Smultboller (Sour Cream Doughnuts) and Eggnog

Season of sweets: donuts and nog.

The doughnut recipe came from my most favorite cookbook, EVER, called Prairie Cooks, which I found in a little shop in Medora, North Dakota. Smultboller is the Norwegian name for these quick, but magical doughnuts. The cardamom is key.

The eggnog is cooked, and I thin it quite a bit, as thin but flavorful nog is my personal preference.


Smultboller

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Lightly flavored oil for frying (vegetable, canola, etc)
Cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar, for dipping

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. In separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until mixture is thick and pale. Beat in the sour cream. Quickly add the dry ingredients mixture to the sour cream mixture, but only until just combined. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Cut 3 inch diameter circles, with 1 1/4 inch centers cut out. Cut as many rounds as possible, then gather the scraps together and re-roll the dough.

Heat oil over medium low heat (about a 4 on a scale of 10), to 375˚F. Fry about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown, adjusting heat as necessary. Remove doughnuts from oil with a slotted spoon and drop in sugar of choice to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Eggnog:

Wash 6 large eggs.
Beat eggs with 1/4 cup sugar.
Add 2 cups whole milk and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until 160˚F. Let the eggnog rest 5 minutes, then stir in:
3 cups 2% milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg Serve chilled.

Chocolate Cherry Cordial Torte

Ingredients:

About 50 chocolate covered cherries, preferably homemade

3 cups chocolate ganache:
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (do not exceed 61% cacao)
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Bring cream just to boil in heavy small saucepan. Place chocolate chips in medium bowl; pour hot cream over. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until melted and smooth. Let stand at room temperature until cool and firm, about 2 hours. (Alternatively, chill ganache until cool and firm, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.)

1 recipe Maraschino Cherry Cake:

3 c. cake flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
2 tbsp oil
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. maraschino juice
1/4 c. cherries, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla
4 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line 2 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper. Butter and flour the parchment.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in milk and maraschino juice. Slowly add dry ingredients, and beat until just combined. In separate bowl, beat whites of eggs until peaks form. Fold egg whites and cherries into batter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Cool completely before filling.

To fill and frost:
Place one layer cake on serving plate. Cover with chocolate covered cherries, setting them as close as possible. Fill any gaps with chocolate ganache, until top is flat for the next layer to rest on. Top ganache with second cake layer. Frost with extra ganache.*

* Leaving the sides of the cake unfrosted creates an impressive presentation, but if the cake edges look messy, frosting the sides is advised.

Garnish with extra maraschino cherries, slivered almonds, and chocolate shavings.

Cookies and Cream Cake

This cake incorporates components from Oreos, chocolate chip cookies and milk.

...a killer cake. Literally.

Chocolate Oreo cake:

2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

1 cup crushed oreos

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans, or three 8-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixer bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer for 2 minutes. Mix in boiling water - the batter will be quite thin. Pour batter into prepared pans. Sprinkle each evenly with oreos.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack, then tap the cakes out of the pans. Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate chip cookie dough filling:

2 C all-purpose flour

1/2 t salt

3/4 C unsalted butter, melted

1 C packed brown sugar

1/2 C white sugar

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1 T vanilla extract

6 T milk

1 cup chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients, thoroughly. When Oreo cake is cool, invert one cake, so the oreo side is facing down. Spread chocolate chip cookie dough filling evenly over top. Top with second layer cake, Oreo's facing up.

Frosting:

2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp gelatin
1 tbsp water

Combine gelatin and water, and let sit for several minutes. Microwave for 1 minute, or until clear liquid. Whip the cream right before frosting the cake (ideally right before serving). Add the sugar. When cream begins to form soft peaks, whip in gelatin at high speed. Frost cake.

Garnish with extra Oreo crumbles and/or chocolate chips. Serve thin wedges with milk.

Earl Grey Truffles (and Meyer Lemon Cardamom and Balsamic Satsuma)

OMG YUM.

I think I feel some Christmas gifts coming on...

Chocolate Earl Grey Truffles (Recipe courtesy of Hipcooks Portland)

2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and softened
2 teaspoons loose Earl Grey tea leaves, Loose tea leaves tend to be of higher quality than tea bags, giving the truffles a fresher, more distinct flavor.
6 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
1 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder for rolling, or tempered dark chocolate for dipping

Bring cream and butter to a boil in a small heavy saucepan and stir in tea leaves. Remove from heat and let steep 5 minutes. Don’t oversteep or it will become bitter.

Meanwhile, finely grind chocolate in a food processor and transfer to a bowl. Pour cream through a fine-mesh sieve onto chocolate, pressing on and discarding tea leaves, then whisk until smooth. Chill ganache, covered, until firm, about 2 hours. Mmmmm. Earl Grey.

Spoon level teaspoons of ganache onto a baking sheet. Put cocoa in a bowl and dust your palms lightlywith it. Roll each piece of ganache into a ball. Drop several balls at a time into bowl of cocoa and turn in cocoa to coat. Transfer as coated to an airtight container, separating layers with wax paper. If you prefer to dip in truffle into chopped nuts, then chop pecans or almonds and roll the truffle.


OTHER TRUFFLE IDEAS:

Balsamic Satsuma: Steep the peel of 1 satsuma in the milk (instead of the tea) and add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar along with chocolate.

Meyer Lemon and Cardamom: Steep the peel of 1 Meyer lemon in the milk (instead of the tea) and add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon grated cardamom along with chocolate.

Peppermint Candy Brownies!

These might just be the best brownies you'll ever consume.

This is a "cocoa brownies" recipe adapted from Bon Appetit magazine to be much more festive, and delicious!

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 cold large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Starlight mints or candy canes, crushed

4 oz. white chocolate

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy over the top, saving about 1 tablespoon of the finest powder from the crushed candies.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.

Melt white chocolate carefully in microwave, or on double boiler. Drizzle over warm brownies, sprinkling with leftover peppermint candy powder for a frosty look.

Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Homemade Nutella

This is more on the Nutella side of chocolatey hazelnut spreads than most.

2 cups hazelnuts
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup nut, canola, or vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Process hazelnuts in food processor until finely ground. Add cocoa, salt, and sugar. Process until combined. Slowly add milk and oil, and blend until smooth. Add vanilla, and process until as smooth as possible.

Hazelnut Cinnamon Granola

2 cups oats
3 rice cakes, finely crushed (pieces should be about a quarter inch in diameter)
1/4 cup 9 grain, buckwheat, grits, or other hot cereal, uncooked
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla or hazelnut extract
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl. In separate pan, melt butter. Mix in the sugar, extract, cinnamon, and salt. Pour over dry ingredients. Thoroughly combine until completely coated. Bake at 325 for about 15 minutes or until crispy and browned, stirring occasionally.

Cinnamon Roll Rice Pudding

Who needs Cinnabon?

Combine over medium heat until simmering:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Simmer until slightly thickened-should leave a thin layer on a spoon dipped in mixture.


In separate pot, bring to a simmer:
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
2 cups water
2 1/2 cups 2% milk

Cook, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Add cinnamon mixture to rice, plus:
1 cup 2% milk

Cook until thickened. To test this, place a spoon with the pudding in the freezer, and see if it thickens to pudding consistency.

At this point, take the pudding off the heat, and cool briefly. Stir in:
1 cup sour cream

Serve rice pudding warm or refrigerated, with vanilla wafer cookies.

Volcano Jambalaya

Alligator jambalaya.
Inky cap mushroom reduction.
Chopped heirloom tomato.

Mud Cake

• Thin, flat, layer of rum (soaked?) sponge cake
• Layer of dark chocolate pudding
• Layer of dark chocolate pudding mixed with caramel
• Chocolate streusel (brown sugar, cocoa powder, cardamom, flour, salt with melted butter and chocolate cut into it)
• Piping’s of caramel buttercream to resemble worms
• Edible plants/flowers

Vegetable "Spaghetti"

1 Spaghetti Squash, halved
1 tbsp olive oil
3 large cloves garlic
1/2 lb. white mushrooms, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
3 large tomatoes, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
1-2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup grated asiago or romano cheese

Place half of the squash cut-side down in microwaveable bowl. Add about 1/4 cup water. Microwave on high for 10 minutes, or until squash is soft and tender. Scoop out squash into a colander to drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Saute peppers and mushrooms until slightly soft. Add garlic, and cook for two minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper, and simmer over low heat until most of the juice from the tomatoes and mushrooms has evaporated. Add basil, and cook for a minute or two longer.
Preheat oven to 350˚. Spread half of the spaghetti squash in a medium sized casserole dish. Add a layer of half the tomato sauce evenly over the squash. Repeat. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling. Serve hot.

Pappy Eggs

For 1 person. Multiply as necessary.

1/4 tsp oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 egg
2 tbsp grated cheddar, swiss, or jack cheese
1/2 tsp paprika

Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until golden. Crack egg over garlic, and scramble for one minute. Stir in cheese. Continue cooking, if necessary, until egg is fully cooked. Stir in paprika. Season with salt and pepper.

Strawberry Banana Cupcakes

1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (1 stick)
unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 to 3 large)
1/4 cup strawberry jam
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Fresh sliced strawberries and bananas for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until blended. Beat in egg, then mashed bananas, jam, rum, and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 2 additions just until combined. Spoon batter into pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 23-25 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, or cool to room temperature and frost with whipped cream immediately before serving. Decorate or top with strawberries and bananas.

Blueberry Pie Ice Cream

I made two versions of this. The "Fruity Base" tasted much more like gelato than ice cream; I didn't cook it and the proportion of berries to cream was half and half. The other was much more ice cream-y and will last longer in the freezer without getting too hard.

Fruity Base:
3 cups blueberries (washed and patted dry)
3 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup brandy

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth and thick. Transfer to ice cream machine and process as directed. Meanwhile, make "milk bites."

Custard Base:
3 cups whole milk
2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups sugar, separated
6 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 recipe milk bites

Process milk, blueberries, and 1 cup sugar in blender until smooth. Beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar with electric mixer until pale and smooth. Heat blueberry mixture over medium heat, until a near simmer, but do not boil (if mixture bubbles a couple times, you will know it is ready!). Very slowly add hot blueberry mixture to egg yolks, beating constantly. When fully incorporated, return to pot, and cook over medium-low heat until slightly thickened. Let custard cool a bit before processing in ice cream maker. When churned, stir in milk bites.


Milk bites:
1 cup dry milk powder
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp (or more) milk

Combine dry ingredients in bowl and mix thoroughly. Work in butter with fingers until fine crumb forms. Stir in milk until mixture is still crumbly, but begins sticking together. Press very firmly into the bottom of the bowl or a greased cookie sheet, and place in freezer until ready to incorporate into ice cream.

When ice cream is churned, but still soft, gently fold in "milk bites." Freeze for at least 1 hour before serving.

Caramel Truffle Ice Cream

This is pretty much a frozen truffle, and is my favorite homemade ice cream. Generally taken from Bon Appetit.


7 ounces dark chocolate (70% to 75% cacao), finely chopped
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 large egg yolks
7 tablespoons sugar

For caramel:
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 tsp salt

Preparation

Place chocolate in a medium metal bowl. Set bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir chocolate until melted and smooth. Set melted chocolate aside; let cool slightly.

Whisk milk and cocoa powder in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat until mixture begins to boil (or melt VERY CAREFULLY in microwave); set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 7 tablespoons sugar in another medium bowl until very thick ribbons form, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add hot milk mixture to egg yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Add melted chocolate and whisk to blend. Stir over low heat until slightly thickened and an instant-read thermometer registers 175°, about 5 minutes. Transfer chocolate custard to a large bowl and place over another large bowl of ice water. Stir until chocolate custard is cool.

Stir 1/4 tsp salt into 1/2 cup cream until dissolved. Bring remaining 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small heavy, deep saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush (do not stir), until a dark amber color forms, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Fold half of caramel into chocolate custard. Cover and chill custard and remaining caramel until cold or for up to 2 days.

Process custard in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. While still soft after churning, drizzle in caramel and fold in to incorporate (avoid mixing in completely to create caramel swirls).Transfer to another container; freeze for at least 1 day or up to 3 days before eating.

Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Ice Cream

I made 4 different kinds of ice cream in two days, and this was the ultimate favorite, across the board.
6 large egg yolks
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup raw sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup chilled buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Whisk yolks in another medium metal bowl. Combine cream, sugar, and salt in large saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Gradually whisk half of hot cream into egg yolks, then return mixture to saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until custard thickens and coats back of spoon when finger is drawn across, 2 to 3 minutes (do not boil). Remove from heat.

Pour cold buttermilk into reserved chilled bowl. Strain custard into buttermilk; whisk. Whisk in vanilla. Chill mixture uncovered until cold, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.
Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon until incorporated.

Process custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to freezer container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.

Pasta Chips

These could also be referred to as fried pasta or puffed pasta, but those seem misleading to me. The first because "fried pasta" is generally still a cooked pasta texture; maybe slightly crispy, but still limp. This pasta seems to not be quite as puffed as "puffed pasta" implies, but it does puff when fried slightly.



1 lb. penne, rigatoni, macaroni, or other hollow pasta
salt
1-3 cups corn, canola, or peanut oil for frying
seasonings*

Boil pasta in salted water until tender.

Dehydrate in dryer for several hours at about 130˚F until fairly dry, but not completely hard.

Deep fry in oil (heated over low to medium heat), until pasta puffs, and turns golden.

Remove from oil, and toss with seasonings*


* Any spice combination will likely work quite well on this pasta. I've tried an Italian mixture (rosemary, thyme, and tarragon) and a chili mixture (chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin). Also, dehydrated cheese powders, marinara sauces, or other sauces are great seasonings.

Miso Potato Salad

Boil until tender:
1 lb. fingerling potatoes, coarsely chopped.

In a separate pot, bring to a boil:
6 fresh eggs
Turn off heat and let rest 10 minutes.

Let potatoes and eggs cool a bit.

Remove egg shells, and chop eggs.

Add potatoes and eggs to large bowl.

Combine:

1/4 cup miso
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce

Pour through sieve (to remove soy chunks, if miso is chunky or gritty), onto potatoes and eggs. Stir until the cooked egg yolks have blended with the miso sauce to form a sort of dressing over the potatoes and cooked egg whites. Chill before serving.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage and Brown Butter

This recipe comes directly from Bon Appetit, and has been used by my family for Christmas Eve dinner every year for nearly 5 years. It is time consuming, but always worth it.



Ingredients:

2 1-pound red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), rinsed, patted dry, pierced all over with fork
1 12-ounce container fresh ricotta cheese, drained in sieve 2 hours
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 3/4 cups (about) all purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 tablespoons chopped fresh sage plus whole leaves for garnish

Preparation:

Divide gnocchi and sauce among shallow bowls. Garnish with sage leaves.

Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place sweet potatoes on plate; microwave on high until tender, about 5 minutes per side. Cut in half and cool. Scrape sweet potato flesh into medium bowl and mash; transfer 3 cups to large bowl. Add ricotta cheese; blend well. Add Parmesan cheese, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and nutmeg; mash to blend. Mix in flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto floured surface; divide into 6 equal pieces. Rolling between palms and floured work surface, form each piece into 20-inch-long rope (about 1 inch in diameter), sprinkling with flour as needed if sticky. Cut each rope into 20 pieces. Roll each piece over tines of fork to indent. Transfer to baking sheet.

Bring large pot of water to boil; add 2 tablespoons salt and return to boil. Working in batches, boil gnocchi until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer gnocchi to clean rimmed baking sheet. Cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until butter solids are brown and have toasty aroma, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Add chopped sage (mixture will bubble up). Turn off heat. Season sage butter generously with salt and pepper.

Transfer half of sage butter to large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add half of gnocchi. Sauté until gnocchi are heated through, about 6 minutes. Empty skillet onto rimmed baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining sage butter and gnocchi.

Yuh-ummmmmmmmm

Groundnut Stew

From Sunday's At Moosewood Restaurant:

2 cups chopped onions
2 tbsp peanut oil
1/2 tsp cayenne or ground dried chiles
1 tsp pressed garlic cloves
2 cups chopped cabbage
3 cups cubed sweet potatoes
3 cups tomato juice
1 cup apple juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
2 chopped tomatoes
2 cups chopped okra
1/2 cup peanut butter

Sauté onions in oil for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cayenne and garlic. Sauté for a couple more minutes. Add the cabbage and sweet potatoes, and sauté, covered, for a few more minutes. Mix in juices, salt, ginger, cilantro, and tomatoes. Cover and simmer or about 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender. Add okra and simmer for 5 more minutes. Stir in the peanut butter, turn heat to lowest setting, and simmer until ready to serve. Add more juice or water if stew is too thick.

Generic Cold Blended Coffee Drink

Make 2 cups of very strong coffee, or 1 cup of espresso plus 1 cup water.
Combine 2 cups milk, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla, and 2 tbsp of any flavor of syrup (chocolate, hazelnut, etc...or even honey!).
Add coffee to milk mixture.
Freeze for at least 3 hours, or up to 5. If frozen for less time, drink will be cold, but not icy. If frozen for more time, some thawing may be required before blending.
Remove from freezer, and place half of the mixture in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately to avoid separation.

An Assortment of Sheet Cakes

Wedding:

2 9x13 orange chiffons + orange cream cheese frosting

2 9x13 orange chiffon and coconut + orange cream cheese frosting

~decorated with roses and lavender~

1 9x13 coconut

4 9x13 chocolate raspberry

~decorated with sunflowers~

Served about 150


Going-Away:

4 9x13 chocolate-raspberry + cream cheese
frosting

Served about 50

Lemon Wedding Cake

12 inch lemon cake
+
1 cup lemon curd
+
9 inch lemon cake
+
3/4 cup lemon curd
+
6 inch lemon cake
+
1/2 cup lemon curd
+
Lots and lots of white chocolate, cream cheese, and lemon curd frosting

AND

Sunflowers!

(Hint: Don't put them in the freezer if you want them to last more than a few minutes!)

Experiences, experiences...

Also, don't try to frost a cake in 90˚F and humid weather.

Best Breakfast "Shake"

1 ripe banana
1-2 tbsp cocoa powder (or even 3, if you want a super dark chocolaty shake)
1 tsp honey
1/8 tsp vanilla
1 cup ice cubes
1/2 cup milk (or milk substitute)
optional: 1 tbsp peanut butter, coconut butter, or other nut butter

Toss all ingredients into blender. Blend until smooth. Serves one.

Boerenkool Stamppot (Kale and Potatoes)

2 lbs. yellow potatoes
1/2 yellow onion
5 cloves garlic
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sour cream
1 lb. fresh kale
salt and pepper to taste

Dice potatoes and onion and toss into a pot. Cover with water, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Mince garlic, and add to pot. Cook for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, finely chop kale, and place in a separate pot, with about a 1/4 cup of water. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until wilted.
Drain water from potatoes. Mash with potato masher, until relatively smooth. Add butter and sour cream, and stir until melted. Toss potatoes with kale. Season with salt and pepper.

Hazelnut Shortbread

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cardamom
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup ground or finely chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350˚F.
Beat butter, sugar, salt, and cardamom until light. Add flour and stir until completely combined. Stir in hazelnuts. Press into 2 9-inch round cake or pie pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until edges begin to turn golden (be sure to check shortbread a few times toward the end of baking to avoid brown edges-they will taste burnt). Cool slightly in pan, slice into wedges, and serve, or remove to cooling rack.

Cocoa Coconut Citrus Cake

1st layer: Lemon cake with lemon glaze

2nd layer: Coconut cake with shredded coconut and hardened coconut milk caramel

3rd layer: Chocolate cake with chocolate-coconut topping.

Outside: Lemon cream cheese frosting with shredded coconut, chocolate chips, and lemon slices.

The end.

Homemade Blender Mayonnaise (Joy of Cooking)

Mayonnaise is not worth consuming unless it is homemade, in my opinion.
This fabulous recipe is from the Joy of Cooking.

1 egg
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Put in the blender container: egg, mustard, salt, cayenne, sugar and olive oil.
Cover and blend on high until thoroughly combined.
With blender still running, take off the cover and slowly add 1/2 cup vegetable oil,
and then the lemon juice until thoroughly blended.
Add slowly the remaining vegetable oil and blend until thick.
You may have to stop and start the blender to stir down the mayonnaise.
Yields 13/4 cup.

Garlic Tops and Morels with Fresh Mayo

Garlic tops are the young above-ground parts of garlic plants. They can be cooked similarly to asparagus: sauteed, steamed, boiled, etc. However, I believe that the very best way to eat them is like french fries; fried with mushrooms and then dipped in homemade mayonnaise.

1 lb. garlic tops
1/2 lb. morel mushrooms (or any other mushroom, if morels are not available)
2 tbsp butter
1 recipe homemade mayonnaise

Loosely chop garlic tops and remove any inedible dried parts. Heat butter over medium high heat in large frying pan with cover. When butter bubbles, add garlic tops. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Add mushrooms. Continue to cook, covered, for another 5 minutes. Uncover, and finish cooking by sauteing until garlic tops begin to brown and get crispy. Serve hot, as finger food, dipping in mayonnaise as necessary.

Spring Greens Salad with Pesto and Poached Eggs

Miners Lettuce, cucumber, green pepper chopped and sprinkled over a base of lettuce leaves.
A nest of chopped tomatoes combined with fresh pesto.
A poached egg with parmesan, salt, and pepper sprinkled on top.

Strawberry Tart with Cashew Crust

Strawberry overload!

While making strawberry jam, I ran out of jars for my jam. I mean, I could have gone out to the garage to get more, but I figured, why not make a strawberry tart?

So I combined the freezer jam with a few tablespoons of flour and a few of butter. For the crust I made a pretty typical pie dough recipe, but added cinnamon, a bit of sugar, and ground cashews to half the dough. I pressed the cashew dough into the bottom of a springform pan, poured in the filling, and latticed the remaining dough on top. I had some extra strawberries and extra dough, so I wrapped the strawberries in the dough and floated them between the lattice. The tart baked for a long time, maybe an hour, until the center was pretty firm, and the edges were darkening.





And of course, it would hardly be worth eating without vanilla ice cream.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Candy Onion Gratin

3 cups chopped candy onions
5 tablespoons butter
4 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp (or a pinch) nutmeg
1/2 cup grated Emmentaler cheese
1/2 cup plain panko bread crumbs


Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onions, and cook covered over medium high heat for about 20 minutes, or until soft, stirring frequently. If onions begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, add milk 1 tbsp at a time.
Preheat broiler.
Add salt, nutmeg, and remaining milk to onions, and continue to cook until onions are very soft and creamy, but there is no liquid left in the bottom of the pan. Transfer mixture to casserole dish. Top with grated Emmentaler and panko. Place under the broiler until golden brown, probably not more than 5 minutes (but this varies with each oven).
Serve hot.

Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls

Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls taken -almost- directly from Bon Appetit Magazine.



These are the best cinnamon rolls you will ever make, and they have a secret ingredient!

Makes 12

Recipe by Greg Atkinson

Photograph by Levi Brown

Ingredients:

Dough
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 large eggs
4 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
3 1/4-ounce envelopes active dry yeast (scant 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons sugar

Filling
2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 cup chopped pecans

Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
8 oz. (1 package) cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean seeds
1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Preparation:

Dough
Combine potatoes, 2 cups water, and 1 tablespoon coarse salt in large saucepan. Boil until potatoes are very tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Mash potatoes with water in pan (do not drain water). Add butter and mash until butter is melted. Whisk in eggs, then 1 cup flour; mash until very smooth. Let potatoes stand until barely lukewarm, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour 1/2 cup warm water into large bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; stir in yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add potato mixture to yeast mixture; mix on low speed until well blended, 2 minutes. Mix in 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, beating well. Beat until sticky dough forms.

Spread 1/2 cup flour on work surface. Scrape dough out onto floured work surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 8 minutes.

Coat large bowl with butter. Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make filling.
Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in medium bowl. Using fork, mix in butter.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Sprinkle the pecans and about 1/4 of the filling mixture over the bottom of the pan.

Turn dough out onto well-floured work surface. Roll out dough to 24x16-inch rectangle. Sprinkle filling evenly over dough. Starting at 1 long side, roll up dough jelly-roll style, enclosing filling. Using thick sewing thread, cut roll crosswise into 12 pieces, by sliding the thread under the bottom, then pulling both ends together to cinch the thread through the dough. Transfer rolls to baking sheet, spacing rolls about 3/4 inch apart. Cover baking sheet loosely with damp towel or plastic wrap. Let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes (rolls will be very puffy).
Bake cinnamon rolls until golden, about 20 minutes. Check on them part way through baking to be sure the tops are not getting too brown. If they are, cover the rolls with aluminum foil.
Cool rolls 10 minutes on baking sheet.

Meanwhile, make glaze.
Beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla bean, and salt, and beat until smooth. If glaze is too thick to spread, add milk by 1/2 teaspoonfuls as needed. Spread glaze over warm rolls.