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How to Make Cookie & Bouquet

In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a throwback to the 1920s. A time when canned pineapple was all the rage. One look at this cake and you can see why it was so popular. It is lovely, glistening slices of sweet and sticky caramelized pineapple sitting happily on top of a fluffy white butter cake. A Pineapple Upside Down Cake begs to be served warm from the oven, with or without a dollop of softly whipped cream.

When I set out to make a Pineapple Upside Down Cake, I had my mother’s cake in mind. Her cake had rings of canned pineapple slices with a maraschino cherry in the center of each. But then I came across Alice Water’s recipe in her cookbook Chez Panisse Fruit, where she used fresh pineapple, and I decided it was time to update the classic. Pineapple Upside Down Cake begins with melting butter with brown sugar until it starts to caramelize. This mixture is then poured into a cake pan and fresh pineapple slices (or you can use canned pineapple slices) are placed on top. If you like you can also garnish the top with maraschino cherries or candied red cherries (as shown in picture). A buttery white cake batter is then poured over the pineapple slices and the cake is baked until golden brown. Once the cake cools, it is inverted onto a cake platter so the top of the cake features the pineapple slices that have become wonderfully soft and sweet from absorbing all that delicious caramelized sugar. I love to serve this cake warm with a nice dollop of whipped cream. Leftovers can be covered, stored in the refrigerator, and simply reheated.

So why did the first recipes for a Pineapple Upside Down Cake use canned pineapple instead of fresh? For the answer we have to look at the time (1920s) this recipe first appeared. The 1920s was the beginning of widespread availability of canned pineapple at reasonable prices. (At the time fresh pineapple was not widely available and if you could find it, it was very expensive.) This widespread availability happened because Jim Dole, who founded the Hawaiian Pineapple Company (later known as Dole Food Co.) in the early 1900s, increased pineapple production dramatically. He canned about 95% of the crop so this eventually led to a huge expansion of the canned pineapple market. As with all new foods, with time pineapple recipes began to appear in magazines, newspapers, and cookbooks. So popular was Pineapple Upside Down Cake in the 1920s, that Jean Anderson in her The American Century Cookbook tells us that when the Dole Food Co. held a cooking-with-pineapple contest in 1926 they received over 2,500 recipes for Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Since then the popularity of Pineapple Upside Down Cake has ebbed and flowed, and now it is often thought of as comfort food.

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Article by Stephanie Jaworski

Photo by Rick Jaworski

© 2011 iFood Media LLC

In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make Angel Food Cake.

An Angel Food Cake, or Angel Cake, has a sweet golden brown crust with a soft and spongy snowy white interior. This cake is made with egg whites, sugar, vanilla and almond extracts, and flour. It does not contain egg yolks or any fat so it is perfect for those watching their fat intake. It can be eaten plain with just a dusting of powdered (confectioners of icing) sugar, filled and frosted with your favorite icing, or served with fresh fruit and softly whipped cream. It is also excellent with fruit sauces (raspberry and strawberry are nice), chocolate sauce, lemon curd, ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet or sorbet.

So what do we need to know to make a great Angel Food Cake? First, an Angel Food Cake gets its rise, not from baking powder or baking soda, but solely from the air whipped into egg whites. In order to get the maximum volume from the egg whites, make sure your mixing bowl and beater are clean, dry, and free of grease and have the egg whites at room temperature. The recipe begins with beating the whites until foamy. Then cream of tartar is added which helps to stabilize the whites. Once the whites form soft peaks, the sugar is gradually beaten in, one tablespoon at a time. (Adding the sugar gradually ensures that it fully dissolves into the egg whites.) Continue to beat the egg whites until stiff glossy peaks form. (You have probably noticed that Angel Food Cakes do use more sugar than other types of sponge cakes and this is to support and stabilize the large amount of egg whites.) At this point cake flour, mixed with a little sugar to prevent the flour from clumping, is folded into the beaten egg whites. (Cake flour is a low gluten flour, and is used to give the cake its delicate texture.) The flour is gradually folded in to ensure that the batter does not deflate. Quick light strokes with a rubber spatula or large balloon whisk are all that is needed.

The batter is then poured into an ungreased tube pan with a removable bottom which gives the cake support as well as making it easier to remove the baked cake. The pan is left ungreased so the batter will cling to the sides of the pan as it bakes and allows the cake to reach its full volume. The hole in the middle of the pan allows the hot air to circulate and reach the center of the cake. Unlike most cakes that are simply placed on a wire rack to cool, angel food cakes are immediately inverted so the baked cake will maintain its volume and to keep it from shrinking as it cools. Angel Food Cake is at its best the day it is made, although it can be stored for a few days.

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Article by Stephanie Jaworski

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© 2011 iFood Media LLC

In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make Irish Soda Bread.

Irish Soda Bread has a rough golden brown crispy crust with a dense yet tender, slightly moist interior. It is perfect whether sliced and slathered with butter and jam or served alongside a hot bowl of soup or stew. Leftovers make wonderful toast. Serve Irish Soda Bread on March 17, which is Saint Patrick’s Day, a day that honors its patron saint, Saint Patrick. It is a national holiday in Ireland. Outside of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by both the Irish and non-Irish. Parades, the wearing of green, and the eating of Irish food has become very popular as “Everyone wants to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day”.

Irish cookbook and food lore author, Maura Laverty, tells us in her lovely book Maura Laverty’s Cookery Book that while it may be known as Irish ’soda bread’ outside Ireland, “in its native habitat soda-bread is never so-called. We call it “cake” or “cake-bread”". In fact, soda bread encompasses many types of quick breads; from a flat sweet griddle bread, to brown bread, to a dark spicy treacle bread, to a currant and caraway seed bread, to even a raisin soda bread (spotted dick or spotted dog). Yet in its simplest form, Irish soda bread is made with just four ingredients; flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk (sour milk). Soda bread gets its rise, not from yeast, but from the baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) reacting with the acid (soured milk or buttermilk). There are debates about whether Irish soda bread should be made from white or whole wheat flour, so to satisfy both camps, this recipe uses both. We are also adding a little sugar for sweetness and a small handful of old fashioned rolled oats. The important thing to remember when making soda bread is to have a quick light hand for both mixing and kneading of the dough. Once the dough is formed into a round, a cross is cut on the top of the bread, some say to “let the fairies out”. If truth be told, the cross is really there to keep the bread from splitting during baking and it also makes it easier to cut the baked bread into quarters.

Irish Soda Bread contains buttermilk which has a nice thick creamy texture with a rich tangy buttery taste that makes this bread tender. Whereas in the past it was the liquid left over after churning butter it is now commercially made by adding a bacteria to whole, skim, or low fat milk. You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.

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Article by Stephanie Jaworski

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© 2011 iFood Media LLC

In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make Nanaimo Bars.

Nanaimo Bars (N.B.s for short) are one of Canada’s favorite confections. The beautiful City of Nanaimo, British Columbia has claimed these squares as their own, telling us on their website that it all began when a Nanaimo housewife entered a recipe for chocolate squares in a magazine contest some 35 years ago. She called her recipe ‘Nanaimo Bars’ and when she won the contest, not only did her dessert become popular throughout Canada, so did the town they were named after. These no-bake, three layered bars are famous for a reason, they are delicious. They start with a crumb base, followed by a layer of light custard buttercream, and the crowning glory is a smooth and glossy layer of semi sweet chocolate.

There are many different recipes for these squares. In fact, when the City of Nanaimo ran a contest back in 1986 to find the ‘ultimate’ Nanaimo Bar, there were about 100 recipes submitted. All Nanaimo Bars begin with a base layer, a wonderful combination of unsweetened cocoa powder (regular or Dutch-processed), chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans), dried coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) and graham cracker crumbs (or crushed Digestive Biscuits) held together with melted butter. Once this mixture is pressed into a square pan and chilled it is then covered with a rich layer of buttercream made of butter, confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, custard powder (or vanilla pudding powder), and a little milk. An important part of this buttercream is the dried custard powder, which was the invention of an Englishman, named Alfred Bird. He invented this powder because his wife loved homemade custard but was allergic to eggs. Alan Davidson in his “The Oxford Companion to Food” tells us that this powder is not, in fact, a dried form of real custard but is just cornflour (cornstarch) and sugar that has been colored and flavored. When the dried custard powder is used in this buttercream it adds a nice flavor and color. Now, if you live in the States, custard powder is not readily available. I have found it in specialty food stores (Bird’s Custard Powder is the most popular brand) or online, but if you are unable to find it, just substitute it with an equal amount of instant vanilla pudding.

The finishing touch to these squares is a coating of shiny semisweet or bittersweet chocolate that provides a slight crunch as you bite into them. For this recipe, because chocolate is one of the more dominant flavors, make sure to use a good quality chocolate that you enjoy eating out-of-hand. When choosing a chocolate, always look for one that has a lovely shiny finish (a sign that the chocolate was cooked at the right temperature for the right amount of time) and one that has that wonderful ’snap’ when you break it into pieces. Once the melted chocolate is poured over the buttercream layer and has been left to set, cut the squares with a sharp knife that has been dipped in hot water and then wiped off.

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Article by Stephanie Jaworski

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© 2011 iFood Media LLC

In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make Irish Soda Scones.

Soda Bread has been a specialty of Ireland for well over a century. As its name implies, ’soda’ bread gets its rise, not from yeast, but from ‘baking soda’ (bicarbonate of soda). Soda Bread is classified as a quick bread and in its most basic form contains only four ingredients, baking soda, flour (all purpose and/or whole wheat), salt, and buttermilk (or soured milk). When raisins (currants or sultanas) and a little sugar are added to the dough, its name changes from Soda Bread to Spotted Dick or Spotted Dog.

For this recipe I have decided to make Irish Soda Scones instead of a usual round of bread. You can use all white flour, all brown flour, or a combination of the two flours. The important thing to remember when making soda scones is to have a quick light hand because baking soda starts to react as soon as it becomes wet. So try to get the scones into the hot oven as soon as possible. Irish Soda Scones contain buttermilk which has a nice thick creamy texture with a rich tangy buttery taste that makes these scones nice and tender. Whereas in the past it was the liquid left over after churning butter it is now commercially made by adding a bacteria to whole, skim, or low fat milk. You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.

The Irish Soda Scones are baked in a hot oven and this produces a scone with a hard and crusty outer crust yet inside they have a nice tender crumb. These are wonderful with butter and jam or they also make a great accompaniment to soups and stews.

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Article by Stephanie Jaworski

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In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make No Bake Cheesecake.

In the large category of cheesecakes, the one that is often overlooked, is what some call a “mock” cheesecake, but what I prefer to call a “No Bake” cheesecake. A No Bake Cheesecake, is just that, no baking in the oven is needed. Yet this cheesecake still has the rich and tangy flavor of cream cheese, and it is still smooth and creamy. The difference is that it does not contain eggs or flour (or other thickeners) and that is why it does not need to be baked. This also eliminates all the problems normally associated with cheesecakes, like over baking and cracking.

If you grew up in the Sixties, you will probably remember this No Bake Cheesecake dessert. While Julia Child may have been teaching the ways of French cooking, some women were looking for fast, easy, and delicious. This No Bake Cheesecake was the type of recipe found in women’s magazines, community cookbooks, or passed from neighbor to neighbor. Mothers loved it because it could be whipped up in no time, it used common ingredients, and everyone, including children, loved it.

A No Bake Cheesecake uses a graham cracker crumb crust which is, by far, the simplest of all the pie crusts. (If you would like to add a ginger flavor to the crust, replace 1/2 cup (50 grams) of the graham cracker crumbs with crushed ginger gingers.) Now, if you have problems with getting the right crust consistency, the test to see if you have the right amount of crumbs to melted butter is, once you have mixed the ingredients together, to squeeze some in your fist. If the crumbs hold together, you have the perfect crust. Once the crust is made and pressed into the tart pan, it is left to chill in the refrigerator. The next step is to simply mix the filling ingredients together. This is done in two steps. First you beat the cream cheese until soft and creamy and then beat in the sugar and vanilla extract. (Try to use “pure” vanilla extract, not the “imitation”, as they are made with synthetic vanilla (from glycoside found in the sapwood of certain conifers or from coal extracts) and leave a bitter after taste. Products labeled ‘Vanilla Flavoring’ are a combination of pure vanilla extract and imitation vanilla extract.) Then, in a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream or double cream (cream that contains 36-40% butterfat) until soft peaks form. The final step is to gradually fold, or beat, the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Once that is done, simply place the filling in the chilled crust, and refrigerate until firm. After an hour or two you can spread the cherry pie filling over the filling, or you can serve the filling on the side, which allows your guests to take as much, or as little, as they like. Another idea is to omit the cherry pie filling altogether and simply serve the cheesecake with fresh fruit or this strawberry sauce, raspberry sauce, or this blueberry sauce. No Bake Cheesecake can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

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Article by Stephanie Jaworski

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© 2011 iFood Media LLC

In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make Chocolate Pudding Cake.

This homey, old fashioned Chocolate Pudding Cake has two delicious layers, a moist chocolate cake and a thick chocolate pudding sauce. It is everyday fare, rich and satisfying, and perfect when served warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You may know this dessert as a Hot Chocolate Fudge Cake, a Chocolate Brownie Pudding Cake, a Chocolate Upside Down Cake, or maybe as a Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding Cake.

I often thought a Chocolate Pudding Cake was the precursor to the more decadent Molten Chocolate Cake as both have a chocolate cake and a chocolate sauce in one dessert. Only this recipe is not readily found in cookbooks as, more often than not, it is one that has been passed down from one generation to the next.

When you make a Chocolate Pudding Cake, you do not need an electric mixer, everything is mixed by hand. There are two parts to this recipe, the cake and the pudding sauce. Let’s begin with the pudding sauce which means stirring instant coffee into boiling water unless you have some freshly brewed coffee on hand. The next step is to mix together some brown and white sugars, along with unsweetened cocoa powder (regular unsweetened or Dutch-processed). Finally, we make the cake batter which is done by whisking the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another. The two are mixed together, along with some walnuts, and the batter is made. Once the cake batter is spread onto the bottom of a square cake pan, the sugar mixture is sprinkled over top and the hot coffee is poured over top of that. (Some recipes call for adding the sugar/cocoa mixture directly into the hot water. However, when you sprinkle the sugar/cocoa mixture directly on the cake batter, it gives the cake a crisp outer crust, which I prefer.) This strange looking mixture is then placed in a moderate oven and while it bakes it is transformed. Miraculously the cake batter rises to the top of the pan and becomes all puffed and cracked with the sugar/cocoa mixture forming a crisp crust. Conversely, the hot coffee thickens and sinks to the bottom of the pan becoming a pudding sauce. The Chocolate Pudding Cake is done when the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. This dessert is best when served shortly after it is removed from the oven, preferably with a scoop of vanilla or coffee flavored ice cream. If there are any leftovers, they can be covered and stored in the refrigerator and simply reheated in the microwave the next day.

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Article by Stephanie Jaworski

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In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make Chocolate Cupcakes.

This lovely Chocolate Cupcake is all about having your own little cake that you do not have to share. It has a mild chocolate flavor and moist texture that is topped with a rich and creamy chocolate butter frosting. The frosting can be either piped into lovely swirls or, for the kids, all you need is a quick swipe of frosting with a liberal dusting of colored sprinkles.

Cupcakes may come in many flavors, but chocolate is still a real favorite. The Chocolate Cupcake gets its lovely favor from Dutch-processed cocoa powder that has been dissolved in hot water to bring out its full flavor. Dutch processed cocoa powder or Alkalized Unsweetened Cocoa Powder is cocoa that has been treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. Because it is neutral and does not react with baking soda, it must be used in recipes calling for baking powder, unless there are other acidic ingredients in sufficient quantities used. Droste and Valrhona are two of my two favorites brands.

The chocolate butter frosting recipe comes from the cookbook Chocolate Bar by Matt Lewis and Alison Nelson who run a chocolate boutique that they call a “candy store for grown-ups” in New York. It is the type of chocolate frosting my mother always used to cover cakes. Made with butter, confectioners (icing or powdered) sugar, vanilla extract and unsweetened chocolate, it is perfect for piping. It uses unsweetened chocolate which is also known as baking, plain or bitter chocolate. This is chocolate in its rawest form. Chocolate liquor that has been refined and contains 50-55% cocoa butter. Since no sugar has been added to the chocolate it has a strong, bitter taste that is used in cooking and baking but is never eaten out of hand. When used in this frosting it imparts a deep chocolate flavor. Ghirardelli and Baker’s unsweetened chocolate can be found on the baking isle of most grocery stores, or other brands I particularly like that can be found in specialty food stores or else on line are Dagoba, Guittard, or Scharffen Berger.

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Article by Stephanie Jaworski

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In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make Peanut Butter Pie.

A Peanut Butter Pie is like a giant peanut butter cup. It is an elegant looking pie with its smooth chocolate ganache topping all covered with crunchy peanuts. Inside is a rich and creamy, no bake peanut butter filling that is set in a chocolate cookie crumb crust. Now that is pure indulgence.

There are many different recipes for a Peanut Butter Pie. This recipe is one I adapted from Richard Sax’s Classic Home Desserts. I like it because it has a chocolate ganache topping, which many recipes do not include, and I also like how he reduces the amount of heavy cream in the peanut butter filling from the usual 1 cup (240 ml) to 1/2 cup (120 ml). I find that 1/2 cup cream lightens the filling yet it does not dilute the rich peanut butter flavor. Now, this Peanut Butter Pie has a chocolate cookie crumb crust. You can use either chocolate wafer cookies or Oreo Cookies that have been processed in your food processor until finely ground. To the crumbs add a little melted butter and sugar, press the crumbs into a 9 inch (23 cm) pie pan (or you can use a 9 inch spring form pan) and bake in a moderate oven until set. While the crust cools, mix the filling ingredients together. First, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter until soft and creamy and then beat in the sugar and vanilla extract. (Try to use “pure” vanilla extract, not the “imitation”, as they are made with synthetic vanilla and can leave a bitter after taste). Then, in a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream (cream that contains 36-40% butterfat) until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and refrigerate until firm. The next step is to cover the peanut butter filling with a chocolate Ganache. Ganache is a creamy smooth mixture of cream, butter, and semi sweet chocolate (can use milk chocolate) that is made by simply melting the chocolate with the butter and cream in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Once you spread the Ganache over the chilled Peanut Butter Pie, the final step is a sprinkling of chopped salted peanuts. This Peanut Butter Pie will keep in the refrigerator for about a week, although it never lasts that long in my home. Serve in small slices.

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Article by Stephanie Jaworski

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In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make Melting Moments.

Sometimes I find it hard to decide which is I like better, Melting Moments or Mexican Wedding Cakes. Both are round balls that are coated with confectioners sugar, and both are a shortbread-like cookie that rely on butter for their wonderful flavor. But there are a few differences between these two cookies; one is that Mexican Wedding Cakes contain ground nuts, and the other is that Melting Moments replace some of the flour with cornstarch (corn flour) so the cookies literally “melt-in-your-mouth”.

Melting Moments are easy to make and are perfect for those who like to do their Christmas baking early. They store very well, up to two weeks, but since they are so fragile I wouldn’t advise shipping them. As far as the ingredients go, because there are not a lot of competing flavors in this cookie this is one time when buying a good quality unsalted butter is advisable. Also, use ‘pure’ vanilla extract not the ones that are labeled ‘imitation’ as they are made with synthetic vanilla (from glycoside found in the sapwood of certain conifers or from coal extracts) and leave a bitter aftertaste. The best pure vanilla extract I have found, although it is quite expensive, is Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract that can be found in specialty food stores and by mail order. If your budget doesn’t allow this expenditure or you cannot find it, don’t worry, there are quality brands to be found in your local grocery store.

Incidentally, you may have seen Melting Moments that look very different from the picture above. Sometimes the dough is placed in a piping bag with a fluted tip and then piped into rosettes. The finishing touch is to top each cookie with a red or green candied cherry. Other times the dough is rolled into a crescent shape with the ends sometimes dipped in melted chocolate.

Note: For those unfamiliar with cornstarch it is a fine white powder that comes from the inner grain (endosperm) of corn and is used by many as a thickener for gravies and sauces. The British term ‘corn flour’ is often used synonymously with the North American term ‘cornstarch’.

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Article by Stephanie Jaworski

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© 2011 iFood Media LLC

In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make Chocolate Banana Bread.

This Chocolate Banana Bread combines the sweet flavor of ripe bananas with chocolate. I have always liked the pairing of chocolate and bananas, but in the past I have been content with just adding some chocolate chips to a regular banana bread batter. That was until I saw a recipe for a ‘Cocoa Banana Loaf’ in Lisa Yockelson’s Baking by Flavor cookbook. It sounded so good that I decided to take my Banana Bread recipe and add unsweetened cocoa powder to it. The results were excellent; a bread with a mild chocolate flavor yet still retaining the sweetness and moistness that has always made banana bread popular. You will also notice the addition of white chocolate chips to the batter. This not only adds more chocolate flavor, but it also gives a nice color contrast to the dark brown color of the loaf. The finishing touch, if you have some Turbinado or Demerara sugar in the house, is to sprinkle a little over the batter before you pop it in the oven. This gives the crust a nice sugary crunch with a touch of sparkle. Serve this bread in the afternoon with a cup of tea or coffee, but I am not against having a slice for breakfast either.

There are many types of bananas, but most of us are familiar with that long and curved bright yellow variety sold in bunches. Arriving at our shores over a hundred years ago, this tropical dessert fruit has many virtues; available year round, reasonably priced, of consistent quality, easy to peel, but most importantly, we know by the color of its skin how firm its flesh will be and how sweet it will taste. When you think about it, not many fruits can tell us so much just by looking at them. Bananas are picked while still green which means its flesh will be hard with little flavor. As time passes and the banana ripens its skin begins to turn yellow and with that its flesh softens and flavor sweetens. Further aging causes the skin to brown and its flesh to become very soft and sweet. At this stage some people throw these bananas in the garbage thinking they have gone bad, not realizing how delicious they will be when mashed and baked in a bread or cake.

If you are like me almost every time I buy bananas a few (not enough though to make this bread) will turn brown before I get around to eating them. Instead of throwing them away simply slip them into a plastic bag and place them into the freezer until you have enough for baking. You can also peel and mash them, stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice for each banana, and freeze in an airtight container or bag. They will keep about six months in the freezer.

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Article by Stephanie Jaworski

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In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make Blondies.

Blondies, or you might know them as Butterscotch or Blond Brownies, are a dense and chewy bar cookie that have a wonderful butterscotch flavor. Blondies are said to be related to the Chocolate Brownie, although they do not look or taste like one. It is a little confusing as Blondies are not made with dark chocolate so the only real connection to the Brownie comes from the way they are made and their ingredients. If you think about it, the batter is more like a chocolate chip cookie batter; full of butter and brown sugar, with the added touch of toasted pecans and white chocolate chips.

I really like how the pecans and white chocolate complement the Blondies’ butterscotch flavor, but you may prefer to use butterscotch chips or even milk or dark chocolate chips in the place of the white chocolate chips. The reason I like to use white chocolate chips is because they are rich and creamy with a sweet yet subtle flavor. Officially White Chocolate cannot be called “chocolate” because it does not contain chocolate liquor. Good white chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, vanilla, and lecithin. So make sure when buying white chocolate that it contains cocoa butter as some inferior brands use vegetable fat.

This recipe comes from Richard Sax’s wonderful book “Classic Home Desserts”. It is not often that you find a baking book that does such a good job of covering the whole gamut of baking, from ‘Cobblers and Crisps’ to ‘Dessert Sauces’. Two delightful features of this book are the quotes from old cookbooks that are scattered throughout and the “Historical Sources” list at the back of the book.

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In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make Banana Muffins.

Banana Muffins are a muffin version of the Banana Bread. They start with a thick sweet batter that is full of mashed bananas, ground cinnamon and toasted nuts. Banana Muffins are a snap to make. Just mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another bowl. Combine the two and you are done. When you pull the banana muffins from the oven their golden brown crusts are delightfully crisp and although their crusts soften once covered and stored, their wonderful moist texture and sweet flavor remain intact.

The good thing about these muffins is that they can be made anytime of the year as bananas are always available with consistent quality. The important thing to remember though is that some preplanning needs to be done. This recipe uses bananas that have turned brown with age which are hard to find in most grocery stores. Bananas are most often sold when their skin is still bright yellow, sometimes even a little green, which indicates that the flesh is still quite hard with little flavor. This may be great for eating raw but not for making muffins when you want the bananas to be soft and sweet. For those times when you don’t want to wait several days for the bananas to ripen you may want to have a few brown bananas already frozen in your freezer. All you need to do for this is to place very ripe bananas in a plastic bag either whole or you can peel and mash them (in food processor), stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice for each banana, and then freeze in an airtight container or bag. They will keep about six months in the freezer.

Note: Bananas originated in Southeast Asia and are one of the best known fruits in the world. Although there are hundreds of varieties most of us only know the dessert kind which have a high sugar content and with their sweet taste are usually eaten raw. Bananas are long and curved and grow in bunches (9-12). They are picked unripe when their skin is still green. As they ripen their skin turns yellow which can be easily peeled off to reveal a cream colored soft flesh. Originally called “Apple of Paradise” or “Adam’s Fig”.

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In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make Chocolate Banana Cake.

Ripe bananas sitting on the counter means it is time to bake. Often times I make banana bread which is perfect in the mornings with yogurt and fresh fruit. But when I want a delicious and quick weekday dessert this Chocolate Banana Cake is what I turn to. This recipe is one I adapted from Canadian Jane Rodmell’s Best Summer Weekends Cookbook. It is lovely. It combines the sweetness of ripe mashed bananas with cocoa powder and to make it even more chocolately, the cake is frosted with a smooth and creamy Chocolate Ganache. This would also be the perfect cake for family gatherings as it feeds up to 16 people.

Chocolate Banana Cake is a snap to put together. Fifteen minutes is about all you need. It is more like a quick bread in that you do not use a mixer, just two bowls. One for the dry ingredients and one for the wet ingredients. The two are then mixed together and you are done. The fat is in liquid form, which gives the cake a wonderful moist texture and tender crumb that keeps the cake soft even when refrigerated. As far as the type of oil to use in this cake, I like to use canola, but safflower, vegetable, or corn oils are also good. As I said above, the frosting is a Chocolate Ganache, which is a French term referring to a smooth mixture of chopped chocolate and heavy cream. While it is often poured over a cake or torte for a smooth and shiny glaze, this time it is whipped so it becomes a nice thick and spreadable frosting.

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In this video Stephanie demonstrates how to make Chocolate Cookies.

Reach for this cookie when that next chocolate craving hits. This rich and buttery tasting Chocolate Cookie is adapted from a recipe in Regan Daley’s ‘In the Sweet Kitchen’ and combines the subtle flavor of Dutch-processed cocoa powder with sweet white chocolate chips. While perfect with a tall glass of cold milk, its soft texture makes it the perfect cookie for filling with ice cream so you have your own homemade ice cream sandwiches.

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