CHIFFON CAKE

A chiffon cake is sort of like an angel food cake, except better (in my opinion). It is an egg white based (like an angel food cake) but it also has a lot of whipped egg yolks in the recipe, so it has just a little more "body" than an angel food cake and isn't quite as prone to "falling" when you bake it. It sort of reminds me of those little round yellow strawberry shortcake sponge cakes sold in cello-six-packs in the store (except this cake is a million percent tastier and more moist than those).

1 cup of egg whites (about 8 eggs room temperature)
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups white sugar (divided)
5 egg yolks
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon extract

Heat oven to 325. Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a large (non plastic) mixing bowl on medium speed until foamy. Beat in 1 cup of the sugar (on high speed) 1 tablespoon at a time (continue beating until stiff and glossy). Be careful not to under-beat. Set aside.

Beat egg yolks in a small mixing bowl until very thick and lemon colored (about 5 minutes). Beat in reserved ½ cup of sugar gradually (after 5 minutes, this mixture will look like lemon colored whipped cream at soft peak stage).

Add the flour to the egg yolk mixture, alternately with water and extracts on low speed. Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into whipped egg white mixture with a non-plastic utensil.

Spread in UNgreased 10" x 4" tube pan. Cut gently back through the cake batter with a metal spatula to break any large air pockets.

Bake in a 325 oven (bottom rack of oven) for 60 to 65 minutes or until the top springs back when touched lightly (my oven took 65 minutes). Remove from oven and turn pan upside down like you would for an angel food cake. Cool completely.

Run a long serrated knife, in a short sawing motion, around the perimeter of the cake (I use a thin bread knife) to release it from the pan.
NOTE: Don't peek (open the oven door) while this cake is baking. It is not good to jar your oven or cool off your oven while baking a cake.

NOTE: It is extremely important not to use any plastic bowls or utensils when preparing this batter. Also do not use silicone baking pans or ANYTHING that might have a trace of oil or grease on it. Grease or oil is "death" to egg meringues.

NOTE: You can also bake this cake in an oblong pan or jelly roll pan as long as you use parchment paper on the bottom and do not grease the sides of the pan. Baking time depends on the shape of the pan, but you can tell the cake is done when a toothpick, inserted in the center of the cake, comes out clean.

FOOL-PROOF BUTTERHORNS - A BAKING CHALLENGE!!

Katy, over at Food for A Hungry Soul has offered to help Ingrid from Baseball Baking and Books get over her fear of yeast dough. Enjoying a challenge, I have offered to put in my two cents worth. Katy and I will be posting a few "how to" yeast recipes with hopes of convincing you ALL to give yeast a try.

Ingrid is not alone in this yeast-phobia. A number of you have expressed the same fears, so I am challenging you to try this no-knead Butterhorn recipe. It is the perfect yeast dough starter recipe since it is pretty much goof-proof!! The look on your families faces, when you serve these delicious Butterhorns, will convince you that yeast dough is worth every effort!!!

I found this recipe on Mennonite Girls Can Cook It produces a dozen sweet and "light as air" pastries that your family will love.

OK, BLOGGERS, YOU HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED (that means you too Ingrid!!) I hope everyone will post their end result photos!!

ANSWERING QUESTIONS:

1. What kind of yeast do I use? ANY dry active yeast will work!! You will find it in the baking isle in a two or three little envelope strip (or you can buy a 4 ounce jar of it). You can also buy it by the pound vacuum bag at Costco, but stick with the little envelope strips until you start to bake a LOT. I keep my yeast in the fridge. Check the expiration date before you use it. I like the Red Star brand of yeast, but I've accidentally bought bread machine yeast before and it worked great. ANY yeast that is called dry active yeast will do the trick!! Yes, "fast acting" yeast is perfectly fine...anything but "wet cake yeast from the refrigerated section".

2. Will these Butterhorns freeze well? Yes they do. I frost mine, then let them "set" until the frosting has dried to the touch, then wrap them individually in plastic wrap and put a bunch of them in a large freezer bag.

3. My unbaked butterhorns look flat, what did I do wrong? In this particular case, the dough needed a little more flour. If a dough does not have enough flour, it can not "support" itself as it rises.

4. Do I use the dough hook? For tranditional yeast doughs yes, but this is not a traditional yeast dough, so I would use a regular beater or a paddle beater and not the dough hook for the butterhorns.

Please do not hesitate to ask questions, I'll post your answers right here, so check back.

1 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
1 egg (room temperature)
2 cups all purpose flour
1½ tablespoons white sugar
½ teaspoon salt (do not leave out)
½ cup of butter (no substitutions)

Measure 2 cups flour (spoon into cup and level off), 1½ tablespoons of sugar and the salt into a bowl. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender until you have very small pieces of butter when you are done, it should look like oatmeal. (I did this step in the food processor and just pulsed it a few times, it looked like this)



In a small dish, mix the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar; stir in ¼ cup of warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes so that the yeast can start to bubble or activate. OK, this is where most novice bakers get freaked out (the temperature of the water). Too hot and it will kill the yeast, too cold and it will slow the yeast down (but it won't hurt it). I always think of the correct temperature as "baby bottle warm". For those of you who have children, you'll know what temperature this is. You are aiming for a temperature that you could safely feed a bottle fed baby.

After the yeast mixture has been sitting for 10 minutes, it should look like the next photo. If it doesn't, don't despair, just throw it out and try this step again. This is called proofing the yeast (I always think of it as "proving the yeast is good"). It's done this way so you don't have to throw a whole batch of dough away if the yeast isn't any good. Tip: make sure your yeast is fresh, check the expiration date. I keep mine (I buy it by the jar) in the fridge.

Click on this photo so you can see it better, those little dots in the bowl are bubbles

This is what you want your yeast to look like after 10 minutes, nice and foamy.

Warm the milk until the chill is off (I used my microwave) and then add the slightly beaten egg. In a large bowl, add the (milk-egg mixture) and the (yeast-water mixture) to the dry ingredients. Stir well until it is all blended together. It will be a very soft dough (not a kneadable dough). I used my heavy duty electric mixer to mix everything together. It will look like this:


Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight (I chilled it overnight). The next day, sprinkle your counter with some flour and turn the dough out onto the counter. Sprinkle the top of the dough with more flour and roll the dough around until all sides are coated with a little flour so its not so sticky anymore. Roll (or pat) the dough out to ½" thick rectangle. The dough will be sticky during this stage, but don't give up, just keep lightly flouring your counter and rolling pin.

Cut the rectangle in to ¾" strips. Pick up a strip and dust the excess flour off of it. Twist the strips a bunch of times and then place one end on the counter and wind the twisted strip (in a single layer) around and around (tuck a tiny piece of the "tail" under the pastry) Sorry I forgot to photograph this step.
Place the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet. Very lightly, spritz the tops of the rolls with vegetable spray so the plastic doesn't stick to them. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let them raise for an hour (or until they are doubled in size SEE NOTE BELOW). Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes (my oven took 15 minutes).
Frost the Butterhorns with a simple glaze made out of 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon of almond extract and enough milk to make the glaze the right consistency.
NOTE: I put a tablespoon of raspberry pie filling in the center of my butterhorns before I baked them, but it isn't necessary. You can just frost them or frost them and sprinkle with toasted nuts.

NOTE: Dry active yeast requires water, sugar and warmth to "do its thing" in a bread recipe. When a recipe tells you to "let the dough raise for an hour" keep the warmth of you kitchen in mind. If your kitchen is on the cool side, it will take longer than the recommended time for your dough to raise. If your kitchen is hot, it will raise quicker than the recommended time. When dealing with a dough that is chilled (like the Butterhorns) the recommended raising time is an hour, however, I found that my dough took just short of TWO hours to double in size. If you bake the recipe before the dough has completely raised, it will turn out dense and heavy.

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

This was my first attempt at homemade flour tortillas and I was "stunned and amazed" at how easy they were!! Since there is just two of us at home these days, I have wasted a ton of money on commercial tortillas that never get used. I buy a package of 12...use three or four and put the rest in the freezer. I don't know how many partial bags of ice crusted tortillas I've thrown away over the years, but not any more!! Fresh tortillas are so much tastier than commercial ones.

While this recipe makes about eight 8" tortillas, it is also a wonderful convenience not to be stuck with "one size fits all" tortillas. For example, you could make half full size tortillas and half "toddler size" tortillas. I think the little ones would get a kick out of that.

This recipe produces a dough that is very easy to work (feels almost like Play Doh) and it fries up in either a dry pan (if you are watching calories) or in vegetable oil if you are looking for a nice and flaky tortilla. Hubby gave the flaky style both thumbs up!!

 4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons cold shortening (or bacon grease)
1½ cups hot water

Put first 4 ingredients in the food processor and pulse until well mixed. Add hot water while machine is running. Turn machine off when dough comes together. Remove dough and knead about half a dozen times or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it sit for about 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, turn dough out onto lightly floured counter and roll into balls about the size of a small golf ball. Roll out tortillas (starting in center and rolling outwards, turning often).
To cook the tortillas, the recipe says to use a cast iron skillet, but I found it hard to regulate the temperature (it got too hot) so I used an electric skillet instead. I'm sure with practice, the cast iron skillet would be the way to go. I fried the ones I wanted to eat in a dry skillet, but to get the big flaky bubbles, fry them in a little vegetable oil. Keep the tortillas warm in a kitchen towel while you cook the others.
NOTE: I made a half recipe for just hubby and myself and it gave me five nice big tortillas. It is such a great dough, I'm sure you could double the ingredients as well if you are cooking for a crowd.

SUPER DOOPER EASY PEACH CAKE

I hope you try this super-dooper easy peach dessert. It is sweet, fruity, full of fall flavor and mixes together in just minutes, so it would be great for last minute company!! This dessert is "over the top" delicious when served warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!!

4 tablespoons butter melted
¾ cup all purpose flour
¾ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk
3 cups sliced ripe peaches (3 to 4 peaches)

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a square or round 9" baking dish with vegetable spray (I used a 9" springform pan). In a medium size bowl, mix first 8 ingredients until smooth. Spread into prepared pan and set fruit slices on top (I cut my peaches a little thick). Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until browned and bubbly (I baked mine for the full 60 minutes).

Excellent served with whipped cream or ice cream.

CHICKEN BAKED POTATOES and CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

This weekend was cold, rainy, gloomy and leaf-less; without falls bright yellow leaves everything looks so dreary. We've had several hard freezes and the snow line on the mountain behind our house is creeping very near; it won't be long. To celebrate the completion of our annual "winterizing", we decided to enjoy a lazy weekend. Saturday, I put chicken breasts and veggies in the crockpot and at dinner time, I just thickened the broth and served it on split baked potatoes.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups chopped veggies
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
4 cups good quality chicken broth (not bullion)
pinch of dried thyme
pinch of poultry seasoning
pinch of dried basil
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Saute onions in a little butter until they mellow, then put everything in the crockpot and cook on low for about 6 to 8 hours (check for chicken tenderness at 6 hours). You want the chicken to be nice and "fall apart" tender. Thicken broth and serve over large baked Yukon gold potatoes that are cut in half.

DAY TWO

On Sunday, I used the crockpot leftovers for another lazy day meal:

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

 



My mother made wonderful chicken and dumplings, so our Sundays dinner was a trip down memory lane for me...Hubby, not so much. He courageously gave the dumplings a taste then gave me one of those squinty "I don't think so" glances and politely moved the dumplings over to the side of the bowl and ate everything else. Oh well, I enjoyed them thoroughly.

In a saucepan, cook 3 diced potatoes in seasoned (salt & pepper) chicken broth. Add them to the crockpot leftovers. For chicken and dumplings you want a liquid that is the consistency of gravy. If your leftovers seems to thick, add just a little bit of the chicken broth you boiled the potatoes in. If it seems too thin, thicken it with a little bit of corn starch slurry. When your gravy is the right consistency, bring it to a strong simmer.

Dumplings
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon chicken bullion granules
2 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 cup milk
pinch of poultry seasoning

Mix everything JUST UNTIL MOISTENED and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Drop heaping teaspoons of dumpling mixture onto the SURFACE of the simmering gravy. Put a TIGHT FITTING lid on the pan and cook for 15 minutes (do not peek). At the end of 15 minutes, test the dumplings for doneness with a toothpick. If they are not cooked thoroughly, put lid back on and cook another 5 minutes. Spoon gravy over dumplings before serving.

CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE PIE

A graham cracker and chopped peanut crust, covered with a rich chocolate ganache layer, then topped with a layer of sweet, creamy, peanut butter mousse. Does it get any better than that? This no-bake pie is easy to make and totally satisfying!!

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup honey-roasted peanuts finely chopped
6 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
1½ cups whipping cream (divided)
(1) 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
(2) 3 ounce cream cheese (room temperature)
¾ cup creamy peanut butter

Mix graham cracker crumbs, chopped peanuts and melted butter. Spread on the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9" pie plate (set aside).

Microwave one half cup of whipping cream for 2 minutes (on high). Stir in one half cup of sweetened condensed milk and the chocolate chips. Stir until very smooth. Pour evenly over graham cracker crust bottom and chill for an hour (I put mine in the freezer for 20 minutes).

In a medium size bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is smooth. Beat in the remaining sweetened condensed milk and the peanut butter. Whip until this mixture is very smooth (it will be thick). In a large bowl, whip the remaining one cup of whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in the cream cheese-peanut butter mixture (by hand). Keep folding gently until everything is well blended together. Spoon over the chilled chocolate layer. Chill for about 4 hours or overnight.

 NOTE: This would be very good with a chocolate graham cracker crust as well.
 

NOTE: This would be a great dessert for the holidays. I picture it in small, individual dessert dishes.

SEAFOOD BAKED RICE

1½ cups raw long grain rice (not instant)
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups favorite veggies chopped (see note)
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1½ pounds of cleaned shrimp
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese shredded

Cook the rice, 1 tablespoon butter, veggies (but not the mushrooms), salt and pepper in the chicken stock (I used a basic frozen mix of corn, peas, beans, carrots). After it is cooked, fluff rice with fork, and let it rest (covered) for 10 minutes to make sure all of the broth is completely absorbed. Cool completely (this can be done ahead of time).

In a wok, saute the minced garlic in a tablespoon of butter. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until tender. Scoot the mushroom-garlic mixture over to the side of the pan and lightly saute the shrimp until it starts to turn pink. Add 1 cup of cream, 1 cup of chicken broth and cooked rice to the pan. Cook for a few minutes or until the sauce is hot. Stir in one cup of shredded cheese. Place this mixture in a greased 9 x 13 pan and top with the rest of the cheese. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Delicious!!

NOTE: The possibilities of this recipe are endless. It would be good with any kind of veggies, seafood, chicken or ham.