Dangerous Spice Cake

This recipe is dangerous because it is so quick and easy (and good!) that the temptation to go off one’s diet is very strong…

  • 4 T flour (30 grams)
  • 1 t cocoa
  • 1/8 t baking soda
  • 1 t ginger
  • 1 1/2 t cinnamon
  • 1/16 t nutmeg
  • 1/16 t clove
  • 3 T sugar (or brown sugar, and then less molasses)
  • 2 T oil
  • 2 T molasses
  • 3 T water
  • 1 egg
  1. Combine the dry ingredients and mix well.
  2. Add it the remaining ingredients and mix well.
  3. Put in a microwave-safe 4c dish and cook for 3 minutes.

Lemon Butter Sauce

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped shallot
  1. Reduce by half over medium heat.
  • 2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, in pats
  • Pinch salt
  1. Slowly swirl in butter, holding pan above the heat.
  • Parsley
  1. Add parsely as desired.

 

Multigrain Bread

For a sourdough version of this bread, see The Perfect Loaf – High-fiber Sourdough Bread.

The night before, soak the seeds and grains:

  • 30 g rolled oats (or steel-cut)
  • 12 g sesame seeds (black or white)
  • 12 g raw pumpkin seeds
  • 8 g sunflower seeds (roasted, unsalted)
  • 8 g flaxseeds
  • 8 g chia seeds
  • 90 g water
  1. Combine all ingredients in a jar.
  2. Cover and let sit overnight.

In the morning, prepare the tangzhong:

  • 41 g whole wheat flour
  • 164 g whole milk.
  1. Combine in small saucepan over low heat.
  2. Stir constantly until a thick paste forms.
  3. Spread out and let cool for at least 30 minutes.

Activate the yeast:

  • 1 packet active dry yeast
  • 60 g water
  • 1 tsp sugar
  1. Stir together.
  2. Let sit for 5 minutes or so.

Prepare the dough:

  • 250 g whole wheat flour
  • 156 g white flour (all-purpose or bread)
  • 29 g honey
  • 2 tablespoons wheat bran
  • 187 g water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • yeast mixture
  • tangzhong
  • seed soaker
  1. Combine all ingredients except seeds in mixer bowl and stir to moisten.
  2. Mix with dough hook 1-2 minutes until combined. Add a splash of water if needed.
  3. Mix with dough hook about 5 minutes until dough clings somewhat to hook.
  4. Let rest 5 minutes.
  5. Mix on medium speed again for about 2 minutes.
  6. Add the seed soaker and mix with dough hook until combined.
  7. Proof about 2-3 hours, with two sets of stretch-and-folds 30 minutes apart to start.
  8. Once risen, smooth, and puffy, turn onto board an preshape. Let sit about 30 minutes.
  9. Form into a tight loaf and place in well-oiled Pullman pan (9x4x4).
  10. Let rise until about doubled.
  11. Bake with steam at 425F for about 20 minutes, then at 350 for another 20-25 minutes until internal temp is 205F.
  12. Cool thoroughly before slicing.

 

 

Strawberry Tart

  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • .5 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • .75 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • .5 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 pound strawberries, hulled, halved
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 9″ round pan.
  2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt; set aside.
  3. Cream sugar and butter. Mix in eggs, then vanilla and buttermilk.
  4. Add flour mixture; combine at low spped.
  5. Transfer to cake pan. Arrange strawberries on top, cut side down.
  6. Bake 50-55 minutes.
  7. Sift powdered sugar on top before serving.

Chicken Seasoning

My mother gave me this recipe sometime around 2015. Just enough spicy!

  • 3/4 t salt
  • 1/4 t pepper
  • 1/4 t cayenne
  • 1/8 t paprika
  • 1/4 t garlic powider
  • 1/8 t onion salt
  • 1/4 t thyme

Little Dutch Baby

  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/16 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 apple, sliced thinly
  • cinnamon sugar
  1. Preheat oven and 8″ cast iron skillet to 400F.
  2. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, milk and egg.
  3. Move the hot skillet to the stove.
  4. Put the 1 tablespoon butter in the hot skillet and let it melt.
  5. Layer the apples in the skillet, then pour egg mixture over. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Just a few Biscuits

I wasn’t raised in the south, so making biscuits is not second nature to me. (Muffins, on the other hand…).  I’ve been experimenting and these have come out well. The recipe is scaled down to make 3 – 4 small biscuits.

  • 75 g flour, plus some for rolling out
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/8 t salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold, in small pieces
  • 1/4 cup milk
  1. Preheat oven to 425F.
  2. Put the dry ingredients in the food processor and pulse to mix. Add the cold butter and pulse just until the butter is evenly distributed.
  3. Stir in the milk by hand just until the dough is shaggy, then gather into a ball and place on a piece of parchment paper.
  4. Pick up one end of the parchment and fold over so the dough is folded inside the parchment, and press slightly. Continue for at least five or six folds in different directions. Sprinkle with flour when the dough is too sticky.
  5. Flatten the dough to about a 1 inch depth, and cut into a few biscuits.
  6. Bake for 13-16 minutes, until golden.

Caramel Popcorn

  • 10 cups popped popcorn
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  1. Melt butter in medium saucepan; mix in brown sugar.
  2. Bring to a boil while stirring continuously.
  3. Boil 4 minutes on medium heat. Add vanilla and stir (careful: it can spatter when you add vanilla).
  4. Boil one minute longer.
  5. Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (caramel will fluff up).
  6. Stir caramel into popcorn. Pour onto a cookie sheet to cool.

Toffee Tops

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 8″ square pan.

Cookie Crust:

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, cut up and chilled
  • 1/4 cup chopped, toasted, blanched almonds
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  1. Stir together flour, brown sugar, and salt. Cut in butter.
  2. Stir in almonds and extract. Press into pan.
  3. Bake 12 minutes until slightly firm.

Brown Sugar Layer

  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter
  •  1 tablespoon water
  1. Combine sugar, butter and water in small heavy saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil, and continue boiling for 1 minute.
  3. Spread over cookie crust base.
  4. Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes.
  5. Cool for a few minutes.

Chocolate Topping

  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3/4 cup chopped, toasted, blanched almonds
  1. Melt chocolate chips with butter in small pan over low heat or microwave.
  2. When brown sugar layer has been crusty (5 minutes or so), pour chocolate over and smooth it out.
  3. Sprinkle with chopped almonds, pressing slightly into chocolate.

 

Nana’s Pecan Pie

My grandmother, Nana, gave me this recipe when I visited her in 1984.

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 3 eggs, well beaten
  • 1 cup pecan pieces
  • 1 unbaked 9″ pie shell
  1. Mix sugar, syrup and butter.
  2. Add eggs and pecans
  3. Fill pie shell with mixture and bake in moderately hot (400F) oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate (350F) and continue baking for 30-35 minutes.