Vintage Angel Cake Recipe

Angel food cakes are very versatile and should be in every baker's arsenal. This recipe not only uses the traditional egg whites, but it also uses cake flour to make the cake lighter than recipes which use all-purpose flour. You can read about the difference between the major types of flours in my post on flour protein.

Flickr/Sarah Elmore
Decorated Angel Cake

Angel Cake Recipe
1 cup egg whites (8-10 eggs)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup cake flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water

Sift flour and sugar separately 4 times.  Measure each after first sifting.  Whip egg whites lightly with wire whisk.  Add salt, water, and extracts when half beaten.  Sift in cream of tartar.  Continue whipping until whites hold their shape.  Divide sugar into fourths.  Fold in each fourth with 10 careful strokes of the spatula.  Divide flour into fourths.  Fold in each fourth with 10 careful strokes of the spatula.  Pour into un-oiled tube pan.  Dake in slow oven (325 F.) 50 minutes.

More Vintage Recipes from Participants:
If you have a vintage recipe of your own which you would like to share, leave the link to your post in the comments and I will also add it to today's Vintage Recipe Thursday post.

Pueblo Corn Dish

Boiled Asparagus and Baked Asparagus Loaf

Vintage Coffee Cake

Apple Salad with Craisins

Slow Cooked Meat Balls

Dandelion Salad

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Vintage Recipe Thursday is meant to preserve your own original vintage family recipes, or out-of-print, copyright-free recipes from old cookbooks, magazines, newspapers or postcards.

You're invited! Get the details by clicking to the Vintage Recipe Thursday Homepage.

I post recipes from the Household Searchlight Recipe Book, first published in 1931. My 16th printing is from 1943.  What will you post?

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Giveaway

The Fearless Baker by Emily Luchetti and Lisa Weiss

Click to go to giveaway post

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Giveaway: The Fearless Baker by Emily Luchetti, Lisa Weiss

I'm celebrating my 3rd Joy of Desserts Blogiversary (and my 4th as a blogger) with a great giveaway for you.  I'm so thankful for all of my readers, followers and faithful commenters and participants.  Thank YOU!  It's been a real pleasure to get to know so many of you, and to blog about such a fun topic as desserts.  Thanks also go to Hachette Book Group for providing this giveaway.

Giveaway

The Fearless Baker
by Emily Luchetti and Lisa Weiss

This giveaway is sponsored by the publisher, Hachette Book Group.

There will be 3 winners.

Enter through April 30 at midnight.

U.S. and Canada addresses only.

To enter, simply
follow Joy of Desserts via Blogger/Google Friend Connect,
and leave a comment telling me why you would like
to win this particular cookbook.

Here's what the publisher has written about this cookbook:

• What could be more satisfying than presenting friends and family with a perfectly crafted homemade dessert, fresh out of the oven? Yet for many, the idea of baking is intimidating; rolling out pie dough or making a cake from scratch is akin to climbing Mount Everest. THE FEARLESS BAKER is a beginner's baking guide written to empower home cooks with spot-on advice and a cache of go-to recipes. Renowned pastry chef Emily Luchetti guides novice bakers through her amazing recipes to troubleshoot their most common pitfalls. Charming color illustrations and photographs of real-life beginning bakers in action complete the instruction, turning even the most tentative baker into a fearless one.

 About the authors:

• Emily Luchetti has developed a nationwide following for her innovative yet approachable dessert creations. She is executive pastry chef at Farallon and Waterbar in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has authored five successful cookbooks, and contributed to The New Joy of Cooking and The Farallon Cookbook. She won a 2004 James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef.

• Lisa Weiss is a food writer and stylist whose work has appeared in such publications as Cook's Illustrated and Cooking Light. She has co-authored six cookbooks, including The Farallon Cookbook, the James Beard Award-nominated The Seventh Daughter: My Culinary Journey from Beijing to San Francisco with Cecilia Chiang, and the bestselling Complete Meat Cookbook with Bruce Aidells.

Title: The Fearless Baker

Authors: Chef Emily Luchetti and Stylist Lisa Weiss

Publisher: Hachette Book Group

Emily Luchetti's Website and Blog

Category: COOKING

Format: HARDCOVER BOOK

Publish Date: 5/4/2011

Price: $29.99/$32.99

ISBN: 9780316074285

Pages: 288

Size: 7-1/2" x 9-1/2"

Cairns and McVitie's to create 2 royal wedding cakes

Prince William and Catherine Middleton, who are each known for their sweet tooth, have chosen to have two cakes for their wedding reception.

Fiona Cairns Ltd.
Samples of Cairns' wedding cakes.

Their official royal wedding website announced that cake designer Fiona Cairns would create their wedding cake, but that Prince William had also requested McVitie's Cake Company to create a chocolate biscuit cake made from a Royal family recipe for the reception at Buckingham Palace on April 29.

McVitie's, part of the United Biscuits Group, has made wedding and christening cakes for the royal family since the marriage of His Majesty King George V to HM Queen Mary in 1893.

Fiona Cairns is the author of recently
released Bake & Decorate.

The royal couple chose Cairns for her use of traditional British ingredients and creative style. The royal cake will be a multi-tiered traditional fruit cake with cream and white icing and a strong British floral theme using the Joseph Lambeth Method, which includes intricate piping to create 3-D scrollwork and decorations for ornate wedding cakes.

Their website states, "A cake decorated in the Lambeth Method and accented with fresh fruit or flowers is the wedding cake of choice for anyone who wants a traditional looking, elegant wedding cake."

Prince Charles' godson and Camilla's son Tom Parker Bowles, who is a food writer, editor and author, says, "Fiona Cairns makes cakes that taste superb and look amazing. They’re handmade and elegantly decorated."

United Biscuit Group
McVitie's is launching a limited edition biscuit tin to celebrate
the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

McVitie’s will also be launching a limited edition biscuit tin in celebration of the marriage. For every tin sold, McVitie’s will donate 5p to The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.

Dessert Tip: Cold vs. hot cookie sheets

Flickr/PetitPlat Food Art by Stephanie Kilgast
Use cold cookie sheets for each batch.

Use a cold cookie sheet for each batch of cookies.  Run cookie sheet under cold water and regrease it if necessary.  Using a hot cookie sheet would result in flattened out cookies because the dough would start baking even before entering the oven.

Brie En Croute with a Michigan Cherry Jam Filling

Sometimes the best desserts are some of the easiest and least complicated ones.  Simplicity is heavenly.

I just made some Brie En Croute with a Michigan Cherry Jam Filling at a friend's house, and of course, it reminded me of the Brie En Croute with Apple Compote Filling Recipe I had posted for you.

Flickr/Like_the_Grand_Canyon
Brie En Croute can be served as
a dessert or as an appetizer too.

In just a couple of minutes I laid out the store-bought puff pastry sheet, placed the small French brie wheel on top, poured out a small jar of organic Michigan cherry jam and tossed in a handful of chopped nuts.

Then I folded the pastry sheet corners over the top in a decorative flower-like fashion and popped it in the oven at 375F.  About 15 minutes later it was a beautiful golden brown and smelled heavenly.

Instant presto dessert.  Super fast and super tasty.  We all dug in and the mmmmms ... yum ... mmm ... sounds started.  And the compliments.  There were only 5 of us, but there were no leftovers because everyone went for seconds.

But as you can see it's not so much what I did.  There were only four ingredients and all were store-bought.  I didn't even slave all day over a stove.  I let the oven do all the work and for a mere 15 minutes.

Simplicity.  Works every time.

Easy how-to tip for frosting a cake

One way to keep a cake plate clean while frosting, is to place strips of aluminum foil or waxed paper under the cake around the edge.  When all done, just pull out the strips.  The plate rim will be all clean.

Flickr/abbsmcnabbs
Use strips around edges of cake to keep board or plate clean

Butter cake and peach filling recipes

Like Julia Child or Joan Gussow, I prefer to bake with butter.  In my Searchlight Recipe Book, this butter cake calls for a peach filling (recipe below), but feel free to substitute with another filling such as a lemon filling, chocolate nut filling, almond filling or a pastry cream or creme patissiere.

If you have a vintage recipe of your own which you would like to share, leave the link to your post in the comments and I will also add it below.

Flickr/Atypical Type A

Butter Cake Recipe
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream sugar and butter.  Add egg yolks and beat thoroughly.  Sift flour, measure, and sift with baking powder and salt.  Add alternately with milk to creamed sugar and butter.  Beat thoroughly.  Add flavoring.  Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.  Pour into well-oiled layer cake pans.  Bake in moderate oven (375 F.) about 25 minutes.  When cool, put layers together with peach filling.


Peach Filling Recipe
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup crushed peaches
1 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
Pink food coloring*
Few grains of salt

Combine sugar, salt, and cornstarch.  Add boiling water, stirring constantly, until smooth.  Cook over hot water until thick.  Add butter, lemon juice, and grated lemon rind.  Mix thoroughly.  Cool.  Add peaches.  Add coloring.*

*Joy's Note:  Look for organic food coloring if you are concerned about the possible negative effects of artificial chemicals.


More Vintage Recipes:
If you have a vintage recipe of your own which you would like to share, leave the link to your post in the comments and I will also add it to today's Vintage Recipe Thursday post.

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Vintage Recipe Thursday is meant to preserve your own original vintage family recipes, or out-of-print, copyright-free recipes from old cookbooks, magazines, newspapers or postcards.

You're invited! Get the details by clicking to the Vintage Recipe Thursday Homepage.

I post recipes from the Household Searchlight Recipe Book, first published in 1931. My 16th printing is from 1943.  What will you post?

Easy, no-bake, creamy avocado lime pie recipe

Flickr/milly and tilly
Avocados are the secret to this creamy and delicious lime pie

Most people use avocados in savory dishes, but don't overlook using this fruit in desserts too.

Avocados won't add a lot of flavor, but they will enhance a smooth and creamy texture.  You can add them to creamy desserts like cheese cake, puddings and cream pies.

I'm sharing with you a recipe for avocado lime pie.  You'll love it.  It's delicious.

This tip and recipe are shared with Cooking Thursday and Chic and Crafty Thursdays.


Avocado Lime Pie Recipe
1 1/4 cup avocado, mashed (about 1 1/2 large avocado) plus 1/2 avocado for garnish
1 can (14-oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
Grated zest of 1 lime + thin curls for garnish
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 baked pie shell
Squeeze of lemon juice

In a large bowl, add in mashed avocado, lime juice, lime zest, and yolks.  Stir until well combined and smooth.  Fill pastry shell and refrigerate for several hours.  Garnish with remaining avocado and thin lime curls.  Squeeze lemon juice over top of avocado garnish to prevent oxidation.

Chocolate will revive you

Flickr/rosewithoutathorn84
Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné
(5 February 1626 – 17 April 1696) was a French aristocrat, remembered for her letter-writing.
Most of her letters, celebrated for their wit and vividness, were addressed to her daughter.
Her letters provide much insight into the social mores and customs of 17th-century French life.

"If you are not feeling well, if you have not slept, chocolate will revive you. But you have no chocolate! I think of that again and again! My dear, how will you ever manage?"
- Marquise de Sévigné

Isn't that a great quote?  Thank goodness for chocolate.  Clink on the link for chocolate recipes, and click on the link for the Marquise de Sévigné if you would like more information about this remarkable woman who is so well-known for her letters, especially to her daughter.

If you are participating in Wordless Wednesday, please add below the link to your own post.

French Desserts: Creme patissiere or sweet custard recipe

A creme patissiere is a sweet custard.  It can be eaten on it's own or it can be used to fill desserts such as eclairs, choux a la creme, or French fruit tarts.

When making a fruit tart, the French also take the fast and easy step to cover the fruit with a glaze.  (Click on the link for the quick recipe.)

Flickr/Vanillicious
Vanilla Creme Patissiere

Creme Patissiere Recipe
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon alcohol (optional) - possible choices are Chambord, rum, brandy, Kahlua, Frangelico, Kirsh, or cointreau

Be careful not to boil this custard while you are preparing it.  In a saucepan over medium heat, combine flour, sugar and salt with milk, and stir until smooth and thick.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Break eggs in a small bowl and stir in a small amount of the hot sauce.  Return mixture to the saucepan while stirring.  Add butter and continue stirring until thickened.  Add vanilla and optional alcohol, and stir.  Be sure NOT to boil custard.  Serve warm or cold.  Cover until cool.  If using in a pastry shell, it can be added to the parbaked shell while still hot.

Flickr/DrSam
Piping creme patissiere into a tart shell.

Dessert ingredients: Butter

"As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists." Joan Gussow

Flickr/Christoph Kirschbaum
Butter made from raw milk using a wooden butter churn and molded by hand

Click this link for more posts and recipes using butter.

St. Joseph's Tables set across America, Sicily

Flickr/kevmac_77

Flickr/kevmac_77

Flickr/kevmac_77

It seems just about everybody celebrates St. Patrick's Day, on March 17, and Italian-Americans and their fellow church parishioners across the country celebrate with the Sicilian tradition of setting up a St. Joseph's Table on the 19th, which can last several days and through the weekend.

Desserts, breads and sometimes other foods like wine, olive oil, fish, spaghetti dinners, etc. get set up in the parish hall just outside the church, and all are welcome.  

Originally all the food would be given to the poor after the celebration.  Sometimes churches will either auction or sell the baked goods and give proceeds to the poor or fund the church's programs for the poor.

The tradition comes from Medieval times when Sicilians prayed to St. Joseph to bring them rain and prevent famine.  Prayers were answered, the rain came and the fava bean crops prospered.  Sicilians have thanked St. Joseph with table or altar offerings ever since.

Desserts and breads are particularly popular for the offerings showing the bounty of wheat and fruit crops, bread crumbs represent Joseph's wood shavings since he was a carpenter, and because St. Joseph is the patron saint of pastry chefs.  You'll often see the tables set with three tiers to represent the Holy Trinity.

One specific pastry associated with the Feast of St. Joseph is the Zappola (pl. Zappole). It is round and made out of cream puff pastry, the same pastry as an eclair. It is filled with custard and topped with a cherry. In Rome, it is called Bignè di San Giuseppe where it is more like a beignet or doughnut.

Flickr/kevmac_77

Flickr/kevmac_77

Flickr/kevmac_77

Flickr/kevmac_77

Flickr/kevmac_77

Flickr/kevmac_77

Flickr/kevmac_77

Flickr/kevmac_77

Flickr/kevmac_77

Flickr/Antonella F.
One specific pastry associated with the Feast of St. Joseph
is the Zappola (pl. Zappole). It is round and made out of cream puff
pastry, the same pastry as an eclair.  It is filled with custard and topped
with a cherry.  In Rome, it is called Bignè di San Giuseppe where it is
more like a beignet or doughnut.

How to pair desserts and wines

Flickr/Taigatrommelchen
Business class airline lunch dessert:
Selection of cheese with grapes
(Greyerzer, Appenzeller and Camembert)
Roll with butter
Yogurt creme with fruits of the forest
compote and fresh berries
Wine: Cuvee of Pinot Noir, Gamaret,
De Chaunac - Kloster Einsiedeln,
Schwyz, Switzerland 2008

The sweetness of a dessert should not be overpowering or cloying, detracting from the flavors of the dessert itself.  This is particularly important when pairing with a dessert wine.

Dessert wines must be sweeter than the dessert.  Otherwise, the wine's acidity will become too prominent and taste bitter.

You'll notice that in Europe, cheeses and fruit out of hand are usually part of the dessert course.  In this picture, a yogurt cream is also added -- a good pairing with wine since yogurt is more tangy than sweet.

Submitted to Works For Me Wednesday

Clover Leaves Recipe for a Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day to one and all.  Today we are all Irish, regardless of actual origin, so I'm sharing a recipe for Clover Leaves which are made in muffin pans.

Flickr/postaletrice
Happy St. Patrick's Day vintage 1910

At our house we usually go all out for St. Patrick's Day, because not only is it easy to do since there are so many traditions and decorations, but my best friend who is our son's Godmother is from Irish ancestry, so we have a party too.

There's the requisite Corned Beef with carrots, potatoes and cabbage representing the flag colors.  There's always Irish Soda Bread.  Dessert varies, but I can tell you that one particular year everyone around the table had great fun with a cake we have since dubbed "Tipsy Cake."  No alcohol was served -- the cake was enough -- and we all thought it was quite appropriate given the stereotypical reputation of the Irish.  I'm still Laughing Out Loud all these years later.

Nothing "Tipsy" about Clover Leaves, only lots of good luck, and I can imagine those beautiful green isles, and know Irish eyes are smiling indeed.

If you have a vintage recipe of your own which you would like to share, leave the link to your post in the comments and I will also add it at the bottom of today's Vintage Recipe Thursday post.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Flickr/Madeline Tompkins
Clover Leaves ready for the oven

Master Bread Recipe

1 cake compressed yeast or 1/2 cake dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted shortening
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
5-51/4 cups flour

Soften yeast in water.  Add sugar, salt, and shortening.  Add flour gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition until the dough is just stiff enough to knead.  Turn onto lightly floured board.  Knead until dough is smooth and elastic.  Cover with awarm, damp cloth.  Set in warm place and allow to double in bulk.  (If dry yeast is used allow dough to rise overnight in warm place.)  Work down, cover with a warm, damp cloth, and allow dough to again double in bulk.  Work down lightly.  Form into loaves.  Place in well-oiled pans.  Again cover with a warm, damp cloth.  Set in a warm place, cover, and let rise until double in bulk.  Bake in hot oven (450 F.) for 15 minutes.  Reduce the heat slightly and continue baking (410-425 F.) for the remainder of the time.  Total baking time 40-45 minutes.  From 4-4 1/2 hour are required for the entire process.  2 medium sized loaves.

Clover Leaves Recipe

Clover leaves may be made from either the "master recipe," the recipe for whole wheat bread, or the richer recipe used for Swedish Tea Ring.  Clover Leaves are made by placing 3 small balls of dough in each well-oiled muffin tin.  Cover and let rise until treble in bulk.  Bake in hot oven (450 F.) 15 minutes.


More Vintage Recipes:
This one is from Lisa at Two Bears Farm
Jellied Irish Coffee

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Vintage Recipe Thursday is meant to preserve your own original vintage family recipes, or out-of-print, copyright-free recipes from old cookbooks, magazines, newspapers or postcards.

You're invited! Get the details by clicking to the Vintage Recipe Thursday Homepage.

I post recipes from the Household Searchlight Recipe Book, first published in 1931. My 16th printing is from 1943.  What will you post?