Compiling a Chocolate Cake

I couldn't find a WHOLE recipe that I liked, so I used the cake recipe from the Brother Juniper Cafe cookbook, and a filling/ganache recipe from The Baking Bible put out by Tollhouse. I've jumbled it up a bit, mostly because *I* work best with step by step instructions, but I've put the ingredients (plus special directives, like the sifting and SIFTING of the flour) in bold for easy reference.

Susan's Old-Fashioned Moist Chocolate Cake from the Brother Juniper Cookbook

Preheat oven to 350, grease 2 9 in pans, line with parchment, grease parchment, and dust with flour.

1 3/4 c. flour, sift and re-measure into 1 3/4 c. Return excess to bag/jar. Sift twice more, and add
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Dutch Process or European Style cocoa powder. Whisk together, then sift twice. Set aside.

Cream
1/4 lb sweet butter, room temperature. Add
1 tsp vanilla extract,
1 3/4 c white sugar and blend together until smooth.
Add, one at a time, beating in between,
4 large eggs, room temperature.

Measure out
1 1/4 c buttermilk or soured milk, and, beaters on low speed, incorporate 1/3 dry mix, and half the buttermilk, until just blended. Repeat with another third of the dry mix, and the last half of the buttermilk, beating until just blended, and the remaining third of the dry mix, just blended.

Spread in layer pans, and bake 30-35 minutes.

Let sit five minutes, then remove from pans, and place right side up on cooling rack (I put a cookie sheet under mine, just in case of drips from this next step, which is from The Baking Bible).

Melt
3 tbs seedless raspberry preserves in a small saucepan.

Using a skewer or a fork, poke holes in the tops of the cakes, trying not to pierce all the way through, and spread the preserves evenly on both cakes. Let cool completely.

Filling and Ganache, both from The Baking Bible

Filling:
2/3 c sweetened condensed milk, combined in heavy saucepan with
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbs butter

Cook over low heat until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Ganache:
Place in a medium bowl:
1 1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips.

In a saucepan, combine:
3/4 c heavy cream
1 tbs butter
1 tbs granulated sugar

Bring to a boil over high heat, stir until sugar dissolves. Pour over chocolate chips, let stand five minutes. Stir until smooth, let stand fifteen minutes, or until ganache reaches desired consistency. (It will thicken as it cools.)

Place bottom layer on cake plate, spread with filling. Let harden slightly, place top layer in place. Frost top and sides with ganache.

Serve and enjoy!

It seems labor intensive, but I was surprised how easy it was, and of course the finished product is completely worth it. A moist, rich cake without being too overpowering, with the most delightful hint of raspberry.

Birthday Bash

We had a big birthday in these parts, so I kind of went a little nuts with the dessert making. I was so excited to order some specialty cupcakes, but then I started to wonder whether *I* could make some interesting variation on my own, so I gave it a shot. We haven't started Eddie on tree nuts, yet, so instead of doing a "peanut butter and jelly" cupcake I once saw somewhere in the web, I did my own twist on the jelly-filled cupcake. I wanted to call it The Jelly Donut, but then I figured I'd have to use powdered sugar instead of frosting, so I changed the name at the last minute. Also, the recipe for the frosting came from an OLD edition of the Farm Country Cookbook I found in a thrift store years ago.

I give you:

Vanilla Lemon SURPRISE! Cupcakes

I cheated a little on this one, and used a box mix but I *did* make the chocolate-raspberry-ganache cake completely from scratch, so I feel redeemed. :) (And I'll post that recipe/method next!)

Here goes:

1 Box vanilla cake mix, baked according to package directions. Makes 24 cupcakes.

When cupcakes are cool, use a sharp knife, held at an angle, to cut an inverted cone out of the top of the cupcake. Cut the point off the cone, so that there will be a cavity in the cake. Fill that cavity with a teaspoonful of berry jam (we used strawberry). I had to use the knife to enlarge the hole a couple of times...no big deal in the long run. The jam is the SURPRISE!

When all the cupcakes are filled and re-capped, blend together:

3/4 c. soft butter and
5 cups sifted confectioners sugar

Stir in:

1/4 c. light cream (I don't know what that is, so I used half and half) and
1 tsp lemon extract.

Spread a thin layer of frosting on each cupcake, just enough to "seal" the tops in place. Let harden, then frost more generously, as befits a festive cupcake.

Serve and enjoy!

(Pictures to come as soon as I can upload them from my camera!)

Peanut Cole Slaw (non mayonnaise based)

There is a restaurant in downtown Chicago that makes this peanut cole slaw. I don't like cole slaw, but I gobble this stuff down and so does my mom. I found a recreation of it online and made it for my mom to surprise her. Success! (by the way, the restaurant is called Bandera)

The recipe did not say how many servings it makes, but it made A LOT, so I'd recommend cutting this in half the first time unless you're serving more than 2 people. Also, I don't like cilantro, but I still love this recipe!

Peanut Cole Slaw
1/2 head green cabbage, sliced in thin strips
1/4 head purple cabbage, sliced in thin strips
1/2 jicama sliced in thin strips
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (depending on your preference)
1/4 to 1/2 cup roasted peanuts

Mix all ingredients above and toss with vinaigrette. Let sit for one hour.

For the vinaigrettte:
Add all the ingredients in a food processor and grind.

1/2 cup peanut oil. If peanut oil flavor is not strong, add 1/4 cup roasted peanuts to the vinaigrette mix before grinding. Do not use sesame oil
Juice of 1/2 lime or 1/4 lemon
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp sugar
1 green onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsely depending on preference
1/2 tsp salt

Mike's Granola Bars

{I'm alive! Sorry I haven't posted in over a month...I started a new job and just haven't had very much free time to just...blog.}

I started making these granola bars for my husband about 6 months ago, and I've been tweaking it ever since. I think we've finally came to a combination that suits him well. He says they are more filling than most store bought granola bars and just taste "fresher". I've just nibbled on a few here and there but every bit I do get is tasty!

Servings: 8 big bars (or 16 regular sized ones)
Adapted from Alton Brown



Ingredients
2 cups old fashion rolled oats
1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup peanuts

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 oz chopped dried fruit, any combination*

*I used welch's mixed fruit and I found it in my baking aisle by the chocolate chips.

Directions
1. Spray a 7x 11 glass baking dish with Pam. Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

2. Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and wheat germ onto a sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 5 minutes, stir, and toast for 5 more minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the honey, brown, sugar, butter, extract, and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar is dissolved.

4. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the over and reduce the heat to 300 degrees. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down (I used wax paper on top of the mixture and my peanut butter jar to press). Place in the oven and back for 25 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely and store in airtight container.

Note: When buying the wheat germ, I've found toasted and untoasted. If you can only find toasted, don't toast it in the oven with the oats and nuts. Just add it in when you add the dried fruit.

Enjoy!

Grandma Pat's Beef Barley Stew

I'm not sure if any of you other Mamas are having difficulties introducing solids to your wee one(s). Eddie wouldn't eat anything but breastmilk until he was ten months old, and then I tried being all crunchy and making him baby food out of our food, but he wouldn't touch it. He *loved* OTHER babies' homemade baby food (and storebought baby food, and cookies, and crackers and cheese...all that stuff we're not supposed to give him right away, of course!) but not mine.

But then I made that Tortilla Soup, and gave him a taste (PRE-hot sauce), and he LOVED it. I froze a bunch of it in an ice cube tray, and it's still a hit. I finally broke down and BOUGHT jarred baby food (sob :P) and he, of course, loved that too. The best laid plans of Mamas and wives, I tell you.

Also, he doesn't like the same thing twice in a row. If we had mango-peach-oatmeal for breakfast one morning, we'd BETTER have something different the following morning, or ELSE.

All this to say that I was so sad that I couldn't make food for my baby like I'd hoped and that I was afraid I was doomed to feed him pre-made food until he finally grew enough teeth to eat steak and green beans with us. UNTIL. We went to visit DH's parents and Grandma made her Beef Barley Stew, and I thought it was delicious and gave Eddie a bite, and then another, and the next thing I knew, he'd eaten half my bowl! :P Then he ate it for lunch the next day, and dinner, AND lunch the following day! So I had to get the recipe, and now that I've made it again, I'm sharing it here!


Beef Barley Stew

1/2 lb lean round steak, chopped in cubes
4 carrots, peeled and cut in 1/4" slices
1 c chopped yellow onion
1/2 c green bell peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb fresh button mushrooms, quartered
3/4 c dry pearl barley
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dry thyme
1/2 tsp dry sweet basil
1 bay leaf
5 c beef broth

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low, 9-10 hours.

NOTE: I forgot to ask DH to unpack my slow cooker, and since I don't know where it is myself, I decided to brown the meat with the onions and garlic and throw it, along with everything else, in a heavy stew pot, and I've had it simmering for about half an hour now. I'll let it go until the meat is cooked through, and the carrots are tender. Then we'll store it for lunches and Eddie's meals! (DH isn't a big stew guy. :P)

Update: The stew simmered for about three hours before I was happy with the thickness and the taste.

Our first Turkish cooking experience!

Well, we just tried this recipe out last night and it was really delicious. Richie (my husband) had the stew all put together and simmering when I got home from work, which really made my night. All I had to do was keep an eye on it for the next hour and a half. Its so delicious, and we just finished having the rest for leftovers tonight!

Eggplant Stew (aka Patlicanli Kebap)

Ingredients:

4 small eggplants

1 red and 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into chuncks

1 onion, chopped

1 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt and ground black pepper

1 Tbsp tomato paste

parsley sprigs, to garnish

1lb mutton (lamb is the main meat choice in Turkish cooking, but if you can't find any, beef should do the trick)

2 1/2 cups meat stock or water

1. Cut each eggplant lengthwise into four pieces and soak in salted water for 20 minutes. Drain them and squeeze a bit to extract some of the excess water.

2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant lightly, in batches. (I always find that eggplant soaks up every bit of oil in a pan, and the recommended amount doesn't seem to be enough. I'm not sure what to do about this, so I usually add a bit extra, just to make sure they don't stick to a dry pan.) Set aside when done.

3. In the same oil (again, heat up a bit more if its all been soaked up by your eggplant), fry onion, bell peppers and meat. I usually make sure the meat is browned a bit on all sides, but you don't need to cook it too much. Drain and set aside.

4. Melt margarine or butter in an ovenproof casserole or big pot, stir in tomato paste, then pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, add meat and vegetables, and season to taste. Cover and cook over low heat for 1.5 hours (or alternatively, in a preheated 350 F oven). Serve hot and garnish with parsley sprigs.

Its great served with a bit of crusty bread, and maybe some olives.

Afiyet olsun! (Turkish for bon appetite!)

Incredibly Easy Chicken and Noodles

I've never made this recipe and was taking it to a family in need from church so I had Dan try a bowl and it was a hit. It's cheap. It's makes a lot. And it's GOOD! I served it up with a slotted spoon for the more traditional gravy-ish chicken and noodle instead of soupy. This is definitely going on our go-to meals list! A great find as the winter weather draws near.

INGREDIENTS
1 (26 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 cups diced, cooked chicken breast meat
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 (9 ounce) packages frozen egg noodles


DIRECTIONS
In a large pot, mix the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, and chicken meat. Season with onion powder, seasoning salt, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, and stir in the noodles. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes

Amazing Soup!

I wasn't going to post this recipe yet when I first tasted it. At first, I thought that I wanted to mess around with it a bit more, make it a bit better. But then I had three cups for lunch. And a bowl for breakfast. And it's the first thing I went for as a snack today. So I decided it must be pretty good as is. I got the recipe here. And the following is how I made it, pretty similar. If you like beans, this stuff is absolutely amazing. Dip a French baguette in it and you almost feel like you're treating yourself to Panera.

Pureed Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ cup bacon bits (the original calls for ham or bacon slices)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 – 1 1/2 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili
pepper to taste
1 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes

2 - 14.5 oz cans black beans

Cook onion and bacon in small amount of oil. Add garlic, then water and bouillon cube (or broth) and spices. Puree tomatoes and beans in blender and add to soup. Bring to boil and simmer about 5 minutes. Serve with French bread. (I'm sure it'd be great with sour cream or cheese and tortilla chips as originally suggested.)

Next time I may try puree just 3/4 of the beans and smashing the rest to make it a bit thicker...or maybe I'll just put a little bit less water. Regardless it's delicious!!!!!!!!!

Spinach-Cheese Swirls

I'm not going to type this recipe out because it's already in cyber space, right here, but I did want to point them out to you because they are a delicious way to use up that remaining sheet of the puff pastry that you bought for the chocolate croissants. And since I didn't buy the right kind of puff pastry (i.e. all butter) the spinach cheese swirls actually tasted better than the chocolate croissants. I didn't realize anything could taste better than chocolate! ;o)

Zesty Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

This recipe is adapted from The Gooseberry Patch What's For Dinner? cookbook. When I told my mom what I was making for dinner, she said that's the same sort of dressing she's been using all summer for a new warm potato salad she's been serving. Once she told me that, I knew we'd like dinner because that potato salad is delish! And we did like dinner. I think we'll like it better when I follow the note below.

I hope you all try this. It's so yummy!!

Zesty Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*

1 lb. potatoes, cut into about 1 inch cubes

1/3 c mayo

3 T Dijon mustard

1/8 t pepper

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Grease a cookie sheet. Place chicken and potatoes on cookie sheet. Blend remain ingredients together and brush over chicken and potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.

*I wrote the directions as I made it tonight, but next time I'm going to cube the chicken also and then toss all the chicken and the potatoes in a bowl with the coating to get it covered better. Brushing it on top was not enough. I think I'd give the potatoes a 15 minute headstart and then throw the cubed chicken in too. I'm not sure how long the chicken would take to cook in such small pieces, so I can't give any specific directions. But man this stuff is tasty!