Gingerbread Cake

Sounds Yummy doesn't it! 

O.k, lets get started you will need the following ingredients:

 2 cups of flour 

1.5 cups of sugar 

2/3 cup powdered milk 

1.5 tsp. baking soda

 1 tsp. salt 

1.5 tsp. powdered ginger

 1 tsp cinnamon

 .25 tsp. ground cloves 

4 eggs 

2/3 cup of melted butter or palm kernel oil 

1/4 cup black molasses

 1 cup of water

 1 tsp vanilla extract 

 Instructions: Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.

 Stir in the ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, and the powdered milk.

 In a separate bowl, cream together the sugar, molasses, and oil.

 Add the eggs to the oil and sugar mixture, and mix until it is creamy but frothy. 

While mixing, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix them just until there are no lumps.

 Mix in the vanilla,

 Do not over-mix. 

Cover the bowl, and let it set in the refrigerator overnight, 

or on the countertop for 1-2 hours.

 Bake at 145 C or 300 F for about 1 hour since oven tempretures vary more time may be required.

Allow to cool and Serve.. mmmm 

Frying Pan Cookies

This is a great treat when you are camping or at home.  So simple to make - even the kids can do it.

1 lb dates
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
4 cups of rice crispies

Mix dates, eggs and sugar and put in a cold frying pan.
Cook 10 min. then add rice crispies.  Roll into balls then roll them in coconut. 

If you are using an electric frying pan, set it at 300° F or if you are using an electric stove use the medium setting.  If you are camping, just be careful that the pan isn't too hot. 

Enjoy!

Homemade Donuts

I really wish I had thought to take more pictures the summer I was helping my mother in her home bake shop.  Thankfully I still have the memories but the pictures in my head are a little harder to get on paper. 
We decided that summer to try donuts and we practiced and changed recipes several times to try to come up with what we thought were the best ones.  For this project we actually had the neighborhood kids come to do the testing.  We started out with just my brother and his friend but it soon escalated to several more joining the lineup. A kitchen full of teenage boys waiting on the donuts to cook was a lot of fun and we finally had one that everyone agreed was the best. 

 Mom's Donuts

12 tablespoons white sugar                                           8 tablespoons lard
4 teaspoons salt                                                            1/2 cup powdered milk
1 3/4 cup hot water                                                      1 cup cold water
9 3/4 cups bread flour


        Yeast:  1 cup lukewarm water
                    2 teaspoons white sugar
                    2 tablespoons yeast


Mix all ingredients.  Knead 5 minutes.  Cut with donut cutter.
Place in oil in deep fryer at 375° until golden brown on both sides. 
Drain on paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Use whatever topping you are going to use while they are warm but not hot.  We used white sugar, melted chocolate, and honey for different flavors. 


Those boys are now men and still talk about the fun they had testing the donuts in Mom's Kitchen. 
 

Fiddleheads

Cookbooks

I have so many cookbooks that I have bought or had given to me over the years that just sit on a shelf and collect dust.  I have my Five Roses one  in the kitchen.  The pages are all stained with everything imaginable, the pages are dog eared, some of the pages have now gone missing but I would not trade it for anything.  The recipes are classic and up to date, with all I need to know to prepare anything I want.  My Mother used one and even used it to make some of her products for the bakeshop she had.  She adjusted some of the recipes to fit larger batches and she tested some different ingredients for other things but basically used the same recipes she found in her Five Roses Cookbook. 

Mother's Day is Coming Soon!

The weather is warming up, the flowers are starting to sprout and bud, and Easter is past for another year. Thoughts are turning to summer already and my dietary preferences change to summer fare. More BBQ's, salads, and early summer fresh fruits. My favorite fruits will be a while yet but I can start with the strawberries until the raspberries are available. I enjoy making and eating trifles that I make from whatever fruit is in season or multiple fruits if I can.

I usually use an angel food cake, vanilla custard pudding, cool whip and fresh fruit.

Cut the angel food cake into 1 inch squares. Put a layer in the bottom of the container you are going to use. I have a glass trifle dish that I use but any bowl will do. Depending on which fruit I have - I either cut it up or put it in whole. Then a layer of pudding. Repeat until the desired amount is prepared and top with cool whip or whipped cream. A nice cherry or strawberry on top or a layer of mandarin oranges looks great too!

Also great to take to summer parties or get togethers but beware - it doesn't last very long. Even the kids love it!

Chewy Squares

Always a family favorite when sitting around the kitchen table with our cups of tea and catching up on all the news were these chewy squares that Mom made when she knew we were coming to visit. Just be sure to wait until they are cool before you try to eat them. I learned the hard way, you can't eat them hot!

1/2 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups brown sugar firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
2 eggs well beaten
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup walnuts coarsely cut

Mix margarine, salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 cup flour. Press into a pan and bake until very light brown. Mix eggs, vanilla, 1 cup brown sugar and beat until foamy. Add 2 tablespoons flour, baking powder, nuts and coconut. Pour over cooked mixture and bake at 350° until brown.

Let cool, cut into squares and enjoy!