Writtenwyrdd

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

I haven't tried this, but it sounds good.  (From an email a friend sent me.)

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE- for one 
4 tablespoons flour 
4 tablespoons sugar 
2 tablespoons cocoa 
1 egg 
3 tablespoons milk 
3 tablespoons oil 
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) 
A small splash of vanilla extract 
1 large coffee mug 

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. dd the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. 
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? 
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night! 

 

 

Red Velvet Cake

I got this one off the internet a few years ago.  I don't know the provenance.  It was either recipe dot com ask dot com or about dot com.

Red Velvet Cake

1/2 C shortening

1-1/2 Cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tbsp cocoa

1-1/2 oz red food coloring

1 tsp salt

2-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp vinegar

 

Cream shortening; beat in sugar gradually.  Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition.  Add vanilla.  Make paste of cocoa and food coloring; add to creamed mix.  Add salt to flour.  Add flour  mix to creamed mix, alternating with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.  Sprinkle soda over vinegar; pour vinegar mix over batter and fold in.  Stir until thoroughly mixed.  Bake in 3 8-inch pans or 2 9-inch pans for 30 minutes at 350.  Frost with a pure white frosting, 7 minute is best.  Bear in mind that buttercream does not go well with this cake. 

Gingersnaps!

I made gingersnaps yesterday.  This was instead of the groovy gingerbread cookies I said I was going to make. Below are the recepies for both.  Calories, mmmm!

Gingersnaps (from Green Mountain Trading Post circa 1985)
3/4 C shortening
1C brown sugar
1/4 C molasses
1 egg
2-1/4 C flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves, ground
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Mix shortening, brown sugar, egg and molasses until fluffy.  Sift dry ingredients together; stir into molasses mixture.  Form dough into 1-inch balls.  Roll into sugar, place on pan, flatten slightly.  Bake approx. 10 minutes in 375 degree oven.  Makes 4 dozen.

Gingerbread Men (Domino Sugar recepie from circa 2003)
3/4 C brown sugar
1/2 C butter or margerine, softened
2 eggs
1/4 C molasses
3-1/4 C flour
1 tbsp ginger
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp each allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt

Sugar icing:
3/4 C plus 1 tbsp confectioner's sugar
1 tbsp milk
food coloring (optional)

Grease cookie sheets (I use spray on olive oil).  Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and molasses.  Stir together remaining ingredients in medium bowl.  Gradually add to sugar mix until well blended.  Refrigerate dough 30 mins. to an hour or until easy to handle (not sticky).  Preheat oven to 350.  On well-floured surface, roll out half of dough at a time to 1/8 inch thickness.  (I roll to 1/4" using dowels as rolling guides.  You can also buy guides that slip onto the rolling pin like rubber bands.)  Cut into desired shapes.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  Cool on rack.  Decorate with sugar icing as desired.  Makes about 24 5-inch cookies.

As a side note, I am thinking of trying the gingerbread men with the gingersnap spices.  Or just add a 1/2 tsp of ground clove to the mix and maybe another tsp of ginger.  It's not quite snappy enough for me. 

Tanning the Turkey

Ooookay.  Gonna have to try this one.  Directions, while self-evident, are also here at the original post.  Thanks to Get Sheila's blog for the tip.

By the way, if anyone tried that shrimp and corn soup, let me know how it turned out. 

It's the time of year for soups and stews to warm your innards, so I'm reposting this great soup recipe which was inspired by my trip to New Orleans this last Spring.  Easy and tasty.

Cajun Corn & Shrimp Soup

1lb. cooked, peeled shrimp. (Large is best)
2C corn (frozen, canned or fresh off the cob)
3 lg. cloves garlic, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp cajun seasoning (or to taste) [I use Tony Chachere's]
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 medium yukon gold potatoes, cubed
2-3 tbsp flour
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C butter
1 lg. sweet onion, chopped (vidalia, walla walla sweet, etc.)
2C heavy whipping cream (or you can use 1/2 and 1/2, just not the fat free kind)
cold water(approximately 2 cups)

Melt butter in heavy-bottomed pan, add onion, cook until clear. In separate pan, make roux by adding oil to flour in the pan and stirring until well browned. Add 1/4 tsp cajun seasoning to roux, then add roux to the cooked onions. Add potatoes to the onion and roux mix, then add just enough water to cover the potatoes. Simmer about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are soft. Add cream, corn, bell pepper, salt, pepper. Simmer 1/2 hour then add the cajun spice to taste, shrimp, and garlic. Simmer an additional 1/2 hour until the shrimp are cooked and soup is at the desired consistency. (Additional water may be added, if needed.)

Side note: According to the creole woman with whom I chatted about cooking, there is what they call the "Holy Trinity" of cooking in Louisiana: Garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Pretty much nothing seems to be cooked without it.