Thursday, September 26, 2013

Yes I am still here

Thank you to all those who have inquired as to where I have been. I have not forgotten about life less hurried. I have been focusing more on my health and getting myself to a place where I can live more fully. I will be writing soon about some of the things I have discovered.  I have also started a new business. I am in the beginning stages and much of my time and energy has been spent in pursuing that. It is a wonderful opportunity that I have to take advantage of now. I do plan on writing more, there is so much I want to share with you all. Please check back soon.

Friday, September 13, 2013

from scratch German chocolate cake with coconut pecan icing

My husband makes the most fabulous German chocolate cake with coconut pecan icing. it is a prize winning recipe that has been handed down for years. It is worth the time and effort to make this cake. 







To make the cake

preheat the oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9x13 cake pan

In a large bowl add
1 1/2 squares of butter (12 Tablespoons) chilled
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup sugar

Beat these ingredients well about 3 minutes with an electric beater on high.  Batter will be lumpy at first
add
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1 Tablespoon of vanilla
3-4 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Beat this all very well  another 2-3 minutes on high scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.
1 more cup of flour
1/2 cup of ice water
add the flour and ice water and beat for another minute or two then add
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 cup more of flour and
1/2 cup of ice water
beat this again for another 3-4 minutes then add
1/2 cup more of the ice water and beat for about 1 minute more
The batter should be nice and smooth by now and well chilled with the ice water

Pour the batter into the prepares 9x13 cake pan and bake in a 350 oven for 35 minutes

While the cake is baking make the icing


For the icing you will need
1 square of butter (8 tablespoons)
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk (canned milk)
3 egg yolks
Cook this  in a saucepan over medium heat bring to a boil. continue to cook and stir for 10 minutes and then add
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
 spread the icing over the cake when it comes out of the oven and let it all cool for 1 hour before serving.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Make your own mayo

Making your own mayonnaise is easy especially with the food processor. With a few simple ingredients you can be on your way to a wonderful taste experience.

A few things to remember when making mayo

1. It is a simple sauce (oil suspended in egg yolks)
2. The key is not get in a hurry
3. the most common problem is breaking or separating. This is caused by getting in a hurry adding the oil. 







Now to the fun.

To make your own mayo you will need
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons acid (lemon juice or vinegar)
a pinch of sugar
1/2 Tablespoon water
1 cup of oil (strong flavored oils such as peanut, sesame, or olive  are not recommended here, they lend to much personality to the mayonnaise)


1. In the bowl of your food processor mix all but the oil and water.
2.Pulse a few times to incorporate it all together
3. With the motor running begin to drizzle the oil into the egg yolk mix
4. It will start to thicken up this means that the emulsion is beginning
5. As it thickens you can drizzle a little faster in a small stream but do not get into too much of a hurry.
6. Once you have about half the oil into the mix, stop the processor and add 1/2 Tablespoon water
7. continue drizzling until all the oil is mixed in.
8. refrigerate leftovers and use within  a week or so.
It is so yummy and easy to make you will wonder why you haven't done this before.


P.S.
The other day I made the mistake of looking at a label for fat free mayonnaise; Oh my yuck, and the light mayo is not any better. It is a chemical bath. Even the regular mayonnaise is full of chemicals that help the emulsion stay and preserve the mix. Just make your own, it is not that hard, plus you can add extra flavorings (garlic, herbs and spices) to make is special.

This post is shared as part of real-food-wednesdays