Cooking and Baking

There are 33 posts filed in Cooking and Baking (this is page 2 of 4).

Old Fudge Recipe

My Aunt Alvena had a fudge recipe she would not share with anyone. Now she is gone. I sometimes wonder about her recipe. They say it was exceptionally good fudge. She would keep it all to herself (as much as she could) when she made it. I heard this from my Aunt Emma, her younger sister.

Anyway, I was reading a blog, Thrifty Creativity. There were posts copied from an old recipe book, candy making recipes. Fudge recipes were included. I wonder if this recipe is something like my Aunt Alvena’s fudge. If I post it here to find it again, maybe I will give it a try over this Summer when we get into baking.

BIRTHDAY BOX FUDGE
Saucepan
Measuring cup
Wooden spoon
Tablespoon
Teaspoon
Knife
Square tin

1 1/2 cupfuls of granulated sugar
1/3 cupful of Karo corn syrup
1/2 cupful of cream or top of milk
3 ounces (squares) of chocolate
or
3/4 cupful of cocoa
1 tablespoonful of butter
1 teaspoonful of vanilla

Cut the chocolate in fine pieces and place at one side.

Measure the sugar, Karo corn syrup and cream into a saucepan and cook slowly over a moderate fire.
Stir until the sugar dissolves.
Add the finely cut chocolate. You need only stir the candy a little now, just enough to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

After you have let the candy cook about ten minutes, you may begin to test it. When it
forms a soft ball in cold water, or when the candy thermometer registers 236° F., it is time to take the candy from the stove, first stirring in the butter until it is melted.

Add one teaspoon of vanilla, stirring it in.

Beat the candy with a wooden spoon until it begins to show fine grains. Then, quickly pour it into a buttered tin.

Mark in squares as soon as the candy is firm.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

I made pumpkin spice muffins today. They are cooking for about another 10 minutes. I even followed the recipe, except I added an extra egg when the batter was dry (I didn’t use pumpkin because I had a winter squash already done and ready to go). I’m not planning to make the icing for them.

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups (425 mL) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (175 mL) packed brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground ginger
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cloves
1/4 tsp (1 mL) nutmeg
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped walnut halves
2 eggs
3/4 cup (175 mL) canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup (50 mL) vegetable oil
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

Maple Cream Cheese Spread:
1/2 pkg (8oz/250 g pkg) cream cheese or light cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp (15 mL) icing sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) maple syrup
1/4 tsp (1 mL) vanilla

Preparation:

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease; set aside.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon,
baking soda, salt, ginger, cloves and nutmeg; mix in 1/4 cup (50 mL)
of the walnuts.

In separate bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin puree oil and vanilla;
pour over dry ingredients. Stir just until dry ingredients are
moistened.

Spoon into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Bake
in centre of 375°F (190°C) oven until golden and tops are firm to the
touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes.
Transfer to rack; let cool. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container
at room temperature for up to 2 days or wrap each in plastic wrap and
freeze in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)

Maple Cream Cheese Spread: In bowl, beat cream cheese until light;
beat in icing sugar, maple syrup and vanilla until blended.
(Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.) Serve muffins
with spread.

May try Cinnamon Buns for the Party on Thursday

Quick Cinnamon Buns
By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

Servings: 16

Ingredients:

3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (25 mL) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder
3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda
2/3 cup (150 mL) cold butter, cubed
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) buttermilk
1 egg

Cinnamon Filling:

3 tbsp (50 mL) butter, softened
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped pecans
1/3 cup (75 mL) packed brown sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) cinnamon

Preparation:

Line 12-inch (30 cm) pizza pan with parchment paper or dust lightly with flour; set aside.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. With pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In separate bowl, whisk buttermilk with egg; pour over dry ingredients and stir with fork to make soft dough.

With floured hands, press dough into ball. On lightly floured surface, knead gently 10 times. Roll out to 16- x 11-inch (40 x 28 cm) rectangle .

Cinnamon Filling: Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch (1 cm) border along 1 long edge. Sprinkle butter with pecans, sugar and cinnamon. Starting at side opposite border, roll up evenly into log; pinch seam to seal.

Using serrated knife, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick slices; arrange on pizza pan. Bake in centre of 400°F (200°C) oven until golden, about 15 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool; set aside for up to 2 hours.)
—

Chef Michael Smith’s Cinnamon Buns

Making Gingerbread Men Tonight

Storybook Gingerbread Men

Ingredients

    1/2 cup shortening
    1/2 cup packed brown sugar
    3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
    3/4 cup molasses
    * 1/4 cup water

Directions

   1. Cream shortening and sugar. Sift flour with salt, soda and spices. Blend flour mixture into creamed mixture alternately with molasses and water. Chill at least 1 hour.
   2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
   3. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with large 6-8 inch gingerbreadmen cookie cutters. Lift onto lightly greased cookie sheet with broad spatula.
   4. Bake above oven center for about 12 minutes or until cookies spring back lightly in center. Do not overcook, they won’t stay soft. Remove from sheets. Cool on wire racks. Makes 10 men 6-8 inches tall.

The batter seemed too dry so I added water. Might be too much now. They are in the fridge, will see how they look in the morning when I get set to roll them out. I have a cookie cutter for gingerbreadmen and a Xmas tree. I plan to use a knife to cut out a pattern for a couple of gingerbread house cookies too.

Zack’s Pumpkin Spice Birthday Cake

This is the original recipe. Of course, I had to fiddle with it.

First, no pecans cause my brother is allergic to any nuts except peanuts. He may not even be here for the cake but you never know if plans will change or he could be by and hope for leftover cake the next day.

Other changes: added some vanilla (real vanilla not extract), added cocoa powder and did not have ground cloves. Also, because it’s Thanksgiving we have lots of pumpkin all cooked from fresh pumpkin so I did not use any pumpkin out of a can for this recipe.

I probably won’t serve it with a brick of cream cheese and fruit. It’s a birthday cake! We have candles and I have icing sugar, butter and cocoa powder to make some chocolate icing. 

PUMPKIN GINGER PECAN LOAF

Serve with a brick of cream cheese (soft, for spreading) and fruit.

1/2 cup soft butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 2/3 cup unsifted flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup water
1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Cream together butter and sugar with electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until mixture is light and fluffy.

Sift together dry ingredients, add to creamed mixture alternately with water. Beat well after each addition. Add pumpkin and beat until well blended. Stir in chopped pecans. Turn into greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan and spread smooth.

Bake in moderate oven (350°F) 60 to 70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out on rack to cool thoroughly.

Makes 1 loaf.

Did you Bake a Rhubarb Pie Today?

We are making rhubarb pie today. Not this Cherry Rhubarb recipe, I just added it cause it sounds like a yummy idea. Next time.This time we have just rhubarb but have added nutmeg with three pies, ginger to two of them and one with orange marmalade. Will see how they turn out. Only two are getting baked today, the rest are being frozen to be baked later. Good luck to me trying to fit more stuff into the freezer!

Cherry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:

l lb. rhubarb, cut in l/2 inch slices (about 4 cups)
l lb. can (2 cups) pitted tart red cherries, drained
l l/2 cups sugar
l/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
5 drops red food coloring (or fresh or frozen red cherries)
Butter
recipe pastry for double crust pie

Procedure:

Combine rhubarb, cherries, sugar, tapioca, and food coloring; let stand l5 minutes. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; pour in filling. Dot with butter. (Sometimes I like to sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and nutmeg also)
Top with a lattice crust: From remaining pastry, cut strips of dough l/2-inch wide. Lay lengthwise strips on top of filled pie at l inch intervals. Fold back alternate strips; fold up as you weave crosswise strips over and under. Trim even along outer rim of pie; seal edges. Dampen edge of pie slightly with water and place extra strips around entire rim of pie, covering ends of lattice. Flute edge, pressing well to seal. Bake in hot oven (400 degerees F. 40 to 50 minutes.

Green Tomato Pie

Green Tomato Pie

Pastry for 9 inch pie with cover
3 cups of green tomatoes
2 tbsp. flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup water

Remove the stem end of the tomatoes, but don’t peel them. Slice the tomatoes in thin rings, cover them with boiling water, and let stand for about 10 minutes, then drain them. Arrange them in the unbaked pie shell. Combine the flour, sugar, spieces, molasses, and water. Pour the mixture over the tomato slices and cover with the top crust. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes and then at 350F for 30 more minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or sweetened sour cream. Serves 8.

This recipe was in the book: In a Country Garden – Life at Ravenhill Farm, by Noel Richardson.

Flower Blossom Cookies


These will cheer you up for Spring. Still more snow here in Barrie today. But I did find these in a flyer at the grocery store yesterday.

Flower Blossom Cookies
Ingredients

1 cup [250 mL] butter, softened
1/2 cup [125 mL] sugar
1 egg
1 can [300 mL] Low Fat Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 tsp [10 mL] vanilla
4 1/2 cups [1.1 L] All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp [2 mL] baking powder
50 lollipop sticks

GLAZE
3 cups [750 mL] icing sugar
4-6 tbsp [60-90 mL] water

food colouring (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease or line baking sheets with parchment paper.

COOKIES:

Cream butter and sugar until well combined. Add egg, condensed milk and vanilla and mix until smooth. Mix in remaining dry ingredients.

Divide dough into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured surface roll each piece to a ¼” (5 mm) thickness. Cut out flower shapes with 2”- 3” (5 cm-7.6 cm) floured cookie cutters and place on prepared baking sheets. Place lollipop stick underneath cookie, lightly pressing dough onto the stick. Gather up scraps and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until beginning to colour. Cool on racks.

GLAZE:

Combine icing sugar with water. Brush a thin coating of glaze over cookies. Allow to dry for 10 minutes. Divide remaining glaze into small containers. If you run out just make a bit more. Add different food colouring to each container. Using a small paint brush, paint each cookie any way you like.

TIPS:
• Sprinkle on decorations such as coloured sugar or sprinkles while the glaze is still wet. They will dry and stick to the cookies.
• Wrap stems of cookies with tissue and ribbon to make a bouquet.

Makes 50 cookies