Sugar Bowls

Herbal preserves and jellies are very simple to make, taste wonderful and are very useful and unusual gifts. Some herbal jellies are well-known, mint jelly being one of the best examples. Others, although less famous, are equally delicious when eaten with a variety of meats and poultry. Another bonus is that jams and jellies last well and can therefore be made well in advance. Better still, a store of them can be accumulated when the ingredients are in season and then you will always have a hostess gift in stock.

Although the following recipes mention specific herbs, there are many possible variations on this theme. Using apple jelly as a base, you can add many different herbs to the apple: for example, you could combine apple and rosemary, apple and mint or apple and thyme. The possibilities are only limited by the number of jars you can collect and the ingredients that you have available (not to mention the time you may or may not have!)

 
Lemon and Mint Marmalade

8 medium lemons, well scrubbed
4 pints water
4 lb granulated sugar
8 tbsp fresh mint

Halve the lemons, remove the seeds, then squeeze the juice into a large bowl. Chop the peel fairly small and add to the bowl. Place the lemon seeds in a small muslin bag and put in the bowl with the other ingredients. Boil the water, add to the bowl and leave to infuse for 48 hours, covered with a cloth.

Empty the contents of the bowl into a preserving pan and simmer gently for approximately one hour. Warm the sugar in a basin in the oven. Remove the muslin bag of seeds from the preserving pan and add the warmed sugar. Stir until it has dissolved, then bring to the boil and allow to boil rapidly for ten minutes.

Remove from the heat. Wash the mint thoroughly and chop finely. Add the mint to the pan and stir well. Pour into clean, warm jars and cover immediately with circles of waxed paper Once the marmalade has cooled, cover each jar with cellophane and add a label.

Apple and Elderflower Jam

3 lb cooking apples
1/2 pint water
8 heads of elderflowers, fresh
2 lb sugar

Peel and core the apples and place them in a preserving pan with the elderflowers and the water. Simmer gently until the apples are soft. Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Bring the jam to the boil and allow to boil rapidly until it reaches setting point. (If using a thermometer, setting point is at 221ºF. If not, spoon a little jam on to a chilled saucer, allow to cool and then push your finger across its surfaceit will wrinkle when it has reached setting point.) Remove the elderflowers and then pour the jam into warm, clean jars and cover each one with a circle of waxed paper,. Once the jam has cooled, cover each jar with cellophane and add a label.

Damson Plum and Rose Petal Jam

3 lb damson plums
12 large scented roses, pink or dark red
2 1/2 lb granulated sugar
4 tbsp water
 
Pull the roses apart and discard the centers and stems. Trim the white part from the base of each petal. Wash the petals and tear into small pieces.

Wash the damson plums well and remove the stones. Place the damsons in a preserving pan and add the rose petals and water. Simmer gently for approximately 30 minutes, stirring regularly. Warm the sugar in the oven.

Add the warmed sugar to the damson mixture and stir until it has dissolved. Boil for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the rose petals falling to the bottom of the mixture. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for five minutes, then stir well and pour into warm clean jars and cover each one with a waxed paper disc. Once the jam has cooled, cover each jar with cellophane and add a label.
 

Gooseberry and Lemon Balm Jelly

4 lb eating apples, peeled and chopped
2 lb gooseberries
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp chopped lemon balm
1 1/2 pints water
granulated sugar

Place the apples, lemon juice, gooseberries, water and 1 tbsp of lemon balm in a large pan. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and then simmer the mixture for about 30 minutes. Ladle the mixture into a jelly bag or piece of fine muslin and allow to drip through into a bowl for 24 hours.

Measure the liquid that has passed through the jelly bag and, for every pint of liquid, add 1 lb of sugar. Simmer in a preserving pan until the sugar has dissolved, then boil rapidly for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool for five minutes and stir in the remaining lemon balm. Pour into warm, clean jars and cover with waxed circles of paper. Once the jam has cooled, cover and label as before.

 
Mint and Apple Jelly

3 lb cooking apples, peeled and chopped
1 lemon, quartered
2 pints water
large handful of mint, finely chopped
2 tsp cider vinegar
granulated sugar

Place the apples, lemons, cider vinegar and water in a preserving pan and simmer for 45 minutes until the fruit is soft. Strain through a jelly bag or piece of muslin overnight.

Measure the amount of liquid that has passed through the jelly bag and add 1 lb of sugar for every pint of liquid. Add the fresh mint and boil this mixture in a preserving pan for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for ten minutes. As an optional extra, you can add a little more chopped mint at this stage. Then pour into warm, clean jars, cover with waxed paper circles and leave to cool. Once cool, cover each jar with cellophane and add a label.

Scented Geranium Jelly

6 lb eating apples
50 lemon-scented geranium leaves
2 pints water
granulated sugar

Place the chopped apples, washed geranium leaves and water in a preserving pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Ladle into a jelly bag or piece of muslin and allow to drip through overnight.

Measure the liquid and add 1 lb of sugar for every pint of liquid. Simmer in a preserving pan until the sugar dissolves, then boil rapidly for ten minutes. Remove from the heat, pour into clean, warm jars and cover with waxed circles of paper. When cool, cover each jar with cellophane and add a label.

Rose Jelly

4 lb green apples
2 pints water
6 large scented pink or red roses
rosewater
granulated sugar

Place the apples and water in a pan and simmer for about 45 minutes until soft. Strain the liquid through a jelly bag overnight.

Measure the strained liquid and add 1 lb of sugar for every pint of liquid. Place in a preserving pan and simmer well until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the petals from five of the roses and cut the white parts off the base of the petals. Add to the pan and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for ten minutes, then remove all the rose petals with a perforated spoon.

Add the petals from the last rose (having removed all the white parts from the base of the petals), plus about eight drops of rosewater, and stir. Pour into clean warm jars and cover with waxed paper circles. Once cool, cover each jar with cellophane and add a label.

Packaging Jams and Jellies

The easiest way to decorate a present of jams and jellies is to give each jar a fabric or paper hat. There are many suitable materials to choose from: plain or colored paper, white or metallic doilies, antique linen or lace handkerchiefs, plain or printed fabrics.

Using pinking shears gives a better finish and will prevent the material fraying. A 6-inch circle will fit the top of most jam jars, but do measure the size you need and cut it accordingly. Center the circle of fabric over the top of the jam jar and hold it in place with an elastic band. Then cover the elastic band with ribbon or lace, cord or even colored shoe laces for fun!

Try to match the fabric to the contents of the jar; for example, a rose petal jelly could have a pale pink taffeta hat and lace bow. A garden herb jelly could have a recycled paper hat and garden twine to secure the cover. A strong presentation with plain or checked primary-colored fabric, secured with brightly colored shoe laces, would look very striking, perhaps on some damson jam or on one of the pickles or chutneys.

By: Carol J Miller

Does Anyone Know How To Make Herbal Jam ‘rasayana’? Lets Open Our

lets spread the love of healing and Ayurveda and break free of the proprietary blends. We need to help each other around the world learn how these formulas are being made. The world can not be relient.

How to Make Herbal Jams & Jellies

Others, although less famous, are equally delicious when eaten with a variety of meats and poultry. Another bonus is that jams and jellies last well and can therefore be made well in advance.

101 Homemade Jam, Jelly & Marmalade Recipes

How To Make Rose Petal Jelly: I remembered a recipe for rose petal jelly that I had found in Euell Gibbons’ book, “Stalking the Healthful Herb.” It is a version that is uncooked, and therefore.

Free Food: Foraging for Herbal Teas

grab your favorite tea cup and join me for a discussion of a few plants that make outstanding hot or cold beverages. Covered: cleavers, pine, chamomile & black birch. Bonus: compilation of plants.

Technorati Tags: apple jellies, freezer jams, fruit jams, jelly jams

These days, choosing to substitute Splenda for other types of table sugar can make a huge difference for many people. From cutting calories to making it possible to enjoy foods that would otherwise be off hazardous to our health, Splenda is well worth the consideration to include in your daily diet. There are many benefits associated with Splenda that make it the ideal choice over other sugars.

Without a doubt, one of the most appealing benefits of using Splenda over other sugars is the taste factor. Compared to other artificial sweetening options, Splenda is easily considered the better option. Because the taste is almost identical to that of granulated sugar, many people are hard pressed to tell the difference. In fact, there are plenty of people that tend to report less of an aftertaste with Splenda, an effect that is often experienced by anyone who tries to use an artificial sweetener instead of table sugar.

Splenda is capable of providing health benefits for you that other sugars simply could not adhere to. While there are a number of sweeteners that work well in cold substances, finding something that will retain a pleasant taste when used for baking is very difficult. Splenda can function equally well in both cold and hot recipes. While the applications vary, the sweetener does make living without sugar a lot easier to manage.

Because Splenda measures exactly like granulated sugar, it is easy to substitute the product in many different recipes. Along with sweetening drinks, it is also possible to substitute the sweetener in any recipe, where the sugar does not add to the texture. For example, preparing meringues and whipped toppings for desserts are simple, requiring nothing more than minor alterations to the original recipes. Baked goods such as cakes and muffins can be prepared by using Splenda with a decreased amount of sugar or honey, effectively cutting the caloric intake by half or more. Pies, custards, and even homemade ice cream can remain delicious while still keeping the calories within reason.

Calories are one of the main concerns of people who desire to slim down. With zero calories per teaspoon, Splenda can help cut daily caloric intake in a variety ways. For example, this sweetener can be used instead of sugar in your morning coffee and perform the same function in iced tea later in the day. People who love soda but want to avoid the extra calories found in most soft drinks can easily choose a diet drink that is sweetened with Splenda. Dry, soft drink mixes can also be prepared using this artificial sweetener instead of table sugar.

For some people, the benefits of Splenda are not about keeping the intake of calories in check. Anyone living with Type I or II diabetes is well aware that sugar is a carbohydrate that can cause blood glucose levels to spike, sometimes to dangerous levels. For this reason, many diabetics avoid or severely limit the use of table sugar. Without a viable sugar substitute, this can mean that many favorite foods must be removed from the diet as well. Splenda can change that and allow many diabetics to once again enjoy their favorite sweet treats. With a taste that is easily superior to other sugar substitutes, the sweetener makes it possible to still avoid consuming too many carbs during the course of the day and still enjoy something sweet now and then. It is not unusual for diabetics to prepare homemade treats, such as cookies, while using Splenda. When paired with an alternative flour, such as garbanzo bean or oat flour, the use of Splenda produces a low carbohydrate treat that helps satisfy the sweet tooth without causing blood sugar levels to soar.

With the approved endorsement from The American Diabetes Association, Splenda is also ideal for use in puddings, cheesecakes and different types of custard. It is even possible to bake a cake using Splenda by adding in a half cup of dry milk and a half teaspoon for every cup of Splenda used in the recipe. This approach eliminates more carbohydrates from the final result, making it possible for anyone with diabetes to enjoy a slice of their favorite cake from time to time.

There is one other area where Splenda has an advantage over other sugars. Unlike table sugar and similar options, Splenda does not leave behind a residue on your teeth that can help promote tooth decay. As a result, the specific bacterium that actually causes the decay never has a chance to develop. People who want to enjoy sweets, but are trying to watch out for their dental health, would highly benefit from using Splenda instead of other options.

As the popularity of Splenda has grown, cookbooks containing recipes using the beneficial sweetener have become very common. The manufacturer of Splenda, McNeil Nutritionals, has also offered many recipes to interested customers. Other recipes have been developed by the consumers, people who know and work with this amazing product daily. If you need to cut calories, or watch your intake of carbohydrates, learning to cook with Splenda can greatly benefit you in many ways.

By: mikec

Sugar Substitutes: Healthy or Deadly? - Health & Science - CBN

Artificial sweeteners - found in a staggering number of grocery products - increase obesity, but many experts say they’re bad for you in other ways.

Ifoneday » Blog Archive » What Are Some Healthy Desserts That Can

If you do decide to use any sugar substitutes just be aware of the two types of sugar substitutes, nutritive and artificial sweeteners. The artificial sweeteners (Sucralose being an example).

Using sugar substitutes

Diabetics, and weight conscious people now commonly use sugar substitutes; even those who do not have a problem are using them. This is because people are coming to the realization that excess sugar.

Technorati Tags: Splenda, sugar, sugar substitutes

It is found that a mixture of honey and cinnamon cures most Diseases.

Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world.Scientists of today also accept honey as a ‘Ram Ban’ (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases.
Honey can be used without any side Effects for any kind of diseases.Today’s science says that even though honey is sweet,if taken in the right dosage as a medicine,it does not harm diabetic patients.
Following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon.

HEART DISEASES:
Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread,instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast.It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have already had an attack, if they do this Process daily they are kept miles away from
the next attack.Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breat and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.

ARTHRITIS:

Arthritis patients may take daily, morning, and night,One cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured.In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon honey and half teaspoon
Cinnamon powder before breakfast,They found that within a week, out of the 200 people So treated, practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS:
Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink- destroys the germs in the bladder.

TOOTHACHE:
Make a paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five teaspoons of honey and apply on the aching tooth. This may be applied three times a day until the tooth stops aching.

CHOLESTEROL:
Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of cinnamon powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient were found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chroni cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol. By the way, if you are taking cholesterol medicine, STOP! They all contain STATIN which weaken your muscles… including YOUR HEART and none has been shown to
stop heart attacks or strokes!!!!

COLDS:
Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH:
Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.

GAS:
According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that if honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM:
Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts.Constant Use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacterial and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION:
Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA:

Honey contains a natural ingredient which kills the influenza germs and Saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY:
Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age.Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder and three cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day.It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age.. Life spans also increases and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old.

PIMPLES:
Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTION:
Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts, cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

WEIGHT LOSS:
Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast on an empty stomach and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. If taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

CANCER:
Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with a teaspoon of cinnamon powder for 1 month three times a day.

FATIGUE:
Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and flexible.
Half tablespoon of honeytaken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 p.m. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week.

BAD BREATH:
People of South America, first thing in the morning, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

By: devika

Honey and Cinnamon, Stress, Cholesterol and Weight Loss | Imaginif

A mixture of honey and cinnamon is said to be good for weight loss, reducing blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, curing acid reflux and even keeping the flu at bay.

Has Anyone Used Manuka Honey?

They do have 500g for about 17 pounds for 16+ which does have medicinal strength. Also 20+ for 21 pounds. Active Manuka Honey medical wound and digestive treatment.

DOODLEZTECH: Honey and Cinnamon for Weight Loss

Of the various natural products and spices, honey and cinnamon have been found to be useful in the process of weight loss. Role of Honey in Weight Loss It is true that honey is a type of sugar.

Technorati Tags: cinnamon, honey, honey and cinnamon

The history of the biscuit follows that of sugar and it seems that the first biscuits were baked in Persia during the 7th Century BCE. It wasn’t until the Moorish conquest of Spain and the crusades of the 12th and 13th centuries that Arabic cooking practices slowly came to Europe.

The modern biscuit, however, is a French invention, and by the 14th century it was possible to buy little fruit-filled wafers on the streets of paris. The name of these comes from a corruption of the Latin bis cotum (baked twice) which became biscuit in English and biscotti in Italian. Traditionally, such biscuits are hard and dry in texture and they’re know (and commonplace) from recipe books going back at least to the Elizabethan era.

In contrast, cookies are Dutch in origin. The name itself derives from the Dutch word ‘koekje’ (small or round cake) which represents the small pieces of dough that Dutch bakers used to place in their ovens to test the temperature. However, the classic cookie, the ‘cocolate chip cookie’ was only invented in 1937 by Ruth Graves Wakefield (1905-1977), of Whitman, Massachusetts, who ran the Toll House Restaurant. This type of cookie didn’t reach nationwide fame until 1939 when Betty Crocker popularized it in her radio show. Today, however, the chocolate chip cookie is by far the commonest baked and eaten cake in America.

Below you will find a recipe for a classic British biscuit and a classic American cookie so that you can bake these for yourselves and appreciate both the similarities and the differences between these classic baked goods.

Devon Flats

These are a classic and simple biscuit, native to the Devon region of south-west England. They are a light and crumbly biscuit, traditionally used as an accompaniment to tea.

Ingredients
225g self-raising flour
pinch of salt
100g caster sugar
100ml clotted (or double) cream
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp milk (approx)

Method:
Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl then stir-in the cream and egg. Add just enough milk for the ingredients to come together as a stiff dough.

Turn the dough onto a lightly-floured surface (if it’s a little sticky cover in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes) and roll out unitl about 8mm thick. Cut into biscuit circles using a 7.5cm pie cutter and place these to greased baking sheets. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 220°C and bake for about 8 minutes, or until they’re coloured a light golden brown.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking tray then transfer to wire racks and leave to cool completely.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This is a close relative of the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe of 1937 in that it uses a mix of plain and brown sugar, the only difference is that a chopped block of plain chocolate is used rather than pre-made chocolate chips.

Ingredients:
60g toasted pecan or walnuts, chopped
225g unsalted butter
210g light brown sugar
50g granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
280g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
180g plain chocolate (I prefer very dark chocolate, at least 80% cocoa solids, but use whatever you like), chopped into coarse chunks

Method:
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then add the egg and beat to combine thoroughly before adding the vanilla extract and beating to incorporate.

Meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Add this to the butter mix and stir until just combined (do not over-work). Now add the chocolate and nuts and stir to distribute evenly.

Cover the mixture then set aside in the refrigerator to chill and firm for at least an hour. When ready drop about 2 tbsp of the mixture per cookie onto a lightly-greased baking tray, allowing at least 8cm between each cookie for them to spread. Place in an oven pre-heated to 190°C and bake for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes on the baking tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

I hope that you have learnt something about biscuit and cookie baking and that you will now want to know more about these baked goods.

By: gwydion

Whip It Up Week 3: Regional Favorites » Stylish Handwriting

Buttermilk Biscuits (from Vernalisa’s Party Page) 2 C all-purpose flour 1/4 t salt 2 t baking powder 1/2 t baking soda 1/3 C shortening 2/3 C buttermilk.

Flash in the Pan: Recipe: Improved Buttermilk Biscuits - Food and

Wednesday, July 01, 2009. Recipe: Improved Buttermilk Biscuits. I’ve been fiddling with my biscuit recipe for years. Here’s the latest, and best, version. Ingredients.

Biscuits of Unusual Seasoning | DAY Recipe

If you’re not looking for 4 inch biscuits just cut them in a smaller diameter or squares of any size that you would like. MAKES: 8, 4 inch biscuits.

Technorati Tags: biscuit, buttermilk biscuit recipe, the disco biscuits

Zebra cakes? Yes, it is called “zebra” cakes because it has nice zebra stripes pattern on the cake. This two tone colors on the cake can be created by using chocolate and cocoa powder to create the dark brown color batter.

Baking Summary:
Baking Temperature = 180ºC
Baking Time = 40 minutes

Baking Tools Needed:
Cake Mold, round 9 inches in diameter
3 large mixing bowl (for mixing the ingredients together)
Large spoons (to scoop and divide batters in between)
Baking papers

Ingredients:
10 egg whites
2 egg yolks
200g caster sugar
250g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
220g melted butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
40g condensed milk
15g cocoa powder
20g chocolate, melted
50g almond nuts, grounded

Method:
1. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites, egg yolks, caster sugar, flour and baking powder on high speed for 10 minutes.
2. Add in vanilla essence and condensed milk and then fold in melted butter.
3. Divide the batter into 2 portions. Add cocoa powder and melted chocolate to one of the portions. Stir till well blended.
4. Spoon 2 table spoons of white batter into a 9 inches greased cake tin, followed by chocolate batter, sprinkle some toasted grounded almonds on top and repeat the process.
5. Bake the cake for about 40 minutes until well cooked. Test the cake with a skewer. Serve.

Baking Tips:
1. Prepare two bowls of batter, one bowl with cocoa powder and another bowl with original batter.
2. Spoon one scoop of batter into the mold and sprinkle some grounded almonds on top.
3. Pour in the white scoop batter on top of cocoa batter. Repeat the steps till done.

By: Jamie Lee

Orange And Chocolate Zebra Cake | food photography-recipes-food

An eggless version of an orange and chocolate flavoured zebra cake, covered with chocolate ganache.

Through the valley and over the woods…: Zebra Cakes?

Sarvo: Man, one time, on my way back from Kroger, I crushed, absolutely crushed, a case of Zebra cake.

Zebra cake « Bakingbuddies

The entire food blogging world was doing Zebra cakes sometime back. I made my version of the cake souch.

Technorati Tags: birthday cake, cake recipe, zebra cakes

Everyone should have a good vanilla cake recipe to rely upon, as it is one of the most adaptable of all recipes. You can tint it, you can add flavor to it, you can turn it into a sheet cake or a layer cake or cupcakes or entirely different desserts altogether.

I’ve got very dear friends who don’t think they need to have a vanilla cake recipe of their own — they either buy their cakes from bakeries or they rely upon me to bake for them! But this is an easy, all-purpose recipe (adapted from Pillsbury’s The Complete Book of Baking) that doesn’t require any special talent or equipment. It’s just the kind of basic recipe that every cook should have and use regularly:

2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup half-and-half or milk
1/2 cup butter or shortening
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract (double-strength recommended)
5 eggs

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or a 13×9-inch sheet cake pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk and shortening at low speed with an electric mixer until moistened. Add vanilla and egg whites; continue beating for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes (round pans) or 35-40 minutes (sheet cake pan) until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Now, this vanilla cake recipe is not only easy to make, but it’s absolutely delicious in its simplicity; but sometimes you want something more elaborate. Add just a few drops of food coloring to your batter before baking, and you can tailor a cake to any occasion (pink and blue for baby showers, orange for Hallowe’en); tint the frosting, too, for an extra special touch.

You can also stir in ingredients to add texture or flavor: mini chocolate chips, toasted walnuts or hazelnuts, crushed Oreos … your only limit is your imagination! You can bake this vanilla cake recipe in a variety of pans, if your kids or grandkids want a cake that matches the theme of their birthday party (cars or ponies or whatever the fad of the moment is). And you can even turn this cake into an ice cream cake or cut it up into cubes to make trifle; really, it is amazingly adaptable!

Surveys regularly show that vanilla is most people’s favorite flavor, even though chocolate seems to have a better public relations agent! So a simple vanilla cake recipe is essential for everyone to have, for special occasions or “just because.”

Rawleigh, Vanilla Cake Recipe, Rawleigh Products, Cake Recipe

By: Vincent Platania USA

How To Make Vanilla Cake Frosting | Cape Cod Branding

Need to make a simple vanilla frosting? Find out here how you can make a great tasting frosting for cakes or cupcakes in eight easy steps!

Cupcakes Take The Cake: Pirate cupcakes and strawberry vanilla

I love the detail, including the pirate cupcake wrapper! See their site for ordering details and you can also follow them on Twitter. Delivery is also available.

The Jackson Juniors Journeys: Baby Shower Cake

Maybe I’ll make a cake and give away to neighbors - that’ll be one way to meet people when we finally move. The cake was yummy, if I might say so myself. It was a vanilla cake with vanilla.

Technorati Tags: cheapon cake, Cup Cakes, vanilla cake

Most of enjoy eating ice-cream since we are still young.But do we know that ice cream cone flavor and taste contributes a lot whole new ways of eating ice cream.It will make the ice cream more tasty and it give add points to the overall ice cream itself.As we can see, most of the commercial ice cream cone doesn’t suit our flavor and some of them taste like cardboard as well. So what is the secret for tasty ice cream cone? Well today I’m going to reveal some of my finding and experience on tasty ice cream cone recipes.

For the first recipes we will begin with Classic Pizzelle ice cream cone.This ice cream cone recipes basically will be in vanilla flavor but we can change the flavor to our liking. The flavors that we can change to are such as anise,almond and lemon extract.

First Recipe: Classic Pizzelle ice cream cone

This recipes call for:

1-3/4 cups of all purpose flour,
2 teaspoons baking powder,
3 large eggs,
3/4 cup granulated sugar,
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted,
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or anise extract

Process

1)First we need to preheat the Cusinart Pizzelle Press and prepare the batter

2)Flour and baking powder are put in a small bowl, stir it and make them combine.Reserve them

3)Eggs and sugar are place in a medium bowl.Using Cusinart SmartPower Handmixer,mix the mixtures at medium speed for 1 minutes until it thickened.On low speed add the melted butter and vanilla in a steady stream and mix until combined about 20 seconds.After that add the flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 10 to 15 seconds.Please note that don’t over mix.

4)Lightly brush both the bottom and top grid with flavorless vegetables oil or melted vegetables shortening.Scoop the dough about 1-1/2-2 teaspoons and put it on one of the patterned cookie grids.Repeat the same steps to make the second cookies.Close the lid and lock.The cookies are ready when the Cusinart Pizzelle Press indicator change from red to green light.For lighter colour pizzelle bake for a shorter time and for darkest color baked for a few more seconds.

5)The pizzelles are remove from press using a heatproof plastic spatula.

6)Warm pizzelle may be wrapped around the V455 Pizzelle-Cone Roller to make ice cream cone

7)Tips:Marble Pizzelle: Add 2 ounces finely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate to the batter.Bake as directed to make the ice cream cone.

Second Recipe: Double Chocolate Pizzelle ice cream cone recipe

For the second recipes we will touch on Double Chocolate Pizzelle ice cream cone recipe.This recipes call for:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour,
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder,
2 ounces very finely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate,
2 teaspoons baking powder,
3 large eggs,
1 cup granulated sugar,
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted,
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Process

1) Preheat the Cusinart Pizzelle Press

2) Place flour, cocoa powder, chopped chocolate bar, and baking powder in a small bowl and stir with a whisk or fork to combine; reserve. Place eggs and sugar in a medium bowl. Using a Cuisinart SmartPower Hand Mixer, mix on medium speed for 1 minute, until thickened. On low speed, add the melted butter and vanilla in a steady stream and mix until combined, about 20 seconds. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined,about 10 to 15 seconds; do not over mix

3)Lightly brush both the bottom and top grid with flavorless vegetables oil or melted vegetables shortening.Scoop the dough about 1-1/2-2 teaspoons and put it on one of the patterned cookie grids.Repeat the same steps to make the second cookies.Close the lid and lock.The cookies are ready when the Cusinart Pizzelle Press indicator change from red to green light.For lighter color pizzelle bake for a shorter time and for darkest color baked for a few more seconds.

4)The pizzelles are remove from press using a heatproof plastic spatula.

5)Warm pizzelle may be wrapped around the V455 Pizzelle-Cone Roller to make ice cream cones

6)Tips:Mocha Almond Pizzelle: Dissolve 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder in 2 tablespoons hot water. Add to batter along with 1/3 cup finely ground almonds. Use 1-1/2 teaspoons each of almond and vanilla extracts in place of 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.

Third Recipe:Hazelnut Pizzelle ice cream cone recipe

For the third recipe we will go on with Hazelnut Pizzelle ice cream cones recipe.This recipe call for:

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour,
2 ounces finely ground blanched hazelnuts (1/2 cup),
2 teaspoons baking powder,
3 large eggs,
3/4 cup granulated sugar,
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted,
1 tablespoon Frangelico liqueur,
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Process

1)Preheat the Cuisinart Pizzelle Press on Setting 3 while preparing the batter.

2)Place flour, ground nuts and baking powder in a small bowl and stir with a whisk or fork to combine; reserve.Place eggs and sugar in a medium bowl. Using a Cuisinart SmartPower Hand Mixer, mix on medium speed for 1 minute,until thick. On low speed, add the melted butter and vanilla in a steady stream and mix until combined, about 15 seconds. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 10 to 15 seconds; do not over mix.

3)Lightly brush both the bottom and top grid with flavorless vegetables oil or melted vegetables shortening.Scoop the dough about 1-1/2-2 teaspoons and put it on one of the patterned cookie grids.Repeat the same steps to make the second cookies.Close the lid and lock.The cookies are ready when the Cusinart Pizzelle Press indicator change from red to green light.For lighter color pizzelle bake for a shorter time and for darkest color baked for a few more seconds.

4)The pizzelles are remove from press using a heatproof plastic spatula.

5)Warm pizzelle may be wrapped around the V455 Pizzelle-Cone Roller to make ice cream cones

6)Tips:Variation: You may vary the type of nut used.Try almond, pecan, walnut or pistachio. For Chocolate Marble Nut Pizzelle, add 2 ounces very finely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate to the batter.Grind nuts as finely as possible without turning into nut butter. This can be done easily in a Cuisinart Food Processor or Mini-Prep Plus Chopper/Grinder. You may wish to add a tablespoon of the sugar from the recipe to the nuts when chopping

By: Anne Tan

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Shocking statistics reveal that Americans consume about 150 lbs of sugar a year and the UK is not far behind. Even though it has devastating effects on your health food manufacturers continue to put it in every product imaginable. It is considered to be one of the most addictive substances in the world so it’s not surprising that people are asking how to detox sugar.

A sugar detox simply means avoiding sugar to improve your health but because it is in so many foods many people find it hard to do. When you start to read the product labels you might be surprised to see how much hidden sugar you have every day. It is so addictive you might not realize how much you were depending on it for a quick energy or mood boost.

Why do you need to detox sugar?

Your body turns glucose that it obtains from carbohydrate into energy. Protein and fat can be used as well but they have to be turned into glucose first. The carbohydrates from a diet of whole grains, vegetables, beans and lentils are broken down slowly and the sugars are released slowly into your blood stream. These foods contain the vitamins and minerals that are needed by your cells to convert the glucose into energy.

On the other hand refined carbohydrates and sugars like white flour products, white sugar, glucose, honey, syrup, dextrose and high fructose corn syrup all get absorbed rapidly into your blood stream causing a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. Insulin is then released from you pancreas to bring it back to normal. These refined products have been stripped of all their nutrients so your cells have to rob your tissue stores of nutrients to turn the glucose into energy.

Health problems associated with refined sugar

The sudden rush of sugar into your blood stream can give you an quick energy boost but over time your body becomes depleted of nutrients, your metabolism becomes inefficient, you suffer from lack of energy and poor weight regulation.

Your blood fats increase as your liver converts excess sugar to triglycerides and bad cholesterol. Eventually this leads to a number of health problems such as diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, mood swings, yeast overgrowth, osteoporosis, premature aging, poor immunity, degenerative diseases and increased risk of cancer.

Sugar Detox

A sugar detox is well worth it if you want to lose weight, curb sweet cravings, control diabetes, improve your energy levels, and lower your risk of many health problems. But be prepared for some withdrawal symptoms such as headache, fatigue, anxiety, depression, irritability and sleep problems if your diet is high in added and hidden sugar.

How to detox sugar?

Avoid adding sugar to your food and drinks and avoid obviously sweet foods. Exclude sugar hidden in many processed foods such as ketchup, many sauces, pickles, soups, dips, peanut butter, salad dressings, frankfurters, bread by reading labels. Many fruit drinks and sodas are laden with sugar.

It may be hard at first to avoid sugar if you rely a lot on convenience foods but you can replace sugar foods with fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, salad, unsweetened yogurt, almonds, almond butter, a handful of seeds, hummus. Avoid using artificial sweeteners or buying food or drinks containing them as they are not safe either. Try Stevia, a natural sweetener, instead.

What to eat instead on a sugar detox

Buy plain unsweetened yogurt instead of sweetened and add your own fruit. Try oatmeal for breakfast and add some raisins or other fruit to sweeten instead of having a sweetened cereal. Look out for sugar free muesli. Make your own dressing with virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. Replace candy bars with more healthy fruit sweetened bars. Eat fruit instead of dessert.

Reduce sugar cravings and stabilize blood sugar with a diet of whole grains, vegetables, beans and lentils or lean, free range poultry, meat and eggs. Refined carbohydrates like white flour, white rice and refined cereals have the same effect as sugar.

Sugar cravings

If you have been used to eating a diet high sugar foods you should reduce the sugars gradually. High carbohydrate foods can have the same lifting effect as alcohol and cocaine for some people. In fact alcohol is a chemical cousin to sugar. It upsets blood sugar too so avoid it when doing a sugar detox.

Nutritional support to reduce sugar cravings

If you have a serious craving for sugar you can take some nutritional supplements to restore the nutrients that you are lacking. The B vitamins, Vitamin C, chromium, and zinc can help with sugar withdrawal symptoms. Try the amino acid L-Glutamine 500mg 30 minutes before meals 3 times a day. Increase dose to 1000mg three times a day if you still get cravings after 1 week. Combine with Chromium 200 mcg three times a day with meals.

This sugar detox plan will help you will break sugar addiction and sugar cravings. As a result you should have more energy, lose weight more easily and improve your general health.

By: Sandy Halliday

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From time to time you might be thinking “why do I torture myself in the gym and pass on those delicious dessert?” Well this article from the Washington Post is a great reminder.

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The symptoms of a sugar detox can be similar to that of a drug detox, including cravings, lethargy, lack of energy, depression, anxiety and mood swings.

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For people dealing with diabetes or other sugar-related problems, it can sometimes be difficult to watch others enjoy great meals, especially desserts. There are sugar substitutes available that allow you to enjoy these same great meals and desserts. One sugar substitute you can cook with is Splenda. However, many people find that replicating recipes using this alternative sweetener product is difficult. Here are some top tips to help you cook with Splenda:

Tip #1: Only fully replace Splenda in recipes that have low to medium amounts of sugar
When a recipe calls a large amount of sugar, such as with angel food cake or fudge, the sugar has a greater purpose than just making the food sweeter. It is also used to create the texture and structure of the food. Splenda is not the same as sugar in that regard, even though it is just as sweet. So, look for recipes that treat sugar as a sweetening agent. If your recipe calls for a lot of sugar, you can replace 25% to 50% of it with Splenda.

Tip #2: Bring out the flavor with vanilla or honey

When you are baking cookies and other treats that call for both sugar and vanilla, adding an extra teaspoon or half teaspoon can bring out the sweet flavor of the Splenda and the vanilla flavor of the extract. You should not use more than one extra teaspoon per cup of Splenda. For breads and other recipes that do not call for vanilla but are still sweet, you can use a tablespoon of honey instead.

Tip #3: Consider the yeast in your recipe

In order for yeast to work, it needs to be activated with sugar. Splenda does not provide yeast with the proper food it needs to make your bread rise. When you are replacing the sugar with Splenda, make sure that you keep a couple teaspoons as sugar, and for larger recipes, you should use more sugar than Splenda. Yeast recipes are more difficult when you use Splenda, so you may want to do some practice runs to ensure that you have the right sugar-to-Splenda ratio for the yeast to work.

Tip #4: Watch your baking times

When you use Splenda in your recipes, the baking time is going to be different from using sucrose. Until you know how your recipe reacts to the sweetener change, check your baked goods early to see if they are done. Cakes and breads are sometimes done up to 10 minutes earlier if you replace all of the sugar with Splenda. Cookies, muffins, brownies, and other baked goods might be done up to five minutes before their normal time. When you figure out the correct Splenda baking time, write it on your recipe card so that you know for next time.

Tip #5: Flatten your cookies a bit to help them spread

Splenda changes the chemical make up of your cookies, and sugar is one of the ingredients that help a cookie spread as it bakes. Splenda does not do that job as well, so before you put your cookies in the over, press them down a bit to help them flatten. When a cookie spreads, it bakes more evenly.

Tip #6: Help your baked goods rise with smaller pans

Sugar is an ingredient that helps breads, cakes, brownies, and other baked goods rise when baking. If you replace all of the sugar with Splenda, you will not achieve that same fluffy height for the most part. You can help the process by using two smaller pans instead of one larger pan and then following the recipe as normal. If you are still not getting the height you want, try adding an addition teaspoon of baking powder and a cup of nonfat dry milk powder per every two cups of Splenda in your recipe.

Tip #7: Follow the Splenda directions carefully

There are a number of different kinds of Splenda, and before you begin using it to replace sugar in your recipes, read the label to find out exactly how much Splenda to add. For some recipes such as those with regular sugar, you replace the sugar on a one to one ratio. However, other Splenda products, like the Splenda sugar blend, tell you to use only half the amount of blend that you would use with regular sugar. If you do not read the label carefully, your final product could be too sweet or it may not cook correctly.

Tip #8: Test everything first

Finally, if you are going to cook with Splenda, test your recipes before making them for a party or event. Splenda does not always react in recipes the way you would expect. By doing a test run, you can see what needs to be adjusted without having to serve less than perfect baked goods to your guests.

By: ajariannajordan1

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Have you heard the news about the brand new all natural sweetener in town? Organic Agave Syrup is a delicious alternative for those of us who want to cut back on using sugar. The syrup is made from the agave cactus, which grows naturally in Mexico and is similar to the yucca plant.

Organic agave syrup undergoes less processing than sugar making it a popular choice for people who want alternatives to highly processed sweeteners. To make organic agave syrup, nectar is squeezed from the center of the plant. The juice is filtered and heated into sugars that your body can use. This process is at a temperature below 118 degrees F to ensure that the Agave retains its full-bodied flavor.

Agave syrup is an organically grown product that is about 90 percent fructose in its natural form. Our body processes this sweetener slower, creating a steady supply of energy for us without elevating blood sugar.

This nectar does not contain any processing chemicals. It can be used to sweeten all types of food and beverages and is safe for people who suffer with diabetes and hyperglycemia. Due to its low glycemic index, it is the perfect replacement to refined sugars and artificial sweeteners.

Benefits of agave syrup as sugar substitute–

Organic agave syrup has a sweet, syrupy taste and rich texture that is similar to honey. Various types of the syrup range in color from light to dark. The darker, thicker, agave syrup tastes much like maple syrup. You can use it as a substitute in your favorite recipes that call for honey, maple syrup, and white or brown sugar.

Make a delicious apple nut crisp or dried fruit bars that have no processed sugar, honey, corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners but are sweetened naturally with tastier agave syrup.

Considering the concerns about the unhealthy effects of artificial sweeteners, health-conscious consumers are searching for options that are more natural. Agave syrup is less processed making it much healthier than sugar for our bodies.

It can be a tasty substitute to sweeten tea, coffee, or desserts. Use it as a yummy syrup substitute on waffles and pancakes. It blends well and tastes great in juices and smoothies.

Safer for diabetics–
* Its lower glycemic index (39) means it has very little impact on blood sugar levels. It does not have the harmful side effects of sugar for diabetic sufferers.

* Organic agave syrup is the ideal replacement for those folks who are allergic to corn syrup because this natural sweetener contains no allergens.

Promotes weight loss–
* Aids in weight loss when regularly substituted for sugar.

There is no reason to give up good taste any longer when our sweet tooth gets a craving for sweets. Organic agave syrup satisfies our cravings without the guilt. When stored in a sealed container it will not crystallize and harden like other sugars. Its one of a kind flavor makes this wholesome sweetener a must have on your grocery list. With all the warnings about the use of artificial sweeteners and the high calorie content of sugar, it makes sense to switch to organic agave syrup.

By: Daniel Lesser

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