Cookies, cake and pie to satisfy the sweet tooth
Good morning, fare readers. We begin today with requests from Odell Waddell of East Brainerd, who has been dining out of late and does want to try these things at home. “First, scallops. How do you choose at market and what is best way to cook: on grill, or in skillet, or oven? What toppings and spices go well?
“Also, a local restaurant (Carrabba’s) has a nice dish of angel hair pasta with spinach and mushrooms, plus grilled (?) shrimp. I need suggestions for how to spice the pasta with salt, garlic, etc. in case I want to try at home. It would be a nice dinner party meal.”
CRUSTLESS PIE
Just in time for your Thanksgiving dessert table, here is a crustless pie from the regular Thanksgiving table of the Palmers; Rosemary the cook sent it.
Cocoa Ritz Pie (No Crust Needed)
3 egg whites at room
temperature (see note)
1 cup sugar
1 cup pecans, finely chopped 23 Ritz crackers, finely crushed 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Chocolate Whipped Cream Topping (recipe follows) Heat oven to 325 degrees. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in other ingredients. Pour your filling into a greased 8-inch pie pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes. The pie will just start to turn brown as it is getting done.
Place on wire rack, and cool completely before adding topping.
Note: To quickly bring egg whites to room temperature, place them in a glass or metal bowl and set in another bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes.
Chocolate Whipped Cream Topping
3⁄4 cup heavy whipping cream 2 tablespoons sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons instant
cocoa (see note) Toasted pecan pieces (optional) for garnish on top
Start whipping the cream until it just becomes frothy. Add the sugar and instant cocoa, and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Spread this over the cooled pie, and refrigerate immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Note: The instant cocoa can be added to your taste. Remember that this cocoa is sweet also, so if you add 4 tablespoons of instant cocoa, you might decrease your sugar slightly.
To freeze: After letting the pie cool completely, wrap in a couple of layers of Saran Wrap, then in aluminum foil and freeze. DO NOT add the whipped topping before freezing. To thaw, just let it sit on the counter, still wrapped, at room temperature for a couple of hours. Add topping and serve, or refrigerate until serving.
COOKIES FOR THE AGES
Speaking of cookies, which we have been doing of late, Margaret McNeil of Margaret’s Morsels blog still makes molasses cookies like her mother did and her mother before her.
Molasses Sugar Cookies
3⁄4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1⁄4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon cloves
1⁄2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon salt Additional granulated sugar Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt shortening, and let cool. Add sugar, molasses and egg; beat well. Sift together flour, baking soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and salt; add to first mixture. Mix well.
Chill dough in the refrigerator for an hour. Form dough in 1-inch balls. Roll balls in additional granulated sugar, and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
SWEET ZUCCHINI
This zucchini cake came from Fairfield Glade, Tennessee, and the busy kitchen of Roseann Strazinsky.
Zucchini-Streusel Bundt Cake
2 cups coarsely shredded
zucchini
1⁄3 cup firmly packed brown
sugar
1⁄3 cup chopped walnuts
1⁄3 cup currants (optional) 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground allspice 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt
1 1⁄3 cups of plain nonfat yogurt 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 egg, lightly beaten Vegetable cooking spay 1 tablespoon fine, dry
breadcrumbs (plain)
¾ cup sifted powdered sugar 2 teaspoons skim milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place shredded zucchini on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let
stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Set aside.
Combine brown sugar, walnuts, currants if using, cinnamon and allspice in a bowl. Stir well, and set aside. Combine flour, 1 1⁄4 cups sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine yogurt, oil, vanilla, egg whites and egg; stir well. Add zucchini. Add to flour mixture; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Spoon 1⁄3 of batter into prepared pan; top with half of brown sugar mixture. Spoon half of remaining batter into pan; top with remaining brown sugar mixture and batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Drizzle over cake. Yield: 18 servings.
COLD COMFORT
The next recipe, from T.R.B., came from her favorite cookbook, “Mary James Dishes It Out.” It’s a simple recipe for a most elegant cold soup. One Thanksgiving long ago, I served such a delicacy before the dinner proper. My beloved mother-in-law, a woman of no compunctions, turned to me and said, “Next time heat this up.”
Vichyssoise
5 cups diced peeled potatoes
4 cups thinly sliced yellow
onions
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup heavy cream
1⁄2 cup chives
Combine potatoes, onions, chicken stock, water and salt in a large saucepan. Cook until tender. Using an immersion blender, carefully purée mixture. Stir in cream, then oversalt slightly. Chill overnight. Garnish with fresh chives. Makes 2 quarts.
ALL-IN STEW
From the Janice Hixson collection, a good and easy Brunswick Stew. It involves the melding of the contents of a number of cans along with ketchup, barbecue sauce and an onion.
Easy Brunswick Stew
1 can whole-kernel corn,
undrained
1 can cream-style corn
1 can Castleberry barbecued
pork
1 can Castleberry barbecued
beef
1 flat can chicken (do not drain) 1 large can crushed tomatoes,
plain not spicy
1⁄4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce 1 chopped onion
1 small can lima beans (optional)
Mix and simmer 1 hour. You may use the crock-pot. Makes 4-6 servings.
Thank you for your company this morning, and a thankful Thanksgiving to you.