Strawberry Shortcake
1 Angel Food cake (make or buy, preferably with a hole in the middle)
2 pints of strawberries
I pint of heavy cream
Maple syrup
Pick out the best looking strawberries to be cut in half to decorate the cake. The rest you can chop into quarters or smaller piece. The pieces go into a bowl and get tossed in a drizzle of maple syrup.
Maple Whipped Cream
Beat the heavy cream with a mixer, drizzling in maple syrup until sweet. The berries are plenty sweet, and the whipped cream only needs to be slightly sweet. Beat until stiff.
Cut the cake into two equal layers, remove the top and spread whipped cream on the bottom ring. Cover with chopped berries. Spread whipped cream on the underside of the top reassemble the cake. Ice the cake with the whipped cream. Fill the center well of the cake with the chopped berries. All of them will not fit. Reserve for adding to sliced cake, along with extra whipped cream.
Cut the good looking berries in half and decorate the outside of the cake, and the top in any pattern you like.
Felicia’s Carrot Cake
Cake
3 cups carrots (raw, grated)
2 cups of sugar
1 /12 cups of vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
Mix together, adding carrots in last.
Bake at 350 (tube/loaf pan for 40 minutes or round cake layer pans 30 minutes)
Icing
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1 stick of butter
3 1/2 cups (1 pound) of 3X powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Barbara’s Blueberry Buckle
I first made this at Otha’s house in 1963 in Baltimore.
1/4 cup of butter
1 egg
3/4 cup of sugar
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries (washed if fresh)
Cream butter, add sugar and beat until light. Add egg and beat well.
Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk, beating until smooth. Gently fold in berries. Pour into greased 9 x 9 x 2 pan. Sprinkle with crumb topping.
Crumb Topping
Blend 1/4 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 1/2 cup of flour with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
What Tony Thought Was Barbara’s Blueberry Buckle
I have no idea where I got this Blueberry Buckle from, but this is what I have been making.
Mixing/Baking:
3 small mixing bowls
1 9”x9”x2” baking pan
Topping Ingredients:
½ stick of butter
½ cup of sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp of cinnamon
Mix in first bowl and beat until crumbly, set aside
Cake Ingredients:
2 cups of fresh blueberries
½ stick of butter
2 cups of flour
1 cups of sugar
2 tsp of backing powder
½ tsp of salt
½ cup of milk
1 tsp of cinnamon
Preparation:
Take out frozen blueberries to defrost for 1 hour
Preheat oven to 375
In second bowl mix ½ stick of butter with 3/4th of a cup of sugar and beat until creamy. Add the egg and beat until mixed
In last and biggest bowl mix 2 cups of flour, 2 tsps of baking powder and ½ tsp of salt.
From clean measuring cup, ½ cup of milk add slowly to dry until it is creamy. GENTLY stir in the blueberries.
Pour into baking pan and sprinkle crumb topping over it to cover completely.
Bake 35-45 minutes until the buckle is complete cooked (no batter on tooth pick)
Gerry Morano Cheesecake 1974
Greased spring form pan (use vegetable oil)
Cake:
2lbs cream cheese
2 pints sour cream
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, 1 at a time
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Crust:
10 full sheets = about 1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs. Mix the crushed graham crackers with 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 5 Tablespoons of melted butter.
Cooking:
Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes in a spring form pan.
Shut off oven and leave in for 45 minutes
Types made: Blueberry, Cookie dough, Salted caramel, Plain, Plain with grated lemon peel.
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
FOR THE DOUGH
4 large egg yolks (room temperature)
1 large whole egg (room temperature)
2 ounces sugar (approximately 1/4 cup)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
1 teaspoon cold butter for lubricating baking dish
3/4 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
15 ounces all-purpose flour divided into 10 ounces (4 ounces and 1 ounce batches)
1 package rapid rise yeast (approximately 1/4 ounce)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
FOR THE FILLING
8 ounces light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon (ground)
Pinch kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
FOR THE ICING
2 1/2 ounces cream cheese (softened)
3 tablespoons milk
5 1/2 ounces confectioners’ sugar
FOR THE DOUGH
Combine the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter and buttermilk in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk at medium speed.
As the mixture comes together add 10 ounces of the flour, along with the yeast and salt and continue whisking until combined.
Remove the whisk attachment and replace it with a dough hook. Add another 4 ounces of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. At this point the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. If it is sticky, add a bit more flour (one ounce at a time). Knead on low for another 5 minutes or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; and form dough into a smooth ball. Transfer to a large bowl that has been lightly lubed with the vegetable oil. Rotate the bowl so that the dough ball is evenly covered. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside until the dough doubles in volume, about 3 hours. (Exact times will vary depending on the temperature of the room and the temperature of the ingredients.)
FOR THE FILLING
Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
TO ASSEMBLE
Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish with the cold butter.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently shape into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Then use a rolling pin to shape into 18 by 12-inch rectangle.
Brush the dough with the the melted butter, leaving a 1-inch border along the top edge.
Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the dough, also avoiding the top border.
Gently press the filling into the dough. (If you tend to have hot hands, you may want to cover the filling with a layer of plastic wrap first.)
Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough away from you into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness.
Using a serrated knife, gently cut the cylinder into 2-inch rolls; yielding 8 pieces.
Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 16 hours.
TO BAKE
Heat the oven to 200 degrees F.
When the oven has reached 200 degrees F, turn it off and place the rolls in the turned-off oven. Let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy, about 30 minutes.
Without taking the rolls out of the oven, increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and let the rolls continue to bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F. Remove the rolls and let cool while you make the icing.
FOR THE ICING
Whisk the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.
In case there are leftovers, arrange them on a plate and cover thoroughly with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. To reheat, move to a small plate (I usually use a paper plate) and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Two rolls can be reheated this way, three may require a few seconds more. Four will … let’s face it, you’re not going to have that many left over and you know it.
To freeze: Individually wrap the rolls in plastic wrap and place them in a zip-top freezer-safe bag. When ready to eat, uncover and defrost on the counter for an hour. Then microwave for 30 seconds.
LolliPlop Brown Betty
Topping:
1 cup flour mix with
3⁄4 cup brown sugar
Cut in 1⁄4 lb butter
Betty:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar melted into sugar with
1/2 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
4 large apples, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch slices
Aunt Barb’s Apricot Bars
Filling
3/4 cup dried apricots (chopped)
1 teaspoon lemon peel
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup of walnuts
Put apricots in pan, just cover with water. Boil slow, low for at least 15 minutes. Add lemon peel, sugar, and cornstarch. Boil 1 minutes, stirring. Cool.
Bars
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup of flour
Beat butter with sugar until light. Beat in flour.
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Cool.
Sunburst Lemon Bars
Barbara Fagan
Crust
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1 cup of butter
Combine all ingredients and mix until crumbly. Press into ungreased 9 x 13 pan. Back at 350 for 20 minutes until light golden brown.
Filling
4 eggs
2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup lemon juice
Into large bowl combine eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and blend well. Stir in lemon juice. Pour over warm crust. Return to oven for 25 minutes until top is light brown. Cool. Cut into bars.
Icing
1 cup of powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice
In small bowl combine and then drizzle over cooled bars.
Aunt Stelle’s Crumb Cake
4 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
1/4 pound of butter
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 2/3 cups of milk
3 eggs
1 /12 teaspoons of vanilla
Pinch of salt, pinch of nutmeg
Sift flour and sugar together. Work in butter, just enough to make crumbs. Take out a handful of crumbs for each cake. Makes 2 large or 3 medium.
To crumbs add cinnamon several shakes of nutmeg. Set aside.
Separate eggs and beat the whiles until soft peaks.
Slightly beat yolks, add to flour and sugar mixture. Add the baking powder, salt, egg yolks, and milk and combine. Then add the vanilla. Fold in the egg whites. Pour into pans and cover with crumb topping. Generously dot with butter. Back at 350 for 30 minutes, or until done.
Dust with powdered sugar, and serve warm or cool.
Cousin Stelle’s Apple Crisp
3 or 4 apples pared and sliced thin into greased pie pan.
1 cup of flour
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon of baking powder
5 tablespoons of melted butter
Mix ingredients and spread evenly over sliced applies. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes.
Lemon Ring
1 small package of instant vanilla pudding
8 ounces of cream cheese
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup of cool whip
1 pint of strawberries or raspberries
Prepare pudding as directed. Combine with cream cheese, sugar, lemon and cool whip. Fold in the pudding. Pour into 4 1/2 cup molds and freeze 1 hour before serving. Add fresh berries to top when serving.
Creme Brulee
1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided ½ for custard ½ for caramelizing
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.