Fresh Apple Cake

Mix 3/4 cup cooking oil

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

Mix dry ingredients and add to above:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

Fold in:

2 1/2 cups grated apples (try 3 large and see if that’s enough)

1 cup chopped walnuts

This is the original recipe with instructions to bake 1 hour at 325 degrees in a loaf or tube pan. Mom noted that if I wanted a 9 x 13 pan, I should double the above recipe. That’s how I always make it.

When I made this last time, I made sticky toffee pudding sauce to go over it. In case someone didn’t hear me say this, the way they serve sticky toffee pudding (which is similar to this apple cake but made with dates) in a lovely tea shop in Thirsk is you put the piece of cake in a large-ish shallow bowl and pour in enough sauce to come up the side about half way. This is how I like it, of course, but look at me! Shelley makes do with a few spoonfuls – but I ask you, what fun is that?

Sauce:

Mix the following ingredients and bring to a boil:

1 cup butter

2 3/4 cups brown sugar

1 pint whipping cream

This makes a ton, so if you’re not like me, you for sure would want to halve this recipe. Oh, it makes my mouth water just to think about this. Of course, you can serve the cake plain, as I did for 40 years, but again – what fun is THAT?

So, anyway, this is a recipe Janet got from someone in her first husband’s extended family, Billie O’Brien of Albuquerque. Mom was hard of hearing and said this part of Lee’s family was so amazingly soft-spoken that she could hardly hear a word anybody said. One of these people was, I think, Lee’s uncle. He seemed like a very nice, mind-mannered man, and Mom was beyond astonished to learn that earlier in life he had gambled away his family’s home. Can’t imagine. And what kind of person would collect on a gambling debt that turned children out of their home? We are SO sheltered.

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Shelley wants the apple cake recipe I made some weeks ago, and I tried to get into our family recipe blog following the link (as I have previously been able to do) that Emma emailed me. I got a message that said I had already used the link, or some such thing. So I’m sending this recipe to you all hoping that one of you will take a few minutes and post it on that blog. And if you can tell me how to get into it again, I would appreciate it.

SOMEbody, please, find a way to put this on the blog.

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I love the email commentary from Susie. Such heritage.

- Jessica

Double Layer Lemon Cake

This is actually a pound cake recipe, designed to be baked in two 8 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pans. I baked it in two 9" cake pans. The cake is dense and doesn't rise much. If you have two 8" cake pans, I might try that. Also, I may have overbaked the cake a bit (I'm not sure of that, though). I thought the edges were pretty crispy. So you might want to try a toothpick at a certain point, although you have to know what to look for. I always thought the toothpick was supposed to come out clean if the cake was done, but then I saw something on the Food Network where the cook said the toothpick would have some crumbs on it, but the crumbs will be dry when the item is done. Probably depends on the recipe. I found that the cake was better with softer edges the next day, so I would bake it a day ahead if possible.

Cream

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.

Add five eggs (1 at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated).

Mix Dry Ingredients - with a whisk in a medium bowl.

3 cups flour,

1 1/2 tsp. salt,

1/2 tsp baking powder,

1/2 tsp baking soda

Mix Separately

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from approximately 2 lemons)

finely grated zest from the lemons.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three parts alternately with the buttermilk mixture in two, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat just until smooth and do not overmix.

Divide batter evenly between two well-buttered and floured pans. (Oops, here it is!) Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. (But remember that is for loaf pans and it will also depend on how hot your oven is.) Let cool a few minutes, then turn out on rack and let finish cooling completely before you ice the cake.

Frosting

1 1/2 sticks butter

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 T heavy cream (I didn't have, so I added a bit more butter)

2 tsp. lemon juice ( I added lots more to get a good lemon flavor, then I had to add some more sugar to get the texture right. NO WAY 2 tsp lemon juice is going to make it taste lemony enough.)

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest (I doubled or tripled that amount)

Good luck! (You know, you've got to have the lemons [or just one lemon] for the lemon zest, but if you don't have enough for all the juice you need, you can use the Minute Maid frozen lemon juice -- not the stuff in the green bottles which is full of chemicals and is not good.)

Oh, and by the way, I really think this cake is better without the ice cream on the side. The cream cuts into the lemony-ness and does it a disservice, in my opinion.

All notes are from Susie, the master chef. This came directly form her email of the recipe.

- Jessica

Taco Treat

Taco Treat

Maxine Rear

Serves 4-6

1 lb ground beef

1 chopped onion

2 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp salt

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 6 oz can tomato paste

3 cups water (hot)

3 cups cooked rice

Corn chips

Shredded lettuce

Tomato cubes

Chopped ripe olives

Chopped green onion

Avocado

Shredded jack cheese

Cook rice as directed.  Takes about 30 min.  The same time (almost) brown meat and onion.  Add garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, tomato sauce and paste, and water.  Simmer 30 minutes, stir occasionally.  Then add rice.

On plate, put corn chips and then top with mixture  Add other toppings as desired.

Molasses Cookies

Molasses Cookies

¾ C shortening (margarine)

1 C sugar

¼ C dark molasses

1 egg

2 tsp soda

2 C flour

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp each cloves, ginger, salt

Melt shortening; cool.  Add sugar, molasses and egg.  Beat well.  Sift dry ingredients and add to first mixture.  Mix well.  Chill.  Roll in one-inch balls; roll in granulated sugar.  Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375 for about 7 minutes.  (Longer for a crisp cookie, these will be soft and chewy.)

Oatmeal-Fudge Bars

Oatmeal-Fudge Bars

2 C packed brown sugar

¾ C margarine or butter, softened

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 ½ C Bisquick baking mix

3 C quick-cooking oats

1 package (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

1 C sweetened condensed milk

2 Tbsp margarine or butter

½ tsp salt

1 C chopped nuts

2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350.  Grease jelly roll pan, 15 ½ x 10 ½ x 1 inch.  Mix brown sugar, ¾ C margarine, the eggs and vanilla.  Stir in baking mix and oats until uniform consistency.  Heat chocolate chips, milk, 2 Tbsp margarine and the salt in 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth.  Stir in nuts and vanilla.  Press about 2/3 of the oatmeal mixture with greased hands in pan.  Spread chocolate mixture over oatmeal layer.  Drop remaining oatmeal mixture by tablespoonfuls onto top.  Bake until light brown, about 30 minutes; cool completely.  Cut into bars, about 2x1 inch.  70 bars.

Candy Cane Cookies

Candy Cane Cookies

½ C shortening

½ C butter or margarine, softened

1 C powdered sugar

1 egg

1-2 tsp vanilla

2 ½ C flour

1 tsp salt

Red food coloring

Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, powdered sugar, egg, vanilla; Blend in flour and salt.  Divide dough in half and blend food coloring into ½.  For each cane, shape 1 tsp of dough from each half into a 3-inch rope.  (For smooth, even ropes, roll dough back and forth on a lightly floured board.)  Press ropes side by side and press together lightly; twist.  Place on a greased baking sheet and curve the top of each twist to form the handle of the cane.  Bake about 9 min. at 475 or until set and very lightly browned.