Recipe: Cornmeal Waffles with Savory Butter

Image by Marilyn M via Flickr

Photo of a cornmeal waffle with pecan butter, yum! We have wonderful pecans here in Louisiana - a favorite brand is Bergeron's.

From Denny: Louisiana has a large German population from the past century. We love sausage down here be it French, German or even Polish versions. These easy waffles are just the ticket for a savory side dish for an easy weekend meal combined with grilled sausages.

From: Eating Well in a Busy World by Francine Allen

Yield: Serves 8


Ingredients for Waffles:

3 eggs

1½ cups buttermilk

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

¾ cup cornmeal

1 cup self-rising flour

1½ Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup grated Cheddar cheese


Ingredients for Savory Butter:


½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 Tablespoon or more fresh snipped chives

Dash of Tabasco sauce (more if you are from Louisiana!)


Directions for waffles: Preheat the waffle iron. Put a large platter in the oven to heat.

Mix together the eggs, buttermilk and butter. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, soda and cheese. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid; stir gently until the ingredients are combined. Cook the waffles in the waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions. Cut the waffles into pieces that can be handled like bread. Transfer each to the warm platter as they are cooked, loosely covering with foil so they don’t dry out.

Directions for Savory Butter: Meanwhile, blend together the butter, mustard, chives and Tabasco in a food processor or blender. Serve the waffles with the butter.

Per serving: 366 calories, 26 grams fat, 145 milligrams cholesterol, 438 milligrams sodium.

Mixing traditions makes Easter cake twice as tasty

From Denny: Did you know that long before there was a reason to celebrate Easter the ancient Romans used to put cheese in their cakes and make cheesecakes for their fertility rites of Spring?

From the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel comes a wonderful food article with two recipes, one for Dark and White Chocolate Cheesecake and the other for the 1942 traditional Devil's Food Cake.

This is one gorgeous version of Easter cake I can't wait to make this weekend!

***

Mixing traditions makes Easter cake twice as tasty

By NICK MALGIERI

Long before there was an Easter, the Romans used cheesecakes and cakes bound with cheese in their fertility rites.

This was natural. Spring gives birth to new grass-lined pastures, and cows graze contentedly on fresh greens again, after a winter diet of straw and hay. The milk is richer and more plentiful, and cheese-making begins again in earnest after the long winter.

Cheesecakes are associated with Easter in many cultures. In Italy, ricotta cheese figures in Easter pies and pastries. In Russia, an elaborate dessert called pashka is laced with freshly made ricotta-like cheese and often accompanies kulich, the traditional Easter bread.

Right here at home we can combine these two Easter traditions in a spectacular dessert to serve for the holiday. It's a layered cheesecake in which white and dark batters are separated by a moist and flavorful devil's food cake.

Here are a few hints for success:

• Bake the cake layer a day or two before you intend to assemble the cheesecake, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it. It will be firmer and easier to slice through when you are ready to assemble the finished cake.

• Make sure the pan you use is at least 3 inches deep or the batter will not have room to puff slightly, as it often does.

• Finally, make your life easier by baking the cheesecake a few days in advance and storing it wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator.

To unmold the finished Dark and White Chocolate Cheesecake successfully, set it on a heated burner (turned off) on the stove top to warm for a few seconds, then run a sharp paring knife between the cake and the inside of the pan. Unbuckle the side and remove it. Slide a wide spatula under the cheesecake and ease it onto a platter.

Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving. Cut the cake with a sharp, thin-bladed knife dipped in hot water and wiped between each cut.

Then sit back and accept all the praise for making the perfect Easter dessert - one that is steeped in tradition and also delicious.

Dark and White Chocolate Cheesecake

Yield: Makes 12 to 16 servings

1 layer 1942 Devil's Food Cake (see recipe below)

2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature (divided)

1 cup sugar (divided)

5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (divided)

6 large eggs (divided)

5 ounces best-quality white chocolate, melted (see note)


Directions: Butter bottom only of 9-inch springform pan that is 3 inches deep. Line bottom with parchment or wax paper. Have available a 15 1/2 by-10 1/2-inch jellyroll pan. Heat a kettle filled with warm water to be used for baking the cheesecake.

Make 1942 Devil's Food Cake. Slice one layer in half horizontally to make two layers and place one of those sliced layers in the bottom of the prepared springform pan.

To make dark chocolate batter: With paddle attachment of a heavy-duty standing mixer set on the lowest speed, beat half the cream cheese until smooth, no more than 30 seconds.

Stop mixer and scrape bowl and beater. Add half the sugar in a stream and beat no more than 30 seconds. Stop and scrape bowl and beater. Add melted dark chocolate and beat only until absorbed, no more than 30 seconds. Beat in half the vanilla.

Add 3 eggs, one at a time, mixing only until each is absorbed. Stop and scrape sides and beater after each addition.

To make white chocolate batter: Use another bowl and follow the same procedure as for the dark chocolate batter, using remaining cream cheese and sugar, the melted white chocolate, and remaining vanilla and eggs.

Wrap aluminum foil around bottom of springform pan to come at least 1 inch up the sides. Pour dark chocolate batter into pan over cake layer already in pan. Place other sliced cake layer on batter and pour in white chocolate batter. Place pan in the jellyroll pan and pour warm water into pan to a depth of ½ inch.

Bake cheesecake on middle rack of preheated 350-degree oven about 75 minutes, or until lightly colored and firm except for the very center.

Remove from oven and carefully remove cheesecake from pan filled with hot water. Remove foil and cool completely on rack. Wrap cheesecake and chill overnight before unmolding.

Note: Make sure to use the best-quality white chocolate you can find or it won't impart much chocolate flavor to the batter.

-----

Only one of the layers is used to make the cheesecake above. You may freeze the other layer and keep it until the next time you prepare the cheesecake. Or simply serve it with whipped cream.

1942 Devil's Food Cake

Yield: Makes two (9-inch) round layers

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, plus butter for greasing pan (divided)

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

Water

1 ½ cups sugar

6 tablespoons sour cream

1 1/3 cups bleached all-purpose flour (see note)

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs


Directions: Butter two (9-inch) round pans and line with parchment or waxed paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt chocolate in large heat-proof bowl set over hot but not simmering water. Let cool. Add the 6 tablespoons butter to bowl of chocolate, then pour in ¾ cup boiling water. Stir well to mix. Whisk in sugar and sour cream.

In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt to mix well. Stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture. Whisk in eggs last.

Pour batter into prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake on middle rack of preheated oven about 25 to 30 minutes, or until well risen and firm. Cool cakes in pans on racks 5 minutes, then unmold and finish cooling.

If you are going to finish the cake on the same day you baked it, wrap layers in plastic and keep at room temperature. Freeze for longer storage.

Note: To measure, spoon flour into dry-measure cups and level off.

Recipe: Jalapeño Hush Puppies

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: Making these becomes an art like making perfect biscuits. It takes a little practice. It also depends upon your climate and humidity level as to how the batter will come together and behave so you will have to rely upon your judgment.

After the batter is mixed try a small test ball to see how the batter behaves. From the recipe author: "The object of this recipe is to have light, fluffy hush puppies. If heavy and do not rise enough, use more baking powder. If hush puppies are greasy and break apart, add more flour."

And hey! When you go to chopping those jalapenos, make sure you use gloves, and, if not, make sure you wash your hands well before any bright ideas of thinking you can wipe your eyes or touch your mouth or you will be letting out one (maybe more) loud yelp from the pain!

Jalapeño Hush Puppies

From: The Cotton Country Collection


Ingredients:

2 cups cornmeal

1 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 small can cream style corn

3 jalapeño peppers, chopped

¼ bell pepper, chopped

1 small onion, minced

Buttermilk

Pinch of baking soda (about ½ teaspoon)


Directions: Mix all ingredients. Use enough buttermilk to make this the consistency of cornbread batter. Test batter by scooping up a portion on a spoon and with your thumb push portion into medium hot grease. The object of this recipe is to have light, fluffy hush puppies. If heavy and do not rise enough, use more baking powder. If hush puppies are greasy and break apart, add more flour. If you want more tang, add some jalapeno pepper juice.

Chocolate and Zucchini Cake

From Denny: From the almost 6-year-old blog Chocolate and Zucchini, written by a French woman and offered in American-style very good English as well as French.

It is also in the top 100,000 traffic ranking, an admirable feat for any blog other than an IT one. Congrats to Clotilde Dusoulier for getting recognized as a fabulous blog! For more interesting recipes and reading just click on the title link.

For recipe conversions there is a link for your convenience to that page just below my posting area if you are unsure about any of her measurements.

Chocolate & Zucchini Cake

Yield: Serves 10


Ingredients:

1 1/2 C (180 g) all-purpose flour

1/2 C (60 g) whole wheat flour (of course, you can just use 2 C / 240 g all-purpose flour, I was just trying to be good)

1/2 C (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C (110 g) butter, softened

1 C (160 g) light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp instant coffee granules (the Nescafé type, the stronger the better)

3 eggs, at room temperature

2 C zucchini, unpeeled, grated (about 280 g, two medium)

1 C (170 g) chocolate chips

Topping :

40 g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar

1/2 C (70 g) hazelnuts, toasted and chopped


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F). Grease a 3 quart (3 L) springform cake pan, and flour it or sprinkle with cocoa powder : this is to help the cake unmold easily, especially if you're not using a magic non-stick pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In your food processor, combine the sugar and butter, and mix until fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract and espresso powder, then the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.

Spoon in the flour mixture, reserving the last half-cup of it. Mix thoroughly, the batter will be thick.

Add the grated zucchini and the chocolate chips to the reserved flour mixture, and toss to coat. Fold in the batter, and blend thoroughly, it's fun. Pour into the prepared cake pan, and flatten the surface with a spatula.

In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients, and sprinkle all over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Turn out on a rack to cool for half an hour, then unmold.

Recipe: Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies

Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies

Martha Stewart knows her chocolate and her cookies. Check out her site for more tempting cookie treats!

“Two kinds of chocolate plus walnuts and coconut equals one tempting treat.”

From: MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients:

Yield: Makes about 5 dozen.


1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

2 cups white-chocolate chunks (about 9 ounces)

1 3/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut

1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts, (about 6 ounces)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in vanilla.

2. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Mix into butter mixture on low speed until well combined. Stir in chocolate, coconut, and walnuts.

3. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop batter onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 2 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.

Copyright 2008 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.