Milk Bundt Cake

February 24, 2016 Angela Thorell

This falls into the category of cake my boys love...dense and buttery. It did no last long in our house. In fact, a friend stopped by and when I lifted the cake dome to offer a slice I was greeted by a knife and an empty plate. So, I guess it was good.

MILK BUNDT CAKE

Recipe compliments of cookrepublic.com

12 ½ T unsalted butter, softened

3 eggs

1 cup caster sugar

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bunt pan with butter and dust with flour.

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth and mixed for about 5 to 6 minutes. Pour batter in prepared bunt pan. Bake for approximately 40 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove from oven.

Allow cake to cool for several minutes, then tap pan on all sides to loosen cake. Turn it over onto a plate to dislodge the cake from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar to serve.

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Turkey & Rice Soup

February 14, 2016 Angela Thorell

There's nothing like homemade soup on a blustery winter day. Grandma would save her turkey carcass from Thanksgiving and then whip up a lovely turkey and rice soup at a later time. The challenge: there was no recipe. I consulted family members and pieced together our memories of the soup into my own concoction. When I sat down to prepare this post, I realized I had done the same thing. No official recipe, scribbled notes. The good news was my memory was fresh.

The broth was silky, the soup flavor amazing. Although I know I varied a few things, I think it would have earned a Grandma thumbs up.

TURKEY & RICE SOUP

1 turkey carcass

2 quarts chicken broth

1 quart water

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

1 bay leaf

1 onion, cut into medium dice

Carrots to taste, 2-3 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds or half rounds

2 celery stalks, diced

2 cups cooked rice (I used jasmine, it's what was on hand)

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the carcass in a large stock pot and cover with the broth and water. Add thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for approx. 1 hour. The meat will begin to fall off the bone.

Strain broth through a colander into a large bowl or another stock pot. Reserve the broth. Remove the remaining meat form the carcass and chop. Return the broth to stock pot, add the chopped turkey, onion, carrots, celery, rice, parsley and basil. Simmer on medium until vegetables are soft. If using minute rice, add at this point until cooked. If using pre-cooked rice, add once the vegetables are soft.

Serve and watch the snow fall.

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Snippy Doodles

January 10, 2016 Angela Thorell

Snippy Doodles? Perhaps these were a precursor to the Snickerdoodle cookie.

Dainty, moist, more cake-like than cookie. Highly recommended with a cup of coffee. Snippety-doo-dah-day!

Snippy Doodles (Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book, 1947)

2 T butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup cake flour

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

1 well-beaten egg

Thoroughly cream shortening and sugar; add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk and egg. Spread thin in waxed-paper-lined 9" x 13" pan. Bake in moderate oven (350) 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and continue baking 10 more minutes. Cut in squares. Serve warm or cold. Makes 1 1/2 dozen.

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Almond Macaroons

December 20, 2015 Angela Thorell

This is a lovely little cookie - perfect for the holiday season. Although I have to admit this is not one of the grandmother's recipes friends have been asking me to share. The recipe is originally from the Hi-Rise Bread Company in Cambridge, MA, requested by Jessica Fechtor to be included in her memoir Stir. A good cookie and a good read, enjoy!

(As with all macaroons, the flavor develops best if placed in refrigerator once cooled after baking then return to room temperature to serve).

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Sugar Cookies

December 8, 2015 Angela Thorell

One bite into these sugar cookies and I was transported to my Grandma's kitchen. By the second bite, I had tears in my eyes. The flavor is all its own and unlike any other sugar cookie.

The recipe actually belonged to my Great-Grandmother and came to me via one of my uncles, the real chef in the family, Stevie. Remember his pancakes? I can not thank him enough for sending this my way.

After years of attempting other sugar cookie recipes to capture the taste of his childhood, Steve asked his mother for the recipe. The secret ingredient: lard.

The recipe was written very much in shorthand - a list of ingredients with no other instructions. After all, a good farm wife would just automatically know the amount of flour and how to handle the dough. Grandma provided some notes to Steve whom graciously provided them to me. The instructions below are hers along with my modifications.

These can be rolled and cutout if you want. Steve remembers his mother rolling them out thinner than normal, cutting half as circles and the second half with the doughnut cutter so there was a little hole in the middle. Then adding a spoon of homemade jam to the first, topping with the second for a filled cookie with a window. By the time I came around, the grandkids simply had dropped sugar cookies (she was done rolling out dough by then).

It gives me much joy to watch my sons indulge on their great-great-grandmother's sugar cookie recipe.

SUGAR COOKIES

2 cups sugar

1 cup lard

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp soda

Flour to roll

Grandma's instructions: Cream the sugar and lard, then add eggs one at a time. Alternate adding flour and sour cream. Usually start with 2-3 cups flour. Chill dough and then knead in more flour, less flour for softer cookies.

Notes: The cookies in photo above had 4 cups of flour. An earlier recipe made with less flour resulted in very flat, homely cookies. Delicious but very delicate. By adding more flour, I was able to skip the kneading process after the dough had chilled. I pre-scooped the balls of dough, sprinkled with sugar and laid on a parchment-paper lined sheet pan to chill. When it was time to bake, I moved the chilled balls to lined cookie sheets and baked at 350 for ~14 minutes.

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Monster Cookies

December 4, 2015 Angela Thorell

Happy National Cookie Day! I've decided to celebrate it with the Monster of all Cookies.

There are many versions of the Monster Cookie. These are the ones from my childhood - loaded with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut M&Ms. The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of peanut M&Ms which I find is not enough when making the smaller cookies as each cookie should contain some, right?

MONSTER COOKIES

4 eggs

11 T butter or margarine

2 cup peanut butter

1 2/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

6 cups oatmeal

6 oz. chocolate chips

6 oz. butterscotch chips

1/2 cup peanut M&Ms (or more!)

Cream eggs, margarine, sugars, vanilla and peanut butter. Add baking powder and oatmeal, mix well. Mix in chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and M&Ms. Dough can either be shaped into fairly large balls or scooped with cookie scoop.

Bake at 350 on parchment lined or greased cookie sheets for ~12 minutes.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

November 28, 2015 Angela Thorell

A perfect pumpkin bar for all things fall.

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 T pumpkin-pie spice

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 package (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Line bottom and sides of 9x13 pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium high until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away form sides of pan and toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Lift cake from pan using the foil as an aid. Peel off foil, cut into squares.

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Beef & Red Wine Stew

November 24, 2015 Angela Thorell

Boeuf Bourguignon Rapide, the official French name for Quick Beef and Red Wine Stew.

One of my grandmothers made beef and noodles on a regular basis, a simpler more rustic version of this recipe that requires a pressure cooker to prepare the beef. (A piece of equipment not yet in my kitchen arsenal.) So, I turned to a French version of the recipe and it certainly did not disappoint.

As my family enjoyed the dinner I mentioned that I may post it on the blog until I could recreate my grandmother's recipe - gasp! - two of my family members said it was not blog worthy. What? Why? The answer: It was not pretty enough. (Direct quote) This gave me much pause, did the food really have to be pretty to be worthy of Jana Vee and Marjorie? I realized if I posed the question to either one of them they would be laughing; they didn't always cook perfectly photograph-worthy cuisine but it was always pretty darn good.

QUICK BEEF AND RED WINE STEW OVER NOODLES (Compliments of French Comfort Food)

2 pounds beef tenderloin tips or stew meat

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 T

Salt and pepper

1/4 pound bacon, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 (16 oz package) frozen pearl onions, thawed

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 1/2 tsp thyme (fresh or dried)

4 cups Burgundy or dry red wine, plus a little extra

1 1/2 pounds button mushrooms, sliced in half

Cooked egg noodles

Cut beef into large chunks, 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces. Place 1/2 cup flour on plate and liberally season with salt and lots of black pepper.

In Dutch oven, cook the bacon on medium heat until golden brown. Remove to paper towels and set aside. Dredge the beef chuck in the flour and shake off excess.

In Dutch oven, heat the bacon grease until hot, add a layer of the beef chunks. Brown on all sides, leaving the insides rare. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining beef, adding olive oil if needed.

In Dutch oven, cook the chopped onion and the pearl onions until golden brown. Add the garlic, thyme and red wine. Bring to a simmer. Remove 1 cup of the sauce, mix in the 2 T of flour with a fork, return to the Dutch oven. Stir until sauce thickens. Add the mushrooms and bring back to a simmer. (If too thick, add a little more wine). Return the beef to the Dutch oven and cook - long enough to reheat the meat and reach doneness to your liking. If you like it well done, continue to simmer. Add in the bacon and stir. Serve over egg noodles.

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Butter Cake

November 16, 2015 Angela Thorell

As promised: Butter Cake, the decadent cousin to Cheap Cake. This is my sons' all-time favorite cake - simple, not too sweet, clearly rich and buttery. They would eat it morning, noon and night (and probably do behind my back).

BUTTER CAKE (compliments of Cooks Illustrated)

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

scant 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened or room temp

1 cup sugar

1 whole large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 tsp grated orange zest

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 375. Butter 9" round cake pan, line bottom with a round of parchment paper and butter parchment. Lightly dust with flour.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add whole egg, yolk, zest and vanilla; beat one minute. At low speed, mix in flour mixture and milk in alternating batches.

Spread batter in cake pan and bake until golden brown and a wooden pick comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool cake in pan ~10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack. When cool, dust with confectioner's sugar.

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Vegetable Cheese Soup

November 13, 2015 Angela Thorell

This recipe conjures up so many memories around one simple ingredient: Velveeta.

My grandfather loved Velveeta. This oblong pasteurized cheese product had a home in my grandmother's refridgerator for years. A couple of slices and some saltines = a snack. The memory of this cheese (well, cheese-ish log) is inextricably linked to its storage container. A specially-made-just-for-Velveeta rectangle created by Tupperware. Let's be honest, if you've ever owned Velveeta you know that if one little bit is exposed to fresh air for too long it turns into a hard-as-rocks piece of plastic commonly found in injection molding facilities. Then again, credit where credit is due: It is easy to cook with and provides an ooey-gooey cheese base for the chef's recipe.

Are you gathering I am not a fan? This item does have one little place in my heart - outside of the truly fond memories of my grandma and grandpa - it's presence announces the beginning of football season. Once a year, this little hunk of should be melted down to form the electric orange base of a spicy queso dip and then scooped up with a chip or two. Let the games begin! And that's it.

Confession #1: I could not bring myself to use one pound of it in the soup. A real cheese roux was substituted that I modified/created from a different recipe.

Confession #2: No frozen vegetables were used.

Confession #3: As I watched my fresh veggies lightly boil in the chicken bouillon base, I just knew the soup would be silky and amazing if it were smooth. Yes, I took my immersion blender to them.

The end result was really quite delicious.

VEGETABLE CHEESE SOUP - ORIGINAL GRANDMA RECIPE

1 quart water

2 tsp chicken bouillon

2 cup diced potatoes

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup diced celery

1 - 20 oz package of frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mix

1 pound Velveeta

Combine water, bouillon, potatoes, onion and celery. Cook until partly done. Add frozen vegetable mix and cook another 10 minutes or until well done. Cut Velveeta into cubes and add, stir until melted. Can be easily doubled.

VEGETABLE CHEESE SOUP - MODIFIED RECIPE

I quart water

2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base

2 cup diced potatoes

1 cup chopped onion

~ 20 oz of chopped fresh broccoli, carrots and cauliflower

2 T butter

2 T flour

1 1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 T Siracha

Combine water, bouillon and all vegetables (potato, celery, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots) and cook until done. Once tender, blend with immersion blender. One can also remove and blend in batches in traditional blender. Return to stockpot and simmer.

Prepare the cheese roux. In saucepan melt butter and then add the flour. Cook/whisk for a couple of minutes, then gently and slowly whisk in the milk -- whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. When smooth and begins to slightly bubble, slowly add the cheese, whisking after each addition. Stir in the Siracha. Remove from heat and add to the stockpot of blended vegetables.

Simmer and serve.

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Cheap Cake

November 10, 2015 Angela Thorell

The real name is truly Cheap Cake. It's from an old church cookbook compiled by the ladies of Huntley M. E. Church; I'm guessing it dates to the early 1900's. The ads include lunches for 30 cents and phone numbers that are simply two or three digits.

So, with a name like that and the ingredient list how could I not resist giving it a whirl? One of the ingredients is flavor of choice. I added 1 tsp vanilla and orange zest (from one orange), because, after all if the name is cheap it deserves a little zest. The batter resembled one of my boys' favorites cakes: Butter Cake from Cooks Illustrated (which calls for orange zest). When this cake was cooking I compared recipes....hmmm....no wonder one is called cheap and one is called butter. Butter cake recipe coming soon - along with more Huntley Church recipes.

CHEAP CAKE (recipe courtesy Huntley M. E. Church cookbook)

I cup sugar

1 egg

Butter the size of an egg

1 cup milk

1 pt. flour

2 tsp baking powder

Flavoring of any kind.

[That's all folks, no other directions. Recipe was made with softened butter the approximate size of egg. All ingredients were placed in bowl and mixed with electric mixer until smooth. Baked at 350 in 9" round greased and floured cake pan for approximately 30-35 minutes.]

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Angel Food Cake Frosting

November 6, 2015 Angela Thorell

An absolutely divine way to dress up a little angel food cake. Sweet and crunchy.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE TOPPING

2 1/2 T flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup soft shortening (aka margarine or margarine/butter)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup grated nuts

Cook the milk and flour to a paste, whisk constantly to avoid lumps. Cool. Cream the shortening, then add the sugar and salt. Cream again. Add in the cooled paste mixture and beat until light. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar - mix again. Once completely mixed, add in the nuts. Spread on an angel food cake.

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Oktoberfest: Beer Cheese Soup & Beer Bread

October 28, 2015 Angela Thorell

We love this soup. It is a departure from The Grands' recipes but it was a wonderful addition to our beer-themed dinner. I highly suggest the beer is the first liquid added after the kielbasa, onions and garlic have been simmering. The smell is heavenly. Do not rush the simmering process, at least one hour is needed for this soup to truly have all of the flavors come together. Thank you, Emeril.

Beer bread. Incredibly simple, incredibly delicious. One son said the bread (slathered with butter and drizzled with honey) is a top three recipe thus far of Jana Vee & Marjorie.

Your choice of beer will impact both recipes - experiment with what you like best. In sticking with the theme, Leinenkugels Oktoberfest was used for both of recipes.

Cheers!

BEER CHEESE SOUP (Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse's Potluck cookbook) Modifications in (italics)

1/2 lb kielbasa sausage, finely chopped

3 T olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 onion chopped)

1 tsp salt ( 1/2 tsp)

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

3 T minced garlic (~ 3-4 cloves)

1/2 cup flour

6 cups chicken stock

2 cups lager beer, preferably amber

1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (1/2 tsp dried)

3 cups grated Cheddar cheese - 12 oz.

Cook kielbasa in the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over high heat until golden brown, 5 - 6 minutes. Add the onions, salt, black pepper, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until the onions are slightly caramelized, 12-15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the stock and the beer. Add the thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Add the cheese, a little at a time, stirring until nearly melted after each addition. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Ladle into soup bowls.

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BEER BREAD

3 cups self-rising flour

1/2 cup sugar

12 oz. beer

2 T melted butter

In bowl, combine the flour, sugar and beer. Mix well - but do not over mix. It will be sticky. Pour into buttered loaf pan and bake at 375 for 55 minutes. During last few minutes, brush with the butter and return to oven.

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Ranger Cookies I

October 20, 2015 Angela Thorell

My grandmother had a Tupperware container that sat on her counter, about baking pan-sized with domed lid. It was always there. Always filled with cookies. On the rare occasion it was opened and no goody to be found one did not need to worry - a walk down the stairs to the chest freezer yielded your choice of cookie to replenish.

These cookies were an absolute staple in her cookie repertoire. My grandfather must have loved them due to their frequent appearance in the container, quite frankly, we all did. The handwritten recipe has a notation that says "(our favorite)". Now they are being introduced to the next generation of Ranger Cookie fans.

Why are they called Ranger Cookies? Supposedly they originated in Texas and were called "Lone Ranger Cookies". Why do I call them Ranger Cookies I? Stay tuned...it turns out there was lesser known Ranger Cookie recipe. A long-lost cousin....

RANGER COOKIES I

1 cup margarine or butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup oatmeal

2 cups Rice Krispie cereal

1 cup shredded coconut

Cream butter or margarine with granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; cream well. Sift flour with soda, salt and baking powder. Combine oatmeal, Rice Krispies and coconut. Fold the dry ingredients into the creamed mixtures. Mix well.

Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto parchment lined or greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-12 mins or until lightly browned.

Yield: 4 - 5 dozen cookies

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Taco Quiche

October 17, 2015 Angela Thorell

Truth be told I don't make a great deal of casseroles. Working my way through The Grands recipes is going to expose my family to some new casserole experiences.

Enter Taco Quiche. Easy. Hearty. Satisfying.

TACO QUICHE

2 lbs ground beef

2 envelopes taco seasoning

1 can (14 oz) tomato sauce

4 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 1/4 cup biscuit baking mix (i.e. Bisquick)

Pepper to taste

Toppings: Sour cream, lettuce, tomato, salsa, chopped peppers, green onions, shredded cheese

Brown beef; drain. Add taco seasoning and prepare according to the package directions. Add tomato sauce. (If your taco mix preparation is moist, then omit the tomato sauce.). Spoon meat into a greased 13 x 9 baking dish.

In a bowl, beat eggs and milk. Add biscuit baking mix and pepper; mix well. Pour over meat. Bake uncovered at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5-10 minutes. Top with your toppings of choice* Serve immediately.

*We only topped part of quiche with sour cream so it could easily be warmed up the next day for hungry boys.

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Betty's Chocolate Cake

October 8, 2015 Angela Thorell

Betty was a sister-in-law to one of my grandmothers; Grandma baked her cake for years. It's one of the recipes that is jotted down with one simple line of instructions: mix. Consider this to be the little black dress of chocolate cakes - versatile, always right. Dress it up (double layers, frosted) or dress it down (cupcakes), bake it in a half-sheet or 9"x13" pan - the choice is yours. The outcome is delicious.

BETTY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cup sugar

1 cup oil

2 eggs

2 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 T vanilla

Mix the above together, then add:

1 cup boiling water (slowly add and mix)

Mix.

[Bake at 350 - time will vary depending upon choice of pan. It was ~ 15 mins for cupcakes.]

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING (recipe from The Cake Doctor cookbook)

3 T butter

3 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 T milk

1 tsp vanilla

Blend the butter and cocoa on low speed with electric mixer. Add the confectioner's sugar, milk and vanilla. Slowly increase the mixer speed to medium. Beat until fluffy (about 1 minute more).

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Caramel Rolls

September 23, 2015 Angela Thorell

Scan to the bottom of the recipe - yes, the caramel is composed of vanilla ice cream. Vanilla ice cream boiled with butter and brown sugar. Tempted? I believe this ooey gooey caramel has potential way beyond these little rolls.

The dough. Lots of options: Make your own bread dough, purchase frozen loaves or swing by your local Whole Foods and grab a couple pounds of fresh pizza dough. There's no wrong answer.

My family loved these for breakfast. Into the evening one of my sons said, "How about I just warm them up and put ice cream on top for dessert?" Apparently it was delicious. Should I tag this breakfast, dessert or both? I'm leaving it as breakfast but feel free to make it into dessert.

CARAMEL ROLLS

2 lbs bread dough - if using frozen, thaw prior to using

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup vanilla ice cream

1 cup brown sugar

Cinnamon & sugar

Grease 9 x 13 pan. Tear the dough into small balls; roll each ball mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Place in the pan. Over medium heat, boil the butter, ice cream and brown sugar together. Let cool. Pour over the bread dough . Cover and let rise overnight.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

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