I was a huge fan of Abby Mandel in the 80’s.  I bought all of her cookbooks, poured over all of her recipes again and again, and never made anything of hers that wasn’t totally awesome.

I had just gotten my Cuisinart, which I thought, and stlll think, is the greatest workhorse in the kitchen,and was always looking for new ways to use it.  Hubby bought me the largest size Cuisinart made, oh what an extravagance it was... 

The year was 1978, I was a young mother, twenty-eight years old, with two sweet little boys and I loved to cook for my family. We were on a Christmas shopping trip to Cincinnati with Charlie and Nisha, and  I was so thrilled when he bought it for me, so excited that I still remember it vividly to this very day!  I can’t remember exactly how much he paid for it, but it was expensive, I’m thinking around two hundred twenty-five dollars,  so it was quite a major purchase for us. I still have it, sitting proudly in my kitchen, front row center, and I use it all the time 

Oh my, it’s over thirty years old now, much loved, and still runs like a champ.  LC has asked me repeatedly if I wouldn’t like a new one, no way, I ADORE my old Cuisinart, and if it ever quits working, I’ll just have it repaired.  I have wonderful, wonderful memories using it, no way would i ever replace it.

This recipe for french bread is from my favorite of all her books, Abby Mandel’s Cuisinart Classroom. It became an instant hit in our family and I’ve made it again and again. The boys make it also, in fact, John made it just a few weeks ago.  I’m showing the recipe as she published it, but the Notes show the changes I made to it.  It’s a wonderful bread, especially if you braid it.  Veronica’s family loves it, also, V has learned to make a great looking braid from her dough over the years.

If this book intrigues you also, you can usually find it for sale on eBay.

Basic French Bread, Abby Mandel's Cuisinart Classroom, 1980

GLAZE:

1 large egg
1/2 tsp. salt
Process with metal blade and salt for 2 seconds, reserve.  Do not clean work bowl.

Note:  I only use egg whites, I think using a whole egg gives it too much of an eggy taste.

BREAD:

1 package yeast
1 teaspoon sugar, optional (I add 2 tablespoons additional sugar, because we like it sweet)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
2 cups bread flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup all purpose flour )

NOTE: I use 3 cups bread flour, no all-purpose

-----------------------------

Stir the yeast and sugar into the water in a small bowl and let the mixture stand for 10 minutes or until foamy.  If you omit the sugar, the mixture will not foam.

Metal Blade: Put the flours and salt in the work bowl and turn on the machine.  With the machine running, add the yeast mixture through the feed tube.  Process it for 40 seconds or until the dough is uniformly moist and elastic.  If it is too wet, add flour, 1 teaspoon at a time, processing after each addition until the dough is of the proper consistency.  Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and rotate it to coat the surface with the oil.

Preheat oven to the lowest temperature for 2 minutes and turn it off.  Cover the bowl with a damp towel and put it in the oven, cushioning the bottom with a potholder.  Let the dough rise for 1 hour or until it has doubled in bulk.

Put the dough on a heavily floured board and work in enough flour so that it is easy to handle and no longer sticky.  Divide it in half and roll one half into a rectangle.  Starting at the short side, roll up the rectangle into an oblong loaf.  Pinch the ends and seam tightly, Put the dough seam side down into an oiled double French bread pan sprinkled with cornmeal.  Roll and shape the remaining dough in the same manner.  Cover loaves with a damp towel and let them rise again, for 45 minutes or until almost doubled, following the instructions for the first rising.  Remove pan from oven.

Adjust the oven rack to the middle level and preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Make several slashes in the tops of the loaves, brush them with the reserved glaze, taking care not to drip the glaze on the pan.  Bake the loaves for 28 minutes or until they are deeply colored and sound hollow when rapped on the bottom.  Remove the loaves from the pan and le them cool on a wire rack.  Makes 2 french loaves.

For bread that stays fresher longer and has a softer texture, decrease water by 2 tablespoons and add 2 tablespoons of butter to the dough after you add the yeast mixture.  Knead dough as directed.

For sesame seed bread, add 1/4 cup sesame seeds to the flour

For herb bread, mince 2 tablespoons of parsley, 1 teaspoon of snipped chives, 1 large scallion, and 2 teaspoons of dried dillweed.  Add them to the flour and reduce the liquid by 1 tablespoon.

For wheat germ bread, add 1/4 cup wheat germ to the flour.

For cheese bread, use 2 ounces of chilled cheddar, swiss or mozzarella cheese or 2 ounces of parmesan cheese at room temperature  Shred it with the shredding disc using light pressure and add to the flour.

NOTE: I bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, then add glaze, and bake another 10-15 minutes.  I think the 425 oven is too hot.  To make braid, divide dough into 3 pieces, roll into 3 logs, starting to braid in the middle of the loaf, not at the edge, start in middle, braid to one end and tuck end under, sealing with a bit of water, then go back and do the same with the other side.

If you are using 2 french bread pans to make 2 loaves, it needs to be a baguette size, if you have a regular french bread pan, I just make it into one loaf.

I also never use a whole egg, , I just whip an egg white and brush the bread with it, then sprinkle it with sesame or poppy seeds.

This is a wonderful recipe, it sounds a bit complicated, but it isn’t.  It’s well worth the 3 hours you spend to make it.  I usually add the butter to it, as we like it soft.

If you want it really crispy, just omit the butter, and toss a few ice cubes on your oven floor periodically as it bakes. The ice will melt, create steam and help to crisp the bread.

~ jan

Scrambled Eggs

2 eggs

1 pat of butter

1 Tbsp (or thereabouts) of whole milk or cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a medium pan (preferably nonstick) over medium-low heat.
2. In a separate bowl, scramble your eggs enough to break the yolks and mix the whites in, but not enough to make the mixture frothy. In other words, don’t over mix.
3. When the pan is heated, reduce the heat to low and add the butter. Once the butter melts along the bottom of the pan, add your eggs and let them sit for a bit in the butter. Don’t stir too quickly. You want the heat to permeate the bottom of the eggs and start to cook them.
4. When you can see that the bottom of the eggs have begun to heat through, stir the eggs and then add the cream or milk, which will instantly froth a bit. Mix the milk or cream into so it integrates into the eggs and makes them custardy.
5. Continue cooking on low heat until the eggs are slightly firm (but not so long that they are actually firm).
6. Remove from the pan and serve immediately with salt and pepper to taste.  Add an extra pat of butter if you want to really indulge.

I’ve made this recipe for years now.  The family loves it, it’s total comfort food…

~ jan

1 lb. polish kielbasa, I use Oscar Mayer Turkey Kielbasa, less calories and fat) cut into fat 1/2 inch slices then dice each slice cut into four sections - you can stack these and do several at once with a chef knife
1 large bag shredded coleslaw mix (the kind with carrots)
1 large onion, diced
3-4 large potatoes, diced, or you can use frozen hash browns, real potatoes are much better
1-2 cups chicken stock
4-5 cups 2% milk, part fat free half and half
about 2/3 cup flour to thicken -
big piece of Velveeta cut into small chunks (when I say a big piece, I mean almost half of a 2 lb. loaf)
salt and pepper to taste, I use a lot of fresh cracked black pepper

Simmer kielbasa, onions, potatoes and shredded coleslaw mix  in stock until tender.

Put flour and some milk into a shaker container, shake well and then strain it into the broth so that it doesn’t lump. add the rest of the milk and half and half, don’t boil this, just get it hot and remove from heat.

This will thicken as it heats, I don’t boil it because I’ve curdled it at the last minute by boiling it, now I just get it really hot, the cheese melts and it’s finished.

Note:  Use chicken stock instead of broth (Swanson makes it in a box, it’s next to the chicken broth at the grocers, of course, homemade stock is even better) and don’t use any more stock than necessary to cook the veggies without sticking – check vegetables frequently as this can easily boil dry.  I don’t like to use a lot of broth because it dilutes the soup.  You can make this with 1%  milk, but it isn’t nearly as good, you need the 2% milk for a rich taste.  Add as much fat free half and half to this as you want, I don’t use an exact recipe, as you can see, I’ve made it so many time I just wing it.

Prep: 30 min.; Bake: 47 min.; Cool: 1 hr., 10 min.

Brooks makes this cake with the precision of a skilled baker who has made his masterpiece many times. If the tops of the layers are a little rounded, he recommends leveling them with a serrated knife. This is a tall cake, he says, and it needs to be level if you want your friends to admire your work before they devour the cake--as they absolutely will.

Yield

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

• 2  cups  sweetened flaked coconut
• 1/2  cup  sliced almonds
• Parchment paper
• 3 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon  baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1 1/2  cups  unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4  cups  granulated sugar
• 1  cup  firmly packed light brown sugar
• 5  large eggs
• 1  cup  whipping cream
• 1/3  cup  coconut milk
• 1  tablespoon  vanilla extract
• 1  tablespoon  almond extract
• Coconut-Almond Filling
• Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting
• Garnishes: kumquats, currants, fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Bake coconut in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 minutes. Place almonds in a single layer in another shallow pan; bake, with coconut, 7 to 9 minutes or until almonds are fragrant and coconut is lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

2. Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease and flour paper.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a very large bowl.

4. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating until blended. Beat 8 minutes or until very fluffy, scraping bottom and sides of bowl as needed. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (about 30 seconds per egg). Stir in whipping cream and next 3 ingredients.

5. Gently fold butter mixture into flour mixture, in batches, just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

6. Bake at 325° for 30 to 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

7. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread half of chilled Coconut-Almond Filling over cake layer. Top with 1 layer, pressing down gently. Repeat procedure with remaining half of Coconut-Almond Filling and remaining cake layer.

8. Gently spread Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting on top and sides of cake. Press toasted coconut onto sides of cake; sprinkle toasted almonds on top. Garnish, if desired.

Source:  Brooks Hamaker, New Orleans, Louisiana, Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2008

My buddy V is a great knitter.  I've wanted to knit forever, tried it a couple of years ago, but the timing was off, decided to try it again, bought some soft, fuzzy yarn, fired up my computer, went to you tube, found a left handed knitting tutorial.  Well, it looks so easy, NOT!  Decided I had the wrong kind of yarn, so I was off to Wally World for some plain, generic non fuzzy yarn and bigger needles, by the time I got back I was too tired to knit.

V has already told me she would knit my scarves if I can't figure it out.  I used to be a great crafter, and I crocheted afghans in my twenties, but duh, that was years and years ago...  Surely I can do this, surely I can..

Stella is trying to get her groove back here, after being gone, I have to get those Christmas recipes published - V gave me a new one today for Snowy Trail Mix to add to the collection.  And Lindsay found a recipe for an Orange Cranberry Cheesecake, she wants me to try for Christmas.

Those Cranberry Bliss Bars were so good, it makes us want to try other orange/cranberry things as well.  Scones and muffins sound good, too.

And speaking of food, do you know that I ate my entire birthday cake over the course of the week?  I did, except for one last piece!  And I wish I had ate that!  Dilly is a great little baker, and I hadn't had homemade German Chocolate Cake for years.  And what did the scales say when I got home?  Oh yeah, Miss Piggy here gained 3 lbs.  And let me tell you, it was worth every friggin' pound.  So now I'm back on that horrid Atkins program, which I detest with a purple passion.  Oh well, it was good while it lasted...

1 pound linguine - bow tie pasta works great with this, it's easier to eat than the linguine

8 TBS Butter
2 TBS Flour
½ Cup Parmesan Cheese

Approximately 4 cups of a mixture of half and half and heavy (whipping)cream. Play with it until you get the right consistency, it should be like Alfredo Sauce.

2 TBS Lime Juice
1 Red Pepper, julienned
1 Yellow Pepper, julienned
2 Anaheim Peppers, chopped
2 TBS red onions diced
2 TBS Green Onions Sliced
2 Tsp minced Garlic
10 Ounces Grilled Chicken breast, sliced (you can also use sauteed chicken breast, or even a cooked rotisserie chicken from the deli)
2 TBS cilantro, julienned

Rattlesnake seasoning
1 TBS cumin
1tsp red pepper
½ tsp white pepper
1 tsp onion powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 tsp salt

Melt 2 TBS of the butter in a sauté pan over low to medium heat. Add 2 heaping TBS of flour and work with a wire whisk into a white roux. Be careful not to brown the flour.

Work in the remaining 6 TBS of butter and slowly add the half and half/cream, a cup at at a time, continuing to whisk and incorporating the ingredients over medium heat. When all the cream is incorporated, add ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese and continue to whisk. The sauce should have a light consistency and coat the back of a spoon.

Add Rattlesnake seasoning. Recipe is best if you double the seasonings, it's really spicy and hot that way.

Combine the chicken, lime juice, peppers, onions and garlic and continue to sauté over medium heat until all ingredients are hot and sauce is a creamy consistency

Cook linguini al dente. Place the pasta in sauce and toss thoroughly.

Garnish the top of the pasta with smoked mozzarella and cilantro.

This is a huge recipe, serves 6-8, can be cut in half.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons sweet butter, very soft
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon orange zest, finely grated (optional)
2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (If using frozen, thaw first)

CAKE
12 tablespoons sweet butter, very soft
7/8 cup white sugar (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons)
1 large egg yolk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place 4 tablespoons of butter in a 9 inch cake pan. (The pan should have at least a 2 1/2 inch rim.) Place the pan in heated oven for 4 to 5 minutes until the butter is fully melted. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and orange zest (optional). Spread the sugar mixture evenly across the bottom of the cake pan. Spread out the cranberries in an even layer over the butter and sugar mix.
3. To make the cake, begin by using a wooden spoon to cream together the butter, sugar and egg yolk for about 30 seconds. Switching over to a whisk, stir in the eggs one at a time. Continue to whisk another minute until the sugar crystals dissolve. Whisk in the vanilla extract, salt and sour cream.
4. Sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Whisk everything together until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
5. Pour the batter over the cranberries and bake for 50 to 65 minutes. When done, the center of the cake should be dry to the touch and spring back when lightly poked.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and set on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes (no longer as the bottom begins to set as it cools).
7. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Invert cake onto a serving plate and remove pan. Let it rest an additional 15 minutes before serving.
8. Best served warm.  

Source:  RecipeZaar

Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings

2 cans crescent rolls. I used Pillsbury 8 count cans in original flavor
2 apples.
2 sticks butter. 2 cups sugar.
2 tsp. cinnamon.
1 can Mountain Dew.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 
Core, peel and slice apples.
  
Wrap each in a crescent triangle. I basically just tried my best to get every inch of the apple covered by the dough.
 
Line up in a 9x13 inch pan.
 
Melt butter, cinnamon, and sugar together. I just nuked the butter and then stirred in the sugar and cinnamon until it had a pretty smooth, pourable consistency.
 
Pour the Mountain Dew around the edge of the pan.
 
Bake 45 minutes.
 
Eat warm with a scoop of vanilla or butter pecan ice cream

~ Awesome Dessert ~
~ Jan

In this savory dressing, homemade cream biscuits stand in for the traditional bread, while crispy bacon adds delicious smoky flavor. For the biscuit recipe, click on the link at left.

Ingredients:

Twelve 4-inch cream biscuits, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

1 lb. sliced smoky bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 yellow onions, diced

5 celery stalks, diced

8 oz. white button mushrooms, brushed clean and sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

5 cups chicken stock

Directions:

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350°F.
Spread the biscuits out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F.
In a deep sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Pour off all but 3 Tbs. of the fat from the pan. Set the pan over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, mushrooms, parsley, sage and thyme and cook until the celery is soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Add the bacon to the bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the biscuits and stock and stir to combine.
Transfer the dressing to a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until the dressing is lightly browned, about 20 minutes more. Serves 10.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cream Biscuits

Delicious on their own, these biscuits can also be transformed into a savory dressing that makes a wonderful accompaniment to roast turkey (see related recipe at left).

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbs. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. sugar

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 425°F.
In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the cream and stir until no lumps remain.
For each biscuit, drop 1/4 cup batter onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing the biscuits about 1 inch apart. Bake until the tops of the biscuits are pale golden and the bottoms are golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Makes 12 biscuits.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Trish’s friend sent this recipe, a friend of hers made it, she says it’s the most requested recipe she’s ever made.

Oh my, talk about decadent, but I bet it is AMAZING!!!!!  Would this be great for Thanksgiving, or what???

~ jan

Turtle Trifle
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. bowl Cool Whip
3/4 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 frozen (Wick’s Pecan Pie) or homeade pecan pie cut into 1/2" cubes
1/3 C chocolate fudge ice cream topping
1/3 C caramel icre cream topping
1/2 C chopped pecans, toasted (optional)

Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and beat until combined.  Fold in Cool Whip and vanilla.  Place 1/2 of pie cubes in bottom of bowl or pan.  Drizzle with 1/2 of the ice cream toppings and sprinkle with 1/2 of the pecans, if desired.  Cover with half of the Cool Whip mixture.  Repeat layers using all ingredients.  Chill & cover.

For this dinner, she had made this in a 9x13 pan, but I'm sure you could make it in any kind of bowl or container since it doesn't have to be heated or baked.  It  looks great in the pedestal bowl pictured above.

I Googled this recipe, and apparently the above is an adaptation of the original, as the original calls for marscapone cheese and real whipping cream.  The above recipe is easier, but if you want the authentic recipe, as Southern Living published it, here it is…

Ingredients

• 8 oz mascarpone cheese, softened (you can substitute an 8 oz package of cream cheese here if you want) .
• 2 lbs frozen pecan pie, thawed & cut into 1-inch cubes .
• 1/3 c chocolate fudge topping .
• 1 1/2 c whipping cream .
• 1/2 c sliced pecans, toasted (optional) .
• 1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract .
• 1/3 c caramel topping

Directions

• Step #1 Beat mascarpone cheese, & vanilla extract In a large-ish bowl at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, whipping cream, 2 to 3 mins or until smooth & firm.
• Step #2 Place half of pie cubes in bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish or tall, clear 4-quart glass bowl.
• Step #3 Spread half of whipped cream mixture over pie cubes.
• Step #4 Drizzle with half each of chocolate fudge topping & caramel topping.
• Step #5 (You might need to zap the fudge & caramel topping in the microwave for 15-25 seconds to get them to drizzling consistency).
• Step #6 Sprinkle top with half of sliced pecans.
• Step #7 Repeat layers.
• Step #8 Cover up & chill at least 1 hr & up to 8 hrs.
• Step #9 **Cook time does not include toasting the pecans, defrosting the pie, or refrigeration time.