Skillet Cranberry Buckle

Posted on November 23, 2015 by sparecake

This is easy enough that it really shouldn’t throw off your already meticulously planned Thanksgiving cooking schedule too much if you (wisely) decide to throw it in! I made this twice last week, once for myself, and once to bring to work. I doubled the topping the second time, and everyone at work REALLY liked it. With the doubled topping, it sort of moves away from ‘scattered, but frequent, blobs of extra delicious’ to a full crust. My coworkers said they really liked that texture, combined with the light/soft cake underneath. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I might actually have preferred it with just the ‘regular’ amount of topping? It let each bite be a bit different from the next, rather than a solid layer of unchanging topping. (To be fair, the topping is delicious, which is why I tried doubling it in the first place, so having too much of it is a pretty champagne problem!) One bag of cranberries is about enough to make this 3 times, so you might as well try it all sorts of ways and let me know what you think!

IMG_6624Ingredients:

Buckle:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup cranberries

Topping (undoubled):

  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sliced almonds (I left those out. Yuck.)
  • pinch salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into small cubes
  • powdered sugar, for garnish

Melt the butter in a 10″ cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Once melted, pour the butter into a large heatproof bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.

Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork or hand, until well combined, with a texture similar to wet sand. Set aside.

IMG_6618Into the bowl the the butter, add the sugar, egg, and vanilla, stirring until well combined.

IMG_6619Add the flour  mixture in 3 portions, alternating with the milk in two additions. Stir until just combined, then pour into the skillet.

IMG_6620Scatter the cranberries over the batter, leaving about 1″ clear space around the edges.

IMG_6621Sprinkle the topping mixture over the batter.

regular/double

regular/double

Bake 35-40 minutes, until lightly browned and able to pass the toothpick test. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, then let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

afterThis is the perfect dessert-turned-tomorrow’s-breakfast cake!

Skillet Cranberry Buckle

From Go Bold With Butter.

Buckle:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup cranberries

Topping (undoubled):

  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sliced almonds (I left those out. Yuck.)
  • pinch salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into small cubes
  • powdered sugar, for garnish

Melt the butter in a 10″ cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Once melted, pour the butter into a large heatproof bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.

Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork or hand, until well combined, with a texture similar to wet sand. Set aside.

Into the bowl the the butter, add the sugar, egg, and vanilla, stirring until well combined. Add the flour  mixture in 3 portions, alternating with the milk in two additions. Stir until just combined, then pour into the skillet. Scatter the cranberries over the batter, leaving about 1″ clear space around the edges.

Sprinkle the topping mixture over the batter. Bake 35-40 minutes, until lightly browned and able to pass the toothpick test. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, then let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

 

 

 

 

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Kimchi Bulgogi Fries

Posted on November 18, 2015 by sparecake

Last Wednesday we had off for Veteran’s Day, and, as there’s nothing else to do in town, I invited my coworker Kimberly over to cook. She’s been to South Korea/loves Korean food, so it was a no-brainer to try one of the many recipes I have bookmarked with kimchi somewhere in the name. This one actually was just called Kimchi Fries on the website I found it, but I feel like that doesn’t really do it justice, as the bulgogi ends up being more significant both in time to prepare and in volume. Well worth it, though, we both really liked this!

IMG_6597Ingredients:

Bulgogi:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/8 cup sugar
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 small onion
  • 1/2 small Asian pear
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pound rib eye or sirloin, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking

Caramelized Kimchi:

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili pepper paste – if you’re extra sensitive to heat, use less, but while we found the warmth noticeable, it wasn’t overwhelming to either of us)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 cup kimchi, chopped and liquid retained
  • 1/2 onion

Everything Else:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons Sriracha
  • 1 pound french fries (you can make yours from scratch, or check the freezer section)
  • grated cheddar or other cheese (we used jack for a bit more spice)
  • toasted sesame seeds
  • chopped green onion
  • sour cream (optional)

Using a food processor or blender, combine the beef marinade ingredients: the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, onion, Asian pear, water, sesame oil, and black pepper. Transfer the blended mixture to a large ziplock and add the sliced beef. Squeeze out the excess air, seal the bag, and rotate in all directions to thoroughly coat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to overnight.

IMG_6586Preheat the oven and begin to cook the fries according to package (or recipe) instructions.

Once the beef has marinated, heat the vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Lay the meat in a single layer in the pan and cook several minutes on each side, until browned. You will probably need to do multiple batches to avoid crowding. When finished cooking the beef, you can clean out the pan before moving onto the next step, but…why bother? Everything’s all going to end up together soon enough… Set aside the cooked beef somewhere to stay warm.

IMG_6587 IMG_6588 IMG_6589In a medium bowl, combine all the caramelized kimchi ingredients and stir together.

IMG_6590 Cook in the same pan over high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thickened, and there isn’t liquid left to run across the pan as you stir it.

IMG_6591 IMG_6592In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and sriracha.

Transfer the cooked fries to a large serving platter. Top with the cheese, then the bulgogi and kimchi.

IMG_6593 IMG_6594Drizzle some of the sriracha mayo over the dish, then garnish with the sesame seeds and green onions. Add a dollop of sour cream, if desired. Serve with additional sriracha mayonnaise.

IMG_6596These will be best still hot from the oven/stove, but if you have leftovers, your best bet is to toast them back up in the toaster oven to minimize fry sogginess.

This is a bit of a mess, but it’s a mighty delicious one!

Kimchi Bulgogi Fries

From Notions and Notations of a Novice Cook.

Bulgogi:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/8 cup sugar
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 small onion
  • 1/2 small Asian pear
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pound rib eye or sirloin, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking

Caramelized Kimchi:

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili pepper paste – if you’re extra sensitive to heat, use less, but while we found the warmth noticeable, it wasn’t overwhelming to either of us)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 cup kimchi, chopped and liquid retained
  • 1/2 onion

Everything Else:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons Sriracha
  • 1 pound french fries (you can make yours from scratch, or check the freezer section)
  • grated cheddar or other cheese (we used jack for a bit more spice)
  • toasted sesame seeds
  • chopped green onion
  • sour cream (optional)

Using a food processor or blender, combine the beef marinade ingredients: the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, onion, Asian pear, water, sesame oil, and black pepper. Transfer the blended mixture to a large ziplock and add the sliced beef. Squeeze out the excess air, seal the bag, and rotate in all directions to thoroughly coat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to overnight.

Preheat the oven and begin to cook the fries according to package (or recipe) instructions.

Once the beef has marinated, heat the vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Lay the meat in a single layer in the pan and cook several minutes on each side, until browned. You will probably need to do multiple batches to avoid crowding. Set aside the cooked beef somewhere warm.

In a medium bowl, combine all the caramelized kimchi ingredients and stir together. Cook in the same pan over high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thickened, and there isn’t liquid left to run across the pan as you stir it.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and sriracha.

Transfer the cooked fries to a large serving platter. Top with the cheese, then the bulgogi and kimchi. Drizzle some of the sriracha mayo over the dish, then garnish with the sesame seeds and green onions. Add a dollop of sour cream, if desired. Serve with additional sriracha mayonnaise.

Posted in Dinner, Party! | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Apple Chicken Couscous

Posted on November 16, 2015 by sparecake

Sometimes I find a recipe that sounds almost like what I’m in the mood for, but with some ingredient that is just ruining everything. That’s about where I was at when I changed things up/combined the idea of a few recipes to make this. This is tasty, and each bite has a variety of textures and flavors that make you keep taking “just one more” bite!

IMG_6585While I am often lax about mise en place (getting everything measured out and/or chopped up before you start actually cooking), once this recipe really gets rolling, things go pretty fast, so it’s best if you do get most things set out ahead of time.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 16 ounces chicken breast, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup dry couscous
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1 large carrot, shredded
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1 very large apple, chopped

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until the onion has softened, stirring occasionally.

IMG_6580Add the chicken and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Combine the couscous, peas, carrot, and raisins, then add to the stock. Cover, and let cook 2-3 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

IMG_6581

Needs another minute - still some liquid hiding in the bottom.

Needs another minute – still some liquid hiding in the bottom.

When the chicken is cooked through, add the apple to the chicken and onion mixture, and let cook until beginning to soften.

IMG_6583Stir the couscous mixture into the chicken mixture, and serve.

IMG_6584I quite enjoyed this! It’s got some sweetness from the fruit, and enough fruits and vegetables that it feels decently healthy, plus it all goes pretty fast once the onions have softened. I’d eat it again!

Apple Chicken Couscous

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 16 ounces chicken breast, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup dry couscous
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1 large carrot, shredded
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1 very large apple, chopped

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until the onion has softened, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Combine the couscous, peas, carrot, and raisins, then add to the stock. Cover, and let cook 2-3 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

When the chicken is cooked through, add the apple to the chicken and onion mixture, and let cook until beginning to soften. Stir the couscous mixture into the chicken mixture, and serve.

 

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Macaroni Pizza

Posted on November 4, 2015 by sparecake

Another recipe from a cookbook at my museum. This one was called Sharing Recipes, A Book of Favorite Recipes, put together by the Ladies Auxiliary of the WY VFW.

IMG_6578Like most combos of sauce, cheese, and pasta, it’s tasty, and maybe a bit fun because it’s different.

Ingredients:

  • 7 ounces elbow pasta
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • pinch black pepper
  • 8 ounces pasta sauce
  • 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage, cooked (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9X9″ pan. (if you don’t have one, 7×11″ worked fine for me!)

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, milk, and pepper.

IMG_6567When the pasta is cooked, drain and stir into the egg mixture. Transfer to the prepared pan, and bake 10 minutes.

IMG_6569 IMG_6570Spread the pasta sauce over the pasta.

IMG_6572I was worried at this step that the pasta was still way too liquidy, and it was going to turn out gross, but never fear, it firms up! Spread the sausage over the pasta sauce, then top with cheese.

IMG_6573 IMG_6574Bake a further 10-15 minutes, until the cheese has lightly browned.

IMG_6576

This is what you get trying to scoop it hot.

You can get nice edges with your refrigerated leftovers.

You can get nice edges with your refrigerated leftovers.

Macaroni Pizza

From Sharing Recipes, A Book of Favorite Recipes.

  • 7 ounces elbow pasta
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • pinch black pepper
  • 8 ounces pasta sauce
  • 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage, cooked (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9X9″ pan. (if you don’t have one, 7×11″ worked fine for me!)

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, milk, and pepper. When the pasta is cooked, drain and stir into the egg mixture. Transfer to the prepared pan, and bake 10 minutes.

Spread the pasta sauce over the pasta. I was worried at this step that the pasta was still way too liquidy, and it was going to turn out gross, but never fear, it firms up! Spread the sausage over the pasta sauce, then top with cheese. Bake a further 10-15 minutes, until the cheese has lightly browned.

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Smokey Chipotle Meatloaf

Posted on November 2, 2015 by sparecake

Just a nice, tangy, tasty meatloaf, that uses some of my favorite thing, chiptles in adobo!

IMG_6546Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons hickory flavored bbq sauce, divided, plus more for serving
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 chipotles in adobo, minced (remove the seeds if you want to minimize the heat)
  • 2 teaspoons of adobo sauce
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 2 pounds lean ground peef

Grease a 9×5″ loaf pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until smooth. Whisk in 1/3 cup of the bbq sauce, the garlic, chipotles and adobo sauce, the salt, pepper, celery salt, cumin, and Worcestershire sauce.

Eek!

Eek!

Add the onion, oatmeal, and beef, and mix together with your hands until evenly mixed. Transfer to the greased pan, and press firmly. Brush the remaining 2 tablespoons of bbq sauce over the top.

IMG_6533Bake 1 hour, or until cooked all the way through.

Never really has its ugly duckling/swan moment, but it tastes really good...

Never really has its ugly duckling/swan moment, but it tastes really good…

Serve with extra bbq sauce.

IMG_6536

Smokey Chipotle Meatloaf

From AllRecipes.

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons hickory flavored bbq sauce, divided, plus more for serving
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 chipotles in adobo, minced
  • 2 teaspoons of adobo sauce
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 2 pounds lean ground peef

Grease a 9×5″ loaf pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until smooth. Whisk in 1/3 cup of the bbq sauce, the garlic, chipotles and adobo sauce, the salt, pepper, celery salt, cumin, and Worcestershire sauce.

Add the onion, oatmeal, and beef, and mix together with your hands until evenly mixed. Transfer to the greased pan, and press firmly.Brush the remaining 2 tablespoons of bbq sauce over the top.

Bake 1 hour, or until cooked all the way through. Serve with additional bbq sauce.

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Bar-Bo-Cups

Posted on October 28, 2015 by sparecake

This is another recipe from a cookbook at the museum I work at, this one from Sharing Recipes: A Book of Favorite Recipes Compiled by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, State of Wyoming. It’s decidedly not fancy, but it’s very tasty, easy, and kind of fun.

IMG_6403I used (and I think they may have intended?) canned/refrigerated biscuit dough. I made it a second time with biscuits from scratch, but definitely preferred the version with canned dough. Because the recipe makes enough filling for 12, but tubes of dough only come with 8 biscuits, you’ll want to either cut the filling down by 1/3, or (better) use 1 1/2 cans of dough, and use the other half for something else. If you make them with the canned dough, they come out of the pan much easier, and hold together well all the way through the last bite.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup bbq sauce
  • 1 1/2 tubes prepared biscuit dough
  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Grease a 12 cup muffin tin and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften.

IMG_6396Add the beef and cook until browned. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar and bbq sauce.

IMG_6398One at a time, squash the biscuit dough flat and place in a muffin cup.

IMG_6397Fill each with the ground beef mixture, then top with cheese.

IMG_6400Bake 15-20 minutes, until what you can see of the biscuits is browned.

IMG_6401Pop out of the tin and enjoy.

IMG_6402 IMG_6404

Bar-Bo-Cups

Adapted from from Sharing Recipes: A Book of Favorite Recipes Compiled by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, State of Wyoming.

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup bbq sauce
  • 1 1/2 tubes prepared biscuit dough
  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Grease a 12 cup muffin tin and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften. Add the beef and cook until browned. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar and bbq sauce.

One at a time, squash the biscuit dough flat and place in a muffin cup. Fill each with the ground beef mixture, then top with cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes, until what you can see of the biscuits is browned. Pop out of the tin and enjoy.

 

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Beef Stew

Posted on October 26, 2015 by sparecake

It’s finally getting cold enough for stew! This recipe makes a decently large amount, and I’m quite contentedly plowing through it all by myself. While I was getting ready to make this, I asked several friends if browning the beef really does improve the overall flavor (I was feeling lazy and hoping to skip it) and the answers ranged from “yes” to “YES YOU HAVE TO DO IT”, so I did it, and you probably should too!

Stew: Not a glamour food.

Stew: Not a glamour food.

Ingredients:

Beef:

  • 2 pounds beef stew meat, (cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2+ tablespoons vegetable oil

Stew:

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 6 ounce can tomato paste
  • 32 ounces beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cups baby carrots
  • 3 cups small red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 cups frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup water

Dumplings:

  • 2 cups Bisquick
  • 2/3 cup milk

Season the beef with the salt, pepper, and thyme. Dredge in the flour, shaking off excess. You want lightly coated, the goal isn’t deep fried battered beef!

IMG_6549Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat, and cook the beef until browned on all sides. You may need to work in batches to give the beef enough room to touch the pan. Add extra oil as needed for additional batches. Transfer the cooked beef to the crock pot.

IMG_6550Add the salt, pepper, onion, garlic, tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, carrots, potatoes, parsley, and oregano to the crock pot. If you want, you can do this the night before, but in that case I’d recommend putting it all together in a bowl instead of the crock, so that the first hour of cook time isn’t just spent warming the crock back up from refrigerator temperature. Additionally, consider cutting the potatoes in the morning, or ensure they are submerged, as you don’t want them to go gray before they get in the crock!

Cook on low for 9 hours.

IMG_6552 IMG_6553After 9 hours, add the frozen peas and corn. Combine the flour and water, stirring until no lumps remain, then add to the mixture to thicken. Turn the heat to high.

Stir together the Bisquick and milk until no lumps remain. Place in large dollops over the surface of the mixture, then put the lid back on.

IMG_6554Cook 45-50 minutes, until the Bisquick mixture is completely cooked.

IMG_6555I love Bisquick dumplings so much. They’re not even very interesting, but they make stew soooo good! This is a toast/tasty meal!

IMG_6556

Beef Stew

Beef:

  • 2 pounds beef stew meat, (cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2+ tablespoons vegetable oil

Stew:

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 6 ounce can tomato paste
  • 32 ounces beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cups baby carrots
  • 3 cups small red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 cups frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup water

Dumplings:

  • 2 cups Bisquick
  • 2/3 cup milk

Season the beef with the salt, pepper, and thyme. Dredge in the flour, shaking off excess.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat, and cook the beef until browned on all sides. You may need to work in batches to avoid crowding. Add extra oil as needed for additional batches. Transfer the cooked beef to the crock pot.

Add the salt, pepper, onion, garlic, tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, carrots, potatoes, parsley, and oregano to the crock pot. Cook on low for 9 hours.

After 9 hours, add the frozen peas and corn. Combine the flour and water, stirring until no lumps remain, then add to the mixture to thicken. Turn the heat to high.

Stir together the Bisquick and milk until no lumps remain. Place in large dollops over the surface of the mixture, then put the lid back on. Cook 45-50 minutes, until the Bisquick mixture is completely cooked.

Posted in Dinner | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Chocolate Chess Pie

Posted on October 21, 2015 by sparecake

A rich chocolate pie that goes quite well with marshmallow ice cream! It also only takes 1 bowl and a whisk, so clean-up’s a snap!

IMG_6545Ingredients:

  • 1 unbaked 9″ deep-dish pie shell (if using a frozen crust, let it come up to room temperature or your pie will bake unevenly/very very slowly)
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 5 ounces evaporated milk
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If using a homemade pie crust, prepare the crust and place it in a 9″ deep-dish pan, then set aside.

Whisk together the sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl.

IMG_6538Add the evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla, stirring until completely combined – no one wants a mouthful of plain cocoa powder!

IMG_6539Pour the  mixture into the prepared crust.

IMG_6540Bake 45-50 minutes. The middle will still be slightly jiggly- that’s ok. If it seems like the entire filling remains jiggly, under a firm top layer, you may want to put it back for another few minutes. Some jiggle = normal, lots of jiggle = uncooked pie.

IMG_6543Cool on a wire rack, then serve either still a bit warm, or after chilling. Add cold ice cream to a warm slice of pie and you’ve got a hit!

IMG_6547

Chocolate Chess Pie

From Ezra Pound Cake.

  • 1 unbaked 9″ deep-dish pie shell (if using a frozen crust, let it come up to room temperature)
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 5 ounces evaporated milk
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If using a homemade pie crust, prepare the crust and place it in a 9″ deep-dish pan, then set aside.

Whisk together the sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla, stirring until completely combined – no one wants a mouthful of plain cocoa powder! Pour the  mixture into the prepared crust, and bake 45-50 minutes. The middle will still be slightly jiggly- that’s ok.

Cool on a wire rack, then serve either still a bit warm, or after chilling.

Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Marshmallow Ice Cream

Posted on October 19, 2015 by sparecake

This is a simple ice cream (no making custards and worrying about scrambled egg ice cream!) that tastes like a very rich vanilla, possibly with a hint of malted-ness. Add sprinkles or mini chocolate chips for a bit more visual excitement as desired.

IMG_6548Ingredients:

  • 10 ounces marshmallows
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • sprinkles or other add-ins as desired

Combine the marshmallows and half-and-half in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the marshmallows completely dissolve.

IMG_6537Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes, then place in the refrigerator until chilled, 20-30 minutes. Be careful – if your pot’s bottom is still hot when you put it in the fridge, and if your fridge has glass shelves, consider a pot holder to prevent the temperature change shattering the glass.

While the marshmallow mixture cools, beat the cream until it reaches the soft peaks stage. Briefly beat in the vanilla, then add the marshmallow mixture and beat until just combined.

IMG_6542Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions, adding sprinkles at the very end if desired.

Goes quite delightfully with this pie, which will be on the blog next!

Goes quite delightfully with this pie, which will be on the blog next!

It’s very, very delicious!

Marshmallow Ice Cream

From grouprecipes.com.

  • 10 ounces marshmallows
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • sprinkles or other add-ins as desired

Combine the marshmallows and half-and-half in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the marshmallows completely dissolve. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes, then place in the refrigerator until chilled, 20-30 minutes.

While the marshmallow mixture cools, beat the cream until it reaches the soft peaks stage. Briefly beat in the vanilla, then add the marshmallow mixture and beat until just combined. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions, adding sprinkles at the very end if desired.

Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Oatmeal Bread

Posted on September 23, 2015 by sparecake

This is one of a number of recipes I’ve copied recently from various cookbooks in the collection of the museum I work at. Many of them require slight changes (due to, for instance, the types of yeast now commonly used), but are pretty easy and delicious. There are, of course, a lot of really horrendous looking recipes in these books as well, but I’m probably not going to waste my time on those!

IMG_6336This bread is from a 1930 cookbook written by the Women’s Club in Parco, which is what our neighboring town used to be called.  The bread is moderately sweet, and not hugely tall. When it’s first out of the oven, the crust is lightly crispy, but by the next day it has softened, and the inside of the bread is soft and dense.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups water, boiling
  • 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour

Stir together the oats, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Glass is ideal, if possible, to prevent getting melted plastic in your dough in the next step. Pour the boiling water over the oat mixture and let sit until cooled to room temperature. It smells nice while this happens!

IMG_6328 IMG_6329Stir the yeast and the flour into the oat mixture until most of it holds together, then turn out onto a clean surface and knead for several minutes.

IMG_6387Clean, dry, and grease your bowl, giving the dough some time to rest, then return to the dough and continue kneading until a soft dough is formed, and you don’t see any dry bits left. Form into a ball, place in the bowl, and turn to grease all over. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled.

IMG_6388Punch down the risen dough, divide in two, and shape into loaves. Place each into a lightly greased bread pan, cover loosely, and let rise until doubled again. During this time, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake 50 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on their bottoms. Let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

IMG_6391 IMG_6337

Oatmeal Bread

From the Parco Cook Book.

  • 1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups water, boiling
  • 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour

Stir together the oats, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the oat mixture and let sit until cooled to room temperature.

Stir the yeast and the flour into the oat mixture until most of it holds together, then turn out onto a clean surface and knead for several minutes. Clean, dry, and grease your bowl, giving the dough some time to rest, then return to the dough and continue kneading until a soft dough is formed, and you don’t see any dry bits left. Form into a ball, place in the bowl, and turn to grease all over. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled.

Punch down the risen dough, divide in two, and shape into loaves. Place each into a lightly greased bread pan, cover loosely, and let rise until doubled again. During this time, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake 50 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on their bottoms. Let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

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