Spicy Pumpkin Bundt Cake

I'm not the biggest fan if the canned pumpkin, but someone gave to my mom a can, and I looked everywhere for a recipe to utilize the canned pumpkin. Since I trust Martha Stewart, I tried her recipe and it turns very delicious. My coworkers like it very much and asked me to do again. I used less sugar and it tastes really well with cream cheese.  I think, it's a good idea for Holiday potluck breakfast or brunch..

Makes 1 big bundt cake or 2 medium-size loaves

Nonstick cooking spray, for pan
4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for dusting
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar (I used 2 cups of brown sugar)
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 14-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. Dust with flour, and tap out excess.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
Beat butter and brown sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Beat until just combined. Add pumpkin puree, and beat until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake cake until golden and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully turn cake onto rack too cool completely. Before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.

Recipe came from The Martha Stewart Show, November Fall 2007

Sweet Tuna Salad

Sweet Tuna Salad

2 (6-ounce each) cans tuna fish packed in water; drained
1/4 cup sweet relish (1 medium size pickle, chopped)
1/4 cup canned sweet yellow corn Nibblets
1/2 medium size sweet red pepper, choppped (my addition)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey Dijon-style mustard
salt, black pepper to taste

Place tuna, relish, corn, red pepper, mayonaise and mustard in a medium salad bowl. Mash and mix with a fork until blended well. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour before serving. Arrange on platter.

Сладкий салат с тунцом

2 (180 грамм каждая) коробочки консервированного тунца в воде. Открыть и отцедить от воды.
1 среднего размера соленый огурец, мелко нарезанный
1/4 чашки консервированной кукурузы
1/2 средней величины красного перца, мелко нарезанного
1/3 чашки майонеза
1 столовая ложка горчицы Dijon
соль и перец по вкусу

Перемешать тунец, соленый огурец, краный перец, майонез и горчицу в небольшой посуде. Поставить в холодильник на 1 час перед подачей на стол. Перед подачей быложить на блюдо и украсить.

Recipe comes from "Quick & Kosher" by Jamie Geller

Blueberry Corn muffins

Make 16 medium size muffins

1/2 cup butter, softened (I took parve margarine)
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow corn meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup blueberries
cinnamon sugar (optional)

Beat the butter with sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, orange juice and vanilla.

In another bowl mix the flour, corn meal and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just blended. Fold in blueberries.

Lightly grease muffins cups with canola oil. Fill the cups about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 20 minutes.

Recipe comes from Convington Inn, St.Paul
100 Harriet Island Road B3,
St.Paul, MN
www.convingtoninn.com

The recipe was published in local magazine www.tonkatimes.com

More rugelach

The Hanukkah season is approaching and we're looking for new and exciting recipes to make. I found a very good slideshow on Seriouseats. As for me, this site is absolutely one of the best resources for new ideas and recipes. I hope, everyone will find a right rugelach for the Holiday party. Enjoy!

Curried Tuna with Apples and Raisins - Extra Healthy Sandwich

Working on article for Russian newspapers, I found this very easy and absolutely healthy recipe. I tried and it turns very delicious, easy lunch for 2 people.  Definetely, I take the recipe for the future article.

Curried Tuna with Apples and Raisins - Extra Healthy Sandwich

For 2 big sandwiches

2 big whole-wheat buns
1 (5 oz/140 gramm) can water-packed albacore tuna, drained
4 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 small Granny Smith apple, pelled, halved, cored and shredded
2 tablespoons raisins, soaked in hot water for 2-3 minutes and drained
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1 teaspoon mild curry
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup loosely packed greens or other mild lettuce
1 medium carrot, peeled and sheredded
1 medium size ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
To make a curried tuna: In a medium bowl, using a large spoon, mix together tuna, mayonnaise, apple, raisins, onion, curry powder and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cut buns in half lengthwise and toast the slices. Lay them out on a clean dry counter. Top 2 bottom slices with equal amount of green or lettuce.  Top greens with carrots and tomatoes, followed with tuna mix. Sprinkle each piece with a little bit of salt. Close each sandwich with a top slice of bun, pressing down slightly to make the shole sandwich stick together, then cut in half vertically and serve.

Полезный бутерброд с тунцом, яблоками и изюмом.

На 2 больших бутерброда

2 большие булочки
1 упаковка (140 грамм) тунца в воде, воду отцедить
4 чайных ложек майонеза
1 маленькое яблокo, очищенное от кожуры и натертое на крупной терке
2 столовых ложки изюма, предварительно подержать изюм в горячей воде 2-3 минуты. Вынуть и отжать.
1 столовая ложка очень мелко нарезанного красного лука
1 чайная ложка порошка карри
1 чайная ложка свежего лимонного сока
соль и перец по вкусу
1 чашка зелени
1 средняя морковка, очищенная и натертая на крупной терке
1 средней величины помидор, тонко нарезанный.

Приготовить тунец, Хорошо перемешать тунец, яблоко, изюм, лук, майонез, лимонный сок и порошок карри. Добавить соль и перец по вкусу. Разрезать булочки пополам по длине и подсушить в тостере или в духовке. Вынуть из тостера, дать немного остыть. Выложить зелень на нижнюю половинку, наверх положить морковь и помидоры. На самый верх выложить тунцовую смесь.  Накрыть верхней половинкой и немного прижать, чтобы будерброд держался вместе. Подавать сразу.

Recipe idea came from "flour, too" by Joanne Chang, who is an owner  of "Flour", one of the best bakery in Boston. MIT teachers and students are the customers of hers.

Baking class with Jeffrey Sherman

So, I went to a baking class to meet new people and learn things. I also checked if my knowledge is up to the level of professional baker.
First of all, baking class was organised by wonderful rabbi Alexander Davis in BethEl synagogue. He  created an inspirational food program for all of us, who like cooking and want to learn more about cooking.

For a second, Jeffrey Sherman, one is the best Jewish cooking professionals, presented excellent recipes for the class. So, I met new people and learned new things.

Jeff Sherman's Rugelach

One of the recipes is famous rugelach. The recipes is quite familiar and well-tested, and rugelach are absolutely delicious.
Dough:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (not melted)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/2 tablespoon sugar
2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose-flout (+ flour for rolling)
Filling for one recipe:
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
18-ounce jar of jam
2 & 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts
1/2 stick butter, melted
Egg wash:
2 yolks mixed with water or milk
Cream butter, cheese; add sour cream, scraping bowl to mix well. Add dry ingredients. Mix well; start the mixer on LOW speed. Watch closely to not over-beat, The dough should be soft and pliable, but not wet and not dry.
Divide into 4 pieces. Refrigerate several hours.
Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll into an 8-inch circle for Crescents. Dough must be rolled thin but still able to be manipulated. Brush the dough with light coating of melted butter. Spoon and smooth jam. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar, followed by nuts. Cut the circle into 8-12 wedges (12 wedges provides 2-bites) Roll the dough beginning from ling edge to narrow point. Place each crescent onto a parchment lines cookie sheet.
Preheat oven to 375F. Brush each piece with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 21-23 minutes. Begin checking at 18 minutes. Using a metal spatula transfer rugelach to a cooling rack.
Since the uncooked cookies are frozen, it is preferable to bake amount needed on the day they will be served, and keep the remaining pieces frozen until needed.

Pie Weight Disc

Why don't I bake tarts?.. ...because I hate to use pie weights (ceramic beads, dried rice or beans). Now I'm happy to present something new, modern, and, most important, reusable. He is a Pie Weight Disc  Definitely, it would do easy work for all of us to make tarts and pies. From my side, I would like to thank you a blogger behind Baking bites for introducing new and quite useful kitchen gadget. I hope to buy such good thing and use for my own baking adventures.

Russian style Mushroom pie

Russian style Mushroom pie

Dough I:

1 & 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) margarine, melted
1/2 cup sour-cream

Dough II:

1 cup Crème fraîche or sour cream
1 egg
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 gloves garlic, minced

Filling:
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoon butter

To prepare the base (dough I): combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the melted margarine and sour cream. Use a spoon and then your hands to stir the mixture until it comes together into a ball. Leave the dough for 30 minutes to rest.

To make the filling: in a large sauté pan melt butter on medium heat. Add mushrooms, stir to coat with the butter. Increase the heat to high, stirring constantly until the moisture the mushrooms has released and evaporated, 7-10 mintes. Remove from heat.

While the mushrooms are cooking, roll out one disk of the pie dough into a rough 13-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie dish.

To prepare the dough II: in bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg, salt garlic and flour.

Add the mushroom mixture to a pie shell and pour dough II.

Bake at 350 degrees F about 40 minutes. For best results, let pie cool to room temperature before serving to let the filling thicken properly.

Store pie in the fridge. If desired, reheat pie at microwave oven.

Пирог с грибами.

Тесто I

1 & 1/2 чашки муки
1 чайная ложка разрыхлителя
1/2 чайной ложки соли
1/2 чашки (8 столовый ложек) маргарина
1/2 чашки сметаны

Тесто II

1 чашка сметаны
1 яйцо
3 столовых ложки муки
1/2 чайной ложки соли
2 зубца чеснока, мелко порезанного

Начинка

1/2 кг свежих грибов
2 столовых ложки сливочного масла

Приготовить тесто для основы пирога. Смешать муку, разрыхлитель и соль. Добавить растопленный маргарин и сметану. Замесить тесто и оставить отдыхать на 30 минут.

Приготовить начинку из грибов. Нарезать грибы. Нагреть масло в сковороде и выложить в нее грибы. Помешать и жарить на среднем огне до того, как все жидкость испорится, приблизительно 7-10 минут. Снать с огня и дать остынуть.

Приготовить тесто для верха, смешав сметану, яйцо, муку, соль и чеснок.

Тесто для основы раскатать в круг диаметром 26 см и выложить в приготовленную форму диаметром 18-20 см. Выложить на тесто грибы и залить вторым тестом. Нагреть духовку до 350 Фаренгейтов и печь 40 минут, до полной готовности. Вынуть из духовки и дать полностью остынуть. Хранить пирог в холодильнике, если нужно подогреть в микроволновой плите.