Monthly Cooking Thread - October 2020

[Jamestown1630]

I think I still have one of those ‘bonnet’ gizmos, buried in a closet somewhere :-)

[lizma2]

You posted a recipe with a snickerdoodle crust . And I’ve been craving snickerdoodles ever since!!!

Love your recipes.

[Trillian]

I made some pumpkin snickerdoodles last night. Have you every tried them like that before? I was helping my son with a recipe with pictures yesterday and my recipe is his favorite.

[Liz]

T/Y

[Liz]

https://www.consumerreports.org/toasters/best-toasters-from-consumer-reports-tests/

[Jamestown1630]

Thank you, Liz. I will have a look at it.

We had to buy another appliance, recently; and I think the one we chose is the best we’ve ever had.

We’ve always used ‘Mr. Coffee’ drip coffee makers; but the last couple that we’ve bought haven’t lasted a ‘pootin’ spell’, as my old Virginia granny would put it.

But a few weeks ago we bought a Hamilton Beach one that is wonderful, so far. The shape and ergonomics of the carafe are perfect, and very different from what we’re used to:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07684BPLB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Liz]

I love this recipe----tastes like Heaven. Top isn't perfectly covered with cookie, its meant to be crumbly.

Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars Taste Like Heaven

CHEESECAKE LAYER 2-8 oz blocks cr/cheese, 1/2 c sugar 2 lge eggs 1/2 tsp vanilla pinch k/salt

SNICKERDOODLE LAYER 2 1/4 c flour 1/2 tsp b/soda 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon tsp k/salt 3/4 c melted unsalted butter, 1 c sugar 1/2 c packed brown sugar 2 large eggs tsp vanilla extract 1/4 c. cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350º and spray 9x13" baking pan.

Prepare cheesecake layer: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt and beat until combined. Prepare snickerdoodle layer: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars with a hand mixer, then add eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined. Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low until just combined.

Press half of the snickerdoodle dough into an even layer in the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar. Pour cheesecake batter on top and smooth with a rubber spatula. Break up remaining snickerdoodle dough into small clumps, flatten slightly with your hands, and place on top of cheesecake layer. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.

Bake til edges set, center is slightly jiggly, about 40 min. Cool completely before slicing into squares.

For homemade cinnamon sugar, mix tsp ground cinnamon and 1/4 cup sugar.

[Covenantor]

LOL ! I recently went in the other direction, non-electric Faberware stainless steel percolator for when the lights go out....perfect for Black Rifle brew...

[Jamestown1630]

I have one of those. We’re all electric here, but I thought I could put it on the grill outside, when the electric went out - and we’ve lived other places where we still had gas when we had a blackout.

I probably should have bought a more ‘camping’ style one; but I wanted one because I remember how nice it sounded, perking away in the morning, when I was a kid; and how nice it smells.

[Covenantor]

Exact same memories...

[Liz]

Christmas confection. Vintage recipe uses cond/milk. Unbelievably delicious.
Recreates old-time Salted Nut Roll candy bar. Nice on holiday cookie tray.

GRANDMA'S SALTED NUT ROLLS

METHOD Pour 1/2 jar dry roasted peanuts in sprayed 8x10 pan.
Cover w/ Topping. Press rest peanuts in gently. Chill. Cut in squares.

TOPPING Melt bag peanut/butter chips, three tb butter. Add can condensed
milk, tsp vanilla. Micro 2 min/stir smooth. Add bag mini marshmallows.

[Jamestown1630]

My grandmother loved her coffee - she was a very temperate person, but would always have a cup or two in the morning; and even into very old age would have another cup around 8 or 9PM. It never interrupted her ability to sleep (which, since I’ve discovered the joys of coffee, I still have never understood.)

I never drank coffee until my late 30s, when I met my husband and began sharing his habits. But I distinctly recall one day when I was a little girl and my grandmother opened up a fresh can of ground coffee. She called me into the kitchen, and said, ‘Smell this! Isn’t it wonderful?’ And there was wonder in her eyes :-)

She never drank, never smoked, and kept her weight birdlike all of her life; but she had her one, happy little vice :-)

[Liz]

Grandma's coffee around 8 or 9PM never interrupted her ability to sleep (which I still have never understood.)

That could describe coffee lover me.....doesnt affect our sleep b/c people have different body chemistry.

[Covenantor]

I frequently have a cup of coffee after 9pm without affecting my ability to fall asleep right away.

Design studios back in the day were fueled by caffeine and nicotine...maybe that’s where I built up a tolerance...

or maybe it was all started by my grandmother, who gave me my first taste of coffee in a saucer to cool it down...along with my first puff on her unfiltered Camel. Would have been four or so, before I started school.

[Jamestown1630]

LOL! The first time I ever tasted anything ‘coffee’, was when I was kid. I went to a friend’s birthday party, and came home in the evening to have ice cream that my folks had bought. They wanted to buy chocolate, but accidentally bought coffee ice cream.

I came down more ill that night than I have ever been in my life - high fever, vomiting, hallucinations that Nazi soldiers were surrounding my bed and about to kill my family - (my father was a fan of the Combat! series, and other WWII films.)

It wasn’t the party, or the ice cream; it was obviously something I’d contracted earlier. But after that, I didn’t want anything ‘coffee’ for decades. Even today, the idea of a cold coffee anything turns me off - but I did learn to like hot, black coffee in the morning :-)

[Jamestown1630]

I have to amend my post just now to Cov - the one exception to my cold-coffee-flavor-dislike is Tiramisu :-)

[Covenantor]

I had a similar reaction to the frozen peas, all dented up like demolition derby entries, in the early Swanson TV dinner offerings...except I’ve never gotten over it. No frozen peas or TV dinners.

[Jamestown1630]

I love frozen peas - they’re great just defrosted and sprinkled on salads. (But I remember awful canned peas...and the ‘Le Seueur’ ones that were supposed to be a delicacy, and which my grandmother always bought for holidays, thinking they were ‘special’. YUCK.

(I really miss the old Swanson Mexican TV dinner, that had enchilada, tamale, rice, beans and a kind of hot sauce. As poor a rendition of Mexican food as it was, it was my introduction to really flavorful food; and I loved it.)

https://tvdinners.fandom.com/wiki/Swanson_Mexican_Style_TV_dinner

[ladyjane]

If you love frozen peas you might like real peas. I don’t know where you live but if you live somewhere north you could grow your own peas. The seeds can go into the ground the beginning of March. Frost doesn’t seem to hurt them.

If you are in the south the peas are called English peas. You could try buying sugar snap peas. Just take the little peas out of the pods and put them in your salad. Believe it or not, the best sugar snap peas I’ve been able to find have been at Walmart. Don’t get the ones from Guatemala, only do the USA or Mexican.

[Covenantor]

Isn’t it odd that canned beans are pretty good but canned green peas and green beans are pretty grotty no matter the brand? (at least IMHO) Wonder why.