Posted on 09/24/2015 4:39:28 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I love thrift stores - you never know what you'll find, and nearly all of my extensive cookbook collection has come from the local 'thrift' - not to mention my ever-growing collection of vintage Pfaltzgraff 'Yorktowne'. (My husband has finally surrendered, ceased wondering just how many dishes a woman really needs, and now proudly ferrets-out the best pieces that are hiding somewhere behind all the other 'junque' in the store ;-)
A few weeks ago I found a New Orleans cookbook that had an interesting cake recipe. I haven't tried it yet, but I thought I'd post it here and ask all of you about it.
First: what kind of Jam? I'm wavering between Peach and Apricot; I think I was attracted to this because of the 'Penuche' icing - a favorite flavor - and the jam should go with that. Also, the recipe seems a little odd to me: will the icing actually spread, and frost a three layer cake? I've never made a cake like this.
From 'La Bonne Cuisine: Cooking New Orleans Style', compiled by the Women of All Saints' Episcopal Church of New Orleans, LA:
JAM CAKE ;-)
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
8 T. cold Water
4 Eggs
2 Cups Flour
1 tsp. each ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg
1 cup thick JAM
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. In a measuring cup, dissolve the soda in the water. Add the eggs to the butter/sugar mixture, one at a time, alternating with the soda and water mixture, and beat well.
Into another bowl, sift together the flour and spices and gradually beat the dry mixture into the egg mixture.
Add the jam and beat vigorously for 1 minute. Pour the batter into 3 greased and floured 8- or 9-inch cake pans. Bake the layers at 375 F for 20 to 25 minutes. Let the layers cool and frost the cake with the Penuche icing. Serves 14 to 16
PENUCHE ICING
3 Cups Brown Sugar
1 Cup Sugar
1-1/2 Cups Milk
6 T. Butter
2 tsps. Vanilla
In a heavy pan thoroughly combine the brown sugar, sugar, milk, and butter. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until a candy thermometer registers 242 F to 248 F, or a firm ball forms when a small amount of syrup is dropped into ice water.
Remove the mixture from the heat, add the vanilla, and beat with an electric mixer until the icing is of spreading consistency. If the mixture starts to harden while being mixed, add a small amount of milk to thin it.
I will go and experiment after the sun is over the yardarm...will report back sometime over the weekend..YUM! HIC!
An umbrella...okay....but nix the dancing girls in sarongs (/snix).
I have a couple boxes of pears so put up a few pints of pear sauce yesterday with the only spice/flavoring being 1/2 C of sugar for an 8 pint batch. Cooked them soft, mushed them in the food processor and hot water bath. Yummmy!
I cooked down the cores and peels which will become pear butter later today.
Maybe I'll be able to post more early next week.
BTW, I get a week off next week with no appointments at all. I'm sure the post office is loading up my mail-box now. ;)
/johnny
/johnny
Thought of you, when I saw this recipe....
Butterscotch Peanut Butter Bars
(Trisha Yearwood’s cookbook)
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
6 ounces butterscotch chips (about 1 cup)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
4 tablespoons milk
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish with butter.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and 1/2 cup of the peanut butter. Add the egg and vanilla. Sift the flour with the baking soda and the salt. Mix the oatmeal into the flour and stir the flour into the creamed mixture. Spread the batter in the baking pan. Sprinkle the butterscotch chips over the batter and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned around the edges.
Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk and the remaining 1/4 cup of the peanut butter until smooth, then spread the glaze evenly over the warm bars. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.
I might as well be ;-) My knives are sharp and I steel them before every use.
Lets see...
Sous Vide machine... Check
Chamber Vac Sealer... Check
Pasta machine... Check
Panini Press... Check
3/4th Horse Lem Meat Grinder... Check
15 LB capacity stainless vertical sausage stuffer... Check
Egg Smoker... Check
PID temp controller for the egg... (Set it and forget it for 20 hour briskets)... Check
Weber Kettle... Check
Aussie Grill (Does a mean sear)... Check
Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer... Check
Victronox Fibrox Handled Knives... Check
Commercial Deli Slicer... Check
6 Qt 4 Qt and 3 Qt enameled cast iron pots... Check
Lasagna/Roasting pan, enameled cast iron... Check
12 inch Cast Iron skillets enameled and non enameled... Check
20 Qt heavy stock pot... Check
Decent Stick Blender... Check
Potato Ricer... Check
That is just off the top of my head the stuff most people don’t have in their kitchens.
Making pressed pork belly with a fond garlic thyme white wine and stock reduction tomorrow, with Celeriac mash and roasted Belgian Endive drizzled with good olive oil and a balsamic glaze. (To celebrate Boner’s departure)
My girl is like that. She also has a clue, even if she has to borrow the equipment from me.
And she got a crash course in equipment substitution.
/johnny
No I seldom watch tv. How is she doing?
May I ask why you like and use cast iron?....and are certain foods better than others?
Cast iron is excellent to cook with. It heats quickly and evenly and has a high thermal mass. Searing food in cast iron is one of the best uses for it. When you throw a steak on hot cast iron the temp of the surface barely drops. Do that with any other cookware and the temperature of the cookware surface drops dramatically. For long slow cooking, the temps remain stable in cast iron.
Don’t cook acidic foods in bare cast iron for long cooks. (Tomato based stuff among others) In enameled, no problem. Bare cast iron when seasoned right is as slick as teflon pans. Unlike teflon pans when the non-stick is ruined it is easy to fix.
The last reason I love cast iron is it lasts literally forever.
Burgers... http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/burger-of-the-gods-recipe.html
Another very very good use for cast iron.
Thanks -—— I love her recipes. Cant wait to make them.
Waaaay too much info..
Bflr
Put unpopped popcorn in tall jars. Attach fall leaves
to candle w/ twine. Place candles atop popcorn.
Arrange on decorative tray lined w/ complimentary fabric.
Cast iron evenly distributes and holds heat better than any other configuration, after you carefully build up its necessary patina or seasoning. You never use soap after you’ve seasoned it properly, just a rinse-out (plan a few days to do this), it’s the original non-stick from 200 years ago.
If you love making bacon, beans, cornbread, fried chicken, pork chops, Southern food really, invest in a large pan and a Dutch Oven if you find the two together at a yard sale, online, etc. If you make very messy recipes in it (don’t: use the wok) you may have to re-season it quite often.
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