Monthly Cooking Thread - October 2020

[Jamestown1630]

I used to buy a really great bread flavored with dill at a local health-food/Co-op sort of place; but haven't been able to find it in recent years.

I recently purchased a book, the 'Herb Farm Cookbook', by Jerry Traunfeld:

http://www.amazon.com/Herbfarm-Cookbook-Jerry-Traunfeld/dp/0684839768

There was an interesting biscuit recipe in the book that seemed like it would go nicely with soup or stew, in the Fall (the book indicates that these are shaggy, firm biscuits, not fluffy ones):

Dill and Cheddar Three-Grain Biscuits

Makes 8 large biscuits

1 cup all-purpose flour (spoon and level; 4 1/2 ounces)

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup rye flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 T baking powder

1/2 t. salt

4 T. unsalted butter, slightly softened and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese (2 oz.)

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill

1 cup plus 1 T. whole or low-fat milk

DOUGH: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Stir together the flours, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the largest pieces are smaller than a pea (or pulse mixture in a food processor). Stir in the cheese and dill.

Pour in the milk and stir just enough to moisten all the ingredients. The dough should be soft enough to scoop with a spoon.

SHAPING AND BAKING: With a large spoon or your hands, form 8 large shaggy mounds of the dough, each a little more than 2 inches in diameter, and space them evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake the biscuits until they are speckled brown on top and deeply browned on their bottoms, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the biscuits cool slightly on the pan but serve while still warm.

_____________________________

It's apple season, and this Apple Caramel Cake recipe posted by the lady at Whippoorwill Hollow looks very easy, and very good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLxdp8fS3vY

________________________________________

I like watching animal videos, and was greatly touched by this man's story of his unique relationship with a goose:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tMNsQ32Jas

-JT

[Liz]

Thanks....could you repost the pic of the Swedish goodies?

[Flaming Conservative]

Sorry, don’t know what happened.
https://www.bennisonscakes.com/swedish.html

[Flaming Conservative]

Sorry, don’t know what happened.
https://www.bennisonscakes.com/swedish.html
And here’s the recipe I found.
https://www.passionforbaking.com/blog/2017/06/27/a-classic-swedish-princess-cake-klassisk-prinsesstarta/

[Liz]

....the layered princess cake is amazing.....so beautiful...........

[Trillian]

Yesterday and today I made pumpkin loaves, blueberry loaf and a cinnamon pear streusel bundt. This recipe looks fantastic and can’t wait to try it. The crumb looks so perfect. I have a bunch of honeycrisp apples I need to use.

Caramel Apple Cake

Ingredients
Caramelized Apples
2 medium apples (peeled, cored and chopped)
2 tablespoon butter (30 grams)
1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar (60 grams)
1 tablespoon water
1/2-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (if desired)

For the cake
1 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon cake/pastry flour (240 grams)
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg (room temperature)
1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
1/2 cup butter melted (cooled) (110 grams)
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (room temperature) (125 grams)

For room temperature remove the ingredients from the fridge 30-45 minutes before using.

Instructions
Caramelized Apples
In a medium pot or skillet over low heat melt the butter then add the brown sugar, water and chopped apples, stir together and cook for about 3 minutes over medium/high heat just to melt the sugar, then lower to medium/low and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Add the cinnamon if using in the last two of minutes of cooking time. Stir often, apples should be tender but not mushy.

For the cake
Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C). Grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan.
Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl beat together the sugars, egg and egg yolk until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes, then add the yogurt and melted butter and beat together, 1 minute.
Add the flour mixture to the beaten egg mixture and beat until smooth, do not over beat. Gently fold in the caramelized apples then spoon into the prepared pan.
Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until toothpick (in the cake part) comes out clean or a couple of crumbs are attached and let cool completely or eat warm. You can serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a light dusting of powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Notes
To make your own cake/pastry flour, for every cup of all purpose flour remove two tablespoons and replace with 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Sift together before using.

https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/caramel-apple-cake/

[Trillian]

My daughter showed me Nino’s Home youtube channel for the first time tonight. The recipes look amazing and so perfect. I can’t wait to try his cheesecakes, mozzarella onion rings and cream cheese garlic bread.

https://www.youtube.com/c/NinosHome/videos

[Trillian]

I will have to give those a try. This is a good recipe too:

Whipping Cream Biscuits

Ingredients
2 c All Purpose Flour
1 tbs plus 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tbs Granulated Sugar
4 tbs Butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1 c plus 1 tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C)
In a mixing bowl; combine the four, baking powder, salt and sugar together.
Next, cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender until crumbly.
Next, add the heavy whipping cream to the flour mixture, stirring just until combined.
Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out.
Use your hands to press out the dough to about ½ inch thickness; fold into thirds then press out again; repeat folding once more then press the dough for cutting.
Use a biscuit cutter, pressing straight down (do not twist) to cut each biscuit. Place the biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake 12-15 minutes until light golden brown on top.
Brush the tops with melted butter if desired.

https://juliassimplysouthern.com/2019/12/whipping-cream-biscuits.html

[MomwithHope]

thanks for the link to I’m still workin. I bookmarked it looks interesting.

[Trillian]

Caramel Apple Spice Thumbprints

Ingredients
Topping
1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice*
Dough
2 and 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
homemade salted caramel*

Instructions
Mix the topping ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, apple pie spice, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined.
Roll balls of dough, a little less than 1 Tablespoon each (about 1 inch balls), and then roll generously into apple pie spice/sugar mixture to coat. Place dough balls onto a large lined baking sheet. Using your thumb or the end of a spatula (see post above), make an indent into each cookie. If you find that the balls are cracking when you make an indent, use your hands to push back together.
Chill the shaped cookies for at least 2-3 hours and up to 4 days. Cover them if chilling for longer than 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Remove chilled and shaped cookies from the refrigerator. Divide between both baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2-3 inches apart.
Bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven, and spoon 1/2 teaspoon of caramel into each indentation. If the indents have lost their shape or have puffed up, use the end of a spatula to make an indent again. Place cookies back in the oven for 1-2 more minutes.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Caramel will set after a couple hours.

Notes
Make Ahead Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Store leftover caramel in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can make and shape the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, as noted in step 4. Baked and filled cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Special Tools (affiliate links): KitchenAid Stand Mixer, Apple Pie Spice, Silpat Baking Mat, Baking Sheet, and Cooling Rack
Apple Pie Spice: Do you have apple pie spice where you live? It’s pretty standard here in the US. If you don’t have access to store-bought apple pie spice, you can make your own with cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.
Caramel Sauce: I reduced the salt in the salted caramel to 1/4 teaspoon so it’s a regular caramel, not salted. Don’t leave out the salt completely! You can, of course, keep as regular salted caramel too. I prefer the sweet version with this cookie and highly recommend you try it too.

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/caramel-apple-spice-thumbprints/

[lizma2]

Is Nino Japanese? The trinkets in his kitchen reminds me of Japanese houses.

The mozzarella onion rings is sooo on the menu tomorrow!!

Thanks for posting the website. (Tell your daughter thx too!)

[Liz]

Completely irresistible biscuits; the lemon glaze turns them into a decadent breakfast treat.

Raspberry Lemon Breakfast Biscuits

Ingredients Biscuits: 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon lemon zest 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup butter 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup fresh raspberries Lemon Icing: 1 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Instructions combine the sugar and the lemon zest. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until it is moist and fragrant. Add the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt and baking soda into the sugar and whisk until combined.

Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the mixture. Using a pastry blender or a fork, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Make a well in the center of the mixture. Pour the buttermilk into the center. Using a fork, stir the milk into the mixture just until moistened. Add the raspberries and stir in gently, lightly crushing the raspberries to distribute evenly.

Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, drop the dough onto parchmented baking sheets, at least 1 inch apart, making about 18 biscuits. Bake 450 deg til lightly browned, about 10 min. Do not overbake.

While the biscuits are baking, make the glaze. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest with a whisk until completely mixed and smooth.

When the biscuits are done baking, let them sit for about 10 minutes before drizzling some of the glaze over each of the biscuits.

Cool a bit and then serve.

[Jamestown1630]

Nice.

[Liz]

File this neat recipe in your Christmas cookie file....from Martha Stewart TV show.
Use peppermint flavoring in meringue batter....red (and green) paste food coloring.

STRIPED CHRISTMAS MERINGUES

METHOD Using paste food color, paint three thin stripes inside clear plastic pastry bag (keep stripes far apart). Fill bag w/ meringue batter. Press out meringue spirals on parchment. Bake 200 deg 1 1/4 hrs.

SUMMER VARIATIONS--Yellow stripes for Lemon Meringues Orange stripes for Orange Meringues. Add corresponding grated zest flavorings.

[Trillian]

From his facebook page, it looks like everything is in vietnamese. I will let her know. She enjoys all his funny, insulting captions on the bottom of the screen.

[Jamestown1630]

I’m wondering if anyone has a toaster - more or less recently purchased - that they really like.

My current one is failing - I’ve had it for 20 years, have never used it very often; but it never really worked well at all. It seems like something so simple could be devised to work reliably; but I’ve never had one that does.

I’d like a 4-slice one, when I replace this old one...

[kalee]

I used to make a dill batter bread that had cottage cheese in it. The bread was round baked in a Pyrex casserole dish. It made the best tuna sandwiches! I’m traveling so don’t have access to my cookbooks, but I imagine you can find a recipe online.

[Jamestown1630]

I used to make a whole-wheat cinnamon roll (trying to copy Cinnabon in whole wheat) which used cottage cheese in the dough. It really lightened the finished product.

[kalee]

That sounds good! I really like a Pioneer Woman’s orange rolls. Her cinnamon rolls are great too! The dill bread recipe was in a 70s hippie cookbook.

[lizma2]

My mom threw out her hair dryer she bought the 50’s in the 90’s. It still worked but it was a bonnet set up. (Remember those??)

My current hair dryers last about 4 years.

I have had a Cuisinart toaster for about the last 20 years but it only does 2 slices.

Most things made today are not made to last.

[lizma2]

Enjoy his posts. Thank you!