Swedish Visiting Cake

Last night I went to bed about midnight, but I couldn't sleep. More accurately, I could sleep, but I couldn't sleep well. I tossed and turned, thinking about the stack of 100ish term papers that need grading this week. When I wasn't tossing and turning, I was grading. In my sleep. Grading in my sleep, with a red pencil and a furrowed brow. None of the papers were any good, in my sleep, that is. Finally, at 3 AM, I decided to get out of bed. I mean if I'm going to be grading term papers in my sleep, I might as well get out of bed and do it wide awake, so I can mark it off the to do list. And speaking of that to do list, here it is days away from Tuesday and I'm finally getting around to posting this Swedish Visiting Cake. (For any newcomers, Tuesday is the appointed day for my weekly baking club, Tuesdays with Dorie.)If it were any less delicious, I would have forgotten about it and forged ahead to my next assignment. But this cake is special. It has a buttery almond and vanilla flavor, and a lovely tight crumbed texture. The top is slightly crispy with sparkly sugar and toasted almonds. It's rather plain, so you may not want it for your soiree dessert, but I promise that you'll adore it with a cup of herbal tea in the afternoon, or a jug of milk in the morning. I happened to have the perfect little cast iron skillet to bake it in, small enough for perfect half batch. This little 6 inch baby was part of the prize package for all the finalists at last year's Cornbread Cook-off in South Pittsburg, TN. (And incidentally, I'm headed there next weekend to participate as a finalist again with my Crunchtastic Chicken Chipotle Cornbread. More to come on that...) It's awful cute, ain't it? Well, have a wonderful weekend, friends. I'll sleep peacefully tonight knowing that the papers are almost graded and the cake has been virtually delivered to you. Sweet Dreams.
Swedish Visiting Cake

Estimated Cost: $2.00

Notes: This one is a bargain, full of inexpensive pantry staples. For variation, you can throw in some chopped fruit, like apples or berries. You can also use the zest of an orange or tangerine, if that's what you've got on hand.

I'm posting a full size portion, to be baked in a 9 inch skillet, or cake pan.

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for preparing pan

1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 eggs

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

1 cup flour1/4 cup sliced almonds (blanched or not)

Center a rack in oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy oven-proof skillet, a 9-inch round cake pan or even a pie pan. I used a my favorite pan in the whole world — a 9-inch oven proof, heavy skillet.Pour sugar into a medium bowl. Add lemon zest and blend zest into sugar with your fingers until sugar is moist and aromatic. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Whisk in salt and vanilla and almond extracts.Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in flour. Finally, fold in melted butter. Scrape batter into prepared skillet or pan and smooth top with rubber spatula.Scatter sliced almonds over top and sprinkle with sugar. If using a cake or pie pan, place pan on baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and a little crisp on outside; the inside will remain moist.
Next Up:

My New Favorite Chipotle Buttermilk Dressing

Thank you, Babble

Well, knock me over with a feather.

Babble just named your very own Prudence Pennywise for a Top 50 Mom Food Blog.

I'm speechless. Observe the quiet created by my speechlessness.

...

...

....

(It's only a temporary condition. )

I'll be back to babbling in no time.

Here's the link so you can check out the other winners.

Be back after I unpack my suitcases, grade my term papers, teach my college students about Darwin, run the charges to violin lessons, and then of course, I'll have to actually make that Swedish Visiting Cake that I'll be back to write about.

Mom's Chicken Scampi

My mom, the tiny woman who's veins pulse with Sicilian blood, loves the Chicken Scampi at Olive Garden. That's saying something, isn't it? Mom's been trying to crack the code on the recipe. (Along with the Italian blood, culinary sleuthing runs in the family, I think.) A handful of Sundays ago, she invited us over to sample her copy-cat recipe. Her house smelled amazing (think butter and garlic) the minute we walked through the door. Hubba, hubba, chicken scampi, I think I love you.

The stuff was delicious, beautiful, and rib-stickingly good. All Sunday dinners really ought to be this special. But don't wait for Sunday-it could pep up a weeknight, or dazzle a table full of dinner guests. Mark it down, print it out, make some up.

And by the way, did I ever tell you, that my mom thinks her children aren't really Italian? Not really authentic Italians anyway. We don't qualify since we claim only one piddly half of her Roman inheritance. For goodness sakes, 8 out of 10 of us have those Mediterannean noses that scream "I'm Italian" to the rest of the world. My mom is just more discriminating than kin, scientists, and genealogists. You have to be 100 percent to get full credit. But then again, maybe my mom isn't a real Italian either. H

ow many real Italians do you know that copy recipes from the Olive Garden? (Just a little good natu

red ribbing. To know my mom is to love her completely. Ti amo, mama!)

Mom's Copy Cat Chicken Scampi

Slightly Adapted to make it easier, by me

Estimated Cost: $10.00

8 tablespoons butter, divided use

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

2 bell peppers, green and red, cored and thinly sliced

1 lbs chicken tenders, pounded flat

2 tablespoons butter

1 lb angel hair pasta

1 cup chicken broth

freshly grated parmesan

chopped parsley

Heat skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter. Cook garlic until fragrant, remove with slotted spoon. Cook onion and bell pepper until crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Remove peppers and onions to plate. Add chicken and brown on both sides in another tablespoon of butter. Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Add remaining butter and slowly stir in chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve pasta, chicken and peppers on serving dish. Sprinkle liberally with parmesan and parsley.

Up Next:

Swedish Visiting Cake, for Tuesdays with Dorie

(It'll be later than Tuesday, since I'm in Salt Lake City for my nephew's wedding.)

Shattered Glass, Restoration, and Marble Cakes

There's been a lot of excitement around here. Who would have thought one extra large pane of shattered glass could be such an event? Maybe it's because we live in a small town, where there is very little crime. When a pint size pistol impulsively hucks a few stones, it creates a bit of a stir. (Pint size pistol completely forgiven; those things can happen and often do when you are pint sized.) I have to admit without taking any credit, dear readers, that we do have a beautiful door. We didn't design it, but the previous owners (read my parents), had it made custom. It is gorgeous wrought iron and tempered glass, sturdy and imposing on one hand, but also whimsical and beautiful. I worried a bit when the glass broke-could it be fixed? Last week, the glassman came out to measure, but I was still skeptical, since the glass had a beautiful marbled design and an arched top. On Wednesday, right in the middle of an Art lesson on Japanese print making, the glassman arrived. The first thing he did was to drill out all of the remaining glass. (Not all of the pieces had crumbled to the ground on their own. ) It was a sunlit spectacle, with bits of falling crystal. The charges gathered up all the bits they could find and are saving them. I'm not sure what for, but they are like ferrets. When they see something pretty and shiny, they go into hoarding mode. The glassman was slow, thorough, and deliberate, excellent qualities for one who deals with fragile glass. (I am skittish, jumpy, and clumsy...so maybe I'd better stick with my current job. Kids aren't too fragile, right?) In the end, we ended up with a lovely new pane of glass. It's a little different than the previous glass, but it's every bit as beautiful. The swirled pattern reminded me of the swirls in pound cake, which reminded me that I was late for my assignment for Tuesdays with Dorie. But there is redemption and repair, even if it requires patience. And good things are always worth waiting for, whether it be glass of pound cake. And speaking of waiting, this one's even better if you let it sit for a day...if you can.

Chocolate Marble Pound Cake

adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Estimated Cost: $3.00

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk

1 and 1/4 cup flour, divided use

1/3 cup cocoa powder

powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Stir in salt and soda. Add half of buttermilk. Stir in 1/2 cup flour. Add remaining buttermilk, and just 1/2 cup flour. Divide batter in half. Add cocoa powder to half of the batter, and remaining 1/4 cup flour to the other portion. Spoon alternating large dollops of overlapping batter into the loaf pan. Swirl gently with a knife just a couple of times. Don't get too crazy or you'll ruin the marble. Bake for about 40-5o minutes, or until top springs back when touched. Let cool for ten minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
Next Up:

My Mom's Chicken Scampi

Whole Wheat Rolls-great for Sandwiches with Leftover Ham

Happy Week after Easter. Have you finished picking all the Easter grass out of your carpet? Me neither. I keep reaching in the Easter baskets and stealing candy, too. I'm going through all my Easter pictures, 213 in all. We had loads of cousins here, and those kids just can't take a bad picture. I won't be able to delete any (ahem, unless I am in them.) Those cute cousins decorated eggs with such youthful enthusiasm. Here they are lined up, youngest to oldest, getting ready to hunt the same eggs.There's nothing cuter than miniature people in Easter clothes. And don't even get me started on the babies! This baby celebrated her first birthday on Easter. I finally got those chocolate Easter Eggs decorated, just in the nick of time. Here's Sailor, showing them off (and her braces, too). It is now officially spring, since we've essentially celebrated the concept of new life. I can see it all around me. Our garden is starting to produce spinach and radishes. The skies are blue and the wind is busy scattering seeds. Here's my backyard view...Spring has sprung in southern Utah. It's time to open the windows, clean out the closets, and pack up the heavy sweaters. It's also time to clean out the fridge- but it's overflowing with Easter leftovers at the moment. With that in mind, I thought I'd share some of my favorite healthy whole wheat rolls. They're soft enough to hold eggs salad, but sturdy enough for leftover ham. They're deceptively light, thanks to the instant potato flakes, especially considering that they are made from all wheat flour. Have a wonderful spring day!
Whole Wheat Rolls from Bon Appetit
Estimated Cost: $2.00 for 16
Notes: Sub 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes for the potato flakes and reduce the water to 1/2 cup.
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes
1/4 cup dry milk powder
3 tablespoon sugar
2 and 1/4 teaspoon quick rising yeast
1 and 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk
1 egg white, whisked with 1 tablespoon water for glaze
3-4 tablespoons quick cooking oats
Bring milk and water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir in butter. Cool to luke warm. Meanwhile, combine flour, potato flakes, milk powder, sugar, yeast and salt in large bowl. Whisk to blend. Add warm milk mixture and egg yolk. Knead mixture in bowl until dough comes together. Dough will be sticky. Remove from bowl and knead until smooth, adding a little flour at a time. Place dough in buttered bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 90 minutes. Butter a cookie sheet. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll into smooth bowl. Arrange balls on baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 75 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush rolls with egg white glaze and sprinkle with oats. Bake until light golden brown, about 28 minutes. Let rest in pan for five minutes.
Up Next:
Hopefully Chocolate Marble Cake-late for Tuesdays with Dorie....

Chocolate Covered Fudge Easter Eggs

Crazy, I tell you. This day has been CRAZY. Sometimes I think I should rip the pages out of my planner and put them in that old circular file. Because what's the point in planning when most of what happens upends the best laid plans? And here's the kicker: I kind of like it that way. There is never a dull moment around here. Take last night for instance. While I was away teaching my college students about Mary Wollstonecraft and the roots of feminism and the Quiet man was trying to get the charges into the tub and finish off some of his paperwork, he heard a spine tingling crash followed by lesser pings. The little neighbor boy, in a burst of impulse, threw a few rocks at our front door and shattered the glass. The Quiet Man called the parents, who were just as nice and gracious as they could be and the little boy came back, in tears, completely repentant. It will all be fixed and all will be well. But for now, the front door is completely out of commission. Which means, everyone must tromp through West's room, which happens to be a mess of Star Wars Action figures, among other things at the moment. And wouldn't you know it, today was the day for a slew of visitors, who stand at the shattered door, wondering what to do. There have been no less than 14 rings on my doorbell this morning. 14! We had a neighbor who needed to borrow garlic, a cousin, who wanted to borrow a bathing suit, the UPS man with my new mixer (Thank you, French's!), a sister who pulled into town with her five children, my parents, two dear, dear friends from California, a couple of neighborhood kids who heard about the door and wanted to get the whole story, and I'm sure I'm forgetting someone. Come on in, everybody! Welcome to Insanity; pull up a chair and stay as long as you like. And please keep in mind, that we are still doing spelling tests, piano and violin practice, history lessons on the Civil War and Medieval China. And through all of this, I've been a chocolatey disaster, dipping these eggs for my promised posts, and chuckling to myself about this messy, unorganized, imperfect thing called Life. And I wouldn't change one thing. I have to go-the doorbell just rang. I'm serious! It's the glassman to measure the door-Hooray!
Chocolate Dipped Fudge Easter Eggs

Estimated Cost: $5.00 for 10

Notes: I used the Nestle Toll House fudge recipe, since it's not overly rich (ahem, for fudge) and it's pretty sturdy.

1 and 1/2 cups sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk (5 ounce can)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 and 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Place sugar, milk, salt and butter in medium saucepan. Bring to a full ROLLING boil. Cook, stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in marshmallows, chips, walnuts, and vanilla. Pour into 8 inch square dish. Let cool for ten minutes. Scoop out 1/3 cup portions and shape into eggs. You should get about 10-12. Place on waxed paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate until firm, at least two hours. Here are some fudge eggs, before dipping.

To Dip in chocolate,

Melt 2 cups chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons shortening in medium bowl on lowest power setting in microwave. Stir often. Don't scorch your chocolate, or it will become grainy and you won't be able to use it at all. When chocolate is smooth and melted, immerse cold fudge eggs, one a time, in chocolate. Slide your spoon underneath the egg and pull it out gently. Place on waxed paper. If too much chocolate pools on the side, run a toothpick or sharp knife around the edges when the chocolate is almost set.

You'll have a bit too much chocolate, but it's necessary to get smooth eggs. Here's one when I skimped on chocolate. See the bumpy top.

For a little extra treat, throw marshmallows, nuts and dried fruits into the leftover chocolate in the bowl and remove spoonfulls to waxed paper to set. That way nothing goes to waste.

When you finish and the chocolate is set, you can decorate with frostings, candies, or piped colored candy melts. I haven't made it that far yet, but here's what I did last year.

Here's the link for the Peanut Butter Easter Eggs Recipe-my absolute favorite!

Happy Easter Everybody! Much love to you and your families.

Stay Tuned...For Chocolate Covered Fudge Easter Eggs

I'm dipping fudge centered Easter eggs this morning. (Peanut butter centers, too.) I'll be right back with full instructions, but if you're trying to get your shopping done, you'll need
peanut butter
powdered sugar
butter
evaporated milk
semisweet chocolate chips
vanilla
mini marshmallows
and lots of chocolate for dipping...
Be back ASAP with recipes and how-tos.....