Amish Apple Cake

1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 1/2 cups finely chopped apples, such as Granny Smith
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

Hot Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 9-inch round cake pan.

In a large bowl, cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the egg and beat until well blended. Mix in the baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the flour and stir just until blended. Stir in the apples and nuts. Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 30 minutes until the top springs back when touched lightly with your finger.

Hot Caramel Sauce: In a saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract and milk.

Serve warm sauce over cake.

Serves 8.

Brown Sugar Angel Food Cake

Source: Amish Cooking cookbook

2 cups (14 to 16) egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, vanilla and salt until stiff peaks form. Gradually sift 1 cup of the sugar into the beaten whites and beat to incorporate.

Sift remaining sugar with all the flour and gently fold it into the whites. Gently turn the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes. (When done, the cake should spring back at the touch of a finger.) Let cake cool before serving.

Boiled Cookies

These are also called "funeral cookies" by the Amish because they can be made up quickly to take to the grieving family.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick cooking oats (not instant)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

In a small saucepan over medium heat bring to a boil and cook butter, milk, sugar, and cocoa for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, salt and vanilla extract. Mix in oats and pecans. By teaspoon drop on wax paper and allow the cookies to stand unrefrigerated for 1 hour.

Store in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers.

New Orleans Dessert

Posted by JBic at recipegoldmine.com 7/10/01 5:51:06 pm

JBic note: I have no idea what makes this "New Orleans." The recipe came from my mom, who lives in Maine and I don’t think she has ever been to New Orleans. Anyone who has a clue about the name, I would appreciate your sharing the info.

Serves 8

2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup nuts
1 pint whipping cream, whipped (do not sweeten)

Beat all ingredients together except whipped cream. Pour into greased 9-inch square pan. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Will not be cooked throughout. Cool.

Crumble and fold into whipped cream. Freeze.

Mardi Gras King Cake

Posted by Tiffany at recipegoldmine.com 1/27/2002 6:10 pm

1 package yeast
1/4 cup warm water
6 teaspoons milk, scalded and cooled
4 cups flour (to 5 cups)
1/2 pound butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 teaspoons melted butter
Small plastic doll (or bean)
Light corn syrup for topping
Granulated sugar for topping - green, yellow, purple

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk and about 1/2 cup of flour. In a large bowl, blend butter, sugar, salt and eggs. Add yeast dough and mix thoroughly. Gradually, add 2 1/2 cups flour to make a medium dough. Place in a greased bowl and brush with melted butter. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise until double in volume, about 3 hours.

Use 1 cup or more flour to knead dough and roll into a 4 to 5 foot long rope. Form into a oval on a 14 x 17-inch greased cookie sheet, connecting ends of the rope with a few drops of water. Press the doll (or bean) into the dough from underneath. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until double in volume, about 1 hour.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush top of cake with corn syrup and sprinkle with alternating bands of colored sugar. Cake freezes well.

Linda Fisher’s King Cake with Streusel Filling and Caramel Icing

Posted by Keplerkid at recipegoldmine.com on 1/27/2002 9:34 pm

I haven’t made this cake but it sounds good. I live in Louisiana and can buy good King Cakes. I’ve never known anyone to make one because all bakeries and even grocery stores have good ones. This one is from The Times-Picaynue website, www.nola.com. I’m sure they have others in their archives, if you are interested. King Arthur Flour also sells a King Cake kit by mail.

Makes 1 large cake or about 40 servings

2 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
6 tablespoons margarine (or butter or low-fat spread),
    plus 1/2 cup chilled margarine cut into small cubes, divided
2 cups granulated sugar, divided
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
About 6 3/4 cups flour, divided
3 eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus oil for mixing bowl
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Yellow, green and purple (or red and blue to make purple) food coloring
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
King cake baby or bean to insert in cake, optional

Dissolve yeast in warm water; let sit 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt six tablespoons margarine and one-half cup white sugar in milk over low heat; let cool to lukewarm.

In a large bowl, sift salt with six scant cups flour. Make a well in center and add eggs, milk mixture and yeast. With a wooden spoon or your hands, mix ingredients until they form a dough; if batter-like, thicken with one-fourth to one-half cup more flour. Knead dough in bowl 10 to 15 minutes. Form into a ball and grease surface with one tablespoon oil. Place in a large lightly-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about one hour.

Meanwhile, make filling: In a bowl, combine one-half cup white sugar, one-half cup brown sugar, two tablespoons flour and cinnamon. With a pastry cutter or fork, cut in one-half cup cold margarine until mixture looks like wet sand; set aside.

Place risen dough on a lightly floured surface; roll out to an 18 x 10-inch rectangle. Parallel to each 18-inch side, about one inch from edge, sprinkle a two-inch band of filling, using it all. Roll up each 18-inch side until the two rolls meet in center. With a knife, cut lengthwise between rolls to form two ropes. To seal in filling, pinch dough shut along lengthwise edges. With ropes parallel, start at the center and work outward to make one long rope by folding the ropes over one another. Shape rope into roughly an 18-inch x 12-inch oval; tuck one open end inside the other. Carefully transfer oval to a wax-paper-lined cookie sheet, lifting dough with one hand at tucked ends and the other on opposite side of oval; reshape if needed. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour. Bake in a 350 degree F oven until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes, turning pan after 10 minutes.

Let cool while making colored sugar and icing. For colored sugar, place one-third cup white sugar in each of three bowls. To one bowl, add three drops or more food coloring to achieve desired color; mix well. Repeat for green and purple sugar. For icing, bring to boil evaporated milk with two tablespoons brown sugar; stir often. Remove from heat. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar; mix until smooth and add vanilla extract. Working on a small section at a time, spread icing over part of cake and decorate that part with colored sugars. If using, hide baby or bean in bottom of cake.

Mennonite Bread Pudding

2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
4 cups day old bread (1/2-inch slices), cubed
1/4 cup raisins

Beat eggs. Add sugar, milk and nutmeg. Butter a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Put bread cubes into dish and pour egg mixture over the bread. Let the bread cubes become soaked by the mixture. Mix in the raisins. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.

Serve warm.

Mennonite Apple Strudel

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup warm water
5 cups sliced apples
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts
5 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Grated rind of 1 lemon

Sift the flour and salt together. Cut in the shortening and add the eggs and water. Knead well, then throw or beat the dough against a board until it blisters. Stand the dough in a warm place under a cloth for 20 minutes.

Cover the kitchen table with a small white cloth and flour it. Put the dough on it and pull it out with your hands very carefully to the thickness of tissue paper. Spread with a mixture of the fruits, sugar, melted butter, cinnamon and lemon rind. Fold in the outer edges of the dough and roll like a jellyroll - about 4 inches wide. Bake in a very hot oven (450 degrees F) for 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and bake about 20 minutes longer. Let cool. Cut into slices about 2 inches wide. It should be flaky and moist.

Creamy Pralines

Butter or margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups pecan pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond extract

Grease wax paper sheet with butter, then set aside. Combine sugar and next 5 ingredients in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring gently, until butter melts. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches soft ball stage (238 degrees F), about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pecans and flavorings. Beat with a wooden spoon just until mixture begins to thicken. Working rapidly, drop by rounded tablespoonsful onto prepared wax paper. Let stand until firm.

Makes 4 dozen.

Rum-Raisin Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups brown raisins
2 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
    (at room temperature)
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
7 tablespoons dark rum
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoon whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

Toss raisins with 2 tablespoons flour in small bowl. Combine remaining flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light. Add 1 2/3 cups sugar and beat until fluffy. Adding eggs 2 at a time, beat after each addition until well blended. Beat in 6 tablespoons rum and vanilla extract. Mix in flour mixture, fold in raisin mixture and spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until top is golden and tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes. Turn out cake onto rack and cool completely.

Stir confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon rum in bowl until smooth; mix in cream and spoon over cake. Let stand until glaze is set, about 30 minutes.

Makes 12 servings.