, to measure 2 c. (it will look like a crime scene - you may want to wear an apron)

Coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray.

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add beets; beat well. Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pans; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks, remove from pans. Carefully peel off wax paper, and cool cake completely on wire racks.

To prepare frosting, beet orange rind, vanilla and cream cheese with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar; beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat).

Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 c. frosting; top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle nuts over top of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Super Snacks - Mexican Pinwheel Appetizers - Recipe #68

Well, though the end of the SuperBowl was disappointing, the snacks were a success. We went over to visit some friends (who supplied all sorts of yummies) and I, of course took the opportunity to bring two Recipe Challenge treats, these Mexican Pinwheel Appetizers and a Beet Cake (more about that on the next post). My mother-in-law made these for a get-together and I knew that I'd want the recipe when I went through her recipe box. Simple to make - at least once you find the pimientos at the store and then subsequently open the jar - perfect for a sporty gathering with friends.

Mexican Pinwheel Appetizers
  • 1 pkg. large flour tortillas (I got the biggest size and only ended up using 3)
  • 4 oz. can chopped black olives
  • 4 oz. jar red pimientos
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 4 oz. can chopped green chiles
  • 3 T. chopped green onion
Mix together all ingredients except tortillas. Spread mixture on tortillas, roll, chill for 2 hours or more, then slice into circles.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Caramel-pecan Sticky Buns - Recipe #67

So for those of you that don't know, one of our favorite things to do when sailing is to find a bakery or cafe and eat cinnamon rolls. Two summers ago, we sailed to Ladysmith solely because the entry in the sail book told us they had a bakery known for cinnamon rolls. While normally we get one and split it, this time we went two days in a row and each got a different variety of cinnamon roll, tasting the 4 that we were most excited about. Over Martin Luther King Day weekend, we stayed on Whidbey Island and stopped at Knead and Feed for ¨cinnamon rolls on the Salish Sea¨. We are hooked, which is probably why I have several cinnamon-roll style recipe set aside. Another Cooking Light flashback - this time from October 2005. So sticky, I had to wipe caramel and pecans from my potholders. While I'll make this recipe again, I will not make the mistake of using an 8x8 pan instead of 9x9 - there really wasn't enough space in the pan and we had one coil of roll jump into the oven, while the middle was a bit underdone. That said, I'm wondering if one of my next cooking challenges will be trying a different sweet bun recipe each month.

Caramel:
  • 1/3 c. packed dark brown muscovado sugar or dark brown sugar
  • 3 T. butter
  • 4 t. light corn syrup (an ingredient that normally languishes in my cupboard)
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 T. chopped pecans
Dough:
  • 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 t.)
  • 1 2/3 c. warm water (100-110 degrees)
  • 1 1/2 t. salt
  • 5 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1/3 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 t. ground cinnamon
  • 2 T. butter, softened
To prepare caramel, combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, stir frequently until butter melts. Continue cooking until mixture thickens and becomes smooth (about 1 minute), stirring constantly. Remove from heat; pour into center of a 9 inch square baking pan; quickly spread caramel onto pan bottom using a spatula coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with pecans, cool to room temperature. Lightly coat sides of pan with cooking spray.

To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes, stir in salt.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 5 c. flour to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 min); add enough of remaining flour, 1 T. at a time to keep dough from sticking to hands.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.

Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

Roll dough into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface; spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter over dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Roll up rectangle tightly, starting with long edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends). Cut into 16 (1 inch wide) slices. Place slices, cut sides up, in prepared pan (rolls will be crowded). Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375. Bake for 20 minutes or until rolls are light golden brown. Cool in pan 5 minutes on rack. Place a serving platter upside down on top of pan; invert onto platter. Serve warm.