friendlychef

January 7, 2013March 7, 2021

Red Velvet Cherry Cake

Red velvet cherry cake is a combination of two of my favorites, red velvet cake and black forest cherry cake. All that red does seem to remind me of Valentine’s Day. So here goes.

First the cake. Set oven to 350 degrees

Grease and flour a 8″ square and a 8″ round cake pans.

for the cake you will need

2 1/4 cups of flour
2Tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt

put all five ingredients in a sifter and sift set aside.

in a 2 cup measuring cup place

1 cup buttermilk ( since I don’t use a lot of it I use the powdered version which works just fine).
2 Tbs red food coloring
1 Tsp distilled white vinegar
1 Tbs Real Vanilla Extract

set aside careful not to spill as this could be a real mess to clean up.

1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter softened
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 large eggs

place butter and sugar into mixer and cream well, then add one egg at a time and thoroughly mix after each addition.

Alternate dry and wet ingredients in to butter mixture in four additions of dry to 3 wet. then mix completely.

divided into equal parts in the two floured pans, don’t worry that it doesn’t look like a lot of batter in each pan the baking soda and powder will make it rise quite nicely.

Place in center of the oven and cook for about 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean in the center of each cake.When done place on rack and let cool slightly 5-10 minutes then turn out cakes on to rack and cool completely.

Next the filling.

2 15 oz. cans tart cherries drained

In a bowl drain the juice from one of the cans of cherries and to this add appox 4 Tbs Kirschwasser (cherry brandy) this step is optional.

Butter Cream Icing

1 cup (2 Sticks) butter
3 cups of Confectioners sugar
1Tbs Vanilla
2Tbs heavy cream, 1/2 & 1/2 . or milk
pinch of table salt

Once cakes have cooled cut in half

beat the butter until smooth, then add the sugar and with mixer on very slow at first combine butter and sugar, once combined add vanilla, cream and salt and mix until well blended and stiff. If too stiff add a little more cream and if too soft add a little more sugar.

with pastry brush dab juice and kirschwasser mixture on to insides of split cakes.

then cut round in half

place bottom of square and bottom of both halves of round on serving plate in shape of heart place a layer of icing over all and then arrange drained cherries over icing.

place other halves on top and make another recipe of butter cream and ice the cake and

decorate as you wish enjoy.

Here’s something that can make things easier in the kitchen!

Wilton Excelle Elite 10-Inch Heart Tart/Quiche Pan

Wilton Decorator Preferred 10-Inch Heart Shaped Cake Pan

Wilton 13 Inch Angled Spatula With Black Handle

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December 31, 2012November 29, 2015

World’s Best Bloody Mary

It’s New Years Eve a truly ridiculous holiday that we don’t acknowledge but we do occasionally celebrate New Years Day with a light brunch while watching the Rose Parade. And nothing says brunch better than a great Bloody Mary. The derivation of the name of the cocktail is very uncertain with at least three people claiming to have invented it, and the attribution to which “Mary” is even more uncertain. All the questions aside it is certainly a wonderful cocktail that goes very well at brunch.

Ingredients for Bloody Mary Mix

2 quarts Tomato juice
Juice of 2 lemons (about 4 ounces)
4 oz. A-1 sauce
4 oz. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp celery salt
2 Tbsp prepared Horseradish
2 Tbsp ground black pepper
5 dashes Tabasco

Directions for World’s Best Bloody Mary

Using a large or double old fashioned glass salt the rim, fill with ice and 1 1/2 oz Vodka. Fill glass with the mix and garnish with a stalk of celery or a jumbo shrimp.

If you feel the mix isn’t hot enough feel free to add more horseradish or Tabasco.

Here are a few items to help make this recipe:
Margarita/Cocktail Glass Rimmer
Marquis by Waterford Vintage Martini Pitcher with Stirrer
Libbey Crisa Impressions 12-Ounce Double Old Fashioned Glass, Box of 12, Clear

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Need a salt rimmer for your Bloody Mary’s and Margarita’s Margaritaville AD2000 Salt Rimmer and Lime Serving Set

December 29, 2012March 8, 2013

What to do with left overs

It’s always a question that keeps cooks going, What to do with the left overs. Finding interesting ways to re-serve a dish keeps the costs of your weekly food bill down. I’m always looking for ways to freshen up a main course. Today we’re looking at what to do with the left over Standing Rib Roast from that Christmas Dinner.

If you bought a roast with the bones attached or not doesn’t matter. Large portions of roast can be sliced thin served cold with horseradish sauce, Ribs can be heated slightly for a great snack. But I think a great way to reuse the roast is to create a very simple hash served with an over easy egg, simple and elegant way to use up the extra meat left over from that big holiday dinner.

You can do it by hand if you don’t have a meat grinder or a Kitchen Aid Mixer,with a grinder attachment,( for those who want to be serious about cooking a Kitchen Aid is a indispensable tool from a truly great company)

Take equal amount of meat, raw potato pass through the grinder on a medium cut and an equal amount of diced onion raw, salt and pepper. Mix well and in a frying pan with a little butter place a layer of the hash into the pan on medium heat and let cook for about 7 minutes then turn in pan and cook another 7 to 10 minutes until bottom is nicely browned and onions and potatoes are cooked. Place a portion on a plate and put a over easy egg on top. I like to serve with Ketchup.

Now for the rant. for many years I drove a semi around the country and the major truck stops have all gotten the idea of what an over easy egg is, wrong. They seem to think that over easy means under cooked and they serve them with the whites opaque and runny undercooked and a good way to get sick. Over easy is simple it means turned over easy so the yoke doesn’t break but the white is cooked through and the yolk warm and runny. Don’t forget to lightly salt and pepper both sides of the egg.

Hash and eggs is a great breakfast and a simple and tasty dinner easy to prepare and a great way to stretch the meat from that holiday dinner.

I’m always looking for new ideas so if you have one please feel free to share with me.