Minestrone Di Zio Giuseppe (Uncle Joe’s Minestrone)

I love soup, but I don't make it very often.  Valerie asked me this winter to make more soups, and I immediately thought of this minestrone recipe.  Uncle Joe's Minestrone.  Is he my Uncle Joe?  No.  But, he has concocted a delicious minestrone, nonetheless.

The recipe comes from the book The Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Lo Pinto.  I was not able to locate the book within the family, but I did find it on amazon.com, so I ordered it.  It is no longer in print, so I purchased a used copy.  It's fragile, but it's in pretty good shape.

Back to the minestrone, it is very simple to prepare, and it is one of the better soups I have ever made.  I didn't have fresh peas, so I used frozen and the results were fine.  I also used one quart of chicken stock and two quarts of water, to add some extra flavor.  Otherwise, I followed the recipe how it is written.

I was a bit skeptical about both noodles and potatoes in the soup, but it really works.  It is very rich, warming and comforting.  Perfect for a cool evening at home, served with some crusty bread.

This recipe makes a lot minestrone.  I would recommend making as much as you are planning to eat in one sitting because the noodles end up pretty mushy and bloated after being in the broth for a while.  The flavor is still good, but it is definitely best served at soon as the noodles are al dente.

Minestrone Di Zio Giuseppe (Uncle Joe's Minestrone)
Printable Recipe
Serves 6 to 8

1 pound fresh peas
1 cup diced celery
2 diced carrots
1 large onion, sliced
1 cup canned tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 pound vermicelli
3 quarts water
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
3 diced potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Clean all vegetables. In saucepan, saute onions and potatoes in hot olive oil about 10 minutes or until medium brown. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper; cover; cook slowly about 15 minutes.

In separate pot, bring 3 quarts water to boiling. Add celery, peas, and carrots; cover; cook about 15 minutes or until tender. Add all sauteed vegetables and cook about 10 minutes; add vermicelli and cook 10 more minutes.

Serve very hot with grated Romano cheese.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

My great-grandmother made this cake all the time when I was a kid, and I absolutely loved it.  It is one of the first recipes I tried to when I was first learning how to bake.  It's not an easy one to start out with, though.  I remember countless times flipping the cake only to find that some of the cake stuck to the pan, or the brown sugar/butter mixture didn't absorb into the cake and ran all over the counter top.  I still ate it, and I'm sure I gained a few pounds in the process.

Thinking back in it now, I'm not sure my great-grandmother turned the whole cake upside-down before serving it.  I remember the cake staying in the pan, with her flipping the individual pieces over as they were served.  I was always anxious to see how much pineapple I got, or if I was lucky to get a cherry. 

I forgot about this recipe for a long time, given my constant failings.  I had even moved on to another recipe where I bake the cake in a cast iron skillet.  It surfaced again when I was scanning my recipe card collection, buried in a little binder that held my old hand-written 3.5 x 5 handwritten recipe cards.  The very first recipes I ever tried are in that binder, most transcribed from cooking shows I watched on HGTV, before we even had Food Network on cable. 

More confident in my baking skills, I decided to give this recipe another try.  I don't have a 9 x 15 baking dish, so I used a 9 x 13 and it turned out just fine.  In fact, I think my great-grandmother used a 9 x 13, too.  I also omitted the nuts, because I don't remember hers ever having nuts, either.  The cake turned out great and my grandma said it tastes just like her mom's.  Music to my ears! 

The cake is so fluffy and moist.  The brown sugar and butter give the cake a nice richness and the pineapple sweet and tart.  And I can't think of a better occasion to use a Maraschino cherry.

I am glad to have finally conquered this version of pineapple upside down cake.  However, I must say that I do prefer the cake to be baked in a cast iron skillet, but that's another post.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Printable recipe 

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 can sliced pineapple

Maraschino cherries

Walnuts or pecans

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar

5 tablespoons pineapple juice

Melt butter.  Pour into 9 x 15 baking dish.  Spread brown sugar evenly and arrange slices on sugar, put a cherry in each center and nuts in the other spaces.  Beat egg yolks until light, add sugar slowly.  Add flour and juice alternately.  Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into first mixture.  Pour batter over pineapple.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Turn upside down on flat serving tray while still warm.  Serve with whipped cream.

Cheesecake Cookies

Gastronomically speaking, there are few things I enjoy more than cheesecake.  I was skeptical when I saw this recipe because, in my experience, when something is labeled as cheesecake when it really isn't cheesecake, it usually leaves a lot to be desired. 

I am happy to report these little morsels of goodness are the exception to the rule.  They really do taste like little bite size pieces of cheesecake.  Kind of like those little individually wrapped cheesecake squares one would find at the discount wholesale clubs, only better.

They are easy to make, too.  If there is one thing I have learned looking through these family recipes, it's that we are big fans of cookie squares.  Why bother dishing out individual portions when you can make them all at once in one pan and just cut them up when they're done?  Simplicity is key.

These cookies are a real timesaver when you have that cheesecake craving but don't have the time to make a traditional cheesecake.  Although there is nothing like a real piece of cheesecake, these little cookies come pretty darn close.

Cheesecake Cookies
Printable Recipe

1 /3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup flour
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix brown sugar, nuts and flour together. Stir in melted butter and mix until light and crumbly. Save 3/4 cup to be used as topping. Place remainder in 8 inch square pan and press firmly. Bake at 350 degrees about 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in egg, lemon juice, milk and vanilla. Pour this mixture over baked crust. Top with reserved crumbs. Return to 350 degree oven and bake for 25 minutes. Cool thoroughly, then cut into 2 inch squares.

Nonna's Pizza & Sauce

My previous post on Nonna's pizza featured only the recipe for the crust with assembly and baking directions.  When I found this recipe card for the pizza and sauce, I knew I had to do another post.  Besides, I'll use any excuse to make Nonna's pizza again.

The one ingredient that stands out in the sauce recipe and really sets it apart is clove.  A "hint o' clove" is key, because a little goes a long way.  However, you want to add enough so that you can taste it.  My mom and I have made Nonna's pizza for a few family gatherings, and it has always been successful.  The second time we made it though, Uncle Steve told me we perfected it because it had just the right amount of clove.  A very nice compliment, indeed.

I also remember the diced onion in the sauce that Nonna used to make.  I remember thinking as a kid, "wait a minute, I don't like onions," but I ate it anyway.  I don't remember the mushrooms, though, so I may just not have noticed them.

This is the most complete recipe for Nonna's pizza I have found.  Just reading it brings back a lot of wonderful memories. 

 

Nonna's Pizza & Sauce

Printable Recipe

Dough:
1 3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons yeast
1 tablespoon oil
4 cups flour (white and whole wheat combo)

Stir, knead, cover, and let rise

Sauce:
1 big Hunts (29 oz.)
2 puree or 1 paste (depending on how long you cook it) or any combo using sauce or base.
Add:
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons Italian seasonings or
2-3 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon sage
Hint o' clove
Add 8 oz mushrooms and sauteed onions (about 3 medium)

Pat down dough, turn out and knead. (Cut in half for two pans.)  Oil pan (the more oil the crispier the bottom crust). Roll out dough (keep lifting and turning). Pat into shape in pie pan.
Put on sliced mozzarella cheese, filling whole surface.
Put sauce on generously, top with Romano or Parmesan.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie!!

Nothing like waiting until after the holidays to post a pumpkin pie recipe!  Oh well.  Though, pumpkin pie is so good, why not have it year round?

This pumpkin pie recipe is basically the standard Libby's recipe found on canned pumpkin everywhere.  I did deviate from it a little by using a fresh pumpkin puree made from roasted pumpkin flesh.  Mmmm...Pumpkin flesh.

I was a little concerned using my own pumpkin because it was not as thick as the canned variety, but I did it anyway.  I measured the pumpkin by weight (15 oz.) rather than volume, if that makes any difference.  

A quick aside:  If you don't have a digital kitchen scale, get one, and measure by weight over volume as much as possible.  I would go into it more, but that's best left for another post.  Maybe on latent chestnut.  Does that still exist?  Oh yeah, maybe something will pop up there soon.

Back to the pie.  It turned out great!  Smooth, creamy, sweet, pumpkinny goodness.  It had just the right amount of spiciness, and perfect with a dollop of whipped cream.  Libby got it right.  I won't get into the nuances of flavor because I'm sure we all know what pumpkin pie tastes like.  But homemade is almost always better, and using fresh pumpkin only elevated the flavors. 

As I was looking through Nonna's recipe cards for pumpkin pie, I found an old Libby's recipe card.  The recipe is the same as the one used today except for the amount of one ingredient; sugar.  The old recipe calls for 1/4 cup of sugar, compared to 3/4 cups today.  Three times the amount of sugar is quite an increase.  It is also interesting that one of the serving suggestions on the card is for wedges of sharp cheddar cheese.

I was unable to find any information on when the recipe made the switch from 1/4 to 3/4 cups of sugar.  Maybe pumpkin pie was more of a savory delight back then.  As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing wrong with the recipe the way it is written now.

Pumpkin Pie!!
Printable Recipe

2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 3/4 cup Libby's pumpkin (15 oz. can)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 2/3 cup evaporated milk (12 oz can)
9 inch unbaked pastry shell

Mix ingredients in order given. Pour into pastry shell. Bake in hot oven (425) 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to moderate (350) and bake 45 minutes more. Or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Double for 2 pies.

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Known more as a Christmas staple, we actually made these cookies for the first time around Halloween.  Valerie received a big box of cookie cutters for her birthday, and we were inspired to make cookies in the shapes of ghosts and goblins.

The recipe comes together much like a standard cookie recipe.  I can't stress chilling the dough enough, as it is quite sticky prior to putting it in the refrigerator.  I worked in batches, rolling out a portion of the dough while leaving the rest to keep on chilling.  The dough warms up and becomes sticky again the more it is worked, so swiftness is key.

The end result is worth it though; these cookies are delightful.  Light, chewy, sweet, with a slight crunch around the edges, they really are a treat.  The sour cream gives the cookies a subtle tang while the nutmeg flavor is a welcome surprise.

They live up to their moniker of 'old-fashioned', too.  Emilie took some cookies to her pre-school and her teacher said they reminded her of the cookies her grandmother made.  Valerie's mom, Julie, also said they were like the cookies her mom made when she was a child.

We sprinkled some with sugar, and put icing on others, and they were delicious either way.  So break out the cookie cutters, and whip up a batch before Christmas!

 Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies
(Makes About 5 Dozen Cookies)
Printable Recipe

4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Sift flour, measure; resift with salt, soda, baking powder and nutmeg.
Cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream, mix until smooth after each addition.
Blend in vanilla.
Wrap in wax paper until firm enough to roll.
Roll on floured board to about 1/4 inch thick, cut with large cookie cutter; place on ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar; bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes, or until brown. Take from baking sheets promptly.

Old-Fashioned Sugar Squares

I had some trouble with this recipe.  Not that it was difficult, it was that the end result didn't taste the way I thought it should.  The first time I made it, the squares were bland and unsatisfying.  They weren't really very sweet, either.  They probably would have worked well as a vehicle for something else, like a shortcake with strawberries and cream.  I looked at the ingredients and knew the potential was there for a tasty treat.  The buttermilk should add a little tang, the ginger should add a little kick, so I tried again.

The second time I made this, the squares didn't fare much better.  I sprinkled coarse sugar on top instead of granulated, thinking the change in texture would be a nice touch, along with some extra sweetness.  These bars were a little better, but I was still left wanting more.

I then noticed on one of the handwritten cards, there was the addition of vanilla extract, with almond extract also listed as optional.  Maybe I wasn't the only one who thought the original recipe needed a bit more in the flavor department. 

To my next batch I added just the vanilla extract, plus the addition of salt since I was using unsalted butter.  The results were wonderful.  The squares had much more flavor and were just was I was hoping for all along.  They were soft on the inside, while the sugar topping added a nice little crunch.  Plus, I usually have all these ingredients on hand, so these are a nice simple treat to whip up in a hurry.

Old-Fashioned Sugar Squares

Printable Recipe

1 cup soft butter or margarine

1 1/4 cups sugar, separated

2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon powdered ginger

2 tablespoons buttermilk

Cream butter with one cup sugar. Add eggs and beat until light. Add sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk and mix well. Spread in greased 15 x 10 x 1-inch pan, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Bake in hot oven, 400 degrees about 20 minutes. Cool and cut into 24 squares.

Loam Cake

 

Aunt Sue sent out an email last week asking if anyone had the Loam Cake recipe.  Although I have never made it, I knew I had the recipe simply because of the name.  I rushed over to the laptop, uploaded a picture of the recipe card and sent it off.  I also asked her if there were any Loam Cake stories she would share.

 

Before I got a response from Aunt Sue, I saw that Theresa uploaded a picture of the Loam Cake to facebook.  The picture was so good I asked her if I could use it in this post, and she happily obliged.   

 

Later, I got a response from her.  The Loam Cake was a hit! Seconds all around!  They served it plain, or with a dollop of fresh Whipped Cream - maple syrup flavored.  She and Aunt Joan made this cake in the 1970s in Nonna's kitchen.  The origin of the recipe is unknown.  Loam Cake may have been a late 70s tear-off recipe carried at The Sunspot published by Natural Recipes of Boston (later known as Natural Messages) - calling for Whole Wheat Flour might be a big clue there. Aunt Sue and Uncle Lee also searched the internet and came up empty handed.

 

This post is a true family effort, just what I wanted this blog to be!

 

 

A couple of cooks notes:

Aunt Sue did not have an 8" baking pan, so they used a 9" baking pan - 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Also, she does not recall ever making the Maple Frosting recipe mentioned on the card, for the Loam Cake or otherwise.

 

Loam Cake
Printable recipe

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cold water or applesauce

Mix dry ingredients together or sift directly into an ungreased 8" cake pan. Make three holes in mixture. Pour oil in one hole, vinegar in another and vanilla in third. Pour cold water or applesauce over all. Stir with a fork until evenly blended. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Serve as is or with maple frosting.

Sour Cream Cookies

I'm always excited to find a new cookie recipe, especially on as simple as this.  With ingredients that I normally have in my refrigerator and pantry, these cookies are easy to whip up in a pinch, and they taste good, too!

These cookies are like little pillows.  Delicately light, fluffy, and a little tangy, they have a uniqueness all there own.  The nutmeg adds a nice warmth, too, making it hard to eat just one. 

Sour Cream Cookies

Printable recipe

1/3 cup soft butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or mace

Blend butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla thoroughly. Stir in flour, soda and spice. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a well greased sheet. Flatten balls by pressing with a wet knife. Bake on top shelf at 400 degrees for 8 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookies

I have tried a number of different peanut butter cookie recipes over the years, never finding one that I would happily make again and again.  The cookies would always turn out too dry or too crumbly, too dense or too crunchy.  I wanted a soft, moist, and chewy cookie where the peanut butter was the star of the show. 

Based on my past experiences with peanut butter cookies, it was with a little hesitation that I tried this family recipe.  The recipe card looked well-loved, so I figured it got a lot of use.  Still, I was not optimistic as I creamed the butter and sugar.  I was feeling a little better when I tried the raw dough, but I knew the proof would be in the finished product.

Still warm from the oven, I took my first bite.  This is the cookie I was looking for!  Or, maybe, rediscovered?  This being a family recipe, maybe I had this cookie as a child and not remembered it, so I always had a preconceived notion of what a peanut butter cookie should be.  Soft, moist, chewy, peanut-buttery and not too sweet.  The perfect little bite, and I will happily make this cookie again and again.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter or shortening

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

Cream butter and sugar together. Add beaten egg, mix well, then add peanut butter, vanilla and sesame seeds. Add flour and baking soda, blending well.

Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press them flat with a fork making a cross-hatch pattern. Bake at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes.

Nonna's Apple Pie

Practice makes perfect.  Although I may never make apple pie as good as Nonna did, I'm heading in the right direction.  I documented my trials with this pie on latent chestnut, and I think I have finally made it as well as I possible can.

In the latent chestnut post, I mentioned how a secret to success was using minute tapioca instead on small pearl.  I also found another recipe card that called for 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon instead of 2 tablespoons.  A huge difference.

Reducing the cinnamon turned out to be the final piece of the puzzle that is Nonna's apple pie recipe.  She didn't make it easy, but I can finally make the pie that takes me back to my childhood.

Apple Pie

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

5 or 6 medium sour apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2/3 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons minute tapioca
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

Directions
Mix all ingredients. Put in unbaked crust-lined pie tin. Dot with butter. Cover with pastry. Make fork holes in pastry. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 degrees for 30 minutes more.

Pie Crusts
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks butter

2 cups pastry flour

4 tablespoons cold water (1/4 cup)

Use pastry cutter until flour is crumbly (like corn meal). Add water. Stir well with fork; then with hands; form into two balls, one slightly larger for the top crust. Roll each ball on floured board to fit pie tin. Trim off excess crust with knife.

Carrot Cake

This recipe first appeared on latent chestnut on September 2, 2010. 

Taken from latent chestnut:

My old stand-by.  I have been making carrot cake since I was in my early teens and it has always been a hit.  I first started making it for family gatherings, and I remember a conversation I had with my Aunt Joan about how I shredded the carrots.  Not that shredding carrots is some big mystery, but she noted how they were so fine, and weren't really noticeable at all.  Ever since then, I make a point to always shred my carrots by hand on the medium grating blades of my box grater.  Over the years, my recipe hasn't changed much.  I have tweaked my cream cheese frosting recipe a bit, added more cinnamon; and I like to pack in as many shredded carrots as possible to get three cups, since they are the star of the show.

Carrot Cake
Printable Recipe

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups finely shredded carrots (firmly packed)
1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
1 batch cream cheese frosting (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a 13x9 baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a small mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and oil, then add the shredded carrots and combine.  Next, add the carrot, oil and egg mixture to the dry mix until it just comes together; making sure not to over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. package Cream Cheese, softened
4 oz. butter, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

With an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter until thoroughly combined and light and fluffy. With the mixer on low speed, add the salt and gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Add the vanilla and the gradually add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.  Once the powdered sugar is combined increase the mixer to high and mix until the frosting reaches spreading consistency.

Moo-Less Chocolate Pie

Little did I know, my favorite chocolate pie I have been making for years is eerily similar to Aunt Sue's Incredibly Creamy Chocolate Pie I ate as a kid.  Although I remember her using carob in the filling, and I have only used chocolate to make this pie.  Still, resemblances remain, and I can't get enough of this pie.

This recipe first appeared on the "Tofuworld" episode of Good Eats back in 2001, and it's safe to say I have been making it ever since.  The semi-sweet chocolate chips allow the pie to be rich, while not too sweet, and the coffee liqueur adds a wonderful kick and depth of flavor.  Plus, the simplicity of the recipe makes it that much more appealing.

My one issue with this recipe is that it calls for 13 ounces of chocolate chips.  Seriously?  A standard bag of chocolate chips has 12 ounces.  I'm not going to buy another bag of chocolate chips just for one ounce.  So, I usually just use 12 ounces unless I have extra on hand, and I don't notice a difference.  I know that may sound trivial, but it has been bothering me for 10 years!

I'm glad I didn't let the 13 ounce anomaly stop me.  This pie is delicious as is, or with a little dollop of whipped cream; although, then it wouldn't be 'moo-less'.  Then again, what's wrong with a little 'moo' every once in a while?


Moo-Less Chocolate Pie
Printable recipe

Ingredients
13 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup coffee liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound silken tofu, drained
1 tablespoon honey

1 (9-inch) prepared chocolate wafer crust, recipe follows

Directions
Pour 1 inch of water into a saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Melt the chocolate chips with the liqueur and vanilla in a medium metal bowl set over the simmering water, stirring often. Combine the chocolate mixture, tofu and honey in a blender and mix until smooth. Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate overnight.

Chocolate Wafer Crust:
6 1/2 ounces chocolate wafer cookies
1 tablespoon sugar
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine cookies and sugar in a food processor and process until fine crumbs appear. Add the butter, pulsing to combine. Firmly press this mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides a 9-inch metal pie pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely before filling.

Incredibly Creamy Chocolate (or Carob!) Pie

After making a Creamy Carob Pie, and finding out that it was not the pie I remembered from my childhood, I went straight to the source.  I emailed Aunt Sue and asked her if she still had the recipe.  She quickly responded with not only the recipe, but also a scan of the card she uses.  Thank you, Aunt Sue!

My memories of this pie are of a graham cracker crust with a carob filling instead of chocolate, so that's what I made.  The pie couldn't be simpler.  With only three ingredients (not including the pie crust), it comes together in an instant.  The hardest part is waiting overnight to eat it.

This is a pie for carob lovers.  Mildly sweet, smooth and creamy, the carob is obviously the star of the show.  Even though carob can be used as a substitute for chocolate, it really has a flavor all it's own; with an almost coffee-like quality to it.  In my opinion, the authors of this recipe should have embraced the carob and called it 'Incredibly Creamy Carob Pie!'

Incredibly Creamy Chocolate (or Carob!) Pie

Printable Recipe 

Filling

12 oz chocolate or carob chips

21 oz silken tofu (firm)

3 tablespoons light honey

9 inch graham cracker or cookie crust pie shell

Heat chips in a double boiler or pan sitting in water until smooth.  Add honey.  In a blender or food processor, blend tofu until smooth.  Add the carob/honey mixture and whip until creamy.  Pour filling into pie crust.  Chill over night.  Slice and serve.

Creamy Carob Pie

 

When I was a child, I remember my Aunt Sue making a carob pie.  I was always excited to open the refrigerator door to see the silky smooth pie sitting on the shelf.  When I found this recipe for Creamy Carob Pie, I thought that I found her recipe, and I was excited to try it.  As it turns out, this isn't the recipe she used, I could tell after the first bite.  Still, it was a fun exploration into carob tofu goodness.

Unfortunately, this recipe is not complete.  The instructions for the crust never made it to the back of the card, unless the crust consists of just two cups of crushed graham crackers.  Upon making the pie, I opted not to use the shredded coconut, carob chips, or chopped nuts, because I don't remember Aunt Sue's having those toppings.  Two teaspoons of ground cinnamon seemed like a bit much to me, too, so I used a little less.

One thing I should have done differently, even though the recipe told me otherwise, was to bake the pie crust before filling.  This resulted is a soggy crust from the get go, which only got worse as the pie sat in the refrigerator.  I also used silken tofu as my tofu of choice, since the recipe did not specify.  Overall, though, the pie was simple to assemble, and was ready in no time.

The flavor of the pie was very good, and there wasn't too much cinnamon, as I had feared.  The cinnamon gave the pie a nice subtle spice and the carob flavor was in the forefront, as would be suspected.  There was a fine grittiness in the pie, though.  I don't know if it was a result of the carob powder or the amount of cinnamon; and it took away from the sumptuous smoothness that the tofu brought to the party.  I found myself wondering if the coconut, carob chips, and nuts that I omitted would have hidden the grit by adding other textures to the pie.

Even if this recipe wasn't a complete success, I did end up with Aunt Sue's recipe for her carob pie.  Until next time, my friends!

Creamy Carob Pie

Printable Recipe

1 1/2 pounds tofu

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup sifted carob powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Shredded coconut (optional)

Carob chips

Chopped nuts

Blend ingredients until very smooth.  Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake at 425 degrees about 15 minutes.  Remove, sprinkle top with carob chips, nuts and coconut. 

Drew's Onion Dill Bread

 

There were three different handwritten recipes for this bread, and only one of them had the directions. It made me wonder if this bread was made so much that only the ingredients needed to be listed. I'm not sure, but after tasting this bread, I wouldn't be surprised if it was made all the time.

The name of the recipe was also a curiosity. Who is Drew? Why does he have his name associated with an onion dill bread? A quick Internet search for 'Drew's onion dill bread' yielded results for 'Drew's Famous Onion Dill Bread'. Maybe this recipe was written before the bread became famous.

As for who Drew is, one of the recipes I found listed the author of the recipe as Drew Alan Kaplan. Drew Alan Kaplan was the owner of DAK Industries. DAK Industries was founded in 1966 and became a mail-order electronics firm in the 1980's. DAK Industries brought a number of electronic gadgets to the attentionof the US market, including an early ... (wait for it) ... bread machine!  My best guess is that this was one of the recipes that was recommended for use in the bread machine.

I don't have a bread machine, and the recipe instructions don't allude to using a bread machine for baking. Perhaps that is why there are two recipe cards without instructions. It was a fun little investigation, though, and I am glad I have some of my questions answered.

As for making the bread, the one ingredient that interested me the most was cottage cheese. I have not used cottage cheese in baking, let alone in bread, but it was not noticeable at all in the finished product. There were no little white curds sprinkled throughout the interior, which was a good thing.

The bread was a bit time consuming to make with the sauteed onions, but it was well worth it.  The bread was incredibly light and soft.  The onion and the dill seed added a nice spice to counter the delicate sweetness of the honey.  The bread was delicious warm from the oven, and I also liked it lightly toasted with a little butter.  It definitely earned the moniker of 'famous'.

Drew's Onion Dill Bread

Printable Recipe 

In large bowl

1/2 cup warm water

2 packages (2 1/2 tablespoons) yeast

4/12 cup flour

In medium bowl

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons minced onion, sauteed and cooled

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons dill seed

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash of onion salt (optional)

Start yeast action with a little honey.  Add contents of medium bowl to water and yeast before adding flour.  Knead 5 minutes.  Let rise 30 minutes in covered bowl.  Punch down.  Put on lightly floured board.  Divide in half.  Roll out on lightly floured board and shape into 2 loaves.  Put in pans, cover and let rise (about 30 minutes).  Brush tops with melted butter. 

Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees and 5 more minutes at 325 degrees.  Turn out on wire rack and cool.

Alton Brown's Fudge Cake

 

This is the best chocolate cake I have ever made, and it is my 'go to' chocolate cake recipe.  It comes from Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for More Food, and I think it is one of the first recipes I tried from the book.  I don't even need to look up the page number for the recipe anymore because the book is so worn in that section, I can find it just by shuffling through the pages.

 

Alton Brown says that the cake is so good that it doesn't even need frosting.  While that may be true, the frosting almost steals the show.  He also compares the cake to Hostess Cupcakes.  Yeah, only 1000 times better (I did the math). 

 

The steps to make this cake and frosting (pulverizing chocolate, mixing the frosting over a bowl of ice) are a bit unconventional, but the end result is well worth it.  The cake is, for lack of a better word, meaty, but but not too dense or rich.  The chocolate flavor really shines and there are bits of chocolate speckled throughout that didn't get pulverized as much.  It is not too sweet, and leaves you begging for more.

 

The frosting is light, airy, and full of flavor.  I like to add a pinch of fine sea salt to the mix because I think it really compliments the chocolate.  The frosting is almost the consistency of dense whipped cream only with an intense chocolate flavor, and just melts in your mouth.  I'm not usually a fan of frosting, but this one is just as good as the cake.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go bake a cake...

 

Alton Brown's Fudge Cake
Printable recipe

3 oz unsweetened chocolate
10.75 oz (2 1/4 cups) plain flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 oz (1 stick) butter
13.5 oz (2 1/4 cups) brown sugar
8 oz (1 cup) full fat sour cream
8 oz (1 cup) boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 13 x 9 cake pan.

Pulverize chocolate in a food processor until fine, then add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and pulse to combine.  Combine the eggs and vanilla and lightly beat to combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar.  Then add the egg and vanilla mixture.  Alternate adding three doses of the chocolate flour mixture and two doses of the sour cream.  Slowly add the boiling water and mix to combine, the batter will be loose.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, then 15 minutes at 300 degrees. Internal temperature should reach 175-180F. Cool for 15 minutes, then remove to rack and allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting
6.5 oz (1 cup) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
4 oz (1/2 cup) whipping cream
8 oz (2 sticks) butter
10 oz (2 1/2 cups) powdered sugar
Bowl of ice

Melt butter, chocolate and cream in a saucepan (preferably with curved edges) over medium heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and beat in the powdered sugar with a hand mixer.  Once the sugar is dissolved, place the pan into a bowl of ice.  Continue to beat until the frosting lightens and holds its shape.

Cherry Pie

 

Sometimes the simplest recipes are also the tastiest.  With only four ingredients, this cherry pie filling is sensational.  Cherries have been on sale recently, and they looked so good, I couldn't pass them up.  With a bag full of cherries at my disposal, I immediately went to this recipe.

The most tedious part was removing the pits from all the cherries.  But once that was done, the rest of it was easy as pie.  Literally!  I changed a couple things on the card by making my own pie crust and I used tapioca flour as the thickening agent.  I also went with a lattice top crust because I am a sucker for that presentation.

The pie was absolutely delicious.  The limited ingredients really allowed for the cherries to shine.  They were tart, perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the sugar.  It was like canned cherry pie filling only 100 times better (I did the math).  This is what pie is supposed to be. 

Cherry Pie
Printable Recipe

Pie Crust Mix
2 1/2 cups sour, pitted cherries (fresh or canned)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour (or tapioca)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix cherries with sugar, flour and salt. If using canned cherries, drain the juice and decrease sugar to 1/3 cup. Pour over unbaked pastry, top with another pastry, bake in hot oven (425) until crust is browned and filling cooked. (About 35 minutes). Be sure to poke holes on top of pastry before baking.

Tart Lemon Squares

I knew this recipe had to be good before I even made it.  I have several recipe cards written in Nonna's handwriting in the same format.  Oven temperature in the upper left, pan size in the upper right, a dotted line separating the ingredient columns.  It was like she was just ready to pass out the cards when she made this decadent dessert because she knew people would be asking for the recipe.  It makes me wonder how many cards she wrote like this.

Angela has been making lemon squares for years, and they are one of my favorite sweet treats, but she does not use this recipe.  At every summer family get-together, I always ask her to make them.  My mom also told me that she used this recipe to make lemon squares for Tupperware parties she hosted (along with toffee squares) and they were always a hit.  I was a bit nervous to make them myself, but I really wanted to try my hand at this recipe.

I don't know if the person who first made lemon squares knew what they were doing, or if was just a happy accident, but it always felt like I was doing something wrong when I was making them.  First of all, the bottom crust is so crumbly before pressing it into the bottom of the pan, it doesn't seem like it should hold together at all.  Then, the lemon mixture is so thin, and pouring it onto an already baked crust, it didn't seem like it would set.  When I took the concoction out of the oven, the mixture had set, but the top was a white color that didn't look normal to me.  Wanting to see it through to the end, I sprinkled the top with confectioner's sugar and waited for it to cool.

Thankfully, my fears were unwarranted.  As I cut the squares and pulled out the first sample, it looked just like a lemon square should.  Even better, it tasted good, too!  The soft, tart, custardy topping with the tender buttery crust is a wonderful combination.  It makes it hard to eat just one, so I didn't.  No wonder Nonna had a supply of handwritten lemon square recipes at her disposal.  If she had brought these to a party I was at, I would be the first in line asking her for the recipe.



Tart Lemon Squares 

Printable Recipe

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour

3 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

Grated rind of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large or 2 small lemons)

Combine butter, confectioners' sugar, and one cup of the flour in food processor.  Process until blended.  Pat dough into even layer on bottom of 9-inch square baking pan.  Bake dough at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Meanwhile, combine eggs, granulated sugar, lemon rind, lemon juice and remaining three tablespoons of flour in food processor.  Process until well mixed.  Pour lemon mixture over hot crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes longer - until firm.  Cool on rack.  Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar while warm.  Cut in squares when cool. 

Easy Zucchini Pie

 

Zucchini abounds in the summer here in Indiana.  I just finished a piece of zucchini bread, as a matter of fact.  It seems every time I turn around, someone is offering me a zucchini (or 10) from their garden.  Even as the drought and heat wave push on, it seems the zucchini plants have weathered the blow.

So far on Family Tree-Eats, I have posted recipes for zucchini casserole and zucchini bread, and that is about the extent of my zucchini making prowess.  Though grilled zucchini is quite delicious, brushed with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.  When I saw this recipe for zucchini pie, I knew I had to try it once my zucchini cup began to runneth over.

I made this recipe even easier because I wanted the pie to be green.  I didn't peel the zucchini, nor did I take out the seeds because they were so small in the zucchini I had.  I also didn't boil the zucchini before blending with the other ingredients.  I pretty much ignored the first couple of lines on the recipe card, which didn't hurt the outcome of the pie one bit.

As far as the rest of assembly, it couldn't be easier.  Just blend, pour and bake.  Making the pie crust was the most difficult part.  I had to bake mine for about 35 minutes once I turned the oven down to 350 degrees, but that may have been because I didn't boil the zucchini before baking.

Besides the novelty of being green, this is one of the best pies I have made in a long time.   I sent some home with Julie and some with Angela and within a few hours I had a couple texts asking me for the recipe.  The pie is light, has a nice soft texture, and it delicately sweet.  It is reminiscent of sugar cream pie, but not nearly as rich.  A perfect summer pie.

Easy Zucchini Pie

Printable Recipe 

1 cup zucchini

1 cup sugar

1 cup Milnot milk

1 egg

1 1/2 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

Peel zucchini and cut into pieces removing seeds and boil until tender.  Put all above in blender and blend well.  Pour into unbaked pie shell.  Sprinkle top of unbaked pie with cinnamon.  Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until knife comes out clean.  Do not over bake.  Allow pie to cool completely before serving.