Bake-Off Challenge With Megan

Whenever I sent Megan an extra copy of Pillsbury's 15th National Bake-Off Cookbook, we agreed to pick a recipe and bake it. Some can call it our own mini bake-off. Megan sent me a list of several recipes she picked, and I picked which one we would do first. I chose a recipe called Apple Harvest Squares, which was entered by Rex Pippin of Alabama.

I decided to bake these while I was home for Thanksgiving break. The base is very similar to a pie crust. Normally you would use a pastry cutter. I remember reading in Dorie Greenspan's book Baking: From My Home To Yours, you can also use your hands to cut butter, so I did. The result was fine, although I would suggest pressing it into the pan with the bottom of a glass. The topping didn't make enough to cover the entire base, so next time I would increase it just a smudge. I put the adjustments into the recipe below. These taste best when served warm.

Megan, we need to do this again :)

EDIT - Oops, there has been a misunderstanding!! Megan ended up doing Sweet Applets instead. Oh well, at least they both have apple. Now we can switch recipes and see if we get the same results. Hopefully so, because her applets look good!


Apple Harvest Squares



Base
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
2 cups chopped apples (I used Granny Smith)
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups flaked coconut

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease the bottom of a 13x9 pan.

2. Sift together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until particles are fine. Press into bottom of pan. Arrange apples on top. Combine 1/8 cup sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle on top. Bake for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup sugar, milk, vanilla, walnuts, and coconut. Spoon over baked base. Bake for another 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Source: Pillsbury's 15th Grand National 100 New Bake-Off Recipes, 1964 p.43



Murray getting ready for the holidays

Christmas Give-away Announcement

This Christmas give-away is not sponsored by me but sponsored by Baking Delights. She is giving away a cookbook filled with wonderful Christmas recipes called I’m Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas by Marcel Desaulniers and Ron Manville. Just what I need, another cookbook, right? heehee For contest details, please read her contest announcement.

Back From Thanksgiving Break

Hope all you U.S. cooks had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday. Mine had a disasterous start when I realized I left my box of baking stuff at the apartment. Fortunately most of it was "what if I bake this?" ingredients, so I only had to buy baking soda, powder, and powdered sugar. My family doesn't bake; therefore, I have the baking supplies at my apartment. Besides that, it felt good to be home for a bit. I took advantage of being home and made some recipes I wouldn't make while at school. The first thing I made was the infamous pumpkin roll. Who hasn't made this pumpkin roll yet? The cream cheese filling is good enough to eat out of the bowl. I was surprised this cake was flexible enough to roll. Obviously I knew that because it is a rolled cake, but you expect it to break at any second. Next time I will try to make the roll a little tighter haha


Pumpkin Roll Cake



Cake
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin

Filling
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered sugar (for dusting)

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Line 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with wax paper. Grease paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with 1/4 cup powdered sugar.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmgeg and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

3. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

4. Filling: Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Source: Very Best Baking

Thanksgiving Season is Upon Us

Only 19 hours and 45 minutes until my dad picks me for Thanksgiving break. Weeeee!! I'm excited to see my baby, although he isn't going to talk to me when he gets his annual booster shot at the vet on Wednesday.


Shh!! Murray's sleeping


I'm in such a good mood right now. I'm done with class for today, I don't have to work until next Monday, and I got a package from wonderful Anj, who generously gave me 16 cookbooks for my collection.


Thank you so much Anj!! I will let you know what I make with them!



I was bored this past Saturday afternoon, so I baked muffins. The muffins originally called for blueberries, but I hate blueberries and I didn't have any, so I subbed dried cranberries and raisins. I didn't taste the oats, so next time I would increase it to 1 cup. Enjoy!!

Oatmeal Cranberry-Raisin Muffins




1/2 cup rolled oats (may need to use 1 cup)
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup blueberries, cranberries, and/or raisins
1 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Line muffin paper with paper liners.

2. In large bowl, combine oats and water. Add flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, oil, and egg. Mix well. Stir in fruit.

3. Fill paper liners 2/3 full. Blend 1 Tbsp sugar and cinnamon together; sprinkle over batter. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Then remove from pan.

Makes 12 muffins

Source: "Muffins and Cupcakes" by Larry Rosenberg, 1986 p.16

When Two Cravings Attack

I told my friend to pick a recipe for us to bake last weekend. She wanted these chocolate chip cookie bars I made once, but then she also wanted brownies. She had the brilliant idea of putting the two together, so I googled some recipes. I chose a recipe from About.com because it involved cocoa powder (which I had) and not unsweetened bars (which I didn't have). We tried cutting the amount of butter in the recipe because it totaled 3 sticks. We had enough brownie batter but not enough cookie batter, so I would cut the butter in the brownie layer (which I adjusted in the recipe below) but keep the butter amount for the cookie layer. All my roommates and us enjoyed these brownies. Too bad the Brownie Babe Contest isn't running now because I would definitely enter these.


Double Decker Brownies



Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer:
12 tablespoons butter, cut into slices
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Brownie Layer:
8 tablespoons butter, cut into slices
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 13x9 pan.

2. Chocolate chip layer: Melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in brown sugar until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature, but still liquid.

3. Brownie layer: Melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder. Scrape into medium-sized bowl with a spatula. Add sugar, whisking to combine until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition until blended, adding vanilla with the last egg. Using a large spoon or spatula, mix in flour just until blended. Pour into prepared pan, and gently spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

4. Chocolate chip layer: Combine flour and baking soda in a small bowl. Combine with cooled butter mixture until smooth. Whisk in 1 egg and vanilla until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.

5. Space spoonfuls of cookie mixture over the brownie layer. Bake about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with small gooey bits. Do not overbake. Cool to room temperature.

Source: About.com

Comfort Food For A Cold Day

I am a meat eater, but I do enjoy the occasional vegetarian meal. I had a can of black beans, so I was looking for a good recipe. I came across this chili recipe, so I gave it a go. I didn't have any carrots or rosemary, so I left those out. I also added shredded cheddar cheese on top. You can even add other types of beans, such as kidney or pinto. Serve this chili with your favorite cornbread recipe.


Vegetarian Black Bean Chili




1/4 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 cupo sweet green pepper, chopped
1 cup tomato, chopped
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan, saute in oil garlic, onion, mushrooms, jalapeno, and green pepper, stirring often, until softened. Stir in tomatoes, beans, chili powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve garnished with grated cheddar cheese.

Source: Recipe Zaar

When It Comes To Dinner, I Am Not Your Average College Student

I think my roommates have accepted that I am not normal. While they are eating mac and cheese or hot dogs, I am making something hearty. "You're making curry again?" "Butternut squash?! EWWW!" I even had the maintenance guy ask me while he was fixing our sink what smelled so good. I bought three winter squash at the store awhile ago when they were on sale - sweet dumpling, acorn, and butternut. This is what I made out of them.


Stuffed Sweet Dumpling Squash




I bought three random winter squashes on sale because I've never had them before. I love summer squash, so why not winter squash? The first one I tried was a sweet dumpling squash. Very similar to an acorn squash, so if you're having trouble locating a sweet dumpling squash recipe, just substitute it for acorn squash. Now, I must admit this wasn't a scratch meal; I used a box of premade stuffing because I had it and needed to use it. It was an ok meal. I think the squash needed some sort of sauce. If you enjoy squash plain, then this would be a good recipe. The plus side was it smelled good when it was first cut opened. Save the seeds and toast them like you would for pumpkin seeds. After all, they are all part of the squash family.


Stuffed Acorn Squash



Round two of cooking with winter squash. Not my favorite squash either. I think it needed more sauce because the squash itself was plain. The filling was amazing - sweet potatoes mixed with orange juice and ginger. The original recipe is very confusing, so I rewrote it.

1 small acorn or sweet dumpling squash
1/8 cup brown sugar
2/3 tsp orange zest
1/8 tsp ground ginger
2 small sweet potatoes
3 Tbsp butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 oz. orange juice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/16 tsp nutmeg
1/16 tsp ground ginger

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Cut squash in half; remove seeds and pulp. You can toast the seeds later.

2. Coat the inside of each squash half with 1/8 cup brown sugar, orange zest, and 1/8 tsp ginger. Place in deep pan and fill with enough water so the halves (cut side up) are sitting in water. Bake for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, peel and boil the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes. Drain and let cool until able to handle. Cut into cubes and mash. Add butter, 1/8 cup brown sugar, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/16 tsp ginger.

4. When squash halves are done, remove from oven. Fill cavities with sweet potato mash; return to oven. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Source: Melissa's (rewritten by me)


Butternut Squash Curry



This is the curry I made when the maintenance man was fixing our sink. He said it smelled good, but I have the worst sense of smell. It can be a gift because that means I don't cry when I cut onions (mwahahaha). It also means if I can smell it, it has a super strong odor, and that can be good (such as baking brownies) or bad (such as chlorine). My one roommate just made a face when I told her it was squash. I'm starting to cook curry a lot now because the ingredients are so versatile.

3 Tbsp oil
1/2 lb. stewing beef, cubed
1/4 cup onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 small jalapeno, chopped
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 tbsp apricot jam
1 tbsp honey
1 cup cooked white rice

1. In a skillet, brown beef in 2 Tbsp oil. Remove from heat and pat off as much grease as possible.

2. In another skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil and saute onion and garlic until onions are soft and brown. Add cooked beef and tomatoes. Add curry powder, ginger, and jalapeno. Add beef stock and squash. Simmer for 30 min. or until squash is soft.

3. Add in jam and honey. Serve on top of cooked rice.

Source: Recipe Zaar


Butternut Squash Soup



I was hesitant on making this soup because our blender is so loud, but I needed to use up my remaining squash. If you love butternut, you'll love this soup. I left out the milk because I don't like my soups very creamy.

1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/16 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 cup milk (optional)

1. Saute onion in butter until tender. Add broth, squash, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in milk, if desired.

Source: Recipe Zaar

Cookie Contest!!!

I subscribe to a bunch of different food-related emails. In my Betty Crocker email, they announced the Bake Life Sweeter Cookie Mix Recipe Contest. If you were following along last year, you may know it as the Mix It Up with Betty! Cookie Mix Recipe Contest. What you do is take one of Betty Crocker's cookie mixes and use it as a base for your own recipe. I'm determined to enter this year, although my inspiration is a little dry right now. You can send entries between 12:00 a.m. on November 5, 2007 and 12:00 p.m. on February 1, 2008 (central time). Hopefully the holiday season will be enough inspiration!!

Is anybody else planning on entering? Has anybody entered last year's contest?

Also, Recipe Zaar hasn't been loading properly the past weekend, so I'm going to go back and hopefully post recipes instead of just links. That way we don't have to rely on RZ.

Thanks Megan!!

Special thanks goes out to Megan for the awesome package!! For those of you who don't know, we decided to do a cookbook exchange. Not only did she mail me "Mercy's Favorites" from the Mercy Medical Center Redding, she also included Betty Crocker's "Fun Summer Appetizers" and a bag of Kraft caramel bits. I think she was spying on me when she bought the caramel bits because I wanted to try them but couldn't find any at my local store LOL I can't wait to try those out!!

A New Favorite

WARNING - This is the most amazing beef dish I've ever cooked/eaten. This is definitely a meal I could make weekly. You must marinade the beef in order to get the flavor factor. The recipe called for 4 hours up to overnight, but I marinaded it for an hour. Tasted amazing to me. It also says to grill or broil; I fried it in a skillet. Not the healthiest, but hey. As far as changing the ingredients, I adjusted the amount to one serving and forgot to add the sesame seeds (which I do have). I also left out the green beans.

Thai-inspired Beef and Pasta



3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 curry powder
1 cup uncooked penne
1 beef eye round steak (I have no idea what kind of beef I had)
1/4 cup thinly slice onions
1 cup red pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/8 cup sesame seeds

1. Mix together 1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice, 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 1/2 Tbsp oil, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp ginger, and 1/8 tsp curry powder. Place beef in a freezer bag. Pour marinade into the bag; cover the meat as best as you can. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight. The longer it sits, the better the flavor.

2. Once the meat is ready, pour some oil into a skillet and fry meat until no longer brown. If you're having trouble getting the middle to be brown, cut the meat into chunks. Once the meat is brown, cut into bite-size chunks (if you haven't done so already).

3. While the meat is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until done.

4. Pour remaining lime juice, soy sauce, oil, sugar, garlic powder, ginger, and curry powder into a second skillet. Saute onions, red pepper, and sesame seeds. Add browned beef. Add in cooked pasta. Sprinkle the top with feta cheese.

Makes two servings

Source: Recipe Zaar

Spontaneous Brownies

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, my friend and I eat lunch at my apartment before going to our 1:00 class. We were talking about baking and she goes "Let's make some brownies." "Now?" "Yes, now!" I was a little flustered because I had to search for a recipe (The one I use is back home in a binder. Remind me to grab that over Thanksgiving break.) and of course my laptop decides to go so slow that I could've driven home, grabbed the recipe, and driven back and it still would've been loading (exaggeration, of course). Finally, I got a recipe and we baked one hour before class started. This means we had to leave by 12:45. Uh yea. If the brownies would've baked the 25 minutes it called for, we would've been fine. Nope, it decided to take an extra 10 minutes. Thank goodness my one roommate was here to watch it while we power-walked to class.

I usually don't have eggs on hand, so I've been reading up on egg substitutions. Yay for vegan recipes!! I used butter, so these brownies aren't 100% vegan. However, they use bananas to replace the egg. I didn't realize until after the brownies were baking that there was no baking powder in the recipe!! The reasoning was that eggs can serve as a levening agent, and since I substituted with bananas, I lost that effect. As you can see by the picture, they still came out fine. I subbed chocolate chips for the bittersweet chocolate, two bananas for the eggs, and left out the espresso powder. I didn't bother letting the chocolate cool to room temperature.

I used leftover cream cheese frosting. The brownies are good enough without frosting, so feel free to leave it off to cut on calories. Then again if you're eating brownies, you probably don't care about calories at the moment. I didn't.

Chocolate Banana Brownies



1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
2 large eggs or 2 ripe bananas
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish or line it with foil.

2. In medium saucepan, stir chocolate and butter together until just melted. Remove and set aside.

3. Mix eggs/bananas, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla together. Add chocolate and mix well. Fold flour into batter until just incorporated.

4. Pour batter into baking dish and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Place on a wire rack and cool completely before cutting.

Source: Recipe Zaar