Need Cookie and Cake recipes.

Penn · 04-26-2008, 10:06

Need cookie and cakes recipes. Also a flaky pie dough, one made with lard would be great.

f50lrrp · 04-26-2008, 15:21

Chef Penn,

Flaky Pie Crust
Ingredients:
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsps solid lard, cold
2 Tbsps ice water

Directions:
1. Combine flour and salt in medium bowl, cut in lard until mixture is crumbly.
2. Sprinkle water, 1 Tbsp at a time, over flour mixture, tossing lightly with a fork until mixture forms an even dough.
3. Form dough into ball and refrigerate, wrapped in plastic, for 1 hour or more.
4. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface into circle 1/8 of an inch thick.
5. Carefully fold in quarters, lift gently and unfold into 9-inch pie pan.
6. Gently press pastry against bottom and sides of pan. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch, then fold the edge under. Pinch edges to flute.

I have never doubled the recipe for top and bottom crusts. I just make two crusts using the above recipe.

I hope that you like it.

Mike

Shar · 04-26-2008, 22:22

These are my favorite cookies and I always get good reviews and recipe requests on them, but they aren't anything fancy. They also require cinnamon chips if you can locate those through Hershey or another bulk location who carries them - I've gotten them both ways. I just can't always find them when I want them so I stock up.

(I'm sorta nervous giving you any recipes - I have to admit that upfront)

Oatmeal Spice Cookies
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups old fashioned oats (I've done it with the oats blended and not blended for a finer texture and I kind of like them better whole)
1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2.5 - 3 cups flour (this being entirely dependent on your altitude and your attitude on flat vs. fluffy cookies)
1.5 cups raisins
1 cup cinnamon chips
1/2 cup nuts
1 tsp each: (and I generally round my teaspoons):
allspice
cinnamon
ground cloves
nutmeg

Cream sugar and butter together. Add eggs and milk. Stir in the oats. I'm not a sifter, so I put my spices, soda and salt in the mix next - mix it up good, then add my flour and get it to the consistency I want. Then add the chips, raisins and nuts until the batter can't hold anymore goodies. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Chef Penn,
If you want other mom-style cookie recipes along this vein I have a few more that are battle-tested, but I don't have any good nice cookie recipes - just drop-type homestyle cookies.

Penn · 04-28-2008, 13:24

Shar, All if possible. If you have a great Chocolate Chip (crispy one) that wouldbegreat too.

Shar · 04-28-2008, 18:21

My kids are really upset with you as I had to test drive the "crispiness" of this recipe on them tonight.

Here is what I found although my experiment is a little incomplete. I ran out of butter so I couldn't finish all the baking options - I'm guessing you'd need to retrial this anyway since your ovens are likely vastly superior to my mediocre electric machine. To get the "crisp" it's obviously all in the baking temperature and time - I also had to add a little less flour than I'm used to adding. I think the best temperature and time to get the best "crisp" cookie for this recipe is somewhere in the 325 for 18-20 minutes range, but if you want them really crispy - lower and longer. My normal cooking temp and time for these is 350 for 12 minutes, but usually cook them fluffy and very soft. I also cook on a stone, so that might not "crisp" them up as much as a regular pan would. Had I more butter I'd have tried cooking on a normal baking pan and halving the brown sugar with white sugar. I do think this is a great recipe though and should yield a solid cookie, it's the crispiness I'm can't vouch for 100%.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup softened unsalted butter
1.5 cup dark brown sugar
2.5 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2.5 cups flour (if you like really fluffy cookies or are at a higher altitude, add another 1/2 cup flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips (you'd obviously use the good stuff - but for other readers - don't use the fakey/lesser quality chips, use the good stuff)

Preheat to 325 for crispy 350 for soft. Cream butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla. Mix in flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Stir in chips. Bake for 18-20 minutes crispy or 12 minutes soft.

Any feedback or suggestions for improvement are appreciated!

Penn · 04-29-2008, 20:42

I'm sorta nervous asking you for recipes - I have to admit that upfront

If you have any cake recipes in addition to these cookies....I'll show my gratitude next time I'm in Mapleton. I'll cook for you and your friends.

Shar · 04-29-2008, 21:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penn

If you have any cake recipes in addition to these cookies....I'll show my gratitude next time I'm in Mapleton. I'll cook for you and your friends.

Where is Mapleton?

The only two cakes I've ever made without assistance (read: Betty Crocker) are carrot and apple cakes. For obvious reasons you can't get a good carrot cake out of a box, and once I had a bunch of apples we'd gone and picked I needed to use up so I tried a whole lot of apple recipes out.

I'll post them in two successive posts.

Shar · 04-29-2008, 21:18

Carrot Cake
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups whole wheat flour (I've never tried white with this, but it'd prolly work just wouldn't be as dense)
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3 cups grated carrots
(I've added raisins and walnuts before and I like the extra goodies, my husband doesn't)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl starting with the wet ones working your way into the dry ones and beat well. I usually beat my eggs first before adding them. Pour into greased and floured pan (I use the 8" circles) and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Baking time may need to be adjusted 5-10 minutes either way depending on your oven and altitude.

Either frost with cream cheese frosting or...
when it is warm pour a glaze of 1/3rd cup sugar and juice of an orange over the cake. Then frost with powedered sugar icing (butter/powdered sugar/milk).

Shar · 04-29-2008, 21:24

Apple-Spice Cake
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour (white)
4 apples (about 4 cups worth), I've used Fuji and Jonagold - peeled, corred and shredded
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla

Oven at 350. Sugar, butter first, then beat in eggs. Add dry ingredients then vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into oiled 9x13' baking pan. bake for about 40 minutes.

I've served this with cream cheese frosting, powdered sugar icing and we tried and butter-rum sauce too - all were pretty good depending on what you are after.

Penn · 04-30-2008, 08:09

Shar, Main Street one of my VG friends has his studio there; we paint together. I've stayed in mapleton a few times, will be makin a trip soon.

Penn · 04-30-2008, 09:53

Shar, Just did a batch of your CChips...They are GREAT!!!!! The whole crew is fighting over them.

Shar · 04-30-2008, 18:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penn

Shar, Just did a batch of your CChips...They are GREAT!!!!! The whole crew is fighting over them.

I think that comment made my entire week! Thanks!!

By the way, I've had people combing stores looking for Hershey cinnamon chips and they've been located at both Target (the big superstore kind) and Albertsons recently.

Gypsy · 04-30-2008, 18:17

There is a famous candy store here in Chicago...Fannie May. They have some incredible chocolates, this recipie tastes just like their mint candy. (Some ingredients are repeated and are in a particular order for a reason...)

1/2 c butter
1 c sugar
4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla
16 oz Hershey syrup
1 c + 1 tbsp flour

2 c powdered sugar
1/2 c margarine
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp peppermint extract
green food color

1 c chocolate chips
6 tbsp margarine

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, syrup and flour, mix and pour into ungreased brownie pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, allow to cool.

Mix next 5 ingredients, pour over cooled cake and refrigerate.

Melt chocolate chips and margarine, stir until smooth. Allow to cool, pour over cake.

Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Gypsy · 04-30-2008, 18:34

It's one of my favorites...

1 lb butter
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 box powdered sugar
3 c cake flour (or 3 c regular flour minus 1 tablespoon)
1/2 c milnot

Cream butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar a bit at a time and beat. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat well. Add vanilla and beat. Add 1 c flour, beat on low to med speed. Add 1/4 c milnot, beat. Add 1 c flour, beat (on low to med speed) Add 1/4 c milnot, beat. Add 1 c flour and the tsp of baking powder w/ this last cup of flour and beat.

Grease bundt or other cake pan lightly and sprinkle w/ flour. Bake 1 hour at 325 degrees then another 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool for 15 min and remove from pan.

Simple drizzle icing: (cool cake 2-3 hours before icing)

1/2 cup crisco
1 stick butter (softened)
1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 c milnot
1 tsp vanilla

Beat crisco and butter until fluffy, ad milnot, sugar and vanilla, beat until fluffy and creamy.

You can cut this in half (top from bottom) and fill with jam or fresh fruit etc.

SnwMnkys · 05-09-2008, 23:38

Here is a cake recipe for you. But I'm warning you, people will want you to make it whenever you are invited to a function again.

Ingredients:

Yellow Cake mix
Strawberry Jello packet
Strawberries
Whip Cream

Bake the Yellow cake mix per instructions on the box, let it cool. Prepare jello per instructions, but dont put it in the fridge. Cut slits down the cake, and poor jello mixture onto cake, make sure it drains into those slits so the cake soaks up the jello instead of running off the sides. Stick cake in the fridge for recommended time on the Jello box, the Jello will set up inside the cake. Cover cake with Whip cream, and top with strawberry's. Enjoy its awesomeness.