​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’? Tomorrow is National Peanut Butter Day, so we thought we’d celebrate it with a Giant Peanut Butter Cup Pie recipe!

Many, many people think that there is no candy bar better than a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. It’s a confection consisting of a chocolate cup filled with peanut butter, marketed by The Hershey Company. They were created on November 15, 1928, by H. B. Reese, a former dairy farmer and shipping foreman for Milton S. Hershey.

H.B. Reese was running the Hershey Dairy test which was not successful. Reluctantly, Milton Hershey discharged Reese and wished him the best of luck in his next venture. In 1923, The H.B. Reese Candy Company was established in the basement of Reese's home in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Reese, as a past Hershey’s employee, always used Hershey Chocolate in his confections.  Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were his most popular candy; eventually he discontinued his other lines of confections.

H. B. Reese died on May 16, 1956, passing the company to his six sons. In 1963, the Reese brothers merged the H.B. Reese Candy Company with the Hershey Chocolate Corporation. The Reese brothers' original 666,316 shares of Hershey common stock represented 16 million Hershey shares valued at over $2.8 billion that paid annual cash dividends of $57.6 million. In 1969, only six years after the Reese/Hershey merger, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups became The Hershey Company's top seller.

According to 2021 IRI data, with $671.1 million in sales, Reese's is the largest confection brand, followed by M&M’s ($568.4m), Snickers ($423.7m), Hershey’s ($378.7m) and Kit Kat ($294.9m).
In 2021, Hershey’s unveiled its largest Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. The “Thanksgiving Pie” as it was called, was nine inches in diameter, weighed in at 3.4 pounds and had a price tag of $44.99. In just hours, all 3,000 units sold out!

This Giant Peanut Butter Cup pie will be a little smaller by comparison but certainly as delicious!
 
Ingredients 
5-ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 16-ounce jar smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
 
Directions

1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in a glass Pyrex cup. To avoid scorching the chocolate use short bursts of about 15-20 seconds each, stirring the chocolate before the next burst.
2. Poured about 1/4 cup of the melted chocolate in the bottom of a metal pie or tart pan, then freeze it for five minutes.
3. Repeated the chocolate process with more chocolate to get a nice thick chocolate bottom shell, reserving some chocolate for the top of the pie.
4. Spoon a whole jar of peanut butter into a saucepan and add the almond milk, canola oil and powdered sugar. Stir over medium heat until the peanut butter becomes soft and workable.
5. Poured the peanut butter filling into the frozen chocolate shell, spreading it evenly throughout. Freeze it again to help keep the filling and chocolate coating from combining.
6. Remelt the remaining chocolate and pour the rest of the chocolate on top of the peanut butter layer, evenly smoothing it out. Put it back into the freezer for the last time.
7. Fifteen minutes later, the pie will look every bit as good as the Reese's version.

ChefSecret: When ready to serve, cut the pie with a warm, dry knife so it will easily slice through the thick chocolate.

Quip of the Day: “There's no metaphysics on earth quite like chocolate.”
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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.

#Desserts #NationalPeanutButterDay #NationalPeanutBoard #NPB #Reeses #Hersheys #SemiSweetChocolate #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’? In 1951, Brennan’s Restaurant on Bourbon Street was getting rave reviews.  Owen Brennan asked his sister Ella to come up with a fancy new dessert for a dinner honoring Richard Foster for being named chairman of the New Orleans Crime Commission.
 
An already-overworked Ella Brennan gathered her chef, Paul Blange, and headwaiter in the kitchen to help her dream up the new dessert. Scanning the kitchen and spying bananas, she thought of a simple dessert her mother had made by splitting bananas and sauteing the halves with butter and brown sugar. To jazz it up, they poured rum and banana liqueur on top, setting the mixture on fire at tableside, tossing in cinnamon to make it sparkle and serving the concoction over vanilla ice cream. And that’s how the classic Bananas Foster was born. I jazzed it up a bit by cooking sliced bananas and walnuts in a buttery rum sauce and serving it over waffles with vanilla ice cream. My version of Bananas Foster is a Christmas morning (or the day after) favorite we all love! Splurge… Add a touch of whipped cream on the top!
 
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield:  6 to 8 servings
 
Ingredients 
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
3-1/2 tablespoons rum
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise and crosswise
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
Waffles (see recipe below)
1 pint vanilla ice cream (for this recipe I used Signature brand French vanilla)
 
Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
2. Stir in brown sugar, rum, vanilla and cinnamon; bring to a low boil.
3. Place the bananas and nuts in the pan. Cook until bananas have softened, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Serve at once over hot, just-made waffles topped with a scoop of ice cream.

​ChefSecret:  You can use any good quality frozen waffles for this recipe or you can dig out Aunt Ethel’s old Sunbeam waffle iron and whip up some homemade beauties. You’ll make her proud.
 
                          Quick & Easy, Great-Tasting Homemade Waffles
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  3 to 5 minutes per waffle
Yield:  8 to 10 thin waffles
 
Ingredients 
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
nonstick cooking spray as needed
 
Directions

1. Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
2. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Add the flour, milk and melted butter and mix to combine.
4. Whisk in the sugar, then mix in baking powder, salt, and vanilla just until smooth, being careful not to overmix.
5. Spray the preheated waffle iron with nonstick spray.
6. Pour the batter onto the hot waffle iron and cook until golden brown and the iron stops steaming; about 3 to 5 minutes.

Note:  Preheat an oven to 200⁰ F to keep waffles warm until ready to serve.

Quip of the Day:  Holidays are for giving gifts, sleeping in and making waffles.
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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.

#Breakfast #Waffles #BananasFoster #BrennansRestaurant #EllaBrennan #Bananas #IceCream #Rum #Christmas #Holidays2022 #HolidayRecipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup
 
                                                  ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

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.
-------------------------------------------
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