Effgen Family
COOKBOOK
December 9, 2011
Preface I recently finished a lengthy and detailed biography of Julia Child, which has stimulated me into wanting to get her first cookbook and give some of her recipes a try. Every recipe in Julia’s book was tried out multiple times by various people in order to ensure that ordinary folks who read her book could duplicate it. She began working on her book in the early 60’s while living in France with her husband. Because she was a woman she was denied for a time, the final credential from Cordon Bleu; women were not credited with having the right sensibilities to be able to be a French chef. Interestingly, Julia did not credit herself with being a chef, just someone who valued the process of cooking and sharing a meal with family and friends. Kate is a lot like Julia. This recipe book, I hope will serve to pull our family together. How better to do this than with food? What better way to celebrate a wonderful family and all the gifts that we share? Kate is very much like Julia in many ways. Though she is petite (Julia was six foot three inches tall), Kate has the winning personality that makes her the consummate hostess that Julia also was. Julia valued good foods and would try just about anything. Kate is adventurous with her food as well…just check out her blog, which shows how talented she is. Visit Kate for a celebration and you see how she is blessed with a joie de vivre that spreads to her guests. Like Julia who was a pioneer, championing Boston Public Television, Kate too is a pioneer in bringing a new treatment for lower gastrointestinal illness to the American public. Like Julia, she takes on too many projects, gets frustrated at times, but always has the time for family, food and fun. For a wonderful compilation of family recipes, thank you, Kate. - Sue Gately
“I had to dig deeply for the recipes that I included for the book. I don’t really cook very often,rather just put together things from the fridge. So I went through my gray and yellowed index cards (many over 30 years old) and found this one. A great recipe, however,not for those who have had their gall bladder recently extracted” - Sue Gately
Spinach Squares Ingredients 4 TB. butter 3 eggs 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup milk 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1 TB. Onion, chopped 1 lb. cheddar cheese, grated 2 packages frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter in 9 x 13 baking pan, melt in oven. In bowl, beat eggs. Add flour, milk, salt, & baking powder, mix well. Add cheese, spinach, and onion, mix well. Spoon into dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 35 minutes. Let cool for 45 minutes and cut into 1� squares. Enjoy!
I got this recipe from Mom. She got it from Artie Kalfopoulos mom. Artie was Dave and Don’s friend who was killed in a car accident when they were in high school. It was a very sad time. Before that, though, Mom had a cooking lesson with Artie’s mom for making Turkish Shishkebobs. I remember that they were awesome. We ate a lot of lamb that summer. Notice that there are few measurements for this one; that’s what happens when folks know how to cook. Note also that the recipe calls for red cooking wine…one thing I learned from Julia is to use good wine when you are cooking, so I would substitute the red cooking wine for some good wine recommended by my wine guy. Also a note on olive oil…use the best you can afford… Julia says it makes a huge difference.
Turkish Shish Kebab
Squeeze lemon on lamb chunks Mix together oregano, red cooking wine, sliced garlic, salt, pepper and small bottle of olive oil. Marinate overnight. Grill or Broil on skewers.
This is an appetizer recipe that Mom sent me in a thank you note on January 1, 1980. I wonder where we celebrated that year. Her letter says:
Dear Su
e,
Foun d probab these glov lyu es w se. A Puff r hi c ec l s o ipe. inclu h you can for t h Th din e a g Hot Crab C n h k e n j oy rist s to y ma we a ou r a gr e e ing s presen and Frank t ts th Christ h at it w e sweat . I shall er. D ma a s on ad & I s in a e of d ea l o th e n lon f fu g icest t ime. W nw i th e had B ren a great Love ton. ,
Mo m
Hot Crab Puffs Ingredients 2 eggs 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup flaked crab meat (7 oz. can) White bread, trimmed of crust, small loaf Paprika
Directions
Whip 2 eggs whites until stiff. Fold in 1 cup of mayonnaise and 1 cup flaked crab meat (7 oz. can). Season with salt and pepper and pile on toast beds. Sprinkle with paprika=Broil 3 minutes until puffy and light brown. (These are really good and go fast) (Also, not for the gall bladderless folks)
“I don’t remember when mom started to make homemade baked beans…maybe Lucy,the house cleaner taught her this one too…I can’t remember. Everyone should have a baked bean recipe. It helps you to remember your Boston roots; even if you were born in Chicago,Texas, Oregon,or Philadelphia,to me you all have your roots in Boston and it’s not just the Red Sox.”
BostoN Baked Beans Ingredients 2 cups dried pea beans 1 package onion soup mix (don’t look at this recipe, Julia) 1/3 cup light molasses 2 TB prepared mustard 2 TB brown sugar ¼ lb. salt pork (meat aisle) Boiling water
Directions
Wash beans, put in bowl and cover with cold water. Refrigerate, covered overnight. Drain and rinse beans. In a saucepan combine beans with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer covered 40 minutes until tender. Preheat oven 300 degrees. Drain beans, reserving 1 ½ cups of liquid from the beans. Put beans into a beans pot. Mix together onion soup mix, molasses, mustard, brown sugar and reserved liquid. Mix into beans. Put salt pork in the center of beans. Bake covered 5 hours; stir every hour. If beans begin to get dry, add boiling water I enjoyed going down memory lane with my yellowed and tattered recipe cards. I have others, but they will wait for the next edition. Love, Sue
CAITLIN's
Chili Recipe Ingredients 4 different kinds of beans, I prefer Kidney, Black, Chili, & Garbanzo (they add great texture) 2 Jalape単os dices 2 cloves of garlic diced 1 white onion diced 2 cans of Rotel Tomatoes w/ Green Chilies 1 8 Oz can of tomato sauce 1 Banana Pepper whole 3 Tbsp. Cayenne Pepper 3 Tbsp. Chili Powder 1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder 4+ Tbsp. Cumin 1 Lb. Ground Beef (Scott prefers it w/ closer to 2 lbs. so go w/ your taste) 2 Tsp. Olive Oil Tapitio Hot Sauce (or whatever your favorite hot sauce is) Splash of Worcestershire Sauce
Directions
Brown the beef in a skillet w/ the Olive Oil. Drain & rinse all the beans & add to pot. Place banana pepper in pot & let it sit. Throw in Rotel tomatoes & tomato sauce. Add in diced ingredients. Spice to your taste but the Cumin is key! Slash w/ hot sauce & Worcestershire. Leave in the pot @ a Low/Medium temp for 1 hour. to an hour and a half. Remove Banana pepper and eat! (Gets even better the next day)
HelE's Grilled Shrimp with Sea Salt (From: Bistro Cooking, Patricia Wells)
Ingredients 16 extra large shrimp, shells intact 2 TB extra virgin olive oil Thyme sprigs 2 TB coarse sea salt
Directions
Rinse shrimp, pat dry. In shallow bowl, combine shrimp, oil and thyme. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours before cooking. Preheat broiler. Scatter sea salt in shallow pan. Place shrimp in single layer on top of salt. Broil 5 inches from heat1-2 minutes, turn shrimp, and broil for 1-2 minutes. Serves 4, does not even need lemon or sauce.
Dave's
Orzo Buscatini
Cook pound of orzo Mix in 1/4-cup extra virgin olive oil Mix in 1/2 to 3/4 cup cut kalamata olives Mix in cup of crumbled feta cheese Mix in cup of sliced arugula Mix in capful lemon oil (you can use lemon juice, but not as good, and will need to use 1/8 to 1/4 cup) Salt, pepper, olive oil for taste and texture. Served cool or room temp. Yum!
Max shares his rub recipes! Sockeye
Lamb Chop
Spice Rub
Spice Rub
Ingredients
Ingredients
1 tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar 2 tsp. paprika 2 tsp. of cumin seeds, ground 1 tsp. of sea salt, ground 1 tsp. of dried chile pepper, ground ½ tsp. of ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp. garlic 1 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. black pepper 1 tbsp. coriander 1 tbsp. cumin 2 tbsp. oregano 2 tbsp. thyme
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Apply to fish, chicken, meat or vegetables. Experiment and have fun with different dried chiles. Brown sugar is nice but not necessary.
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. This is excellent on lamb and other red meat.
Nothing quite like using a dry rub on fish, poultry or beef.
Turns out that Dijon mustard recipe has been regulated in various forms since 1390. The original recipe is very simple and does not contain sugar:Mustard seed,salt and vinegar.I figured that it could not be that hard to make on my own.Not only did this prove to be correct, it proved to be delicious. My version....
Max's
Dijon Mustard Ingredients 2 Tablespoons crushed mustard seed 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 Teaspoon of granulated garlic 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
Directions
Mix in bowl until thickened. Put in an open jar and let it cure for a day or two at room temperature.
Somewhere where the Middle Atlas meets the Sahara in Morocco, I discovered kefta, a lamb meatball. The restaurant was a porch across from the bus station.The sheep heads for the recent cull were hanging from wall. Each had several trails of clotted blood streaming from them. The kefta was served in a large bowl. There must have been 50. I had hired a driver and we split the meal. It was authentic Morocco. I loved it. I finally found a recipe that takes me back to that dusty roadside at the start of Berber country. This is excellent with ground lamb, beef or pork. My take is more of a burger than a meatball. Have some fun with this.
"Kefta" Lamb Burgers (Another Max recipe!)
Ingredients 1.5-2 lbs. ground lamb 1/2 onion, finely chopped or grated 1 tablespoon cumin seed 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon thyme 2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 teaspoons paprika Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
Chop or grate onion. Mix cumin, coriander, cinnamon and paprika with mortar and pestle. In a large bowl, add onion, spices and oregano and thyme. Add ground lamb. mix thoroughly with hands for an even consistency. Shape into tennis ball sized balls and place on cooking tray. Flatten balls with spatula. Cook burgers. Enjoy. (I prefer to grill these over charcoal and garnish with roasted peppers and goat cheese. Any way or size, they are delicious.)
Dee and Bayley's
Spinach Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette (Serves 4!)
Ingredients 1, 5 oz. package spinach leaves 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved Âź cup walnuts, chopped 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped 2 TB. Freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tsp. rice wine vinegar 1 tsp. chopped garlic 1 tsp. lemon zest 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
Directions
In large bowl, combine spinach, tomatoes, nuts and avocado, set aside. In small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and lemon zest; slowly whisk in oil until well combined. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss salad with vinaigrette. Serve immediately!
Trish and Mark's
Salsa
Ingredients (1) 14 oz can diced tomatoes (1) 4 oz. can green chilies 1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced 1/2 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, diced 1/2 lime juice 1/2 bunch of cilantro or more to taste
Directions Toss in a blender or food processor and enjoy! Dash or more to taste of the following: garlic salt black pepper crushed red pepper
'
Don sAdobo-Rubbed
Tuna/Swordfish Steaks Ingredients For the avocado salsa: 2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on the bias 2 jarred roasted red peppers 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 cup fresh orange juice 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste For the adobo: Buy Goya brand Adobo rub For the cucumbers: 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste 1/2 cup white wine vinegar 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and very thinly sliced
Directions For the salsa: In a medium bowl, combine the diced avocados, scallions, peppers, and garlic. In another bowl, whisk together the orange and lime juices, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Pour over the avocado/ pepper mixture and gently toss. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, for the cucumbers: Mix the sugar and vinegar in a bowl, stirring well. Add the cucumbers and allow to marinate for about 15 minutes. Rub 1 to 1.5 pounds of the tuna/swordfish steaks with 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil and sprinkle generously with the adobo. Cook fish the way you like it To serve, arrange the cucumber in neat slices across each plate. Lay fish over the cucumbers. Spoon the avocado salsa on top of or around the tuna. Serve immediately.
TRISH's Butternut Squash Pear Soup (I make this without the half & half and it is delicious!)
Ingredients 1 (2 pound) butternut squash 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root 1 tablespoon curry powder 1 teaspoon salt 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth 2 firm ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch dice 1/2 cup half and half
Directions Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membrane. Place squash halves, cut sides down, on the prepared baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven until very soft, about 45 minutes. Scoop the pulp from the peel, and reserve Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and salt. Cook and stir until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Pour the chicken broth into the pot, and bring to a boil. Stir in the pears and the reserved squash, and simmer until the pears are very soft, about 30 minutes. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender. Puree in batches until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, stir in the half and half, and reheat.
Don's NEW ORLEANS STYLE SHRIMP (Heart stopping buy finger lickin’ good...)
Ingredients ¾ stick butter ¾ stick margarine (yes use it) 2 cloves garlic minced 1 TB fresh rosemary chopped 1.5 TB worchestershire sauce 1 tsp. tabasco 1.5 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. salt 1 to 1.5 pounds shrimp in shell 2 lemons thinly sliced
Directions Preheat oven to 400F. Melt butter and margarine in sauce pan remove from heat and stir in garlic, rosemary, worcestershire and tobasco. Put shrimp in shallow baking dish and pour butter mixture over it. Lay lemon sices on top of shrimp and butter sauce. Bake shrimp for 20-25 minutes turning them over once. Serve with basmati rice and plenty of french bread to sop up juices. Have empty plate on hand for shells and napkins...serves2-3.
Anthony's Chicken Chorizo Paella Ingredients 2 cubes of fish bouillon 2 cubes of chicken bouillon Pinch of saffron (about ½ teaspoon) 1 tsp. of smoked paprika 5 cups of water 1/2 large onion, chopped 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 tomato, chopped 1/2 cup chopped parsley 6 oz. roasted piquillo peppers 3 cloves garlic, chopped 6 cloves of garlic, peeled 2 cups Calasparra rice 4 chicken thighs 1/2 pound of cooking chorizo, in 1/4 inch slices Olive oil
Directions
Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees. Fill a saucepan with the water and place on medium high heat. Add all four bouillon cubes, the saffron and the paprika. With a cleaver, chop the chicken into small pieces. Salt the chicken and rub with a small amount of paprika. On medium high heat, brown the chicken and chorizo in olive oil in a 13 inch Paella Pan, about 5-10 minutes. Remove to a platter. Add the onion, bell pepper, chopped garlic and parsley. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice to the pan with the vegetables, along with the tomato and piquillo peppers. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the rice starts to brown. Pour the broth into the paella pan. Stir until it boils. Add the chicken and chorizo pieces, burying them in the paella. Scatter the cloves of garlic around the top. Place in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, taste the rice to see if it is done. You can leave a little broth in the paella, or cook until the broth is fully absorbed, to your taste.
don's Portuguese Clam and Chorizo Stew Ingredients 1/2 pound chorizo—cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 cups chicken broth 2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil, 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 very large onion, rough chop One 13-ounce can delMonte diced tomatoes with Jalapeno 2-3 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
Directions
In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic to the casserole and cook over low heat until softened, about 1-2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and their liquid and cook for 2 minute. Add the chorizo and the 1/2 cup of chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the clams, cover and cook over high heat until nearly all have opened, about 10 minutes. Discard any unopened clams. Serve with plenty of Portuguese or sourdough bread. Serves 2.
Kate's Pumpkin
Brownies (Serves from 1-12!)
Ingredients 1 cup melted butter, set aside to cool a bit 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 cup canned pumpkin 1 ½ cup flour 1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice ¼ tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. vanilla extract Frosting: 8 oz. cream cheese, softened ¼ cup butter, at room temperature 1 ½-2 cups confectionary sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, beat eggs. Add in sugar, butter, pumpkin and vanilla. Gently beat in flour and spices. Spread brownie mixture into a lightly greased 8 x 8 pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, cover with tin foil if top begins to brown too much. Set aside to cool. Blend frosting by beating cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract together until creamy. Slowly add sugar until incorporated, creamy and frosting consistency. Spread onto brownies. So good they make you smile. Seriously.
Iced Berries
Hot White Chocolate Sauce
via
with
Gretchen
Ingredients 1 pound fresh berries 2 cups whipping cream 1 pound white chocolate, broken into pieces ( use smaller berries: raspberries, blueberries, red currants, wild strawberries or strawberries cut into smaller pieces, blackberries – spread evenly on baking sheet and frozen. Can also use 1 pound frozen mixed berries or raspberries)
Directions Place chocolate pieces and cream in a double boiler or boil over simmering water for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is melted and combined with the cream. About 5 minutes before the chocolate is finished, remove berries from freezer. Place berries on chilled plates in a single layer; add sprig of mint or dusting of powdered sugar if desired. Transfer chocolate sauce to serving jug and pour a generous amount over berries at serving.
KatE's
Compost Cookies (Adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar’s recipe)
Ingredients 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature ½ cup granulated sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour ½ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt ½ cup butterscotch morsels ¾ cup dark chocolate chip morsels 2-½ tsp. bold ground coffee 1 cup ruffles potato chips, crunched up a bit 1/2 cup oats ½ graham cracker piecrust 1 cup mini pretzels, crunched up a bit
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In medium size bowl, blend butter with sugars until creamy. Add in egg and vanilla extract. Blend in flour, baking soda and powder along with salt. Gently blend in butterscotch, chocolate, chips, coffee, oats, pretzels, piecrust and pretzels until mixed. Drop by rounded teaspoon onto parchment paper, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 7 minutes, edges should be lightly browned.
Mike and Sue's
Cranberry Squares (Quick & Easy!)
Ingredients 1 ½ cups sugar 2 large eggs ¾ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 ½ cups flour 2 cups fresh cranberries ½ cup chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat 350 degrees Beat sugar and eggs at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until thickened; add butter and almond extract, beat well. Add flour to sugar mixture, beat well. Stir in cranberries and pecans. Place in 8x8 greased pan. Bake 1 hour or until wooden pick comes out clean Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Cut into squares. Makes 12 to 16 squares.
Ryan's Crepes Ingredients 1 ½ cups milk* 3 egg yolks 2 teaspoons vanilla paste* 2 tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoons salt 5 tablespoons melted butter* * Milk: Always good to have extra on hand. The batter should be far less dense than pancake batter; it should be light and fluid. I usually end up adding more milk after everything is mixed and settled. * Vanilla paste: As opposed to extract. It’s thicker and contains actual vanilla bean seeds. The flavor is more intense and the tiny dark specks add a nice visual component. It’s more expensive and can be hard to find, but it’s worth it. * Butter: If you’re not already a fan of Kerrygold Irish Butter, look into it.
Directions Preparing the batter: Combine the above ingredients in a mixing bowl. Some people will swear that you should mix the flour and eggs first and then add the milk and butter. I’m not convinced that the order matters all that much. What seems to be more important is that you stick the completed mixture in the fridge for at least 10 minutes. The mixture will combine better as a whole if you give the flour more time to soak up the liquids. This will decrease the chance of the crepes tearing when you flip them.
Cooking: As I understand it, this is one of the few dishes where even professional chefs will tell you to just go ahead and use a non-stick pan. It helps if you have two that are relatively the same size so you can get this done quicker. Put the heat at medium and melt a small pat of butter in the pan (or pans) and swirl to coat the surface. You ultimately will need very little butter or oil, but you do need a fine coat. It’s best to get the portions consistent. If you don’t own a smaller ladle, try using a 1/4 or 1/3 size measuring cup. As for dishing out the batter: Pour in just enough so that you can swirl and coat the bottom of the pan. The batter should be thin enough that it spreads and coats the complete bottom surface easily. If it’s too dense to do so, mix in more milk. Le premier crepe est pour le chien. There’s apparently a saying in France: The first crepe is for the dog. The first one or two probably won’t turn out right, but what they will do is soak up the excess butter, leaving the very slight coat that you want for the remainder of the crepes. From there, ladle out just enough to swirl and coat the bottom of the pan. Then, wait until the exposed surface appears generally dry, then flip. A simple rubber spatula works fine. The other side won’t need more than 10 seconds. Toppings: Pretty much everything works well here, but my stand-by is Greek yogurt with macerated strawberries and blueberries. Macerated strawberries: remove the tops and slice into quarters. Separate out a small handful of the less attractive pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl and mash them up with a fork. Add the remaining berries, plus a tablespoon of honey, the zest of a lemon, and a teaspoon or two of lemon juice. Stir together and let it sit for a few hours in a small Tupperware container placed in the fridge (I usually do this the night before). Same procedure with the blueberries except you don’t need to slice them. After a few hours have passed, you get a nice gel-like glaze over the fruit, which makes it seem like dessert topping. If you’re not already a fan of Greek yogurt, it can seem a bit sour at first. Adding the fruit should be enough to take care of that. If need be, stir a bit of honey into the yogurt. Crepes save very well, actually. If you roll them up in parchment, you can freeze them. Enjoy.
Ella Schweizer'S AND Elvis Presley's Favorite
Pound Cake (This must be good!)
Ingredients 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan 3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) plus additional for dusting 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 cups sugar 7 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 cup heavy cream Special equipment: a 10-inch tube pan (4 1/2 inches deep; not with a removable bottom) or a 10-inch bundt pan (3 1/4 inches deep; 3-qt capacity)
Directions Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven. Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour. Sift together sifted flour (3 cups) and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times total). Beat together butter (2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny. Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles. Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven temperature to 350째F. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely. Cake keeps, covered well with plastic wrap or in an airtight container, at room temperature 5 days.
Caitlin's Red Velvets Ingredients 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 1 tsp. Salt 1/2 cup of unsalted-butter, softened 1 1/2 cups of sugar 2 eggs 2 tbsp. cocoa powder 2 oz. water 2 oz. red food coloring 1 cup buttermilk 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. white vinegar 1 tsp. baking soda
Directions
for cupcakes... Preheat oven to 350, prepare cupcake tins w/ cups (I prefer one w/ both paper & foil). Cream butter & sugar until fluffy. Add eggs & blend well. Make a paste of cocoa & food coloring then add to the butter mixture. Sift flour & salt together into mixture (add slowly). One @ a time add the following: buttermilk, vanilla, & water. In a small bowl, combine vinegar & baking soda. Fold it into the cake batter. Incorporate, but do not beat! Pour into tins. Bake for 15-20 mins, until cake springs back when touched. Remove from oven, let cool for 10 mins then remove from tin to finish cooling. I suggest ALL ingredients be room temp before baking. Also, a fun variation is to swap out the Baking Soda & Vinegar & substitute for 2 tsps. of Red Wine. It has the same acidity & gives them a sophisticated taste! :)
for frosting... Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting as follows (I think it should ONLY be made this way, stolen from Kris Harper who was a Bridesmaid) 8 Oz Cream Cheese (no low fat, etc.) 1 1/2 Sticks of butter 1 Lb. of Powder Sugar 1 Tsp. Vanilla (best quality the better) Get butter & cream cheese room temp 1st. Mix all together @ once, although I find its best if the butters is on the bottom, then sugar, topped w/ the cheese & vanilla. Enjoy!!!
Pear, Cranberry and Gingersnap
Crumble (Adapted from Sweet Melissa Patisserie)
Ingredients for the crumble: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons packed dark or light brown sugar 1 cup gingersnap crumbs (4 ounce about 16 store bought cookies) 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon table salt Pinch of white pepper, especially if your gingersnaps aren’t particularly snappish 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 113 grams or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled for the filling: 2 pounds (about 4 to 5) large ripe pears (I used Anjou, suggested in the original recipe) peeled, halved, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) fresh cranberries 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Directions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Stir together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, gingersnap crumbs, ginger and salt. Stir in the melted butter until large crumbs form. In a 1 1/2 to 2 quart baking dish, mix the pears, cranberries, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together then toss it with the fruit mixture in the pan. Sure, you could do this in a bowl but then you’d also have to wash that bowl and hooray for fewer dishes. Sprinkle the gingersnap crumble over the fruit. Set the crumble on a foil-lined baking sheet (in a 2 quart dish, mine didn’t come close to bubbling over but I see no reason to risk it) and bake it for about 45 minutes, until the crumble is a shade darker and you see juices bubbling through the crumbs. See how long you can wait before digging in.
Dianna made this recipe for Trisha and Mark’s Thanksgiving dinner and it was given rave reviews. This is a recipe from the blog, the smitten kitchen.
get cookin’