Butter-Rich Coffeecake

Here's another amazing recipe, a no-fail recipe, from my favorite book, Bundt Cakes. It's great with a vanilla glaze and it is so easy using a cake mix.

Step One:
Combine 3 tbsp. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon in a prep bowl.

Step Two:
Mix dry ingredients by hand: 1 package yellow cake mix, 1 package (3-3/4 oz) instant vanilla pudding.

Step Three:
Add 2/3 c. oil, 1 c water and 4 eggs, 1 tsp, imitation butter flavoring and 1 tsp. vanilla and beat all for 5 minutes at medium speed.

Step Four:
Pour one-third batter into bundt pan prepared with baking PAM. Cover with 1/2 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat. Then top with remaining batter.

Step Five:
Bake for 40-45 minutes in 350 degree oven until done. Cool in pan 15 minutes and turn out to cool.
Top with glaze made with 1 cup confectioner's sugar, 1 T. milk plus 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp. butter flavoring and 1 T. light corn syrup.

Oatmeal Date Cake

Here's another amazing recipe, a no-fail recipe, from my favorite book, Bundt Cakes. Years ago I used to make this recipe with Eggbeater's egg-whites and Promise margarine for a low-cholesterol version. Whichever version, they are both delicious warm with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream. Or plain and cold. It's a great alternative to gingerbread.

This recipe can be assembled in three steps just prior to mixing (step four) and baking (step five) as much as a day in advance.

Step One:
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
2 cups boiling water
1-2/3 cups pitted dates, quartered*
3/4 cup butter or margarine
*Or use the sugared, chopped version and eliminate 1/4 cup sugar from the recipe.

Pour the boiling water over the oatmeal, dates and margarine and set aside. Stir after a few moments to mix and let cool to lukewarm before mixing with the rest of the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate if you are waiting to mix and bake the cake but bring the mixture up to room temperature before mixing.

Step Two:
1-1/2 cup flour, 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon.

Mix all the dry ingredients by hand and set aside.

Step Three:
Just before mixing and baking, beat 3 eggs until thick, adding 1-1/4 c. white and 1-1/4 c. brown sugars and then 2 tsp. vanilla.

Step Four:
Blend the egg mixture into the oatmeal mixture, folding in the flour mixture.

Step Five:
Pour into a prepared pan (use PAM for Baking) and bake for 55-60 minutes in 350 degree oven until done. Cool in pan 10 minutes and turn out to cool.

Chunky Apple Cake

In 1975 my mother gave me a small paperback book titled Bundt Cakes published as an Owlswood Productions Cookbook in 1973. The book is falling apart (the cover is unattached), the pages are stained with butter, sugar and spice. I've added personal notes over the years: "delicious with sweetened whipped cream" or "delicious with topping!" It is simply one of my favorite books and it has never failed me.

This weekend we were invited to a block party in our new neighborhood in Marion, MA. We were asked to bring desserts or appetizers (along with drinks and folding chairs.) I made this cake and was disappointed when the party was postponed due to drenching rains. As consolation, Gerry and I enjoyed a small piece of cake after dinner Saturday night and he'll bring the rest of it into work tomorrow. I'm sure everyone will love it. It was as good as ever.

Glaze the cake with any sweet glaze. I used about a cup of confectioner's sugar with a tablespoon of milk and black walnut extract.

Peel and chunk five cups of apples. In a large bowl coat them with 1 T. fresh lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar. Set them aside as early as a day before (in a Ziploc bag in the frig.)

Be sure to liberally grease the bundt pan with PAM - the Baking option. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (Convection is fine.)

Wet: 2/3 cup cooking oil, 3 eggs and 2 cups sugar.

Dry: 3 c. flour, 3 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. nutmeg.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs, mixing well. Add apple chunks with a spoon.

Mix the dry ingredients separately and add with a spoon or spatula to the sugar/oil/egg/apple mix until well mixed.

Pour into the pan and bake 55-60 minutes until a cake tester (or wooden pick) comes out clean.

Cool in pan 10 minutes and turn out.

Cool before glazing.

Yeast Raised Waffles

Lori Draper made these delicious waffles for breakfast on Saturday morning in Marion. Here's the recipe:
Marjorie Cunningham's Yeast Raised Waffles

Double Recipe:
Dissolve 1 pkg or 2-1/4 tsp. yeast in ½ cup warm water
Melt 2 sticks butter in 1 qt milk over medium heat – cool
Add 2 tsp salt and 4 tsp sugar
Add to yeast
Stir in 4 c flour and beat till smooth. Let sit overnight.
In morning add 2 or 3 eggs, ½ tsp baking powder. Beat again. Consistency should be slightly heavier than heavy cream.
Approx 2/3 cup into each waffle square

Spinach Salad

My mother made this spinach salad all the time. It's been over thirty-one years since we lost her to cancer and I've been making her spinach salad for about forty years.

Two bunches of fresh spinach
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
2-4 eggs, hardcooked and grated or sliced
1/2 pound thinly sliced mushrooms

Dressing
2/3 c. oil
1/4 c. wine vinegar
2 T. Chablis 2 t. soy sauce 1 t. sugar 1 t. dry mustard 1/2 t. curry 1/2 t. salt 1/2 t. garlic salt

Poppyseed Dressing

This week we are in our second home in Marion, MA on Wildflower Lane. I seem to have misplaced my favorite recipe for Poppyseed Dressing - one I have had for years and given to me by Karan Slates, my best childhood friend. Luckily, I caught her at home last night and she sent it to me this morning. It's now safely tucked up on this blog where I won't lose it again!

½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup olive oil
½ cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup vinegar
¼ cup grated red onion
1 ½ teaspoon poppy seeds

Beat together (with a beater or whisk) sugar, mustard, salt, oils & vinegar. Add onion & poppy seeds. Refrigerate in a tightly closed container.

Serve with crisp greens, slivered almonds, mandarin oranges, sliced scallions and chopped strawberries.