Recipe: Pecan Lace Cookies

Recipe: Pecan Lace Cookies
A friend brought some delicious Pecan Lace Cookies to an event at the Museum a few weeks ago and I decided I had to try my hand at them. They have the amazing caramel flavor of my favorite Pecan Crispies, but the with a slightly fancier feel to them--a little bit of orange zest cuts the sweetness and makes them unique. My friend attributed them to Lee Bailey, one of my favorite Southern cookbook authors, but I found the recipe at Martha Stewart.com.

It really couldn't be easier: melt together butter, sugar and corn syrup in a sauce pan; add flour, pecans and the orange zest; then chill until firm and bake. The fact that there is no creaming of butter and sugar makes it snap. No eggs either, so a true breeze to whip out.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
2/3 cup cake flour (spooned and leveled)

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, over medium heat cook sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt, stirring until sugar has dissolved and butter has melted, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in zest, pecans, and flour. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover with plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Stir once or twice why the dough is chilling, to make sure the pecans are fully incorporated throughout the batter.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment or a silpat. Using a teaspoon measure, roll dough into small balls (each 1/4 ounce). Place on a large baking sheet, about 2 inches apart (you can fit 6). Bake one sheet at a time, until cookies are golden brown, about 9 to 10 minutes. Let rest on the sheet for one to two minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 55 cookies.

Recipe: Hummingbird Cake

Mildred and Brian, Summer 1971

Today would have been my Mam-ma's (Lora Mildred Marie Stevenson Whisenhunt Thomas) 90th birthday. She was very important to me and we were very good friends, so I miss her often and think about her always. But, on her birthday, which is one week and one day before mine, I think about her a lot and all of the fun we had together. From her I got my love of junk shops and antiques; my obsession with cookbooks and recipes; my enjoyment of teaching others; and my big blue eyes and great hair.

So, I am making one of her best cakes, her hummingbird cake, today and thought I would share the recipe with you and hope that you enjoy sharing it with friends and family.

Recipe: Mildred Thomas' Hummingbird Cake
This cake is moist, delicious and decadent. Since it uses vegetable oil instead of butter, it comes together easily and quickly. I usually cake it as 9x13 cake, but you can also make 9 inch round cakes or even cupcakes if you wish.

3 cups flour, sifted
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ tsp vanilla
8 oz can crushed pineapple (undrained)
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups (3-4 large) bananas (mashed)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a big yellow bowl, whisk together the try ingredients. Stir in the eggs, oil and vanilla by hand. Add the pineapple, pecans and bananas. Still until combined. Pour into a greased, 9x13 cake pan and bake at for 50-55 minutes.

Icing:
8 oz cream cheese
½ cup butter (1 stick)
16 oz box of powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until light and creamy. Ice the cooled cake with the cream cheese mixture.

Recipe/Gadget: Hungarian Shortbread

I inherited a propensity for kitchen gadgetry from my grandmother, who was always the first to get the bread maker, juicer or Cuisinart. They would usually get used for a while, then she would move onto the next one. I try to be selective, not replacing things which don't replaced or buying items that aren't helpful for kitchen prep. But, I have had my eye on this springform pan from Lekue for a while, because it really does take a classic kitchen pan and make it into something better.
  1. The springform collar is made from silicone and fits much tighter than a conventional metal on metal pan, eliminating drips that can occur with thin batters.
  2. The porcelain base looks great once your cheesecake, quiche or cake is done.
  3. Both are very easy to clean

Mom and dad gave me the springform pan for Christmas, so I was excited to give it a quick trial by fire and made what has quickly become one of my favorite cookie recipes: Hungarian Shortbread.

Recipe: Hungarian Shortbread
This appeared in the butter issue of Saveur magazine last year, based on one in Dorie Greenspan's Baking with Julia. I made it last year for work where it was consumed with 'oohs' and 'ahs.' Grating the dough may seem like a lot of work, but the heavenly texture it produces is worth the effort. I used the last of the homemade jam that Phyllis Dye Turner gave me this summer. There was just enough and it was perfection.

2 cups flour, plus more as needed
1 tsp. baking powder
1⁄8 tsp. fine salt
1⁄2 lb. unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
3⁄4 cup raspberry jam

In a big yellow bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Cream butter in a large bowl, using a hand mixer on high speed, until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar, vanilla and egg yolks; mix until sugar is dissolved and mixture is light, about 4 minutes. With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour mixture; mix until dough just begins to come together, about 1 minute.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; bring it together with your hands. Divide dough in half and form 2 balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap; freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Arrange an oven rack in center of oven; heat to 350°. Grease a 9" springform pan with butter. Remove a ball of dough from freezer, unwrap, and grate, using the large holes of a box grater, directly into prepared pan. Gently pat grated dough to even it out. Spread jam evenly over dough, leaving about a 1⁄2" border around edges. Grate remaining dough over jam layer; pat gently until surface is even. Bake until light golden brown, about 25–30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, on a rack, before cutting into wedges.


Mangez!


Restaurant: Grand Traverse Pie Company

This is only my second visit to the Grand Traverse Pie Company, but I can tell we are going to be good friends. They have your usual selection of salads and sandwiches, but an amazing selection of fruit and cream pies. David and Jessie wanted to take a break from their exhausting tour of Terre Haute, so we stopped for a pie break. I had banana cream and it was delicious. I'm not sure its a good thing to have it so close to the house. If you are in Michigan, I'm sure you're very familiar with this chain. Otherwise, you've probably never heard of it because the only locations outside of MI are in Terre Haute and Evansville, IN.

PIE!

Lakehouse Tex-Mexicana

Labor Day at the Monahan Compound in Holland, MI was restful and a lot of fun, as always. I did some reading, card playing, swimming, walking, talking, joking, chatting and, of course, cooking. We ate like kings and queens because there were (too) many delicious things, including:

Sean's Passion Fruit Cocktail

1. Caramel brownies from Peggy
2. Tracy's Asian slaw
3. A wonderful meal of farmer's market treats prepared by Margaret and her crew
4. More M&Ms than anyone should eat
5. Blueberry Buckle
6. John's chipotle almonds
7. Ice cream from moi (I drove this year, so got to pack the ice cream maker. I think everyone was pleased.)
8. Sean's delicious, fruity and potent cocktails
9. Katie's guacamole and margaritas.

Avocado Enchiladas

The list could go on and on and on. John and I prepared a Tex-Mex inspired meal for Sunday evening and it was a lot of fun. We started with chips and salsa along with some little nibblies I constructed from cantaloupe and cucumber. For the main course, we had avocado enchiladas (John will share the recipe later, natch.) and a taco bar with three different fillings. Each was delicious, but after I kept thinking about the very simple mole. I guess John was too, because on the way home at the same moment, we both said, "I wonder if it freezes?" Dessert, well-deserved, was a tres leches birthday cake for Margaret.

Recipe: Spicy Lime Cucumber and Cantaloupe
I had been reading some articles about what people all over the world do with melon, and got the idea of combining my favorite melon with the crisp, green flavor of cucumber. It's simple, light and is the perfect thing to stimulate the palate before a wonderful Latin meal.
  • 1 medium-sized cantaloupe
  • 2 English cucumbers, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
  • 2 large or 3 medium limes
  • kosher or coarse salt
  • chili powder
  • toothpicks
  1. Cut the cantaloupe into thick slices, then into 1 to 1 1/2 inch chunks.
  2. Cut the cucumber into large, haphazard slices.
  3. Assemble the cantaloupe and cucumber with toothpicks, one piece of each per toothpick.
  4. Mix together (enough) salt with (enough) chili powder. I would say, 1 tbsp. of salt and add 1 tsp. of chili powder. Taste and add more chili powder if you like.
  5. Cut the limes in half and squeeze juice over fruit. Sprinkle with chili-salt and serve.

Recipe: Black Bean Mole with Seitan
Mole is one of the traditional sauces of Mexico. It has as many interpretations as there are cooks in the kitchen. This one goes together simply, but is still delicious. You could use it over any type of protein. Simply prepare each separately and then combine until heated through. Does it freeze beautifully? I'll let you know. This recipe is from Emeril, believe it or don't.
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons pure ground Pasilla chili powder
  • 1 cup cooked black beans (rinsed if using canned)
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • Salt and pepper

In a small skillet, toast the cumin seeds, oregano, sesame seeds, and chili powder, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, and then place in a blender. Add the beans, tomatoes, vegetable stock, honey, cilantro, lime, butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Puree until smooth. Now transfer the mole to a medium saucepan and heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Cook seitan, tofu, or whatever separately, then add to the sauce.

Recipe: Black Bean Salad or Taco Filling
This could be a simple salad or a scrumptious taco filling. The addition of pineapple gives it a new, tropical flavor and sets it apart from your everyday black bean salads.
  • 2 cans black beans, drained, about 30 ounces
  • 1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
  • 1/4 cup diced green onions
  • 1/4 cup diced pineapple
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
  • 4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • Pinch ground cumin
Mix all of the ingredients together, then chill to let the flavors meld. Serve with corn tortillas, or just alone with the chips on the side.

Recipe: Potatoes Rajas (aka potatoes with onions and roasted red peppers in a creamy, cheesy sauce)
Did you get that? Potatoes AND onions AND roasted red peppers in a CREAMY, CHEESY SAUCE. Yes, it's as good as it sounds. Perfect in a corn tortilla, you could serve this just as a side if you wanted. Likewise, the rajas would be fine sans potato with a big bag of chips. I am picturing it now: me, sofa, rajas and chips. Perfection.
  • 3 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 4 cups creamy rajas, recipe follows

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the potatoes until just tender, being careful not to overcook, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, pat dry and spread in a single layer on a tray to cool. When ready to serve, heat the rajas in a medium saucepan over medium low heat, stirring frequently, just to heat through. Add the potatoes and stir occasionally until heated through. For potato and rajas tacos, toast 24 small Corn Tortillas and keep warm. For each taco, stack 2 tortillas and layer with the potato rajas mixture. Top with Salsa Fresca and an avocado slice and serve.

CREAMY RAJAS

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, halved and cut in 1/4-inch slices, lengthwise
  • 1 16 oz jar roasted red pepper, drained and patted dry, sliced into thin slices.
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup grated Manchego or Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2/3 cup grated Cotija, Romano or Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions with the salt and pepper until they begin to wilt and brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the julienned red peppers. Pour in the heavy cream, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook 4 minutes or until the cream begins to thicken. Stir in the grated cheeses and remove from the heat. Serve immediately.

Recipe: Tres Leches Cake
This recipe is simple, direct and constructed in a traditional manner: egg yolks and sugar are mixed together, whipped eggs whites and flour are folded in and the baked cake is doused with a mixture of milks. Topped with whipped cream, what could be better? Rosa said it was as good as her grandmother's, which is the ultimate compliment in my book.
  • Unsalted butter, room temperature, for baking dish
  • 6 large eggs, separated
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs yolks and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. In another bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold whites into yolks until almost combined. Gently fold in flour (do not overmix).

Spread batter in prepared dish. Bake until golden and pulling away from sides of dish, 20 to 25 minutes. Using a small knife, scrape skin from top of cake; discard. Cool cake for 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the three milks; pour evenly over cake. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to one day.

To serve, prepare topping: In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream with sugar to soft peaks. Chill cake and cut into squares; serve topped with whipped cream.


Mangez!

Bit o' Britain

Stacia, who works a little for me at the Swope, is now managing the reopened Bit of Britain. It's a little place downtown serving soups, sandwiches, homemade bread and all sorts of British treats. I was one of their first patrons during their week of soft opening, and enjoyed a wonderful lunch. I had a delicious pot of tea with a little sugar from the cute little sugar bowl on the table. I also had a tomato bisque, thickened with a little rice, and for dessert...chocolate, espresso trifle. It was all delicious, but the trifle was like a grown-up ho-ho in a bowl.

Weekends of Eating Well

I had some fun dining adventures the past two weekends:

Weekend before last, I went to the Terre Haute farmer's market for the first time which was a nice surprise. There were quite a few purveyors selling tomatoes, squash, eggs and about everything you could expect this time of year. I bought tomatoes and squash, tossed them with pasta and the next day with fresh mozzarella. I was also glad to see a stand for a Terre Haute food co-op, which my pal Annie in Arcola had mentioned to me in an email. I signed up for their mailing list and hope to get involved this fall as they put things in motion.

Mom and Dad visited from Tulsa this past weekend, so we saw all the sights in the city that we could manage. Saturday morning we had breakfast at the Clabber Girl Bakeshop. Clabber Girl Baking Powder is produced in Terre Haute (Do you have some in your cupboard?) and was the signature product of the Hulman & Company Empire. They still own it as well as the Indy 500, and now have a bakeshop that serves breakfast, lunch and baked goods. We had a yummy breakfast and then perused their displays illustrating the history of the company and family.

Sunday morning, we headed to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (aka Our Lady of Scrambled Eggs) for brunch. After a stroll across campus for a peek at all the beautiful and historic building, we had a great meal in the dining hall, choosing from table after table of breakfast items, salads, desserts and pastries.

After mom and dad left, I drove over to Bloomington to meet my friend Stephanie from the Blanton in Austin (who is from Bloomington) for dinner. We had a great meal a FARM Bloomington, the new restaurant of Chef Daniel Orr who was executive chef at La Grenouille and Guastavino's in NY before opening his own place. FARM exemplifies the very hot 'eat local' philosophy by created an amazing menu sourced from the area. On Sunday night they have small plates and pizzas, so we sampled them all: a minted pea guacamole (sans any avocado at all) was spicy and delicious; pizza with goat cheese, spinach, walnuts and grapes; and possibly the best french fries ever, loaded with garlic and served with a turmeric aioli. It was all delicious.

Simple Fall Dessert

There are so many opportunities to entertain during the fall and winter, but it's often difficult to decide on a dessert, plus find time to make it. In one of my cooking magazines, I came across a reference to a company selling chocolate dipped figs at exorbitant prices. These couldn't be easier to prepare yourself, and paired with butter cookies, make a perfect ending to a casual meal. Here are my tips and some photos of the process:

Tips:
1. If you can, buy several types of figs. I like to use Calimyrna and black mission for a nice variety.
2. If you're buying figs in bulk, try to select similar sizes which will make the process easier. You want them to be bite size, but not too small or it will be difficult to get the almond inside the fruit.
3. You could use any type of nut you prefer, but the shape of almonds make them perfect for slipping inside the figs. I prefer a roasted, salted nut for that perfect combination of salty and sweet, but raw, plain or smoked versions would also be tasty.
4. Use a bittersweet or dark chocolate to enrobe the fruit. Figs are naturally very sweet already, so you don't want to make them too sweet to eat.
5. Buy candy papers from the craft of cooking supply store to dress up the finished product. The dipped figs look like edible jewels in a serving bowl or on a platter, and the papers make them look über-professional and just a little fancier.

How-to do it:
Using a small paring knife, insert it into the blossom end of the fig. Turn 180 degrees and make a second insertion so that you form an 'X.'

Insert the almond in point first. Be gentle, but dried figs are fairly pliable. The end of the almond will be visible on the bottom of the fig. Repeat with all of the figs so they're completely prepped before you begin the dipping.

Melt your chocolate carefully and don't get it to warm. I found a vintage Oster electric fondue pot at the thrift store several years ago. I've found that it's the best way to melt chocolate, in addition to it's usefulness for fondue.

Holding by the stem, dip each fig into the chocolate and let the excess chocolate drip back into the pot. Place them on wax paper and if you like, pop them into the fridge to set the chocolate. Place each fig in a candy paper, cover and store at room temperature until you're ready to serve.

Mangez!

One Million Chocolate Cakes















There are at least one million chocolate cake recipes out there in the big wide world, and I hope that in my life I get to sample all of them. My mother makes a mean Texas sheet cake that we call Mrs. Buchanan's (BUCK-anan's) Chocolate Cake after the woman who gave the recipe to my grandmother. I've made chocolate Bundt cakes, chocolate cheese cakes, and a variety of chocolate layer cakes. But this cake recipe, THIS CAKE, from Everyday Food is absolutely wonderful, not to mention versatile. I've baked it as a layer cake, cupcakes, a Bundt cake and today, mini-cupcakes. Each iteration as delicious as the last. Try it for yourself, it's moist and dense, yet light and delicious. You can top it with a chocolate glaze, cream cheese frosting, vanilla ice cream or simply lightly-sweetened whipped cream. This cake is the stuff that dreams are made of...













Recipe: Everyday Chocolate Cake
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter the baking dish of your choosing. (See below.)










In a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flower, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and beat to combine. With mixer on low, add half of flour mixture, then sour cream, and finally rest of flour mixture. Spread batter in pan and tap to remove bubbles.











Bake all until toothpick comes out clean according to following times for pans:

For an 8-inch round pan: bake for 30-35 minutes and cool 10 minuts before removing.
For regular size cupcakes: divide between a twelve-cup muffin tin lined with paper liners, 20-25 minutes, cool for 10 minutes before removing.
For mini-muffin tins: fill mini tins with 3/4 full. bake 12-13 minutes. makes approximately 36.
For Bundt cake: double recipe and bake for 50-60 minutes.










Top with:

Chocolate glaze
4 oz. chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat cream in sauce pan until steaming, pour over chocolate then whisk to combine. Pour over 8-inch round cake and smooth sides or drizzle onto Bundt cake.

Easy white icing:
1 1/2 sticks softened butter
1 lb. box confectioners' (powdered) sugar

Combine in bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Add 1 to 2 tbsp. milk if too thick.

Mangez!