Mish Mashmie

Macaroni and Cheese

2012-01-30T10:36:00.001-06:00

I’ve made macaroni and cheese from scratch before, but I used the Betty Crocker (1950’s) version of cheese sauce. I don’t remember being impressed.

This version is similar, but it has a higher cheese-to-roux ratio which of course can only mean good things! Dave said he thought this was the best mac & cheese he’s ever had. And it’s a good thing it makes a lot, because there were second helpings, lunch for me the next day and another meal to be eaten (it was all delicious and just as addictive as the first day).

I’m listing the recipe here, but I highly suggest you visit The Pioneer Woman’s blog to get the full scoop. She has some good tips on making this a true success.

I agree with her statement on not adding all the pasta. In fact, I think next time I’ll only cook 3 to 3 1/2 cups of pasta (not that chickens mind the treat).

Oh, and since we’re from Wisconsin where casseroles are meant to have a topping, we added crushed saltine crackers (about 1/2 a package) mixed with the other 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of butter to the top to give some crunchiness.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Servings: 6

4 cups Dried Macaroni
1 whole Egg Beaten
1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard
1 pound Cheese, Grated
1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

2012-01-16T13:36:00.001-06:00

I recently heard a story about Dave’s aunt and uncle that I found rather humorous. It seems that his aunt made liver and onions every week for years and years until finally one day her husband announced “You know, I really don’t like liver and onions.” Turns out, neither did she. She was just making them because they were healthy.

Dave also tells stories about how his mother made salmon loaf several times even though the rest of the family hated it. (His mother claims it was only once, but I’m sure the traumatized forced-to-sit-at-the-table-until-bedtime children remember better).

Because of stories like this, we have sort of an unwritten rule in our house that it’s better to be truthful on how we like or dislike a recipe, rather than try to spare someone’s feelings and end up forced to eat it multiple times. Fortunately for us, we tend to like and dislike the same recipes.

Unfortunately, we can still end up with a breakdown in communication...

Dave has made scalloped potatoes many time, always using the recipe his aunt (a different one than above) made. She always layered the potatoes and sprinkled flour on top of each layer. It tasted “ok”, but definitely wasn’t one of my favorite recipes. Turns out… Dave didn’t care for it either. He just never thought to go looking for a better version.

During a family potluck this summer he learned that their delicious scalloped potatoes were made using a roux, so he went in search of a recipe. This is definitely a keeper! I loved these scalloped potatoes – as evident by the second helping I took. The original recipe came from Taste of Home, but of course he had to change it up.

This isn’t the prettiest looking picture, but we dove into it before I remembered to take a snapshot. Cheesy. Creamy. And those lovely caramelized bits we fought over. Yum!

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

6 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups 2% milk
6 cups thinly sliced peeled potatoes
1-1/2 cups chopped fully cooked ham
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder

In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Stir in flour, parsley, salt, thyme, onion powder, dry mustard powder and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Combine potatoes, ham and onion; place half in a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Top with half of the sauce; repeat layers.
Cover and bake at 375°F for 65-75 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Dot with remaining butter. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.

Prep: 15 min. Bake: 1 hour 20 min.

Click here for a PDF version of the recipe: Scalloped Potatoes with Ham.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

2012-01-16T13:22:00.001-06:00

Read that again. Sticky. Toffee. Pudding. It sounds good even before you read the ingredients, doesn’t it? Well, it’s that good. Especially if you love dates. Maybe even if you don’t love dates (I wouldn’t know).

I’ve seen several recipes recently for this same recipe (maybe it’ll be the food trend for 2012), but I chose to try the one found at Brown Eyed Baker. I definitely recommend whipping up some fresh cream to go with it.

And my other tip? Start the dish water right away. You’ll thank me later when you need to wash up several pots and bowls.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

For the Toffee Sauce
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar (dark preferred, but I made with light)
2 1/2 tablespoons golden syrup or molasses
Pinch of salt

For the Pudding
6 ounces pitted dates, chopped
1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F and butter an 8 1/2-inch porcelain soufflé dish (or similar-sized baking dish.)

2. Make the toffee sauce by bringing the cream, sugar, golden syrup (or molasses) and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring often to melt the sugar.

3. Lower heat and simmer, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick and coats the spoon. Pour half the sauce into the prepared soufflé dish and place the dish in the freezer, and reserve the other half for serving.

4. To make the pudding, in a medium saucepan, heat the dates and water. Once the water begins to boil, remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Set aside, but keep it slightly warm.

5. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

6. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then the vanilla. (Don’t be alarmed if the mixture looks a bit curdled.)

7. Stir in half of the flour mixture, then the date mixture. Add the remaining flour mixture until just mixed. Don’t overbeat the batter.

8. Remove the soufflé dish from the freezer and scrape the batter into the soufflé dish and bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.

9. Remove the pudding from the oven, and let cool slightly before serving. Spoon portions of the cake into serving bowls and pour additional warm toffee sauce over the top. Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream are good accompaniments.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time: 50 minutes

Click here for a PDF version of the recipe: Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Lemon Buttermilk Rhubarb Cake

2011-06-15T12:04:00.001-05:00

I spend way too much time looking at recipe blogs. Maybe that’s why it’s referred to as food porn, since it’s so addictive. I found a great way to quickly save those recipes I find interesting – using an add-on for Firefox to copy to Evernote (I discussed this a little bit here). If I don’t save, I’ll never find them again. And the great thing about Evernote is that it makes it easy to search for recipes or ingredients (it’s not limited to recipes – you can save any kind of note!)

Anyway… back to food. This weekend, I was going to make a blueberry bar recipe so I’d have some snacks to take to work. I went downstairs to get a package of frozen blueberries, when I discovered not only did I find frozen rhubarb from 2010 … but I had a couple of packages from 2009! Time to use that up. Unfortunately, our vacuum sealer must not have been working quite right (we’ve used them so much, we’re on our third one!) because the 2009 rhubarb had air in the packages and smelled like freezer burn. But by the time I realized this, I was already on a mission and went back to the freezer to get the 2010 stash. Yes, I know I could have used fresh from this year, but I need to learn to use up our supplies.

The recipe I found was from the honey & jam website. I was intrigued by the comment they made “Strawberry may be rhubarbs perfect mate, but lemon is a close second.” Hmmm … I don’t think I’ve ever tried rhubarb and lemon before. I really like both, so it sounded like a recipe worth trying.

Very moist, delicious cake. Dave loved the fact that this just had a simple icing on it so it wasn’t overloaded with sweetness.

I had a little issue getting the cake out of the pan (I know better than to just use spray, but I did it anyway), so the pictures on the honey & jam website are much better than mine. But don’t let that deter you. I’d highly recommend giving this cake a go!

Lemon Buttermilk Rhubarb Bundt Cake
from honey & jam

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon lemon oil (i used lemon extract)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and very thinly sliced (3 cups prepped)

Lemon Glaze
2 cups confectioners sugar, more as needed
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon nearly melted butter

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter a 10-cup Bundt pan.
To make the cake, sift the 2 1/2 cups flour, the baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition, then stir in the lemon oil. Stir in the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the buttermilk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. The batter will be very thick.

Toss the rhubarb with the 2 tablespoons of flour and fold half into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining rhubarb on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate the pan and cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly touched. Cool the cake in its pan on the wire rack for 30 minutes before inverting and removing the pan.

To make the lemon glaze, whisk the confectioners sugar, lemon juice and butter together. The mixture should be thick. If it’s not, whisk in another tablespoon or two of the sugar. Spread the glaze over the cake as soon as you remove it from the pan.

Italian Wedding Soup

2011-05-10T11:36:00.000-05:00

I had been hearing about Italian Wedding soup for quite a while when I finally got ahold of a recipe. The soup itself sounded simple and contained only items we like. So I gave it a try. This soup is awesome! And it’s simple enough to make that you don’t have to bother with buying salt-laden cans of from that giant soup company (rhymes with gamble).

The original recipe called for only 4 cups of broth. However, since you are adding the pasta uncooked, it will soak up a lot of the broth, so I doubled the amount. Even then, if you have leftovers, the pasta will continue to absorb broth, so it will get thicker by the day. But that’s ok in my opinion. If you don’t like it, add more broth.

The recipe calls for a beef and pork mixture for the meatballs. I’ve used all beef when I didn’t have any pork available, and it worked just fine.

The most time-consuming part of this soup is making the meatballs. It’s not what I would call labor-intensive, but it just takes a while. To save time for future batches of soup, I have made double-batches of these meatballs (as long as I’m getting my hands sticky anyway) and frozen them after they have been cooked. Then, the next time, all you need to do is pop the frozen balls into the broth and cook them a little longer to make sure they are heated thoroughly.

Italian Wedding Soup

Adapted from Recipe by Penzeys Spice catalog, Fall 2003

1/2 pound ground chuck
1/2 pound ground pork
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon parsley
1 egg
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups fresh spinach -- rinsed well, stems removed, and cut into strips; or use 1/4 package frozen spinach
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
4 ounces orzo -- or any small pasta
1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Combine meats, bread crumbs, pepper, salt, basil, parsley, and egg in a bowl and mix until well blended. Form into tiny meatballs, about 1 to 1 ½ tsp. of meat. Bake on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 350°F. Meanwhile, bring the broth to a low boil and add the spinach. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the meatballs to the hot broth along with the garlic and Italian seasoning. Add the pasta and continue to boil until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cheese and serve immediately.

Preparation Time: 0:30
Cooking Time: 0:45
Serves: 4-6

Click here for a PDF version of the recipe: Italian Wedding Soup.

Carrot Coconut Cake

2011-04-25T16:39:00.001-05:00

I’m not sure if I should classify this as a successful failure or not.

It looks beautiful.

It tasted good and was very moist.

My sister loved it – which is good since I made it for her birthday.

But this cake was incredibly dense!

Dave and I decided we really didn’t care for it as much as other carrot cakes we’ve had in the past, so I probably will not make it again in the future (unless my sister begs me).

If you’d like to try the recipe yourself, head on over to Simply Scratch.

Homemade Hostess cupcakes

2011-04-25T16:26:00.001-05:00

Don’t they look yummy?! Well, let me tell ya, they taste even more awesome than they look! And compared to the store-bought version, these are so incredibly better.

This is made in several steps:

Chocolate Cake

While, you can use boxed cake mix, we found it best to use the Deep Dark Chocolate Cake recipe that we love so much. Bake these as normal, in muffin tins. Cool.

Cream Filling

Originally from Evil Shenanigans, this Cream Filling for Cupcakes recipe:

2 tsp very hot water
1/4 tsp salt
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Dissolve the salt in the hot water and allow to cool.

Whip the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla until it begins to get fluffy. Add the water and whip well.

Place in a pastry tube or zip-top bag with a pastry tip. Insert tip in top of cupcake and fill. Filling the cupcakes is a delicate balance between making sure you get enough filling inside so the taster doesn’t feel cheated, but you don’t want so much filling that it starts coming out the sides or bottom.

Chill until filling has firmed up.

Ganache

6 ounces Semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup Whipping cream

Place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan bring whipping cream to a boil. Pour into chocolate and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Let cool until mixture is less than body temperature. Dip the tops of the muffins in the ganache to coat. Chill until ganache is firm.

Icing

Make a simple icing mixture from powdered (confectioner’s) sugar and water. As you can see above, you need to make sure you don’t get the mixture too runny or it will spread when piped onto the cupcakes.

Keep cupcakes refrigerated until serving. Don’t be surprised if they disappear faster than you made them!

Grasshopper Pie

2011-01-15T15:49:00.001-06:00

After the holidays, my husband and realized that we had gotten used to having dessert after dinner and really missed it when none was available. As a result, in the last couple of weeks we’ve made bread pudding, custard, and birthday cake to name a few.

I decided this week that I’d like to make a Grasshopper Pie. My mother-in-law makes two of those along with Pink Squirrel and Hershey’s Pie every Christmas. We had a taste while we were visiting, which is probably what reminded me. However, I remember making a different recipe a while back that we liked and thought I’d try it again.

The box of Famous Chocolate wafers contains enough to easily make two pie crusts, so Dave suggested we have a bake-off: “my” recipe (Cook’s Country) versus his mother’s. Needless to say, we have a lot of Grasshopper Pie in the house right now!

And the verdict? My mother-in-law wins again! In taste, the were pretty much equal – which surprised me as her version had only 2 tablespoons each of the liquors, whereas the other recipe had a full 1/4 cup of each! In texture, the commercial recipe is firmer and sturdier; we almost prefer the lightness and fluffiness of Barbara’s recipe. You might even be able to see the difference in the pictures – Barbara’s version is the one on the right. Between that and the fact that the tastes were almost identical, we gave her recipe the winning vote – because it was far easier and less fussy to prepare.

So … who’s coming over to help us eat all this pie?!

The bottom of the post contains links to both recipes, but I’ll only list our favorite here:

Grasshopper Pie

18 chocolate wafers or Oreos with filling removed, crushed
5 Tbsp melted butter
2/3 cup half and half
24 large marshmallows
2 Tbsp white crème de cocoa
2 Tbsp crème de menthe
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Mix chocolate wafer crumbs with melted butter and pat into 9- to 10-inch pie pan. Bake 5 minutes at 350°F. Cool.

Combine the half and half and marshmallows in the top of a double boiler. Cook over hot water until marshmallows are melted. Cool. Add the liquors. Fold mixture into the whipped cream. Turn into a prepared shell and chill.

Note: For a Pink Squirrel pie, substitute crème de almond for the crème de menthe. Both are good for Christmas dessert.

PDF version: Grasshopper Pie (Barbara Nuland)

PDF version: Grasshopper Pie (Cook’s Country)

Vanilla Ice Cream

2010-11-18T14:33:00.001-06:00

I actually made this recipe back in July but wasn’t very happy with the results, so I never got around to posting it.

Did I overcook the custard (the recipe warns about not getting it above 180 degrees)? Was there just too much butterfat in the mixture? Whatever happened, the flavor was good … but I couldn’t get past eating the little chunks of butter that formed.

I eventually threw most of it out, but debated about letting it melt and taking the butter and pressing the extra cream out for use on morning toast or something. Someday I’ll get brave and try this again…

“Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Beanilla.”

Vanilla Ice Cream

adapted from http://blog.photographybylulu.com/2009/07/vanilla-ice-cream-tuesdays-with-dorie.html

2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar

Bring milk and cream to a boil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. If you are using a vanilla bean, put the seeds and pod into the pan, cover and set aside for 30 minutes, then bring the milk and cream back to a boil before continuing. If you are using vanilla extract, wait until later to add it.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until very well blended and just slightly thickened. Still whisking, drizzle in about one third of the hot liquid-this will temper, or warm the eggs so they won't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid. Pour the custard back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring without stopping, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon; if you run your finger down the bowl of the spoon, the custard should not run into the track. The custard should reach at least 170°F, but no more than 180°F, on an instant-read thermometer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and strain the custard into a 2-quart measuring cup or clean heatproof bowl. Discard the vanilla pod or if you are using vanilla extract, stir it in now.
Refrigerate the custard until chilled before churning it into the ice cream.
Scrape the chilled custard in the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pack the ice cream into a container and freeze it for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.

Makes about 1 quart.

Dinner idea #2

2010-07-08T10:51:00.000-05:00

Just like my Dinner Tonight post back in May, this isn’t a recipe – but more of an idea for dinner. And again, this is one of Dave’s creations.

We had some fresh peas from the garden, red potatoes and frozen carrots (along with some onions?). He boiled all these together in chicken broth until they were cooked. Then he added cooked and cubed chicken meat (not one of ours). He made a flour/water slurry and added it to the pot to thicken the broth. So basically you have chicken and vegetables in gravy. This would be great by itself over rice or noodles, but…

Dave made up a pie crust (see Banana Cream Pie for the recipe), placing one in a pie plate, filling with the chicken and vegetable mix, and topping with a second pie crust.

Voilà! Homemade chicken pot pie!

He really wanted to make individual-sized pies like the ones you buy in the store, but couldn’t find the right size oven-proof bowls in our house, so he simplified it to just one large one. You do have to be careful that you don’t steal someone else’s filling this way – but it does thicken up once you refrigerate the leftovers.

I hope this inspires you to create something for dinner…

Yeasted Waffles

2010-07-06T10:51:00.000-05:00

I would love to find the “ultimate” waffle recipe. We usually make the Rich Waffles recipe from our ancient Betty Crocker cookbook. They are “ok”, but nothing that inspires me to make them more often.

Recently I saw a couple of recipes for yeasted waffles and wondered if that might produce the breakfast wonder I have been looking for. The biggest drawback to this type of waffle is that you need to mix up the batter the night before and let it ferment on the countertop overnight. So it requires some planning.

You can find the recipe for these waffles at Annie’s Eats. I’m not going to post the recipe here because I followed her version exactly.

Our verdict?

I liked these. They were extra-crispy waffles – probably because they contained a lot of butter. I didn’t even have to spray the waffle iron to make it non-stick. With a bit of syrup, they were wonderful!

On the other hand, Dave did not like these. He said he could taste the yeast. I have to wonder if it was more that the kitchen smelled like yeast that morning. But based on “the man” not liking them, they probably won’t appear in our house again.

Dinner tonight – 5/27

2010-05-28T11:00:00.000-05:00

This isn’t a recipe, but I just wanted to show you what Dave made for dinner tonight. He has been experimenting on making fried chicken – and I think he has it perfected now. He always cuts the chicken breasts into thirds or quarters so they cook at the same time everything else does. He “follows” a recipe, but I don’t have that readily available … plus, he changed it up some this time.

He also experimented with making spanokopita. We love Greek food, and since there isn’t a decent restaurant around here (unless you want to drive more than an hour away), any that we can make at home is a dream! Per usual for Dave … he didn’t follow a recipe, just an ingredient list that we’d gotten off a Food Network show. It’s basically phyllo dough, feta cheese, spinach, and a few spices ?

Anyway, together these two might not have been the healthiest of dinners, but it was very good!

Banana Cream Pie

2010-05-15T15:46:00.000-05:00

My father isn’t one to eat a lot of sweets – but there is one dessert that he is especially fond of. So when his birthday came up, I decided to make him a Banana Cream Pie.

This is better than any store-bought cream pie you can find – so much so, that I will only eat the homemade-version. Unfortunately for him, he had to share it with other family members and only got a couple of pieces.

(see bottom of post for a formatted PDF document)

adapted from Betty Crocker, 1950 printing

9” pie shell – one crust

1 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cold butter
2 Tbsp water

Mix flour and salt together. Cut in butter. Sprinkle with water. Gather dough together and press into a ball.

Roll out to 1” larger than the pie pan. Fold pastry in half. Quickly transfer to pan. Unfold, and fit pastry loosely in pan. Avoid stretching. Trim off ragged edges leaving 1/2” overhanging the edge of pan. Fold extra pastry back and under, and build up a high fluted edge to hold a generous amount of filling.

Prick pastry to prevent puffing during baking. (If pastry persists in puffing up, quickly reach in oven, prick again in two places). Bake at 475°F (very hot oven) for 8 min.

For the Banana Cream Pie you do not need to cool the pie shell before filling.

Banana Cream Pie

2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp flour
3 cups milk
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten (save the whites!)
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar, salt, cornstarch and flour in saucepan. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Slowly stir half the mixture into the egg yolks. Then blend the eggs into the hot mixture in the saucepan. Boil 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Blend in butter and vanilla.

Slice 2-3 large bananas, arranging them in a layer in the cooled pie shell. Pour the cream filling over the bananas. Chill thoroughly for 2 hours at room temperature and top with whipped cream.

Perfect Meringue

3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
6 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp flavoring (if desired)

Note: This makes a very light, fluffy meringue… easy to cut through. Remember, too long baking and incomplete blending-in of sugar causes “weeping!” For a smooth, clean cut, dip knife into hot water before cutting meringues. (Be sure to shake off excess water).

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy.
Gradually beat in sugar, a little at a time.
Continue beating until stiff and glossy.
Pile meringue onto pie filling, being careful to seal the meringue onto edge of crust to prevent shrinkage. If the filling is exposed to the heat (not entirely covered), it may “weep”.
Swirl or pull up points for decorative top. Bake until delicately browned. Cool gradually in a slightly warm place, away from drafts. A chill may make the meringue fall.

PDF version: Banana Cream Pie

Rhubarb Cake

2010-05-14T15:46:00.000-05:00

Hurray! It’s spring – and time for rhubarb. Our rhubarb plant was getting huge and probably only a week or so away from blossoming, so I knew it was time to cut it. I took most of our first crop and vacuum sealed it, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make something from at least some of this batch.

Last weekend we had a mass-party for Dad’s family – everyone who had a birthday or anniversary in the first half of the year. Basically, it was a huge carb-feast. Kumla (Norwegian potato dumplings) served with lots of butter, ham, a vegetable tray, flatbrød (store-bought), and several desserts including this one.

Note: I made my cake in two 8-inch square baking pans instead of a 9x13-inch pan for several reasons:

I have a nice cover for one of the 8-inch pans for transporting to the party.
I knew there would be other desserts so we probably wouldn’t need a full cake.
And the best reason? We wanted to eat some that night and not have to wait!!

(see bottom of post for a formatted PDF document)

Rhubarb Cake

5 cups chopped rhubarb
3 oz pkg strawberry Jell-O
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 cups mini-marshmallows
1 yellow cake mix PLUS oil, eggs, etc

Clean and roughly chop rhubarb into bite-size pieces and place in a 9x13-inch baking pan. In a small bowl, mix the Jell-O and sugar together; pour over the rhubarb. Sprinkle the marshmallows over the rhubarb mixture.

Mix the yellow cake mix according to the package directions. Pour the cake batter over the rhubarb mixture.

Bake 350°F for 50 minutes.

PDF version: Rhubarb Cake

Homemade granola

2010-04-16T18:45:00.000-05:00

I really like granola. Especially the homemade variety. In the past couple of months, Dave and I have had the opportunity to try a couple of samples. In early March was at Norskedalen for “Sweet, Sweet Spring” (maple sugaring). A local organic farmer had samples of homemade yogurt, homemade granola and a bit of honey. Yum!

In early April, we had to opportunity to visit Brennan’s in Brookfield, WI … sigh. I miss Brennan’s. (there are a couple in Madison that we frequented when we lived there). In addition to filling up on samples of fruit, cheese, and salsa – we also sampled a mixture of yogurt, tart cherries and homemade granola. Yum yum! I almost picked up a bag of the granola until I realized that an 8 oz (?) bag was almost $10! Uff da!.

Time to figure out how to make it ourselves…

I have lots of recipes saved on my computer for granola but have never gotten around to trying any of them. Last week we were watching an episode of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” on FoodNetwork where someone made granola. She didn’t give amounts, but thanks to the wonderful world of DVRs, we were at least able to rewind enough times to get the entire list of ingredients … and an approximation of the amounts and ratios.

As I went through my first trial run, I forced myself to write down everything I added and the exact measurements. Good thing I did! Although it turned out rather well, I did have a few adjustments to improve on it.

Meanwhile, I have a new name for this … “Snack Crack”. I could NOT stay away from eating this!

Now I just need to make my own yogurt….

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Homemade Granola

still a work in progress…

2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut, optional
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup All-Bran cereal
3/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 - 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
original recipe also called for wheat germ

Bake 325°F for 20-25 in, stirring every 10-15 min. Cool before eating.

PDF version: Homemade Granola

Christmas Truffles

2010-04-13T11:49:00.001-05:00

Yes, I realize it’s several months past Christmas, but I never got around to publishing this post!

In addition to the Homemade Caramels that I must make for Christmas each year, some family members are disappointed if I don’t also make truffles. The recipe is simple, the assembly can be “putzy” and messy, but it’s worth it!

1/4 cup whipping cream
6 oz chocolate, chopped (or chips)
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flavoring
Candy coating, melted - optional

Place whipping cream in a small pan. Heat just until it starts to boil, stirring constantly so it doesn’t scorch. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the chocolate and butter. The heat from the cream should be enough to melt the chocolate and butter. If it cools down too fast, you can warm it again – but be carefully you don’t cause the chocolate to seize.

Add the flavoring of your choice and stir to incorporate. Cover the surface of the truffle mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it has hardened.

Now comes the fun and messy part! Scoop out a tablespoon or so of the truffle mixture, roll in between your hands to smooth it out and then dip in melted candy coating. You need to work quickly as the chocolate will start to soften from the heat of your hands.

You could also roll the ball in cocoa, powdered sugar flavored with coffee grounds, or anything that will prevent it from sticking to fingers and storage containers.

If you have truffle molds you can coat the edges with melted candy coating and let sit to harden (see pictures). Then fill the insides with truffle mixture refrigerate to harden. Fill the bottoms with another layer of candy coating, smoothing off for a flat surface and let it harden before removing from the molds.

Adding nuts and other decorations can help distinguish the flavors later.

Changing the coatings and flavors can give you a wide array of different truffles. Let your imagination run wild! Here are some variations I’ve tried:

Amaretto - with an almond and chocolate coating (above)
Kahlua – with chocolate-covered coffee beans and chocolate coating OR rolled in a cocoa / coffee ground mixture (above)
“plain” chocolate with vanilla flavoring (top picture)
Grand Marnier – with candied orange peel
Creme de Menthe with green coating (top picture).
Raspberry liqueur

We also have made “truffles” filled with a Homemade Caramel! (just make sure to take those out of the refrigerator before you attempt to eat them!!)

Traditional White Bread

2010-02-14T21:30:00.001-06:00

My second bread recipe for the day, I wanted something for sandwiches. My aim was for something similar to the frozen – thaw and bake loaves. And I think I came pretty close…

Of the two recipes, this was my favorite. It had the denser, firm but soft “crumb” (inside) and a crispy crust. It’s the type of bread where we fight over the heels … while it’s still steaming hot and able to melt the butter. And another indication of how good it is is that one loaf is quickly disappearing! This will definitely get made again…

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Traditional White Bread

Makes 2 loaves

1 cup milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3-1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1-3/4 tsp salt
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105°-115°F)
5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp butter, melted

In a saucepan, heat milk, butter, sugar, and salt over medium heat until bubbles appear around edges of pan. Cool to lukewarm (95°-105°F).
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir in milk mixture into yeast mixture.
Using a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and set on low speed, beat 3 cups of flour into yeast mixture. Beat in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough.
On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes, adding more flour to prevent sticking. Place dough in a large greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a damp cloth; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans. Punch down dough. Let rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a loaf.
Place dough in prepared pans. Cover loosely with a damp cloth; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Bake loaves until they are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped, 30 minutes. Brush tops of warm loaves with melted butter. Turn loaves out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

PDF version: Traditional White Bread

English Muffin Toasting Bread

2010-02-14T21:08:00.001-06:00

I’ve known for a long time that making your own bread is often cheaper than buying bread (at least “good” bread). And of course, fresh-baked bread is a wonderful thing! So, I tried to give my bread-baking another try. Something other than the Artisan bread.

I tried two recipes today. The first to be finished was a no-knead toasting bread.

This was simple to make up – just mix, dump into a pan, let rise and bake.

How did this recipe turn out? As an eating bread… I thought it was “ok” but not great. But it’s strength isn’t trying to pass as a sandwich bread – it’s a TOASTING bread. And in that respect, it’s a winner. It has lots of air holes to hold the melting butter or jam – or your topping of choice.

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English Muffin Toasting Bread

Makes 1 loaf

1 package active dry yeast
1-1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup warm water (105°-115°F)
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk, scalded and cooled to 105°-115°F
2 -2/3 cups all-purpose flour
Yellow cornmeal

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir salt, milk and 1 cup flour into yeast mixture.
Beat in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a stiff dough forms. (Dough should be too soft to knead.)
Grease an 8 ½ x 4 ½ - inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with cornmeal.
Turn dough into prepared pan. Smooth top. Dust with cornmeal.
Let dough rise, uncovered, until loaf has almost filled pan, 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake loaf until golden brown and top sounds hollow when tapped, 45 minutes.
Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool slightly. Turn loaf out onto rack to cool completely.

PDF version: English Muffin Toasting Bread

Hot Milk Cake

2010-02-14T19:33:00.001-06:00

I have not made this cake in a long time. The other night I wanted to make something for dessert that I knew would be quick and not “fussy”. As I was flipping through my recipes (I use a photo album to hold recipe cards), I spotted this one and remembered how much we enjoyed it in the past.

The verdict after making again? Yep, we absolutely love this cake! So much so that most of it was gone by the end of the weekend (and there are only two of us in the house).

What makes this cake so wonderful is that it doesn’t need anything! No frosting, no fruit toppings (although that would be good!), no ice cream or whipped topping. Nothing. This cake stands on it’s own without any help!

The cake did dry out a some overnight (that’s where the fruit would come in handy), but I don’t have a cover for my glass cake pans so we have to rely on just plastic wrap. I would guess that having a covered pan would help keep it moist. Regardless, it disappeared very quickly.

I made this using my Kitchenaid stand mixer. I wouldn’t go smaller. By the time you mix the batter and then start pouring in the heated milk, you need a large bowl. The batter ends up quite thin, but I’m sure that’s why the resulting cake is so moist.

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Hot Milk Cake

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 - 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 - 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 - 1/4 cups milk
10 Tbsp butter

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs at high speed until thick, about 5 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Combine flour and baking powder; add to batter with vanilla and beat at low speed until smooth. In a saucepan, heat milk and butter just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 12-16 servings.

Click here for a PDF version of the recipe: Hot Milk Cake

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

2010-02-14T19:32:00.001-06:00

Several times when I’ve made cake and asked Dave what he thinks of that recipe, he answers “It’s cake”. Translation for those that can’t decipher Dave-ese: “I love cake of all forms and flavors, so it doesn’t matter!”

I’m a little pickier. I like my cakes to be moist and flavorful. And I’m usually ok with having one or two pieces per batch and that’s enough for me. This cake? You’re gonna have to fight me for it! It was wonderful! As you can see, I didn’t get around to taking a picture until we had already sampled it.

I didn’t make the buttercream frosting recipe that is included … I cheated and used my world-famous-dump-a-can frosting “recipe” (I add more butter and whip it).

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Hershey’s Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. (Cake may be left in rectangular pan, if desired.)
Serve with One-Bowl Buttercream Frosting.

One-Bowl Buttercream Frosting

6 tablespoons butter, softened
2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter in medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

8 to 10 servings.

PDF version: Hershey's Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

Artisan Bread update

2010-01-20T20:52:00.000-06:00

I have recently discovered that the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day recipe is available online for free at Mother Earth News! Not only do they have the master recipe, but they also have some variations – like Sticky Pecan Caramel Rolls and Caramelized Onion and Herb Dinner Rolls … I’m going to have to give those a try!

Egg & Ham Casserole

2010-01-02T20:17:00.002-06:00

This is a great breakfast recipe for when you want something hot and fresh, but don’t have a lot of time.
It’s quick and simple to make up and since you let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, all it requires in the morning is to pop it in the oven … and then eat!
We’ve often used this recipe as the morning-after breakfast for holidays – you know when you have company over and you have to feed them, but you just spent most of the previous day cooking and eating. (Edited 11/17/2010 because I realized I have *never* used 4 cups of ham. One cup is usually plenty, but you could use up to two cups).
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Egg & Ham Casserole

1 cup diced onion
2 Tbsp butter
1-2 cups cooked ham, diced
6 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 1/3 cups soda crackers, crushed
3 cups milk
salt & pepper
Sauté onions in butter until soft.
Combine all ingredients. Pour into 9x13" greased pan. Store in refrigerator overnight.
Bake 350°F for 45 minutes or until knife blade comes out clean.
Serves 6 - 8
PDF version: Egg & Ham Casserole

Dave’s Cheesecake

2010-01-01T19:43:00.000-06:00

Dave went on a baking spree this winter. We had a new dessert just about every week. I’m not sure where he found this recipe (so I can’t give credit), but it’s a keeper!

This was the lightest, fluffiest, cheesecake we’ve ever had. If you’re looking for a dense, New York-style cheesecake, you won’t find it here.

Think more along the lines of the consistency of whipped cream. Light and airy. I dare you to give it a try!!

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Dave’s Cheesecake

15 graham crackers, crushed
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Four 8 ounce packages cream cheese
1-1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

PDF version: Dave's Cheesecake

Mom’s Apple Crisp

2009-12-30T21:40:00.001-06:00

My mother always made the best apple crisp … and now I make it too! This is such a family favorite, that my sister has been known to eat it for breakfast, lunch AND dinner!

This recipe is so easy that you can whip it together for an evening dessert or or mid-afternoon snack. Just make sure you have plenty of vanilla ice cream on hand … nothing is better than a large scoop over still-warm apple crisp!

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Mom’s Apple Crisp

Recipe from my mother, Carol Hanson.

Note: you can use a variety of apples for this dish – firm or soft, tart or sweet – or mix and match. It is best not to use apples designed for making apple sauce as they will soften too much and become “mush” under the topping (e.g. Macintosh).

Slice enough apples to fill and mound a casserole dish (they will cook down below rim!).

Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon.

Mix equal parts of the following ingredients [small batch example]:

brown sugar [1/2 cup]
oatmeal – quick or regular [1/2 cup]
all-purpose flour [1/2 cup]

and one-half part of the following:

butter [1/4 cup (half stick)]

Combine with fingers or pastry blender until butter is pea-sized.

Sprinkle the mixture on top of the apples

Either microwave for 12-14 minutes, or bake at 375° F for 30-45 minutes, until apples are soft. You can determine this by sticking a table knife in the middle. If there is resistance, the apples probably need to cook longer.

PDF version: Mom’s Apple Crisp

Beef Stroganoff

2009-12-30T21:38:00.001-06:00

I have two recipes of Beef Stroganoff. The first recipe is a slightly modified version of the Three-Step Stroganoff recipe from Taste of Home. It’s quick and easy because it uses some shortcuts like cream of mushroom soup and dried onion soup mix. I have always added extra mushroom and onions to this because we love them – and I figure we’re getting a better vegetable-to-meat ratio that way (do mushrooms count as a vegetable??)

The second version of Beef Stroganoff was one I created from scratch one day when I didn’t have the soup mix. I actually prefer this version. The soup mix makes the dish a bit on the salty side. Plus, most versions of the soup mix contain MSG, which some family members can not tolerate.

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Beef Stroganoff I

Modified from: Taste of Home, August/September 2001, Vol. 9, No. 4, Three-Step Stroganoff

1 1/2 pounds round steak -- boneless, thinly sliced
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 small can mushrooms or 4 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
10 3/4 ounces cream of mushroom soup, condensed -- undiluted
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sherry (not cooking sherry)
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 cup sour cream
hot cooked noodles
minced fresh parsley -- optional

Directions:

In a large skillet, stir-fry beef, sliced onions and mushrooms in oil until no longer pink and onions are soft and slightly browned.
Stir in soup, water and onion soup mix.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in sour cream; heat through (do not boil). Server over noodles; garnish with parsley if desired.

Serving Size : 6

PDF version: Beef Stroganoff I

Beef Stroganoff II

1 pound stew meat
1 medium onion, sliced
1 small can mushrooms or 4 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup water, divided; (you can use beef broth or water/sherry mixture for second liquid addition)
3 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup sour cream
hot cooked noodles
minced fresh parsley – optional

Directions:

In a large skillet, stir-fry beef, sliced onions and mushrooms in oil until no longer pink and onions are soft and slightly browned.
Remove stir-fried meat from pan. Mix flour and 1 cup water together thoroughly. Add flour mixture to pan and stir until thickened and stir-fried bits are loosened from pan. Add additional 1/2 cup of liquid. Add meat back into pan and stir to reheat. Just before serving, turn off heat and add sour cream. Stir to blend and to heat sour cream (do not boil!).
Serve over noodles; garnish with parsley if desired.

Serving Size : 4

PDF version: Beef Stroganoff II