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Cookery

Cookie Crunch

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Traditions of cookie decorating can be traced back to the Middle Ages, and got a start in North America during the 17th century with the introduction of cookie cutters, molds and holiday decorating by Dutch and German settlers. About 200 years later, decorating cookies for Christmas gained popularity in America as more German-imported cookie cutters became available and cookbooks featured cookies cut in holiday inspired shapes sparked creativity in home kitchens. Today, the popularity of cookie decorating continues to grow during holidays throughout the world with all sorts of creations.

This holiday season, Zandy R (@pillbug) has been working on a cookie cookbook and experimenting with different iced cookie recipes and techniques (sugar cookie cut-outs decorated with royal icing).  You can do it, too.  Here are her cookie decorating tips:

it's fun to bake and decorate holiday cookies with these On2In2™ recipes and tips.

• Use your favorite sugar cookie and royal icing recipes, try something new or go nostalgic with a family recipe.  Find Zandy R’s (@pillbug) absolute favorite sugar cookie and royal icing recipes here → Roll & Cut Sugar Cookies.  If this is your first cookie decorating adventure, best to do a little research before starting. The Complete Photo Guide to Cookie Decorating by Autumn Carpenter

• It helps (a lot) to have the right equipment.  To decorate cookies with royal icing, you’ll need piping bags and/or squeeze bottles (a bunch, if using different colors) and a small offset spatula or rounded butter knife (to help spread the icing).  Also, toothpicks come in handy for tiny, precision work.

See Zandy’s favorite cookie baking tools below.  The stainless steel rolling pin eliminates the sticky dough problem by keeping the dough cool, the battery-powered sifter is genius, the 4-tier cooling rack is a great space saver during mega cookie baking projects, and the Kitchen Aid mixer—well, that’s really a dream machine.  For more information on any item, click/tap on the photo within the in the ad, and there’s a search box to help you find anything else your heart desires.


• Roll out cookie dough with a chilled rolling pin to avoid sticking.  Have fun cutting out a variety of cookie shapes     Holiday Cookie Cutters

• After cookies are baked and cooled, keep at least overnight (loosely covered with a sheet of parchment paper) before decorating.

• If using royal icing (as Zandy R did for her cookies), there are no quick short-cuts.  Let each application dry before applying the next one.  Check out Betty Crocker’s advice for decorating cookies with icing ⇒ here

• It’s a creative process of experimentation and experience, and that takes time and patience.  Don’t be afraid to try different techniques and colors because you’ll get better and better the more you decorate.

• When something goes wrong and you totally mess up a cookie, eat it immediately.

This page includes affiliate links to a shop website. If you purchase a product or service directly through the link, Zeester Media LLC may earn a small commission. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

 

 

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Feature photo courtesy of Gratisography CC0

Pumpkin Bread

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Since spotting the pumpkin bread recipe in a 1973 issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine, many loaves have been baked, eaten, and gifted by family and friends, and the recipe has been shared countless times because pumpkin bread is perfectly sweet and spiced with tastes of fall and winter holiday seasons and does not require special baking skills or technique (just a strong stirring arm).  It freezes well, too.  That means you can start baking now, and fill your kitchen with the aroma of delicious holiday happiness.  Here’s an updated version of our long time favorite pumpkin bread recipe.

♥ Please share the joy.

Pumpkin bread is a fall classic and always a favorite

 

PUMPKIN BREAD

 

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp   Light Olive Oil (or ¾ cup margarine)*
2½ cups   Sugar
4   Eggs
16 oz   Puréed Pumpkin (canned or homemade from scratch)
2/3 cup   Water
3½ cups   Unbleached Flour
2 tsp   Baking Soda
1½ tsp   Salt
1½ tsp   Baking Powder
1 tsp   Cinnamon
1 tsp   Ground Cloves
2/3 cup   Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)
1/2 cup   Dried Fruit (optional)  e.g. cranberries, cherries, golden raisins

*The original recipe called for margarine, but that was more than 40 years ago.  Substituting olive oil is a contempo tweak.

ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT

2 mixing bowls (1 large & 1 medium or small size)
1 or 2 spoons for mixing, wood or metal
1 whisk or a fork
2 loaf pans (approx. 8.5″x4.25″x2.75″) Only have one? Bake one at a time.
Measuring cups and spoons
Cake tester or skewer (wood or metal)
Cooling rack
Plastic wrap for keeping & freezer paper/plastic bags for storing in freezer

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven at 350°F/177°C, and prepare (grease & flour or spray with non-stick cooking spray) 2 loaf pans.  You can use loaf pans made of any material (e.g, metal, glass, silicone), but using different types and sizes requires an adjustment of the baking time which you may have to do anyway as timing often varies with different ovens.  Best advice to avoid a disaster, frequently check your pumpkin bread while baking, and don’t take out of the oven too soon or too late.

• In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then add the olive oil, water, pumpkin purée and sugar. Combine thoroughly.  [If you are using margarine, first cream softened margarine & sugar in large bowl, add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly, then mix in pumpkin purée and water.]

• In a separate, smaller sized bowl, combine the flour with all the other dry ingredients and spices.

• Stir the dry ingredients into the large mixing bowl of wet, pumpkin mixture, just a little at a time, and keep stirring until batter is thoroughly blended.

• If you’d like to add nuts and/or dried fruit, stir into the batter after it’s thoroughly blended.

• Pour batter into the prepared loaf pans.

• Bake for 1 hour+10 min @ 350°F.  Check the pumpkin bread by inserting a cake tester stick or skewer in the center of each.  Adjust time, if necessary.  It’s ready to come out of the oven when the tester comes out clean.

• Cool on rack for 10-15 minutes before removing bread from loaf pan.  Let loaves cool completely before wrapping tightly in plastic wrap.  Pumpkin bread should keep a week in the refrigerator.  If freezing, add another layer of wrapping (freezer paper or clear plastic freezer bags).

 

Everybody loved the German Chocolate Cupcakes made with traditional coconut-pecan frosting.Another family favorite → German Chocolate Cupcakes

 

 

 

 

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Feature photo of baking table courtesy of Andy Chilton/StockSnap CC0
Pumpkin bread photo by Flickr user, Rebecca Siegel CC BY 2.0

Home Brew

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It was a wise man who invented beer—Plato

Beer has been brewing on this planet for many thousands of years, believed to have started at the time cereal grains were first farmed (≅ 9500 BC), and is considered by some historians to be nutritional refreshment integral to the establishment of ancient civilizations and development of technologies. About 3000 BC, domestic brewing expanded throughout Europe by Germanic and Celtic tribes. The first record of hops as an ingredient in brewing was much later in Europe 822.

Today, beer ranks third (behind water and tea) as the most widely consumed beverage throughout the world, and is sometimes referred to as “liquid bread” as it can contain good amounts of nutrients, including B vitamins, magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, and chromium. However, the main active component of beer is alcohol, and that cancels out nutritional benefits when more than small quantities are consumed and creates long and short term health risks as does all alcoholic drinks.

Beer Making @ Home

Homebrewing is legal in most countries, but best to research prior to embarking on your beer making adventure as there are some prohibitions as well as limitations and restrictions.  In the United States, federal laws restricting homebrewing were repealed in 1978;  however, states and local governments retain the authority to enact homebrewing laws and regulations.

Brewing your own beer instead of buying a couple of six-packs can save some money, but the primary reason there are so many homebrewers is that it is just a lot of fun cooking up different and unique types, styles and flavors.  You can give it a go (or inspire a friend) for less than $35 with Stephen and Erica’s Everyday IPA Beer Making Kit.  It’s perfect for brewing beginners, and makes 1 gallon of 6.8% Alcohol-by-Volume beer (9-10 12-oz bottles) with a taste that harmonizes fragrant grapefruit with bright bitterness, making it great for hop heads as well as first time IPA drinkers.  They’ve also published a book that includes 52 recipes for small batches “Brooklyn Brew Shop’s Beer Making Book“. But, before you jump in, recommend you watch the video Brooklyn Brewing for inspiration.  Prost! 

 

 

Information/Resources:
Wikipedia:  Beer, Fermination, Homebrewing
Homebrewing Laws Worldwide, by Lyonette “Lyo” Louis-Jacques, Slaw (Canadian online legal magazine), November 20, 2013
US federal and state law information: Statutes by State  (Although home brewing is legal under both federal and state law in the US, each state may regulate alcohol and the state laws relating to home brewing vary widely.)
Step-by Step Tutorials, Learn to make beer, cider and mead, American Homebrewers Association
Find a Homebrew Club,  Search for local homebrew clubs using this worldwide database of over 1,700
Homebrew Con, June 28 – 30, 2018, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon (America’s largest gathering on home brew hobbyists with educational sessions, expo and social activities)

This book by James Morton “Brew: The Foolproof Guide to Making World Class Beer at Home” will take your brewing skills to another level of taste. Click/Tap on the “Brew” book image to check it out and purchase.

 

 

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Feature photo:  The “Toast” to beer feature photo is courtesy of Wil Stewart/Unsplash.  German culture requires a personal toast to each and every person at the table prior to drinking even one small sip of alcohol, and failure to do so is considered rude and bad luck.

*This page includes affiliate links to Amazon shop website. If you purchase a product or service directly through the link, Zeester Media LLC may earn a small commission. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

German Chocolate Cupcakes

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A German Chocolate Cake recipe by Mrs. George Clay was first published in a 1957 ‘Recipe of the Day’ column of the Dallas Morning News.  It was referred to as ‘German’s Chocolate Cake’ (later simply ‘German Chocolate Cake’), not because it derived from Germany, but because Mrs. Clay’s recipe called for a sweet, dark baking chocolate known as ‘Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate’, developed in 1852 by chocolate maker, Samuel German, for the Baker’s Chocolate Company, an American brand.  General Mills, owner of the Baker’s brand at the time of publication, distributed the cake recipe to other US newspapers and printed it on German’s Sweet Chocolate packaging, and it became a big hit throughout America, increasing sales of German’s Sweet Chocolate by a reported 73%.  German Chocolate Cake is still popular today, and there are many variations and modified recipes.

The best birthday cupcakes were created from traditional German's Sweet Chocolate Cake recipe found in a grandmother's collection of cake recipes.
Source: Oma’s recipe collection

 

When it came time to bake cupcakes for a special birthday celebration, @pillbug went to her grandmother’s cake and pie recipe collection for inspiration.  It’s a well-used spiral notebook filled with Oma’s favorites from friends and relatives as well as clippings from newspapers and magazines, and on the first page is the German’s Sweet Chocolate Cake recipe she saved from a package of German’s Sweet Chocolate.  @pillbug used this traditional custard-like coconut/pecan frosting recipe for a German Chocolate Cupcake topping with sweet success:

 

 

 

Coconut-Pecan Frosting (makes 2 2/3 cups)

Combine 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, 3 egg yolks, ¼ lb (=½ cup) margarine, and 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened (about 12 minutes)

Add 1 & 1/3 cups flake coconut and 1 cup chopped pecans

Beat until thick enough to spread

 

We made a traditional Coconut-Pecan frosting for German Chocolate Cupcakes, and decorated with a single red rose.
German Chocolate Cupcakes decorated with sugar red rose garnish

 

Information/Resources:
German Chocolate Cake (Wikipedia)
Inside Out German Chocolate Cake, Perfecting Deliciousness (October 11, 2014), recipe & step-by-step instructions for a version of the famous Bridge Street Bakery specialty cake, “Inside-out German Chocolate Cake” featured in Gourmet Magazine (March 2000) and now offered for purchase via mail-order.

 

Pumpkin bread is a fall classic and always a favoriteAnother family favorite for fall→ Perfectly sweet & spiced Pumpkin Bread 

 

 

 

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Photos of German Chocolate Cupcakes:  Courtesy of Zeester Media LLC, CC BY-NC-ND

In2 the Kitchen LIVE

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The James Beard Foundation is a culinary arts non-profit organization that creates programs to help educate people about American cuisine and provide support and promotion to chefs and other industry professionals.  Throughout the year, chefs are invited to “perform” at the Beard House Kitchen by presenting lunches, brunches, workshops, and dinners to Beard foundation members and the public.  If you can’t get there for dinner, or you’re just curious about what goes on behind the scenes, watch this live stream broadcast from the Beard kitchen here On2In2™.

Programming Note:  Scheduling changes or interruptions in the live broadcast are sometimes unavoidable.  If you miss a live broadcast, a video recording can be viewed immediately following the live stream close (Click/Tap “Watch Again” on the Kitchen Cam media player below).  Live streaming of In2 the Kitchen programming is broadcast when events become available for public viewing. (Go to JBF Events to find schedule, info on featured chefs and menus.)

Beard House Kitchen dinners are typically prepared 3-4 evenings each week, so please check back for live action in the kitchen or take a look at the On2In2™ Live Stream Programming Guide for other live stream viewing options.


You’ve got time to do a little bargain shopping
for kitchen gadgets while you wait for the next live broadcast.
Click/Tap on this Amazon link* ↓

 

 

Yountville, California is a special place. Known today for its world class restaurants, luxury hotels and inns, the friendly residents and small town feel, it’s also a great wine tasting location.  Discover the historic beauty and charm of Yountville with Zola’s Y-walking wine tour guide — all the information and tips you need for a perfect, budget-friendly day wine-tasting some of Napa Valley’s best wines.

 

It's easy and fun to join On2In2 social networkWe’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to comment, join the conversation, or share your cooking inspiration, and you have not yet registered as an On2In2™ playmaker, please sign up via the ‘Engage page‘.  Don’t worry, it’s pretty quick and easy (unless you’re a robot).

 

 

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*This page includes an affiliate link to a shop website. If you purchase a product or service directly through the link, Zeester Media LLC may earn a small commission. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

Feature photo courtesy of Unsplash CC0

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