Gingerbread is a Good Source of Iron and Calcium, Potassium and B-6

Oh, how we can rationalize things! Anyway, I love gingerbread and had poor results with some recipes I tried last year. So, I returned to good ole Craig Claiborne, who I always think of for entrees but not desserts.

I really like the texture of this cake. Maybe a tad too sweet.


1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3/4 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch of salt (I added a bit more to the batter)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger (I like a strong ginger flavor. I used two teaspoons and will probably bump that up next time)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (don't mess with this.  trust me)
1/3 cup vegetable shortening (yes, I know. but you can get 0 trans fat Crisco at the grocery, and you need a neutral product for a good gingerbread. It's better for your arteries than butter)
1/2 cup white sugar (a tad too sweet for me, I may decrease by a couple of tablespoons next time. but you can't fiddle around too much because you need the heft of the sugar)
1 egg
3/4 cup dark molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8x8 inch baking pan. (my oven burned the bottom and edges slightly, so I will try 325 next time)
Add vinegar to the milk and set aside. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices
Cream the shortening, adding sugar gradually. Add egg and beat well. Add the molasses and mix.
Add dry ingredients alternatively with the milk. Stir only until mixed. Turn into pan and 45 to 50 minutes or until gingerbread springs back when touched in the middles. Cool in pan on cake rack.

The Elvis Cake

The Elvis Cake (also known as Peanut Butter Banana Cake)

adapted from a Taste of Home cookbook

Bananas and peanut butter, Elvis was on to something. This is easy to put together, a great snacking cake.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2-3 bananas, mashed (2 is a little drier, 3 more moist)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
optional - 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup milk ( I used skim, use what you have)

Frosting:

1/3 -1/2 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy for texture, smooth is okay too)
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 cups confectioners sugar (you have to play with it to get the consistency you want)

In a large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda, and nutmeg if using. Mix alternately with milk, beating well.
Bake in a greased 13 by 9 baking pan at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
For frosting, beat peanut butter, milk and vanilla in a bowl until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth and consistency you want. Spread over cooled cake.

Still Baking - Fudgy Brownies

I've tried a few brownie recipes, and this is one is worth mentioning to all the chewy, fudgy brownie lovers.

Steve's Brownies

6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup cocoa (I used 1/4 regular and 1/4 Special Dark Hershey's)
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 baking pan.
Melt butter in microwave. Add all other ingredients, mixing well. Batter will be very thick. Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack and then cut into squares.

Enough recipes for a bake sale

Cakes and bread recipes made of late:

For Valentine's Day, I prepared the following:

Red Velvet Cake

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (to sour sweet milk use 1 tablespoon vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup)
2 tablespoons (1-ounce bottle) red food color
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13 by 9 inch pan.
Beat butter and sugar in large bowl. beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir together buttermilk and food color. Stir together flour, cocoa, and salt. add alternately to butter mixture with buttermilk mixture, mixing well. Stir in baking soda and vinegar. Pour into pan. Bake 30-35 minutes. cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost with white or cream cheese frosting.

Carrot Cake

4 eggs
1 1/14 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts


Icing:
1/2 cup butter, softenened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 by 13 pan.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in nuts. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in oven for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. When cooled, frost.
Frosting: in medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners sugar and vanilla. beat until smooth and creamy. Frost cake.

Spiced Applesauce Bread

1 1/4 cups applesauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts


Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 by 5 loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine applesauce, sugar, oil, eggs and milk. Beat well. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Stir until smooth. Fold in nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. cool on wire rack.

Pumpkin Cake

2cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups cooked, mashed pumpkin (or use 1 can)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp.soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine sugar, eggs, oil and pumpkin. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients and add too pumpkin mixture, beating well with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour batter into greased and floured 13 by 9 pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until cake tests done with toothpick or butter knife. Cool completely before frosting. Use cream cheese frosting or the following coconut frosting:

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp. flour
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut
1tsp. vanilla extract

Combine flour, sugar, and milk in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened (225 degrees on candy thermometer ). Add butter, stir until melted. Stir in nuts, coconut and vanilla.

Lemon Cornmeal Cake

I've made this twice now and it is moving into the cake recipe rotation.

Lemon-Cornmeal Cake

Baking spray (cooking spray with flour)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. each baking soda and salt
2 sticks butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

Sugar Glaze
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a tube or  bundt pan with the baking spray and set aside.
Stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
Cream butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest in stand mixer until fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at time, alternating with the flour mixture and buttermilk (or yogurt).
Scrape into pan, level top. Bake 55-65 minutes until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan on wire rack 10-15 minutes.
Turn out onto cake plattter and brush with glaze.

Glaze - whisk ingredients until combined (sugar will not completely disolve.)


Notes: I have made this cake twice, once using reconstituted buttermilk powder and once using yogurt, and I liked the finished product of the yogurt best. I also added a little lemon extract to the cake batter. I found I did not use all the prepared glaze, and yet the cake was sweet enough for me.

Sicilian Caponata

I have tried several caponata recipes to help use up the bountiful eggplant the garden has produced this year. Having made this twice and gotten two positive responses from hubby, I decided "this is the one", no need to look further. Keep in mind, I add ooga-booga when I cook, and except for baking, it is difficult for me to reproduce results.

Adapted from an old (1982) Italian Cooking Class Cookbook

Sicilian Caponata

1-2 eggplants, peeled and chopped
1-2 red or green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped (having tried other recipes, I believe celery makes the difference)
1/4 cup olive oil
shake of red pepper flakes
1 can of tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes - skins removed, 3 or 4)
1 large clove of garlic
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
8 Italian or Greek-style olives, chopped
1 tablespoon capers

I also add 1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs such as a basil and oregano mix
salt and black pepper to taste

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers onion, celery and pepper flakes, sauté 5 minutes. Add eggplant and cook another 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, minced garlic, vinegar, raisins and sugar. Cook 10 minutes, then add chopped olives and capers.
Cook until eggplant is soft but not mushy.
This can be used as a side dish or antipasto spread for crackers or bread

Greek Spice Cake

This is recipe from Taste of Home.  I followed the instructions exactly - no fiddling this time, and no need to.

Greek Spice Cake

Baking spray
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans

Coat 10 inch fluted pan with baking spray (cooking spray with flour) - or grease pan with shortening and coat with 2 Tablespoons flour.
In a large bowl, beat sugars, eggs, oil, buttermilk and extracts till well blended.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and baking soda.
Gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture, beating till well blended.
Stir in pecans.
Pour into greased pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely.
Can be dusted with confectioner's sugar (1 Tablespoon)