recipes – Page 5 – Mama's Gotta Bake (2024)

Posted: 01/31/2013 | Author: Mama's Gotta Bake | Filed under: recipes, side dish, Vegetables | Tags: broccoli, cauliflower, cooking, recipe, roasted vegetables, side dish | 9 Comments

Yes, Mama does like to bake. I know how I tell you all the time how I love to play gleefully in my kitchen with butter, flour and sugar. And how I take such pride in my cookies, cakes and other crumb-like creations that emanate from my oven. But, Mama’s not a one-trick pony you know. I’m well aware of the virtues of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Now that the holiday season is over and all the out-of-town guests have left, Mama’s getting back to the business of eating healthy. During the winter, when it’s even too cold in Los Angeles to use the outdoor grill, I love to roast my vegetables.

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower are a big hit at my dinner table. Roasting the vegetables at a high temperature causes the veggies to caramelize; this is when the acid in the vegetables breaks down and the sugar is released, bringing out their natural sweetness. Be careful though not to over bake the vegetables, because limp broccoli is a real dinner downer. When I pull the tray out of the oven, I use a metal spatula to scoop up all those tasty brown bits on the sheet pan because that’s where all the flavor is. It’s fresh, it’s simple and it just tastes darn good.

Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower

• 1 1/2 lb. broccoli, washed and cut in large chunks (leave about 1 1/2″ of stems)
• 1 1/2 lb. cauliflower, washed and cut into large chunks
• 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon, fresh ground pepper
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and place oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
2. Wash the broccoli and cauliflower under cool water and cut them into large chunks. Leave about 1 1/2″ of the stems on the broccoli. Dry with a paper towel.
3. Thinly slice the 4 cloves of garlic.
4. Place the broccoli, cauliflower and garlic onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle the vegetables and garlic with olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. With your hands, toss to evenly coat all the ingredients.
5. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife. Be careful not to over-bake the vegetables, you still want a little crunch in them. Halfway through baking, take the pan out and toss thevegetables so all sides will brown.
6. While the vegetables are baking, toast your pine nuts in a small frying pan (dry, no oil in the pan) over medium heat. Stir them constantly so they do not burn. This will only take a few minutes. When they start to caramelize, remove them from the heat and transfer to a small bowl.
7. When the veggies are done, transfer them to a serving bowl. Use a metal spatula to get all those little bits and pieces off the baking sheet because that stuff is full of flavor. Toss in the pine nuts. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top of the veggies and serve immediately.

Serves 6

Mama’s Tips:

To toast the pine nuts; place in a small frying pan (dry, no oil) over medium heat stirring constantly so the nuts do not burn. When they get a little golden brown in color, remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl.

When roasting the vegetables, spread them out in one layer on the baking sheet. Don’t crowd the vegetables or stack. Use two baking sheets if you need to, but you want all the vegetables exposed to the heat.

Recipe: Easy

Posted: 01/21/2013 | Author: Mama's Gotta Bake | Filed under: Bread, cakes, fruit, recipes | Tags: baking, bread, cake, orange, orange bread, orange walnut bread, recipe, walnut | 51 Comments

Today’s post is about a tea cake with tons of fresh citrus, sweet butter and eggs. But wait…there’s more! Act now, and you get the toasted walnuts and shiny orange glaze too. So, do I have your attention, sound good, huh?

Recently for reasons unknown to me, I decided that a 4pm each day, I was going to stop what I was doing and sit down and have a cup of tea. A quiet time to reflect on what I had accomplished in my day so far, and to contemplate what tasks were still on my agenda. It seemed so civilized to me. Certainly one couldn’t have tea without it being accompanied by a proper tea cake. One of my all-time favorites is this Orange Walnut Bread. It’s not overly sweet, and the bits of orange rind give it that fresh citrus-y flavor which compliments the earthy crunch of the toasted walnuts.

I really think that this new ritual of mine will help me to be more productive, or maybe I’m just kidding myself. Maybe it’s just another reason I’ve drummed up to eat more cake .

Orange Walnut Bread

• 4 ounces of unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• grated rind of 1 large orange or 2 small oranges
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted*
• Orange Syrup
• Orange Glaze

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. What I find that works best is to melt a little butter and using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter inside the pan in all the nooks and crannys. Then dust it with flour, shaking out all the excess.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the 3/4 cup sugar gradually, beating until light. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, and the grated orange rind.
3. In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry mixture to the batter alternately with 1/2 cup orange juice, beginning and ending with the flour. Gently mix in the walnuts. Transfer this mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.
4. Wash out your mixer bowl and dry completely. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them carefully into the batter.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, set on the middle rack and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until lightly golden and skewer inserted in center comes out clean.
6. While cake is baking make the syrup mixture. When cake is done, using a wooden skewer or toothpick, poke holes in the top of the cake and spoon the hot syrup over the bread. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Orange Syrup

• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup sugar

You’re going to stir together the sugar and juice in a small pan over a medium heat until it develops into a light syrup. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

Orange Glaze

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 3-4 tablespoons of fresh orange juice

Place these ingredients in a small bowl and whisk or stir with a fork until you achieve the desired consistency for the glaze. If you like a thicker glaze add more sugar, if you prefer a thinner glaze, add more orange juice.

Mama’s Tips:

*Toasting Nuts: I always like to toast nuts when I’m adding them to baked goods. Why, you ask? Toasting nuts releases their natural oils and gives them a deeper flavor. Toasting will make the nuts crispier too, giving your baked goods more texture. I place the nuts in a small frying pan over a medium heat. I constantly stir them with a wooden spoon because you don’t want them to burn. It takes about 6-8 minutes to toast them, you’ll start to notice a fragrant smell coming from them as they begin to toast.

Egg Whites: When beating egg whites, make sure there is no yolk in the whites or they will not become stiff. Also make sure your mixer bowl and utensils are completely clean and free of grease, butter or oil, as this will cause your egg whites not to become stiff also.

Recipe: Easy

Posted: 01/14/2013 | Author: Mama's Gotta Bake | Filed under: chocolate, cookies, desserts, recipes, snacks | Tags: baking, chocolate, chocolate pecan cookies, cookies, pecan, recipe | 34 Comments

What can I say, baking cookies never gets old for me. Yes, I’m at it again, yet another cookie recipe. People ask me all the time, “Sheryl, don’t you ever get tired of doing this?” No, no I don’t. While others are out in the world doing productive things with their lives, I prefer to remain at home in the privacy of my own kitchen measuring out flour and butter, rolling dough into cute little balls and watching them sprout into delectable little cookies.

I know, girl get a life. I do like to stand in front of the oven with the light on watching my dough balls morph into crispy, crunchy edible treats. It’s a harmless obsession really. These Chocolate Pecan Cookies are a particular favorite of mine as I like nothing more in life than chocolate and nuts, best combo ever since Kim and Kanye, am I right? As if these cookies are not already perfect enough, the chocolate drizzle on top is the icing on the cake, or the cookie…you know what I mean.

Chocolate Pecan Cookies

From Bon Appetit

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled
• 1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (I used half cup of each)
• 1/2 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Stir the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl until you achieve a smooth consistency. Next, stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Then add the nuts, stirring to incorporate. Transfer the mixture to a covered container and chill for at least four hours. You can make the dough a day ahead of time, and just keep it chilled in the refrigerator.
2. On baking day, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment. Measure 2 tablespoons of dough, roll it between your palms to form a ball. Place the ball on your prepared baking sheets. Using your fingers, spread out the dough into a 3-inch diameter disk. If it makes it easier for you; pre-draw 3-inch circles on your parchment paper. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, I placed my ball of dough in the center of the cutter and smushed it out inside the cutter to form a 3-inch disk. I fit 6 cookies on each baking pan.
3. Bake cookies about 10 minutes until flat and beginning to darken around the edges. Transfer the cookies on the parchment to a cooling rack.
4. To make my chocolate drizzle, I took about 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate (finely chopped) and about a teaspoon of Crisco and placed it in a bowl. I gently microwaved it at 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval until I got a drizzly consistency of chocolate. I placed my cookies on a cooling rack and then put paper towels underneath the cooling rack before I drizzled the cookies with the chocolate. Let the cookies stand for about 30 minutes until the chocolate sets.

Makes 16 – 3″ cookies.

Mama’s Tips:

One of my most useful kitchen accouterments is a cookie cutter set like this. For this particular recipe, I used the 3-inch cutter. I placed the cutter on the parchment covered cookie sheet, and then took my dough ball and pressed it into the cutter to achieve a uniform size for all my cookies. You always want your cookies to be the same size and thickness so that they will bake evenly for yummy results.

Recipe: Easy

Posted: 01/05/2013 | Author: Mama's Gotta Bake | Filed under: Bread, muffins, recipes, snacks | Tags: baked goods, baking, corn, corn muffins, muffins, recipe, snacks | 47 Comments

Southern Californians are a funny lot. No matter how cold it gets, and for the past two weeks it has been very cold, Southern Californians will wear shorts and flip-flops no matter what. I noticed this strange phenomenon yesterday as I was shopping at an outdoor mall. Me, bundled in a winter coat and scarf, and everyone else lollygagging about in their Tommy Bahama Hawaiian shirts and sundresses. I really admire their spirit, and for some folks it really is an endless summer. And why not. Maybe it’s the thin, east-coast blood that runs through my veins, but I was headed home to have a big bowl of chili and these homemade corn muffins. I was embracing the brisk winter weather with some down-home comfort food.

Anyway, son #1 had given me the Bouchon Bakery cookbook for a gift and I was anxious to try out some of the recipes. What I like most about the book is that it’s recipes are written in both cups and grams. As a gal whose obsession is baking, naturally I prefer gram measurements. Why, because baking is a science and grams are a precise measurement. When you weigh your ingredients your chances of a successful end product are almost guaranteed. Even if you’re just an occasional baker, I highly recommend you get yourself a digital food scale. You know I would never steer you wrong.

Thomas Keller explains in the book that the reason for allowing your batter to sit overnight is for the purpose of hydrating the flour. When the mixture absorbs the liquid ingredients, the result is a very moist corn muffin.

Corn Muffins

From Thomas Keller Bouchon Bakery

• 1 1/4 cups + 3 tablespoons (201 grams) all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (51 grams) cornmeal
• 2 1/2 teaspoons (12 grams) baking powder
• 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons (135 grams) sugar
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 2/3 cup (168 grams) whole milk
• 2 large eggs (90 grams)
• 1/4 cup + 2 1/2 tablespoons (90 grams) canola oil
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (72 grams) frozen corn kernels

* If you do not have a scale to weigh out the eggs, take your 2 large eggs and lightly beat them in a bowl and then remove about 1 teaspoon and that will be about 90 grams.

Directions

1. Place the flour in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sift in the cornmeal and baking powder. Add the sugar and salt and mix on the lowest setting for about 15 seconds to combine. Add the milk and eggs and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, just until combined. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the oil, then increase the speed to medium-low and mix for about 30 seconds to combine.
2. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate all the dry ingredients that may be stuck to the bottom. Fold in the corn. For best results, transfer the batter to a covered container and refrigerate overnight.
3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with liners. Lightly spray the liners with nonstick spray. Spoon the batter into the cups about 3/4 full.
4. Place the pan in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F, and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until muffins are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. When done, place the pan on a cooling rack and cool muffins completely.

Makes 12 standard size muffins

Recipe: Easy

Posted: 12/26/2012 | Author: Mama's Gotta Bake | Filed under: cookies, desserts, recipes | Tags: baked goods, baking, cookies, dessert, Linzer Cookies, recipe | 32 Comments

We here at Mama’s Gotta Bake just love our cookies. You notice how I said “we”, you know it’s really just me. I like to pretend there’s a group of us here so I can actually justify eating all these cookies. Anyway, “we” spent the entire month of December baking an obscene amount of goodies, but I decided that my last post of 2012 should be the Linzer Cookie.

For me, if there was ever cookie perfection, then the Linzer Cookie is it. They have a tender, nutty dough (check out those gorgeous flecks of nuts in the cookies below), a sweet preserve filling and they’re dusted ever-so-lightly with powdered sugar. Come on, you’re dying for one, admit it!

As we head into 2013, Mama’s Gotta Bake heads into year three, and I just wanted to thank all of you who have stopped by and read my posts. I appreciate your comments, and I can’t believe I get to connect with food lovers from all over the world. I wish everyone a peaceful and Happy New Year.

Mama’s Tips:

When you take your dough out of the refrigerator in preparation for baking, let it warm up for 5-10 minutes. Then, roll your dough out in between two pieces of parchment paper. At this point if the dough is too warm and sticking to the parchment, you won’t be able to cut clean edged shapes from it. Lay the dough in the parchment flat on a cookie sheet and return the dough to the refrigerator or freezer. When the dough is cold again you will easily be able to cut your shapes out.

Store the cookies in an airtight container in between layers of wax paper. They should last for 3-4 days. But they won’t last that long, trust me.

Recipe: Intermediate

Posted: 12/17/2012 | Author: Mama's Gotta Bake | Filed under: Appetizers, recipes, Vegetables | Tags: appetizer, cooking, mini appetizers, mini stuffed potatoes, party food, potatoes, recipe | 29 Comments

Many of you have approached me recently and said, “Mama, I’m having a holiday party and I need an idea for a tasty appetizer”. Well, I think I have just the thing for you if you want something with potatoes, bacon and cheese that will pop right into your mouth. You will be amazed at how much flavor is packed into this one bite. But actually, if you’re a bit more genteel, it will be two bites. But I digress.

When entertaining for the masses, I’m a gal who likes to do as much prep work in advance so I’m not so overwhelmed the day of the party. Mini Stuffed Potatoes are an appetizer you can prepare two days in advance. You can stuff the potatoes with the mixture, and then wrap them in plastic and place in the refrigerator. An hour or so before you’re ready to serve them, let the potatoes sit out on the counter to come to room temperature. Next, sprinkle them with the cheese and place them in a 425 degree F oven for about ten minutes until they are heated through and browned on the top. It’s quite the festive treat.

This holiday season my friends, hold your loved one’s very close. Mama wishes you all the best for the New Year.

Mini Stuffed Potatoes

From Fine Cooking

• 24 baby Yukon Gold or red potatoes, each about 2 inches across (2 to 2-1/4 lb.)
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 oz. bacon (about 3 thick slices), cooked until crispy and crumbled
• 6 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh chives
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 450°F. Place the potatoes in a medium sized bowl and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. of the thyme, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and toss again. Transfer the potatoes to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the potatoes until they feel perfectly tender when pierced with a skewer, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
2. Carefully hollow out each potato: Decide which is the flatest surface of the potato to give it the most stability, then begin by slicing off the top; use a small spoon (I had a tiny mini spoon that worked great)or a melon baller to scoop out most of the flesh inside, transferring it to a medium bowl. Discard the tops. Mash the potato flesh with a masher or a fork, then combine it with the bacon, 1/4 cup of the chives, the sour cream, the remaining 1tsp. thyme, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
3. I used my fingers to fill the hollowed potatoes with this mixture; it should mound a bit. Sprinkle on the cheese.
4. Return the potatoes to the 450°F oven and bake until the filling heats through, 8 to 10minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining chives and serve warm.

Recipe: Intermediate

P.S. For another tasty holiday appetizer, click here to view the recipe for Curried Scallop Cakes.

Posted: 12/03/2012 | Author: Mama's Gotta Bake | Filed under: chocolate, desserts, doughnuts, recipes | Tags: baking, chocolate, chocolate doughnuts, doughnuts, recipe | 45 Comments

I guess this recipe is going out to all the chocolate lovers out there. Those of us who openly and freely admit that we love chocolate. I was having a real hankering the other day for something chocolatey, and so I took out the doughnut pans and decided, why not make these baked Chocolate Doughnuts with a Chocolate Glaze.

In retrospect, these may have even been a bit too chocolatey even for me. Next time I may douse them in a vanilla glaze, or simply just dust them with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Nonetheless these were still delicious, and extremely easy to make. You will however need a standard sized doughnut pan to accomplish the task. I found mine at my local baking supply store, but you can also easily find them online was well. I won’t try to con you into thinking these are not highly caloric, but the upside is that these are baked and not fried, so that’s a good thing, right?

The secret ingredient here is the espresso powder, as it really enhances the chocolate flavor. But, if you don’t have access to it, don’t worry, they will still taste amazing. And then, bring out your array of sprinkles and jimmies because that’s the best part of this entire process. Really, who doesn’t like jimmies!

Chocolate Doughnuts

From King Arthur Flour

• 2/3 cup good quality cocoa powder
  
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• 2 teaspoons vinegar, white or cider
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) melted butter or 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Chocolate Glaze

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 6 tablespoons half & half or cream (light or heavy)

Makes 18 doughnuts

Mama’s Tips

Let your doughnuts cool completely before you cover them in the glaze.

Store doughnuts in an airtight container, and they should last for three days…if you don’t finish them first.

Recipe: Easy

Posted: 11/26/2012 | Author: Mama's Gotta Bake | Filed under: cookies, desserts, recipes | Tags: baking, cookies, holiday baking, molasses, molasses cookies, recipe | 42 Comments

I know I told myself that right after Thanksgiving I would go back on Weight Watchers. That I would start lifting those weights I have a sitting in the corner of my bedroom. That I would walk my dog Jimi everyday for an hour, and that I would get in my car and go to the gym and pretend to sweat. But who am I kidding. The first free day that I get when I can actually implement these new policies and what do I do instead. Bake cookies. I just couldn’t help it. The lure of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and molasses was just too strong for me to resist. It was calling to me. And I answered. HELLO COOKIES!

These Molasses Cookies are a real family favorite. I seriously can’t keep them in stock. I made them on Friday, and they were gone by Saturday. And no, I didn’t eat them all. I shared. They’re very easy to make actually, as you mix them up in just one pot. Yes a pot! This sinfully chewy cookie just oozes rich molasses flavor and spices. I can assure you, these will become one of your family favorites also.

Okay, so I’m off to the gym now, see ya.

Molasses Cookies

From Great Cookies by Carole Walter

• 1 1/2 sticks, unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, plus more for rolling cookies in
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 1 large egg

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a 3 quart, heavy saucepan over low heat.
2. Strain together three times the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves and then set it aside.
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, molasses, and egg into the butter, mixing until smooth. Add the dry ingredients, one-half at a time, and blend well. Put the dough in a large plastic freezer bag, or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.
5. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls or you can use a ice cream scoop to form the balls. Place some sugar in a shallow bowl, and roll the dough balls in the sugar to coat them. Place the balls on the prepared cookie sheets 2 inches apart from one another as they will spread.
6. Bake the cookies for 8-12 minutes until the tops begin to crack. Remove from the oven and leave them on the cookie sheets for three minutes and then remove the cookies with a thin metal spatula to cool on a rack.

Makes 24 cookies

Mamas Tips

These cookies freeze really well. You can store them in an airtight container, just layer the cookies with wax paper in between and they should last up to 3 weeks.

All cookies need to be the same size so that they will bake evenly. To insure that all your cookies will be the same size, use an ice cream scoop.

If your shipping your homemade cookies for the holidays, these ship extremely well.

Recipe: Easy

Posted: 11/20/2012 | Author: Mama's Gotta Bake | Filed under: Appetizers, recipes, side dish, snacks, Vegetables | Tags: Appetizers, cooking, healthy snack, recipe, vegetarian, zucchini, zucchini fries | 31 Comments

So, I’ve told you that son #1 is a professional chef, and the guy works all the time. Being in the restaurant business he never has a weekend off, and I suppose that just goes with the territory. Lucky for him he really loves his job. He did however have off the other day and decided to invite his buddies over to watch some football. They were just going to order some pizzas and drink beer, typical guy stuff. Now me, being the hovering mother that I am, felt it necessary to offer these guys a healthy snack. They’re grown men actually, and I probably should have just minded my own business, but I just couldn’t help myself.

I decided to make these zucchini fries for them. I think they’re the perfect snack for sitting around and watching football, all crispy and crunchy. It was just kind of funny when I walked into the family room holding a tray of these and said”hey guys, how about some zucchini!”, they all just looked up at me with this look on their faces like, yay, zucchini…

However, when I returned about an hour later, the tray was empty. Mom’s always right. I’m just sayin’…

Zucchini Fries

from Oprah.com

• 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, trimmed
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups panko or plain breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange the oven racks in the lower third and center of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the zucchini into french fry size sticks about 3″ long.
2. Arrange 3 shallow bowls or pie plates in a row. In the first bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. In the second bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. In the third bowl, combine the panko, parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
3. Working in batches, first dip the zucchini in the flour, shaking of the excess. Transfer to the egg mixture and toss until coated. Let the excess egg run off, then coat the zucchini in the panko mixture.
4. Arrange zucchini, without crowding, in a single layer on the prepared pans. Bake for 15 minutes and then rotate the pans. Continue baking until panko coating is golden and crisp, 7-12 minutes more.
5. Serve right from the oven.

Recipe: Easy

Posted: 11/16/2012 | Author: Mama's Gotta Bake | Filed under: cakes, desserts, Lemon, recipes | Tags: baking, cake, cranberry lemon bundt cake, recipe, Thanksgiving dessert | 29 Comments

I had neglected the blog recently as my attention had been directed elsewhere in the past few weeks. I have just returned from a trip back east where I attended my high school reunion, and boy, was it a good time. The last time I saw many of these folks they were 17 years old. It was actually kind of sweet how many of the guys were whipping out their iPhones and showing me pictures of their grand-children. Everybody was there; the captain of the cheerleaders, the homecoming queen, the jocks, the potheads, all just a little bit older and a little bit grayer (if that’s even a word). So, now the party’s over and it’s time for me to get back to my real mission in life, and that’s cake.

Today was one of those rare days in Los Angeles where it was cold and cloudy and actually raining. It was the perfect day to put on the thick fuzzy socks, a heavy sweatshirt and break out the KitchenAid and just bake. And did we ever have a good time, me and the KitchenAid that is. When November rolls around I like to make things with cranberries. Personally I think that they’re a terribly underrated fruit, but they really shine in this Cranberry Lemon Bundt Cake. If you’re looking for a good cake to bring to a Thanksgiving dinner, this one would be a winner.

P.S. And I just want to give a little shout out to Mindy and Greg for reading the blog. Thanks!

Cranberry Lemon Bundt Cake

From Williams Sonoma

• Unsalted butter for greasing pan, plus 12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3 cups fresh cranberries, about 12 oz.
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 lemons
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more as needed

Directions:

Mama’s Tips:

I would suggest that you invest in a silicone bundt pan. My experience with metallic bundt pans is that often, the cake can get stuck in the crevices of the pan even when properly buttered and floured. When I use the silicone pan the cake always relases perfectly.

Recipe: Easy