Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[CyberAnt]

I totally agree; after all, Jesus did tell us, “Give, and it shall be given unto you, pressed down,shaken together and running over ...”.

It’s God’s payment system.

[Jamestown1630]

It’s amazing what you can find. We have several pieces of pristine, never-used All-Clad stuff that we got for pennies on the retail dollar.

When we first started ‘thrifting’ we found a lot of amazing vintage stuff; but in the last couple of years, we don’t see that as much anymore. I think the thrifts are now running higher-end second-hand stores where they sell the really best stuff. They’ve gotten smart :-)

You need to scout-out the other outlets of your local thrift; still lots of great deals there.

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

But will the icing actually frost that whole cake, all the layers? (Doing the sugar to the ‘firm ball’ stage is what threw me.)

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

By the way: your local public library might want your cookbooks, too. Most libraries have little ‘used book store’ sections, where people go to buy books for pennies.

-JT

[Aliska]

preserve has always been Black Raspberry.

Mine too! I love black raspberries I used to pick in my grandma's garden as a child. My favorite is black raspberry pie but I think maybe too many seeds are not good for me now. I found a recipe for a black raspberry meringue pie. You make a black raspberry curd (strain seeds out of the juice) which is made like lemon curd and then top with traditional meringue. Problem is I have my raspberries in the freezer and am too lazy to make that pie. They are getting to be too much work!

Anyway, nostalgia got the better of me a few years ago, and I had a gorgeous oak leaf compost pile cooked down in a big circle. With some black raspberry seeds I got in a trade, I winter sowed them and got five little plants. Late August I transplanted them around the edge of my compost patch.

Well, it is a disaster out there. The raspberries have gone crazy, the variety I thought I had is supposed to grow upright, and these only produce on the tips. And I had to wait until the second year to get any. Now I know what Brer Rabbit meant saying, "please don't throw me in the briar patch"!

So I'm going to have to have major help getting rid of those raspberry plants; huge, long canes. You either have to train them on a wire or something or grow a different variety.

And I never was any good at making jelly but I love black raspberry jam. Speaking of jelly, the best I ever ate was made by my departed friend. It was red grape jelly. A taste of heaven.

[cherry]

I’m still using my one dollar food mill that I bought at Goodwill about 36 yrs ago....

[cherry]

well, just yesterday I scored a bunch of concord grapes off of craigslist for free from a lady who had along her fence...they weren't "hers" but they grew over onto her property and she didn't want them....

so today, I made lots of jelly and juice and canned it all....

what a mess.....

I usually make jam....jelly is new to me...I ended up straining the juice several times to make sure there were no seeds in it...cheesecloth did not work....I mostly used the above stated food mill....

[Aliska]

Good for you! I love free stuff and grapes are hard to come by. Jelly is new to me, too. Usually you need 4 layers of cheesecloth.

I made fresh grape juice years ago when I got some freebie Concord grapes. I even diluted it with some water although I don't remember exactly how I made it, cooked the grapes. There is no comparison between what I had and commercial grape juice.

I made some jam with wild grapes but it turned out more like chewy candy. My friend liked it but I didn't.

I have a Foley food mill, and that has worked well for me. My raspberries the afore-mentioned pie recipe says to process in the food processor. I have been afraid it would split the seeds. Won't know until I try it.

I think I will run them through my food mill first. The problem with the food mill is that it will not only trap most seeds but perhaps some of the good flesh which is what raspberries are, seeds covered with a layer of fruit flesh.

Speaking of raspberries, I will try not to go on too long when I get sidetracked like this but my tenant farmer and relative was telling me about some red raspberries that grew wild on his farm road. One of the plants they were seedless. I thought a perhaps lost opportuity as I am confident I could have cloned the canes like I did my roses. The only problem is that raspberries only fruit on new canes so the seedless "gene" might have been lost.

[kalee]

We have jam cake every Fall. From every recipe I have seen blackberry jam is traditional. Paula Seen has a great recipe for jam cake with penuche frosting.

[kalee]

Deen not Seen stupid autocorrect.

[pugmama]

This sounds wonderful. I will try with raspberry jam as I have a “gourmet” one sitting in my pantry.

[Liz]

In my recipe travels, I discovered Jam Cake is an old-Fashioned fruity
classic Southern cake w/ nuts, spices, blackberry jam, and Caramel Icing.

Old-Fashioned Southern Jam Cake

Prep Steep 30 min cup raisins, 8 oz can crushed pineapple, undrained.

BATTER cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with jam and buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Stir in raisin mixture and nuts. Spread into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans.

Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

ICING melt butter over medium heat. Stir in sugar and milk. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; cool until just warm. Pour into a large bowl; beat in enough confectioners' sugar to achieve a spreading consistency. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake. Yield: 12-16 servings.

MAKES A LARGE CAKE: can frost entire cake, then freeze serving-size portions to enjoy for months to come.

Ingredients 1 cup raisins 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 4 large eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup baking cocoa 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 jar (12 ounces) or 1 cup blackberry jam 2/3 cup buttermilk 1 cup chopped pecans

CARAMEL ICING: 1 cup butter, cubed 2 cups packed brown sugar 1/2 cup 2% milk 3-1/2 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar

[ken5050]

Good morning...

First, enjoy your vacation R&R and TLC...we all need it

Another great source for cook books, for next to nothing..is your local library's used book store..I've gotten a great collection over the years..usually 50 cents to $1 for books..many never even opened..must have been wedding gifts (LOL)..that sold for $30 -$50, or more

That jam cake recipe must be 75 years old...when was the last time you saw a reference to "1/2 cup butter"..and "creaming and beating" in a large bowl...MY "large bowl" comes attached to my KitchenAid.....and don't forget their new paddle attachment with the soft end..

FYI..America's Test Kitchen (subscription) has two recipes for jam cake...one is blackberry jam cake (which sounds like it will taste great..wonder why we didn't think of that for jam???) and the other is for a peanut butter and jam cake. There's also a reference to a "Miracle Caramel Frosting" and I'm gonna cut and paste all three below (wish me luck..I have to insert a gazillion "p"s and "br"s so it's formatted properly and y'all can read it. WHEW!!:

Blackberry Jam Cake

Blackberry Jam Cake

SERVES 12

INGREDIENTS

JAM CAKE

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup blackberry jam, seedless
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
20 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (2 1/2 sticks)
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature

ASSEMBLY
1/4 cup blackberry jam, seedless
4 cups Miracle Caramel Frosting (see related content)
1 1/2 cups walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. TOAST SPICES Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Heat cinnamon, allspice, and cloves in small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Microwave jam in medium bowl until thin enough to pour, 35 to 45 seconds, carefully stirring halfway through.
2. MAKE BATTER Whisk buttermilk, water, and vanilla into warm jam. Combine flour, baking powder, toasted spices, and salt in large bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of jam mixture, stopping occasionally to scrape down bowl.
3. BAKE Scrape equal amounts of batter into prepared pans. Tap pans on counter to release air bubbles. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack. Cool completely, at least 1 hour. (Cooled cakes can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 2 days.)
4. ASSEMBLE CAKE Whisk jam in bowl until smooth. Place 1 cake round on platter and spread 1½ cups frosting over cake. Spread jam over frosting, leaving ½-inch border, then top with second cake round. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Garnish with nuts, if using. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated, covered, for 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Miracle Caramel Frosting

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS (ENOUGH FOR TWO 9-INCH CAKE LAYERS) Whole milk makes the richest, tastiest frosting. Use a stand mixer; the frosting is too thick for a hand mixer. And plan ahead, as the frosting needs time to cool.

INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk (see note)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
24 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks), cut into 24 pieces

INSTRUCTIONS 1. COOK MILK BASE Combine sugar, baking soda, flour, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Pour mixture through fine-mesh strainer into medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture boils and is very thick, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer milk mixture to clean bowl and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
2. MAKE FROSTING With stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat cooled milk mixture and vanilla on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, and beat until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Let sit at room temperature until stiff, about 1 hour.
MAKE AHEAD: Frosting can be refrigerated in airtight container for 1 week. When ready to use, let stand at room temperature until softened, about 2 hours. Beat with stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

Peanut Butter and Jam Cake

MAKES 1 CAKE We sandwiched fluffy white cake layers with sweet peanut butter frosting and raspberry jam to turn this brown-bag classic into a very special after-school treat.

INGREDIENTS

Batter for white layer cake (see related content)
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (8 ounces) confectioners' sugar
1 3/4 cups seedless raspberry jam
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

Instructions

1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease two 8-inch square baking pans and cover pan bottoms with squares of parchment paper. Grease and flour parchment. Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until cake tops are light golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. run knife around pans to loosen cakes. invert cakes onto large plates, peel off parchment, and reinvert onto lightly greased rack. cool completely.

2. FOR THE FROSTING: Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip butter, peanut butter, cream, and vanilla on medium-high speed until combined, about 30 seconds. reduce speed to medium-low and slowly add sugar until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. increase speed to medium-high and whip frosting until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

3. TO ASSEMBLE: Slice each cake in half horizontally; spread 1/2 cup jam over each bottom half and replace top half. Place 1 reassembled cake on cake plate, then spread 1 cup frosting in even layer over top. Place second reassembled cake on top of frosting. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Press peanuts onto sides of cake. heat remaining 1/4 cup jam in bowl in microwave until melted and smooth, about 20 seconds. Transfer to piping bag or small plastic sandwich bag with 1 corner cut off. Pipe jam in straight lines over top of cake and lightly drag paring knife through lines to create marbled appearance. Serve.

White Layer Cake

MAKES THREE 8-INCH LAYERS OR TWO 9-INCH LAYERS

If you’ve forgotten to bring the milk and egg white mixture to room temperature, set the bottom of the measuring cup containing it in a sink of hot water and stir until the mixture feels cool rather than cold, around 65 degrees. Cake layers can be wrapped and stored for one day.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole milk, room temperature
6 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups (9 ounces) cake flour
1 3/4 cups (12 1/4 ounces) sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch or three 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans.
2. Mix milk, egg whites, and vanilla together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, and mix until only pea-size pieces remain, about 1 minute.
3. Add half of milk mixture, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, add remaining milk mixture, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds (batter may look slightly curdled). Give batter final stir by hand.
4. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake until tops are light golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes (for 8-inch pans) or 20 to 25 minutes (for 9-inch pans), rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours.

BONUS!!!!

While I'm cutting, pasting, and formatting like mad..I see this "Minnehaha Cake" recipe on the website..So, have to check it out..looks interesting...especially the frosting..enjoy

Minnehaha Cake

Minnehaha Cake is traditionally a three-layered affair filled with raisins and almonds and topped with a burnt-sugar frosting. While testing recipes, we found that monitoring the temperature of the frosting is key, so we needed to use a candy thermometer.

MAKES 1 CAKE

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups sliced almonds
2/3 cup raisins
3 baked white cake rounds

INSTRUCTIONS

For the frosting: Combine sugar, 10 tablespoons butter, and cream in saucepan set over medium heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture is slightly thickened and registers 240 degrees on candy thermometer. Carefully transfer to bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until cooled to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Beat in remaining butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until well incorporated.

For the filling: Pulse 3/4 cup almonds, raisins, and 1 cup frosting in food processor until coarsely ground.

To assemble: Spread half of filling on bottom cake layer. Top with second cake layer and remaining filling. Top with final cake layer and frost top and sides with plain frosting. Decorate with remaining almonds.

I'm done...that's harder work than baking the cake. Hope y'all enjoy..and we'll get a report soon from someone who's tried one of these..

[ken5050]

Have you “seen” Paula Dean on “Dancing With The Stars?”

[ken5050]

Just saw your post...I love Pineapple...thanks..

[Liz]

OKAY—a fellow pineapple-lover.

You MUST make my instant Pineapple Sorbet.
It is OOTW.

Just pace crushed pineapple flat in zip-lok.
Freeze solid. Then processor into sorbet.
Can add liqueur...or whatever.

Looks nice served w/ lime zest threads on top.

[ken5050]

Kewl..I'm gonna take my pineapple out for a walk now..(g)

Seriously...do you drain any of it before freezing?

Also..what kind of liqueur you recommend...I'm thinking a dark rum...

[Liz]

Draining is an option-—depending on how you like the finished product....firm or soft....also depends on how much juice the canner used for packing.

Dark rum would be perfect. A hint of mint liqueur would be nice. Maybe 1-2 tbl cream of coconut liqueur for a tropical finish?

[thirst4truth]

I made a yellow plum jam and a purple plum jam this summer from my fruit trees. The yellow plum jam is amazing, mild, a little sweet and so delicious. It even works with crackers and cream cheese with plum jam on top, like jalapeno jelly, making some of that this weekend.

[boatbums]

Maybe just the tops. Did the recipe display a finished picture?