Spice Cake Fail

Take a look into that pan.  That's not a beautiful dome.  No, it's a big indentation.  It fell like there's no tomorrow.  Both layers.

Bummer.

Cakes can fall for any number of reasons, but this is my go-to-never-fail recipe I've used for years.  I've played with it, tweaked it here and there, and have never had a problem with it - until tonight.  And the only thing I can think of that was radically different this time from all the other times I've made this cake is I used cake flour instead of all-purpose.  I wanted to see how the Daisy flour worked in a pretty standard cake.  It didn't in this one.

I thought I had compensated by adding some additional flour, but I guess it just wast enough.  Or something.

Whatever it was, it didn't affect the flavor - which was excellent.  The texture was more crumbly than normal, but fortunately it was a moist and tender crumbly.

The cake was good.

There was no way the sides were going to get iced - it just wasn't happening.  And it may have looked like hell, but I'll be damned if I wasn't going to eat it, anyway!  I made a nutmeg buttercream frosting and put apple butter between the layers.

What it lacked in looks was made up for by the taste.

And a big note to self:  Use all-purpose flour next time.

BH&G Yellow Cake

  • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1-3/4 cups sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1-1/4 cups milk

directions

1. Grease and lightly flour two 8",  9" round baking pans or grease one 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set pan(s) aside. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each. Add dry mixture and milk alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just till combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).

3. Bake in a 375° oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool layer cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove layer cakes from pans. Cool thoroughly on racks. Or, place 13x9-inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly. Frost with desired frosting.

 

 


Adluh Sweet Potato Apple Cobbler

Tonight was my very first experience with my Adluh Gift Package.  I had zeroed in on the Sweet Potato Mix.  I was totally intrigued.  And what a fun dessert it made!

I wasn't sure what it was going to do, but I had faith it was going to be good.  It was more than good.  It was excellent!

I followed the directions exactly, using McIntosh apples, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, sugar, butter, and a sprinkling of flour for the filling.

Sweet Potato Apple Cobbler with Pecans

  • 1 pound Adluh Sweet Potato Mix
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 16-32 oz fresh, frozen, or canned apples or apple pie filling
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 stick melted butter

Mix the sweet potato mix, milk, pecans, and brown sugar until the thickness of pancake batter.  pour the apples/filling into an 8x10 or 9x13 baking pan.  Pour the sweet potato mix over the apples.  Bake at 400° conventional (350° convection) or 40 minutes or until golden brown.  Take out and pour melted butter on top.  Let butter soak in and then sprinkle with chopped pecans.

And that's just what I did!

The flavor of the Sweet Potato Mix is vaguely ginger-breadish.  Really, really good.  It just went perfect with the apples.  I could see it topping a pear cobbler, as well.  I could also see it with any one of the sheet of recipes I received with my gift box.  Really, really good.

And I really liked the cake-like cobbler topping as opposed to the drop biscuits I usually make.  My mom used to make a cobbler like this although it was of the white-flour variety.  I haven't had one like this in years.  It really did evoke a simpler place and time for me.  I guess this is what the good folks at Adluh mean when they talk about "Same Today, Same Always."  You really can make grandma's biscuits.  And your grand-kids will be able to make yours.

Quality has been the one feature that has allowed this plant to flourish while others have closed. As in 1900, stones are still used today to produce the specialty grits items. Without this emphasis on "Same Today, Same Always" quality, the company could never have survived the shift in consumption from local to regional to national brands over the last 100 years. Generations of customers know that they can always trust their prized recipes to come out right using Adluh products.

Really, really good.

You can order online at AdluhStore.com.

Really, really good.


Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cookies

As the saying goes, Cooking is an Art - Baking is a Science.

Cooking can be very forgiving. Baking requires the right ratio of flour, eggs, fat, sugar, and leavening.  It helps to have a bit of understanding of what the ingredients do.  Flour and eggs - the proteins - provide the structure.  Fat and sugar provide the tenderness and moisture.  Too much or too little of anything can create a tough or dry product.  Too much leavening can cause things to expand and collapse, too little and they won't rise.  Proper proportions.

Lard is one of the best tenderizers.  It also has a horrible reputation.  It really does make a light, tender, and flaky pie crust.  Butter works well but it needs to be whipped - and needs an emulsifier such as eggs.  Olive oil has emulsifiers in it and works well in many cake recipes.  But don't run out and start making cakes with olive oil and think you're eating healthy.  It's still a  cake.

Science.  Chemistry.  Math.  There's more to baking than merely slicing the cookie dough roll.

This was a bit of a trial-and-error recipe developed over time.  I wanted a cookie that had everything I could think of in it, and was also crisp but not dry.  Just soft enough without being an under-baked Mrs. Field's.  I think it came out rather well.  There are 4 cups of add-ins - the nuts, chips, and raisins.  You can vary these and mix and match things to what you have on hand and increase it up to about 5 cups, total.  After that, there's not much dough to hold everything in place.

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cookies

  • 2 cubes butter (8 oz)
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup chopped nuts
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 cup coconut

Cream butter and peanut butter.  Add sugars and beat until light, then add the eggs one at a time.  Add the flour, cocoa, and baking soda, and mix well. Then add the rolled oats.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well.

Use a 1/4 cup scoop and scoop out cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet. (I always line my sheets with parchment!)  Press down slightly with damp fingers.

Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes.

I always use a scoop to dish out the cookies.  It is infinitely easier than anything else and makes for uniform-sized cookies that bake evenly.

The recipe makes about 3 dozen large cookies.

 

 


Vanilla Pound Cake

I am just having so much fun with all of this flour!  Every day is just a new reason to make or bake something.

I'm still doing my experiments and I'm still working on The Classics.  I do think that a products true quality lies in how simply it can be used.  And simplicity really is the key.  I've heard that French restaurants will test a prospective cook by making them roast a chicken.  If you can't do the basics well, you'll never be able to master the complex.

So back out came Baking With Julia.  I really liked the series when it ran on PBS and the recipes are written well.  Not to mention the variety of recipes - from pound cake to wedding cake - and so much more.

I followed the recipe as written except I played with the flour.  It calls for 3 cups of all-purpose flour  so I used 11 ounces (about 2.25 cups) of Daisy pastry flour and  5.5 ounces (1.125 cups) of Daisy bread flour.  There is a bit of an adjustment for using the Daisy flour by volume.  I also used Irish butter, Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, and organic eggs.  What the hell.  Quality In - Quality Out.

My ratio was perfect.  The cake was moist with a rich buttery-vanilla flavor.  The kind of flavor that could have one sneaking into the kitchen to keep slicing off thin wedges - over-and-over.  Just dense enough without being too heavy and a perfectly browned - and tender - crust.

I really could eat this one all night.

A few hints... Make sure your ingredients are all at room temperature and you sift your flour.  Also, take the time the recipe calls for.  Whip the butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Take a full four minutes to add the eggs.  It really does make a difference.  Cooking is an art and baking is a science.  You really do need the proper ratio of tenderizers (sugar and butter) to proteins (flour and eggs) and you need to take the time to properly emulsify the butter, sugar, and eggs before adding the milk and flour.  It really will make a huge difference.

Vanilla Pound Cake

From Baking with Julia

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature, whisked to blend
  • 1 cup milk, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan or other 12-cup decorative pan with a center tube.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together onto a sheet of waxed or parchment paper; reserve.

Put the butter into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or work with a hand-held mixer) and beat at medium speed until smooth. With the machine running, add the sugar in a steady stream. Stop the machine and scrape down the paddle and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Continue to beat at medium speed until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.

With the mixer still at medium speed, begin to add the eggs in small additions, about a tablespoon at a time. If the mixture becomes watery or shiny, stop adding the eggs and beat at an increased speed just until it smooths out. When the batter has come together again, decrease the speed to medium and continue adding the eggs, scraping down the paddle and sides of the bowl from time to time; it will take 3 to 4 minutes to incorporate the eggs. The mixture is properly combined when it appears white, fluffy and increased in volume.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture and the milk alternating-4 additions of flour, 3 of milk-scrapping the paddle and bowl frequently and mixing until the batter is smooth after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix just to blend

Baking the cake. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a rack, remove the pan, and cool to room temperature. The cake is best served in very thin slices.

Storing. The cake can be covered at room temperature for about 3 days or wrapped airtight and frozen for a month. Keep in mind that stale pound cake is excellent lightly toasted and used as the based for ice cream sundaes.

I don't think this cake will be around long enough to have to think of freezing any of it.

 

 


Perfect Genoise

A couple of days ago I talked about ordering Daisy Flour.

It arrived!  And the timing could not have been more perfect; I was charged with bringing a dessert to The In-Law's for the Labor Day Dinner.

I immediately pulled out Baking with Julia.  It's definitely one of my more-favorite cook books and has lots and lots of really excellent recipes - some complex and others not-so.  I vacillated  between several, but finally decided on a variation of the French Strawberry Cake.  I had raspberries.  I decided to use the "Perfect Genoise" and make a raspberry cream.  And maybe a little chocolate.

A genoise can be intimidating, at first, but this particular recipe really takes a lot of the angst out of it.  A true genoise is an Italian sponge cake named after Genoa.  It is also the foundation of many French cakes and desserts.  It uses whole eggs - perfectly whipped - as leavening.  No baking powder, baking, soda, or other leavening agents.

I thought it perfect for using the Daisy Pastry Flour.  And, of course, it was!

The basic for a genoise is whipping whole eggs until they're tripled in volume, gently folding in flour, and then gently adding melted butter.  It's not difficult - if you pay attention.

Perfect Genoise

Baking With Julia

makes enough batter for one 8-inch round cake

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup sifted cake flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

Pour the melted butter into a 1-quart bowl; reserve. Return the sifted flour to the sifter or sieve and add 1 tbsp of the sugar and the salt; sift onto a piece of waxed paper and set aside.

Put the eggs and the remaining sugar into the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer (or work with a hand-held mixer). Holding the whisk attachment from the mixer in your hand, beat the mixture to blend the ingredients. With the bowl and whisk attachment in place, whip the mixture on medium speed until it is airy, pale, and tripled in volume, like softly whipped cream, 4 to 5 minutes. You'll know that the eggs are properly whipped when you lift the whisk and the mixture falls back into the bowl in a ribbon that rests on the surface for about 10 seconds. If the ribbon immediately sinks into the mixture, continue whipping for a few more minutes. Pour in the vanilla extract during the last moments of whipping.

Detach the bowl from the mixer. Sprinkle about one third of the sifted flour mixture over the batter. Fold in the flour with a rubber spatula, stopping as soon as the flour is incorporated. Fold in the rest of the flour in 2 more additions.

Gently spoon about 1 cup of the batter into the bowl with the melted butter and fold the butter in with the rubber spatula. Fold this mixture into the batter in the mixer bowl. (This is the point at which the batter is at its most fragile, so fold gingerly.) The batter should be poured into a prepared pan and baked immediately.

Bake at 350° about 25-27 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched and just begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Cool in pan about 10 minutes then remove, cooling right-side up on cooling rack.

May be prepared 24 hours in advance.  leave on rack, uncovered, at room temperature.

Whip eggs until they're triple in volume and 'ribbon' back into the bowl when the beaters are lifted

Mix a cup of batter into the melted butter to lighten it - and then fold it into the main bowl.

Baked for 27 minutes and cooled overnight.  The cake came out perfect.  It sliced perfectly.  It just could not have been better.

I made a whipped raspberry cream by adding thawed, frozen raspberries to 2 cups of heavy cream along with a teaspoon of vanilla.  I did not add any sugar.

I split the cake into three layers and dusted the bottom layer with unsweetened cocoa.

I could have used more, but I wasn't sure how it would come out.  I actually thought of making a cocoa simple syrup but decided this would work.

I spread the layer with the raspberry cream and then added more thawed raspberries.

I then repeated wuith the next layer.

I topped the third layer with more raspberry cream and then piped rosettes along the outside edge.  I added chocolate curls by using a potato peeler on a chocolate bar and added fresh raspberries for the final garnish.

Neither Daisy nor Julia disappointed!  This cake came out great!  It was light and airy without having an 'eggy' flavor that some sponge cakes can have.  A genoise is a slightly dry cake by nature and the cream offset that dryness perfectly.

So...  my first dessert with the Daisy Flour was a resounding success.  There's a recipe in the book for a white bread that I haven't made in a few years.  I think that may be my next project!

This is going to be a fun Fall and Winter!


Brownies and Cherries

Fresh cherries + chocolate brownie mix = quick and easy dessert!

Brownies are totally easy to make from scratch but I almost always have a box in the cupboard for my lazier-than-lazy moments.

I still had a few fresh cherries left in the 'fridge, so, armed with my trusty cherry-pitter, I went to work.

We swear that we don't buy single-use gadgets and the like although the kitchen does seem to be full of them.  I bought this particular single-use gadget when I entered the San Leandro Cherry Festival Cherry Pie Contest in 2000.  I won 2nd Place!

So my good-luck cherry pitter has been living in a drawer ever since, coming out now and again to say hi...

I do love a good batch of fresh cherries.  And there really are so many different varieties that come to the market.  One of my favorites are Rainier Cherries from Washington.  The closer you are to them, the better they taste.

The cherries in the brownies were dark red cherries.

I added about 5 minutes to the box baking time to allow for the additional moisture.

They came out just fine...

 

And they cut much nicer once they cooled...


Coconut Rice Pudding

It's no secret that we're both huge dessert-junkies.  It is seldom that there is not something sweet for an after-dinner treat.  What can I say?  I like dessert.

However, neither of our waistlines are shrinking.  In fact, one could probably say the exact opposite is happening.

So... we've been trying to slow down on the desserts every night.  Eating dinner later.  A little handful of something as opposed to a huge slice of cake.

It's been working.  More or less...

But last night the sweet tooth roared.  Rice pudding came to mind and wouldn't leave.

In to the kitchen I went.

My mom made great rice pudding - she made a Baked Pudding that, even though I have her recipe, can never make quite as good.  Victor's Aunt Emma also made a great rice pudding.  It's another one that is not quite as good as the original.  Both are really, really good.  Our memories just see them as being better.

I'm sure it's because we didn't have to cook it.  In my case, all I had to do was wait impatiently for it to come out of the oven.  We never let it cool.  Hot rice pudding was the nectar of the rice-gods.

So...  faced with two recipes I knew I couldn't replicate, I decided to use up some of that coconut milk in the cabinet and the sweetened shredded coconut I bought for the Mother's Day Coconut Cake.

I went with a pretty basic concept - a coconut custard with rice.

Coconut Rice Pudding

  • 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup canned coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • heavy cream

Cook 1 cup rice in 2 1/2 cups water until done - about 20 minutes.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, mix sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and cornstarch in large bowl.

Bring milk, coconut milk, and salt to boil. Slowly add about 1/3 of milk to eggs to temper.  Add everything back to saucepan and cook until thickened.

Stir in cooked rice and coconut. Stir in vanilla.

Serve warm.

Refrigerate leftovers, pressing plastic wrap onto surface.

To serve cold, stir in heavy cream to bring it back to a pudding consistency.

Victor claimed it was the best rice pudding I have ever made.  And who am I to argue?!?

It really was good and there's enough left for a few days worth of dessert-cravings.

 


Peach Blondies

Just about the only good thing that came out of yesterday was the Peach Blondies!

I really like blondies, but - as with so many things - I forget about them or seldom make them.

I was determined that at least one thing would go right - and I succeeded!  they really did come out good!

The recipe is straight from the Better Homes and Garden New Cook Book, circa 1981.  It's my quick go-to  book for easy baked things. The recipe calls for 1 cup chopped walnuts.  I used 2 chopped peaches, instead.

Peach Blondies

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 chopped peaches

Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking pan.  Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt.  Melt butter; remove from heat.  Stir in sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla; stir until combined.  Stir dry ingredients into sugar mixture.  Add peaches and stir to combine.  Bake in a 350° oven about 25 minutes.

Another great way to use up some peaches.

These are great.  They're rich and butterscotchy with yummy peaches throughout.

I'm off to get more right now...

 

 


Peach Pie

Sometimes I can drive myself crazy.

If I could just relent and buy a pie crust, I could have a pie in the oven in minutes.

But no-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o...... I have to make them from scratch because what would the neighbors think?!?

Or something.

Okay, that's not the real reason.  Reality is, making a pie crust from scratch takes less time than thawing one.  Messier, but quicker.

And infinitely better.

I have friends - even very accomplished cooks - who are intimidated by pie crusts.  There's no reason to be.  Even a tough homemade crust is better than a store-bought. And the food processor has made crust-making fool-proof.

I think part of the reason is advertisers really harp upon the perfection of their products versus a homemade product.  They set up the intimidation by telling you right off the bat you can't make something as good as what they are selling you and then proceed to mock your efforts and telling you your family/friends/loved ones/whomever deserve the best and you can't deliver it on your own.

Balderdash, says I!

I caught a few minutes of Ina Garten on TV today.  She was making a tiered chocolate cake with a butter cream icing.    She was decorating it with pastry tubes and said "You don't want it to look like it just came from a  bakery.  What fun would that be?"

I thought those were some of the best words a person could ever say.  Really.  A little less emphasis on perfection and a little bit more on having fun can bring the confidence level way up!

I think one of the reasons I make a good pie crust is that I'm not afraid to make a bad one.  That's not to say that I can't get neurotic at times and do things like forget to put the potatoes in the clam chowder that I'm serving to dear friends who have never stayed with us before...  But they are few and far between.

My motto really is "The worst thing that can happen is we throw it out and call for pizza."

And in all these years I haven't called for pizza - yet.  (That's not to say there haven't been a few meals that won't be repeated any time soon.)

The pie crust recipe I use started off as Julia Child's Food Processor Pie Dough and then just kept getting changed and tweaked over the years.  This really is fool-proof.  It makes enough for a generous 10" deep double crust.

Try it with 2/3 butter and 1/3 lard (not shortening) if you have it available.

Perfect Pie Crust

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup pastry/cake flour
  • 2 sticks butter, frozen
  • pinch salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup ice water

Using a food processor, add flours, salt, and sugar. Pulse to mix.

Chop up frozen butter and add. Pulse until butter is incorporated and mixture looks grainy.

Slowly add ice water and pulse until mixed.

Turn out onto counter. Press and form mixture into two disks . Wrap in plastic and refrigerate about an hour to allow the flour to properly absorb the water and to relax the gluten.

Roll out crust and place in pie plate. Crimp edges and fill.

I have never been a good "edge-crimper."  It's amazing for the amount of pies I've made in my life that it's a skill-set I've never really mastered.  I've watched in awe as others have whipped around a pie in seconds flat.  I'm just not one of them.

I still sleep well at night.

The peach filling for tonight's pie comes via Bon Appetit magazine.  I've made this one before.  It's really good.

Here's the recipe from Bon Appetit.  I don't do the vanilla bean with the sugar and all that.  I add a teaspoon of vanilla to the peaches.  I also brush the crust with an egg wash.

Peach Pie with Cardamom

  • 2/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon (scant) ground cardamom
  • 3 3/4 pounds firm but ripe unpeeled peaches, halved, pitted, each half cut into 4 slices (about 10 cups)
  • 2 Best-Ever Pie Crust dough disks
  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • Whipping cream (for glaze)

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Combine 2/3 cup sugar and vanilla bean in processor; blend until vanilla bean is very finely minced. Sift vanilla sugar through strainer into large bowl; discard any large bits in strainer. Mix flour and cardamom into vanilla sugar. Add peaches to flour-sugar mixture and toss gently to coat.

Roll out 1 pie crust disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Spoon peach mixture into crust; dot with butter. Roll out second pie crust disk on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Drape dough over peach filling; trim overhang to 1 1/2 inches. Fold top and bottom edges under, pressing together to seal. Crimp edges decoratively. Using small sharp knife, cut 2-inch-long X in center of top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush crust lightly with whipping cream; sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar.

Place pie on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden, peaches are tender, and juices bubble thickly through cut in top crust, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool until lukewarm, about 2 hours.

I let it rest about an hour.  I was in a hurry.

It was really good.

Really good.

It's prime peach season.  Get yourself 4 pounds and get to work.

You won't be sorry!

 

 

 


Peach Ice Cream

Ice cream is one of my earliest food memories. One of the best is my grandmother feeding me homemade peach pie with vanilla ice cream on top - for breakfast.  My mother, of course, was not pleased.  My grandmother just looked at her sternly and said "peach danish and a glass of milk."  Grandma always won.

There was a family gathering at Auntie Sis's house in Bakersfield  circa 1955/56.   Auntie Sis was my maternal grandfather's aunt, and if grandpa seemed old to me, Auntie Sis was downright ancient.

I remember a huge block of ice in the back porch sink and an ice pick. My brother and I just broke off huge chips of ice to suck on.  No one screaming that we were using dangerous implements.  No hovering parents trying to control our every movement or trying to ensure we were experiencing the day the way they wanted us to.  Kids were kids back then.

And sometimes we had to work.

Back in those otherwise idyllic days, ice cream was made by hand.  No Cuisinart ice cream makers, no plug it in and come back in 30 minutes.  It was all hand-cranked.

And that was the kid's job.

Ice and rock salt and grandpa yelling not to get the salt on top and ruin the ice cream.

And cranking and cranking and cranking until I thought my arm would fall off.  And then cranking some more.

The work was hell but oh, was it worth it!  Rich and creamy - almost buttery.  It was summertime perfection - even better than spitting seeds from hunks of ice-cold penny-a-pound watermelons.

Idyllic, indeed.

Peach Ice Cream

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup peach puree (from about 3 peaches)

Mix milk and sugar until sugar dissolves.  Add peach puree and heavy cream. Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and mix according to manufacturer's instructions.

One note...  If you're going to take the time to make your own ice cream - use the best ingredients you can.  Look at the ingredient list on your carton of heavy cream.  If there is anything in it other than "cream" put it back and go to another store.  (You wouldn't believe the things they put in something as basic as whipping cream!)

 

 


Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake may be one of my most favorite desserts.  There's just something about sweet fresh strawberries, a light biscuit, and lots of whipped cream.

The nectar of the gods.

My father played a lovely trick on me one summer evening 60+ years ago when we were having strawberry shortcake for dessert.

We always ate as a family, and we all had our assigned places at the table.  For whatever reason, I was at the opposite side of the table down by my dad as we started dessert.  Pop looked down at his dessert with a big smile.  He took a big whiff and said it smelled wonderful.  He looked at me and said "smell how good it is."  I bent my head down to smell it and "whomp!"  he pushed my face right into it!  I was so mad.  My mother was furious but Pop just laughed and laughed.  Evidently, his father had done the same thing to him and he always said he was going to do it to his son one day.

That was Pop.  He was a jokester who never quite grew up.  He teased us mercilessly but also enjoyed being the recipient of a good prank.  He was a pretty special guy - and no kid could ask for a better role model.  Pop could totally relate to kids because he was one, himself.

And if I had had kids, you can rest assured that one night at dessert, I would have looked over and said "Gee, that smells wonderful.  You should smell it."

The nut doesn't fall far from the tree...

Strawberry Shortcakes

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter
  • 1 cup whipping cream

Preheat oven to 400°. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles fine meal. Gradually add 1 cup cream, mixing until dough comes together. Form into 6 balls and pat to 1/2-inch thickness.  Bake shortcakes until brown, about 15-18 minutes.

I don't split these.  I just pile the strawberries on top and cover in more whipped cream.

De-Lish!

 

I ♥ dessert.

 

 

 


Mother's Day Coconut Cake

This is called The Ultimate Coconut Cake - and I have to say, it truly is.  Ultimate in every sense of the word.

This is an "OMG I can't believe I'm eating this" cake.

This is an "OMG I'll never be able to finish this slice" cake.

This is an "OMG I'm going to die - but with a smile on my face" cake.

And, It's really good.

I was given the task of making a combination Mother's Day and Birthday cake for all the moms plus Victor's mom's birthday on May 11th.  The request was a coconut cake because Nonna really likes coconut (who knew?!?)  So...  I went looking for a great recipe.

I thought it really needed to be fairly traditional - no key lime fillings, rum fillings, and the like.  I went to Epicurious to see what they had and found a cake called The Ultimate Coconut Cake from a restaurant in South Carolina..   It sounded intriguing, but in reading the reviews, one woman stated this was NOT the real cake from The Peninsula Grill in South Carolina, but the recipe was posted on Martha Stewart's site.  Over to Martha and I found it.  Much better than the Epicurious version.

I have to say up front that this is NOT a recipe for the faint of heart.  The entire cake calls for 2 1/2 pounds of butter, 6 1/2 cups of heavy cream, half a dozen eggs, and 12 cups of coconut.

It is one of the richest cakes I have ever made in my life - and while it was worth every artery-clogging calorie, I will probably not be making it again any time soon.  If ever.

But OMG it was good.

There are 5 recipes for the entire cake, recipes for the cake, the filling, the icing, the simple syrup, and the instructions for putting it all together.

Because we had to travel 100 miles north, I made the cakes on Friday and froze them.  I made the filling Friday as well, since it has to be made at least a day in advance of assembly.  The frosting I made this morning.

Ultimate Coconut Cake

Robert Carter
The Peninsula Grill, Charleston, South Carolina

 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut flakes
  • Coconut Cake
  • Robert Carter's Simple Syrup
  • Coconut Filling
  • Coconut Cake Frosting

Directions for assembly

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread coconut flakes in an even layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden, 5 to 7 minutes; set aside to cool.

Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level; discard trimmings. Cut each cake into 3 even layers. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan.

Place one layer on the cake plate. Brush with about one-fifth of the simple syrup. Spread over 2 cups of filling. Place a second layer on top. Repeat process with the next four layers and top with last remaining layer.

Spread top and sides of cake with frosting, keeping in mind you may not need to use all of it. Press toasted coconut into sides of cake; remove parchment paper strips. Chill cake at least 5 hours and up to 5 days. Slice immediately; bring to room temperature before serving.

Coconut Cake

Yield Makes two 10-inch round cakes

Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray with flour
  • 1 pound unsalted butter, preferably European-style
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray two 10-inch round cake pans with cooking spray; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5 to 6 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until creamy, occasionally scraping down sides of the bowl using a spatula.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, mix together cream, vanilla, and coconut extract. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, alternating with cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour; beat until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack before removing cakes from pans.

Simple Syrup

Yield Makes enough for one cake

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3/4 cup sugar

Directions

Place water and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

Coconut Filling

Yield Makes enough for 1 cake

Ingredients

  • 5 cups heavy cream
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 9 cups shredded sweetened coconut

Directions

Place cream, sugar, and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together cornstarch, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon water. Add to cream mixture, bring to a boil, and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute.

Place coconut in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until coconut is finely chopped. Remove cream mixture from heat and stir in coconut until well combined. Transfer to a large baking dish; let cool.

Cover filling with plastic wrap and chill overnight. Just before using, place mixture in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until smooth and creamy, 4 to 5 minutes

Coconut Cake Frosting

Yield Makes enough for 1 cake

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 5 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, scraped

Directions

Place butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until creamy.

With mixer on low speed, slowly add vanilla extract, seeds from vanilla bean, and confectioners' sugar. Continue beating until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.

It's worth making once - if you have a really big crowd.  This is definitely not the type of cake you would make for a weeknight dessert with the immediate family.

And I followed the recipe.  I didn't try to cut butter or cream, substitute lighter versions of anything.  This is the type of dessert that you make just as it is designed to be made, or don't bother.

Oh...  and I found out while putting it together that the cake was featured as a Bobby Flay Throwdown!  Food Network stated:

Bobby takes on a South Carolina chef known for his calling card, a six-layer, 12-pound, luxuriously rich Ultimate Coconut cake. When Bobby goes cake to cake, who will take home the win?

I didn't look at Bobby's recipe.  This one was good enough for me.

And I did have to show a picture of the table and the mess.

It was worth it.