Holiday Pecan Cake with Homemade Whipped Cream

Another simple Mennonite / Amish Cake.
Most of us have these ingredients in our Pantry so it can be a last minute Dessert at short notice.

I still have several vintage loaf pans from our family, that I continue to use, but this
Calphalon Loaf Pan is my favorite.

Holiday Pecan Cake:

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1 - Loaf Pan greased well with Pan Release Mix:
Equal parts of Crisco, Vegetable Oil and Flour.
I start with 1 C of each mixed well and refrigerated in a Jar.
I always have it available for all of my baking needs.
Brush the Pan generously with the Mix.
This is great for the most intricate designed Bundt Pans.

1 1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Butter, room temperature
3 Eggs, separated
2 1/2 C Flour
1 C chopped Pecans
2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 C Whole Milk
A Pinch of Salt
Confectioner's Sugar for Garnish.

In a Large Mixing Bowl with an Electric Hand Mixer:
Sugar
Butter
Beat until Creamy Smooth.

Add:
Egg Yolks
Mix until well combined.

In a Small Mixing Bowl, sift together:
Flour
Baking Powder
Salt
Add to Butter/Sugar mixture gradually beating, alternating with Milk.

Fold in Pecans by hand.

In a Separate Mixing Bowl with an Electric Mixer:
Egg Whites
Beat until Stiff.
Fold into the Cake Mixture by Hand.

Spoon the Batter into the Loaf Pan.
Bake for 1 hour.

Remove Pan to a Rack to Cool for 10 minutes.
Invert the Cake onto a serving Platter.

Serve Sliced and Dust with Confectioner's Sugar.
Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream or Homemade Whipped Whipped Cream.

This is my favorite recipe for homemade Whipped Cream.

Homemade Whipped Cream:

1 C Heavy Cream
1 tsp Vanilla
1 TBS Confectioner's Sugar.
Whip the Cream in a Stand Mixer with a Whisk Attachment.
Beat to Soft Peak.
Add:
Vanilla
Confectioner's Sugar
Beat to Stiff Peak.
Transfer to a Serving Bowl to serve.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Anise Christmas Cookies

The Mennonites make a traditional cookie called Peppernuts or Pfeffernusse.
They're made with Anise. I happen to like the flavor. Here's another cookie made with Anise Seed.
I also like the Provencal drink called Pastis. It has an Anise base. We drink it in the South of France with a bit of water and ice. It's actually a very refreshing drink in the heat of the summer. We always have a bottle of Pernod on hand.

I could talk about the origin and the uses, but I believe that you either like it or not and I won't be able to talk anyone into it.

Anise Christmas Cookies:

6 eggs, separated
1 C powdered sugar, sifted
1 C flour, sifted
3 tsp anise seeds

In a bowl:
beat yolks until thick and foamy

In a separate bowl:
beat egg whites until stuff

Fold whites into yolks, by hand
Gradually mix in powdered sugar and mix lightly, by hand
Fold in flour and anise seeds by hand

Drop from a teaspoon onto a parchment paper lines baking sheet, about 1" apart
Chill in the refrigerator, over night
Bake at 300 degrees for 12 minutes.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Chocolate Cookie Cream Dessert

With the Holidays approaching and guests gathering, this is a favorite crowd pleasing dessert.
It's another one of my favorite All American Iconic Desserts.
It's one of those family gathering, church gathering, take to work desserts.
It's also made in the famous 9"X13" baking dish, my favorite baking pan.

Chocolate Cookie Cream Dessert:

2 packages of Fudge Striped Cookies. you're favorite brand! Or you could break Oreos apart and use them in single layers!
2 small boxes of Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
3 C Whole Milk
1 (8oz.) package of Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 C Sweetened Condense Milk
1 (8oz.) container of Whipped Topping
1 can of Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Line the bottom of the dish with a single layer of cookies

In a bowl, with a hand mixer:
Pudding Mix
Whole Milk
Mix well
Set aside

In a separate bowl, with a hand mixer:
Cream Cheese
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Mix well
Add to the Pudding Mix
Mix well
Fold in Whipped Topping by hand
Spread this mixture evenly over the layer of cookies

Line the top with another single layer of cookies.

Warm the frosting in a microwave until smooth and creamy
Drizzle over the top layer of cookies, spreading evenly with an offset spatula.

Refrigerate until completely cooled.
Overnight is best.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Pesto

This is how our friends in Provence make Pesto.

It's the only recipe I use.
I recently purchased a large jar of minced garlic. It's very economical. So I've decided to use it instead of whole garlic cloves. The equivilant is 1/2 tsp of minced = 1 clove. In this recipe I use 1 tsp inpace of the 2 cloves.

Homemade Pesto:

2 C loosely packed Basil leaves

2 cloves of Garlic or 1 tsp minced.

1/3 C Pine Nuts

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2 C grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese ( hold the salt if using Romano, it's a salty cheese)
Olive Oil

In a Food Processor:

Add Basil and Garlic

Puree until incorporated

Add Cheese and Pine Nuts and process to a thick paste

Gradually drizzle in Olive Oil until desired consistency

Season with Salt and Pepper

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Our field of Basil

I left out the picture of Garlic, Salt and Pepper.
This is how I process the Pesto.

This is how I freeze it

Another picture of our crop of Basil

Edna Mae's Escalloped Cabbage / Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman

I happen to love Cabbage. One of my favorite recipes made with cabbage is a Cabbage Soup, it's on the blog. I make it during the Fall and Winter Seasons. It's a great comfort soup. I know that not everyone likes cabbage. I hope that if you do, you'll try my Soup and this interesting recipe from The Pioneer Woman. This recipe comes from her mother in law. I did a bit of research and discovered that Cheez Whiz was created in America in 1952.
It's one of those products that is shunned by many, but...... come on!, this has to be included in those All American Iconic Recipes. You know? those recipes that I always say the French would raise and eyebrow at, if they read it. I happen to embrace many All American Iconic Recipes and I say....... try it before you say you just couldn't eat that!

I took creative licensing and adapted it just a little. Ree Drummond makes it with Cream of Chicken Soup and I make it vegetarian with Cream of Celery, if you like mushrooms, you could use Cream of Mushroom Soup. I also added the NOTES with substitute ingredients.


NOTE: I recently made this again (April 11, 2020) and I didn't have Cheez Whiz so I used Velveeta Cheese.
Cut a 2 lb. piece of Velveeta in half and Cube it into 1" Cubes. I didn't have fresh Jalapeños so I added 1 - 7 oz. Can of Diced Green Chiles undrained.
In a Saucepan on Medium High Heat:
Milk
Soup
Chiles
Heat almost to a boil.
Gradually add Cubes of Velveeta Cheese.
Continue heating and whisking until all of the Cheese has melted and the Sauce is Creamy Smooth.
Proceed with the rest of the directions.



Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

1 head of Cabbage
1 jar ( 15oz.) Original Cheez Whiz
1 can (10oz.) Cream of Celery Soup
1 whole ( or 2) fresh jalapenos, seeded and finely diced ( 1 is spicy; 2 is very spicy)
1/4 C milk
Paprika to taste



Directions:

Slice cabbage into 6 - 8 pie shaped slices. Remove hard inner core.
Par boil slices until nearly done but slightly firm. 

Drain very well, then arrange in a buttered 9"X13" Baking Dish.

NOTE: I'm now placing the wedges in a Microwave Safe Casserole dish. I removed the round plate that rotates in microwave and heated the Cabbage for 6 minutes. Par Boiling is difficult to maintain the wedges.



Mix Cheez Whiz, Cream of Celery Soup, Jalapenos and Milk.
Pour over the Cabbage.
Sprinkle with paprika , Bake 30 Minutes or until Golden and Bubbly.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

the ingredients

adding jalapeno

the finished dish

This is the Microwave Oven version of preheating the Cabbage.

Sorry that the photos are not in order. The Blog format has changed and it's difficult to control the placement of Photos and text.

Out of the Oven for Thanksgiving!

Rustic Deep Dish Apple Pie / Thanksgiving 2012

This is a simple, easy to put together apple pie with great flavor.
I grew up in Michigan and the Fall Season was all about apples. We used to take a trip to the town of Frankenmuth and have apple cider in the fall. They also had the best apple cider donuts that i've ever tasted. It was a family outing every fall. I think that Fall was my favorite season as a child. I loved it when the weather began to change and the food that we had as kids in the fall, was the best. We had an apple orchard at the end of our street, it was only 1 house away from ours. As kids, we would always raid the apple  orchard in the fall. My grandmother, my aunt and my mother would make apple pie during the entire fall season. Apple Pie was always on the Thanksgiving table along with the traditional Pumpkin Pie.
Here's one of my favorite apple pie recipes along with the very easy( Apple Pie.... without a crust), it's on the blog. These two are the ones I make most often. Maybe the only Apple Pies that I make. My wife make the most amazing pie crust, and I don't. I really don't have any need to, because she was raised on a Mennonite Farm in Kansas and believe me, the Mennonites make the best pies , ever!

Deep Dish Apple Pie:

1- 9" unbaked deep dish pie crust  ( I cheat and move the crust into one of our beautiful ceramic deep dish pie pans) Easy to transfer when frozen, then allow to thaw. It makes a better presentation if you're having guests for dinner. Otherwise..... well, I do it for us too, we're worth it!

5 C Granny Smith Apples (about 5-6 apples), peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 C white sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon


Topping:
1/3 C white sugar
3/4 C flour
6TBS cold butter, cubed

Pile the apples slices in the crust

In a medium bowl, combine:
white sugar
brown sugar
cinnamon
Sprinkle evenly over the apples

To make the topping:
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
sugar
flour
Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender and create a crumble.
Cover the pie evenly with the topping

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Wild Rice and Orange Herb Dressing / Thanksgiving 2013

I created this recipe in 2001 after  seeing a similar dish at a local gourmet market. They wouldn't share the recipe. I bought some, took it home, and created this recipe as close as I could based on the look and taste of that one.
They did not have the dressing on theirs, I created that to add additional flavor.
They incorporated white rice, I chose to use brown rice.

I hope someone takes the time to make it and enjoy it.
It has graced our Thanksgiving table for several years and it will again this year.
It is one of my favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving.
It's served cold.


3 C cooked brown rice.  ( 2 C rice, 3 1/2 C water, bring rice and water to a boil. Stir, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.

3 C cooked wild rice ( 1 C wild rice, 4 C water, cook same as above directions. ( 50 minutes)

4 TBS butter
1/2 C chopped celery
3 onions, chopped
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp allspice
1 C dried cranberries
1 C golden raisins
1 C chopped pecans
2 tsp grated orange zest
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Orange Herb Dressing

In a medium bowl, combine:
1/2 C orange juice
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
6 tsp sugar
2 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp minced rosemary
1/2 tsp salt

In a large saucepan over medium heat,
melt butter
Add celery and onion
Saute until tender, 12 minutes
Add cardamom and allspice
Combine well
Remove from heat

In a large bowl:
Mix both rices together with 2 TBS of dressing
Set aside to cool

When cooled,
Add all remaining ingredients, including the rest of the dressing. I use a blending fork and fold in each ingredient separately. Folding with the fork prevents the rice from clumping.
Refrigerate and serve cold.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

I just finished making this again for Thanksgiving 2015.

This year I used Wild Rice and Purple Rice.
Purple Rice is typically used as a dessert rice.
It has a slightly sweet flavor
and retains it's color after cooking.
It's great for Stuffings, Rice Pudding or as a side dish.

The Onion and Celery with the Spices added.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!