My [Organically Modified] Grandma's Thunder Cake

This recipe, Marina brought home from her 2nd grade teacher ... with a request to make it into something "healthy".

Cream together, one at a time:

1 c. organic butter [or softened coconut oil]

1 3/4 c. turbinado sugar

1 tsp. organic vanilla, we use Madagascar vanilla

3 eggs separated

[Blend in yolks.  In separate bowl, beat whites until they are still, then fold into completely mixed batter ... this is the last step before pouring into the pan to bake.]

1 c. filtered water

1/3 c. pureed tomatoes [do this in a blender]

Sift together:

2 1/2 c. organic cake or bread flour

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease & flour two 8 1/2" cake pans or one 9"x13" baking pan.  Mix together the wet ingredients.  Add the dry ingredients, one at a time, and mix well.  Fold in beaten egg whites.  Pour into prepared pan[s].  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, in center of preheated oven.

Frost with chocolate butter frosting & top with strawberries [optional].  We left it unfrosted and it was absolutely perfect!

Grab a fork & enjoy!!!

[photo courtesy of google images ... 'cuz I forgot to take a picture]

Just Married ...

Our entire wedding was a DIY adventure.

We were on a budget.

From the dress to the flowers to the rings, everything was hand-crafted.

Including the "Just Married" sign that I created for the living room wall.

A trip to Craft Warehouse was in order.

Unable to locate anything close to resembling "Just Married" in their vinyl transfer section,
I found something else ... something better.

I decided against putting the words "just married" on the sign I was making to celebrate Our Day.

Because no one should be "just" anything!

When Life Hands You Lemons ... Make Cheesecake

For Easter with the family, it's a Pot Luck.

I LOVE pot lucks.  They're so very pot-lucky.

Since I have had a hankering for cheesecake lately, I cruised the net for one.  Hit the jackpot when I found one that has alcohol as a main ingredient.  Perfect for a family gathering  =)

Blood Orange Italian Cheesecake

CRUST:

1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
3 oz. butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar
1 tbsp. orange zest

FILLING:

3 3/4 c. (30 oz.) Ricotta cheese
2/3 c. sugar
4 eggs
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. blood orange liqueur
3 tbsp. raisins
1 tbsp. finely chopped orange rind
1 tbsp. finely chopped lemon rind

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch spring-form pan. Mix all the ingredients for the crust together and press the crumb mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan. Chill for 20 minutes.

Drain the Ricotta cheese and discard the liquid. In a large mixing bowl, beat together Ricotta, sugar, eggs, and flour until light and fluffy. Fold in the raisins, Grand Marnier, and orange and lemon rinds. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in 325 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate for 12 hours or longer. Before serving, remove the rim from the spring-form pan.

Decorate with Candied Orange Slices (recipe below)

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 1/2 cups water
2. 1/2 cup granulated sugar
3. 1 navel orange, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick

1. In a medium skillet, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the orange slices and cook over moderate heat, turning them occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to a thin syrup and the orange slices are translucent, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer until the syrup is thick and the slices are tender but still intact, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer the orange slices to a rack to cool. Reserve the syrup for another use.

MAKE AHEAD: The candied orange slices can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

The Benefit of a Really Good Vacation & the Beauty that is Pinterest

Dinner for a household of 7 is a challenge.


Even more of a challenge after coming home from four days on vacation.


A bigger challenge?  Trying to figure out a menu for those 7 appetites that will make everyone want to actually eat dinner.


For the most part, cooking for the kids is easy.  Chicken nuggets & fries.  Home made chicken soup.  Tacos.  Veggie dogs.


Easy.


For mostly vegetarian palates ... not eating the same thing over and over can be difficult.  You can quickly find yourself in a rut.


Going on vacation can change that frame of mind ... since you end up being exposed to different types of cooking.  And with that new point of view, you end up considering foods that may never before have crossed your mind.


Which brings me to today's question ... what to cook for Kelly & I after having been on vacation for four days.


The kids' dinner was easy ... home made chicken soup.  For us ... I didn't hit the jackpot until I stumbled across a posting for an easy leek quiche while looking for an Italian cheesecake recipe.


Gotta LOVE Pinterest.  


A quick PIN and I was off to the market ... ready to create something amazing!


Here's the recipe ... and it's versatile enough to add other ingredients.


Chunky Pesto - Makes about 1 cup

2 1/2 cups fresh basil
1/4 pine nuts, toasted
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Place basil, pine nuts and garlic on cutting board.
Use a mezzaluna or a large knife, finely chop the ingredients.
Place in a bowl, add parmesan and oil.
Mix to combine.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cover with plastic wrap.
Can be refrigerated up to 2 days.

Use the pesto to make:

Leak, Pesto and Ricotta Pie - Serves 6 to 8

1 large leak, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
4 tablespoons cream
1 cup ricotta
3 tablespoons pesto
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
coarse sea salt and freshly grounded pepper
8 sheets phyllo dough, keeping it frozen makes it easier to unroll  =)
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375F.
Saute leaks in butter until soft.

In a medium bowl, combine, eggs, egg whites, cream, ricotta, pesto, parmasan and parsley.  Sliced mushrooms, sweet peppers, and feta cheese would be good additions to this ...

Season with salt and pepper.

Lightly coat a 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray.

Unroll phyllo, remove one sheet, placing in prepared pan.
Coat lightly with cooking spray.
Repeat with 7 more sheets of phyllo, spraying between each layer.
Trim edges with scissor.

Spoon filling and leaks into the pan.
Bake until golden brown and set, about 45-50 minutes

[I cooked it for 48 minutes, in a gas oven, using a terra cotta pie pan].
Cool before serving.

*** while this was baking in the oven, I put together a yummy lavender & honey biscotti that we'll be slicing up and partially coating in white chocolate.  Will share the recipe on another post  =)

After spending what seemed like weeks searching out a bakery for the pinnacle of a Marriage Celebration [it was really only 3 days ... but seemed like forever], you can only imagine my dismay when discovering that fancy cakes are affordable, at only $35 ... while adding the word "Wedding" to that same cake description will tag on another $65 to the price tag.


<sigh>


So, in the Grand Scheme of keeping this entire event DIY and keeping it within a relatively small budget, I decided to search out a recipe along the same lines as what the bakery had suggested.


On Epicurious.com, I found an incredible recipe for a dark chocolate wedding cake with chocolate orange ganache and orange buttercream.


Perfect.


The directions were easy to follow.


Even better!


A few ingredient substitutions to make this healthier and we were good to go ... all told, maybe $50 total for the organic ingredients, cake pans, and decorations ... not too shabby!

Dark Chocolate Wedding Cake with Chocolate Orange Ganache and Orange Buttercream

Gourmet Magazine  | September 1996

yield: Serves about 30 (including top tier) 

For cake layers:

• 13/4 cups unsweetened, organic cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
• 13/4 cups boiling water
• 4 ounces fine-quality, organic, bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
• one 8-ounce container organic sour cream
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract
• 3 cups stone ground, rice flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 3/4 sticks (1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups organic, raw sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed, organic light brown sugar
• 5 large eggs (fresh tastes better if you can get them)

For ganache:

• 1 cup organic, heavy whipping cream
• 8 ounces fine-quality, organic, bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
• 2 tablespoons organic, unsalted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier, or other orange-flavored liqueur

For assembly:

• one 8-inch cardboard round*
• one 6-inch cardboard round*
• three 8-inch plastic straws (skewers work well, too)

For orange curd:

• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup organic sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) organic, unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

For buttercream:

• 1 1/4 cups organic sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 6 1/2 sticks (3 1/4 cups) organic, unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened to cool room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
• Note: A cake-decorating turntable* is extremely helpful for assembling and decorating a wedding cake.

• Decoration: fraises des bois (wild strawberries)** and small roses with some leaves attached (both fruit and flowers must be nontoxic and pesticide-free) ... I used decorator's frosting, frosting roses, cake paint, and cake jewels (shown in a separate posting)

• *available at specialty cookware shops

preparation

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 350° F. and line 2 buttered 7- by 2-inch round cake pans and 2 buttered 9- by 2-inch round cake pans with rounds of wax paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.  Gather ingredients in a central location for ease in preparing.

  * I used Wilton's cake pan prep ... it's oil & flour in a convenient squeeze bottle *

 

* These pictures show the gathering of ingredients and prep work done beforehand ... makes it a little bit easier when putting it all together.  As you can see, I substituted organic ingredients where ever I could.  We used large, farm fresh eggs ... the thicker shells made it easier to separate the whites from the yolks for the buttercream & ganache.  The only thing I would change in the future is to use coconut oil in lieu of all the butter for the cake batter ... makes for a moister cake.

Put cocoa powder in a bowl and whisk in boiling water in a stream until smooth. Stir in chopped chocolate and let stand 5 minutes. Stir mixture until smooth and chocolate is melted and cool mixture. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla.

Into a bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. In large bowl of a standing electric mixer beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down side of bowl. 

Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and cocoa mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until batter is combined well.

Pour 2 cups batter into each 7-inch pan and smooth tops. Divide remaining batter between 9-inch pans (about 33/4 cups each) and smooth tops. In middle and lower thirds of oven arrange one 9-inch layer and one 7-inch layer on each rack, putting 7-inch layers in front part of oven. Bake 7-inch layers 25 to 30 minutes and 9-inch layers 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto racks. Peel off paper and cool cakes completely. Cake layers may be made 2 days ahead and kept at cool room temperature, wrapped well in plastic wrap, or 2 weeks ahead and frozen, wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil. Defrost cake layers (without unwrapping) at room temperature.

Make ganache:


Instead of Cointreau, we decided to use Grand Marnier.  You can use any flavored liqueur you wish.  Blackberry liqueur would be good, too ... or raspberry.  If you switch flavors, you may wish to leave out the orange zest  =)

In a small saucepan bring cream just to a boil. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, butter, zest, and liqueur. Let ganache stand 3 minutes and whisk until chocolate is melted. Chill ganache just until cool, about 40 minutes.

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat ganache just until light and fluffy before using (do not overbeat or it will become grainy).

Make orange curd:

In a small heavy saucepan whisk together yolks and sugar and whisk in orange juice, butter, and a pinch salt. Cook mixture over moderately low heat, whisking, until it just reaches boiling point, 5 to 7 minutes (do not let boil), and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. If you use pulp free orange juice, you don't have to strain this through a sieve.  Whisk in lemon juice and cool curd, its surface covered with plastic wrap. Chill orange curd, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours, and up to 2 days.

Make buttercream:

In a heavy saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, undisturbed, until it registers 248° F. on a candy thermometer.  The photo on the left shows a wonderfully boiling sugar/water mix.  To my dismay, I discovered that the sugar mixture can very quickly heat up from 212° F to over 400° F ... in less time than it takes to answer the front door.  The photo on the right shows what happens if you're not paying attention to the boiling sugar.  If this happens to you, DO NOT pour the mess down any sort of drain ... not even your toilet ... it will solidify INSTANTLY ... requiring the aid of a plumber's wrench to clear the mess.

While syrup is boiling, in large bowl of a standing electric mixer beat whites with a pinch salt until foamy and beat in cream of tartar. Beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks and beat in hot syrup in a stream (try to avoid beaters and side of bowl). Beat mixture at medium speed until completely cool, 15 to 20 minutes. 
Beat in butter, 1 piece at a time, and beat until thickened and smooth. (Buttercream will at first appear very thin and at some point look like it is breaking but, as more butter is beaten in, it will thicken and become glossy and smooth.) Beat in orange curd, salt, and zest until smooth.


Buttercream may be made 4 days ahead and chilled in an airtight container or 2 weeks ahead and frozen in an airtight container. Bring buttercream completely to room temperature (this may take several hours if frozen) and beat before using. (If buttercream is too cold when beaten it will not be glossy and smooth.) Makes about 8 cups.

Assemble cake:
Put one 9-inch layer on 8-inch cardboard round and spread evenly with 2 cups ganache. Top with remaining 9-inch layer and gently press layers together to form an even tier. Put one 7-inch layer on 6-inch cardboard round and top with remaining ganache and remaining 7-inch layer in same manner.

Frost top and sides of 9-inch tier with some buttercream and chill while frosting 7-inch tier. Chill both tiers until buttercream is firm.

Cut straws in half and insert 1 straw piece all the way into center of 9-inch tier. Trim straw flush with top of tier and insert remaining 5 straw pieces in same manner in a circle about 1 1/2 inches from center straw. Center 7-inch tier (still on cardboard) on top of 9-inch tier. Fill in any gaps between tiers with buttercream and transfer cake to a cake stand or platter. Chill cake at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.

Arrange fraises des bois and roses decoratively on top and around sides of cake. Let cake stand at cool room temperature (buttercream is sensitive to warm temperatures) 2 to 4 hours before serving. Serves about 30 (including top tier).

We used painted, pre-shaped frosting roses that we spray-painted gold with candy glitter around the two layers.  Cake wires, beaded charms, chandelier crystals, and quartz crystals to decorate our cake.  You are only limited by your imagination for decorations ... so open the box of creativity and dive in ... this is YOUR DAY ... make it special!

Recipe courteous of Epicurious.  Photos courtesy of me ... 'cuz the recipe didn't have any of their own so I could see what the hell this was supposed to look like while I was making it  =)

Putting the wedding together ... that will be in the next few posts.


Bon Apetit!

When in Italy, do as the Italians do ... when at home, give it your best shot!

These last few days, Kelly's been a bit under the weather.  And with six kids in the house, I can totally understand.


When it comes to meal times, with six different tastes, it's even more difficult.


He heated up some left-over, organic chicken alfredo for the kids ... but was at a complete loss when faced with what to cook for us.


My forte' is baking.


Not that I don't know how to cook ... I just haven't had to do it in over six months.  And besides ... all my stock meal recipes contain meat.


You know ... meat loaf, broiled steak, pork chops, bar-b-que chicken ... MEAT.


And I haven't really discovered a vegetarian method for replacing meat that's actually palatable.


Now, check this out ...

THIS looks YUMMY!

So, here you go ... Organic Italian Pasta Salad  =)

Cook 1 12oz box of Einkorn spiral pasta according to the directions on the box.  Drain pasta noodles, rinse with cold water to cool, and dump into a large bowl.

Drain 1 16oz can of black olives; slice olives in half and add to pasta in bowl.  Dice 3 small tomatoes, 1 small yellow squash, and 1 small zucchini; adding everything to the pasta mixture.

Italian Seasoning for Dressing

1 T garlic powder                       

2 T dried oregano

1 T onion powder                       

1 t white pepper

1 T sugar                                  

1/2 t dried thyme

1 T dried parsley

1/4 t celery salt

2 T sea salt

I poured all of these ingredients into an old tea tin and shook them up together.  This is the seasoning mix for hand-crafted, Italian dressing and will make a bunch of it to keep on hand.

In a small bowl, take 2 T of the seasoning mix and add 1/4 c red wine vinegar, 2/3 c sunflower or olive oil, and 2 T water.  Whisk it all together and pour over pasta & veggie mix.  Stir together well.

Grab a fork & enjoy!

Organic, Wheat Free Carrot Cake

In our quest for organic things that the kids will actually eat, and in an effort to satisfy their non-stop sugar cravings, I decided today to modify a favorite carrot cake recipe.  All ingredients are organic ... the carrots even came from our garden this last summer.

1 1/2 c. raw, turbinado sugar
3/4 c. organic coconut oil, melted to a liquid state in warm water
1/4 c. organic sunflower oil
3 organic large eggs
2 c. Bob's Red Mill almond meal flour
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Madagascar vanilla
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
3 c. shredded carrots
1 c. coursely chopped nuts [optional]
1 c. golden raisins [optional]


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease & flour rectangular glass baking pan, 13"x9"x2".  In a large bowl, hand mix sugar, oils, and eggs until blended.  Stir in remaining ingredients except carrots & nuts.  Mix well until all ingredients are well blended.  Stir in carrots & nuts.  Pour into prepared pan.


Bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  We have a gas oven and my baking pan is actually 12"x8"x2" ... I end up baking cakes for closer to 50 minutes in the oven.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.  Frost, if desired.


We chose to skip the frosting ... the carrots, coconut oil, and organic sugar create a very sweet cake.


Enjoy!