Tag Archives: baking

Scones of sweet potato and darling clementine — oh, my!

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I’m stuck on darling little clementines. Their sweet, juicy fruit is a burst of sunshine on a gray winter day. At just 35 calories per average-sized clementine, they are a smart snack when eaten out of hand. They offer lots of fiber and a good dose of Vitamin C.

Just before Christmas, I ordered a case of organic clementines from my local natural food co-op. My grandchildren love the little citrus fruit. My three-year-old granddaughter refers to them as cuties, enunciating each syllable so that it comes out sounding like “Q-teez.” All the grandchildren were expected to be here during the holidays. Unfortunately, the flu bug came to our house during the Christmas weekend. The ones who were here got sick. The ones not here never came because of the stomach flu-infested house. I had lots of bright orange clementines left in the large, 25-pound box.

When they are stored in a cool place, like my northern Minnesota garage, they keep well for a few weeks. During that time, I’ve used the easy-peel citrus fruit in all kinds of ways. I’ve used the juice in marinades and vinaigrette and have splashed it into sparkling water for a refreshing beverage. The fruit has been tossed into salad and stirred into rice pilaf. The aromatic zest has been shaken into salad dressing and has flavored scones. Yes, scones. One of my favorite morning treats with a cup of steaming, strong, dark coffee.

The Clementine Cream Scones I write about in my column this week are flecked with chopped dried apricots and chunks of toasted pecans. Their fresh flavor comes from clementine juice and grated zest. They are heavenly.

Once I developed these Sweet Potato -Clementine Scones with Clementine Honey Glaze, it was hard for me to decide which of the two clementine-spiked scones is my favorite. To make these moist, orange-hued scones, I mashed up a baked sweet potato until I had enough to fill a 3/4-cup measure. Their tender texture is a result of the magic cream and butter and sugar create when they are stirred into scone or biscuit dough and baked at a high temperature. Clementine zest and juice add fragrance and bright flavor to the scones. Dried cranberries and broken toasted pecans add welcome texture and another layer of flavor in each bite of a Sweet Potato-Clementine Scone.

The scones are delicious just as they are, but drizzle a bit of Clementine Honey Glaze over the top, and they are impossible to resist. A long time ago I had seen a Honey Almond Glaze over on Katie Goodman’s Good Life Eats blog. She spooned the glaze over Pear Almond Scones. I used her idea to create Clementine Honey Glaze.

I ate one scone while it was still warm from the oven. I ate one for breakfast this morning. I ate another one a little while later. After all, I had to taste a scone drizzled with Clementine Honey Glaze. I can’t stop eating them. I’m serious.

I guess it’s not all bad that my house was filled with stomach-flu afflicted humans during the holidays. If we’d all felt well, we would have eaten well. There would have been no clementines left in the box for making scones.

If you are like me and just can’t get enough of sweet little clementines, you will want to check out the salad I made on Lakeland Public Television. I used clementines in the salad and in the vinaigrette. Just click HERE.

Clementine-Sweet Potato Scones with Clementine Honey Glaze

  • 1/2 pound (8 ounces) clementines
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 3/4 cup mashed baked sweet potato
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Grate the zest from all of the clementines. You should have at least 1 tablespoon of zest. The more the better.

Squeeze enough juice from the clementines to make 1/4 cup. Set zest and juice aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Cut the butter into small cubes and scatter over the dry ingredients in bowl. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This can also be done in a food processor.

Stir in chopped nuts and dried cranberries.

In a small bowl, mix mashed sweet potato with whipping cream, reserved 1/4 cup clementine and grated zest.  Add sweet potato mixture to dry ingredients in bowl. Stir just until combined.

Scoop 1/2-cup mounds of dough on prepared baking sheets, forming 8 scones.

Bake scones in preheated 425-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven when scones are puffed and golden. Transfer scones to wire rack to cool completely. When scones are completely cool, drizzle with Clementine Honey Glaze. Makes 8 scones.

Clementine Honey Glaze

  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon local honey
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed clementine juice

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. When glaze is smooth, drizzle over cooled scones.

Tips from the cook

  • Toast pecan halves in a single layer on a baking sheet in a preheated 350-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately transfer to a plate to cool. Be sure pecans are completely cool before adding to the mixing bowl.
  • If you prefer smaller scones, use just ¼ cup of batter per scone and adjust baking time accordingly.

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.

 

 

The good, the bad and the great green tomato

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I’ve been up and down and all around with the good, the bad and the great green tomato.

I’ll begin with the good news. I spent a lovely weekend at Fall Mushroom Camp, hiking through the peaceful woods on the White Earth Indian Reservation by day and gazing up at a black sky illuminated with millions of sparkling, bright stars at night. The 3rd Annual Fall Mushroom Camp was sponsored by White Earth Tribal & Community College Extension Service. Experienced mushroom gatherers taught our group of 25 campers where to look for bright orange lobster mushrooms, honey mushrooms, chicken-of-the-woods and shaggy manes and specific detailed characteristics to help us identify each kind. My hiking boots put on miles as I became familiar with gills, partial veils and spore prints. The proficient foragers shared their reverence and respect for nature as they taught us how to harvest the edible fungi.

All of the meals were prepared for campers on-site by a trained chef who used the wild mushrooms we had collected from the forest in creative ways. He served up exquisite, flavorful soups, chowders and entrees. I came home late yesterday afternoon with lots of lobster mushrooms and honeys and a realization that I need a warmer sleeping bag if I am going to be sleeping in a tent with temperatures that plunge to 35 degrees at night. Brrrr. I was cold.

It was a refreshing, rejuvenating and educational weekend with not one bit of technology involved. I was totally disconnected from the electronic world. Nature was my classroom. The other campers were my friends. We talked and learned about one another without twittering. It was an amazing weekend.

Now, the bad news. On Friday, before I left for Mushroom Camp, my hard drive crashed. The people at Bemidji Communications tell me I’ve lost everything I had stored on my computer. They are not able to retrieve anything. Photos, recipes, columns — all gone. I do have an external drive that I’ve saved some of my things on, but I can’t really remember when I last did that. I’ve learned a computer lesson the hard way. I am thankful there is so much more to life than what is stored on a computer. And, lucky for me, my husband is willing to share his laptop computer with me while I wait for mine to come home from the doctor’s office.

After preparing not-too-sweet Emma’s Green Tomato Pie with a friend, I was inspired to create a more savory green tomato treat. I took the picturesque baked tart to a meeting of food professionals in the Twin Cities. I knew they would be critical taste-testers and would offer constructive feedback. I heated the baked tart in a 350-degree oven just until the cheese got soft and melted. When the rustic-looking tart was cut into small squares, it became a delectable warm appetizer. It would also make a wonderful meal when paired with a salad of fresh greens, some fruit and nuts and dressed with olive oil and vinegar.

Unfortunately, the picture I took of the Cheesy Green Tomato Tart was lost forever when my hard drive crashed. I’ll make it again soon and add a photo to this post later. You can read about Emma’s Green Tomato Pie and see that photo in my column this week. Just click here.

If you’ve got green tomatoes, make this tart. Take time to walk outdoors in the sunshine. And, make this day a good one.

Cheesy Green Tomato Tart

  • 1 large onion
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 to 2 pounds green tomatoes
  • 15 Ritz crackers, ground
  • 4 ounces (1 cup) grated Eichten’ Hidden Acres Tomato Basil Gouda
  • 4 ounces (1 cup) grated Swiss cheese
  • Pastry for double crust pie
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line 9-inch tart pan or 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Sprinkle cracker crumbs over the pastry shell. Set aside.

Peel onion and cut in half lengthwise. Slice each half. Saute sliced onion in butter over medium heat until tender.

Core clean tomatoes. Slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Arrange slices in a single layer over crumbs in shell. Fill in spaces with small pieces of tomato. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over tomatoes. Spread cooked onions over cheese. Cover onions with remaining cup of cheese. Arrange tomato slices over center of cheese layer.

Top all with lattice crust. Place pie on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated 425-degree oven for 20 minutes, until crust begins to turn golden brown. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Continue baking for 40 minutes, or until pie is bubbling.

Tips from the cook

  • Use any soft cheese that readily melts when heated. Provolone and Monterey Jack would work well. I buy made-in-Minnesota Eichten cheeses at my local natural food co-op.
  • You can watch a very short video that will give you a view of Cheesy Green Tomato Tart as I demonstrate how to make the lattice crust over the top of the tart. Click here.

Weekend Baking: ABC, 1-2-3 Sourdough Muffins

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I’m happy to report my sourdough starter from Jan Buckner is alive and well. With time spent in a bowl on the kitchen counter and in a jar in my refrigerator, the bubbling starter has kept me busy baking.

Most recently I’ve been enjoying moist muffins filled with grated apple and blueberries. That’s the A and B. The C comes from cinnamon and coriander, giving the muffins a zesty flavor with a subtle hint of pepper.

ABC Muffins are easy to make and easy to eat. They disappear 1-2-3!

May your weekend be filled with autumn sunshine and warm ABC Muffins.

They’re great with ice cream, too.

ABC (Apple, Blueberry, Cinnamon and Coriander) Sourdough Muffins

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup bubbling sourdough starter
  • 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1/2 cup grated apple

Topping:

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup chilled butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tin or prepare with paper liners.

Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, coriander and sugar into mixing bowl. In another bowl, lightly beat egg with fork. Add oil and blend. Add sourdough starter and stir to blend.

Pour sourdough mixture into bowl of dry ingredients. Stir to blend. Gently fold in grated apple and blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Mix Topping by combining flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in bowl. Cut butter into small chunks and add to ingredients in bowl. Use fingers to work butter into dry ingredients to create a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle Topping generously over batter in muffin tin.

Bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick poked into center of muffin comes out completely clean. Allow muffins to cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and allow to cool completely on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 12 muffins.

Tips from the cook

  • You won’t need all of the Topping for these muffins. Extra Topping can be stored in the freezer, ready to be sprinkled over the next batch of muffins.
  • Bake some batter in well-buttered glass custard cups. Serve with a scoop of premium vanilla bean ice cream.
  • Enjoy other sourdough recipes I’ve shared at these links:

Sourdough Pancakes

Sourdough French Bread

Janice Buckner’s Sourdough Coffee Cake

 

Weekend Baking: Sourdough French Bread

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When Janice Buckner sent me home with a jar of her prized sourdough starter, she made sure I was equipped with plenty of recipes that would inspire me to continue to bake with the fermenting mixture of flour and milk that she has kept alive for over 35 years. Learn more about Buckner and her sourdough starter in my previous post.

After making sourdough coffee cake and sourdough pancakes, I was ready to take on a loaf of sourdough French bread.

I felt some trepidation as I pulled my large jar of all-purpose flour from the pantry. I’ve done a lot of bread baking over the years with traditional dough that uses yeast to grow. The bread I was about to make would grow only with the power of the bubbling sourdough starter. Jan had marked the recipe as one of her favorites, but there were few directions accompanying the recipe.

The bread-making process begins by allowing a sponge of the sourdough starter blended together with flour and water to bubble at room temperature for 30 hours. Yes, that’s right — 30 hours.

After that, it’s clear sailing. Just stir in some sugar and salt and more flour before kneading the dough to a smooth, satiny finish. Unlike most yeast doughs, this sourdough will feel slightly tacky as it gets formed into a round loaf.

I baked the rotund loaf on a preheated pizza stone. If you don’t have a clay pizza stone or baking tile, just use a baking sheet. Professional bakers of sourdough French bread use ovens with jets of steam to make the crust crisp. I create steam by setting a shallow baking pan on the rack positioned under the bread as the oven preheats. Once I have the loaf in the oven, I pour water into the pan, creating steam and moisture as the bread bakes.

This sourdough French bread has a thick, crunchy crust. The inside texture is moist and chewy with a slight tang — well worth the wait!

Sourdough French Bread

  • 1 cup sourdough starter
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups water

Combine sourdough starter, flour and water in glass mixing bowl. Blend well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit out at room temperature for 30 hours. Sponge will be very thick and full of bubbles.

Add:

  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • Flour to make a workable consistency

Stir enough flour into the sponge to create a stiff dough. This is the time you can introduce other varieties of flour, such as whole wheat or rye, to develop different texture and flavor. The amount of flour you will need will vary with weather and the kind of flour you are using. Knead until satiny, 10 to 12 minutes, adding flour as needed.

The “feel” of this dough after kneading in the flour is different than that of most yeast doughs. It will feel slightly tacky when lightly touched. Shape dough into one large round loaf on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel, baking sheet without sides or a piece of stiff cardboard. Sprinkle top of loaf with extra flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise until nearly doubled in size.

Place pizza stone or a baking sheet on rack in middle of oven. Turn on oven to preheat to 400 degrees.

A few minutes before putting bread into the oven, place a shallow baking pan on the lowest rack in the oven, under the preheating pizza stone or baking sheet.

Sprinkle flour over loaf. Use very sharp paring knife or a razor blade to cut a 1/2-inch-deep X into the top of the loaf. Carefully slide the loaf onto preheated clay pizza stone or baking sheet. Pour enough water into the pan on the lowest rack to a depth of 1/4-inch.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 40 to 60 minutes or until richly browned. Loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom with finger. Slide loaf onto wire rack to cool. Makes 1 large round loaf.

 

Weekend Baking: Farm Basket Chocolate Cake

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Long, slender seedless cucumbers have been making an appearance in the large bushel basket of fresh vegetables and flowers I’ve been picking up every Wednesday from one of my favorite local growers. Also known as English or burpless cucumbers, they are crisp and refreshing. I like to cut them into snack-sized sticks and store them in the refrigerator. Their chilled juiciness is thirst-quenching on a hot day.

I’ve cut the firm cucumbers into tiny chunks and stirred them into creamy dip. My favorite way to prepare these generously-sized cukes is Hungarian-style, sliced and stirred into a sweet-tart sour cream sauce.

Now, there is another way to eat cucumbers. Peeled, shredded and stirred into cake batter. I discovered the recipe in my mom’s file, a newspaper clipping taped to an index card.

The original chocolate cake recipe calls for buttermilk. I had none in the refrigerator, but did have just enough vanilla yogurt to use in its place. I also had a few small, raw beets to use up, so I peeled them, put them through the grating blade on my food processor and stirred them into the batter.

The cake is moist with a strange flavor combination of sweetness and earthiness balanced with unsweetened chocolate. Semisweet chocolate morsels, melted and combined with sour cream, is the perfect topping for this Farm Basket Cake. Rather than serving the cake as is, whip up some heavy cream with sugar and vanilla to dollop over the top and sprinkle some fresh raspberries on the plate.

Next time I’m going to mince up some fresh chocolate mint from my garden to add to the cake batter. And, I might grate up some carrots to use rather than beets.

Farm Basket Chocolate Cake with Sweet Vanilla Cream is a grand way to eat your cukes and beets.

Farm Basket Chocolate Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup yogurt (I used Wallaby Organic Vanilla low-fat yogurt)
  • 2 cups peeled, grated seedless cucumber
  • 1/2 cup peeled, grated red beets
  • Fresh raspberries and Sweet Vanilla Cream (recipe below), for serving

Frosting:

  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup sour cream

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

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand-mixer to cream butter, oil and sugar. At low speed, beat in the eggs, vanilla and yogurt until mixture is smooth and creamy. Gradually add sifted dry ingredients to the batter in the mixing bowl, blending on low speed until all dry ingredients have disappeared into the batter. Stir in the grated cucumbers and beets.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on metal rack. When cake is completely cool, prepare frosting and spread over top of cake.

To prepare frosting, melt chocolate chips in small heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add sour cream and stir until well blended. Spread over cake.

Serves 12.

Sweet Vanilla Cream

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chill a non-reactive 2-quart mixing bowl and beaters for a handheld mixer in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.

Add the whipping cream, sugar and vanilla to the chilled bowl.  Beat at low speed for 30 seconds or until small bubbles form.  Beat at medium speed for 30 seconds or until the beaters leave a trail in the thickening cream.  Beat at high speed for 30 seconds until soft peaks form and the cream is thick and nearly doubled in volume.  This is where I stop — a thick, velvety cream to serve with Farm Basket Chocolate Cake. If you like, continue to beat until stiff peaks form.  Makes 4 cups.

 

Weekend Baking: Farm Basket Chocolate Cake

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Long, slender seedless cucumbers have been making an appearance in the large bushel basket of fresh vegetables and flowers I’ve been picking up every Wednesday from one of my favorite local growers. Also known as English or burpless cucumbers, they are crisp and refreshing. I like to cut them into snack-sized sticks and store them in the refrigerator. Their chilled juiciness is thirst-quenching on a hot day.

I’ve cut the firm cucumbers into tiny chunks and stirred them into creamy dip. My favorite way to prepare these generously-sized cukes is Hungarian-style, sliced and stirred into a sweet-tart sour cream sauce.

Now, there is another way to eat cucumbers. Peeled, shredded and stirred into cake batter. I discovered the recipe in my mom’s file, a newspaper clipping taped to an index card.

The original chocolate cake recipe calls for buttermilk. I had none in the refrigerator, but did have just enough vanilla yogurt to use in its place. I also had a few small, raw beets to use up, so I peeled them, put them through the grating blade on my food processor and stirred them into the batter.

The cake is moist with a strange flavor combination of sweetness and earthiness balanced with unsweetened chocolate. Semisweet chocolate morsels, melted and combined with sour cream, is the perfect topping for this Farm Basket Cake. Rather than serving the cake as is, whip up some heavy cream with sugar and vanilla to dollop over the top and sprinkle some fresh raspberries on the plate.

Next time I’m going to mince up some fresh chocolate mint from my garden to add to the cake batter. And, I might grate up some carrots to use rather than beets.

Farm Basket Chocolate Cake with Sweet Vanilla Cream is a grand way to eat your cukes and beets.

Farm Basket Chocolate Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup yogurt (I used Wallaby Organic Vanilla low-fat yogurt)
  • 2 cups peeled, grated seedless cucumber
  • 1/2 cup peeled, grated red beets
  • Fresh raspberries and Sweet Vanilla Cream (recipe below), for serving

Frosting:

  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup sour cream

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

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand-mixer to cream butter, oil and sugar. At low speed, beat in the eggs, vanilla and yogurt until mixture is smooth and creamy. Gradually add sifted dry ingredients to the batter in the mixing bowl, blending on low speed until all dry ingredients have disappeared into the batter. Stir in the grated cucumbers and beets.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on metal rack. When cake is completely cool, prepare frosting and spread over top of cake.

To prepare frosting, melt chocolate chips in small heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add sour cream and stir until well blended. Spread over cake.

Serves 12.

Sweet Vanilla Cream

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chill a non-reactive 2-quart mixing bowl and beaters for a handheld mixer in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.

Add the whipping cream, sugar and vanilla to the chilled bowl.  Beat at low speed for 30 seconds or until small bubbles form.  Beat at medium speed for 30 seconds or until the beaters leave a trail in the thickening cream.  Beat at high speed for 30 seconds until soft peaks form and the cream is thick and nearly doubled in volume.  This is where I stop — a thick, velvety cream to serve with Farm Basket Chocolate Cake. If you like, continue to beat until stiff peaks form.  Makes 4 cups.

 

Arboretum Zucchini Bread offers taste of the season

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I found a real treasure when I discovered “Flavors of the Arboretum: 101 Tastes of the Season” as I browsed through the gift shop during a recent visit to the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska.

Recipes in the book include signature classics that you might find on the menu in the Arboretum Restaurant, treasures from the old Tea Room, as well as recipes from cooking classes taught in the “Harvest Kitchen” at the Marion Andrus Learning Center on the Arboretum grounds and guest chefs who are invited to share their knowledge and skills as they teach classes.

Turn to page 29 in “Flavors of the Arboretum: 101 Tastes of the Season,” and you will be in the Summer/In Bloom section. That’s where you will find suggested summer menus from Twin Cities area chefs with all of the recipes needed to do some “Dining Al Fresco” and enjoy a “Summer Solstice Dinner,” as well as several other recipes.

The book lives up to its name with 101 recipes, all divided seasonally. The holidays, a fifth season at the Arboretum, has a section all to itself.

Since it wouldn’t be summer in Minnesota without zucchini, it’s only right that a recipe for zucchini bread would deserve a space of its own right in the middle of Summer/In Bloom.

Most of us have at least a couple of recipes that incorporate grated zucchini into quick bread. But, I must say, I’ve never come across a zucchini bread recipe that has sour cream stirred into the batter.

The recipe makes 2 loaves. I chose to bake some of the batter in 6 mini-loaf pans, each holding 1/2 cup of the thick mixture with shredded zucchini and chunks of pecans. They baked for 30 minutes. The remainder of the batter baked in the pan I use for Scandinavian Almond Bread (click here for that recipe) and took 40 minutes to reach baked perfection. It worked great and definitely gave Zucchini Bread a new look.

The bread is moist and delicious with cinnamon prominent as nutmeg chimes in softly. I like to break nuts rather than chop them — breaking gives bigger bites of crunchy nuts in the bread. I used pecans because I have them in my freezer, but choose your favorite to stir into the batter. The sour cream adds nice dairy fat to the bread — and dairy fat always means great flavor.

The recipe is a keeper. Now I’m ready to try the recipe for Latin Gazpacho with Shrimp that is right next to the recipe for Zucchini Bread on page 29 in “Flavors of the Arboretum: 101 Tastes of the Season”

You can read more about my experience at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in my column this week, which includes Zucchini Fries, another recipe from the Arboretum’s cookbook.

“Flavors of the Arboretum: 101 Tastes of the Season” can be purchased in the gift shop at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum or online at their web site, http://www.mnarbonline.com/Gift-Store-C27.aspx. You can also call the Arboretum to order a book, 952-443-1439.

Every third Thursday, April through October, admission to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is free after 4:30.

Zucchini Bread

From the Arboretum Cooking Classes
  • 3 cups zucchini, shredded
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs in large bowl. Beat for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Pour into two greased and floured 9×5-inch loaf pans.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pans.

Recipe, used with permission,  from “Flavors of the Arboretum: 101 Tastes of the Season.” Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. 2011.

Weekend Baking: Bottoms-Up! As in Cake.

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I smiled as I stopped at a card in my recipe file that had a newspaper clipping taped to it. The cream-colored index card was stained brown where scotch tape had years ago been carefully placed just right to hold the recipe tight. A check-mark was penciled in on the top right corner, signifying the recipe had been tried and must have been worth keeping, since it was still in my recipe file. I certainly don’t remember ever making the cake.

It was the name of the recipe that put a smile on my face. Bottoms-Up Lemon Cake. I immediately pictured my youngest granddaughter, who is now teetering between diapers and big-girl undies. When it’s time for a diaper-change, she lays down, flings her little legs up into the air, whipping them over until her toes almost touch her nose. At the same time her melodious voice yells out, “Bottoms up!” This acrobatic results in a bare little bottom ready for a new diaper to easily be positioned just where it must be for a comfortable, dry bottom.

The name of the cake alone would have been enough to get me into the kitchen to begin baking. But, when I saw the first ingredient listed, I knew I had to give it a try.

Who ever heard of hollandaise sauce mix in a cake recipe? I did a quick search of the internet and came up with nothing even close to this recipe.

If you’ve been a regular reader of my blog, you know I’ve never posted a recipe made with a cake mix. But, this one was so unusual, my curiosity got the best of me.

A yellow cake mix is sweetened with honey and flaked coconut, then poured over a mixture of hollandaise sauce mix, more flaked coconut, brown sugar and a little bit of butter. Since the recipe title implies lemon and the sauce mix listed lemon as the last ingredient, I decided to add 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to the Topping.

Topped with sweetened whipped cream, Bottoms-Up Lemon Cake is not bad. It gets even better with fresh berries added at serving time. I have fresh raspberries that I picked at a local berry farm yesterday, with lots of help from three of my grandchildren and their mom.

 

 

 

 

 

We were joined by my neighbor and another friend bright and early. I think we were the first wagon-load of eager pickers to get pulled out to the raspberry field.

This cake doesn’t rate at the top of the incredible dessert list. But it sure brings a smile to my face with each sweet bite.

Bottoms-Up Lemon Cake

Topping:

  • 1 (1.25-ounce) package Hollandaise Sauce Mix
  • 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
  • 1/2 cup flaked coconut
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Cake:

  • 1 (18.25-ounce) box Yellow Cake Mix
  • 1/2 cup flaked coconut
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 2 eggs
  • Sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Topping: In 13- x 9-inch metal cake pan, combine dry sauce mix, pineapple with syrup, coconut, brown sugar, butter and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted and mixture is blended. Set aside.

Cake: In a large mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients. Blend well. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter over Topping. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until top of cake springs back when touched lightly. Loosen edges of cake from pan. Let stand 2 minutes. Invert onto serving platter. Let stand 2 minutes. Remove pan. Serve cake warm with sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries.

This Cherry Cake brings music to my ears

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I love the fresh, dark sweet cherries of summer. This time of year, when the ruby-hued fruit from Washington is toppled into huge bins in grocery stores, long slender stems going this-away, that-away, I just can’t resist them — no matter the price. And, the price is high when you choose organic cherries. So, I buy them in small quantities, bring them home and savor each luscious orb of succulence.

This morning, though, I have gained even stronger appreciation for each cherry I slip into my mouth.  I was tuned into NPR in the car as Gracie and I were heading home from the kennel this morning, where she spent her Saturday while I was cooking at the Lakes Area Farmers Market in Detroit Lakes. As I listened, Anna King did a short piece about migrant workers from Mexico who have discovered that picking cherries is one of the best-paying agriculture jobs in the northwest. As the men and women perch themselves on ladders raised high up into trees heavily laden with cherries, they learn to become adept at quickly and carefully picking and dropping as many cherries as they can into their buckets. They are not paid an hourly wage. They are paid by the amount of cherries they pick. As the listener is hearing the sound of melodious voices of migrant workers singing in Spanish, a slight cry breaks in as a young woman falls from her ladder. It’s alarming.

When the NPR piece ends, I begin to wonder what it’s like to live the life of a migrant cherry-picker. Little things come to mind. Must they worry about getting stung by bees as they climb their ladders and disappear into a lush mass of leaves and ripe cherries? Do they itch with sweat, but don’t dare take time to wipe their brow, that moment or two keeping a few cherries from the bucket? How many have had to overcome a fear of heights in order to take this good-paying job? And, is this “best-paying” agriculture job actually paying these hard-working migrants a fair wage? If so, I won’t mind as much having to pay a high price for this summer fruit that I love. And, I will appreciate the laborious work of the migrants who have made it possible for me to enjoy Washington cherries in my Minnesota kitchen.

After a morning walk with Gracie, constantly swatting away pesky deer flies buzzing around my head, I was ready for a piece of moist and spicy Cherry Cake with a good cup of coffee. I could hear those melodious voices singing songs in Spanish each time a cherry half burst with juice on my tongue.

And, I wonder, do the migrant cherry pickers have to deal with deer flies? Oh, I certainly hope not.

Cherry Cake

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup pitted sweet cherries, halved

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13- x 9-inch baking pan. Set aside.

Stir baking soda into buttermilk. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add buttermilk mixture. Beat well.

Sift flour with allspice and cloves. Stir into creamed mixture, blending well. Stir in cherries. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Makes 12 to 15 servings.