Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

This week's thread is dessert - starting with:

Carrot Cake!

I first tasted Carrot Cake in the 1970's. I'm sure it was a standard recipe before then, but it seemed to gain a great popularity in the 'hip' 70's.

This recipe, which comes from an old friend's mother ca. 1975, is still the very best I've ever eaten, and is very easy to make.

Again: Grate The Carrots By Hand, on a box grater! Doing it in a food processor will probably release too much liquid, and the cake won't be the same.

The only difficulty you may have is with the baking time - see instructions toward the end of the cake recipe.

As time has gone on, I've thought that this recipe is also very good with a Cream Cheese frosting. (But it's so rich and satisfying, you could do it without any icing, or as muffins.)

Kirby’s Mom's Carrot Cake

1. Cream together: 1-1/2 C. canola oil, 2 C. sugar, and 4 Eggs.

2. Sift and add to above: 2 C. flour, 1 tsp. Salt, 2 tsps. Cinnamon, 3 tsps. Baking Soda (I do not sift the dry ingredients - bad me!)

3. Grate coarsely and add: 3 C. grated Carrots

4. Spray a tube pan with Pam Baking spray (When I first made this cake, I didn't know about Pam, even if it existed; and a good greasing with butter and a dusting of flour worked out fine.)

5. Spread batter into pan (I always use a regular tube pan for this)

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until done. (Know thine oven! This cake is sensitive to humidity, oven variations, etc. Bake it for 35 minutes, and test with a knife. If the knife comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, bake it further in five-minute increments until the knife comes out clean - the best one we’ve baked took 60 minutes exactly. Ovens Vary!

Then cool it in the pan on a rack for about 15 minutes; and turn it out. It helps to run a knife around the edge before de-panning.)

Butter Frosting:

½ C. Butter 1 tsp. vanilla or lemon 3 C. sifted Confectioners sugar 4 T. cream or evaporated milk

Or

Purchase 2 containers of prepared Cream Cheese Icing

Frost the cake with a thin crumb frosting to start; chill it for a little while, and then frost entirely. (Use the same instructions if using home-made icing.)

[pugmama]

I did this at Christmas-it disappeared very quickly. Please read comments after the recipes re cake pans etc.

https://food52.com/recipes/31386-double-layer-cranberry-ginger-upside-down-cake

[doorgunner69]

The Cheap Sony we got at Costco doeas have a wireless connection we use to stream Netflix. Work well the wife says, i rarely use it.

[Jamestown1630]

LOL. A clothes-press is a closet; maybe in the old days it was a wardrobe.

I’ve only ever heard it in the sticks of PA - where you can also get some great pickled beets and eggs:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pennsylvania-dutch-pickled-beets-and-eggs/

PA is a big, and may I say ‘diverse’, state:-)

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks for that! it sounds like a safer speed, for me :-)

It really was good the way my friend made it; she just took out a refrigerated pie-crust, baked it flat, and spooned the caramel over it - caramel pizza.

-JT

[Grammy]

You are making Dulce de Leche. (milk jam) which is used in South America much in the same way peanut butter is here. I have had it in sandwiches, between cookies (Alfajores) as a filling in cakes, spread on crackers.... any way you can think of is acceptable!
I did happen to notice some already made in the mexican food section of my grocery. That may save you the worry of exploding cans. I haven’t had any in many years..... think I may make some. Thanks for the reminder.

[txhurl]

Thank you!

[azishot]

OMG!! I love pickled beets and eggs. Lived very close to Mennonites and Amish people while growing up. Sure miss all the sweet and sour stuff...relishes, chow chow, etc.

When I really get homesick I’ll make some Shoo Fly Pies and sticky buns. At least we can get scrapple out here!

[Jamestown1630]

Does anyone have a recipe for chow Chow? I’ve never had it, but have seen it at the Farmer’s Market and would like to try.

(Love you, azishot; but scrapple SCARES me ;-) My Daddy used to eat it all the time, and I wondered what the heck was in it!)

JT

[azishot]

Psssst....you’re not supposed to know what’s in scrapple. Just like you should never see what goes into a hot dog.

Had a friend from Ohio who used to make Goetta which is kind of like an upscale scrapple. Very good.

[Jamestown1630]

I guess it’s sorta like:

“Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.”

:-)

JT

[Maudeen]

This looks delicious. . . .but I would definitely substitute the canola oil.
http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/123-the-bomb-shell-truth-about-canola-oil.html

[Maudeen]

Try Chocolate Dream peanut butter on organic sliced apples. . . truly habit forming!

[greeneyes]

Hi. Good to hear from you. Haven’t run across any of your posts lately, so wasn’t sure you were still here.

Yes, and I just went to the doctor, yesterday and he made sure to notice that I had gained 3 lbs. I told him I actually had gained 6 during the holidays, but had managed to loose 3 — it took 2.5 months.

So I really can’t be tempted as I need to loose about 50 lbs to be standard on the Ins. Tables, and 90 lbs to be at “ideal” weight. I’ll be lucky to loose 10 lbs. in a year at the rate I’m going.LOL

[greeneyes]

Any thing with chocolate and peanut butter is addicting-JMHO. LOL

[Jamestown1630]

Wow. I had no idea.

I’ve also used Safflower oil; do you have any info on that?

We use butter, olive oil and coconut oil for all cooking; and peanut oil for deep-frying. But what would you think is best to use in a cake like this?

-JT

[Maudeen]

I lost two parents in one year and decided that instead of going to the doctor, I needed to change my eating habits. Certainly helped and lost weight besides. Try the www.draxe.com site. Good info.

[Maudeen]

I think it was mentioned as a no no in the article. Check out www.draxe.com I think he talks about the different oils. Also www.mercola.com. I have been cooking with coconut oil and the good kind of olive oil and also grass fed butter. My mother always said butter was great and would not allow cheap margarines in the house. After they came out bad mouthing butter, we did use Fleishman’s olive oil margarine and also some butter. Now I look back and wish we had never made the switch from butter. In fact my mother has been proven so right on many things that when I discover a health item related to food I find myself e-mailing my brother and sister saying “Mom was right again”.

[greeneyes]

I came to that conclusion a long time ago, and I have greatly changed my eating habits too. All of my diet and excercise is within Am. Heart Association quidelines.

I am now tracking every bite in a computer program. I should be losing more weight, I think, but I do get busy during holidays, and grab whatever is handy, etc.

Thanks for the link. I’ll check it out.

[mrsmith]

I VOTE FOR EASY RECIPES!
Here’s one: there’s only a measuring cup, a fork, and the pan you bake the cake in to be cleaned!
It’s also DAIRY-FREE (though I like to smother it in melted butter while it’s hot) and CHEAP.
Can be tricky getting a good texture. It’s more of a snack than a cake IMO.

Look up “wacky cake” and you’ll find various recipes, mostly chocolate. I like my pineapple version.

1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small can pineapple slices (I only get 4 slices now, used to be 5!)
1/3 cup melted shortening or oil (Iuse oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup total cold water and pineapple juice (apple or other juice is a good sub for the water)

Preheat oven to 350°F.
I use an 8x8 inch glass pan. Don’t have to oil the pan, but I do smother butter on it while it’s hot in the pan as I said. If you don’t maybe a little Pam would be a good idea.
Add the dry ingredients one at a time to the measuring cup stirring them with the fork. Pour into the pan and then do the liquids reserving the slices.
Stir all together in the pan and then force the slices to the bottom.
Bake at 350°F for 30- 40 minutes.

[V K Lee]

It must be late. Sorry about the PM, TX H - actually meant to post this.

COCONUT MACAROONS
Cut white sandwich bread into squares. Dip each square into the milk mixture, then into shredded coconut. Pop on a waxpaper/silicone pad covered cookie sheet and broil for a few minutes WATCH CLOSELY as they will cook very fast. Remove from oven, cool. Easy coconut macaroons. Compliments of my public education HomeEc instructor in school. Still make them to this day...
vk, who is NOW going to bed.