Key Lime Pie

                   

                                            Key Lime Pie
                                                      (from The Cracker Kitchen Cookbook)


1/2 cup fresh Key Lime juice

4 tsp. grated lime zest

2 large egg yolks

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

graham cracker crust

whipped topping (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a mixing bowl, beat the lime juice, lime zest and egg yolks together    
    until smooth. add the condensed milk and beat until thickened.

3. Fill the crust with the lime mixture. Bake for 15 minutes, till the center is set.

4. Let cool, then refrigerate until cold. Top with whipped cream if desired.
    Serves 6.

Baking on the pavement...

             Baking on the pavement, or, what to bake when it's 100 degrees?



   I LOVE to bake! Hopefully this has become obvious over the course of this blog. However, as much as I love to bake...I hate to bake when it's HOT outside! Currently, the mercury is hovering around 100 degrees in the shade...prime time for heading to the beach or pool...but not for mixing up batter in the kitchen!

   So, as the temps stay high, I will search for cool and cold "baked" goods for my blog....nothing that I have to use the oven for...this should be an interesting challenge! Stay tuned!


~Kathy~

Refrigerator Spice Cookies

                                                     Refrigerator Spice Cookies 
                                        (from The Fannie Farmer Baking Book)

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 Tbsp. water

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. powdered ginger

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1/2 cup chopped dates (optional)


1.  Cream the shortening and sugar together, then add the egg and water, and beat until light and fluffy. 

2.  Stir and toss together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. Add to the creamed mixture, and beat until the dough is completely mixed.

Stir in the nuts, or dates, or both...if you wish.

3.  Shape the dough into rolls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Flour your hands and the work surface if necessary to prevent the dough from sticking. Wrap in waxed paper, and chill until firm. 

4.   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two cookie sheets. With a thin, sharp knife, slice the dough into rounds about 1/3 inch thick. Place about 1-inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets, and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Transfer to racks to cool.Makes about 25-30 cookies.

Raised Waffles

                                                          Raised Waffles
                                                    (from S.F. Chronicle Cookbook)

1/2 cup warm water

1 pkg. active dry yeast

2 cups warm milk

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/4 tsp. baking soda


*Use a large mixing bowl, as the batter will rise to double its original volume.

Put the warm water in the mixing bowl, and sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the milk, butter, salt, sugar and flour to the yeast mixture and beat until smooth and blended. 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it stand overnight at room temperature.

Just before cooking the waffles, beat in the eggs, then add the baking soda and stir until well mixed. The batter will be very thin.

Cook in a very hot waffle iron (use about 1/2 to 1/3 cup batter per waffle grid).Bake until the waffles are golden and crisp to the touch. Makes 10-12 waffles. Delicious!

                                                           

Baking with Belle

                                        Baking with Belle


   We used lots of flour and sprinkles, and our sugar cookies are literally full of sugar. There is nothing like baking with a 6 year old!! All that matters are the colored sprinkles, and the shapes used, which helps to keep the fun in making a mess. Belle was delighted with the results, and I was delighted that she was so happy baking with Cookie! Even though all the cut-out cookies are drowning in bright sprinkles, they taste sooooooo good! 

Oven broken...more time to read!

                             Oven broken...more time to read!


  Our Maytag oven, which is over 15 years old, has given up the ghost. That's what happens from overuse! So, while I await a new oven, I came across a wonderful book related to cooking and baking-40 Years of Chez Panisse: The Power of Gathering by Alice Waters (2011). This book is a wonderful chronicle of the evolution of the world renowned restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. Alice Waters took nearly two years to compile all the photographs, from the very beginning years all the way to the 40th Anniversary celebration in 2011. The book is captivating in its organization and montage of pictures, along with the narrative of humble beginnings and what the early influences were in creating this cutting-edge French/Continental cuisine. If you are interested in anything related to Chez Panisse, this book is for you!

  Happy reading!

~Kathy~


   

Baked Alaska

                      
                                        Baked Alaska
                                                  (from Better Homes Cookbook)



2 pints or 1 quart brick-style ice cream

1-inch thick piece sponge cake or layer cake

5 egg whites

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

2/3 cup sugar


Lay ice cream bricks side by side; measure length and width.

Trim cake one inch larger on all sides than ice cream measurements. Place cake on a piece of foil covered cardboard. Center ice cream on cake. Cover; freeze until firm. 

At serving time, beat together egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar until it forms soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating to stiff peaks.

 Transfer cake with ice cream to a baking sheet. Spread with egg white mixture, sealing to edges of cake and baking sheet all around.

 Swirl to make peaks. Place oven rack in lowest position. Bake in 500 degree oven for 2-3 minutes, or until meringue is golden. 

Slice and serve immediately. Serves 8-10.