Sunday, December 21, 2014

Coffee Cake Apple Kuchen with Streusel Topping

Connie Dahlke, Napa, California

Makes two 8"-9" round cake pans

Apple Topping - prepare and set aside to cool:

3-4 med-large apples (about 1 1/2 lbs) peeled and sliced
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp sugar
Simmer apple slices in water until fork tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

Coffee cake dough:

1 1/2 cups (200 gm) stirred flour (stir flour before measuring - for accurate amount)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup (125 gm) butter or butter-flavor shortening
2/3 cup (125 gm) sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond or anise flavoring
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk

Stir together flour and baking powder. Set aside.

Mix together butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in salt and almond flavoring. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until batter is very smooth. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, stirring until all flour is moistened and batter is smooth. (Will be a thick cake batter.)

Divide into two 8"-9" cake pans with removable bottoms which have been greased on the bottom but not on the sides. Smooth batter evenly. Arrange cooked apple slices in a single layer over the cake batter.

Streusel Topping:

1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp butter or shortening
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt

Stir Streusel ingredients together until well-mixed and in fine crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the two pans of Kuchen. Bake in 350 F (180 C) oven for 30-40 minutes or until edges of cake begin to brown.

Re-do of a recipe from Nellie Daes' cookbook, Cookbook for Germans from Russia, with input from Marylyn.

http://lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc/foods/recipe/dahlke.html

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Eva's Bon Bons

My mother in law made these and they are a favorite of my husband (and now my boys as well)

Eva's Bon Bons (Chocolate Covered Cherries)

Yield: 3 dozen

2 8-oz jars maraschino cherries (with stems)
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 Tbsp. milk

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz. bag)
2 Tbsp shortening

Drain cherries and pat dry on a paper towel.

Mix together the sugar, butter, almond extract and milk. Roll into 1" balls. Flatten into a circle and place a cherry in the middle. Carefully cover the cherry with the fondant. Refrigerate overnight (4 hours or more).

Once the cherry balls are chilled, melt together the semi-sweet chocolate chips and shortening. Dip the cherry balls into the chocolate. Set on wax paper until firm. Keep refrigerated.


Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Cookies & Cream Fudge

Cookies & Cream Fudge

If you like cookies and cream, you’ll have to try this rich, decadent fudge!

3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup (5 oz. can) Evaporated Milk
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle White Morsels
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow crème
1/2 cup finely crushed Oreos
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 cup crumbled/coarsely chopped Oreos

Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.


Stir in morsels, marshmallow crème, finely crushed cookies and vanilla extract. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle crumbled cookies on top. Gently swirl cookies into fudge using a knife without touching bottom of pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into 48 pieces.

Clam Dip

This recipe has been used by our family since forever. I've looked at many Clam Dip recipes on Pinterest and most just use garlic powder or nothing at all. Our recipe includes minced garlic so if you don't like garlic this recipe is not for you!

Clam Dip

1 can minced clams, drained but save the liquid
3 Tbsp of that reserved clam juice
1 tsp tabasco sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 small cloves of garlic, minced
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
Garlic salt

Beat the cream cheese and clam juice together until smooth. Add in the minced garlic, tabasco and Worcestershire sauce and garlic salt. Blend again until you reach a desired consistency, adding in additional clam juice if desired. Chill well. Dip will thicken a little upon chilling.

We eat it with potato chips (Ruffles are my favorite) but you can try it with crackers or cut up veggies.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Garlic Shrimp

Garlic Shrimp, just like the Food Truck kine!

10 pieces of shrimp (U-15), deveined but not shelled
1 head of garlic, roughly chopped (approx. 10 cloves)

Dredge the shrimp in:

1 cup flour
2 TBSP paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (add up to 1 TBSP as desired, for spiciness)

Preheat a saute pan on high heat. Add to the pan: 1/2 cup clarified butter & the chopped garlic. Cook the garlic for 1 minute, and then add the shrimp. Sprinkle with 1-2 tsp. kosher or sea salt. Cook for 3 minutes then turn & cook another 3 minutes.

Add 1/8 cup white wine* and an additional 2 TBSP. butter. Be careful not to burn the garlic or it will be bitter.

Serve over rice.


*Use Chicken Stock if wine is not available/desired.

Pork Gisantes (Pork & Peas)

Pork & Peas Gisantes

A Filipino dish. The patis is fish sauce which adds some saltiness. If you can't find it or prefer not to use it, don't worry about it. Just season the dish according to your taste

2 pounds pork butt sliced bite size
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp patis (UFC Brand)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
2 – 3 bay leaves
Sliced shiitake mushrooms (Soak dried mushrooms in a bowl of room temp. water until softened. Cut off the stem and slice the remainder)
2 cans sweet peas
1 small bottle pimento
Salt & pepper, to taste

Lightly brown pork with garlic. Discard oil. Add patis, tomato sauce, paste, bay leaves and 1 cup water. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Add mushrooms and simmer for additional 10 minutes.

Add peas and pimentos, simmer for 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lots of love.

Kat's note: Patis is optional but adds a great salty flavor. The addition of the shiitake mushrooms makes this recipe unique and ono (delicious!)

Ono Ono Ice Cake

Ono Ono Ice Cake

2 cans strawberry soda
1 can 7-Up
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Blend ingredients and pour into 9 x 13 pan. Freeze until edges harden. Remove 

from freezer, beat with rotary and refreeze.

Rainbow Finger Jello

Rainbow Finger Jello (Layered Jello)

4 small boxes (3 oz.) of Jello - Different flavors
6 envelopes of Knox gelatin
1 cup condensed, sweetened milk

Using a 9 x 13" pan, layer the jello & milk mixtures. Start with the jello first, then 
milk (ending with jello.) Each layer will set in approximately 20-25 minutes.

MILK MIXTURE:
Start by preparing the milk mixture first. This will give it time to cool off.

Mix together:
1 cup condensed milk and 1 cup hot water
Dissolve 2 envelopes of Knox gelatin with 1/4 cup cold water. 
Next add 3/4 cup hot water to the gelatin mix. Do not let the mixture get lumpy.  
Mix together the milk mixture and gelatin. Set aside.  Use 1 cup at a time

Jello Mixtures:
1 package of jello, dissolved in 1 cup of hot water
1 envelope Knox gelatin (dissolve in 1/4 cup cold water)

Mix together until jello and gelatin is dissolved. Set aside.

When you are about half-way through chilling a milk mixture layer, start dissolving 
another jello mixture. If the jello mixture is too hot, it may melt the milk mixture as 

you add the jello layer. Carefully spoon the jello onto the milk to avoid any melting of the layers.

Butter Mochi (HECO Version)

Butter Mochi (HECO Version)

This recipe is great if you're out of coconut milk, you just use regular milk


2 cups mochiko [Kat’s note: Change to 1 box]
2-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup butter, melted and cooled
3 cups milk
5 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded coconut

In a large bowl, combine mochiko, sugar and baking powder. Add milk, eggs, vanilla, 
butter and coconut to dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased 9-by-13-inch 

pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool before slicing.