How We Heat the House

My gas oven! 

Well, not really but Colin sure notices the difference in temperature when I'm not home baking.  Today the house was chilly so I made some Peanut Butter Swirl bars from the Amish Cook Baking book (which I helped test recipes for).  Did they ever turn out yummy!  Though next time I think I'm going to put the chocolate chips on the inside.  Also need to cut smaller squares, they are quite rich.  I also made a new garlic roll recipe I found here.  They smell divine.  I've also made an apple cake.  It's easy to throw together and makes a nice big bundt cake.  It's also good use for those sad, end of winter apples I had sitting around.

Apple Cake
3 c flour                   1 c wt. sugar
1 1/2 t bk soda       1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon           1/4 t allspice and nutmeg
1 c buttermilk          1/2 c butter, melted
1 egg                            2 c chopped apples
Mix the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients.  Gently stir in the apples last.  Pour into a greased bundt pan.
Bake 325F for 60 min or until done. 

Recipes

I was talking with one of my blog friends about cake recipes, in particular Angel Cake.  Most recipes use so many eggs!  Even with my barn-full of chickens I shy away from those recipes -so many extra yolks.  I have a very old recipe that actually uses only 4 egg whites and thought I'd share.

Angel Cake
2 c milk                               2 c flour
2 c wt. sugar                      2 T bk powder
pinch salt                          4 egg whites, stiffly beaten


Heat milk to boiling.  Sift dry ingredients 5 times (I haven't skipped this step so I don't know if it really makes a difference).  Add milk to dry ingredients and stir till smooth.  Fold in egg whites carefully.  Pour into ungreased angel pan.  Bake 375F for 40-45 min.  Invert pan to cool.

Another yummy cake is Brown Sugar Poundcake.  It stays so nice a moist.  I love to use my fancy bundt pans with this one, just make sure the pan is big enough or you'll have a mess in your oven.   Sounds like I speak from experience, eh?

Brown Sugar Poundcake
1 c butter                      6 eggs
2 c br. sugar               1 c wt. sugar
2 2/3 c flour              2 t vanilla
1 c sour cream (I use fat free)        1/4 t bk soda

Cream butter then beat in each egg, one at a time.  Dissolve the bk. soda in the sour cream.  Alternate with the dry ingredients.  Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan (if you can find it, the Pam with flour is perfect here).

Bake 275F for 20 min then 325F for 50 min.

If you really want to make this cake yummy, add on my chocolate glaze.

Recipe Catch-Up

I just realized that I haven't posted any new recipes here for a while.  So here are a few:


Potato Goulash
1 1/2 lb pork -I used shoulder chops cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T paprika (not hot)
2 lb potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 onions, chopped
2 T vinegar
3 c beef stock
14 oz diced tomatoes
Brown pork and onions.  Add everything else to pot.  Simmer on low for 1 hour.

Chicken Cacciatore
3lb chicken pieces, we use thighs                     1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced                                         salt & pepper, to taste
28oz stewed tomatoes                                           28 oz tomato sauce
1/4 cup red wine                                                     1/4 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
Brown the chicken in a little oil. Add everything into a dutch oven. Cover and simmer all afternoon until the house smells wonderful Don’t use a crock pot, the sauce doesn’t reduce and is too runny.

Honey Barbecue Pork Ribs
2 lb pork ribs                                    1 sm onion, chopped
1 c bbq sauce, we prefer Diana’s honey and garlic
1/3 c honey
Arrange ribs in the crock pot, sprinkle with onions.  Combine sauce and honey.  Pour over ribs.  Cook on Low for 7-9 hours.
Two really yummy recipes for you to enjoy.  Even better, they don’t need an oven and can be basically tossed in the pot and forgotten about.  Some days we all need recipes like that.


Black Bottom Cupcakes
makes 3 dozen
White Part:
Beat together 8 oz cream cheese, 1 egg, and 1/3 c sugar.  Then stir in 6 oz mini chocolate chips.  Set aside.
Chocolate Part:
2 c flour                                        3/4 t salt
1 1/2 t bk soda                            3/8 c cocoa
1 1/2 c wt. sugar                       1 1/2 c water
1 1/2 t vinegar                          1 t vanilla
1/2 c oil
Line muffin tins.  Fill 1/3 full with chocolate part.  Top with 2 t white part.
Bake 350F for 20 minutes, or until done.

Meatloaf
1 c bread cubes                        1/4 c milk
1 t salt                                           1 T parsley
1 onion, chopped fine            1 egg
1 lb ground beef
Soak the bread in the milk.  Add everything else and mix gently.  Put into a greased loaf pan.
Bake 350F for 1-1 1/4 hours

Baked Egg Sandwiches -makes 4
4 hamburger buns, not sliced    4 tomato slices
salt & pepper                                  4 eggs
1/3c grated cheese                      1/4 c cream
3 T chopped scallions
Slice a thin piece off the top of each bun and scoop out most of the crumbs -leaving about a 1/2 inch shell.  Put the buns on a baking sheet.  Put a slice of tomato in each.  Carefully crack an egg in each bun.  Sprinkle with s&p, then cream, cheese and scallions.
Bake 375F for 20-30

Golden Pork Chops -makes 4
4 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick                 1/2 c bread crumbs
s&p                                                                   1 T oil
1 egg, beaten                                                2 c milk
Mix egg with salt & pepper.  Dip pork chops to coat.   Put chops in crumbs and coat well.  Let sit for a few minutes to dry.  Brown chops in oil in fry pan.  Remove chops to oven proof casserole and add milk to almost cover.  Turn once or twice as it cooks.
Bake 350F for 45-60 minutes

More Cake

I have a sink full of dishes that I should be washing as well as a load of laundry to hang up.  So I'm online trying to avoid it  :)

Colin's Favourite Chocolate Cake
one 9 inch cake layer
1 1/2 c flour                       1/2 t salt
1 c wt sugar                       3 T cocoa
1 t bk powder                    1 t bk soda
1 t vanilla                           1 t vinegar
1/2 c butter, melted            1 c sour milk, lukewarm

Originally, this recipe was supposed to be just mixed up in the 9 inch cake pan.  I never do that (I'm afraid it won't turn out of the pan).  This recipe is very easy.  Just put all the dry things in a bowl, then add all the wet things and mix.  Pour into a greased 9 inch cake pan -I've also used a smaller bundt pan
Bake 350F for 30 minutes for a 9 inch pan, a bundt pan will take longer  


Garlic Roast Chicken

Roast a head of garlic with 1T oil, in a foil pouch.  1 hour at 425F.  The house will smell sooooo good.  Squeeze garlic cloves into 1/2 c softened butter and mix till smooth.

Rinse and dry a whole chicken (don't forget to remove the inside baggie).  Spread garlic butter over and under skin.  Salt and pepper generously.   Tie up chicken.  Baste occasionally.  Cook until roast is 175F.
Roast 325F for 30min per pound.

I don't stuff this chicken, I'm worried the amount of butter would make the dressing too greasy.  If you do try it, let me know.  I usually just make the dressing in a casserole for this dish, but it just doesn't taste the same as when cooked in the chicken.

 
I don't know if anyone else has noticed this.  But I find when I cook with a local raised chicken they only take about 1/2 the time the store-bought chickens take.  I guess it's the water/saline that they inject store chicken with to keep them plump.  I love being able to buy local whole chickens.

I didn't make soup today.  My darling husband made German Pancakes for lunch today.  I didn't like them, but I'm funny about how I like my egg dishes.  I'm sure others will like them so I'll share his recipe.

German Pancakes

6 eggs                      1 c flour
1/2 t bk powder       1/2 c milk
pinch salt

Cook like a very thin pancake.  Butter well and sprinke with sugar.

Best Ever Roast Pork and others...

Six Hour Roast Pork

now don't let the title scare you this is really a 30 minute meal.  Once you stick the roast in the oven, the oven does all the work for you  :)

4ish lb shoulder roast
salt and pepper

Yep, that's it.  Score the rind about 3/8 inch apart, don't cut through to the meat.  Rub salt and pepper all over the roast, including the rind.  Place pork, skin side up in a roasting pan.  Roast 30 min at 425F.

After the 30 minutes, cover with lid or tinfoil and turn down oven to 325F.  Roast for 4 1/2 hours.  Baste meat with drippings.  Return to oven and roast another hour -uncovered.

Remove meat from pan and spoon out fat.  Pour in about 2 cups of water or stock.  Deglaze pan and make gravy.

Yummy!!



I may have posted this next cake recipe on my other blog, but it's so good I'll  post it again here.  Even though it's not chocolate, Colin really likes this cake.  It's substantial and stays moist for a long time.   As you can see, even missing the glaze doesn't slow down the cake monsters.

Brown Sugar Pound Cake

1 c butter (usually use margarine)                    6 eggs
2 c br. sugar                                                   1 c wt sugar
2 2/3 c flour                                                    1/2 t salt
2 t vanilla                                                        1 c sour cream -low fat/no fat works just as well
1/4 t bk soda

Cream together the butter and the sugars.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Add in vanilla.   Dissolve baking soda in the sour cream.  Mix flour and salt together.  Alternately add dry ingredients and sour cream.  Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan -use a larger size one.  I have a number of the cast aluminum Nordic Ware bundt pans and they work wonderfully.
Bake 275F for 20 minutes then turn oven up to 325F and continue baking for another 50ish minutes.  Test.

Let pan cool for a few minutes, the cake will pull away from the sides.  Turn cake onto cooling rack.  When completely cool, spoon over this glaze:
2T butter, melted
1T water
1t vanilla
6T icing sugar

Individual 3 Minute Chocolate Cakes -no, really

I've had this recipe in my file for a while now and have finally given it a try.  It turned out well.  I found it a little too chocolaty (you can tell I'm not a Fletcher -ha ha) and will use less cocoa next time.  Colin and Ella inhaled theirs.

In a microwaveable 2 cup measuring cup mix the following:
4T flour
4T sugar
2T cocoa

Stir in 1 egg, 3T milk and 3T oil.  Make sure to get all the dry ingredients mixed in.  Microwave for 3 minutes on high.  Wait a couple minutes till it stops rising and sets.  Turn out onto a plate.

Obviously, this recipe would feed a couple little people.  Colin found it a bit much to finish, but then we'd had a large supper.

Chocolate

This year Ella requested Turtle Cake for her birthday party.  It's Colin's favourite too.

Turtle Cake

3 c flour                             1 t salt
2 c wt. sugar                      6 T cocoa
2 t bk. powder                   2 t bk. soda
2 t vanilla                           2 t vinegar
1 c butter, melted               2 c sour milk, lukewarm

Mix everything together and pour half the batter into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake 350F for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, over medium heat, bring to a boil:
1 c butter              1 can condensed milk           1 c brown sugar
Boil 5 minutes.  Pour over bottom layer of cake.  Sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chips and pecan pieces.  Pour remaining batter over all.  Bake 25-30 minutes more.

Brownies

1/2 c butter                           1/4 t salt
4 eggs, beaten till light
2 c white sugar                      1/2 c cocoa
1 t vanilla                               1 c flour

Spread into a greased 9x9 inch pan.  Bake 325F for 30-35 minutes.  Do not overbake, may still be moist in the middle.  These don't need to be iced.