With Chinese New Year in the corner, Michelle shared with us why tangerines and oranges are one of the auspicious symbols of Chinese New Year.

From: http://traditions.cultural-china.com/en/214T11982T14619.html

Tangerines in Chinese sounds similar to the word “luck” and orange sounds like the Chinese word for “wealth”. Through the play of words, the Chinese is associating the gift of orange and tangerine as having an abundance of happiness and prosperity.

The bright orange colour of the fruits also symbolizes “gold”, hence it has an auspicious meaning to bring in good luck and wealth.

This is a very important factor for the Chinese New Year celebration.

Hence, you will find tangerines and oranges, being displayed in houses, offices and shops as they believe it will usher in good fortune for the occupants.

Michelle served the Orange Olive Oil Cake with a Honey-Orange Compote; recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen.com.

Ingredients

• 3 oranges (blood  orange preferred)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

whipping cream or Greek yogurt (optional)

Source: this recipe is adapted from Simtten Kitchen

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For dessert, Michelle shared a Spiced Apple Bars from the Joy of Cooking in the South Arm Older Adults Community Kitchen.

Fall is the season for apples. If you can get organic apples, leave the peel on the apples as you grate them for additional fiber. You can reduce the sugar by about half but it will result in a less firm bar that is still delicious, but must be refrigerated.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 2/3 cups flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 2 1/2 cups grated apples (approximately 5 apples)
• 1 1/2 cups raisins

Source: this recipe is adapted from Joy of Cooking: Cookies

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This Lemon Pudding Cake recipe is adapted from The Greyston Bakery Cookbook.

These pillowy, Vitamin C-packed cakelets are adapted from The Greyston Bakery Cookbook. These cakes are rich without being too heavy.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup skim milk
• 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• fresh raspberries or blackberries, for serving

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With Valentine’s day around the corner, Michelle shared a Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cake for dessert at the South Arm Older Adults Cooking Club.

These mini Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes is perfect for snacking. These cakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for four days.

Michelle also made some Meringues as a Valentine’s gift to the participants. She calls it “Forgotten” Cookies because you can make these cookies the night before you want them and they turn our perfect when left in a cooling oven overnight!

Ingredients

• 1 cup buttersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (not non-fat)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Source: this recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Sweet Life in Paris by way of Smitten Kitchen.

Makes 12 cupcake-sized snack cakes or 24 mini cupcakes.

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The South Arm Older Adults Cooking Club made a Pear Cake Bars for dessert. This is in line with adding more fruit in our diet idea.

Michelle served the Pear Cake Bars with a scoop of frozen yogurt.

You can freeze small portions of this treat wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil.

Ingredients

• 2 cups berries or chopped fruit (rhubarb, apples, peaches, pear, etc)
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon or orange zest

Batter

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk

• icing sugar, if desired

P/S: the pears are from Michelle’s backyard pear tree

Source: adapted from Guilt-free Sweet Treats

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Michelle prepared an easy Skillet Fruit Cake for dessert at the South Arm Older Adults Cooking Club.

This cake is best made in a cast iron skillet which gives it a crispy bottom. Since the South Arm kitchen does not have a cast iron skillet, we baked the cake in a regular round cake pan and muffin tins.

We made two versions of this cake, one with thinly sliced pear and another with canned peaches. The pear gives the topping a slightly crunchy texture.

The simplicity of this cake is that you can mix it by hand and have it in the oven in 5 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup softened, unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (recommended) or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced (or other stoned fruit, apples or pears, thinly sliced)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar for topping

Source: mintgreenapron.blogspot.com

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