Mini – Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

The Cake

2 eggs

2/3 cup sugar (can substitute applesauce….but may need to add more flour if it makes the mixture too ‘soupy.’)

4 tablespoons pineapple juice

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

The Topping

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick or 4 tablespoons)

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 (14 ounce) can pineapple rings or crushed pineapple (drained)

6 maraschino cherries

Set oven at 350°. Spray or coat muffin tins with oil (nut oils such as almond or hazelnut work well.)

In a mixing bowl, blend together wet ingredients; eggs, sugar, and pineapple juice. Beat for 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients and mix till smooth.

In a sauce pan on low, melt  butter then add the brown sugar – stir constantly.  Remove heat once sugar is melted. *Watch this step closely so that the sugar doesn’t burn.

Build your mini cakes from the bottom up. 1st add a tablespoon of the butter / sugar mixture to each muffin tin. Next, place  cherry in the middle, top this with the pineapple then add enough batter to fill the muffin up to the half-way mark.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a wooden pick in the center of cakes comes out clean.

Short Fiction paired with the Recipe

Sarah’s Words – a woman uses baking to express her feelings

Sarah picked up the salt dish. As she held the small, decorative container in the palm of her hand, her thoughts drifted to another time. Aunt Rose gave this to me when I was twelve. She laughed so hard when I told her how I used to make fairy stew in it with the long-handled glass spoon. The fine lines at the edges of Sarah’s eyes deepened when she smiled.

Sarah gathered a small mound of the crystals between her forefinger and thumb. She gently rubbed them together over a pile of four so that that the Celtic Sea Salt would distribute evenly. In Aunt Rose’s, day the salt in this container would have been Morton’s.

These Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes are going to be so cute!  she thought as she hefted the bowl into the crook of her arm. Her hand and arm began to move in circular motions. The happy family recollections faded. A small frown appeared b as Sarah thought about why she was making the cakes.

Sarah didn’t consider herself an overly emotional person. She was proud of the fact that she was known for being ‘on point,’ extremely focused, dependable and very hard working. When people around her were suffering, her standard response was a pat on the back, and a gruff, “Just keep going, it will pass,” type of comment.

But this time was different.  Sarah had a hard time grappling with the reason for the gathering that she and her family were about to attend. Her standard responses would not apply here. For a well-educated and well-spoken person, Sarah was at a loss. She, truly, did not know what to say. So she poured her love, comfort and concern into the little cakes. She hoped that showing up, and the care that went into the baking of them would make a difference.

Separating Egg Yolks & Egg Whites

Great idea!  ….squeeze the end of the bottle then release it when ‘sucking’ up the yolk.

Tiramisu – Kid Style

This ‘kids version’ of Tiramisu was a great hit in my son’s classroom for the holidays….especially because he made it all by himself.

This is a simple recipe that comes together quickly.

It’s a real confidence booster for an up-and-coming foodie.

2 pkg. lady fingers

2 pints heavy whipping cream

powdered sugar to taste

hot chocolate mix (made with hot milk or water) to taste

grated Ghiradelli Chocolate

Preparation:

Use a fine grater or a food processor to grate chocolate.

Prepare hot chocolate mix (sweeter than you’d usually drink it)

In a deep bowl mix 2 pts. heavy whipping cream with about 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar.
With an electric mixer, blend on ‘high’ or ‘whip’ until the mixture starts to thicken.  Do a taste test to see if the sweetness is to your liking. Add more if needed.
Continue blending until stiff peaks form.

Using a deep, clear sided bowl or baking dish, assemble.

1st. Put down a layer of lady fingers.

2. Slowly spoon or pour liquid hot chocolate mix over the cookies until it’s absorbed the liquid (but not swimming)

3. {See note below for cream cheese variation} Spread a layer of whipped cream.

4. Repeat.

5. Top with grated chocolate.

Note:

Almond /  ‘peppermint pattie’ variation

to the whipped cream & powdered sugar – add a few drops Almond extract

Peppermint Cream Cheese Filling

1 pkg. cream cheese – softened

powdered sugar – to taste

peppermint flavoring (food-grade Peppermint Oil) to taste

blend all together till smooth

carefully & gently spread over first layer of chocolate covered lady fingers

Additional Information:

Wikipedia – Tiramisu 

Peter Pan (Peanut Butter) Cookies – Grandma’s

1 cup spry (shortening, Crisco, or butter)
1/2 teasp. salt
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs (well beaten)
1 tablespoon milk
2 cups sifted flour
1 teasp. baking soda

Mix spry, salt, peanut butter, add sugar, mix, add eggs, mix add milk.

Sift flour with soda, mix all.

Drop from spoon, press with fork.  Bake 325  (approx. 12 – 15 minutes till done)

 

 

 

Oatmeal Drop Cookies – Grandma’s

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup & 2 tblsp. flour
1 teas. baking powder
1/4 teasp. salt
1/3 cup milk
1 teasp. cinnamon
1 teasp. vanilla
3 cups quick oats
1 cup raisins or nuts

Cream shortening & sugar, beat in eggs one at a time.

Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon & salt.

Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.

Stir in vanilla, add raisins & oats.

Drop from teaspoon.

Bake 375 for 15 min.

Betty’s Notes:  Best  B.W. 12-21-95  Today I used half brown sugar and half white.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sensibly Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies – Grandma’s

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teas. baking soda
1 teas. salt
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C margarine (softened)  (I think Mom did 1/4 margarine and 1/4 Crisco)
1 teas. vanilla
2 egg whites
1/3 cup water
2 Cups semi-sweet choc.chips
1/3 Cup nuts (chopped)

Combine flour, baking soda & salt.

Cream sugars, margarine, egg whites & vanilla, mix with flour, soda & salt.

Stir in nuts & chips.  Bake 350 for 10 – 12 min.

Betty’s notes: good on first day, but better the next day.

 

 

Baked Beans – Grandma’s

2 large cups (cooked) small white beans (or pinto beans )
1 large onion – chopped
bacon or pork  – chopped
2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
4 Tblsp. brown sugar
6 tblsp. ketchup
1 tblsp. molasses

Cover beans with water; boil for 2 hours. Drain, then mix with other ingredients. Place in crock or heavy casserole dish. Keep covered with water during baking. Bake at 300 degrees 4 hours.

Carrot Soup

10-12 carrots cut into chunks

1 onion – chopped

several celery stalks – chopped

1 cup cream (or milk or soy milk)

1/4 cup butter

fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

cinnamon or nutmeg if desired

Add all chopped vegetables to 8 cups boiling water. Boil until vegetables are soft.
Use a food processor or blender to puree. Add butter, dairy, lemon juice and seasonings.

To Make the Rabbit:

Shape rabbit face out of soft cheese – use black peppercorns for the eyes; red for the nose.
Use a vegetable peeler to make the whiskers and to shape the tiny carrot at the bottom.
Hollow out a space at the fat end of the tiny carrot to insert a celery leaf or two.
(The white and blue part of the eyes were drawn in digitally)

Microwave Cooking Myths & Health Concerns

Does cooking food in a microwave oven damage nutritional food value?

Answer: ALL cooking methods break down nutritional food value. The microwave doesn’t damage food’s nutritional value as much as other cooking methods because it cooks food faster.

Eating raw food gives one the most nutrients.

If you use a microwave – don’t heat your food in plastic…because heated plastic gives off phthalates and BPAs.

Pertinent Excerpts from research articles:
– Unlike nuclear radiation or ultraviolet radiation, microwave radiation can’t hurt you — it’s as harmless as visible light
-Microwave ovens usually don’t destroy nutrients in food. And in some cases, preparing food in a microwave might actually promote nutrient retention.
– We absorb EM (electromagnetic) radiation from power lines, cell phones, airplane flights, computers, fridges, and so forth. There is growing evidence that effects of microwave radiation add up over time.http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/Microwave-cooking-and-nutrition.shtml

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-microwave-cooking

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/01/does-microwave-cooking-rob-food-of-nutrients/http://www.livestrong.com/article/313503-microwave-ovens-kill-food-enzymes/#ixzz2CDxIkD3X

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/health/17real.html

Special Scrambled Eggs – Kids Cooking

Our son started cooking for himself several weeks ago. It gave him a huge boost in self confidence. After that, he wanted to cook scrambled eggs for us for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

• start with a cold, non sick pan

• crack desired number of eggs into the pan (if it’s cold, one can pick out the shells without getting burned)
• turn on the burner heat and mix them up as they start to solidify
• when they are almost done, add any kind of pesto and stir it all up!