Weekend Cookbook Challenge 27

Well, I'm a tad bit upset because I accidentally spilled water on my laptop, and now the keyboard isn't working properly. I was told it needs to dry for 24 hours, so hopefully that's all it needs. Otherwise, I'm not sure how I'm going to afford the repairs (assuming it's going to be a few hundred dollars). Wish me luck.

I'm going to be in Savannah, Georgia for this weekend, so hopefully it'll get my mind off of my laptop. I'm leaving tonight and won't be back until Sunday.

In the meantime, I'm hosting Weekend Cookbook Challenge #27 for April. I decided to go with Vintage Cookbooks as the theme. That means you pick a cookbook dated before 1980 (that means 1979 and earlier), pick any recipe, make it, blog about it, and send me your entry. It's that easy!

If you don't have any old cookbooks, you can make Apple Harvest Squares or Sweet Applets from Megan's Cookin. If you find a recipe on the internet that dates before 1980, that works too.

To enter the challenge, please email the following to mooseymoosecc[at]hotmail[dot]com:

-Your Name
-Your Blog's Name
-Entry Link
-Picture

I'll reply to each entry, so if you don't get an email after a week or two, please send it again or leave a comment on my blog.

Deadline is Saturday, April 26.

Am I The Next Cupcake Hero?

I've been meaning to enter the Cupcake Hero challenge, but the themes haven't been compatible with me. Don't know how I missed the coffee one, but the liquor one was a little illegal for me haha I was ready for this month's theme - marshmallow. I know most people are probably going for rocky road or peanut butter marshmallow cupcakes, but I wanted something that (hopefully) nobody else will bake. Ok so it wasn't really my idea, but I did find the perfect recipe. I had too many books and not enough time to find a cupcake recipe involving marshmallow, so I resorted to Recipe Zaar. I came across Baked Alaska-ettes. I love Baked Alaska, so this recipe was perfect! Normally I would've used a meringue on top, but since I needed a marshmallow cupcake, a big marshmallow worked too.

My biggest problem with this was the broiler. I have never used our broiler before. According to our manual, you aren't supposed to preheat the broiler, which is weird, right? For this particular recipe, the cupcakes need to be under the broiler for 30 seconds, no more, no less. With the broiler not preheated, it took me 2 minutes for the marshmallows to toast. Normally, this would've been fine except the ice cream melted into the batter (which is why I didn't take a picture of a cross-section). So, make sure your broiler is hot and ready to go.

Also, I didn't have light cream, so I used 3/4 cup milk + 2 Tbsp butter, melted.


Baked Alaska-ettes




1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup light cream (or 3/4 cup milk + 2 Tbsp butter, melted)
1 tsp vanilla
1 pint ice cream
12 marshmallows, cut in half crosswise

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line cupcake pan with liners.

2. In a small bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat egg and cream together. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients, beating thoroughly.

3. Fill cups 2/3 full. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, about an hour or so.

4. Preheat broiler. When cupcakes are completely cool, cut a hole in the middle of each and spoon in ice cream. Make sure you don't go all the way to the bottom. Don't make the holes bigger than the marshmallow half because you want the marshmallow to completely cover the ice cream. The marshmallow will act as an insulator. Place under a hot broiler for 30 seconds. The marshmallows should be toasted. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Source: Recipe Zaar

The Cake That Broke The Mixer

Our hand mixer has been running strong in our family for almost 30 years (older than me!!). Right after I creamed the butter for this Oreo bundt cake, it started making a funky noise. Turns out somehow one of the beaters was bent and kept hitting the other beater when running. I had to finish the cake by hand. Trust me, this is not the cake to do by hand because you beat it on medium speed for 2 minutes, add egg whites, and beat on medium speed for another 2 minutes. I was in a hurry because I was going over my friend's house and wanted to bring warm cake, so I removed the cake from the pan a little too soon. Only half of it came out. Oops. Even though this cake hated me, it was still tasty. As my friend said, "This tastes like a chocolate chip muffin!" (chocolate chip muffin = good).

We ended up buying a Sunbeam hand mixer from Wal Mart. I only used it twice, but so far it's holding up. I doubt I'll use all six speeds. Our old one had three speeds, and I only used the first two. This new mixer even has a bowl rest. I never knew how handy the bowl rest really is, considering our old one didn't have one.

Now for the recipe. The original recipe called for boxed cake mix, specifically yellow. Well, when I was planning my baking list for spring break, I put it down as white cake mix. So I made a white cake from scratch and added the Oreo filling. Actually, it wasn't really white cake because I used butter instead of shortening (which made the cake yellow). Call it what you want. Just don't call me late for dessert (corny, I know).

Also, I think I had too much filling because it's supposed to be a "tunnel" in the cake, not take up the entire cake haha You can probably get away with less than 24 cookies. And the recipe calls for glaze, but it's fine without it. You don't need the extra calories anyway.


Oreo Bundt Cake




Cake
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shortening (you can sub butter, but the cake will look more yellow than white)
4 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla

Filling
24 chocolate cream-filled cookies (such as Oreos), chopped
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease bundt pan.

2. For filling, combine cookies, chocolate chips, flour, and melted butter. Set aside.

3. For cake, in a large bowl, mix on low speed flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, and shortening until just combined. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add egg whites and vanilla. Beat for another 2 minutes on medium speed.

4. Pour half the batter into bundt pan. Spoon in filling. Pour the rest of the batter on top. It's ok if some cookies are exposed because the batter will rise and cover them when baking. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Allow cool in pan for 30 minutes before removing from pan.

Source: Cake base from Simply From Scratch Recipes Volume 2, 1978 p.72; Bundt cake from Recipe Zaar

Cake With A Hidden Surprise

Who doesn't love a chocolate surprise? I was looking for recipes to use in my new ramekins I bought at Target. They are egg-shaped for Easter, so they are slightly smaller than normal ramekins. I saw this recipe online at Kraft Foods when I was reviewing Real Player Plus. Later, I saw the recipe in Kraft's magazine, so I knew I had to make them.

I ended up baking these twice. The first time I overbaked them, resulting in a cooked center rather than the melted liquid that was supposed to happen. Damn. So I tried it a second time, being very cautious with time. The first one I tested turned into a puddle of chocolate goop when I removed it from the ramekin, so I stuck the other three back in a little longer. My family loved them. Next time, I'm going to experiment with the flavors, perhaps adding extracts and even using white chocolate.

Now I can cross off #97 - Ramekins from my list.


Molten Chocolate Cakes




1/2 cup semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tbsp flour

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Grease four 6 oz ramekins. Place on baking sheet.

2. Melt chocolate and butter until butter has melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks until blended. Stir in flour until blended.

3. Divide between ramekins. Bake 13-14 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. This is very important because if you underbake it, it'll come out as chocolate goo when you remove it from the ramekin. If you overbake it, there won't be a liquid chocolate center. Let stand 1 minute. Invert cakes into dessert dishes. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top, if desired. Serve immediately.

Makes four small cakes

Source: Kraft Food and Family Holiday 2006, p. 78

A Party Must

I ensure you that any party is not complete without some Buffalo Chicken Dip. If you love hot sauce, you will love this dip. I first heard of this dip when my roommate's mom made it for her. Then at one of my meetings at school, the guy in charge brought leftover dip from his Superbowl party. I knew I had to make this myself, so I searched for a good recipe. This one comes from Recipe Zaar. I also completed #87 from my list - dip.

Buffalo Chicken Dip




2 cups canned chicken or cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1/2 cup hot sauce
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Nachoes for dipping

Preheat oven to 350F. In a skillet, saute chicken and hot sauce until hot. Add pepper, cream cheese, and ranch. Cook and stir until cream cheese has melted completely. Spoon into 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 30 minutes. Serve warm with nachoes.

Source: Recipe Zaar

Bread Machine - More Than Just Bread

I made white bread again on Monday. I was gone all morning and early afternoon, so by the time I got home, it was close to dinnertime. My mom wanted bread, but there was no way it would be done in time for dinner. She said that was fine. We could eat it after dinner. Well, that was a bad idea because my dad made his Italian potato salad (made with oil and vinegar rather than mayonnaise - amazing!),so we all filled up on that. The loaf of bread was only half-eaten. Since fresh bread goes stale the next day, I decided to try something on my list: #53 bread pudding.

The first time I had bread pudding was in Ireland. About once a month, I stayed over my friend's house in Dublin. Her and her family were amazing to me. When her mom found out I never had bread pudding, she made some for me. It was the only the best bread pudding I've had. Now, this bread pudding probably doesn't compare to hers since this is my first time, but it was still delicious. I was a little skeptical to pair it with the lemon sauce the recipe called for, but surprisingly, they went well together. The lemon sauce made a lot, so below is the adjusted version (which still makes a lot). You can serve the leftover sauce on ice cream or cake. Maybe even pancakes or waffles.

Classic Raisin Bread Pudding



4 cups firm white bread, cubed
1 cup raisins
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Lemon Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch or 2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp butter

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a one-quart baking dish. Combine bread and raisins; place in baking dish.

2. Heat milk and butter in a saucepan until butter has melted (do not boil). In a bowl, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add milk mixture to egg mixture, stirring constantly. Pour over bread mixture; let stand 5 minutes. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

3. For sauce: combine sugar and cornstarch/flour in saucepan. Stir in water, zest, and juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in butter until combined. Serve immediately on top of bread pudding.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Source: Gooseberry Patch Family Favorite Recipes with Sun-Maid Raisins and Dried Fruit, 2005 p.24

You can get a free copy of the Gooseberry Patch book from the Sun Maid website.

I Feel So Accomplished

Spring break started on Tuesday, so I haven't been online as often as I usually am. I did get a lot accomplished. I went to two internship "interviews" and waiting to hear about another one. I had lunch with a friend whom I haven't seen since graduation almost three years ago. I bought three more cookbooks. I finally uploaded all my cookbooks to my online library, which does not include the books that I am getting rid of (gasp!). I've had some baking disasters, and I've had some baking accomplishments. And this afternoon, I found out I received two awards from Megan. How cool is that? Thank you, Megan!




I'm giving both of these awards to Carla of Four Foodies because we share the same name, the same interests, and I believe she is the latest food blog I have discovered that I visit often.

Now for the baking. Remember my challenge list? I can cross off two things - 83. Bread machine and 32. Fudge.

Back in February, my high school had a flea market. Crazy me found and bought a bread machine for $1.50. Yup, you read that correctly. One dollar and fifty cents. That was half off since we went during the final hour. I plugged it in and it looked functional, so I took a risk. Chances are that someone got rid of it more because of lack of use rather than it not working. It didn't come with the manual, so I found one online. It recommended making a basic white bread for the first time, so I did. I never realized how amazing fresh bread really is! It tasted like the kind you get at the restaurant while waiting for your meal. My only problem was slicing it because I'm not very even haha




Now for the best news - I finally made fudge! Not gooey stuff in a pan, but actual solid fudge, the kind you buy at the store. FUDGE! I swear this is about my sixth attempt. Now, I don't know if Alton Brown would call it fudge since it has marshmallow cream in it and therefore making it "fudge-like candy", but whatever. It still tastes like fudge. I made Cookies and Cream Fudge because I'm planning on making an Oreo bundt cake later this week, and it doesn't require a whole package. Actually, I can't call it Oreo fudge or Oreo bundt cake because it's not Oreo brand, but it's still the same concept. This fudge is very rich, so I suggest cutting into smaller squares. The original recipe makes it for a 13x9 inch pan, so I cut it in half for an 8x8 pan. Below is the 8x8 recipe.

Cookies and Cream Fudge



1 1/2 cups sugar
6 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup marshmallow cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup crushed chocolate sandwich cookies

1. Line 8x8 pan with foil. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray or grease with butter.

2. Combine sugar, butter, and milk in a large saucepan. Keep stirring until it is at a full rolling boil. Stop stirring and let it boil for 3 minutes. If you have a thermometer, the temperature should be at a soft ball stage, about 234F. If you don't have a thermometer, make sure it is at a high rolling boil (without spilling over).

3. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips, marshmallow cream, crushed cookies, and vanilla. Pour into pan. Refrigerate until firm. Lift the foil from the pan. Cut into squares.

Source: Recipe Zaar

Coffee Break Time

Interested in winning an Easter contest? Head on over to Megan's contest and leave her a comment. It's that simple! You can win some nice kitchen accessories that will remind you that spring is around the corner. If you enter, tell her I sent you.

I've been meaning to try Dorie's Coffee-Break Muffins ever since I photocopied the page from the library (I really need to ask for this book for my birthday). I finally decided last weekend I would. I suggest using your best coffee because the flavor will carry over greatly in the muffins. It also called for instant espresso powder, but I only had instant coffee, so good enough. You can also freeze these muffins so they will last more than a few days. Just wrap individually in plastic wrap, place in freezer, and pull out an hour or so before you intend on eating them.

Coffee-Break Muffins




2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp instant espresso powder or coffee
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup coffee, cooled
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line or spray muffin pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, instant espresso/coffee, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in brown sugar until there are no lumps present. In another bowl, whisk coffee, butter, egg, and vanilla until combined. It is important that your coffee and butter are cooled because if not, the heat will result in a scrambled egg. Add liquid to dry ingredients and gently but quickly stir. Do not overmix.

3. Divide the batter among the muffin pan evenly. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely on rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

Source: Baking: From My Home To Yours, 2006 p. 15

A New Challenge

Before I entered the food world, I used to draw pixel art at Color Me Pretty. Pixel art are graphics you made either in Paint or Adobe Photoshop. Although I enjoyed doing it, I grew out of it when I came to college. One of my best friends Ida came up with a challenge called 100 Things Challenge. You made a list of 100 themes to draw (medieval, fantasy, etc.) and then complete it. I never finished my drawing one, but I did adapt it for food. I invite all foodies around the world to participate in this challenge. The only rules are you have to have 100 items and no double-dipping. You can be as broad (pie, cookie, tart) or specific (tiramisu, fudge, baklava) as you want. I have things I've never made, things I haven't made in years, and things I make all the time but want to try a new recipe. I have no time limit on my list because this is a lifetime goal, but feel free to put one for an extra challenge. You can copy my list or make your own. Or you can sit back and watch me complete my list over the next few years.

1. Baked Alaska
2. Yeast bread
3. Biscotti
4. Thumbprint cookies
5. Pizza dough
6. Pie crust
7. Kabobs
8. Pound cake
9. Mango salsa
10. Chutney
11. General Tao’s chicken
12. Donuts
13. Biscuits and gravy
14. Gumbo
15. Jambalaya
16. Clam chowder
17. Tiramisu
18. Baklava
19. Ice cream
20. Torrone
21. Paella
22. Flan
23. Homemade oreos
24. Bruschetta
25. Bolognese sauce
26. Crepes
27. Fortune cookies
28. Irish soda bread
29. Potato farl
30. Ice cream cake
31. Homemade marshmallows
32. Fudge
33. Chocolate orange peels
34. Homemade tootsie rolls
35. Homemade cow’s tails
36. Funnel cake
37. BBQ sauce
38. Hamburgers
39. Milkshake
40. Hummus
41. Egg rolls
42. Pulled pork sandwiches
43. Stuffed chicken breast
44. Stuffed meatloaf
45. Homemade lemonade
46. Carrot cake
47. Cocktail
48. Homemade pocky
49. Bread bowl
50. Gingerbread house
51. Fondue
52. Omelet
53. Bread pudding
54. Peda
55. Samoas
56. Do-si-does
57. Thin Mints
58. Tagalongs
59. Soft pretzels
60. Angel food cake
61. Cinnamon rolls
62. Cheesecake
63. Filled cupcake
64. Peanut butter cups
65. Peanut brittle
66. Exotic meat
67. Fish
68. Cream pie
69. Brownie
70. Blondie
71. Drop cookie
72. Cut-out cookie
73. Non-chocolate cookie
74. Chocolate cookie
75. Veggie casserole
76. Beef casserole
77. Chicken casserole
78. Puff pastry
79. Stuffing
80. Vinaigrette
81. Pickled
82. Calzone
83. Bread machine
84. Egg
85. Caribbean
86. Éclairs
87. Dip
88. Seafood
89. Truffles
90. Coffee cake
91. Tart
92. Scone
93. Tortilla roll-ups
94. Italian wedding soup
95. Creamed soup
96. Custard
97. Ramekin
98. Granola bars
99. Rice Pudding
100. Stuffed French Toast