Chocolate Velvet Pound Cake With Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients & Directions 1 1/4 c Sugar 1 c All purpose flour 1/4 c Plus 2 tablespoons Unsweetened Dutch Process (alkalized) cocoa 1/4 ts Baking powder 1/4 ts Baking soda 1/4 ts Salt 4 tb Unsalted butter, softened to Room temperature 1 lg Egg 2 lg Egg whites 2 ts Instant espresso powder Freeze dried coffee crystals (optional) 1/2 c Lowfat plain yogurt 1 ts Vanilla Powdered sugar for dusting, Optional GLAZE: 1/3 c Light brown sugar 1/4 c Unsweetened Dutch process Cocoa powder 1/3 c Lowfat milk 1/4 ts Vanilla 6 c Fluted tube pan sprayed with Vegetable oil spray Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position rack in lower third of the oven. On low speed with an electric mixer, mix the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined. Add the softened butter, whole egg, and egg whites. Set a timer for 2 minutes as you begin beating on medium speed. As soon as the dry ingredients are moistened, increase the speed to high and continue mixing until the 2 minutes are up. Stir the optional espresso powder into the yogurt, if you are using it. Add the yogurt and vanilla to the batter. Beat at high speed for exactly 2 more minutes. Scrape the batter into the pan. Bake 3035 minutes or just until a thin wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Do not over bake. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for ten minutes before unmolding on the rack to cool completely. Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar. Make the Glaze: In a small heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the brown sugar with the cocoa. Use a wooden spoon to stir in just enough milk to form a smooth paste. Stir in the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat until mixture simmers, and finally begins to boil, stirring constantly and scraping the sides and bottom edges of the saucepan religiously. Boil gently for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Off heat, stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Spoon glaze over cake. Yield: 12 servings. NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING: 209 calories; 5.4 grams of fat (23 percent calories from fat); 3.78 g protein; 37.2 g carbohydrates; 28.8 mg cholesterol. BAKERS’ DOZEN ALICE MEDRICH SHOW #BD1A47 Yields 4 servings
Shortbread Crust
Ingredients & Directions 1 1/2 c Unbleached Flour; Sifted 1 x Sugar; Granulated, * 1 ea Egg; Large, Separated, ** 1/2 c Butter; Softened, *** * Use from 1/4 to 1/3 cup of granulated sugar. (To Taste.) ** Separate the large egg and lightly beat the yolk. *** Use only sweet cream, unsalted butter in this recipe. NO MARGARINE. —— Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Working on a large flat surface, such as a pastry board, place the flour and the sugar in the center of the surface and mix together. Form a small depression or well in the center of the mound. Add the beaten egg yolk and the softened butter to the well, ten blend these with the dry mixture. Mix the ingredients thoroughly using your hands — there’s no substitute for warm hands. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 10 minutes. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4-inch. You should have a circle of about 11 inches in diameter. For best results, roll out your dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper, then peel away the paper and cut the crust in a 9-inch circle. Place the circle inside a 9-inch springform pan. Prick the crust several times with a fork to keep the crust from puffing up during the baking. Place the springform pan in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light brown. Allow to cool. Using the leftover dough, line the sides of the springform pan. Press the dough against the sides of the pan, smoothing it so as to have a continuous layer of crust all the way around the sides of the pan. Make sure that the side crust meets the bottom crust all the way around. Brush the reserved egg white onto the shell, covering the bottom and sides. This will seal the dough and keep it from becoming soggy. Set aside until ready to use. NOTE: For the Italian Cheesecake, add 1 ts of grated lemon rind and 1 ts of Amaretto Liqueur when adding the egg yolk and butter. Yields 1 servings
Anise Cutout Cookies
Ingredients & Directions 2 c Shortening 1 c Sugar 2 Eggs 2 ts Aniseed 6 c All purpose flour 1 tb Baking powder 1 ts Salt 1/4 c Apple juice 1/2 c Sugar 1 ts Ground cinnamon In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until fluffy; add eggs and aniseed. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture. Add apple juice and mix well. On a flooured surface, knead until well blended, about 4-5 minutes. Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness; cut into 2 inch shapes. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 12-16 minutes or until lightly browned. Combine sugar and cinnamon; roll cookies in the mixture while still warm. Cool on wire racks. Yield about 5 dozen. Yields 60 Servings
Orange And Cranberry Cake
Ingredients & Directions 2 1/4 c Flour 1 c Diced pitted dates 1 c Sugar 1 c Whole fresh cranberries 1/4 ts Salt 2 Eggs, well beaten 1 ts Each baking powder 3/4 c Salad oil And soda 1 c Each sugar and orange juice 1 c Chopped walnuts Source: Sunset Magazine, December 1961 Prepared somewhat like Baba au Rhum, this cake is soaked in syrup. Sift the flour, measure and sift into a bowl with the sugar, salt, baking powder, and soda. Stir in the nuts, dates, cranberries, and orange peel. Combine the eggs, buttermilk, and salad oil; stir into flour mixture until well blended. Pour into a well-greased 10- inch tube pan; bake in a moderate oven (350) for 1 hour. Let stand about 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan and place on a rack over a pan. Heat the sugar with orange juice until dissolved; pour over cake, catching several times. Set cake in a deep dish, and pour over remaining drippings. Yields 6 servings
Betsy Williams's Faerie Cakes
Ingredients & Directions 3 lg Eggs; at room temperature 5 tb Milk 1 c Flour 1/4 ts Salt 1 c Sugar 1 ts Vanilla 1 ts Baking powder FROSTING 1 Stick butter; softened 1/2 To 3/4 c. powdered sugar 3/4 ts Strawberry extract Drops of milk or cream Food coloring -OPTIONAL GARNISH- Small edible flowers — apple blossoms or violets Preheat oven to 375 F. Beat eggs until thick and fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition. Beat in milk and vanilla. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to egg mixture and beat until smooth. Spread in a greased and floured 12.5 x 10.5″ jellyroll pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. When cool, cut into tiny squares or circles, decorate with frosting and garnish with flowers, if desired. To make the frosting, mix butter and sugar together and add extract and milk or cream to make a smooth spread. Divide among four small bowls; add a drop of food coloring (blue, red, green and yellow) to each bowl. Mix well, and pipe a rosette of frosting onto each tiny cake. From “Where the Wild Thyme Grows” article in “The Herb Companion.” April/May 1993, Vol. 5, No. 4. Pg. 57. Yields 1 Batch
Oatmeal Honey Bread
Ingredients & Directions 2 C Oatmeal, uncooked 1 C Water, lukewarm -(e.g., Quaker’s Old 2/3 C Milk -Fashioned Oatmeal) 5 C Flour, unbleached 2/3 C Honey -(up to 6 C; may 2 T Salt -substitute up to 2 C 3 T Butter (or margarine) -whole wheat) 1 C Water, boiling Oil 2 pk Yeast (dry), active Put the oatmeal, honey, salt and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add boiling water and mix together. Let stand for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Following the yeast package directions, add the yeast to lukewarm water, and let it soften for about 5 minutes. Add the yeast mixture to the oats and honey mixture. Mix in the milk and stir well. Stir in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. When the dough is too stiff to stir, pour it out onto a well-floured surface and knead it firmly, adding a little flour if necessary. Knead it until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 6-8 minutes). Form the dough into a ball. Place the dough into a large greased bowl, coating the entire ball of dough. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm, cozy, humid place. (I put it in a cool oven, with a small saucepan of hot tap water sitting on the bottom of the oven.) Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in bulk. Punch down the dough and split in half. Spread the dough into two greased loaf pans, coating the dough as before, and cover with a damp cloth, and let rise for about an hour in a warm, cozy, humid place. Bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a bread rack for about ten minutes. NOTES: * A yeast bread for people who like oatmeal. Yield: makes 2 loaves. * Kneading is difficult to describe in words, but many cookbooks have pictures. The idea is to exercise the dough and work some more flour into it. Bread freezes very well; give it an hour or so to thaw, then heat it up at 350 degrees F. for about ten minutes. * Instant and quick-cooking oatmeal is not satisfactory in this recipe. Besides the ubiquitous Quaker oats, you can use any commercial rolled oats or steel-cut oats. If you use the steel-cut oats, then soak for 1 hour in step 1. : Difficulty: easy if you already know how to knead dough, moderate otherwise. : Time: 30 minutes preparation, 4 1/2 hours waiting time. : Precision: All amounts (including times) are approximate. : Harry S. Delugach : University of Virginia, Dept. of Computer Science, Charlottesville, VA : cbosgd!uvacs!hsd or decvax!mcnc!ncsu!uvacs!hsd : Yields 2 loaves
Peach Leaf Starter
Ingredients & Directions 1 qt Fresh peach leaves, unpacked 3 c Water 3 Baked potatoes, medium size 1/2 c Yellow corn meal 3 tb Sugar 2 ts Salt Bring water to rolling boil and steep peach leaves in it for 15 minutes. Drain liquid and add enough water to make 3 full cups again. This will have a rather unappetizing green color but don’t worry! It will disappear during the fermentation process. Peel hot baked potatoes and put through food mill or sieve. Scald 1/2 cup corn meal in 1 cup of the liquid until it reaches boiling point and thickens. Stir constantly so that it will not become lumpy. Now combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl (do not use metal or plastic). Cover with cheesecloth and set in a warm place (80-85) until well fermented. In warm humid weather this will take about 24 hours. In cool dry weather a few more hours may be required for mixture to become active. Stir every few hours. When it is ready, pour into a large glass jar. Store in refrigerator at about 38 degrees. If necessary stir down a time or two until it stops foaming. It is ready for use when about 1/2 inch of clear liquid has risen to the top. This will take about 2 days. Stir well before using. When this starter has been used down to about 1 cupful, add 3 cups water, 3 medium sized baked potatoes, 1/2 cup corn meal scalded in 1 cup of the water, 3 Tbsp. sugar and 2 tsp. salt prepared as for the first time (peach leaves are not needed). Set in warm place until it becomes very active in about 6 to 8 hours. Store in refrigerator and it will be ready for use the next day. A properly renewed starter improves with age and, once one becomes accustomed to taking care of it, it all becomes automatic. When, for some reason, it cannot be used about twice a week, stir it thoroughly every few days and add 1 tsp. sugar. Scald jar and lid before filling each time. Yields 6 Servings
