Angel Food Cake

Strawberries and the food of angels.....

In strawberry season I make an Angel Cake about once a week. It is so good and so easy. Yes I did say easy. It is easy and I can prove it.

Three years ago when she was 10, Blair and a friend asked if they could make an Angel Food Cake. There were a couple of box mixes on the counter (I don't usually use a mix, but they were on sale and I like to keep one on hand in case I am out of eggs) so I thought they would use one of those. A few minutes later Blair came in to ask what it means to fold in cooking terms. I went into the kitchen to demonstrate, only to find that they had made the cake from scratch. They said they did not even see the box mixes. The cake turned out perfect. So, if two 10 year olds can do it anyone can. I won't even eat the already baked at the store kind of Angel Food Cake. They taste like hairspray (or some other nasty chemical.) Hair is a big issue with me and I have accidentally sprayed while my mouth was open (a multi-tasking hazard) so I do know what hairspray tastes like and it is nasty, just like those store cakes.



Ingredients: 12 eggs room temperature, cake flour (I keep it on hand for this cake only, however regular flour and even fresh ground whole wheat can be used), Sugar, Vanilla (the real thing), Almond Extract (also the real thing), Salt, and Cream of Tartar (did not make it into the photo)



First separate the eggs. Only the whites are used in Angel Food Cake. I like to use a small bowl to separate catch the egg white before I put it in with the rest of the egg whites. If even a little bit of yolk gets in the whites will not beat up like they are supposed to. Using the small bowl ensures that if a yolk breaks you only loose that egg and not the entire dozen.



If you don't have an egg separater, the finger method can be used. Some children (and adults) really like doing it this way. Just make sure little hands are washed first.



I am a big believer in having the appliances I use regularly out on the counter at all times. I have both a Kitchenaid and a Bosch. I use the Kitchenaid for this recipe because the bowl is stainless steel. You should only use stainless steel or glass for whipping up eggs. Plastic can have oily residue that can cause the eggs not to whip.



Whip egg whites and salt until foamy



Add Vanilla, Almond Extract and Cream of Tartar



Beat until soft peaks form.



gradually add 1/2 of the sugar (the recipe says one tablespoon at a time, I just pour a very slow continuous stream)



Beat until stiff peaks form



Sift together the flour and the other half of the sugar. Then do it again 2 more times. (I actually think this is fun) That sifter is 19 years old and pretty hammered. I just bought a new one today.



Fold 1/4 of the sifted flour & sugar into the egg whites at a time.



I forgot to take a photo of the batter in the pan before baking. Notice that the tube pan is on a sheet pan. The first time I made and Angel Cake from scratch it overflowed. Since then I have always put a sheet pan underneath and it has never overflowed again. I am sure if I ever forgot the sheet pan I would have a mess in the bottom of my oven. Life just works that way.





Invert the cake onto a bottle to cool. This is a rice vinegar bottle. It must cool this way for an hour. Waiting is actually the hardest part. Some people in my house (Kurt) have been known to pick at the nicely browned top/bottom.



This is the most delicious cake ever. If you have only had that chemically tasting store kind, you must give this a try. (I have a strong aversion to soggy food, so you may have noticed from the top photo that I put the whipped cream between the strawberries and the cake.)

Recipe: Angel Food Cake

12 egg white -- at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups sugar -- divided
1 cup cake flour -- sifted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat egg whites and salt in a large glass or metal bowl until foamy. Add cream of tartar, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add 3/4 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.

Sift flour and remaining 3/4 cup sugar together 3 times. Sift flour mixture over egg white mixture, one-fourth at a time. Fold well after each addition.

Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.

Invert pan over a bottle and let cake cool completely in pan. Run knife around edge to loosen cake before removing from pan.

The Eye Of The Pirate

We call this breakfast item a Pirate's Eye. I know it goes by a lot of different names, but this is what Kurt's mom called it and since I had never seen such a thing before the movie "Moonstruck" we stayed with Pirate's Eye. I use lots of different cookie cutters to make the hole in the bread, but this flower shape is my favorite! *** Very Important! While making these we sing The Eye of the Pirate (you know that song from the movie Rocky, They call it Eye of the Tiger, but Eye of the Pirate is more fun.)

Wende threw down a tag requesting what people eat for breakfast and what that says about them. Here is my list :

Eggs

• Pirate's Eye (see photo above)
• Hard Boiled with toast or muffins or yogurt
• Scrambled with toast or muffins
• Egg Muffin Sandwich (poached in an English muffin with Canadian bacon and cheese.)
• Breakfast Burrito
• Brunch Eggs (on Christmas morning or other special times, not everyday)

Pancakes

• with syrup
• with Blueberry Sauce (see recipe on this blog)
• with butter and Cinnamon sugar
• German Pancakes
• Danish Hotcakes (like a crepe but filled with a sprinkling of sugar)
  

Waffles

• with syrup
• with butter and cinnamon sugar
• for the Men in the family polluted with chocolate chips and spread with peanut butter then drowned in syrup. (I am a purist, I stick with the first two options)

Muffins (from scratch, no mixes please) & other good things

• Blueberry
• Banana
• French Breakfast Muffins
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Orange Rolls

Yogurt & Fruit parfait (with or without granola)

Cereal

• Oatmeal (I roll my own)
• Cream of Wheat
• Cold cereal (usually not more than once a week, and only if we are really rushed)

Hot Chocolate & Toast

Fruit (with everything)

• Baked Grapefruit
• regular grapefruit
• grape juice (home canned)
• smoothies of all kinds
• bananas
• oranges
• berries or other fruit with yogurt (see Yogurt & Fruit Parfait)
• Orange Julius

Pig (usually only on the weekends)

• bacon
• sausage
• Canadian bacon (on Egg Muffin Sandwiches any day of the week)
• ham (rarely)

We really do eat all of these things 7 days a week. As to what this says about me, well it says that I have no tolerance for boredom. I need variety in my life. I grew up on cold cereal 90% of the time and now I hate the stuff.

When I was a new mother I was with a group of more mature mothers and I heard one talk about how her kids think cold cereal is a treat because she makes a cooked breakfast every day and how it really does not take that much time. I started making cooked breakfast the next morning and have never looked back.

I also find that on the rare mornings that we have cold cereal, I am famished by 9:30 or 10:00 a.m. I can usually get a snack this time of day, but I know my kids can't get anything at school (okay, the teenagers can get a candybar), so I like to send them out the door tanked up for the morning. My teenagers are also much nicer to be around if they have had a real meal for breakfast.

In addition to the above, I really like breakfast food and it is the fastest and easiest meal to make.

Whole Wheat Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

One of our Favorite Saturday Morning Breakfasts especially good served with sausage.



The blueberry sauce is a much healthier alternative to maple syrup, since it actually has less sugar and you get a serving of fruit, plus it is to die for delicious.



The ingredients: Blueberries (fresh or frozen, I freeze my own when they are in season) Sugar & Cinnamon



This recipe makes enough to feed 2 people, therefore I triple it to feel 5 (the boys don't like fruit very much) It works best to put the blueberries in the pan over medium heat until they are mostly thawed before adding the sugar and cinnamon. If you put in the sugar while the berries are still frozen you can get funny hard chunks of crystallized sugar.




Add the sugar and cinnamon



Stir (Morgan is stirring for me today)



It is done when it starts to bubble.

Blueberry Sauce
1 cup fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, thawed
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Combine in saucepan and heat through

When we got home from India, I asked the kids how Grammy did feeding them. They said it was good over all, but horror of horrors they ate pancakes and waffles made from a mix!!! Shocking isn't it.
In all fairness my mom tried really hard to feed the kids in the manner that they have become accustomed, but she does not enjoy cooking. I had told the kids to be prepared to eat cereal most mornings because that is what I had for breakfast most days as a kid. I think they were really lucky that they got things like pancakes and waffles,. When we got to Bear Lake we use a mix too, so it was not really new to them. However, it is just as easy to make pancakes from scratch as it is to make them from a mix. Here is how we make our pancakes........



Ingredients: Fresh-Ground Whole Wheat Flour (regular all-purpose flour works great too, but I really don't like the store-bought whole wheat flour), Baking Powder, Salt, Eggs, Milk, Vegetable Oil (we use olive oil or canola.)



This is my wheat grinder at work. (I don't recommend this brand, I used to have one I liked much better until it died. Now I wish this one would die so I could get another one like I had before.)



Whisk the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.



Add the wet ingredients.



Stir until combined. It begins to bubble immediately (that is the baking powder, did you know that double acting baking powder means that it bubbles once when combined with liquid and then a second time when heated.)



Preheat a large frying pan or griddle to medium high heat (you can test by sprinkling a few drops of water on the surface, if the jump and sizzle it is hot enough.) I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to ladle the batter into the pan. Flip the pancakes when bubbles have formed on the surface and the edges start to look a bit dry (not too dry, just beginning to dry.)



Cook about another minute, peek to see that the underside is browned. Then serve.



My girlies LOVE this breakfast. I have to remind them to save a little sauce for the cook or I won't get any. Like the Blueberry Sauce, our pancake recipe is easily adjusted to feed any size family.

I got this recipe from my friend Tanya (who I have not talked to in way too long)

Pancakes & Waffles by Proportion
3 cups whole wheat flour (fresh) white works fine too
6 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 - 3 cups milk -- (to 3)
3 whole eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil (We use 1/3 cup for waffles to prevent sticking)
1 teaspoon salt
this recipe is somewhat proportional.
for each cup flour use:
2 teaspoons baking powder
approximately 1 cup milk (usually a little bit less)
about 1 tablespoon oil (more or less)
1/4 teaspoon salt (never more than 1 teaspoon even if larger batch)

test 2

Can I see the photo and read the text at the same time????

The Plan - a brief (I hope) introduction

Reasons for starting this new blog:

1. I have been blogging about food quite a lot lately (mostly in response to the India trip.)
2. I am beginning a new project this summer to create a new set of menus for Summer dinners
3. I am working on teaching my children to cook
4. My friends and family frequently ask for recipes which I try to remember to email, but now it will be so much easier to just say, it's on my cooking blog.
5. I have always loved cookbooks with step-by-step photos (I am a visual person, can you tell?)
6. Since I only inherited about 4 family recipes, this will be a way of creating a record of new family recipes for my children (I don't really do traditional journaling, so this counts right?)
7. I love really good food, not average fill the void kind of food, but food that is an experience.

Below are photos of some of the Step-by-Step Recipes soon to come:

Citrus Vinegar Fruit Dip - This really needs a new name, but it is wonderful.

Homemade Jam, no pectin required - Strawberry, Raspberry, Apricot & Blueberry.

Melissa's Dinner Rolls - So easy and good, we make them every Sunday

Banana Bread - Always one of my favorites. I will also be doing Banana Muffins, which we have for breakfast about once a week.

And so much more, these were just some photos I had already. I always prefer blog posts with photos.

Hopefully someday (by the time my children start getting married) I will have this blog printed up for them. In the meantime, I will post a link on my regular blog when I put up a new recipe here.