favorite recipes

for the past few months, ive been fulfilling my baking desires because i dont believe we have much time left to enjoy some of our favorite desserts. therefore, i thought id pass this along to the board. i understand that these recipes are not nutritious (although they can all be made with organic ingredients), but (a) 2012 is around the corner (for whatever that is worth) and (b) these things are not eaten every day. i have my ''cheat night'' and for the other 6 days, i basically stick to blenderized vegetables and a protein source.
enjoy these now while there is still time to enjoy dessert. theyll be plenty of time later to eat salted slugs and bark off the trees. : )



pound cake

16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), cold, plus extra for greasing pan
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1¾ cups cake flour (7 ounces), plus extra for dusting pan
½ teaspoon table salt
1¼ cups sugar (8 3/4 ounces)
3/4 tsp non-aluminum baking powder

1. Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and place in bowl of standing mixer; let stand at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes to soften slightly. Using dinner fork, beat eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla in liquid measuring cup until combined. Let egg mixture stand at room temperature until ready to use.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter 9 by 5-inch loaf pan; dust pan liberally with flour and knock out excess.

3. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter and salt at medium-high speed until shiny, smooth, and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping bottom and sides of bowl once with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to medium; with mixer running, gradually pour in sugar (this should take about 60 seconds). Once all sugar is added, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is fluffy and almost white in color, 5 to 8 minutes, scraping bottom and sides of bowl once. With mixer running at medium speed, gradually add egg mixture in slow, steady stream; this should take 60 to 90 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl; beat mixture at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes (mixture may look slightly broken). Remove bowl from mixer; scrape bottom and sides.

4. In 3 additions, sift flour over butter/egg mixture; after each addition, fold gently with rubber spatula until combined. Scrape along bottom of bowl to ensure that batter is homogeneous.

5. Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until golden brown and wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 70 to 80 minutes. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes; invert cake onto wire rack, then turn cake right side up. Cool cake on rack to room temperature, about 2 hours.





carrot cake


2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
2 cups sugar
2 3/4 cups finely grated carrots
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple (drained; pineapple solid only)
1 8 oz package (by weight) finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 8 oz package (by weight) shredded sweetened coconut (hard to obtain in organic)

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon.
In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, and eggs.
Add flour mixture a little at a time, mixing well after
each addition. Add carrots, pineapple, nuts, and coconut and
blend thoroughly.

Turn into either:
- 3 greased and floured cake pans
- 1 9x12 greased and floured cake pan (deep)
[i grease these with extra virgin coconut oil... anything will do, though]

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. If removing cake from pan,
let cool for about ten minutes before removal. Cool completely.
Frost w/cream cheese frosting. Carrot cake will keep well in
refrigerator for at least a week.


Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1 pound package confectioner's sugar
(start w/about 1/4 pound and SLOWLY add to taste - 1 lb may be too sweet)

Soften butter and cream cheese. Cream together with vanilla.
Sift in confectioner's sugar and blend well. If too thick, add one teaspoon of milk to thin frosting.

notes:
- go easy on the frosting in the middle. there is JUST enough to finish the cake.
- make sure that the cream cheese and the butter are softened and not still cold (otherwise you could get a slightly lumpy texture).
- every time i make this, i grate the carrots to get the fine texture i want. its an option to grate them coarsely or just throw the carrots in a food processor, but the texture, to me, is disappointing.
- the unfrosted cake is great on its own, but ive used it in making carrot cake ice cream. if anyone is interested, ill be happy to share it.

optional: after frosting, i take some extra finely chopped walnuts and stick them to the side of the cake.

oh gosh bb/wch ....i´ve stumbeled apon the thread during a fasting period.....


actually it is a bread.....

i also enjoy a cheat day away from my sprouts.......

all you need is

whole wheat flower

garlic (fresh pressed)

some hot dried chillies

cummin seeds

sesame seeds

oregano

flax seeds

yeast

salt

water

okay i can´t tell you the exact messurements of each cause i just know it by eye......(the only thing you can put to much of is water)

but first put all the ingredients into a lareg bowl ......mix
after slowly mix in the water untill the dough no longer is sticky......then cover with a twoel and let it pump for some time........

maean while pre heat your oven....to about 220 c........

okay when the oven is ready place the dough in i shallow round glass baking pan ......basically this is like a big chapati ........okay put some flour in the baking pan before you put in the dough

bake for some time.....not sure in minutes cause i never time it.........but i always flip it once when i see the top is finished.........

when it´s finished i cut it into wedges .....this makes a great dipping bread for kefir .....olive oil ..... tomato suace........soup .....or whatever......i love love to eat it plain also.......

actually this dough makes a fabulous pizzia crust..........i eat it twice a year as a pizzia........but always use raw organic sheeps cheese or organic fetta for the best flavor.......

if you do make it as a pizza crust i bake to bread till it´s almost finished then stick on the sauce either make it fresh or get it from a glass jar (never use sauce from a can)

option 1
tomato sauce.....organic feta cheese and black olives...........get the gormet ones with mediteanian herbs in the jar.........and a few leaves of fresh basil .....oh but**** remember to put the leaves under the cheese or the will just wilt to noting****.......

option 2
basil / pinenut pesto sauce ......raw organic sheep cheese...........sliced sundried tomatos or cherry tomatos cut into halves

btw *****fresh italian rucola (forget the name in english) are a super yummy adition to either of these pizzias

beware thought cause it is very addictive..........sometimes i eat the whole thing in one sitting.........


okay i´m off to drink some yummy lemon water........

raw chocolate/banana moose.........
(quick and easy.....plus super yummy and nutrious........)

1 soft ripe avacodo
1 soft super ripe bananna

place them in a bowl and smash them up.....(but save one small slice of banana on the side)
now add coco powder and
honey or agave syrupe

mix well and fluff with a fork.......garnish with the slice of banana

if you use ****raw chocholate this is the most nutritious desert you´ll ever eat.........

zuni: your recipe isnt nearly as horribly decadent as i like, but i think ill give it a go this weekend!

Q: how much yeast? one packet?
do you have to let it sit in warm water for 15 min or so before mixing it?
lastly, how long does the dough need to proof?

you spent a great deal of time in india and asia... do you have any recipes for an asian or indian curry dipping sauce for this bread?

sky... i know you have pumpkins in your garden......

here is a delisious dish i used to eat in italy ...

Gnocchi

2 (8 ounce) sweet potatoes (*****in italy where i was we actually used pumpkin or orange squash not sweet potatos)

1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake sweet potatoes/ pumpkin/ or orange squash for 30 minutes, or until soft to the touch. Remove from the oven, and set aside to cool.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to work with, remove the peels, and mash them, or press them through a ricer into a large bowl. Blend in the garlic, salt, nutmeg, and egg. Mix in the flour a little at a time until you have soft dough. Use more or less flour as needed.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. While you wait for the water, make the gnocchi. On a floured surface, roll the dough out in several long snakes, and cut into 1-inch sections. Drop the pieces into the boiling water, and allow them to cook until they float to the surface. Remove the floating pieces with a slotted spoon, and keep warm in a serving dish. Serve with butter or cream sauce.


yum yum .....enjoy



as a matter of fact i ve just decided im going to make this for dinner !!! thanks for reminding me !!!

btw my favorite icon is gone the small yellow smile face with hearts above the head??? where d it go......

zuni
you are funny ..trap you inside and you cook...bet you two are much rounder than you were..lol

well the pumpkin patch is pretty pitiful
as i just tossed some mamoth seeds in the dirt we moved for the flower mound.
which is full of weeds and dead flowers..no rain
here have a look..not eating pumpkins..except i see the deer have made some teeth marks on em..grrrrrrrrr


and that sounds like a yummy recipe..i think with butternut squash..which is one of my favorites
sigh .. that i didn't get planted this year

and if you have sweet potatoes and put some garlic in the oven to bake as the sweet potatoes cook..and then mash em together
and then add some butter..ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh what a treat...
you have made me hungry..
hahahahahahaha
maybe we need a chef icon now..lol

if FL gets us a chef icon, i will post the recipes
that get the best response from the people i have
been cooking for ... tastebud tested!!!
and i will try one from here ...

sounds great Hippie

L222 tried to start a repice section down in the homesteading area
maybe all this good food stuff needs to be in one spot..

it would be good to share since winter is coming
i don't cook much thur the summer..unless it can be done on a grill
i've gotten pretty good with cooking over a fire
i think of it as practice

nice pumkins....i thought you could eat any pumpkin ???

hhahaha yea i put on about 15 pounds.....

i love to cook now.....i cook for matt everyday....so i spend hours in the kitchen.... i just finished baking a coffee cake .......

my cooking is ver rich and would put pounds on anyone.....

those sweet potatos sound soooo yummy.......

hippie id love to try your tried and true taste bud approved recipies .....

i gotta go clean the kitchen.....im a messy cook especially when i bake.....lol..... and i wanta start the gnocchi dough now....already rosted the acorn squash.......now ill prepair the dough and stick it in the fridge till im ready for it later......

but first ill move this thread to the homestaeding section........

I have just seen sky's photos of the butternut squash? I dont believe I have seen any of them down here, I am sure we only have different types of pumpkins and potatoes plus sweet potatoes. That is interesting to me with the photos of the squash there. Mmmh.

Am I correct on this one Soma.

Edit to add: Sorry I looked again and they are pumpkis. What does squash look like then; aren't they those little yellow things that look like a flower. ?

Biggs

here's what a butternut squash looks like..they are delicious...as are most squash..
pumpkins are also in the squash family and there are many different kinds
pie pumpkins are the ones usually used for cooking and such
the ones i grew this year were giant ones they raise for fairs and some are in the 400 to 600 pund range..
i had the seeds and just wanted to see if they would grow..they did but not very big..we haven't had much rain in the last 6 weeks
hope this helps

Aaah, I got ya sky, we do have those, folks are dumb where I come from.............well just me.

*** attention *** do not use acorn squash for the gnocchi recipie.....it is tooo wet...and it forces you use to much flour to form a dough......yuck.....

Hey biggs
do not feel bad.. for years i said uck to squash and then we had one and damn they are 'good choppin'..as hubby says
but there are still a lot i don't know the names of ..so you just learn it as you go..

zuni..sounds like my first attempts at potatoe pancakes...it was awful..i now grate them and put them in a collander to drain before
adding the rest of the stuff..

hey if we knew everything already..what would be the point of here...

WineHippie wrote:

if FL gets us a chef icon, i will post the recipes
that get the best response from the people i have
been cooking for ... tastebud tested!!!
and i will try one from here ...