Noah’s Strawberry Shortcake

Posted by on Sep 23, 2013 in Desserts

The next recipe is my son, Noah’s, favorite birthday cake.  He’s been eating it since he was six years old. Genoise 6 large eggs 1 cup sugar 1 cup sifted flour ½ cup sweet butter melted and clarified 1 tsp vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and lightly flour two nine -inch layer cakes pans Put eggs and sugar in a large bowl.  Stir until they are combined. Set bowl over a saucepan containing one to two inches of hot water.  Water in the saucepan should not touch the bowl, nor should it be allowed to boil.  Place saucepan over heat for five to ten minutes or until eggs are lukewarm.  Stir four or five times to prevent them from cooking at the bottom of the bowl. When eggs feel lukewarm to your finger and look like a bright yellow syrup, remove bowl from heat.  Begin to beat, preferably with an electric mixture.  Beat at high speed for ten to fifteen minutes, scrapping sides of bowl with a rubber spatula when necessary until mixture becomes light and fluffy and has increased in volume  to almost three times its bulk.  The mixture will look like whipped cream. Sprinkle a little flour at a time on top of egg mixture and fold in with a rubber spatula.  Use a gentle motion.  Then add the butter and the vanilla using the same technique.  Be careful not to over mix. Pour batter  into pans and place in oven.  Bake for 25 minutes or until tops spring back when touched.  Cool on racks. Rinse and hull two pints of strawberries.    Put ten large ones aside for the top of the cake.  Take the others, slice, and put in a bowl.  Add  powdered sugar according to taste – probably one or two tablespoons and about a tablespoon of lemon juice. Allow to macerate. Whip two pints of  heavy cream.  When whipped, add three tablespoons of powdered sugar (or more if desired) and one teaspoon of vanilla. Remove first cake layer from pan and put on serving plate. Thinly spread two teaspoons of melted strawberry jam on cake or sprinkle two tablespoons of Grand Marnier on the cake layer or do the same with the juice that has accumulated  at the bottom of the bowl the strawberries are in.  Spread a thick layer of whipped cream on the cake and put the strawberries over that.  Then add the top layer.  Frost with the rest of the whipped cream.  Take the reserve strawberries, dehull,  glaze them with melted strawberry jam, and arrange on the top of the cake.   Take handfuls of finely chopped pistachios and use them to decorate the sides of the cake.  Serve and...

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Sarah S’s Mother’s Milk Chocolate Cake

Posted by on Sep 23, 2013 in Desserts

2 ¼ cups sugar 3 tbsp water  2 squares melted unsweetened chocolate ¾ cups soft butter or margarine 1 tsp vanilla  4 eggs, separated 2 ¼ cups sifted cake flour 1 tsp cream of tartar ½ tsp soda ½ tsp salt 1 c milk A standard thickened custard filling from the Joy of Cooking Chocolate Cream-Cheese frosting Add ¼ c sugar and the water to chocolate. Cream butter well. Add remaining 2 c sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla then egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add chocolate mixture and blend. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk, beating until smooth. Fold in egg whites beaten until stiff but not dry. Pour into 3 round 9-inch or 4 round 8-inch layer pans lined on the bottom with greased waxed paper. Bake at 350 for about 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand five minutes then turn out onto racks to cool.  Remove paper.  Put the layers together with custard filling and spread top and sides with Chocolate Cream-Cheese...

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Chocolate Cream-Cheese Frosting

Posted by on Sep 23, 2013 in Desserts

¼ cup soft butter or margarine 8 oz soft cream cheese 3 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted Dash salt 3 c confectioner’s sugar 1/3 c light cream 1 tsp vanilla Cream butter. Add next three ingredients and blend. Add sugar alternately with cream, beating thoroughly.  Add vanilla.

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Ten-Minute German Sweet Chocolate Cream Pie

Posted by on Sep 23, 2013 in Desserts

The following recipe comes from my good friend and neighbor April G.  It was her daughter Rachel’s favorite birthday cake.  She believes it originally came from the back of the package  of Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate. 4 oz. Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate 1/3 cup milk 2 tablespoons sugar – optional  3 oz package of cream cheese softened 8 oz Cool Whip Crust Place chocolate wafers in an eight inch pie tin. Procedure Over low heat , heat chocolate in two tablespoons of milk until the chocolate is melted. Beat sugar into cream cheese. Add remaining milk and chocolate.  Beat until smooth. Fold chocolate mixture into Cool Whip. Stir until combined.  Spoon into crust. Freeze for four hours until firm.  Garnish with chocolate curls, strawberries, or whatever you...

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Linda N’s Triple Citrus Cheese Cake

Posted by on Sep 23, 2013 in Desserts

4 (8 oz) packages of softened cream cheese 1 cup sugar 2 tbsp flour 1 tsp vanilla 1 tbsp each fresh lemon, lime, and orange juice 1 tsp each grated lemon peel, lime peel, orange peel Crust 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/3 cup brown sugar ¼ cup melted butter Mix together ingredients for crust, press into the bottom of a 9” springform pan, and bake at 325F for ten minutes. Mix all ingredients for filling together until they are combined. Pour into crust. Bake at 325F for 60-65 minutes until the center is set.  Cool,  then remove rim from pan and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.  Makes twelve...

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Florence’s Lemon Cake

Posted by on Sep 23, 2013 in Desserts

3 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt ½ pound butter 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 cup milk finely grated peel of two lemons 1/3 cup lemon juice ¾ cup confectioners sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9-inch tube pan and dust it with unflavored breadcrumbs. Sift flour, baking powder, salt together and set aside.  Cream butter and sugar then add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.  Alternately add dry ingredients and milk, starting with the dry ingredients.  Beat just until smooth.  Stir in lemon rind.  Put in pan and bake for an hour or until cake springs back. Let the cake stand in the pan for a few minutes, then invert it to get it out of the pan: invert once more into a dish.  Make glaze out of 1/3 cup lemon juice and ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar.  (Do not heat.  Just mix the two ingredients together.)  Brush on the top and sides of the cake while it is still...

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Jennifer G’s Summer Time Potato Salad

Posted by on Sep 23, 2013 in Vegetables

1½ lbs red potatoes, unpeeled. 4 tbsp cider vinegar 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp salt pepper to taste 6 slices bacon 2 medium to large red onions chopped (approx. 2 cups) 3 tbsp olive/vegertable oil ½ to ¾ cup amber ale ¼ cup finely chopped diced, sweet red peppers Boil unpeeled potatoes until tender. Drain and let potatoes cool.  When cool enough to handle cut potatoes in ½, slice into ¼ inch slices and place in a large bowl.  Combine 3 tbsp of vinegar, the mustard, salt, and pepper to taste.  Pour mixture over warm potatoes, toss lightly.  In skillet fry bacon until crisp, remove, and drain bacon.  Reserve drippings.  Crumble bacon over salad. In the reserve bacon drippings sauté onions over medium heat until tender.  Pour in the ale and remaining vinegar, heat just to deglaze to deglaze the skillet, stirring to loosen any brown bits.  Pour over salad.  Toss sauce and add...

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Linda K’s Holiday Potato Pancakes

Posted by on Sep 23, 2013 in Vegetables

For six: Use 6 peeled Idaho potatoes (one for each person). Grate potatoes.  Press liquid out.  Combine with one medium grated onion.  Add between 1/3  to ½ cup Matzoh meal, 1 tbsp salt, pepper to taste. In a large cast-iron or enamel skillet add 4 tbsp  of canola oil and heat until extremely hot (almost smoking). Drop by slotted spoonfuls into pan.  They should sizzle.  Flip when brown. Serve immediately with applesauce and sour cream.  If you’re doing these in advance put on a rack and put in warm oven. Variation:  Make them smaller and serve with caviar and sour cream as an...

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Sarah S’s Zucchini Stuffed with Herbed Goat Cheeses

Posted by on Sep 23, 2013 in Vegetables

4 oz aged hard goat cheese 4 oz soft goat cheese 2 egg whites 6 zucchini, 3-5 inches long Breadcrumbs A solid handful of mixed herbs, such as chives, parsley, oregano, rosemary, basil. Using grating attachment of food processor, grate hard goat cheese. Switch to mixing attachment, add soft goat cheese, egg whites, herbs, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Slice stems off zucchini.  Cut in half lengthwise.  Use a spoon to remove seeds. Trim bottoms if necessary so each sits firmly on baking sheet.  Fill zucchini with cheese mixture.  Sprinkle lightly with breadcrumbs.  Place on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil.  Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes.  Serve warm or at room...

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Linda N’s Midnight Beef (Black Pepper-Coated Beef Tenderloin)

Posted by on Sep 23, 2013 in Entrees

A meat thermometer really helps with this one. 3 lbs beef tenderloin ½ to ¾ cup black peppercorns 1½ tablespoons rosemary fresh oil 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard For this recipe count on 1/3 pound meat per serving per person. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Form the meat into a roll and tie with string or have your butcher do it for you. Crush peppercorns  with a bottle or a rolling pin or bottom of a heavy pot. Finely chop up rosemary. Mix with peppercorns. Paint or rub oil into the meat. Coat with Dijon. Roll meat in pepper and herb mixture. Place on rack in roasting pan and put in oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast until desired level of  doneness. Test with meat thermometer. For rare the thermometer will read 125 degrees, for medium 130, and for well done 145 degrees. Let rest for ten minutes then carve into...

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Jennifer G’s Middle Ages Style Pork Roast

Posted by on Sep 23, 2013 in Entrees

2 tsp crushed thyme ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper 4 lbs. pork roast ½ cup cider or apple juice  2 cups chicken broth  1 12 oz bottle pale ale 2 tbsp margarine 2 cups fresh mushrooms 3 to four apples cut into wedges enough cornstarch  and water to thicken gravy Combine thyme, salt, pepper, and rub into pork roast. Place on rack in shallow roasting pan.  Insert meat thermometer.  Roast at 325 F for 1½ to 2½  hours or until meat thermometer reads 160.  (Keep one cup of water under meat.)  Place meat juices in a large pan along with the chicken broth, pale ale and apple cider. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for twenty minutes.  Thicken to make gravy. Saute apples and mushrooms in margarine and add to...

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Dry Rub Memphis Style

Posted by on Sep 23, 2013 in Entrees

This recipe comes from the Costello Family Cookbook 12 parts paprika 4 parts seasoned salt 4 parts black pepper 4 parts garlic powder 2 parts cayenne pepper 2 parts oregano 2 parts dry mustard 1 part chili powder Stir this up then store in a glass jar. We use 1 tbsp. to equal 1 part.  Rub this into your pork ribs and grill. How to cook ribs: Use baby back pork ribs (don’t pull membrane). Coat ribs with dry rub. Amount by preference. Cook uncovered in a barbecue kettle with indirect heat (325 degrees or 50 coals) over drip pan for one hour. ...

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