Read Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Cookbook Online
Authors: Debbie Macomber
Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Cookbook (23 page)
D
ark, moist and spicy, this cake makes a dazzling dessert for a holiday party. Since the cake is sturdy enough to transport, volunteer to bring it to your next winter gathering. And prepare to receive compliments!
Makes 12 servings
CAKE
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups molasses
1 cup boiling water
GLAZE
1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more as needed
½ cup chopped crystallized ginger
1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a large (10-cup) tube pan; lightly dust with flour.
2.
For batter: In a large bowl, whisk flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and salt until combined. In a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add eggs; beat until combined. Pour in molasses and boiling water; beat until blended. Fold in dry ingredients just until blended.
3.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack; let cool at least 30 minutes. Run a knife carefully around the edges of the pan; turn out on wire rack to cool completely.
4.
For glaze: In medium bowl, whisk confectioners’ sugar, cream and lemon juice. Add more juice if needed to reach drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake. Sprinkle with crystallized ginger.
TIP
Look for crystallized ginger in the spice section of your supermarket. Can’t find it? It’s fine to leave it out.
at
EAGLE CREST AVENUE
with
Ben and Charlotte Rhodes
I
so love Easter and the fresh promise of spring. My husband, Clyde, and I used to put on an annual Easter egg hunt for the grandchildren. How he loved painting the eggs and coming up with inventive places to hide them. Unfortunately he died when they were still young. One of their most treasured memories of their grandfather is those Easter egg hunts.
Now Olivia and Jack have started an Easter egg hunt for
their
grandchildren. I was there for the first one last year and relived so many wonderful Easter Sundays from the past.
Of course, this holiday isn’t really about finding eggs and baskets filled with chocolate bunnies, but those activities do help a child understand the significance of Easter. It’s so appropriate that this momentous spiritual occasion is celebrated in spring, the season of renewal.
Many families have their own distinctive ways of marking this important feast day. I’ve told you about ours, which also includes a dinner with dishes I serve year after year. Every recipe
here has a tradition behind it. The recipe for Cheddar Biscuits is one passed down to me by Clyde’s mother. She said it was one of her family’s favorite Easter treats and it became ours, too.
I first came across the Baked Sweet and Spicy Ham in Savannah, Georgia.
Years ago Clyde had an opportunity to travel there for his job with the Bremerton shipyard and I was able to accompany him. One night we had dinner in a delightful old inn, and he ordered the ham. Neither of us had ever had anything like it before.
Clyde enjoyed it immensely and talked so lovingly about that ham that I had to create my own version. He was more than happy to test each attempt until we arrived at the one I’ve included here. I can assure you it has his personal stamp of approval. Now, after so many years, Easter just wouldn’t feel right without this delicious baked ham.
Another family favorite that automatically goes with our Easter celebration is deviled eggs, although when Will and Olivia were small they insisted
on calling them angel eggs instead. They’re ideal for brunch or as an appetizer before the meal.
After church and the Easter egg hunt and then our family dinner—followed by my Easter Bunny Cake—Clyde would read the Easter story to our children and, later, grandchildren. I can picture them gathered around him and I can still hear his deep, resonant voice as he read from his Bible. I didn’t think I’d survive after I lost him but, as every widow does, I learned that life goes on.
Finding love again after twenty years came as a wonderful surprise. I agree with the sentiment on a friend’s T-shirt—getting old isn’t for sissies—but I can’t help feeling that the best is yet to come for Ben and me. We’re forging traditions of our own.
My wish is that you’ll establish Easter traditions for your family, too. Perhaps you already have, and if that’s the case I hope you’ll continue them. If you find an Easter recipe or two among the ones I’ve collected here, I’ll feel as though I’m part of your family—and you’re part of mine.
F
or a fun variation on this classic party dish, fold in ¼ cup chopped, cooked shrimp.
Makes 12
6 hard-boiled eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced celery, plus additional for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon minced drained capers, if desired
Salt and pepper
1.
Peel eggs; halve lengthwise. Transfer yolks to a small bowl and mash with fork. Set aside whites. Add mayonnaise, oil and mustard to yolks. Stir in minced celery, tarragon and capers. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2.
Using an iced-tea spoon, fill egg whites with yolk mixture. Sprinkle with additional finely minced celery.
TIP
For ease in peeling, plunge the eggs in ice-cold water directly after cooking. Start peeling the egg at the rounded end, where there is an air bubble.
B
ake these tender biscuits immediately after cutting them; if you allow them to sit for any length of time, they won’t rise properly in the oven.
Makes about 10
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1.
Preheat oven to 425°F; set oven rack to upper-middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cheese, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in cream with a wooden spoon until dough forms.
3.
Transfer dough to a lightly åfloured countertop. Shape dough into a round disk about ¾-inch thick. Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter and place on prepared sheet. Combine, re-roll and cut out any scraps. Brush rounds with melted butter and sprinkle with a little more grated cheese if desired. Bake 16 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking.
TIP
Increase the cheese flavor by sprinkling the biscuits with additional shredded cheese before baking.
F
rittatas are perfect party food, since they can be made ahead and served warm or at room temperature.
Serves 8
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks, thinly sliced and well rinsed
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into ½-inch long slices
4 ounces Fontina or Jarlsberg cheese, cut into small cubes (about 1 cup)
1.
Preheat broiler. In medium bowl, whisk eggs, cream, salt and pepper.
2.
Melt butter in a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet. Add leeks; cook 4 minutes, until softened, stirring often. Add asparagus; cook 4 minutes, until tender, stirring. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the pan. Cook 3 minutes, until the eggs start to set. Sprinkle on the cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 6 minutes. The frittata will be almost set, but the top will still be runny.
3.
Place skillet under the broiler. Broil 4 minutes, until top is set and golden.
4.
Run a spatula around the edges of the skillet to loosen the frittata. Slide the frittata onto the platter, cheese-side up.
TIP
Broiling times can vary greatly depending on the oven used, so keep a close eye on the frittata under the heat source.