The delicate and beloved Angel Food Cake is a timeless American Cake. Sometime around the 1830’s, the first Angel Food cakes were made by the frugal Pennsylvania Dutch cooks. After making noodles with dozens of egg yolks, they couldn’t bear to throw away the egg whites. So they came up with a new cake made of stiffly beaten egg whites and a few simple ingredients. The AngelFood Cake was born!
An award-winning cake . . . 2007 State Fair of Texas blue ribbon winner!
This angel food cake does not contain butter. However, please note that the frosting does contain butter. If you want a totally fat-free dessert just skip the frosting and dust the cake with confectioners' sugar. Your choice! It's delicious either way. :- )
Prep Time40minutes
Cook Time45minutes
Ingredients
1 tablespoonpowdered instant coffee
1tablespoonhot water
1cupcake flour
1/2cupsugar
1/2t.salt
1 1/2cupsegg whites (10-12), room temperature
1t.cream of tartar
1cupsugar
1t.vanilla
Frosting: 1 cup room temperature butter, 3 cups confectioners' sugar, 1 T. powdered coffee dissolved in 1 T. hot water, 1 t. vanilla, 1/2 t. salt and 3 T. whole milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º.
Dissolve the coffee in hot water; set aside.
Sift together the cake flour, sugar, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until frothy; add the cream of tartar and continue beating. Gradually add 1 cup sugar; whisking until the mixture is at a soft-peak stage.
Be careful not to beat the egg whites until they are dry.
Add the coffee/water mixture and vanilla.
Fold in the flour/sugar mixture.
Pour into the ungreased round tube pan.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove form the oven, invert onto a funnel over a wire cooling rack and cool.
Once cool, turn out of the pan. Ice the top and just the top of the sides with the frosting.
Frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar. Add the coffee/water mixture, vanilla, salt and milk. Blend until smooth. Add a little more milk if needed to make the frosting a spreadable consistency.
Devilishly delicious chocolate cake turns every occasion into a party!
Growing up in Louisiana, one of our favorite pastimes was baking the Black Midnight Cake out of Betty Crocker’s cookbook. Piled high with a double-batch of White Mountain Frosting, it was delicious to the last bite.
During the summers, we enjoyed plenty of family reunions. Everyone brought their favorite dishes. Aunt Kitty baked her chocolate sheet cake for every family gathering. She said “Everyone loves chocolate cake.” She was right . . . every bite of Aunt Kitty’s chocolate sheet cake was devoured!
Recently, I came across Aunt Dot’s Devil’s Food Cake recipe. It was a great beginning for this cake. Knowing how I like tall, multi-layer cakes, I doubled the ingredients and came up with this new version. The result was a four-layer, devilishly delicious chocolate cake!
This cake is an intensely rich chocolate cake. It is sure to spark joy in every chocolate lover!
Ingredients
1 1/2cupsunsweetened cocoa powder
4cupsboiling water
5cupsall-purpose flour
4tablespoonsbaking soda
2teaspoonssalt
3cupssugar
1 1/2cupsvegetable oil
1 1/2cupssour cream
8large eggs
2tablespoonsvanilla
Frosting: 2 sticks(1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 cup shortening, 1 1-pound bag confectioners sugar, 1 24 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips(melted in a double boiler and cooled), 1 tablespoon vanilla and 1/4 - 1/2 cup whole milk( add one tablespoon at a time until the frosting is spreadable-consistency!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350Fº. Grease four 9" X 3" cake rounds. Add a circle of parchment paper to each pan; set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa powder and boiling water; stir together; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar, oil, sour cream, eggs, and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Add the cooled cocoa mixture. Mix together.
Reduce to low speed, add the dry ingredients. Beat just until smooth.
Divide the mixture between pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the layers in the pans on wire racks for 15 to 20 minutes. Invert them onto a wire rack; cool completely.
To make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, crisco and powdered sugar. Add the cooled chocolate and vanilla. Blend together until smooth and creamy. Add just enough milk to make a spreading-consistency being careful not to add to much milk.
During the summer time, Bruschetta is especially delicious. Made with home grown cherry and heirloom tomatoes, basil and a few more pure, simple ingredients. Enjoy Bruschetta with a glass of wine while relaxing on your front porch. Summer evenings were made for this!
Ingredients
2heirloom tomatoes, seeded and chopped
30cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1red pepper, roasted and chopped(a jar of best-quality may be substituted)
1bunchbasil, finely chopped
2T.best-quality olive spread, (Kuby's brand is our favorite)
2garlic cloves, minced
1/4cupextra-virgin olive oil
1juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
2 baguettes - slice at an angle in 1/2" slices, brush with extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and toast under a broiler until lightly brown, flip and toast on the other side. Take out of the oven, brush toast with a clove of garlic sliced in half.
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients; mix and set aside for 30 minutes to marinate.
Top the toasted baguette slices with the tomato mixture. Place on a serving dish. Garnish.
Mix the dumplings and drop into a pan of simmering peaches on the stove top. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes and covered for ten minutes. Dish into individual bowls and serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream. Yum!
Ingredients
4cupspeaches, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1cupsugar
1/4cupunsalted butter
1t.vanilla
1 1/2cupall-purpose flour
1T.sugar
2t.baking powder
1/2t.salt
3T.shortening, sliced into 1/2" pieces
3/4cupwhole milk
Instructions
In a large pot, set over a medium heat, stir together the peaches, sugar, and butter; cook until bubbly about 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Turn off the heat and mix the dumplings.
In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk together.
Blend in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal.
Slowly add the milk, a little at a time until the mixture comes together being careful not to over work the dough.
Over medium heat, reheat the peaches. Add the dumpling dough in spoonfuls, separating them with the peach mixture. Cook for 10 minutes uncovered. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Spoon the peach/dumpling mixture into individual serving bowls. Top with your favorite vanilla ice cream. Serve at once!
I am fixing brisket tacos. It’s one of my family’s favorite meals. Towards the end of the brisket’s cooking time, I heat up the tortillas, prepare the toppings and cook some Mexican rice. I set the table for a family-style dinner . . . platters of sliced brisket, tortillas, toppings and salsas. We pass around the platters and make our brisket tacos. This is a family meal that I can count on . . . it’s always delicious and lots of fun!
Brisket tacos are my favorite family-style meal. Something about serving a meal family-style creates a festive mood. And the brisket tacos are delicious!
Ingredients
2-3pounds Flat cut Brisket
1large onion, diced
2garlic cloves, minced
129-ounce can Muir Glen® organic fire roasted tomatoes
3dried chiles
1T.ground cumin
1T.ancho chile powder
1bunch cilantro
3T.red wine vinegar
Instructions
Place the brisket in a slow cooker.
Saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 30 to 60 seconds.
Add the remaining ingredients to the onion/garlic mixture. Pour over the brisket and cover.
Cook the brisket on low heat for 7 to 8 hours.
Remove the brisket and place on a cutting board to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the tortillas in a double boiler with a piece of aluminum foil placed under them. Prepare the toppings and place them on serving platters and bowl.
Thinly slice the brisket against the grain. Place on a serving platter.
Set the table and arrange the platters on it.
Serve family-style. Enjoy!
For serving: corn and flour tortillas For toppings: thinly shredded Romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, Queso Fresco cheese, cheddar cheese, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, wedges of limes, red salsa, and green salsa
Recent Comments