Tag Archives: Cake

Spiced peach cobbler

Posted on July 18, 2012 by | Leave a comment

It’s peach season! I ate half of my entire peach crop in one setting. The squirrel ate the other one. So, these peaches are from the local orchard.  Just across the Mississippi River is Cobden Illinois, famous for their peaches.

The region if known for the wine trails. Cobden also grows some of the best apples and peaches. photo by PBH

Though it is an easy drive, we like to make our trip to the peach orchard a get away weekend.  We love staying at Makanda Inn B&B, 855 Old Lower Cobden Road, Makanda, Illinois 62958. Southern Illinois newest bed and breakfast located in the heart of the Shawnee Wine Trail.

Robin Sue of Big Red Kitchen says “This is my go-to Peach Cobbler recipe. It has never let me down. This dish is very moist, super fast to make, and wonderful served warm with vanilla ice cream, perfect for summer cook-outs.”

Miss Jean’s Peach Cobbler  Cooks and recipe collectors on Pinterest wil love her Big Red Kitchen boards.

So rich and buttery, just a bit of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream will do. photo by PBH

I made this recipe, except I added a touch of spice: ½ teaspoon each cinnamon and nutmeg and the tiniest pinch of ground cloves.

This is my version of Miss Jean’s Peach Cobbler. It sounds like one of those great 70’s recipes we loved before we were told butter is bad. You know those kind of dump cakes that amazed us when they really worked?

Spiced Peach Cobbler

4 cups fresh peaches sliced and sweetened if necessary
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 pinch ground cloves
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted

Set oven to 350. Put stick of butter in a 9×13 inch pan. Set pan in oven for a minute or until butter is melted. Remove from oven.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Mix combined dry ingredients with milk and sugar until smooth.
Pour batter over melted butter.
Put peaches and any juices on top.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.
Let set at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

My recipe is adapted from Miss Jean’s Peach Cobbler

To read more about Makanda Inn go to Striped Pot: The Makanda Inn B&B Learn more about the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bed & Breakfasts, preserving the harvest, Recipes

Tagged , , , , , ,

Grandma’s Chocolate Sheet Cake

Posted on May 7, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Grandma’s Chocolate Sheet Cake
aka Texas Sheet Cake

Sheet Cake

Quick to fix. Grandma’s Chocolate Sheet Cake. What a surpise to find out that it was also called Texas Sheet Cake. photo PBH

There are dozens of variations on this rich chocolate sheet cake. I think it is so enduring because it is simple, makes a big, affordable, sheet cake that is quick to fix and, uses common kitchen ingredients.

Pre heat oven 350 degrees, set the oven rack to mid level. Toast and chop ½ cup pecans. Watch carefully or they will quickly burm. Let cool.

Coat a 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray, and dust with 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder or flour.

To Make Cake:

Sift together first 5 ingredients. Set aside in large mixing bowl.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add water, margarine and cocoa to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour into flour mixture. Beat until well mixed and smooth.
3/4 cup water
1 stick margarine
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

Add final three ingredients. Beat until well mixed.
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs beaten

Pour into prepared pan. Tap pan on counter to release big air bubbles. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes. (It’s exactly 33 minutes in my oven.) Toothpick test to check if it is done.

While cake is baking, make icing.

Icing:
1 stick margarine
1/3 cup milk or buttermilk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
While you bring to boil in medium sauce pan while you combine next three ingredients.

Pour hot boiling margarine, buttermilk and, unsweetened cocoa over next three ingredients.

3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Mix together, add

1 teaspoons vanilla extract
Mix until smooth. Pour warm icing over warm cake. Allow cake to cool before cutting. Otherwise, half of this cake will disapear before before dinner. Strange, I know. But it happened to me.

Great for picnics or covered dish suppers. photo PBH

Cake Ingredient List

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1 stick margarine
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs beaten

Icing Ingredient List

1 stick margarine
1/3 cup milk or buttermilk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup chopped toasted pecans

350° oven until a tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.
About 20 to 25 minutes for the 15X10-inch pan. (Happens to be 22minutes in my oven.) Or bake in a 13X9 cake pan for about 30 to 35 minutes.

Leave a comment

Posted in Recipes

Tagged , , , ,

Zucchini Heaven

Posted on July 25, 2011 by | 2 comments

Zucchini Cake with Crunchy Lemon Glaze Recipe by David Lebovitz adapted from Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen by Gina DePalma.

Zucchini Cake with Crunchy Lemon Glaze photo PBH

And of course, I made some changes too. Adapting David Lebovitz’ recipe, I changed the nuts to Black Walnuts, a sustainable product grown in Cape Girardeau, Missouri USA.

  • Replace: 1 cup (135 g) almonds, pecans, or walnuts, with ½ cup of Black Walnuts.
  • Reduce: vanilla extract by half. Use only 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • Add: zest of 1 lemon. Stir zest into the cake batter with grated zucchini.

I won’t rewrite the recipe here. Davids recipe is well written and beautifully explained. His blog is fabulous. Go To: Zucchini Cake with Crunchy Lemon Glaze While this cake is baking, check out his website. (Key Words: Chocolate, Paris, need I say more?)

My version of the Crunchy Lemon Glaze:

  • Juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (140 g) powdered (confectioner’s) sugar (start with ¾ cup, add more powdered sugar if desired.) I think any fresh squeezed citrus juice and zest would be good.

More zucchini Recipes

Speedy Zucchini
1 cooler or ice chest
1 floppy garden hat
1 pair of big dark sunglasses

Directions:
Fill the cooler with zucchini. Drive around till you find an unattended pickup. Put the zucchini in the truck bed. Or, if it is too heavy to lift, check to see if the passenger door is unlocked. Check to see if there is a dog in the cab. (actually do this before you open the passenger door.) Quickly leave the scene, but not so fast as to call attention to the back seat full of coolers.

Or, wrap the big zucchini in swaddling clothes, leave it at the door step of a church (not yours – someone might recognize you.) or a hospital or day care. Run. Hide. You may want to stick around and watch this.

Revisit Black Walnuts
This native tree is grown by Martin Walnut Tree Farm this will change your mind about Black Walnuts. These nuts are mild flavored. Not the over powering flavor of days gone by. Call 573-243-3210 (ask for Mike) .

Buy very mild flavored black walnuts at the Jackson and Cape Farmers Markets-Tuesday night in Jackson and Thursday afternoon in Cape. Or buy walnuts by calling Mike at 573-450-6701. Email mike@martinwalnuttreefarm.com to have the walnuts shipped.

These new black walnuts are a developing market, so these are really bargain prices. When word gets out, I am sure the price will increase. Buy some, keep them in the freezer until you are ready to use them.

Cost: The cost is $5.00 for an 8 oz. bag, $10.00 for a 1 Lb. bag (plus shipping if needed.)

If you want to invest in your children’s future, Mike sells these amazing walnut trees.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

2 Comments

Posted in Herbs in the garden, Herbs in the kitchen, My Gardens, Oh Grow Up!

Tagged , , , , , , ,