Chocolate Pud-n-Cake

When I was a little girl we would go to Grandma's house every Sunday.  There was always a lot of food.  Fried chicken or rabbit (Grandpa raised rabbits), pinto beans, green beans, raspeberries, peaches, and if we were lucky, maybe, this cake.  More recently I was watching The Great British Baking Show and learned it has another name and is part of a whole class of cakes "self-saucing cake".  It's meant to be served by turning it upside down as you take each portion out of the pan.

Chocolate pud-n-cake

1 cup flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilia

3 tablespoons cocoa

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Mix wet ingredients together, sift dry ingredients together and add to wet

Pour into ungreased pan.

mix together:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons  cocoa

sprinkle this mixture on top of cake batter in pan.  Pour 1 cup cold water on top

Bake for 45 min at 375 F

Notes and Comments:

You can easily substitute a gf flour.  Better Batter is my current favorite.
I don't use nuts, I like the creamy texture it has w/o them.

You can serve w/ whipped cream or ice cream if you want.

Honey Toffee Pennies

One of the first cook books I got as a kid was The Pooh Cook Book
My favorite recipe to make from that were these.

Honey Toffee Pennies

1/4 cup butter, sliced
3/4 cup honey
1 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon

Melt putter, honey, sugar and vinegar in a heavy bottomed sauce pan.  Keep over low heat until it has melted together. Stir and increase heat for
   10 min for chewy toffee
   15 minutes for hard toffee
   20 minutes for brittle toffee

Add the lemon juice (or other flavor) when it has reached desired consistency but while it is still boiling.

Drop onto wax paper into shapes.  As it cools you can use your hand to shape it, especially if at the chewy stage.


Notes and comments

I'd suggest using a candy thermometer to get the desired level of firmness.  As a kid I did the drop test to see if it was at the consistency I wanted.  I'd fill a clear glass w/ ice water and then drop a bit of the mixture from a spoon into the cold water, watching how the drop formed (soft or hard) told me when to take it off.  This works well for being at altitude, when you can't always depend on a thermometer to tell you what is what.

Instead of lemon juice you could add 6 drops of mint, or cinnamon, or nutmeg, or ginger.
You'd be wrong, because lemon is best.  But go ahead, you be you.

This recipe can be used to make candy covered apples, use the hard toffee stage

If you'd like something more like brittle than a hard candy, add a teaspoon of baking soda at the end of the brittle stage (hard crack).

Broccoli cheese casserole

This one is for Cheryl

6 eggs
6 Tbsp flour
8-10 ox shredded cheddar cheese
10 oz frozen broccoli
8 oz cottage cheese
3/4 stick butter
salt and pepper to taste

beat eggs, add in cheese, mix in broccoli

bake in 2  quart casserole dish at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes


Notes and modifications:

You need to keep the quantity of cheese the same, but I've varied what kind of cheese.  It was definitely on purpose and not because I needed to use up dribs and drabs of what was left in the fridge.  ;-)

Simple Sesame Cookies

As you can see, I like them a little toasty

I'm putting this recipe up here for my friend, Jen.
I took these to her the last time we visited, as an example of a gluten free, dairy free, egg free, vegan, cookie that was really, really, good, and when she liked them I promised her the recipe.

Sorry it took so long Jen!



These are basically a short bread cookie w/ nuts and seeds added



Simple Sesame Cookies

2 cups softened butter or margarine*
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 cups flour *
1 cup sesame seeds
2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 sliced or chopped almonds

Cream butter (or margarine) until light
Add sugar gradually
Beat until fluffy
Add flour, mix
Stir in sesame seeds, coconut and almonds

Roll dough into logs*
Freeze until very firm
Slice into ~1/4" cookies
Lay on unreleased cookie sheet (will spread a little)
Bake at 300 degrees ( or 280 degrees for convection oven) for 25-30 minutes

Take off pan while still warm to cool on rack or paper towl

These will crisp on cooling, shouldn't be allowed to brown (unless you like it a little extra toasty)



Notes and Modifications

* flour can be all purpose wheat, whole wheat pastry, or gluten free

My favorite gluten free flour for 1:1 replacement is Better Batter Flour.  It's nutritionally as bad as white flour but, for anything except yeast breads, it's hands down the best tasting best textured replacement.  So long as it's not an every day thing, I think it's safe not to worry about the lack of nutrition and fiber.

* My favorite butter replacement for cookies is Earth Balance margarine

*I like to shape the rolls so that when you cut them they are rectangles, but this batch was made by Fire Lord, and anything I didn't have to make myself is perfect just the way it is.

I haven't tried switching out the nuts and seeds, but I think it might be interesting to try to make pecan sandies using this recipe as a base

April's version of Deb's friend Stacy's Sweet Potato Casserole

That's how it goes doesn't it?  Sharing recipes is a little like sharing folk songs, things get changed as we pass them on.   My version is a little bigger than Deb's, and a little less sweet, but the idea is still the same.  Total deliciousness.

Sweet Potato Casserole

3.5-4 lbs canned yams or sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter
4 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all together and pour into ~9x13 pan

Topping

1/2 cup butter (cold)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 chopped pecans

mix or cut w/ pastry blender sprinkle on sweet potato mixture

Bake at 350 for ~ 50-60 minutes.

Top should be crispy, but not very browned.


Notes and Modifications:

You can half the recipe if you don't have many people to fill.  But think about it, because the leftovers make a pretty good breakfast. 

I've substituted coconut oil for half the butter and it was just as yummy.

We're gluten free here, so I used Better Batter Flour instead of wheat flour. 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Sometimes I just need a chocolate cake.  Especially if it's my birthday.

Since going gluten free I've discovered a flour I like (Better Batter) and I can make just about any regular recipe using that flour.

But, when you want a really rich decadent chocolate cake, a flourless chocolate cake can't be beat. 
So, here's a recipe I've been using for a couple of years, taken from the internet, but tweaked until it's just right for me.

Flourless Chocolate Cake
Put in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring each time until it's smooth and creamy:

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter (or coconut oil if you're dairy free)


Meanwhile beat 3 eggs (sorry, this just can't be made egg free)
 beat into the eggs:
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Mix chocolate/butter mixture into egg mixture.


Line bottom of a small spring form pan, or small cake pan (~8" or less) with parchment paper
Pour cake batter into lined pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Let cool, use dull blade to detach edges of cake and pop it out of the pan.


 Notes and Modifications:

If I'm feelling a little guilty about all this decadence I sometimes mix in 1-3 tablespoons flax seed, doesn't change the taste, just adds a bit of texture

A double boiler can be used if you don't have a microwave

This is lovely as is, but you if you want a fancier cake or an even bigger indulgence, you can put chocolate ganache  on top.

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter (or coconut oil, or cream)
adjust fat/cream to get texture you want
(optional 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, rum, or other flavor)

Put in microwave-safe bowl, heat in microwave 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring after each time until smooth.  Pour on top of cooled cake, smooth, put in fridge so ganache firms up.  Serve at room temperature

Greek Salad Dressing

This one is for Tia, so she can have it anytime, on anything.

Greek Salad Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
5 T  red wine vinegar
2 T lemon juice
1 T oregano
2-4 garlic cloves
1-2 t soy lecithin
salt and pepper to taste

I put it all in a blender.  The lecithin helps thicken it, and keeps it from separating so easily.

We like it on Greek salad, but it's also nice on sauteed veggies,  pasta, etc..