Monthly Cooking Thread - June 2021

[Jamestown1630]

I don’t know what ‘Balsamic Glaze’ is; if it’s full of sugar, it might work in the recipe.

The best use of balsamic vinegar that I’ve found, is a reduction sauce for steak; I just mix it with butter, and let it reduce until thick. It’s VERY good.

[Jamestown1630]

So far, this ‘Extreme Corn Bread’ recipe is the best one that we’ve tried (can’t remember where it came from, probably a newspaper or magazine) The only problem that we’ve found is that it’s not that good the second day - so wrap it up really well and refrigerate, or just eat it up!:

Extreme Corn Bread

1 T vegetable shortening (or other method of greasing the pan)

8-1/2 oz. box of Jiffy Corn Bread mix

1 Cup Sour Cream (plus additional for garnish)

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

8-3/4 oz. can Kernel Corn, drained

8-1/4 oz. can Creamed Corn

Corn Salsa for garnish

Preheat oven to 350. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with the shortening.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, combine the corn bread mix, sour cream, butter and eggs until blended, about 30 seconds.

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the drained corn kernels and creamed corn until well-blended.

Pour the mixture into the skillet and bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

It’s suggested to serve it with a dollop of sour cream and a spoonful of corn salsa.

[lizma2]

How did you know I was craving corn bread recently????

This sound great. THX!

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve always thought it would be nice with some jalapeno added...

[Trillian]

I’m going to try these the next time I make cookies.

Orange Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
For the cookies
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest finely chopped

For the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest

Instructions
Make the cookies
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes.
Add the egg, vanilla extract, almond extract and orange zest and beat another minute or so.
Add the flour mixture slowly. (Be careful not to add too much at a time or you will have a snowstorm of flour.)
Blend until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Take the dough out of the bowl and place it on a piece of parchment paper.
Using your hands, knead the dough a few times.
Place the dough in a large plastic (ziplock type) bag and refrigerate for about 2 hours. If you want to speed up the chilling process, place the bag of dough in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. Just don’t forget it in the freezer, or it will become too firm to work with (and then you’ll have to wait for it to thaw).
When it’s almost time to remove the dough from the refrigerator (or freezer), preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Roll out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut out desired shapes, and place on a baking sheet. Place the entire baking sheet of cookies in the freezer for about 5 minutes (this helps prevent the cookies from losing their shape when baking).
Once chilled, bake cookies at 350* for 8-10 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies.
Allow cookies to cool, and prepare orange glaze.

Make the glaze
In a medium sized bowl, melt butter in microwave (less than 30 seconds). Add all other glaze ingredients, and stir well with a whisk. If the glaze is too thick, add a tiny bit more orange juice, if the glaze is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
Drizzle glaze over cookies, as deisred. You can put the glaze into a small ziplock-type baggie, snip off the end, and use that to drizzle on the glaze.

https://www.glorioustreats.com/orange-zest-sugar-cookies/

[Jamestown1630]

Sorry to be late, but this is the Fat Bomb recipe that my husband uses; we use silicone candy mold mats for this, and put the mat on a tray to stabilize it on a flat space in the freezer:

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fat Bombs

¼ C butter, unsalted (we actually use salted butter, to bump-up the flavor in the chocolate and peanut butter.)

½ C extra virgin coconut oil

¼ C natural peanut butter, unsweetened

¼ C cocoa powder, unsweetened

1 tsp. of Swerve, or low carb sweetener of choice (Husband uses Liquid Stevia in the same amount; granulated sweeteners that he has tried have caused the bombs to come out ‘grainy’.)

Place the butter, coconut oil, peanut butter, cocoa powder and sweetener in a microwaveable dish. (We use a 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup; makes it easy then to pour into the mold).

Heat on high for 25 seconds. Stir. Repeat as often as needed until the fats are melted and all ingredients are combined.

Remove from heat and pour evenly into molds; place in freezer.

After 30 minutes, check to see that bombs are solid, if so, remove from molds and place in a freezer bag for storage in freezer.

Really hits the spot when you’re doing Low-Carb and dying for something sweet, fatty and chocolate.

[kalee]

I want to make those!

[greeneyes]

👍Thanks- they sound like the “bomb”.

[garandgal]

Just posting this...because “cake”...and I thought some might find it interesting.

I grew up in a very small town. My Grandmother was widowed when very young & took a job at a bakery for a short time. She went on to marry my Grandfather (who already had six kids!) and they had 2 more.

Once the kids were older, she started baking cakes for people. She did this for decades...I cannot begin to imagine the number of weddings, graduations, showers & other events! She was also a seamstress AND made wood fiber flowers by hand. It was not uncommon for me to go to her house after school to find the entire house (they built an addition for her business) full of wedding cakes, bridesmaids dresses, bouquets & centerpieces! I often helped; she did the main cake, complete with cascading buttercream roses, sugar bells & columns. My job was to pipe the little white squares onto the sheet cakes & complete them...each piece having a tiny flower as a decoration.

Her white cake was legendary...almond flavored with fluffy buttercream icing. I have the recipe someplace and will try to remember to post it. PRO TIP: She ALWAYS made the white cake 3 or 4 days before she was going to decorate (5 or 6 days before the event). She wrapped each cake very tightly in several layers of saran wrap...which ultimately made the cake extremely moist.

Her chocolate cake was also wonderful; basically involved making a “scratch” version of chocolate syrup.

In her “spare time” she made quilts, rag rugs, Barbie clothes, and other gift items & sold them in a little “store” on her front porch. If she was there she would help the customer...if not, they could shop & just leave money in a little box. She sold her queen size quilts for $25, or some ridiculous amount...she was worried about overcharging...lol.

[Jane Long]

What a wonderful story!

If you do find and post her wedding cake recipe (or, any of her cake recipes :), please ping me!

I am obsessed with GOOD wedding cake. There is one that we had at a family friend’s daughter’s wedding, years ago, that I have been trying to duplicate (without luck), since.

TIA!

(What we would give for one of her quilts and the Barbie clothes, too, right? :)

[garandgal]

(What we would give for one of her quilts and the Barbie clothes, too, right? :)

Fortunately, I have several of her quilts...though not enough. You should have seen my Barbies...tiny fitted blouses & suits...with darts in the bodices and everything. Fancy dresses, etc...just miniature versions of the clothes that she designed and sewed for adults. As for me...I can sew a straight line...occasionally make my own curtains...lol.

[Jane Long]

I hope you saved those priceless Barbie clothes!!

I was going through some of my old Barbie things, not too long ago, and came across some very nicely hand-made outfits (the bombshell dresses, mostly). So, someone we knew, knew how to sew Barbie clothes!

I can’t imagine making those tiny stitches, seams, darts, etc.

[Trillian]

Limoncello Cake

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (187.50 grams)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
3 large eggs*
1 egg yolk*
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (325 grams)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use corn oil) (100 grams)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Limoncello* (72 grams)
zest 1 lemon*

*Ingredients should be room temperature, remove from fridge 45-60 minutes before using.

Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C). Grease and flour a 9 inch (23 cm) bundt pan or 8 inch (20 cm) cake pan.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl beat until stiff peaks appear the 3 egg whites.
In a large bowl beat the 4 yolks and sugar until light and creamy (about 3-5 minutes). Then add the vegetable oil, limoncello and zest, beat until smooth.
Stir the flour mixture into the yolk mixture and combine, then gently fold in the egg whites until combined. Spoon into prepared cake pan. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before dusting with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/homemade-limoncello-cake/

[Jamestown1630]

Sounds like a wonderful, inventive lady. I’m glad you had her.

[greeneyes]

Do you happen to know how long coconut oil is good for past the Best By date? I discovered a container behind some EVOO.

[Jamestown1630]

We use it up too fast for me to know.

But it’s apparently very shelf-stable, and there are different types. The ‘virgin’ types are the longest lasting.

There’s lots of information, if you do a search.

[greeneyes]

I did a search, but never found the answer, so I thought I’d see if you had anything to chip in that might help. Thanks for responding though.

[Jamestown1630]

I’m not sure there is an answer. It all really depends on the item itself, the processing, and quality of protocols and how well they are adhered to at the plant.

I trust canned things like vegetables and tuna fish for up to three years past the date. (Those don’t usually have an ‘expired’ date, just a ‘best by’ date.) Frozen stuff like meat we trust for at least a year - but unless it’s vacuum packed, it’s going to get freezer-burned, which will affect taste.

For things that can go rancid, I trust by taste and smell.

I purchased some croutons very recently and opened them the other day - well within the ‘best by’ date. They were disgustingly rancid.

[greeneyes]

I also do the sniff and if it smells ok taste it. However, I’m not familiar enough with coconut oil to know.

I’m also doing some long term pantry stocking and wondered how long it would last, so I could figure out how to rotate the stock. We usually use olive oil, ghee, or avocado oil.

But I was reading that unrefined coconut oil had a longer shelf life than most oils.

[Jamestown1630]

I think the unrefined stuff does last longer.

If you’re stocking up, put it in the freezer.

I’ve had lard in there for years, now. I wouldn’t be afraid to use it.

I think that properly made ghee lasts indefinitely. And I don’t see why you can’t put olive oil in the freezer, either.

My husband likes avocado oil; I’m not a fan. He claims it doesn’t have a ‘taste’, but I tried some in muffins instead of butter recently, and didn’t like the taste. For salad dressing, I use olive oil.