Chocolate Magic Cake

 Dinner was McDonalds courtesy of Charlie but dessert was a cake I made earlier. It is another one of those who divide into layers as they bake. 

Chocolate Magic Cake

This Chocolate Magic Cake is an incredible easy cake to make. One simple thin  batter, bake it and you end up with a 3 layer chocolate magic cake.

Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 1 hr Chilling Time 4 hrs Total Time 5 hrs 20 mins

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

• 8-inch Square Cake Pan
• Parchment Paper
• Glass Mixing Bowl Set (3 piece)
• KitchenAid Hand Mixer
• 6-Inch Stainless Steel Whisk

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs at room temperature and separated
• 1 tablespoon water
• ¾ cup sugar
• 8 tablespoon butter unsalted and melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 6½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 cups milk warmed up to about 95°F
• 1 teaspoon vinegar regular white vinegar

Instructions

• Prep: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 8x8 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
  Mix the yolks with water and sugar: Separate the eggs and add the egg yolks to the bowl of a mixer. Add a tbsp of water and the sugar. Beat this at high speed until are eggs are light and pale in color.
  Drizzle in melted butter, vanilla and add salt: Add melted butter, vanilla extract and salt to the yolk mixture and continue beating until butter is fully incorporated and the mixture is light.
  Stir in the dry ingredients: Add the flour and cocoa powder to the bowl and mix thoroughly, scraping down the side and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  Add milk: Add the milk a bit at a time and mix. The milk should be warm so not to cool the butter. Make sure the milk has been mixed in thoroughly. The mixture should be pretty wet, so don't get scared.
  
• Whisk the egg whites: If using a handheld mixer, clean the beaters and pour the egg whites in a large clean bowl. If using a stand mixer, wash the mixing bowl and whisk attachment and make sure you dry them out. Add egg whites to mixing bowl and the vinegar and mix until egg whites are stiff.
  Add the egg whites to cake batter: Add a bit of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and gently mix using a whisk. Next you're going to reverse and add a bit of the chocolate mixture to the egg whites. This way it will be easier to mix everything together. Repeat until everything is mixed together and the mixture should be quite thin. Make sure to leave a distinct layer of fluffy egg white lumps at the top of the batter, so do not overmix.
  Bake, chill and serve: Pour the batter in the prepared baking dish and bake for roughly 60 minutes or until done. The cake will still jiggle in the middle when you take it out, so that's normal. Let it cool completely, chill for about 4 hours letting the cake set, then cut into squares and serve.
  Notes

1. Please note video above is for magic cake.
2. Use the right size pan. In my pictures above you'll notice I used a long pan, but it's 9x6-inches, or most commonly used for this cake is an 8x8-inch pan that is at least 2 inches in height. A 9x13-inch pan won't work, there simply won't be enough batter for it, and it won't form into 3 layers.
3. Stir the egg whites into the batter, don't fold or mix them in. Stir them gently but not until they're fully mixed into the batter. You want to make sure there are still some white bits floating around, this is what's going to create that top cake layer.
4. It's hard to tell when magic cake is done, so look for signs. I've baked it in 3 different ovens, and the time differed on all 3. You want to make sure the sides are set, the center still jiggles a bit and the top is brown. You cannot use a toothpick as with a traditional cake to test fo doneness.
5. Don't slice into it right away. Allow the chocolate magic cake to come to room temperature, cover it with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 4 hours before actually cutting into it, especially if you want to get nice slices. I have cut into it without refrigerating it, it's still as delicious, it just won't look as pretty.
6. This cake is best stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
7. This is one of those cakes that's better served fresh, after it's been chilled, however if you must freeze it, you can store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.

No boil crab boil.

 Well the potatoes and sausage were boiled but the crab legs, shrimp and hard cooked eggs were all steamed instead.  Corn was baked in the oven.  They were put in a cold oven without shucking and the oven was turned on to 350º  30 minutes they were taken out and allowed to cool enough to take off the husk and silk.  They came off easily. Eggs were steamed for about ten minutes in a separate pot: the shrimp and crab legs steamed for about 5 minutes after the water started to boil.  

For the longest time Crab was around $20 a pound but for the last few months they have been around half that and yesterday they were 7.99/lb. We will have them more often at that price.

Lemon Magic Cake

 Lemon Magic Cake  FROM MARY APR 2023

Prep 15 minutesCook 1 hour 10 minutesTotal 1 hour 25 minutes

This incredibly delightful Lemon Magic Cake is not only bursting with zesty lemon flavor, but it also creates its own layers as it bakes. That's right! With just one batter, this cake forms into a fluffy, airy top, a creamy custard center, and a dense, moist base.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs (at room temperature, separate yolks from whites) 
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup butter (unsalted, melted)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1¾ cup milk (lukewarm*)
• powdered sugar ( for dusting cake)

Directions 

Preheat oven @325º, Grease 8x8 inch baking dish or line with parchment paper

Separate eggs, mix whites until stiff.  Set aside

Beat yolks with sugar until light and fluffy, add butter and vanilla and continue beating another minute or two until will mixed

Add flour until smooth and well combined.  Add lemon juice and zest, Slowly add milk and beat until well mixed

Fold in egg whites 1/3 at a time, until mixed but with bits of white still floating in the batter.

Bake 40-70 minutes until top is golden and cake if firm to the touch. 

Sprinkle powdered sugar over top after cooled. Cut and serve.

Beef Stroganoff

EGG NOODLES

1 C. AP Flour + more for rolling out the noodles

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 lar. Eggs 

Combine the flour and salt in a large shallow bowl or on a clean work surface. Make a well in the center, almost like a "bowl" of flour, to hold the eggs. Crack the eggs into it.

Use a fork to beat the eggs and then gradually start incorporating the flour into the eggs. As you beat them, they will slowly but surely take up some flour from the edges.

Keep stirring and pulling in more flour until a solid dough forms. The dough will be sticky. Don't worry; you'll be working in more flour in a moment. Add too much flour now, and the extra flour needed to roll out the noodles will lead to a dry rather than tender noodle.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. With well-floured hands, knead the dough, incorporating more flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to either the work surface or your hands, until the dough is smooth and firm and no longer sticky. This takes roughly 5 to 10 minutes.

Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and chill it for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

Divide the chilled dough into 2 pieces and work with one half of the dough at a time.

On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to the desired thickness (anywhere from 1/4 inch to paper-thin, depending on your preference). Be sure to rotate or otherwise move the dough between each pass of the rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface underneath. Sprinkle everything with flour—including the work surface when you lift the dough—as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.

Use a sharp knife or pizza cutting wheel to cut the noodles. You can make them as narrow or wide as you like. Be sure to cut them as evenly as possible to ensure a uniform cooking time. If you fold the dough to cut, make sure it is floured so it does not stick together.

Lay the noodles on a cooling or drying rack and let them sit until ready to cook. Repeat rolling and cutting with the remaining half of the dough.

Boil the noodles in well-salted water until tender to the bite (2 to 10 minutes for fresh noodles depending on the thickness). Drain and use in your favorite recipe.

Beef Stroganoff from leftover rib roast

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) bag wide egg noodles
• 1½ pounds beef sirloin steaks, cut against the grain into ¼-inch-thick slices
• 2½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 8 ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 3 large cloves garlic
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup sour cream
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the noodles according to the package directions. (Start the water before you season the meat. Then, add the noodles when the water boils. If you time it this way, everything should be done at the same time.)
  
• Put the sliced beef in a bowl, sprinkle with the ground black pepper and 1½ teaspoons salt and toss to coat.
• Beef Stroganoff
  
• Heat the oil in a large high-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (it will slosh around the pan easily when you lift the handle), add the beef to the skillet in a single layer. Cook for about 1 minute, until the beef easily unsticks from the skillet when you nudge it with a wooden spoon, then turn the beef and cook for 1 to 1½ minutes, until you see just a little pink in the center of each piece. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to a plate, leaving as much juice/fat in the pan as possible.
  
• Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat and add the butter. When the butter is fully melted, add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
  
• Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 1½ to 2 minutes. Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well and let the mixture come to a boil, using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. As soon as the liquid boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce is as thick as gravy.
  
• Return the cooked beef to the skillet, along with all the accumulated juices. Stir in the meat, then add the sour cream, parsley, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir until everything is incorporated and the sauce is heated through, then turn off the burner.
  
• Serve the beef stroganoff immediately over the cooked egg noodles, and garnish with more chopped fresh parsley.

 

Yesterday I did a slab of pork ribs in the smoker

 

Smoked Loin Back Ribs with Cherry BBQ Sauce

1 C. Cool Smoke Rub  see below

2 racks loin back ribs, trimmed with membrane removed

1/2 C. apple juice in spray bottle

3 C. Cherry BBQ Sauce below

Prepare Cherry BBQ sauce

An hour before cooking, clean & season ribs with 1/4 C. per side with Cool Smoke rub. Use shaker to evenly coat each side.

Heat smoker to 275º & place meat side up in smoker.  Cook 1 hour, spray with apple juice. cook another hour. spray again.  Repeat every 30 minutes until final 2 hour mark.

Prepare Cherry BBQ sauce.  When ribs have mahogany brown  color, wrap both slabs with foil. Move to grill meat side down.  Cook on cool side, heating 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until tender. Open pack and check for tenderness with toothpick.  Remove, brush 1/2C cherry sauce per side, return to cool side & grill 5- 10 min. to set sauce. Watch closely to avoid  burning. Serve with any additional sauce.

Cool Smoke Rub Smoked Chili Powder

1/2 C. Turbinado sugar 1 C. Smoked paprika

1/4 C.+ 2 t. kosher salt 5 t. + 1 tsp dried Greek oregano

1/4 C. Smoked Chili Powder ››››››› 3 T+1 tsp ground cumin

2T.+2 tsp ground cumin 3T+ 1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 T. granulated onion

1 T+ 1 tsp cracked black pepper 3T+ 1tsp. cayenne pepper Mix as above

1 T. + tsp granulated garlic

1 T.+ 1tsp granulated onion

Mix store airtight cook dark place

Cherry BBQ Sauce

3 C. ketchup

1 c. packed lt. brown sugar

3/4 C. distilled white vinegar

2 T. molasses

1T. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. chipotle chile powder

1 T. chili powder

1 T. sweet paprika

1 tsp. granulated onion

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 C. cherry preserves

1/2 C. sun dried cherries

In 4 qt saucepan, combine all ingr. with 1/2 C. water over med. heat.  Simmer, stirring continuously 20 min until thickens slightly.  Set aside to cook  slightly

Leftover Ham Recipes

Ham and Bean Soup

Servings: 13 cups Prep Time: 10 minsCook Time: 3 hrsTotal Time: 3 hrs 10 mins This hearty ham and bean soup is a perfect recipe for the Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, or Stove Top. It's made with navy beans and delicious bites of ham and carrots in a thick and  flavorful broth!

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups ham, diced. (equal to two 8 oz. ham steaks.)
• 2 cups carrots, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 ham bone, see notes for alternatives
• 1 lb. dried Navy beans, rinsed
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs thyme

Instructions

Stove Top

• Rinse the beans under cold water.
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium heat and add the onions.
• Cook for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.Add the carrots, diced ham and the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the chicken broth, water, ham bone, navy beans, 2 tsp onion powder, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
• Simmer with the lid partially cracked for 3+ hours, or until it's thickened to your desired consistency. The longer it simmers, the thicker it will become and the softer the beans will get. Stir occasionally as the beans will settle to the bottom of the pot. (PRO Tip: Consider adding the carrots during the last 40-45 minutes of cooking for a firmer consistency.)
• Remove the ham bone/hock, the bay leaves, and thyme stems. Serve and enjoy!
  
• *Add a little additional water or broth if the soup ends up thicker than you’d like.
  

Slow Cooker

• Note: Crock Pots can vary greatly in terms of heat. Refrain from opening the lid during cooking to ensure the beans have enough heat to cook down in a sufficient amount of time. Note that high altitudes also require more cooking time.
  Rinse the navy beans under cold water. Add all of the ingredients to a large Slow Cooker (5 quarts or larger).
  Cook on high for 6+ hours. It's ready to serve once the beans are tender and the soup is thickened to your desired consistency.
  Remove the ham bone/hock, the bay leaves, and thyme stems and serve!
  Instant Pot
• Rinse the navy beans under cold water.
• Add the olive oil and butter to the Instant Pot and hit the “Sautee” button. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the diced ham and the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the remaining ingredients and secure the lid.
• Press the ‘cancel’ button, followed by the ‘Pressure Cook’ button.
• Set the timer to 45 minutes. The Instant Pot will take some time to get up to pressure.
• Once finished, let 10 minutes pass before you trigger the quick release valve. This will allow most of the pressure to release naturally, allowing the soup to cook a little bit longer.
  Remove the ham bone/hock, the bay leaves, and thyme stems and serve!
  Notes

Ham Bone Substitutes

Smoked ham shanks or ham hocks are a great alternative and also add tremendous flavor. (A shank is meatier and more preferable for this recipe.)

Salted pork and/or a few strips of uncooked smoked bacon can also be substituted. (But try for a shank or hock first.) Bacon also makes a nice optional garnish on top of this soup prior to serving.

If you're unable to use a ham bone or any of the substitutes: Use 8 cups of chicken broth instead of 4.

To use Canned Beans: My Ham Soup, White Bean Soup and Pinto Bean Soup recipes are great alternatives if using canned beans!

If you enjoy this recipe, then you have to try my split pea soup recipe. (It's also Stove Top, Slow Cooker, and Instant Pot friendly!)

When bone-in & NOT PRESLICED ham is used, everyone loves this.  I usually use 3 Cups of ham and 6 hard cooked eggs.  

Ham n Egg Salad

Ingredients

2 c. Left over baked ham, diced very small
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped sweet onion
1/4 c chopped dried apricots Have used dried apples and or golden raisins.
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine diced ham, eggs, celery, onion, and dried apricot. Add mayonnaise and mix. Salt and pepper to taste. If possible, allow to sit in refrigerator for 1 hour. Serve alone or on bread.

Note I used romaine lettuce ribs instead of celery and dried apples instead of apricots.