All Entries in the "Baking" Category
Spiced Pumpkin Bread
Under normal circumstances, I will end a series of the community kitchen meet up with the dessert but for this week’s South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors, I will start with dessert. The reason is, Charlene started off the day’s cooking with a quick briefing on baking. Charlene observed some very common mistakes in her several seniors kitchens and she decided to share them with this kitchen.
Baking is unlike other cooking that you can estimate the ingredients and more or less in fine. Baking is science as the right amount of ingredients are crucial for the reaction of the of the processes to achieve the right texture in the baking goods. Here is a summary of the briefing.
- One must use a dry ingredient measuring cup to measure dry ingredients. To measure flour, use a spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup until it overflows. Then, use a knife or spatula to level the flour. Do not tap the measurement cup as this will compact the flour and yield more flour than needed. Do not scoop the floor directly into the measuring cup and try to level the flour by pressing against the wall of the flour container as this will also compact the flour.
- One exception in measuring dry ingredient is measuring brown sugar. You have to pack the brown sugar and the brown sugar should take on the shape of the measuring cup when you turn it out.
- When measuring liquid, place the cup on a flat surface and check the liquid amount at eye level.
So, with the above fresh in mind, Ken and Frank started working on the Spiced Pumpkin Bread recipe.
This Pumpkin Bread recipe is adapted from Vern Bertana and it makes 2 loaves. This bread freezes well. Wrap the loaf with saran wrap and place in a ziplock back and store it in the freezer until you have company.
Toffee Apple Cake
Chris shared this Toffee Apple Cake recipe with the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors as dessert. According to Chris, this cake is tops. The best part is we can make most out the local apples in the fall.
This Toffee Apple Cake is very moist and almost custard like. The toffee bits topping add some crunch to it. This is certainly not a dietary kind of dessert. Well, it’s ok to let ourselves indulge for a treat once in a while.
Chris and Paul worked on this dessert. This recipe serves 24.
Peruvian Cuisine: Dulce De Leche Cookies (Alfajor)
The last item which Erika shared with us is a cookie filled with dulce de leche called Alfajor. Erika made this cookies for his son’s school party and it was a hit. Many parents asked for the recipe. Dulce De Leche is a caramel like spread that can be made by simmering sweetened condensed milk in the can for hours. But, we are very lucky that we can find them in jars in Real Canadian Superstore for about $3.
The Dulce De Leche Cookies (Alfajor) is very delicate and they just melt in your mouth with the caramel sweetness lingering in the mouth. I enjoyed the cookies very much as I have sweet tooth.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of corn starch (or more)
- 225 gm unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- Dulce de leche (manjarbalnco) for filings
Corn Muffins
June and Keiko made Corn Muffins to go with the Hamburger Soup in the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors. June is a pioneer volunteer for the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors while Keiko is a new member.
This Corn Muffin has corn kernels in it which adds a little surprise and sweetness to it. You may add diced green chiles in it for the extra kick.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons honey or sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Optional add-ins:
- 4 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 1 can diced green chiles, drained
Ham and Cheese Muffins
Minoo prepared two recipes for the first meeting of Gilmore Park Church Community Kitchen for this fall season. The first recipe is a hand held breakfast or lunch item which is perfect for families on the go. These Ham and Cheese Muffins are savory instead of the regular sweet muffins.
These Ham and Cheese Muffins taste like quiche but they are easier to make. You can even make them ahead and they can be reheated quickly. It is also a good recipe to use your leftover bread.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon honey mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon each, salt and pepper
- 5 cups cubed whole grain bread (about 5 slices, trim off crust)
- 1 cup shredded Canadian Cheddar, Swiss or Colby cheese
- 1/2 cup diced deli ham
- 12 cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise or quarters if they are large.
Shanghai Mooncake
It’s near mooncake festival. Arkensen loves mooncake just like I do. However, I do not have a mooncake mould to make mooncake. So, I look for a recipe which do not need a mooncake mould and I found one in a cook book which my sister gave me when I left Malaysia. The cookbook is titled “At Home with Amy Beh”.
The Shanghai Monncake recipe is more like a pastry recipe. I made this with 3 types of fillings, lotus paste, red bean paste and just a couple of lotus paste with salted egg yolk.
Ingredients
- store bought lotus paste or red bean paste
- salted egg yolk, optional
Sift and combine:
- 300g all-purpose flour
- 20g custard powder
- 25g cornflour
- 1 tablespoon milk powder
- 65g golden syrup
- 90g icing sugar
- 1 small egg
- 60g shortening
- 75g margarine
- 1/4 teaspoon alkaline water (lye water)
- 1 egg, beaten, for glaze
- some melon seeds or almond flakes
Raisin Tea Muffins
For dessert, Minoo prepared a Raisin Tea Muffin recipe. Muffin is great for breakfast, lunch box, after school snack or tea time. It is easy to make, easy to transport and quick to bake. All you have to remember is to combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another bowl and combine them without over mixing. Over mixing will yield tough muffin.
This Raisin Tea Muffin has just the right sweetness and has a mild tea flavour with hint of spices. Perfect with a cup of chai tea.
Ingredients
- 1 teabag
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- a pinch of cinnamon, nutneg, cardamon and cloves.
This recipe yields 6 muffins.
