Category Archives: dessert

No-Bake State Fair Honey Date Bars

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When I created an ice cream cake for my husband’s birthday a couple of weeks ago, I thought the no-bake granola crust would be a good make-over option for my old tried and true date bars — a recipe from my grandmother’s ledger.

I’ve dubbed the new no-bake dessert State Fair Honey Date Bars. They’ve not pulled a blue ribbon from the Minnesota State Fair, but I will be preparing the sweet new-fashioned, better-than-grandmother’s bars during a cooking demonstration I’ll be doing there on August 30th.

The crust of ground granola is held together with honey. A small amount of unsweetened cocoa in the crust offers an unidentifiable depth of flavor. Half of the crust gets patted into a 9-inch square pan. I used a square tart pan with a removable bottom. It makes cutting and serving the bars so much easier. A round springform pan would also work. The round shape is conducive to cutting small wedges to serve like pie with a scoop of premium vanilla ice cream.

I made the crust and patted it into my tart pan just before heading for a vacation in Chicago with our younger son and his family. Once we got to the flat we rented in Chicago, I stuck it in the refrigerator until I had time to make the date filling. A small bowl of the granola mixture to sprinkle over the top of the bars went into the refrigerator, too.

Pretty doors on the flat we rented on North Halsted in Lincoln Park in Chicago.

After days packed with trips to the Chicago Children’s Museum, the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Green City Market in Lincoln Park, train rides and bus rides, exploring the neighborhood by foot, trying new restaurants, playing at neighborhood playgrounds and even some shopping, I finally got around to preparing the date bars.

It didn’t take long to cook chopped dates with water. I flavored them with a little orange juice. If I’d been making this batch of bars at home, I would have added a sprig of fresh lemon thyme or a few lemon verbena leaves to the simmering dates. They can easily be pulled out of the cooked mixture before spreading it over the granola crust.

The date filling makes a thick layer in the pan. For my preferences, that’s a good thing. If you want less filling, just freeze half of the cooked mixture for another time. You’ll be surprised at how good it is served as an appetizer dolloped over goat cheese on crostini, garnished with a sprinkle of fresh herbs from your garden.

With my secret mixture of fresh herbs added to the simmering dates, I think these no-bake bars just might be worthy of a blue ribbon. Try them and see what you think. You’ll have to come to the Fair to learn about the secret herbal blend in the bars:)

If you plan to be at the Minnesota State Fair this year, I’d love to see you. Come say hi.

What: I’ll be doing cooking demos, preparing State Fair Honey (and herb) Date Bars

Where: Saint Agnes Demo Kitchen in the Creative Activities Building at the Minnesota State Fair

When: Thursday, August 30th at 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM.

You’ll find another version of my Grandmother’s Date Bars at this earlier post. Click here.

State Fair Honey Date Bars

  • 3 cups granola
  • 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 pound pitted dates, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1/2 cup chopped, toasted almonds

In two batches, grind granola in bowl of food processor to fine crumbs. This can also be done by putting granola in a large zip-top plastic bag. Roll over the bag with a rolling pin or a can from your pantry until the granola becomes crumbs.

Place granola crumbs in a large bowl. Add cocoa powder, milk and honey. Mix with a wooden spoon or your clean hands until all ingredients are thoroughly blended. Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of 9-inch square glass baking dish, a tart pan or springform pan. Set aside.

Add about 1/2 cup of chopped, toasted almonds to the remaining granola mixture for the topping. Set aside.

Put dates and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is the consistency of marmalade, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Allow to cool. Stir in orange juice.

Spread date mixture over crust in the pan. Sprinkle reserved granola mixture over the top.

Cut and serve. Makes 12 to 16 bars.

 

Layers of Chocolate, Strawberries and Cream

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When I pulled out the pocket folder filled with recipes I’ve gathered from cooking classes I’ve attended over the years, I was surprised to see that some of the recipes dated back to 1984. That was the year I started taking classes from Andrea Halgrimson in her cozy little kitchen in Fargo. I had two young sons at the time. Gathering with a small group of food-loving people in Andrea’s kitchen was always a special night out for me.

I flipped through my stash of recipes to find Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake. On a May evening in 1984, Halgrimson mixed up a biscuit-like chocolate dough that she rolled out and pressed into large round cake pans. The two chocolate shortcake layers were packed with a filling of whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

That was the night I got over my fear of unflavored gelatin. Halgrimson showed how easy it is to dissolve a little gelatin in water in a glass measuring cup. She placed the measuring cup in a small amount of water in a saucepan over low heat. As the water in the saucepan warmed up, the granulated gelatin dissolved in the water in the cup. Easy.

The warm gelatin and water mixture got whipped into thick cream that created the filling for the chocolate shortcake. The gelatin stabilizes the whipped cream, making it stay fluffy and beautiful as the shortcake sits in the refrigerator. The stabilized whipped cream will also have a much longer life at room temperature.

This time I used stabilized whipped cream to make my own Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake.

I baked the light and moist chocolate cake that I use for creating Strawberries and Cream Chocolate Roll. When it was cool, I pulled out the round cutters that I found at an antique shop in Pequot Lakes last month. One can never have too many round and square cutters:)

The tin has seen better days, but the cutters are in perfect condition. I love them.

I stacked the thin chocolate cake rounds with lots of sweetened stabilized whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Magnificent individual desserts!

This dessert is heavenly and needs nothing but a dainty edible flower on top. If you’re looking for over-the-top decadence, drizzle each dessert with your favorite hot fudge sauce.

Just another way to enjoy the fresh-picked berries of the season.

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake

  • 4 eggs
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar plus extra for sprinkling
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh strawberries
  • Sugar for sprinkling
  • 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
  • 2 cups (1 pint) whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15- x 10- x 1-inch jellyroll pan. Line the greased pan with waxed paper. Grease and flour the waxed paper. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs at high speed of an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add ¾ cup sugar, continuing to beat for 5 minutes until mixture is thick and fluffy.  Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together. Add sifted ingredients to bowl and blend on low speed. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and mix to blend.

Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake for about 11 minutes in preheated 350-degree oven. Cake should spring back when pressed lightly with a finger.

While cake bakes, place chopped strawberries in a shallow dish. Sprinkle with sugar to taste. Refrigerate until needed.

Sprinkle large, clean linen or cotton kitchen towel with granulated sugar in a 15- x 10-inch rectangle.

Remove cake from oven and immediately loosen from sides of pan and turn out onto sugared towel. Carefully peel away the waxed paper. Allow cake to cool.

When cake is cool, prepare the cream filling. Place gelatin and cold water in a glass measuring cup or custard cup. Place cup in a saucepan containing an inch of water. Heat gently until the gelatin melts.

Place whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a large bowl and beat until the cream has thickened slightly. Stir 2 tablespoons of the cream into the warm gelatin and quickly add mixture back into the large bowl of cream. Immediately resume beating. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cream and continue beating until cream is thick.

Use a 2 3/4-inch or 3-inch round cookie cutter to make 12 rounds of cake. Place 4 cake rounds of serving platter, sugared side down. Top with whipped cream filling and prepared strawberries. Place another round of cake on top of each, sugar side up. Top with more cream and strawberries. Place a third round of cake on each serving. Garnish with an edible flower, if desired. Makes 4 dessert servings.

Tips from the cook

  • Try using vanilla sugar for sweetening the strawberries.
  • It’s important that the dissolved gelatin mixture is still warm when added to the whipping cream. It thickens as it cools. Thick gelatin will create little gelatin balls in the whipped cream, resembling tapioca. You don’t want that.

It’s not all about mushrooms at a Mushroom Club meeting — how about some Candy Bars?

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A few days before the Paul Bunyan Mushroom Club members were scheduled to assemble at my home for their monthly meeting, member Terry Schaedig sent me an email note. He explained that, along with everyone else who was coming to the meeting, he was planning to bring a dish to share. There was a problem, though. He needed crisp and buttery Nabisco Waverly crackers for the recipe. It seemed in the 10 years since he last prepared the recipe, Waverly crackers had disappeared from grocery store shelves. I hadn’t even noticed.

I did a quick check on the internet and discovered Nabisco no longer makes Waverly crackers. I suggested Schaedig use Keebler Clubs instead. I still had no idea what he was making with crackers. Maybe some kind of hardy mushroom topping piled on crackers?

Looking fit, happy, healthy and not one bit out of breath after pulling another member out of the ditch just down the road from my house, Schaedig came in with an aluminum foil-covered plate in each hand. With a wide smile on his face, he handed the plates over to me.

I lifted a corner of the foil covering one plate. As I peeked in, my eyes focused on a perfectly-cut square of layers of chocolate and yes, crackers. The sweet aroma of peanut butter mixed with butterscotch hit my nostrils. I began to salivate uncontrollably.

It was difficult to wait until dessert time to eat one of those bars that kept tempting me from the buffet of food contributed by all the members in attendance. It was a good thing lunch was the first thing on our agenda for that meeting.

One bite of one perfectly cut Candy Bar – think butterscotch, peanut butter, chocolate and crunch. Chewy. Just enough chocolate. And, nice crunch from buttery, crisp crackers. Schaedig told me that after a lengthy quest for Waverly crackers, he ended up using Club Crackers.  I’d say that was a perfect choice.

Schaedig told me the recipe came from his mother’s recipe box. “Mom made these when she felt the kids were deserving (very infrequently) or when we went on strike (at least once a day) and demanded fair labor practices, which included her homemade Candy Bars.”

After the group watched a DVD about mushroom identification and discussed a few items of Paul Bunyan Mushroom Club business, our meeting came to an end. I noticed some members grab a Candy Bar for the ride home. It was my lucky day. Schaedig left several for me. They didn’t last long.

Terry Schaedig shared the Candy Bar recipe from his mother’s recipe box. Lucky for you. And, lucky for me, Mushroom Club meetings aren’t all about mushrooms!

If you enjoy learning about mushrooms, foraging for mushrooms, eating mushrooms and eating things that aren’t mushrooms, you might like to get more information about the Paul Bunyan Mushroom Club. If you are interested, send an email to johnmike@charter.net.

Candy Bars

  • 8 ounces Waverly Crackers  (Terry’s note: good luck with this one — Club Crackers are a good substitute)
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup Butterscotch chips

 

Place a layer of crackers in the bottom of an ungreased 13- x 9-inch pan.  Melt butter in a heavy saucepan and add milk, graham cracker crumbs and sugars.  Bring to boil.  Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Pour half of mixture over crackers.  Add second layer of crackers.  Top with remaining crumb mixture and followed by a layer of crackers.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt chips and peanut butter and pour over crackers.  Cool and cut into squares.

Notes from the back of recipe card:

  • Crumble graham crackers pretty fine
  • The graham cracker mix gets too thick if cooked too long.  Try to get it to start boiling sooner.

Note from Terry:

I know I have added raisins in the past and there is a note that says you have to put in a lot for them to be noticeable.  But, hey, why put anything healthy in with this belly buster?

l.c. finn’s roasted pears warm the soul with cinnamon extract

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Some say it makes no difference what kind of vanilla is used in cookies, cakes, quick breads and custards. Some home bakers are sure artificial vanilla flavoring works just fine for giving the best flavor to their baked goods. Others would argue that you shouldn’t waste your time baking if you use artificial flavoring. Only the real deal, pure vanilla extract, will work for giving the best flavor to desserts.

I’m a member of the pure vanilla extract club. I would never use an imposter in the custard for our family’s special banana cake, layers upon layers of homemade vanilla custard, sliced bananas and vanilla wafers covered with a thick blanket of real whipped cream. My special pound cake would have something missing if it was made with artificial vanilla. Pure vanilla extract costs a bit more than its artificial look-alike, but to me, it’s worth every penny.

Chad Gillard and Lee Zwiefelhofer favor the real deal, too. The two Twin Cities guys were discussing the absence of locally-made vanilla extract – extracts of any kind, really, as they downed some Finnegans together. They decided they’d make it themselves. In 2010 they started a company called l.c. finn’s Extracts, l. for Lee, c. for Chad and finns for those Finnegans that were downed as the business ideas developed. A few months ago, they launched their first three extracts: vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom.

When Gillard (you may also know him as the Aunt Else’s Aebleskiver guy) sent me the three extracts to try, I quickly opened the brown, glass bottles and sniffed each one. A whiff of cardamom extract brought floral, citrus fragrance to my nose. I thought how much it would be appreciated by Scandinavian bakers who smash whole cardamom pods to get the seeds they sprinkle liberally in their cakes, buns and pastries. How much easier it will be to use l.c. finns cardamom extract.

The cinnamon extract smelled sweet, warm, homey and exotic all at once. I added it to a batch of granola I mixed up that afternoon, along with some l.c. finn’s vanilla extract. The next morning, a splash of cinnamon extract was a fine partner to my fresh red grapefruit for breakfast.

l.c. finn’s vanilla extract has a rich, full-bodied, slightly earthy aroma that has brought new flavor to my homemade granola. I plan to use it in my next batch of Power Balls.

Organic cinnamon sticks, organic green cardamom pods and Madagascar vanilla beans soak in alcohol for weeks in an incubator kitchen in Minneapolis to produce l.c. finn’s Extracts. The flavor is given plenty of time to develop. Zwiefelhofer and Gillard have an approach to extract that takes plenty of time – they aim for full flavor with no additives.

Gillard and Zwiefelhofer give a portion of their profits to a scholarship fund they have created to give financial assistance to potential food entrepreneurs. The scholarships will give these students an opportunity to attend Kindred Kitchen, a training program in north Minneapolis that can help them start their own businesses.

Last month, Heavy Table named Gillard and Zwiefelhofer as food entrepreneurs to watch in 2012. When I visited with Gillard by phone recently, I asked what we might expect to see. “We’ll soon be introducing anise extract and chocolate extract. We’re working on pecan and almond extracts,” he said. “And, we are developing hibiscus extract. Tea lovers are enjoying hibiscus. We think there are many other ways to enjoy the flower that research suggests may help control blood pressure.”

Right now, l.c. finn’s Extracts are available in select stores in the Twin Cities area. You can find a list of those locations on the l.c. finns web site. You can also order extracts on the l.c. finns web site.

A recipe for roasted pears came in the box with the extracts I received. They are quick, easy, elegant and versatile. Serve for dessert with ice cream or whipped cream. They were delicious chopped and stirred into granola or oatmeal.

Only the real l.c. finn’s deal will do.

l.c. finns Roasted Pears

1. Slice pears in half and remove core. Place in lightly greased baking dish.

2. Mix olive oil, Cinnamon Extract and salt together.

3. Spoon mixture evenly over pear halves (or apples).

4. Roast for 45 minutes at 400 degrees F.

5. Serve warm, with dollop of Cardamom Whipped Cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream.

l.c. finns Cardamom Whipped Cream

1. Chill large glass or metal bowl and mixer beaters in freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Pour heavy whipping cream in the ice-cold bowl.

3. Beat whipping cream with ice-cold beaters until peaks are just about to form.

4. Add sugar and Cardamom Extract.

5. Continue to beat until peaks form. Do not over-beat, cream will become lumpy and butter-like.

A Valentine’s Day treat that will make hearts happy, too.

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I would never let Valentine’s Day go by without sharing at least a little bit of chocolate with you. In these sweet bite-sized hearts, a little chocolate goes a long way.

The recipe comes from my friend, Joyce. I stopped by to see her just before Christmas. She was busy creating menus in preparation for her family who would be coming home for Christmas. She was hunting for gluten-free recipes she could prepare for her granddaughter. She told me about Power Balls, a gluten-free treat that had become a family favorite.

Joyce moved to the refrigerator as she offered me a Power Ball. Alas, the Power Balls must have been left in the refrigerator of their other home. Rather than a taste, she sent me home with her recipe so I could make some of my own.

I’ve made several batches of Power Balls since that visit with Joyce. They are a snap to mix together in a food processor and they need no baking. All it takes is walnuts, Medjool dates, dark chocolate chips, some pure vanilla extract and a bit of sea salt.

Once February arrived, Power Balls became Power Hearts. I simply patted the date mixture out in an even slab on a silicone baking mat and used a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to shape the sticky mixture. I keep the ready-to-eat treats in the freezer or the refrigerator.

Large, plump Medjool dates are sweet, creamy, low-fat packages of  protein, fiber, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins. Walnuts are a rich source of heart-healthful monounsaturated fats and an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, offering protection to the cardio-system and providing anti-inflammartory benefits. Add some dark chocolate to the mix  and you may be helping blood flow through the arteries that supply the heart and the brain. Now, that’s a Valentine treat with power, for sure.

Whether you shape the magic mixture into balls or hearts, they will be a treat appreciated and enjoyed by all.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Power Hearts (or Balls)

(from Joyce Henderson)

  • 1 cup Medjool dates  -  pits removed
    2 cups walnuts
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate morsels
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Pulse dates, walnuts and chocolate morsels in food processor until the mixture looks like coarse gravel. Add vanilla and salt and pulse to mix. Add 1 teaspoon water, if necessary, to form balls.

To make hearts, pat mixture into an even layer on a silicone baking mat. Cut with cookie cutter. Refrigerate hearts in a sealed container for up to a couple of weeks. They can also be stored in freezer for a couple of months.

Or, form into 1-inch balls. Makes about 3 dozen when formed with a #100 portion scooper.
Makes about 3 dozen formed with a #100 portion scooper.

Tips from the cook

  • Medjool dates are often found in the produce department of well-stocked grocery stores.
  • Lightly spray the cookie cutter with non-stick cooking spray before cutting to make release of the sticky mixture very easy.
  • You can watch me make the healthful Valentine treats on Good Food, Good Life 365 at Lakeland Public Television. Click here.

Bring back the Date Bar

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When was the last time you ate a date bar? I haven’t had one in years. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I’ve even given thought to that deliciously sweet, rich layered dessert.

Not long ago, I received an email request for a date bar recipe. My thoughts swiftly went back to the date bars my dad’s cousin used to make using a recipe that had been in my dad’s family for years — maybe generations. Following the visions of date bars running through my head came the date-filled cookies I used to get from the Rothsay Truck Stop. On my trips from Fargo to Minneapolis, I could never pass up the I-94 exit that took my car up the ramp and right into a parking spot in front of the large plate glass window that looked into the little cafe attached to the gas station. I’d walk up to the counter lined with bar stools and order half dozen of the homemade date-filled cookies. A waitress would pull the large, soft cookies from a glass jar on a shelf and slide them into a paper bag. Chewy and not too sweet, they were a date-lovers dream. They were an easy snack to eat out of hand in the car. The truck-stop cafe is still there. The date-filled cookies are not.

My date-filled daydream came to an abrupt end when I realized date bars seem to have fallen out of fashion. Even Betty Crocker’s Date Bar Mix, something my mom used to bring home from the grocery store in the 1960s, has disappeared. And, when was the last time you saw date bars in the bakery case?

Date bars are gone. They’ve simply vanished and we didn’t even notice.

I’m bringing them back right now. I found my grandmother’s recipe in her tattered ledger filled with her beautiful, scrolling handwriting. That recipe appears in my column this week. They have less butter and sugar than many date bar recipes use. They’re way too crumbly to eat in the car without making a mess on the seat. But, they are good.

This makeover recipe replaces all-purpose flour with Natural Way Mills organic white whole wheat flour. This flour is similar in texture to white all-purpose flour, but it contains the germ and most of the nutrients of whole wheat flour and has a creamy color. The flavor is much lighter than the pronounced nutty flavor of whole wheat flour.

I replaced butter with earth balance organic coconut spread. It was the first time I used the spread for baking. It left just a slight hint of coconut, which is a natural flavor partner for dates.

I think my grandmother might disapprove if she knew I was playing around with an old family recipe. She’d be disappointed to know I prefer these bars over those made by generations of bakers in her family. But, change can be good — especially when it brings crunchy texture and delicious flavor while producing a date bar that is a little more healthful than the original.

This new recipe, the 2.0 version of the original date bar, might just bring back the date bar.

Grandmother’s Date Bars 2.0

Date Filling:

  • 1 pound pitted dates, chopped
  • 1½ cups water
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Cookie Mixture:

  • 1½ cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup organic coconut spread, room temperature
  • 1 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats
  • ½ cup ground toasted pecans or walnuts

Put dates and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is the consistency of marmalade, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Allow to cool. Stir in orange juice.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9- x 13-inch metal pan with coconut spread. Line the pan with parchment paper, using enough to have some paper come up and over the sides. Lightly grease the parchment that lines the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Mix flour, baking soda and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Use your clean fingers to mix in the brown sugar. Add chunks of coconut spread to bowl. Once again, use your fingers to work the coconut spread into the dry ingredients until you create a crumbly consistency. Add oats and mix.

Firmly pat 3 cups of the cookie mixture into the prepared pan. Spoon date filling on the cookie layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining cookie mixture over the filling. Bake for 30 minutes in preheated 325-degree oven. Remove from oven. Sprinkle hot bars with ground nuts. Allow bars to cool in pan. Carefully pull the cooled bars out of the pan, using the excess parchment paper as handles. Cut into 20 to 24 bars.

Tips from the cook

  • To toast walnuts or pecans, arrange in a single layer on a baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 8 minutes, or until they are golden and fragrant. Remove from oven and immediately transfer nuts to a plate to cool.
  • The one pound of dates called for in this recipe is the weight of dates after they have had pits removed.
  • Find white whole wheat flour in all well-stocked grocery stores.
  • I found earth balance organic coconut spread in the refrigerated case with other non-dairy spreads.

Mocha Kissy Cookies require no kissing before eating

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When you work with preschoolers as I did for many years during my career in early childhood education, you learn how to hold in your laughs. From the mouths of those sweet, innocent little children come words that express their most serious thoughts. More than once during those years with young children I was astonished as I listened to their conversations.

I’ll never forget the day I was sitting in a child-size chair at a kidney-bean-shaped table with short legs, enjoying a snack with a small group of three-year-old children. Out of the blue, one little girl said, “Dolly Parton’s not a Christian.” Her big eyes glistened. Her mouth kept moving as she nonchalantly continued to eat her snack.

On the chair right beside her, another blue-eyed little girl with long blonde hair spoke up. “She’s not Jewish, either.” It was so surprising, it was humorous. I held back a little giggle. As Art Linkletter would have said, “Kids say the darndest things!”

Each year just before Christmas, we had a holiday gathering for all the children and their families at the campus child care center I worked at for several years. Each family contributed a plate of holiday treats.

One year, as I moved around the Center visiting with parents and siblings of the preschoolers I spent time with each day, I happened upon a conversation between two preschoolers. They each held one of those peanut butter cookies with a Hershey kiss in the middle. “Kiss me,” said the little girl as she looked at the confused little boy in front of her. “You can’t take a bite of your kissy cookie until you kiss me. That’s what my mom and dad do,” she said sweetly. I pictured her young parents sitting on the couch in their living room at home with a tin of Kissy Cookies resting on their laps, sharing a quick little peck as they ate cookies together. I held back a little giggle.

The little boy wanted nothing to do with any kind of kiss other than the chocolate one in the middle of the cookie he held in his small hand. He turned on his heels and walked away, the cookie held up to his mouth as he began to chew the chocolate out of its middle.

Mocha Kissy Cookies do have a milk-chocolate kiss stuck into their middle. No kisses are required before eating them, though.

The cookie dough comes from a recipe for cookies I got at a cookie swap in 1992. Typically, the dough is rolled into balls and smashed with a fork to make a criss-cross pattern on each cookie. For Mocha Kissy Cookies, I rolled each ball of dough in an egg white whipped with enough water to make it thin and then rolled them in cinnamon-sugar before baking. The result is a crunchy outside with a chewy coffee-flavored inside, a hint of cinnamon and a big kiss of chocolate — mocha flavors through and through.

It’s a cookie adults will enjoy more than children. If you’re having friends over, serve Mocha Kissy Cookies with a cup of Holiday Hot Mocha topped with fluffy whipped cream. That recipe is in my column this week. Click here to get to that recipe.

Eat, sip and be merry. Kissing requirements are up to you.

Mocha Kissy Cookies

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules or espresso powder
  • 1/3 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 tablespoon hot water
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 egg white mixed with a couple of teaspoons of water and whipped with a whisk
  • 48 Hershey’s milk chocolate kisses, wrappers removed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Sift flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and instant coffee granules or espresso powder into a bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening, brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar, egg, vanilla and milk until fluffy. Add sifted dry ingredients and blend. Add hot water and mix. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. (I used a #100 portion scooper).

Mix remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar with cinnamon in a bowl. Quickly dip each ball of dough into a bowl of egg white and water mixture. With a fork, transfer ball to sugar mixture and roll to coat. Place sugar-coated ball of dough onto prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Remove from oven and immediately push a milk chocolate kiss into the middle of each cookie. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet. Use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies.

 

 

Make your topping real good

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Have you seen the Reddi-Wip commercial that’s been running on television? They’ve timed it to run this time of year when pumpkin pie is being jotted down on the planned menu for many Thanksgiving Day cooks. Every slice of creamy pumpkin pie needs a dollop of topping, right?

In the commercial, a woman is seated at the counter at a diner. When she orders pie, the waitress holds up a can of Reddi-Wip in one hand and a plastic tub of topping in another. “Oil or cream?” she asks.

The viewer knows very well the plastic tub represents the light-as-cotton candy whipped topping that can be found in the freezer case at all supermarkets. And, no matter what brand it is, the frozen topping is usually referred to as Cool Whip.

 

When Cool Whip was introduced to the public in 1967, my mom went nuts over the whipped cream look-alike. My mother, who grew up eating real food on a farm in Indiana, snubbed the thick liquid cream as she marched right past the cartons of thick white liquid on the shelf in the dairy case and headed straight to the freezer, tossing a couple of plastic tubs of frozen whipped topping into her grocery cart. Maybe it was the convenience that appealed to her — no bowl or beaters to wash, just pop open the plastic top and scoop out the whipped water, sweeteners and oils. I’m sure she did not know it was made of oil. I’m sure she never would have used it as the topping on her pies or the dip for fresh strawberries. I’m positive.

In 2007, Patrick Di Justo wrote a piece about Cool Whip for Wired magazine. He basically deconstructed the fluffy whipped mixture made mostly of water and, like any whipped topping, lots of air. Hydrogenated oils give the whipped topping a creamy mouth feel. Corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup make the mixture sweet. A few other ingredients that are familiar to chemists but not necessarily understood by the average consumer help extend the frozen dessert topping’s shelf life, add sweetness and creamy texture.

It’s really hard for me to call this frozen dessert topping real food. I tell people this as I pour heavy whipping cream into a chilled bowl and beat it up with an electric hand mixer equipped with chilled metal beaters during cooking demonstrations. I immediately read reactions of disbelief on some of the faces in the crowd.

The first ingredients listed on a can of Reddi-Wip are cream, water, sugar and corn syrup. But, as the television commercial makes clear, there are no hydrogenated oils in the can.

So, before I share any recipes for pumpkin desserts this year, I’m sharing an easy recipe for whipped topping that is made with real food. It’s as perfect with pumpkin pie as peanut butter is with jelly.

Whipping cream is beaten with a small amount of buttermilk and a dash of sugar. Buttermilk gives just a whisper of tang that is unexpected to the taste buds. I got the idea for adding buttermilk to whipping cream when it was served with some pancakes and fresh berries at a restaurant in Chicago where I recently had brunch.

Buttermilk Whip is wonderful with a thick slice of Caramel Apple Bundt Cake that ran in my column last week. The topping on Apple Kuchen in Disguise? Buttermilk Whip.

So, my suggestion this pumpkin-pie season is to ask your diners, “Cream or cream with buttermilk?”

Buttermilk Whip

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Put all ingredients into a 4-cup glass measure. Whip until fluffy and thick.

Apple Kuchen In Disguise

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German grandmothers mixing up sweet yeast dough to form coffee cakes filled with fresh fruit of the season and rich, creamy custard made with real cream have been passing along the kuchen tradition for generations.

If authentic kuchen, which is a German word for “cake,” has been a common thread weaving through your family for decades, you probably won’t appreciate this recipe. The only kuchen my family eats comes to our table as a gift from an expert peach kuchen-maker who works with my husband.

The simplicity of this Quick Apple Kuchen recipe caught my attention as I browsed through an old cookbook I inherited from my mom’s extensive library. The book is so old, it refers to margarine as oleo. Up until 1952, U.S. law required margarine producers to label their product “oleomargarine.” But, the book is not so old that bakers couldn’t find cake mix in their grocery store.

Yes. Cake mix. Kuchen made of cake mix will be considered sacrilegious to many. Since I don’t have a recipe that’s been handed down through the ages, I thought it was worth a try.

It took minutes to combine dry yellow cake mix with butter and flakes of coconut to form a crust. While the crust bakes alone, a rich mixture of sour cream, eggs, sugar and cinnamon gets mixed together. Poured over apple slices that have been arranged over a slightly baked crust, the lightly sweet and creamy mixture bakes to a pudding-like consistency.

My kuchen-clueless family devoured the German imposter. They especially loved the crust that became crunchy with a slight caramelized flavor. The filling of apples and custard is not too sweet with just enough cinnamon to remind you it’s autumn.

If you don’t know better, you’ll love this German dessert in disguise. If you do know better, just give it a try. And call it Quick and Delicious Apple Dessert.

If you’re in the mood for baking with apples, check out the Caramel Apple Bundt Cake in

my column this week. A click here will take you right to that

recipe.

Quick Apple Kuchen

(Slightly adapted from a recipe in “Thou Preparest a Table,” a compilation of recipes from Pekin United Methodist Youth Fellowship in Pekin, New York)
 
  • 1 (18.25-ounce) yellow cake mix
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup coconut
  • 1 1/4 pounds apples, peeled and sliced, about 3 cups of slices
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • Whipped cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Set aside.

Blend dry cake mix and butter together with pastry blender or knives, just as you would do for pie crust. Use clean fingers to work in coconut. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes.

While crust is baking, beat egg, sugar and cinnamon together until well blended. Add sour cream and blend.

Remove crust from oven. Arrange apple slices in a single layer over the top, covering the crust. Pour sour cream mixture over the apples. Return to oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until crust is golden and apples are fork-tender. Remove kuchen from oven and allow to cool. Serve slightly warm, chilled, or at room temperature with whipped cream.

Makes 8 very generous servings for hardy kuchen-loving appetites or 12 lady-like servings appropriate for a luncheon dessert or 16 something-sweet-sized servings that would be appreciated at a brunch.

Weekend Baking: Apple and Banana Oatmeal Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

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Years ago I made an oatmeal cake that was moist, dense and delicious with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting slathered over the top.

When we had out-of-town friends staying with us last week, I thought of that cake that I haven’t made in years when I served baked oatmeal for breakfast one morning.

I flipped through my recipe file and found the cake recipe that I’d clipped from a newspaper many years ago.

I added a seasonal touch to the cake with the addition of chopped, locally grown apples. Since I had a ripe banana in the freezer, I stirred that into the batter, too.

A bit of cinnamon added to the cream cheese frosting turned the cake into an autumn treat. Oatmeal, tart apples, cinnamon and banana paired with cream cheese — can’t get much better — unless you add some toasted chopped pecans.

I shared the cake with others and discovered that a short length of cinnamon stick poked into each piece of cake worked well as a support for plastic wrap, preventing the plastic from sticking to the frosting and ruining its attractiveness.

Once you taste this cake, you may choose not to share.

 Apple and Banana Oatmeal Cake

  • 1 cup quick oats, uncooked
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 banana, mashed
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups diced, peeled apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour and 9- x 13-inch pan. Set aside.

Pour boiling water over oats in a bowl. Allow to sit for 20 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add soaked oats, buttermilk and mashed banana. Blend well.

Add eggs and vanilla. Beat to incorporate.

Sift flour with baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add to batter and stir just until dry ingredients are no longer visible. Stir in apples.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven. Cool completely in pan.

When cake is cool, frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese with butter until smooth and creamy. Add milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat until frosting is smooth and spreadable.