Wednesday, October 29, 2008

STRAWBERRY CAKE




I have been searching for weeks for a good strawberry cake recipe but the overwhelming majority called for cake mixes. Finally, found a recipe which I adapted and modified into a pretty winning recipe.

For the Cake:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 pkg. strawberry gelatin
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen strawberries, thawed

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour, put down parchment paper onto greased bottom and then grease the top of the parchment paper into two 8 inch round cake pans.
Whisk together flour, salt, and soda. Set aside.
Beat eggs in large mixing bowl.
Add oil, sugar, gelatin, and buttermilk - stir vigorously until well-blended.
Add flour mixture and blend well.
Process strawberries in food processor. Reserve 1/4 cup for the frosting.
Fold remaining berries into batter well.
Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven. Turn out of pans onto rack and cool completely
Frost with strawberry and cream cheese icing

ICING:

1 stick of butter, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup pureed strawberries
1 box powdered sugar (1 lb.)
Combine all ingredients. Beat until creamy.

Recently, we went to San Diego to visit our children. Here is my son and I at the Light House at Cabrillo National Park I would highly recommend anyone visiting San Diego to visit this National Monument. It is lovely.





Wednesday, October 1, 2008

THE JEWISH NEW YEAR


October 1, 2008

In celebration of the Jewish New Year, I made a delicious Challuh (silent C). I had numerous recipes and they all looked delicious but I used the one that called for ingredients that I already had (poppy seeds or sesame seed optional). Lots of raising time but fit in my schedule.

The recipe is from Julia Child's Baking Book and is very easy to make. I did the egg wash on the top which is a first for me because I am sooo afraid of eggs.

Anyway, my new knitting project is the scarf by the Baking with Julia book.



MERCI SCARF

Use Fine Merino yarn, enough for the size you need or want

I used US size 8 needles over 35 stitches

Row 1: *k3,p1*, rep betwn * * to last 3 sts, k3
Row 2: k1, p1, *k3,p1* rep betw * * to last st, kl


Happy Jewish New Year!