BLACKBOARD COOKS LifeLabs Learning
Vol. 1
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE Vanessa Tanicien
Significance
This was and still is one of my absolute favorite dishes to make during the winter holiday season. It makes me feel cozy and cared for. And it's so simple to make
Cooking Tools
Aluminum foil Baking dish (suggested 14.41 x 9.41 x 2.6 inches) Chef's knife (cutting knives) Large pot Measuring spoons and Measuring cups
Ingredients:
Brown sugar Butter Carnation milk (6 oz) Flour (1 teaspoon - optional) Marshmallows
Pecans Sweet potatoes - six (6) Vanilla extract (2 Tablespoons) Walnuts
Cooking Instructions
1. Pour 8 cups of water into a large pot and bring it to boil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2. While to water is boiling, peel all the sweet potatoes and chop them into 1-1.5 inch pieces. 3. Once the water is boiling, add the potatoes to the water. Boil them until fork tender (about 10-20 mins) 4. While the potatoes are boiling, take your butter and grease you baking dish. You can add a teaspoon of flour and coat the butter for crispy sides of the sweet potato if you're into that. 5. Drain the sweet potatoes, when they are tender. 6. Place the sweet potatoes in the baking dish. 7. Take 6 oz of carnation milk and pour it over the potatoes 8. Add in 2 tsps of vanilla extract and milk the potatoes in dish 8. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top of the potatoes (at least a handful - more if you like.) 9. Sprinkle your nuts on top (at least a handful - more if you like.) 10. Cover with marshmallows. 11. Cover with tin foil and bake for 15 mins. 12. Take tin foil off and let marshmallows brown. (Can also use the broiler for a quick browning.) 13. Can be served immediately.
PEGGY A. TAYLOR'S POUND CAKE Matt Williams
Significance
My stepmother, Andrea Williams, shared her mother's (Peggy A. Taylor) pound cake recipe with me. Peggy A. Taylor's pound cake is one of the best I've ever eaten and it reminds me of the relationship that I have with my stepmother. The cake is sweet like her.
Cooking Tools:
Angel Food Cake Pan (Pound Cake 9in or 10in suggested) Electric Mixer Measuring Spoons & Measuring Cups
Ingredients:
3 Cups of all purpose flour. 3 Cups of Sugar 6 Eggs ( I prefer brown eggs) 1 8oz pack of Cream Cheese (Preferably Philadelphia Cream Cheese)
4 Sticks of Real Butter 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract 1 tsp of Almond Extract. Joy Baking Spray
Cooking Instructions: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. With an electric mixer on medium speed, combine butter and cream cheese until smooth. Then add the 3 cups of sugar 1 cup at a time; mixing well between each addition. Next add 6 eggs, 1 egg at a time mixing well between each. Add 3 cups of all purpose flour 1 cup at a time mixing well between each cup. Lastly, add the 2 extracts ( Vanilla and Almond), does not need to be in that exact order. Turn the mixer down to a slower speed during this process. Spray the pound cake pan with Bakers Joy Baking Spray (My preference) then pour batter into the pan. Let sit until batter spreads evenly in the pan. You can also rotate the pan back and forth until the batter is evenly spread. Either will suffice. Place in the middle on the oven rack and bake for 1 hour depending on your oven. After an hour, stick a toothpick in the center of the cake to make sure it's done. Let cool to your liking and enjoy!
BROWN BUTTER TOFFEE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Massela Dukuly
Cooking Tools:
Baking Sheet / Cookie Sheet Measuring Spoons & Measuring Cups Mixing Spoons Parchment paper or silpat on jelly roll pan Small heavy pot
Cookie Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter 2 cups flour I highly recommend Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour, but you can absolutely use all-purpose 1 teaspoon baking soda ¾ teaspoon salt 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar ⅓ cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ⅔ cup homemade toffee 1 ½ cups chocolate wafers (disks, preferably 72% cacao) (Avoid chips,
Home Made Toffee Ingredients:
they won’t give you the beautiful melted chocolate effect) Flaky sea salt
½ cup unsalted butter ½ cup sugar ⅛ cup water ¼ tsp salt
Cooking Instructions: Do ahead: Make your toffee. Toffee will be good for up to a month in an airtight container. Take out your eggs and sit out for at least 30 minutes to reach room temp. This is really important, otherwise it will mess up the consistency of your dough. Homemade Toffee Put some parchment paper or a silpat on jelly roll pan to contain the toffee Add butter, sugar, salt, and water to a small heavy pot. Turn the stove to medium and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until you see the mixture begin to thicken and get darker (you really want to make sure it doesn’t burn (otherwise it will be bitter), so you’ll need to babysit it) Once candy is the right color (caramel brown) and consistency, pour the toffee onto the silpat/parchment paper. Smooth the toffee with a spatula and spread it to your desired thickness. Picture to the right for reference. Let the toffee harden for 30 min to an hour (likely less time) - you will know when it’s hardened. To break, lift one edge and just break unevenly. Place in a tightly sealed container and store on your counter for up to a month.
BROWN BUTTER TOFFEE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Cooking Instructions: Cookies
Cook butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it foams, then browns, 5–8 minutes. Scrape into a large bowl and let cool slightly, about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to cooled brown butter. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add room temp eggs and vanilla, increase mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until mixture lightens and begins to thicken, about 1 minute. Reduce mixer speed to low; add dry ingredients and beat just to combine. Mix in toffee pieces and chocolate wafers with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Let dough sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes to allow flour to hydrate. Dough will look loose at first, but will thicken as it sits. ***No one likes this, but my recommendation for the best cookies is to let your dough sit overnight in the fridge! In fact, I really recommend 72 hours, but I know not everyone wants that level of commitment lol. They’re truly better that way. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°. Using an ice cream scoop, portion out balls of dough and roll in your palms so that they’re nice and even (if you don’t have an ice cream scoop, just make the balls about the size of a ping pong ball) and place on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet, spacing about 3 inches apart. Do not flatten; cookies will spread as they bake. You’ll likely need to do several batches. Don’t squeeze onto one pan. Bake cookies until edges are golden brown and firm but centers are still soft, 9–11 minutes. Once they’re out of the oven, sprinkle a bit of flaky salt onto the hot cookie. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough and a fresh parchment-lined cooled baking sheet. As I mentioned, I prefer letting the dough to rest at least overnight. That being said, you can make this dough at most 72 hours ahead. When you’re ready to bake, let the dough come to room temp first.
MS. MARY'S FRUIT COBBLER Tiq Milan
Significance
My mama's recipe. That was my girl. RIP :)
Cooking Tools:
Baking Pan (aluminum suggested) Measuring Spoons & Measuring Cups Mixing Spoons Sharp Knives
Ingredients: 2 apples 2 pears 16 oz container of strawberries one stick of room temperature butter 2 cups of flour
1 1/2 cups of white sugar 1 large egg lightly beaten 1 tbsp of corn starch Cinnamon (optional)
Cooking Instructions:
Cut up the apples and pears in small chucks and the slice the strawberries. Spread evenly in your pan Mix the corn starch with 1/2 cup of sugar, then pour evenly over the fruit. In a bowl, pour the remaining cup of sugar over the stick of warm butter. Mix well Pour beaten egg over the butter and sugar mixture. Mix well. Little by little pour the flour into the butter, egg, sugar mixture. And mix at every pour to check consistency. The dough shouldn't be too-too sticky, and not too firm. You should be able to get the dough off the spoon with little resistance. Put the dough, evenly on the fruit mixture a tbsp at a time. Don't worry if it's not covered completely as it will expand in the oven. Make sure to get the dough in the corners. :) Bake at 400 for about 45-60 minutes. I check every 20 minutes until it's a pretty brown on the top. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top at the end ff you'd like. Let cool for about 20 minutes to eat it warm. Or let it cool down complete and have warm.
7-UP POUND CAKE Alex Huff-Reynolds
Significance
My mom makes 7-Up Pound Cake every Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday. She makes it as cupcakes or a loaf. It is soooo delicious and it is something that I look forward to every holiday season to make with my mom. I hope y'all enjoy it!
Cooking Tools:
Bread loaf Pan or Cupcake Pan Baking Spatula Measuring Spoons & Measuring Cups Stand Mixer Strainer
Ingredients:
3 sticks of room temperature salted butter 3 Cups of white sugar 3 cups of Swanson's Cake Flour* 1 cup of room temperature 7-Up 1 whole fresh lemon without the pulp
Baker's Note: It is important to use cake flour and not regular flour! You won't get the same results. My mom is very insistent on this.
Cooking Instructions:
-When the butter is room temperature, place the butter into the mixture at a low speed. Slowly add the cups of sugar and then the eggs one at a time at this low speed. Then add the cake flour and 7-Up until it's creamy. Pro-tip: let the mixture sit in the fridge for about 2-4 hours. Oil the bread loaf pan, cupcake pan, bundt pan or whatever you choose with butter. * Place the mixture into a bread loaf pan or cupcake pan. Cook for 1 and 30 minutes at 325. Enjoy!
*Make sure you do this because if not your cake will stick to the pan!
CRANBERRY JUICE Dossier Harps
Significance
Juicing is a part of my everyday lifestyle. It's something I've been doing for nine years and I even have a little side hustle in Atlanta. My juice is full of nutrients. Cranberries are known to protect the urinary tract, support gut health, immune system, and more. Juice off the shelf is highly pasteurized to kill off bad bacteria but it also kills off a lot of the nutritional content. On top of that, lots of sugar is added in. So now you know how to make your own!
Prep Tools:
Centrifugal Juicer
Ingredients:
1/2 bag of Fresh Cranberries 5 Red Apples
2 Lemons 1 Beet
Juicing Instructions: Be sure to:
Soak your produce in warm water and distilled white vinegar to clean Peel the lemon Slice the apples and beets into smaller chunks to make it easier on your juicer to break them down. Just throw the ingredients mentioned above in the juicer and voila magic - juice!
Thank you Blackboard