Zucchini Bread

while my garden took a real beating over the summer, my neighbor had some surplus, so there was still zucchini for turning into bread!

in the past I had used a standard recipe, but most all of them call for a cup of oil, which is just way more than I think is healthy

I've been doing some fiddling around with the recipes, and this loaf has been judged a success!

here then is the recipe:

the Dry ingredients:

2 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips

the Wet ingredients:

1 whole egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbls canola oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini

Preheat over to 325 degrees

combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well

combine the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl and mix well

add wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stir until just blended

pour into 9x5 greased loaf pan

bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean

cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely before cutting

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

An easy and yummy sweet treat. It has to be healthy since it has fruit and oatmeal, right?


Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

1 (18.25oz) package yellow cake mix
2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
3/4 cup margarine, melted
1 cup raspberry jam
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan

In a large bowl, mix together oats, cake mix, and melted margarine so that it makes nice clumps and there is no dry mix left. Press 1/2 the oats mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. In a separate bowl, mix jam with water, and spread over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the top.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 23 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Cool before cutting into bars.

So good they disappeared from the pan in a hurry before I could get a picture.

"Used bread" bread pudding

We try to live frugal -- when you live on a fixed income these days, you don't have much choice in that.

One of the ways we try to keep our grocery spending within our means is to shop for the marked down things. My mother has been doing this for years -- she refers to it as "used food".

Recently a trip through the "used bread" in my local market yielded up a loaf of frosted cinnamon raisin bread -- it made great breakfasts, but it was a big loaf, so it started to get stale before we could eat it all.

My solution was to turn it into dessert!

Here's the ingredient list:

For the pudding
3 to 4 cups of bread cut into about 1 inch cubes -- I've used left over cinnamon rolls for this too
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins or craisins
1 recipe of hard sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Select a glass baking dish that will hold at least 1 1/2 quart, spray with non-stick spray, set aside

In a small sauce pan, bring the milk and the butter just to a boil and remove from the heat

Lightly beat eggs, sugar, salt and cinnamon together, add a small amount of the hot milk to the egg mixture and beat again, then pour the egg mixture and the milk together in a bowl to mix (caution: don't skip that adding hot milk to the eggs step or you'll end up with scrambled egg which is not what you want here -- this is called "tempering" and it's an important technique to know when you do baking or working with chocolate)

Add bread and raisins or craisins and mix well -- let the bread soak up the liquids

Pour into prepared baking dish

Place baking dish in a pan (I use a 9 by 12 inch metal baking pan) that will hold water 1 inch deep around the glass dish.

TIP: put the two pans in the oven and use a large measuring cup to add the water to the pan while it's on the oven shelf -- when you take the pudding out, let the metal pan sit in the oven until the water has cooled before you take it out -- this may be a bit "fiddly" but it will keep you from getting a nasty scalding burn

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes -- until a knife inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean

Serve warm with ice cream, whipped cream or hard sauce



Recipe for hard sauce:

6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
5 tbls milk or cream
1/2 tsp almond extract

Beat cream cheese until fluffy

Add sugar gradually, beating after each addition

Add milk and almond, and mix well

Cover and chill

(this is great used on banana nut bread or just about any other sweet bread too)

Enjoy!!

Gum Drop Bread

most of the family recipes I use came from my mother or my grandmother, but this one is from the DH's side of the family

the DH is a first generation American, and his English family brought this recipe with them

it's sort of like fruit cake -- but not quite!

and this year, for the first time in quite a few years, I decided to make up a batch, both for our eating pleasure and to share with friends


Here is the ingredient list:

1 pound walnuts or pecans, rough chopped (we prefer pecans)
1 pound dates, rough chopped (do yourself a favor and buy the packages that are already cut)
1 pound fruit flavored gum drops (no black ones, and the spice ones are not the right thing)
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, separated
2 tsp vanilla

this year our obstacle was we could not find anything but spice gum drops!

my local Sunflower market, however had jellied fruit slices in the bulk bin, so I brought home a little over a pound of those and used my kitchen shears to cut them into "gum drop" sized pieces




(if you need to do this, it helps a lot to dip your kitchen shears in sugar frequently to keep the blades from becoming too sticky)

this is what they looked like when I got done

while you're cutting things, if you need to cut the dates, use the same technique for them

and do the rough chop on the nuts

turn on your oven to preheat -- only 300 degrees for this recipe

this can be done in two standard loaf pans, but I usually use this pan plus one more pan the same size (it's really nice to be able to put these all in like one pan!)

to prepare your pans -- cut parchment paper (or brown paper) to fit the pan (I use a strip that is the width of the pan and long enough to go down the long side, along the bottom then back up the other long side plus about another 2 inches on each end that can be a "handle" when removing the loaves from the pan)

grease the pans (or use non-stick spray), fit the paper into the pan, then grease or spray again

set the pans aside and mix the dough
put all of the chopped ingredients (gum drops, nuts, dates) into a large bowl and stir to mix well

in a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder

sprinkle this dry mixture over the chopped ingredients

stir and "toss" to coat everything well with the dry ingredients

separate the eggs, beat vanilla into the egg yolks

using a mixer, beat egg whites until light and foamy (not too stiff)

pour egg yolks over fruit and mix, then add the egg whites and fold to combine all of the ingredients (be sure all of the dry stuff at the bottom of the bowl gets mixed in)

divide and press batter into pans (make sure there aren't any big gaps)

bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes

as soon as they come out of the oven, use a flat spatula along the un-papered side of each loaf, then use the paper "handles" to lift each loaf out of the pan to a rack

peel off the paper carefully and let set on the rack until totally cooled

wrap in foil and tie with a bow for gift giving, or slice and eat and enjoy!

Amma's Persimmon Bars

This recipe came from my friend in California, and since we moved back to the Rocky Mountains, I have not been able to make it because I could not get the right kind of persimmons.

The only thing I could find were the flat variety, which never get soft enough to make this recipe from.

These are the RIGHT kind of persimmons.

When you get them, try to get four that are all at the same stage of ripeness so they all reach the perfect ready stage at the same time.

When you bring them home, set them out on the counter and let them get really soft -- like an over ripe tomato -- then they are ready.

To get the "pulp", use a very sharp knife to cut an "X" at the top of each persimmon and squeeze the pulp out into a bowl (sort of like squeezing the last of the toothpaste out of the tube). For every cup of pulp, mix in 1 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice to keep it from getting dark. It takes about 4 large ones to get the required 1 cup of pulp for this recipe.

Once you have that, you're ready to begin:

Ingredients for Bars:
1 cup fresh pulp (with lemon juice added)
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
8 ounces dates, chopped fine
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup chopped nuts

Ingredients for Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbls lemon juice

How To:

Mix persimmon pulp/lemon mixture with the baking soda and set aside.

Lightly beat egg. Add sugar, oil and dates and mix.

Combine dry ingredients and add to eggs in small amounts, alternating with persimmon mixture.

Continue to combine until well blended, then stir in the nuts.

Spread into greased, floured jelly roll pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Cool for 5 minutes

Mix glaze and spread over warm bars.

Cool completely then cut into squares.

Notes:

1. The finished bars will freeze well, just be sure to seperate with parchment or wax paper to keep the glaze from sticking them all together.

2. Fresh persimmons can be frozen whole -- just stick them in the freezer in their skins -- when you are ready to use, set them on the counter in a container and let them defrost.

3. You can freeze the pulp and lemon mixture too.

Crunch top apple pie

I love pie.

Mostly, however, pies at our house are either made by the DH, or they are made in a "pre-fab" crust.

This one was made by me, crust and all, and it was actually edible!

So in honor of my making a good pie crust, I decided to share the recipe with you all (and yes, you too can make this pie crust!)


Crust Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbls sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tbls very cold water

Filling:
2 cups cooked apples

Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup butter

How to:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In an ungreased glass pie pan, stir together the dry crust ingredients (I used a fork).
• Add the oil and water to the dry ingredients and continue mixing with the fork until there are no dry spots.
• Using your fingers, press the mixture into the edges and bottom of the pie plate, make sure there are no holes, and that the top edge rises above the pan.
• Use the fork to prick holes over the bottom of the crust (this is called "docking")
• Put the crust into the oven and bake for 5 to 8 minutes (blind baking), just until the crust firms up so any liquids in the filling have less chance of making the bottom crust soggy.
• Remove the pan from the oven and spread cooked apples evenly in the crust.
• Using a pastry cutter or two case knives, cut together the topping ingredients until they look like coarse meal. Spread topping over the top of the apples.
• Bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until topping is bubbly and the bottom crust is done.
• Cool and eat.

I'm thinking you could use canned pie cherries in this instead and substitute almonds for the pecans. It would also be good with peaches (home canned?) and this topping.

Enjoy!

Magic Peach Cobbler

This was a treat that my mother used to make when we were kids.

With most cobblers you put the fruit in the dish first and put the crust in on top. This one goes into the pan the other way and turns itself over. It always amazed me that it worked like magic!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup butter
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
#2 can of peaches (or 1 pint of home canned peaches)

How to:

Drain peaches, reserve syrup, set aside

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Grease a 2 quart glass pan

Cream together 1/2 cup of the sugar and the butter

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together

Add dry ingredients and milk to creamed mixture and beat until smooth.

Pour batter into pan

Spread drained peaches over the batter.

Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup sugar over peaches.

Pour 1 cup of reserved syrup over peaches.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until crust is done and golden brown.

Great served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top!

Easy Almost Cheese Cake Dessert

From time to time we want something that sort of tastes like cheese cake but doesn't take so much time.

After some "fiddling around" this is what we've come up with.


Ingredients:

1 graham cracker crust (we buy the store brand)
1 package instant pudding (we've mostly done french vanilla, but chocolate or lemon would be good too)
1 8 ounce package low fat cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups milk, divided (we use 1%)
1 cup whipped cream --- entirely optional, we used some out of a squirt can (Rediwhip)

How to:

Beat together the cream cheese and 1/2 cup of the milk until smooth and creamy and free of lumps

Add pudding mix and remaining milk, whip for 2 minutes

Fold in whipped cream if using

Pour into crust

Chill for at least 2 hours

ENJOY!

Cake Frosting

This stuff needs an extra ingredient to be kept in your pantry, but since it has a really long shelf life, just go ahead and buy it and keep it on hand. (I've got a container of the stuff I've been using out of for about 5 years!)

The nice thing about this recipe is there is nothing in it that requires you to keep whatever you frost with it in the refridgerator --- which means it's safe to use on a cake you're taking to the office or a picnic --- (poisoning the guests is probably a deal breaker!)

You can use this to frost the cake and to put through a pastry tube and make pretty decorations too if you're so inclined.

Ingredients:
1 cup white shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla (if you want it to be really white, use clear vanilla)
1 teaspoon almond extract (or some other flavoring -- depending on the cake it's going on)
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of water
1 tablespoon meringue powder (this is that "lasts forever" shelf ingredient)
1 pound (about 4 cups) powdered sugar

Method:
Cream together the shortening, water and flavorings until well incorporated (no liquid should be visible).
Add dry ingredients (put in the meringue powder with the first batch of sugar) and mix until well blended.
Beat at medium speed for one to two minutes.

Helpful Hints:
I like the consistancy I get with this better if I use my stand mixer, it's more even and less likely to be too stiff.

If the frosting seems too stiff, add 1/2 a teaspoon of water and rebeat. Consistancy depends a lot on the humidity and the temperature when the frosting is made.

This recipe makes 3 cups of frosting, which will generously frost a 2 layer cake.

You can store the left overs in the refridgerator for later use (within a week or so), just bring it to room temperature and rebeat before using.

If you want to color this, use gel colors (like Wilton), or reduce the water in the recipe slightly, then add the liquid color and beat well. Using liquid colors requires more "fiddling" with the liquids to get the right consistency.

You can cut this recipe in half, or double it and it works equally well.

Peanut Marshmallow Gooey Bars

Last year at Christmas we did some experimental baking --- new recipes, new ideas --- and part of them put together in my daughter's brand new kitchen!

This one was a big hit -- it's sort of like a Rocky Road Brownie



Ingredients:

for the base:
1 2-layer size devil's food cake mix (get what's on sale!)
1 stick of butter, melted
1/3 cup milk

for the top:
1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup peanut butter
7 ounces of miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup salted peanuts
6 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350 degrees

Mix cake mix, butter and 1/3 cup milk until well blended

Press 2/3 of mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan (set aside the rest)

Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until center is almost set. Cool for 3 minutes

Mix peanut butter with 1/3 cup milk.

Spread peanut butter mixture onto crust

Break remaining crust mixture into small chunks and arrange on top of peanut butter mixture.

Sprinkle nuts, chocolate chips and marshmallows over the top and press gently into peanut butter.

Bake for 18 minutes or until center is set

Cool completely before cutting

YUMMY!!

NOTE: my daughter tells me that you can keep an open bag of marshmallows from getting hard by storing them in the refridgerator.

Pantry Fruit Dessert

You know the problem -- you need a quickie dessert, or something tasty to take to a pot luck -- you don't have a lot of time, and you don't want to make a trip to the store.

This just may be your solution!

Quick, easy and pretty much safe for any number of special diets as it has no eggs, no nuts and no gluten!

+Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 pints (or 2 small cans) peach halves (this could also be done with canned pears or apples, and slices or chunks work just as well as halves)
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not the steel cut ones, and no instant oatmeal packets!)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp corn starch
4 Tbls softened butter

How to:
Heat the oven to 425 degrees
Spray an 8x8 glass pan with cooking spray (for easier clean up)
Drain the fruit
Arrange fruit in the bottom of the pan
Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until well mixed
Spread mixture on top of fruit
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes

Serve warm -- it's really good with a little whipped cream or ice cream too

Enjoy!

The Great Pumpkin Pie Puzzle

For a number of years we have had what can best be described as a love/hate relationship with pumpkin pies.

Personally, I love pumpkin pie, and sweet potato pie too. Still slightly warm from the first day's baking or after it's been chilled, with whipped cream or without, it has always said "goodies for cold weather" to me.

But we have had "issues" with pumpkin pies. There was the year of the "I forgot to add the sugar", and the "why is there so much extra liquid".

Here then are some things I've learned about pumpkin pies:

* If you are starting with fresh pumpkin, after it's been cooked and the skin removed, you need to press it through a strainer to take out the extra liquid. And don't expect it to be as orange as the commercial puree -- for some reason, that just doesn't happen.

* Like with any baking, it's a good idea to put all of the ingredients out on the counter before you start and put them away as you add them to the recipe -- that way you know you have everything you need before you start (and don't have to make a run to the store in mid-mixing), and you'll remember to put everything into the mix (let us say that leaving out the sugar was a deal breaker!)

Here then are the two variations of pumpkin pie that we use at our house:


Heat the over to 425 degrees.

Put the pie crust in the pan (we always use a pyrex pie pan).

Mix all the other ingredients together until well blended and pour into the pie crust.

For Version I, bake for 15 minutes at 425, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 40 to 50 minutes.

For Version II, bake at 425 for 45 to 55 minutes.

To test for doneness, a case knife or a thin metal spatula should come out clean when inserted midway between the center and the edge of the pie. Carry over heat will finish the custard cooking and keep the pie from being dry.

Either of these versions can be made by substituting mashed sweet potatoes for the pumpkin puree -- and that's yummy too -- especially with a little drizzle of carmel sauce.

Anyone else have any "horror stories" about pumpkin pie?

In defense of Jello

Its summer

Its HOT

we're on low fat diet

we're on a low sugar diet

we need a salad

we need a desert


what's the answer?

JELLO!!

now just plain jello (especially RED jello) is a staple in the winter when one of us has a "bug" of some sort, and that's not what I'm talking about here

I'm talking about using jello as the base for some wonderfully cool salads/deserts that hit the spot when its hot

and I'm not talking about just the brand name stuff either -- my grandmother used to swear by Royal -- now days I buy whatever is the least expensive, and I recommend you do like wise!!

Here then are some of my favorite jello concoctions:


Lime Jello #1

1 pkg lime jello
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

drain the pineapple (I usually drink the juice as a "cook's treat" when I do this)
mix jello according to package directions
add other ingredients
chill


Lime Jello #2

1 pkg lime jello
1 small can pear chunks

drain the pears
prepare jello according to package directions
add pears
chill


Orange Jello #1

1 pkg orange jello
1 small can mandarin oranges

drain oranges
prepare jello
add oranges
chill


Orange Jello #2

1 pkg orange jello
2 medium carrots
1/2 cup raisins

grate carrots
prepare jello
add carrots and raisins
chill


Tomato Aspic (Lemon Jello)

1 pkg lemon jello
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp worchestershire sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped celery (optional)
1 cup cooked salad shrimp

prepare jello by substituting the tomato sauce for the cup of cold water specified on the jello package
add all other ingredients
chill


Anybody got any other versions?

Key Lime Pie

In the summer there's no better desert than a tart/sweet key lime pie -- and the best part of this one is that you don't have to go anywhere near that oven!

This little beauty was whipped up by my daughter for a "we're defrosting grandma's freezer" party that we had recently, so I thought I'd share it!


Easy Key Lime Pie

1 graham cracker crust (you could make this from scratch, but why?)
4 ounces key lime juice (you can use just regular lime juice, it just won't be as tart, and no you don't have to squeeze those limes, you can buy a little bottle of the stuff)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (the low fat stuff should work just as well as the "high test", just be sure its condensed, evaporated won't do it)
1 tub of cool whip (not the extra hugh size, just a regular tub)
green food color if you feel the need to make it look green

With your electric mixer, whip together the lime juice and the condensed milk (and the food color if you're going there) until well mixed.

Fold in cool whip

Pour into cracker crust

Chill for at least one hour before cutting

Enjoy!!

Nothing to be trifled with

This post could be sub headed: "when life gives you lemons, make lemonaid"!

The original plan was to make a quarter sheet cake and decorate it like a sheet of music (you know, lines and notes) with a spray of roses over it.



Alas, when I attempted to take the cake out of the pan, it did THIS!!

ACK!! Well, now, what can one do with a cake that looks like that?

All hope of a smooth finish for piping musical notes onto was dashed. (We could say the air was a "trifle" blue)



This however, was the "fix" -- and an excuse to use a bowl that was a wedding gift that I've used now (maybe) 3 times -- a good thing perhaps!

At any rate, here's how I put this tasty treat together


Trifle

1 boxed white cake mix
1 large package instant vanilla pudding
1 pint strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 pint blackberries
1 can whipped cream

Prepare cake per package instructions. When it has cooled completely, cut into 1 inch cubes and spread out on cutting board to dry slightly (I let mine stand for about 24 hours)

Mix instant pudding per package directions and chill.

Clean strawberries and cut in quarters. Sprinkle sugar over the berries and allow to combine for at least 4 hours.

To create trifle arrange in deep glass bowl in the following layers:

1/2 of cake cubes
1/2 of pudding
1/2 of strawberries and blackberries

repeat layers second time

top with whipped cream

garnish with a few whole berries if desired


This would also be excellent done with chocolate cake, chocolate pudding and fresh raspberries (leave out the sugar)

If you don't have a trifle bowl, a small glass punch bowl would work well, or these could be done as individual deserts in wine glasses

High Test Chocolate Cake

For some reason, we still seem to be stuck on cake!

This one, unlike the ones with buttercream frosting, is so easy that anyone can frost it!

This reminds me of the cake we got at the upscale restaurants we used to eat in in the San Francisco Bay Area -- a very thin slice is PLENTY!

Before making this one, make sure you have room to keep it in your fridge -- it has a lot of dairy in it and dairy going bad does not make for good eating!


High Test Chocolate Cake

8 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 package chocolate cake mix (2 layer size)
1 package instant chocolate pudding (4 serving size)
1 cup egg substitute (or 4 whole eggs)
8 ounces sour cream or IMO
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup water
8 ounces frozen whipped topping

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare 2 8 or 9 inch round cake pans

Chop 2 ounces of the baking chocolate and set aside (HINT: use a large serrated knife and a cutting board for this job)

In bowl of mixer (or large bowl if using a hand mixer) combine cake mix, pudding mix, egg substitute, sour cream, vanilla, oil and water. Mix on low speed until combined, then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. (This will be a thicker than usual batter for cake.)

Stir in the chopped chocolate and spread into cake pans.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes -- test with a toothpick to be sure they are done!

Cool in the pans on wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn cakes out on rack and let cool completely.

To frost: chop remaining 6 ounces of chocolate. In a microwave safe bowl, combine frozen whipped topping and the chocolate. Microwave on HIGH for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds (or until chocolate is completely melted). Stir well until smooth. Let stand for 15 minutes. (This will be thinner than usual frosting.)

If necessary, trim the tops of both cakes to level.

Place one cake, bottom side down on cake plate. Spread about 1/4 of the frosting mix over the top. Place second cake bottom side up on top of first cake. Pour remaining icing onto cake, spreading from the top over the sides until entire cake is covered.

Refrigerate.

Cut in SMALL pieces (cake should be about 18 servings)-- a serrated blade works best on this cake

It has a wonderful fudgy texture.


In the time honored tradition here at Hattie's Kitchen, we never met a recipe we couldn't think of ways to "tweek", so here are some other ideas:

serve with a drizzle (or a pool!) of fresh raspberry puree

replace the 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 cup of strong coffee

or: instead of chocolate cake mix and pudding mix, use a white cake and french vanilla pudding and follow the rest of the recipe as above


Let me know what you think!!

Yule Log for Dinner

After months of making a cake a week to practice for the wedding, I haven't baked a cake since THE CAKE back in August.

With Christmas fast upon us, I decided that a cake for the celebration would be in order, so I decided to try doing a Yule Log -- my own variation.

I used a plain white cake mix (ok, I confess, it was one of the boxes left from the wedding!), and baked it in a jelly roll pan.

The tricky thing with jelly roll cakes is that you must deal with the rolling part as soon as they come out of the oven otherwise they just break if you try to roll them.

So, as soon as the cake came out of the oven I dusted it with powdered sugar, covered it with a clean tea towel, inverted a rack over the top and flipped the whole "sandwich" over.

After removing the pan, I slid the rack out and peeled off the parchment from the bottom of the cake.

Next I quickly brushed the cake with liquified raspberry jam and using the towel as an aid, rolled the cake gently into a log shape. I kept it wrapped in the towel and put it in the refridgerator overnight.



Next morning, I trimmed the ends then cut a diagonal piece off one end of the cake so I could put a "branch" on one side.

I used some of the frosting to "attach" the branch, then frosted the whole thing.


One of the nice things about doing a cake that you want to look like bark is you can skip the whole "it has to be perfectly smooth" step and go directly from slapping on the frosting to using this cute little tool to make the "bark" ridges.

If you don't have one of these, you can cut a piece of cardboard for a one time use one (and actually you could get a lot more variations if you do that).




Since I had a lot of roses left over from the wedding cake, I decided to use roses and poinsettias (I had done those in cake class) then added rose leaves and pine as the decorations.

When I got all done, I sprinkled the whole thing with luster dust (edible glitter) for that "just snowed on" look.

On the whole I'm pretty pleased with the look of this and with the fact that it didn't take me all day (just over an hour), so I haven't lost "the touch" -- guess I'll have to do some cake thing every 3 or 4 months just to keep my hand in.....

Merry Christmas!!

2 in one day!

At the request of my reading public, here is a recipe for sopapillas:

2 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. shortening
1/2 cup warm water
Oil for deep frying

Sift dry ingredients together in bowl.
Cut in shortening until crumbly.
Add 1/2 cup warm water gradually, stirring with fork. Dough will be crumbly.
Turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth.
Divide in half. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Cut into 3" squares. Fry, several at a time, in deep fat at 400 degrees for 30 seconds on each side.

Yield: 40 sopapillas.

Serve with honey!

In a pinch you can take a package of commercial biscuits, roll them out flat, cut them into triangles, let them set for 10 minutes then fry as above. Makes fewer (about 20 small ones), but they are pretty good.

Mom's Fruit Cake

No, I didn't say mom IS a fruit cake! For the most part, I don't like fruit cake. There's just something wrong about eating the peel of the fruit to me (you know, candied orange peel and all that).

This fruit cake, however is full of wonderful stuff. Its really easy to make (once you get through papering the pans). In fact, the only down side to it is the cost of the ingredients. But just once in your life you should taste really good fruit cake, and this is it!

Note: Read through the entire recipe before beginning. This works best if the ingredients have be allowed to stand at room temperature for an hour before you start.

Added note:  this recipe makes a lot of fruit cake --- one large loaf and 5 small ones --- the adjustments to make half a recipe are included below in red

1 1/2 (3/4) pounds pitted dates
1 (1/2) pound candied pineapple
1 (1/2) pound whole candied cherries (some for garnish)
2 (1)cups sifted flour
2 (1) tsp baking powder
1/2 (1/4) tsp salt
4 (2) eggs (1 (1/2) cup egg substitute)
1 (1/2) cup sugar
2 (1) pounds pecan halves (some for garnish)
white corn syrup

Use two 9 inch by 5 inch by 3 inch loaf pans OR two 9 inch spring form pans OR one of each size OR four small loaf pans.

Grease pans well with butter or shortening, line bottoms and sides with brown paper (or parchment paper) cut to fit, then grease the paper.

Set oven to 275 degrees

Cut the dates and pineapple into coarse pieces.

In a large bowl (I use a BIG stainless steel one), mix dates, pineapple and cherries (reserve a few cherries for garnish).

Sift salt, baking powder and flour together. Sift flour mixture onto fruit mixture.

Using your hands, mix flour mixture into fruit to coat each piece of fruit with the flour.

Beat eggs until frothy. Gradually beat in the sugar until well mixed.

Add eggs to fruit mixture, mix well with large spoon (I use a wood one).

Add nuts (reserve a few for garnish) and mix until nuts are evenly distributed and coated with batter.

Pack mixture into pans, press it down firmly to make sure there are no empty spaces.

Decorate the tops with cherries and pecan halves.

Bake: loaf pan for 1 1/2 hours, springform for 1 1/4 hours, little loaves for 1 hour. Tops of cakes, where batter is visible should look dry but not be brown. If you aren't sure its done, give it a little more time, a little over baking will not hurt.

Remove from oven and let cool on rake for about 5 minutes. Turn out of pans and remove the paper.

Turn loaves right side up and brush with corn syrup to glaze. Cool completely.

To store, wrap loosely in foil and store airtight in a cool place. Stored this way, the cakes will last several weeks. If well wrapped and frozen they will keep indefinitely.


Have fun! Remember, fruit cake is a Christmas tradition, but you won't want to throw this one.

Nick's Cranberry Pear Pie

Believe it or not, this is a recipe!

Written on the back of an envelope with purple ink, it is basically a list of ingredients and the baking times and temperatures.

The day this recipe was being discussed on the radio, Nick was in traffic on the highway to work, which explains the odd writing surface, but it has come to be a holiday favorite.

So, just in case you can't decifer the photo (yeah, right!), here is the recipe:


Cranberry Pear Pie

1 recipe pie crust for 2 crust pie (we have very successfully used the premade pie dough that you just roll out and put in the pan)

1 cup sugar
3 heaping tablespoons instant tapioca
5 small or 3 medium Bosc pears
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup walnut pieces (optional, we usually leave these out)

Peel, core and slice the pears.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients and coat fruit with sugar and tapioca.

Spread fruit mixture evenly in pie crust, top with second crust and crimp.

Place in oven preheated to 425 degrees and bake for 25 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additonal 20 minutes. (I usually put a piece of foil on the shelf below the shelf the pie is on just in case it bubbles over the crust)