​How you doin’? Why in the world would anybody want to use a shelf-stable, store-bought cake mix?... it doesn’t make sense in most instances. This is especially true when you can make a better cake at less expense that takes about the same amount of time to make. Try my Never-Use-A-Cake-Mix-Again, Dark Chocolate Cake and be rewarded with nothing but compliments. After all people were making chocolate cakes 2-1/2 centuries ago without using a convenience mix.
 
The history of chocolate cake is not in dispute. It goes back to 1764, when Dr. James Baker discovered how to make chocolate by grinding cocoa beans between two massive circular millstone rollers. In 1828, Coenraad van Houten of the Netherlands developed a mechanical extraction method for extracting the fat from cacao liquor (mass) resulting in cacao butter (fat) and the partly defatted cocoa, a compacted mass of solids that could be sold as it was "rock cacao" or ground into powder. This process transformed chocolate from an exclusive luxury to an inexpensive daily snack.
 
Until 1890 to 1900, chocolate recipes were mostly for chocolate drinks and its presence in cakes was only in fillings and glazes. In 1886, American cooks began adding cocoa to the cake batter, to make the first chocolate cakes in the US.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Bake time:  25 to 30 minutes
Cool time:  30 minutes
Yield:  3 9-inch round cake pans
 
Ingredients 
Butter to prepare the baking pans
1-3/4 cups boiling water
1/4 cup hot coffee
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting the baking pans
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2-1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Butter and dust 3 9-inch round cake pans. Dust with a little cocoa powder so as not to have white streaks on the edges of the cake layers.
3. In a medium bowl, pour the boiling water and coffee over the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Let cocoa mixture cool.
4. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
5. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
6. Beat in the eggs one at time.
7. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.
8. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture.
9. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.
10. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
11. Allow to cool.
12. Decorate with the frosting of your choice.

ChefSecret:  Butter the pans and dust with cocoa powder to get a more intense flavor and darker cake edges that are not white streaked. I like to freeze the layers before decorating so the cake layers don’t crumble. I also soak the layers with simple syrup to keep them moist and help them last longer.

Quip of the Day: “During the last year I’ve learned, when you’re dead you’re dead. The pain is only
felt by others. The same happens with stupid.”
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Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. 

#Baking #Desserts #DarkChocolateCake #CocoaPowder #Covid19 #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  

                                                                        ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

How you doin’? There was a time, right here in the United States, when the most popular person on a school campus was the old reliable cafeteria lady. They knew all the secret recipes that made school happy times—mac and cheese, cinnamon rolls, sheet tray pizza and old fashioned crumb cake which was the most popular BHSD Crumb Cake. In fact, in those days, she might even be ready and willing to help you make it.
 
Apparently, this very recipe has been rocking local cafeteria trays since 1954, so if you went to public school, chances are you probably have fond memories of it. This was a time when the federal government gave away surplus commodities to public schools like flour, vegetable oil and cheese.
 
In my recipe of in-home pantry ingredients, the combination of vegetable oil, buttermilk and egg gives this cake a super moist and fluffy crumb. Add handfuls of brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon (what could go wrong?), and the flavor is reminiscent of grandma’s spice cake.
 
We love its simple, cozy warmth and light, crumbly streusel topping. It’s one of those recipes that works for all meals, from brunch to dinner and afternoon snacks, too. My crumb cake recipe comes together with a handful of steps and a little bit of whisking. Oh yes, and definitely pair this one with a great big glass of milk!
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  30 to 40 minutes
Yield:  12 servings
 
Ingredients
Cooking spray (I prefer Pam)
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
 
Directions
1.    Preheat an oven to 375°.
2.    Spray a 9”x 13” baking pan with cooking spray.
3.    In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, kosher salt and nutmeg until smooth.
4.    Fold in the vegetable oil to create an evenly hydrated, crumbly mixture.
5.    Transfer a packed 1/2 cup of the cake mixture to a small bowl, stir in 1 tablespoon cinnamon and set aside for the topping.
6.    In a separate small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon, baking soda, egg and buttermilk, and blend well.
7.    Fold the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture just until smooth. Be careful to not overmix.
8.    Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan.
9.    Evenly sprinkle the reserved topping over the cake. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
10.Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

ChefSecret:  Our professional advice would be to exercise caution on step #6, when you mix in the buttermilk. If you over-whisk, the cake will get a bit rubbery.

Quip of the Day:  Trust the science. Studies show that if your parents didn’t have children there’s a high probability you won’t either.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross.

#Baking #CrumbCake #BeverlyHillsSchoolDistrict #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup
 
                                                                         ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

How you doin’? I recently posted some recipes that are great to give as Christmas gifts.  As I was going through Perspectives’ first holiday cookbook, I rediscovered a favorite of mine that is wonderful to eat but also a terrific hostess/host gift—Phil’s Mom’s Holiday Stollen. 

Who is Phil? Phil is a young man that we hired right out of college and one of our favorite culinarians we raised from a young pup. Phil later became the head of our brand new test kitchens and producer of The Food Show (on ABC). It was a sad day for us when Phil decided to leave us and take over a family business, Daffy Apple, but we wished him well.

He told us the story of his mom’s Baked Stollen—"It was only a few years back when my mom first decided to bake stollen for Christmas morning. Traditionally, she baked her signature coffee cake after we emptied our stockings, but with a house filled with more holiday guests than usual, she decided to expand the morning menu.”

“I can still remember her kneading the dough on the 23rd, and when I later walked past the countertop, I encountered the most supple, glistening dome of dough I had ever seen. I didn’t know what to expect, as the dried and candied fruit seemed reminiscent of a fruit cake. But after my first warm bite, it was clear: This incredible bread is nowhere near a fruit cake or an angel food cake. It’s nothing short of a powdered-sugar-coated piece of heaven.”

Since then, our test kitchen chefs have become obsessed with trying all different types of stollen inspired by Phil’s Mom’s. They’ve baked up stollens with a marzipan rope and without; folded by hand or baked in a stollen bread pan. We’ve done deep dives on the internet with dreams of someday attending the annual Stollen Festival in Dresden, Germany.

This bread immediately became a holiday tradition in my home. As I write this blog I’m fantasizing and looking forward to kneading that gorgeous bread dough and smelling that sweet aroma filling my new kitchen. I hope this recipe can find its way into your new holiday traditions for your family as well.

I am often asked, Is Stollen the Same as Fruitcake? While stollen is made with candied fruit and nuts, it is a yeast bread, not a fruit cake. In fact, if you are someone who doesn’t like fruit cake, do not fret and don’t shy away from a slice of stollen. After the first bite you will be convinced this Christmas treat is a category all its own!

A stollen that has been wrapped in plastic wrap will keep at room temperature for up to one week (if not devoured first), and slices can be revived quickly in the microwave. When wrapped airtight, it can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw completely and dust with additional powdered sugar before serving. It can also be toasted and buttered as a breakfast treat.

I classify stollen as a rich and delicious yeast-raised bread. Since it is filled with nuts, dried fruit and a hearty amount of butter, it is understandable that this bread can be confused for a cake—especially because it is typically topped with a blanket of powdered sugar.

Prep time: 30-45 minutes
Proof time:  1-1/2 to 2 hours
Bake time:  35 to 45 minutes (depending on the oven)
Yield: 8 Loaves
 
Ingredients
1 pound margarine
1 quart scalded whole milk
1 pound granulated sugar
2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 large room temperature eggs
1 teaspoon ground cardamon
8 packages of powdered yeast (I prefer Fleishman’s)
1/2 cup lukewarm water
4 pounds all-purpose flour
1 pound currants
1 pound raisins
1/2 pound mixed citron or candied fruit
1/2 cup blanched chopped almonds
 
Directions

1. In a large sauce pan melt the margarine and add the hot milk, sugar and salt.
2. Let mixture cool to room temperature.
3. Beat the eggs together and add to the margarine mixture along with the cardamon. 
4. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water.
5. Blend a 1/2 cup of flour into the margarine mixture. 
6. Blend in the yeast mixture, a little at a time, mixing well.
7. Add and blend in all but 1/2 cup of the flour.
8. Mix in the currants, raisins, citron and almonds. 
9. Add in the last 1/2 cup of flour and mix well.
10. Cover the dough and set it in a warm, draft-free place to let it rise until it doubles in size. 
11. Punch the dough down.
12. Divide the dough into eight round loaves and place on greased sheet pans (2 loaves per pan), well apart to allow for spreading. 
13. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rise until almost doubled in size.
14. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for approximately 35 to 45 minutes or until fully raised and lightly browned.

ChefSecret:   very seldom bake with margarine, but Phil’s mom says this is what she has always done—that’s good enough for me. So, we will just keep it original as can be.

Quip of the Day: It’s time to bake the world a better place!
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross.

#Baking #PhilsMomsStollen #ChristmasStollen #Fruitcake #Christmas #Holidays2022 #HolidayRecipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup
 
                                                                     ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

How you doin’? Don’t be naughty by leaving Santa some stale old cookies by the fire place this year; be nice and leave him a large square piece of Granny’s favorite Gingerbread Cake. You can't beat a good Gingerbread Cake recipe and this one is one of the best. Our West End Bistro’s pastry chef created this recipe just for the month before Christmas.
 
It's perfection when served warm and topped with fresh sweetened whipped cream, crème anglaise or vanilla ice cream. You don’t have to wait for Christmas… it is a quick snack whenever the weather turns cold. It is so easy to make and really has the best flavor. Make two and bring one to a friend.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  30 to 60 minutes
Cool time:  20 minutes
Yield:  9-12 servings
 
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted, softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot water
 
Directions

1. Pre-heat an oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.
3. Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy.
4. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Mix in the egg and then mix in molasses until smooth.
6. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt into a large bowl.
7. Gradually add dry ingredients to the molasses mixture, mixing after each addition until incorporated.
8. Mix in the water until smooth.
9. Pour the gingerbread cake batter into the prepared pan.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. If it does, remove the cake from the oven; if not, bake 15 to 30 more minutes, checking often for doneness.
11. Allow gingerbread to cool in the pan before cutting and serving.

 
The original recipe called for 1 hour of bake time. Reviewers had different results, with some cakes being done after 30 or 45 minutes. The recipe has been updated to reflect a bake time of 30 to 60 minutes.

ChefSecret:  Sometimes when I’m pressed for time, I make a cheater crème anglaise by taking a scoop of French vanilla ice cream and melting it in the microwave oven for about 30 seconds or so—just until pourable.

​Quip of the Day: How do you make a gingerbread man’s bed? “With a cookie sheet.”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. 

#Baking #Gingerbread #GingerbreadCake #CremeAnglaise #Holidays2022 #HolidayRecipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                                                         ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

ow you doin’? The cinnamony aroma of fresh-baked Sticky Buns… there’s nothing quite like it. It’s the perfect mood-setter for Holiday mornings or evenings.
 
 Ooey, gooey, buttery and sweet these Sticky Buns are best eaten fresh from the oven. Sticky buns consist of rolled pieces of yeast leavened dough, filled with sugars, nuts and cinnamon. They can be served as a dessert or breakfast sweet roll (or for any reason whatsoever).
 
They are set on a bed of what will become the “sticky” stuff—you can use ingredients, such as brown sugar, honey (or both), as well as nuts and raisins and perhaps more sugar and lot of butter.
 
After the Sticky Buns are baked, they are inverted so that the pan lining becomes the sticky topping. The way the buns are cut and baked allows them to be pulled apart as individual servings, although it is often a futile effort—so you might have to just eat 1-1/2 buns (oh darn!).
 
But where did they originally come from? Sticky Buns were originally seen during the Middle Ages—the dawn of oceanic travel—at which time cinnamon became most prominent. Sticky Buns have a Germanic origin and were originally known as "Schnecken." The Pennsylvania Dutch introduced Schnecken to the United States in the 18th-century where they settled. Sticky Buns have endured long after many other national, religious and cultural traits have disappeared.  Long live Sticky Buns!
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Proof time:  1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours (includes first and second proof)
Bake time:  20 to 25 minutes
Yield:  12 Sticky Buns
 
Ingredients
for the dough
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/8 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
1 large egg
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or more as required
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 
for the caramel topping
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1-1/2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup pecan halves
 
Directions

1. Pour the room temperature milk into a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Heat just until a skin starts to form on the top.
2. Then remove from the stove and stir in salt and 1/4 cup unsalted butter. Allow to cool to lukewarm.
3. Place 1/8 cup of warm water in a small bowl. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
4. Sprinkle yeast over the surface and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. If the mixture doesn’t foam, your yeast isn’t fresh.
5. In a large bowl, stir together the cooled milk mixture and the yeast for 2 minutes using an electric mixer on medium speed.
6. Add the egg and mix well.
7. Using a large wooden spoon, stir in the flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition until the mixture forms a dough.
8. Knead on a floured surface, adding more flour, if necessary, until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
9. Place the dough ball in a butter-coated bowl and turn once to coat the top.
10. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
11. When the dough ball has doubled, punch it down and let it rest on the counter while you prepare the caramel topping.
12. In a medium bowl, mix the corn syrup, 1-1/2 tablespoons of water, 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter and brown sugar until smooth.
13. Spread an even layer onto the bottom of a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.
14. Place pecan halves upside down in rows over the sugar mixture. Set aside.
15. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to a 9 x 12-inch rectangle and spread with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter.
16. Mix together 1/4 cup of sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle over the unsalted butter.
17. Roll the dough up starting at the long end to form a log. Pinch the seam together on the bottom to seal.
18. Cut the buns into 1 inch rounds. Place the rounds into the prepared baking dish atop the pecans.
19. Preheat the oven to 350⁰ F.
20. Set the buns in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 30 to 45 minutes.
21. Bake rolls for 20 to 25 minutes in the oven, until golden brown.
22. Being very careful not to burn yourself with hot sugar, invert the baking pan onto a cutting board or a clean cookie sheet while still warm so the caramel topping is on top. Scrape-up and patch any ingredients that stuck to the pan.
23. Serve warm.

ChefSecret:  If your yeast doesn’t start to foam and activate within 5 to 10 minutes—start over with fresh yeast.

Quip of the Day: A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day—30,000 to a man's 15,000. The wife replied, "The reason must be because we must repeat everything to men." The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. 

#Baking #PecanStickyBuns #Pecans #Yeast #Schnecken #Christmas #Holidays2022 #HolidayRecipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                                  ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022