Monthly Cooking Thread

Tarta de Santiago – or St. James Cake – is a traditional Spanish cake from Galicia made with almonds and flavored with cinnamon, lemon zest, and sometimes sweet wine or brandy. I found it on Albert Bevia’s YouTube channel, ‘Spain on a Fork’ (lots of nice recipes here):

Underneath the video, ‘Show More’ includes the full recipe and a link to a pattern for a St. James Cross stencil that you can make for the powdered sugar top decoration -

Another very nice website for Spanish food is Spanish Food.org. Under ‘tapas’, they have a version of a classic potato and tuna tapa salad – 'Ensaladilla Rusa' (o 'Olivier'):

When my brother and I were small, every birthday my grandfather baked and brought us the most delicious lemon cake I’ve ever had – really strong lemon flavor, thick lemon icing, and with those silver dragées (very bad for your teeth :-) sprinkled over. I always assumed it was made from scratch – his wife didn’t cook much or very well, and he really liked to cook – but I have never been able to reproduce that cake.

In fact, I’ve only been successful at cake baking with a couple of recipes. But recently I found directions on how to make a box cake mix taste like a from-scratch home made cake. There are slightly different versions of this, but basically you take a boxed cake mix, and follow the directions; but ADD an extra egg; replace the water with MILK in the same amount; and replace the oil with DOUBLE the amount of melted butter.

One of two cakes that I have always had good luck with is the Chocolate Ganache cake from the authors of the ‘Loaves and Fishes’ cookbook by Devon Fredericks and Susan Costner (which book is extremely expensive now, if you can even find a copy. I don't own it, but the cut-out copy I saved in my recipe binder looks like it came from a magazine.).

You can make this ahead, keep in an airtight container in fridge, and glaze with the ganache on the day you serve.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Don't overbeat, or the cake will be tough.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't overbake! Let cool thoroughly in the pan.

For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.

Place the cake upside down on a wire rack and pour the glaze evenly over the top, making sure to cover the entire cake and sides. You can tilt the rack to smooth the glaze. (I would chill this in the fridge to slightly harden the glaze; bring to room temp shortly before serving.)

Instead of sending me to kindergarten, my mom kept me home and taught me to sew.

Sewed many Barbie clothes and my own clothes. Later all my kids Halloween costumes (Now that was fun!)

Still have the first Barbie skirt I sewed when I was 4. (And it looks like a skirt made by a 4 y.o! LOL)

Had a great aunt with a knitting and crocheting school in Chicago. She taught me. Another aunt taught me embroidery and Swedish weaving and my Gram- tatting. Learned quilting on my own.

Loved that stuff.

Muffins with German streusel on top and bottom is very delicious. Soft and delicate dough must be refrigerated as recipe directs, before shaping. More flour makes texture of muffin heavier. Has recipe for a delightful Baker's Glaze.

HEART OF GOLD MUFFINS

ING 1 cup milk 1/2 cup sugar 2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening 1 teaspoon salt 2 packages dry yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water 4 egg yolks, beaten 3 whole eggs 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 4 2/3 cups sifted flour (divided use) German streusel (see recipe) Bakers glaze (see recipe) Melted butter to coat dough Ground cinnamon Raisins (optional)

TO MAKE DOUGH: Scald milk. Add sugar, shortening and salt; stir til dissolved. Cool. Add yeast, egg yolks and eggs, lemon juice and rind and about half of flour. In large bowl of electric mixer using dough hook, beat until dough is firm and air bubbles begin to appear and pop, about 2 min.

Mix in rest flour by hand. Wrap in oiled saran, then cover with damp cloth. Refrigerate 30 min. If you do not chill dough well, you will not be able to roll it out. Make streusel and glaze (recipes below).

TO PREPARE MUFFINS: Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out to a 24-by-12-inch rectangle. Dough will be very soft. Spread with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon and raisins, if using. Roll up, jellyroll-style, starting at long end. Cut into 24 (1-inch) slices. Put half the streusel in bottoms of 24 greased muffin cups, then put 1 slice of dough in each muffin cup. Cover with remaining streusel. Let rise at room temperature 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Bake 375 degrees. 25 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Drizzle with Baker's Glaze. Let cool in tins 20 minutes. Remove and cool completely on racks. Make 24.

GERMAN STREUSEL: 1 cup (2 sticks) butter (room temperature) 1 cup sugar 2 egg yolks 3 1/2 cups flour Water In bowl, cream butter and sugar. Blend in egg yolks. Add flour and mix well. Add water, a few drops at a time, until mixture forms large crumbs.

BAKER'S GLAZE: 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 1/2 cup cold water 2 tablespoons corn syrup 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pound powdered sugar In saucepan, soften gelatin in water. Bring water almost to a boil, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Stir in corn syrup and vanilla then slowly add powdered sugar.

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