lemon blueberry pound cake

Mix together

1/3 cup milk
6 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

in a small bowl. In another bowl, mix

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream together

3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

until they are light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture alternately with the egg mixture, starting and finishing with the flour. Beat the batter after each addition until everything is combined. Add your last ingredient

3 cups picked over blueberries, tossed with 1 1/2 tablespoons flour

in stages. Fold 1 1/2 cups into the batter. Spoon one third of the batter into a greased 10-inch bundt pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle a half a cup of blueberries over it and then add another third of the batter and another half a cup of blueberries. Add the rest of the batter and the last of the blueberries. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven at 350 for 60-70 minutes, or till it is golden brown and the tester comes out clean.

While the cake is cooking, mix together

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar

and heat until the sugar is dissolved. When the cake comes out of the oven, put it in a cooling rack and poke a bunch of holes in the bottom of the cake with the tester or a toothpick and then pour half of the liquid over the cake slowly, so it soaks in. After ten minutes, invert the pan and remove the cake, leaving it on the cooking rack. Poke holes all over it and brush with the remaining sauce.

I adapted this recipe from here.

Peace,
Milton

red velvet waffles

I made these and served them as white chocolate ice cream sandwiches and blackberry-balsamic sauce. They rocked.

In a bowl, mix together

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder

In another bowl, mix together

3 egg yolks (save the whites for later)
1 oz. red food coloring (the little bottle)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and combine until just mixed (may still be a bit lumpy). Now, beat the egg whites you saved until they are stiff and then fold them into the batter. Cook according to your waffle maker's instructions.

NOTE: To make the ice cream sandwiches, I divided the waffle into quarters and then sliced each quarter through the middle, as if they were buns and then put a scoop of ice cream in between the halves because I thought two full waffle pieces would be too thick.

Peace,
Milton

blackberry balsamic sauce

1/2 cup blackberry preserves
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer and let it reduce by half. Let it cool a bit before serving.

Peace,
Milton

white chocolate ice cream

1 cup white chocolate powder
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups half and half
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 oz. egg yolks (9-10 large yolks)

Heat the white chocolate powder, sugar, cream, and half and half in a double boiler. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl and then temper them by adding a ladle of the cream mixture at a time and mixing into the eggs until at least half of the cream mixture is incorporated. This will warm up the eggs without cooking them. Then add the new egg mixture back into the remaining cream and cook over moderate heat until the mixture thickens to almost a pudding consistency. Pour into a bowl and put the bowl in an ice bath and stir until cool. Chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, until mixture is very cold and then follow your ice cream maker's directions to finish the job.

Peace,
Milton

caramel cake

This recipe is adapted from the wonderful recipe I found here.

For the cake
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter an 8-inch square cake pan and line with a square of parchment paper, then butter parchment. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture may look curdled). Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated.

Spread batter evenly in cake pan, then rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge of pan. Invert onto rack and discard parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.

For caramel glaze
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Bring cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Boil until glaze registers 210 to 212°F on thermometer, 12 to 14 minutes, then stir in vanilla.

Put cake in a shallow baking pan and pour hot glaze over top of cake, allowing it to run down sides. Cool until glaze is set, about 30 minutes.

The blog post that goes with this recipe can be found here.

Peace,
Milton

cranberry sauce circa 2010

I got the inspiration for this watching Iron Chef America the other night. Bobby Flay did something similar. Here is my version for this year.

1 bag fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 poblano pepper, pureed
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 /4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Pour everything into a saucepan, bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat until the berries burst and the sauce thickens. It is an interesting mix of sweet and savory. I think it's going to taste great with our turkey.

Peace,
Milton

caramel custard pie

I found this recipe in The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, though I did make a little extra custard to see how it tasted – and I’m not sure I melted the caramel as well as they intended for me to do. Nevertheless, here’s the recipe:

Preheat oven to 425.

1 pie unbaked 9-inch pie shell
1 egg yolk, beaten

Partially bake the crust for 15 minutes, weighing it down to keep it from puffing. (I put parchment paper on the bottom and then fill it with loose change because I’m too cheap to buy pie weights.) Remove it from the oven, take off the weights, brush it with the egg yolk, and return it to the oven for five more minutes. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 350.

1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs

Mix the sugar and eggs together in a bowl until well combined.

1 3/4 cups milk or cream (I used half and half)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup butterscotch chips or caramel chips

Heat the cream, salt, vanilla, and caramel in the microwave until the caramel is melted. I did it in two minute increments and whisked the mixture in between. Pour a little of the mixture into the eggs and sugar, while the mixer is running, and then a little more, and so on to keep the hot mixture from cooking the eggs. Pour the filling into the pie shell and cook for 20 minutes. The center will look set, though still be wobbly and the custard’s temperature should be 165 on an instant read thermometer. The filling will thicken and set while it cools. Let it rest for an hour or two.

Peace,
Milton

fudge pie

My students said they wanted a chocolate pie for our Thanksgiving potluck on Tuesday, Here’s what I made.

Preheat oven to 375.

1 pie unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Partially bake the crust for five minutes. Set aside.

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
12 oz. chocolate chips, melted (microwave, 2 mintues)
2 teaspoons instant coffee grounds
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add melted chocolate, coffee grounds, vanilla, and salt. When it everything is mixed well, add flour and then the nuts, if you so choose. Pour into the pie crust and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 70 minutes before serving.

Peace,
Milton

chocolate pecan pie

1 pie unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 375.

4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 /4 tablespoon instant coffee grounds
pinch salt

Mix the eggs and sugars together until creamy, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. In the bottom of the pie crust, spread

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Pour the mixture over the chocolate and pecans. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the filling sets. Let cool for at least an hour before serving.

Peace,
Milton

sweet potato chess pie

I came across this recipe (and now I can't find the link). It combines two of my favorite things.

Preheat oven to 350.

1 pie shell

1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened

Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer until fluffy. Then add

2 tablespoons self-rising cornmeal
1/3 cup milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add the cornmeal, then the milk, then the eggs, one at a time. Finally add

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes (you can use canned; if you use fresh, don't season them -- just boil and mash.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix well and pour into pie shell. Bake for 50 minutes, until pie is browned and a knife inserted about an inch from the edge comes out clean. The center will still be a bit shaky, but will set up as it cools. Let it stand for an hour or two.

Peace,
Milton