I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts

Buttermilk Coconut Cake


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 egg whites
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
Butter Frosting (recipe follows)
1 cup flaked coconut (toasted, if you like)

Grease and flour two 8" x 1 1/2" or two 9" x 1 1/2" round baking pans.  Set pans aside.  Stir together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.  In a mixing bowl, beat the shortening and butter or margarine for 30 seconds.  Add the sugar and vanilla and beat til fluffy.  Add egg whites and beat till smooth (2 minutes at medium speed).  Add dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition till mixture is just combined.  Turn batter into prepared pans.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or till a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean.  Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.  Prepare the Butter Frosting.  Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides.  Sprinkle top and sides with coconut.  Makes 12 servings.

Note: If using 13x9x2-inch baking pans, bake for about 30 minutes or till cakes test done.  Cool cakes completely and spread with Butter Frosting, refrigerating any leftover frosting, or use a smaller frosting recipe.

To make sour milk, place 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a glass measuring cup.  Pour in enough milk to make 1 cup liquid.  Stir and let stand for 5 minutes.

Butter Frosting: In a small mixing bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter or margarine till light.  Gradually add 3 cups sifted powdered sugar, beating well.  Beat in 1/3 cup milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla.  Gradually beat in 3 3/4 to 4 cups sifted powdered sugar to make a spreadable frosting.  Makes 3 cups.

The Butter Frosting recipe was very tasty would be great on any cake.  I think I'll have to use the frosting recipe for future cake endeavors.  The cake itself was a little dry and had almost an angel food cake consistency and not a whole lot of flavor.  The cake wasn't very sweet either, but the frosting was plenty sweet to make up for that and the coconut added a nice flavor.  If I were to make this recipe again, I would use a different cake recipe, but keep the Butter Frosting. Does anyone out there ever use parchment circles in the bottom of their cake pans when they bake?  Every time I bake a cake it never releases from the pan very well and I always have chunks of cake at the bottom of the pan even when I grease and flour them.  at least frosting covers all cake mistakes.  I'm just wondering how well the parchment circles work.  If anyone has any insight, please let me know.  Like the last couple of recipes, this one is headed to work tomorrow.  Hopefully the coworkers like it!

Olé!

Taco Pinwheels


4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup seasoned taco meat
1/4 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup salsa
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped ripe olives
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
5 flour tortillas (7")
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
additional salsa

In small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese.  Stir in taco meat, cheese, salsa, mayonnaise, olives, and onions.  Spread over tortillas, top with lettuce, roll up tightly.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.  Unwrap and cut in 1" pieces.  Serve with salsa.

You would think I would learn.  Miracle Whip is not a substitute for mayonnaise.  But I used it anyone for this recipe because I didn't want to buy a $2.50 jar of mayonnaise just for 2 tablespoons.  If you plan on making these, actually spring for the mayonnaise.  Other than the tangy zip of Miracle Whip, the recipe was good and easy to make.  Would make a good appetizer.  I skipped using the olives because I think olives are gross and I didn't use any onion either because my salsa had onion in it (and I didn't want to buy a whole onion for only 2 tablespoons).  The tortillas kind of flaked apart when I cut them, not sure how to fix that.  If anyone knows the secret to tortillas not tearing or flaking apart when you roll them or cut them, please let me know.  

Extra, Extra! Read all about it!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Graham-cracker crust

2 cups graham-cracker crumbs (from about 15 double crackers)

1/3 cups reduced-calorie margarine, softened

Pumpkin filling

1 container (24 ounces) nonfat cottage cheese (3 cups)

1 tub (12 ounces) light process cream-cheese product

1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

Whites from 2 large eggs

1 can (16 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish: caramelized pecan halves (see Note)

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly grease bottom and sides of 9x3-inch springform pan.  

Crust:  Mix graham cracker crumbs and margarine in a medium-size bowl until even moistened.  Press over bottom and 2 inches up side of prepared pan.

Filling:  Process cottage cheese and cream-cheese product in a food processor or blender about 2 minutes, scraping down sides 2 or 3 times, until think and smooth.  Add brown sugar and process until sugar dissolves.  Add eggs and egg whites; process just until blended.  Scrape mixture into a large bowl.  Stir in pumpkin, cornstarch, spice, and vanilla until well blended and smooth.  Pour into prepared crust.  

Bake 1 hour 20 minutes or until top of cake looks set (center may jiggle and top crack).  Turn oven off.  Let cake cool in oven 2 hours.  Remove cake from oven.  Place on a wire rack to cool completely.  Cover and refrigerate in pan at least 6 hours or up to 4 days.  To serve, run a knife around inside edge of cake pan.  Remove pan sides.  Place cake on a serving plate.  Garnish with pecans.  

Note:  To caramelize pecans arrange 20 pecan halves 1 inch apart on a foil-lined cookie sheet.  Cook 1/2 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and dark amber in color.  Slowly pour over pecans.  Let cool until hard.  Break apart.

Due to the big Thanksgiving potluck lunch this past week, I made an extra recipe.  This one wasn't randomly pulled from the box, however.  Before I started this little foodie experiment, I was looking through some of the shoebox recipes and came across this one and set it aside.  I have never made cheesecake before so I was a little worried but this was a great recipe!  Everyone at work like it too.  The consistency was light and fluffy with the low-fat cream cheese and cottage cheese and the pumpkin flavor was great.  It was fairly easy to make, I used a food processor to mix the filling so make sure you have one or a blender I think would work too.  While the recipe was easy, it did take quiet a while to bake and let it cool.  Make sure you don't have any plans outside of your house for about 6 hours when you start this process.  Seriously.


One more note, I tried making the caramelized pecans, but they didn't turn out.  I tasted one and it just tasted like burned sugar.  Which is completely gross if you are wondering.  If anyone has any suggestions on how to make caramelized pecans, I would be happy to hear them.  

This one is a few days late

Garden Potato Salad


1/2 cup extra vigil olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons salt
8 oz. green beans, trim ends and cut into 1 1/2" pieces
2 lbs. red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 1/2" pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, shallot, and pepper together in large bowl.  Reserve 1/4 cup of dressing in a measuring, cover.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in large saucepan, add green beans and salt.  Cook uncovered into green beans are slightly tender.  Using slotted spoof, transfer beans to a plate lined with paper towels to drain a bit.  Then add to bowl with dressing, toss to coat.  Add potatoes to simmering water, bring to a boil, cook until just tender.  Transfer to colander and drain.  Add hot potatoes to the bowl with beans and dressing.  Toss gently and let sit at least 10 minutes.  Add the parsley, chives, basil, and reserved dressing to bowl.  Blend gently and serve.

You can substitute 3 tablespoons of lemon juice for the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill for basil.

As it was pointed out to me yesterday, I didn't post anything over the weekend.  Sorry for the delay, things have been a little busy this week, but I am making up for it.  This recipe was pretty simple to put together.  I did substitute the lemon juice for the vinegar because that is what I already had at home and I used frozen green beans instead of fresh.  Both worked well.  This is probably my least favorite recipe so far.  Don't get me wrong, this potato salad was good and the fresh herbs add a nice flavor, but I prefer a creamier mayonnaise based potato salad.  I'm taking it to work tomorrow for our Thanksgiving potluck lunch.  Hopefully my co-workers like it!

It's also the name of a movie

Fried Green Tomatoes


1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs. lemon juice
3/4 cup plain, dry breadcrumbs
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cumin
2 lbs unripe tomatoes, sliced 1/2" thick
3/4 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
12 cherry tomatoes

Puree garlic, basil, mayonnaise, and juice until smooth.  Cover; refrigerate.

Combine breadcrumbs, 1 tsp. salt, pepper, and cumin.  Sprinkle tomato slices with remaining salt.  Coat tomatoes with flour, shake off excess.  Dip in egg; coat with breadcrumb mixture.  In nonstick skillet heat oil over medium heat.  Cook tomato slices in batches, turning once, until golden brown, 3 minutes per side.  Drain on paper towels; serve with cherry tomatoes and basil mayonnaise.

For the second week in a row, I picked a recipe involving rhubarb and then had to pick again.  After my last post about trying to find rhubarb my best friend texted me to let me know that even though rhubarb isn't in season in the groceries stores, her mom is currently growing it in her garden.  While it is great to know that I can get rhubarb out of season I can't just go driving up to Johnstown every time I need it.  So I picked another recipe from the shoebox.  


Green tomatoes are a little difficult to find in the grocery store.  My best friend also informed me that her mom has bags and bags of green tomatoes in her garage.  I clearly need to be her next door neighbor.  She has everything I need for any cooking conundrum.  Luckily, while I was at the store, the produce was being restocked so I picked through the crates that hadn't been put on the tomato display stand and found unripe tomatoes.  They weren't very green, but they weren't very red either.  The key to finding tomatoes for frying is that they need to be very firm.  That way they don't fall apart when you slice them.  While I was able to find unripe tomatoes at the store, they were completely out of fresh basil.  So I had to used dried basil for the sauce.  In case you were wondering, you cannot substitute the same amount of dry basil for fresh basil.  Dry herbs are more potent than fresh so use the substitution of 1 teaspoon of dry for 1 tablespoon of fresh.  


Overall, a pretty tasty recipe.  The cumin in the breadcrumb mix added a nice flavor.  However, when I made the sauce I used miracle whip instead of mayonnaise since that is what I had in the refrigerator.  The zip of miracle whip was a little overkill with the garlic.  Too many competing flavors going on.  Next time, I'll use actual mayonnaise.