Kentucky Bourbon Cake

Victor headed off to Chicago on Monday and I headed off to the grocery store. I had noticed we were low on wine and thought a stop to the state store was in order. We're not big drinkers but we do use a bit of alcohol in our cooking - from wine in sauces to rum in cakes and cookies. Liquor really can add some interesting flavors and nuances in a dish.

I walked in and noticed a "Made in Pennsylvania" display next to the Italian wines I usually seek out. I started past it when I noticed a potato vodka. Victor is a Chopin Vodka drinker when he's of a mind, so I grabbed a bottle. What the heck. Then I noticed a Rye. I had recently seen a recipe calling for a rye whiskey - no idea what it was, right now - but I grabbed a bottle, because, well... I might remember what the recipe was... We do pride ourselves on being able to make just about anything at a moment's notice, after all.

I picked up a few bottles of wine and as I was walking down the aisle, I noticed several single malt Irish whiskies. I had seen a single malt at the Manchester airport and came really close to buying it - and then didn't. I couldn't quite justify the price. It's not like we're whisky connoisseurs and have tastings at the house after a round of golf at the club. But there I was staring at another bottle. I picked it up. Put it down. Picked it up. Put it down. Picked it up, again. Third time you pick something up you have to buy it. It's a rule. Into the cart it went.

And then, because I now needed a less-expensive alternative if I was going to make something, I grabbed a bottle of Jim Beam.

A lot of booze for someone who really doesn't drink.

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Fsst-Forward to Thursday. Victor's coming home. That means a nice dinner and dessert.

The nice dinner became chicken soup and a loaf of bread because he caught a nasty cold. But dessert stayed as planned - a Kentucky Bourbon Cake. I had Kentucky Bourbon. Had to use it.

I have a folder on the computer with hundreds - many hundreds - of recipes I've collected over time.

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I just get them there and every now and again I get them into their correct sub-folder. Recipes I actually want to make one of these days I keep un-filed. And, lo and behold, there was the bourbon cake recipe!

As with many recipes in this folder, I don't quite remember where it came from. The folder itself is a remnant of a cook book my old roommate Steve and I were going to write back in the '70s. It was called the Scraped off the Wall Cook Book and would have been a Best Seller, for sure, if we had every stopped getting high long enough to actually concentrate on it. I had transcribed all the recipes and had them on my computer when it crashed back in the early '90s and I lost them all. I've tried recreating over the years but I just don't have it in me. Maybe when I finally retire.

But I digress...

The file is dated 11-18-2003 so it's probably something I found for Thanksgiving that year and never made.

The only change I made was I used 2 tbsp of buttermilk powder and a cup of whole milk when making it instead of the cup of buttermilk. I pretty much never have buttermilk on hand, so buttermilk powder is good to have around.

Kentucky Bourbon Cake

  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup bourbon

For the Bourbon Butter Glaze:

  • 1 stick butter
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup bourbon

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter and flour a 10-cup bundt pan or tube cake pan.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugars together until very light and fluffy - about 5 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Mix bourbon with buttermilk.

Add dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk and bourbon mixture in 3 additions - starting and ending with the dry. Mix well but don't overmix.

Spread evenly into prepared pan and bake until cake is golden brown and a pick in the center comes out clean - 45 to 55 minutes.

Remove from oven and place on rack.

Make glaze.

Place butter, sugar, and bourbon in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and stir until everything is syrupy.

With hot cake in pan, poke holes all over with a skewer. Slowly pour about half of the syrup over the cake, stopping to  make sure it's getting absorbed. For bundt cake: Cool in the pan about 20 minutes and then place on cake dish and brush with remaining glaze. For tube pan: Flip out of pan onto another pan or plate and brush glaze over the bottom of the cake. Let dry about 20 minutes and then flip onto a serving plate and brush the last bit of sauce over the top.

Sprinkle with demerara sugar.

It really came out great!

The cake has a great texture thanks to the buttermilk and cake flour and a nice crunch on the top thanks to the demerara sugar. A really nice full bourbon flavor without being overpoweringly alcoholic. I probably wouldn't serve it to a 12-Stepper, but your maiden aunt would love it.

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This would definitely make a nice holiday gathering treat!

Thanksgiving is coming up. Maybe it will make the cut, this time - a mere 13 years later...

 


Lentils and Fennel

This is a riff on a Bon Appetit recipe I found about 5 years ago. I've made it many times and even Nonna likes it if I overcook the carrots. It's a really simple dish that is actually vegan when served on its own. Being the omnivore that I am, I usually top it with grilled pork tenderloins, or, as tonight, chicken breasts.

I had to pan-fry and then finish the chicken in the oven because somehow, the gas hose for the grill was eaten, broke, or somehow, otherwise, decided to come apart.

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Your guess is as good as mine - no kinks, twists, bends, odd angles, or undue stress. A new assembly will arrive tomorrow by 8pm. Thank you, Amazon Prime.

While we do tend to grill a lot, a few days without it is not going to hamper our cooking. I do need it relatively quickly, however, because Victor takes of tomorrow for a 4-day business trip and I like my hot dogs charred.

The days of doing major home products and subsisting on chili dogs while he's away are over for the time being - Nonna, messes, and hammering at 2 in the morning just don't mix. But I do plan on canning another huge batch of Little Grandma's Eggplant and another six or so pints of peppers. Victor brought in 6 more eggplants this morning and a huge basket of peppers. I'll be out later to get green beans. Confined-to-the-kitchen messes for the time being.

This garden stuff is fun.

Strangely, though, nothing in tonight's dinner came from the garden!

I usually use sherry vinegar when making this, but tonight I used a fig balsamic. You can use anything you like.

Lentils and Fennel

  • 1 cup dried lentils
  • 1 fennel bulb
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 carrots, cut into small dice
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • Chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar (or other good-quality vinegar)
  • S&P

Cook lentils in broth, uncovered, until lentils are just tender.

While lentils simmer, cut fennel bulb into 1/4-inch dice and chop about 2 tbsp fennel fronds for the finish.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet and add onion, carrot, fennel, and fennel seeds. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

When vegetables and lentils are cooked, stir lentils into vegetables and cook until heated through. Stir in parsley, vinegar, and fennel fronds. Add S&P, as desired.

Serve as a side dish or top with anything you desire!.

 


Peppers and Tomatoes

The garden spilleth over. Peppers and tomatoes - and eggplants - are coming in at an alarming rate. And cantaloupes are not far behind. Did I mention the green beans?

It's a treasure trove of fun eating.

The challenge has been to keep it new and interesting. Yes, we can eat tomato salad every night for 5 months, but is there something else to do with those luscious red and golden orbs besides Sicilian olive oil and basil? And peppers... How many jars can I can? How much caponata can one family eat in a year?

We've been lucky. We've been able to can a lot of sauce for the coming months and a lot of the other stuff we're canning will find its way into homes other than ours. The garden gods have been on our side. Then there's what to do with the little bit in front of us right now. With tomatoes, a fresh sauce is a quick and easy solution.

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Red and gold tomatoes blended and strained make for a really tasty sauce with the addition of a bit of basil and oregano from the garden. And just a pinch of salt and pepper. Nothing else is needed.

I poured it over stuffed shells and sausages and baked it off in the oven for 40 minutes.

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The peppers have been a bit more challenging, only because Nonna no longer likes spice. If I had my way they would be going in everything. My mother said the first solid food I ate as an infant was a chili bean. I loves my spice! But making two dinners is not a real option most nights. A big tub of fried peppers in olive oil, however, is an option. And they can be added to almost anything.

Since today is Sunday, pasta and homemade bread was an easy dinner idea - and peppers inside of bread would be another way of highlighting these fiery friends.

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I made a pretty basic focaccia dough and split it and filled it with sauteed peppers and cheese. Easy to do.

Pepper and Cheese Filled Focaccia

dough

  • 1 pkg dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • pinch salt

filling

  • 1 1/2 cups peppers. chopped, fried in oil, and cooled
  • 4 oz cheese, shredded, sliced, or crumbled
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce

Add 1 cup lukewarm water to mixer. Add yeast and let proof about 5 minutes. Add flour and and begin mixing. Add oil and continue mixing, adding additional water or flour to form a soft dough. Mix in machine about 5 minutes.

Roll dough into a ball, lightly oil bowl, and place dough in bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled - about 1 1/2-2 hours.

Take dough and form into two equal balls. Cover and let rest about 10 minutes.

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Roll each dough ball out to a 9" circle. Place one on a greased cookie sheet (or a bread peel with cornmeal.)

Brush entire top with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Distribute peppers and cheese across top.

Place second dough round on top, pressing out all air bubbles. Pinch ends to seal completely.

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Brush top with tomato sauce and cut at least 4 vent holes to allow steam to escape.

Cover and let rise until doubled - about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F with baking stone, if using.

Slide dough onto baking stone or place pan in oven.

Bake about 45 minutes.

Let cool before cutting.

peppers and tomatoes

 

 


Chocolate Cookies

It's a gorgeous day out there. Hermine didn't pack the punch they were expecting and we haves sunshine and blue skies with a gentle breeze in the air... Perfect weather for baking chocolate cookies.

Actually, any weather is perfect for baking cookies, but, you know what I mean. The windows are open and the scent of baking cookies is wafting throughout the neighborhood. It's a grand day, indeed!

After a crazy couple of weeks, we're hunkered down, this weekend. Bad TV, frying peppers, baking bread, and picking more tomatoes are pretty much the extent of our weekend activities. Gloriously quiet.

We have a whole week of nothing and then Victor has to take off for business - I get to stay home and Nonna-Sit - and the following week we fly off to San Francisco for my nephew's wedding. That is going to be a blast and a half! I have the most fun, wild, and crazy family - we definitely know how to do family gatherings. Yes, it's going to be fun.

But back to the present...

Cookies. Chocolate cookies. Also fun, but in a different way. These are pretty much a go-to recipe. They're easy to make and you can add just about anything to them. The basic is three cups of chips, nuts, or any combination. Today, I chopped up a 500gr. chocolate bar with almonds and added a half-bag of white chocolate chips. Add nuts, raisins, or whatever happens to be sitting around in your cupboard.

And have fun!

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Oh - and here's a tip if you only have Dutch processed cocoa - add 1/4 teaspoon of white vinegar to the dough to add the acidity needed for the Dutch processed cocoa to work.

Chocolate Cookies

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder (add 1/4 tsp white vinegar with Vanilla if using Dutch process)
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 cups assorted nuts, chips, chunks, and/or raisins

Preheat oven to 350°.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy and beat in egg and vanilla until combined well. Mix in flour mixture until just combined and stir in chips.

Drop dough by tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets and bake about 12 minutes.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Cool as long as you can, and then eat!