Cinnamon Almonds (radio)

A quick and simple recipe: I had these almonds in the oven and the clean-up done within fifteen minutes.

I do like them, though don't think they're worth raving about the way I have with some other gems I've found in the yellow box. There are sugared nut recipes I prefer over this one, but this sure was a super easy way to turn a bag of plain almonds into a tasty snack!

The recipe didn't say to stir the nuts while baking, but I got concerned and stirred them at the halfway point, just in case. Bad idea. They clumped up and took a couple of minutes to spread back out evenly in the pan, and it ended up being pointless, because the few nuts I didn't stir turned out just fine, and looked nicer with a smooth sugar coating (front/bottom of the photo).

I'm glad I had a nonstick mat to protect the baking sheet - I highly recommend using one, or at least a layer of parchment paper to prevent sticking.

I let them cool completely, then broke the nuts apart to store.
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Cinnamon Almonds
(Radio)

2/3 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves

1 egg white and 1 tbsp water beaten together
2 cups almonds

Dip (stir) nuts into egg white, then into sugar mix. Bake in oven 20 min at 350 degrees.

Chocolate Thins

 



What a delicious little chocolate cookie this is!

I had high ambitions for Christmas-cookie-baking this holiday season, but I didn't get very far. This was the only new recipe I ended up making... but it's a winner. As opposed to the Cocoa Drop Cookies that disappointed me two years ago, this rather dull-looking wafer delivers a lovely, rich taste of chocolate. I only wish I could make them look as pretty as they taste.

It was my first attempt at slice-and-bake cookies. I guess I've always been too impatient; when I want cookies, I want them NOW. This dough needs to chill for at least 12 hours! But it was worth it.

Rolling the dough into a log was easy enough, but when it came time to slice it, I found that the slices toward either end fell apart and I had to scrunch the dough back into a disk on the cookie sheet. The lesson learned was that the dough log needs to be well-compressed from end to end so it holds its shape when sliced. I made extremely thin slices using a sharp little Pampered Chef paring knife, and ended up with more than the predicted 48... probably closer to 60. The cookies really expanded and puffed up while baking, then settled into a delicate, crisp little wafer out of the oven.

I will definitely be making these again.
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Chocolate Thins

½ cup (1 stick) margarine [I use butter] softened
⅔ cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. brewed coffee
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1¼ cups flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Beat together butter and sugar until light; beat in egg. Stir in coffee and chocolate. Combine dry ingredients and stir to mix well, then add to the chocolate batter. Mix.

Turn dough onto a double layer of wax paper and roll into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate until ready to use -- at least 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut dough into 1/8-inch slices; place on cookie sheet [allow space for expansion]. Bake 7-8 minutes until cookie is crisp and dry but not too brown.

Makes 48 cookies.
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Cheese Ball (Alcott)

I wanted to prepare a cheese ball from the Yellow Tin Box for our Christmas party this year. There were several recipes, and this one sounded more interesting than most others.

I was tempted to substitute red for the green bell pepper since I am not a fan of green, but I resisted for the sake of authenticity on this first try. Besides, I figured it was only one little teaspoon, so the flavor couldn't be that overwhelming. I also diced all the veggies very, very, very small -- minced, really -- to avoid any chunky bites and to distribute the flavor as much as possible.

Because we weren't having a very big party, I decided to halve the recipe so we wouldn't have a lot of leftovers. It wasn't until after I had mixed everything together that I realized that I had halved the cheeses, but not the rest of the ingredients! D'oh! So what I ended up with was double flavoring and veggies in the cheese ball, but y'know what? I thought it tasted just fine, so I left it as it was, chilled it for a while, then formed the ball and rolled it in finely chopped pecans.

I prepared the mixture the morning of the party, so the flavors had several hours to marry, which made it even better. Unfortunately, in the flurry of trying to prepare everything else, I forgot to take a photo until about halfway through the party. Here's what I ended up with:

That little chunk on the lower right corner of the center plate is all that was left -- and it didn't last much longer.

Our party guests absolutely raved about the cheese ball. It was a definite favorite of the party spread. One friend immediately asked for the recipe, so I handed her the card from the box, and she took photos of the recipe with her phone. Everyone agreed that it was perfect with the double-strength ingredients, so if I make it again, I will do the same. I may even use green bell pepper again... maybe.
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Cheese Ball
by Alcott 12/24/71

2 8oz pkg cream cheese
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp onion, chopped fine
1 tsp green pepper, chopped fine
1 tsp pimiento, chopped fine
dash salt
dash cayenne pepper
finely chopped nuts

Cream the two cheeses. Blend in the other ingredients [except nuts] and chill. Make into ball and roll in chopped nuts.
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Lemon Squares

Funny: I was looking online for a lemon bar recipe, found one that claimed to be the "best ever," and it turned out to be almost identical to this one!

People have such different opinions when it comes to lemon-flavored treats, I don't think there can be one version of lemon bars that will please every palate. This one is more sweet than lemony, but you can definitely taste the lemon. I've made it a few times now, and started adding the zest of one lemon to give it an extra flavor boost.

For the bottom crust, the recipe I found online calls for the same ingredients, but says to blend it in a bowl using softened butter. It's simpler (requiring one less bowl) to melt the butter in the pan in the oven, but the first time I tried it, I left the pan in too long and scorched the butter a little. That could be a good thing, giving the crust the "nutty" taste of browned butter, if that appeals to you.

Two medium lemons produce approximately the 6 tablespoons of juice called for, but I've found that it doesn't have to be precisely that amount to turn out well. A bit more or less juice is fine. Plus, as I said, adding lemon zest gives it a nice kick, if you're looking for more lemon flavor. It isn't necessary, but I strained the pulp from the juice before stirring in the zest. I haven't tried bottled lemon juice, but I imagine it would suffice if that's all you have to work with.

Other than that, it's a good recipe that doesn't take much time to prepare. From the 9"x13" pan, I cut it into 12 squares.

I'd never made lemon bars before, but this recipe is going to be in my regular sweet-treat repertoire from now on!

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Lemon Squares

Crust
1 cup oleo [butter is best]
2 cups flour
½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
dash of salt

Filling
4 eggs
6 tbsp. [or ½ cup] lemon juice
[zest of 1 lemon]
2 cups sugar
4 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

Melt oleo [butter] in 9"x13" pan; mix flour, powdered sugar, and salt, and add to oleo. [Alternatively, using softened butter, beat ingredients in a bowl until blended.] Press down firmly in bottom of pan. Bake 20 min at 350° [until lightly browned].

Beat eggs and lemon juice - set aside. Sift sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. [Add lemon zest.] Mix with eggs. Pour on top of crust while hot. Bake 25 minutes at 350° [until lightly browned].

Sprinkle powdered sugar on top while warm.
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Chocolate Scotcheroos (Mrs. Hora)

On a snowy Sunday in December, my daughter and four other teenagers were at our house working on a school project, and the Mrs. Cleaver in me felt compelled to provide them a sweet afternoon snack. I didn't have much spare time, and didn't want to worry about waiting for something to bake in the oven, so I picked out this recipe, clipped from the now-defunct Tulsa Tribune. I was short just one of the ingredients -- the butterscotch chips -- but I was pretty sure the dessert would taste just fine without them.

The process is very similar to preparing Rice Krispie Treats -- perhaps even simpler and less messy -- but the end result is more dense and chewy. The peanut butter and chocolate go well together, of course, but I would add vanilla to the sugar mixture; the flavor seemed to lack a little something, and vanilla seems the obvious fix (as with brittle). If I make these again, I will also look for butterscotch chips (Walmart didn't carry them last time I checked); I'm sure they would enhance the overall flavor that much more.

Since there were only five kids to serve, I made a half-batch:

The recipe says to "chill until top is firm," but after an hour or so in the fridge, the block was extremely difficult to cut into squares; I think I strained some muscles in my back. Instead, I might let it sit in a cool area of the kitchen for a few hours and see if it's easier to slice.

The important thing was that the plate was empty at the end of the afternoon, so the teenagers definitely approved!
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Chocolate Scotcheroos
by Mrs. Hora

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
[1 tsp vanilla]
6 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chocolate chips

Bring sugar and syrup just to a boil. Remove from heat and add peanut butter [and vanilla]. Then blend in Rice Krispies. Press into a buttered 13-by-9-inch pan.

Melt chips in the top of a double boiler. Spread over top and chill until top is firm. Cut into 48 pieces.
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Jewish Coffee Cake (Ann Simpson)

Possibly, my search for a perfect coffee cake ends with this recipe.

Almost.

After the first attempt, I'm not ready to declare it better than Pattie Wheeler's Night Before Coffee Cake.

Still, this cake has a wonderful, rich flavor and is very moist, with a really nice cinnamon-nut swirl through the middle.

The directions say to bake this in a loaf pan, so I did, and it came out a little funny-looking. The bottom half is slightly darker than the top, and when the cake is sliced, the cinnamon-nut layer looks like a big smile. Next time, I will put ⅔ of the batter on the bottom instead of ½.

I can't decide how I feel about there not being any kind of topping. As a slice of a loaf, it doesn't really need it, but on the other hand, a light glaze of powdered sugar icing could be a nice final touch. I may also try it in a bundt pan sometime. I'll report back if I do.

In the meantime, I encourage you treat yourself to this lovely recipe soon!
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Jewish Coffee Cake
from Ann Simpson

Batter:
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 well-beaten eggs
1½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla

Nut Mixture:
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3-4 tbsp chopped pecans

Cream sugar and butter, then add eggs. Add sour cream to which the soda has been added, and the flour to which the baking powder and salt have been added. Add vanilla. [I stirred vanilla into the sour cream.]

Pour or spread ½ [or ⅔] batter into well-greased [loaf] pan. Sprinkle nut mixture over top, then spread the rest of the batter on top.

Bake in 10"x5½" pan - moderate oven 350 - 30 minutes.
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Banana Cake (#2)

Well, hmmm....

I have really been looking forward to making this unique recipe. A dozen sliced bananas on the bottom of a cake! I've never heard of anything like that before.

Though I love that someone took the time to type it out on an index card, this is one of those recipes that leaves the baker to figure out a few things on her own, such as what size and shape a "baking form" should be, and what temperature constitutes a "hot oven" for baking the cake. Because the final instruction says to cut the cake into squares, I decided that a "baking form" is a common 9"x13" cake pan, and that I would bake it at 350° because it's a typical cake-baking temp.

I discovered that one pound of sugar equals two measuring cups, and since the cake batter requires only one cup of sugar, I deduced (brilliantly) that the remaining cup is for sprinkling over the bananas.

The recipe doesn't specify how to layer the bananas. I used medium-sized bananas and sliced them in half both lengthwise and crosswise, and they fit just right in two layers in my Pyrex pan. I laid the second layer more or less perpendicular to the first.

first layer:

 

second layer:

I also sprinkled a little cinnamon over each layer, not just in the bottom of the pan. I kind of think it's supposed to be that way, but got left out of the instructions, because dusting only the bottom of the pan with cinnamon would make it all but unnoticeable.

Once all the bananas were in and coated with sugar (a half-cup per layer plus a sprinkling of cinnamon), I squished them down with my hands. I didn't check that there was a full inch-and-a-half left in the pan for the dough, but it was probably close.

 

Eww....

Then I made the cake batter, spread it over the top, and baked it at 350°.

I neglected to note how long I baked the cake. It was somewhere between 45-60 minutes. When the top of the cake started to brown, the banana layer was just starting to bubble, and that's when I realized that the goal was to caramelize the bananas under the cake. I let it keep baking about 15 more minutes, until it looked like the top was as browned as it could get without being overdone.

The problem arose when the sugar on the bottom cooked itself into a syrup, and then the syrup started bubbling up and over the sides of the pan. The cake didn't quite look ready to come out, though, so I grabbed a sheet pan and positioned it on a rack underneath to catch the drips. The spilled syrup smoked up the kitchen a bit, but it wasn't horrible. I'm not sure what I'll do differently next time - try to press the bananas down more, or use a slightly bigger (9.5"x13.5") cake pan, or maybe even try a tube pan.

I let the cake cool an hour or so before cutting into it - I wanted to give the banana layer a chance to set up a little. A few friends were over, so I had everyone try a piece, and....

It was really delicious.

The caramelized bananas on the bottom remind me of... something I can't quite place. Maybe bananas foster, though there's no alcohol in this recipe. And the cake part was light and lovely with each bite. Someone suggested serving it upside down, with the bananas on top, and ice cream or whipped cream on top of that. I didn't have any available, but I think either of those additions would be the way to go to make this a really fantastic dessert (upside down or right-side up).

However...

We tasted the cake again after it had completely cooled, and it wasn't nearly so good. I didn't care for the texture of the bananas cold. Plus, they started to take on a grayish color, and the syrup became watery on the plate, which was kind of gross. Reheating the cake made it taste good again, though it didn't reverse the discoloration or wateriness.

This is a reheated leftover piece. It doesn't look very appetizing, in my opinion, though it was yummy anyway (especially with my afternoon cup of tea in my trusty Northern Exposure mug):

It's good enough warm that I would probably put this cake on the menu if I had my own restaurant. I'd call it "Caramelized Banana Cake" or "Bananas Foster Cake" (in which case I'd likely drizzle it with a warm buttery rum sauce).

My final verdict: this Banana Cake would be a wonderful, unique dessert for a luncheon or dinner party, served freshly baked with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
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Banana Cake

1 dozen bananas
powdered cinnamon to taste
1 pound (2 cups) sugar (divided)
2 cups flour
1 cup milk
1 cup butter (softened)
2 eggs, separated
1 tbsp baking powder

Peel and slice bananas lengthwise (and crosswise).
Butter a baking form (at least a 9"x13" pan) and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Arrange bananas (in two layers) with a layer of (½ cup) sugar (and a sprinkle of cinnamon) between each layer of bananas.
Fill the form (pan) about halfway, pressing the banana layers together so no space is left. There should be a space of about 1½ inches from the top for the dough.

To make the dough, cream the butter and 1 cup sugar. Add in the egg yolks and continue beating. Add in the milk and flour. Beat very well, and lastly add in the egg whites, beaten (separately) and the baking powder. (Spread dough over the top of the bananas.)

(Place foil or a larger sheet pan on an oven rack below the cake to catch drips of boiling syrup.)

Bake in a hot (350°) oven (for 45-60 minutes) and when ready (cooled about an hour) cut into squares.

(Best served warm, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.)
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