Butter Cake

Butter Cake


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Madagascar Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/2 cup of milk


Directions:

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
 Lightly spray square 8 inch baking pan with nonstick spray
 Dust the bottom with flour to make sure it doesn’t stick
 Mix together the flour, salt, ground cinnamon, and baking powder into a bowl and set aside
 Using the creaming method add the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar into a mixer and blend until it has fully incorporated itself into the butter
 Add 1 egg at a time and mix
 Once all the eggs are added add the vanilla extract and blend
 Alternatively add milk then flour only until it has been mixed throughout
 Mixing too much will cause gluten to develop and a denser cake to form
 Turn off mixer and pour into the cake pan
 Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes or until the cake can spring back when touched


*For the decoration of the cake I found that the Wilton website gives me ideas and very useful tips on what to use and do for my cakes.*

Baked Stuffed Apples


Ingredients:

• 5 red apples
• 4.25 ounce container of mixed dried fruit
• 3 ounces almonds chopped
• 3 ounces walnuts chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground Madagascar vanilla
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• 1 cup of apple cider
• 1 lemon


Directions:

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees farenheit
 Slice lemon into quarters and squeeze into a medium sized bowl and fill halway with water
 Core apples almost to the bottom and slice them 3/4 of the way down 4 times
 Put into the lemon water bowl so help prevent browning
 Into a bowl add the dried fruit and nuts and mix together
 Add the nutmeg, ground vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter into a bowl and blend together until evenly mixed
 Add the butter mixture into the dried fruit mixture and with your hands mix
 Drain the apples and pack with the filling
 Place into a glass casserole dish standing up and pour the apple cider into the bottom of the dish around the apples
 Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 30 minutes
 If you want a crunchy bite in the apple only cook for 20 minutes.

Brodetto (Italian Seafood Stew)


Ingredients:

• 2 sauté cut large onions
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 cans diced tomatoes with juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 1/2 cups white wine (dry)
• 2, 1/2 pound packages frozen assorted seafood (includes: shrimp, octopus, calamari, mussels, etc)
• 1, 12 ounce package frozen fillets of fish

Garnish Ideas:

• Slice a French roll and add fresh grated parmesan on top and bake in oven to melt the cheese and place 1 on top of each bowl of brodetto


Directions:

 Take frozen seafood out of freezer
 Add oil and cut onions into a large sauce pan and sauté until golden brown
 Add garlic and lemon zest and cook for another minute
 Add tomatoes and the juice from the cans and cook on medium heat
 Add salt and pepper to your liking
 Pour in the white wine and bring to a boil and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the alcohol taste has gone away
 Reduce heat to simmer and add the 2 packages of assorted seafood
 Cook for 5 minutes
 While cooking cut the fish fillets into small bite sized pieces
 Add the fish into the stew and let cook for another 20 minutes or until the seafood has been cooked fully.
 Enjoy