Gimme Some of That Eggnog - Cake That Is

This is actually about Christmas spirit--no, not the liquor kind of spirit. Although I did find some REALLY good pomegranate liqueur the other day; but I digress.

This is about the Christmas spirit I didn't have this holiday season. You know, the kind that is precipitated by warm childhood memories, the Clydesdale horse commercial, It's a Wonderful Life reruns, and the rich, nutmeg-y smell of eggnog. I didn't have the Christmas spirit that I expect every Christmas season, and it was beginning to bother me.

Even the normal kitchen activities--baking those great cranberry-dotted breads, big thick, soft sugar cookies, melting chocolate for candies--enjoyable as they were, didn't bring it on. In fact, all my warm fuzzy memories of Christmases past were making me downright melancholy.

What finally coaxed my lazy spirit into being was not hearing Bing sing "White Christmas" or the ambrosial steam from a glass of wassail or placing the old quilt as a blanket under the Christmas tree. It was a comment from an acquaintance about some discouragement she was experiencing. With my heartfelt "buck up--it'll get better", my elusive Christmas spirit came bouncing back, as comfortable and familiar as my favorite pair of musical Christmas socks. My gift to her was encouragement, and with that humble gift, my spirit was gifted in return.

Not finding my Christmas spirit in nostalgic expectations led to something infinitely more lasting for me.

And getting back to the eggnog...although I don't bake with cake mixes as much as I used to, this is a nice recipe for Eggnog Pound Cake that I found on Allrecipes.com.

Eggnog Pound Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 cup eggnog
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a mixing bowl, combine ingredients and beat on low until moistened, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured 12-cup fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack.

I drizzled an icing of powdered sugar, butter, eggnog, and butterscotch schnappes (now that's Christmas spirit!)

"Pumpking" Pie

Yes I know it's misspelled. Every time I type "pumpkin" it just seems natural to add a "g". I actually saw it misspelled the same way on another website just last week.

My opportunities to misspell pumpkin were numerous before Thanksgiving because I made a list of all the pumpkin possibilities I wanted to try for Thanksgiving dinner. My choices ranged from Pumpkin Cheesecake to Pumpkin Streusel pie to pumpkin pudding, just to name a few. Oh, and pumpkin cupcakes.

I think I gave myself too many pumpkin choices, because along with Honey Crunch Pecan Pie, Apple Crumble Pie, Sugar Cookie Cutouts, and Sweet Pumpkin Cupcakes, I ended up making a plain and simple Libby's pumpkin pie. With the other, more interesting desserts on the table, just a few pieces were eaten, including the sliver I got (just to make sure it was OK, mind you). After dinner, I put it in one of the refrigerator drawers, then forgot about it until three days later. By that time, I was worried that it was past its prime, so I furtively threw it into the trash (I had to be furtive because Hubby was looking for it.)

Because Hubby had asked so plaintively for his pumpkin (I just typed pumpking again) pie, I decided to make another pumpkin pie on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I wanted to try something different, because now I had the time to start testing those other pumpkin recipes that I had eyed so avidly while planning the Thanksgiving menu. I chose a pumpkin pie recipe that listed honey as the sweetener. It baked up beautifully and I proudly served it up. Hubby always has his pie top-heavy with Cool Whip, and as long as it tastes like pumpkin, he is happy. (After all, this is the man that, on a distant past Thanksgiving when I was so sick I forgot add sugar to the pumpkin pie, did not notice because most of his mouthfuls were filled with airy bites of faux whipped cream.) I had two pieces of the honey pumpkin pie, because I was pumpkin hungry, and it was good.

Now here is the sad truth: I missed my Libby's pie. That pie--the one I threw away--was really good. It was the old tried and true recipe, with the good, earthy mouth-feel of pumpkin, just the right amount of sugar, and the familiar--and perfect--blend of spices.

So next year, with the possible exception of a pumpkin cheesecake, I think I will stick with Libby's "Pump-King" Pie--why mess with perfection?

The Bread Whisperer

Coaxing bread to rise...somewhat like making a pie crust, it mocks the confidence of the most experienced baker. While reaching around to pat myself on the back, I will state that I find it easy and enjoyable. My secret? I think there are 3 elements to successful bread-making:

- Proofing the yeast
- Creating the atmosphere
- Relaxing in the moment

I used to buy Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast, and I still think it is a good product. Now that I consider myself a fancy professional and think I need more exclusive (expensive) elements in my kitchen, I order the good stuff--SAF Gold Instant Yeast--from King Arthur Flour. It is available in a one pound package and doesn't last long in my kitchen, so I buy two packages at a time. My very favorite yeast is Fermipan, but it is hard to find.

The whole proofing process is just so darned easy, I almost hate to reveal it. Simply get a cup of warm water from the tap, add a teaspoon of sugar, and add the yeast. Mix it well, and let it sit. Within 10 minutes a bubbling, fragrant mass rises above the water and is ready to add to the remainder of the recipe ingredients. Proofing the yeast used to be essential to ensure that the yeast was still alive. I know that with my mega-yeast, this step is really unnecessary. But it is part of the Bread Whisperer's routine.

The atmosphere in which bread can rise is one that Goldilocks would approve--it is neither too hot nor too cold. Bread dough seems to like my cold oven with the oven light on--the light provides just enough warmth. Sometimes I simply place the dough beneath my under-counter light, and that also works well. Make your dough comfy, and it will thank you.

Making bread is my glass of wine. How satisfying it is to whisper yeast and flour into dough that I can play with, loll about the kitchen while it rises, breathe its ambrosial scent while it bakes, and then butter a slice straight from the oven...really, I shouldn't get paid for this.

Put Some Clothes on that Candy!

"Sexy" doesn’t just describe an attractive person anymore—it seems to be the new slang word for anything that is new and exciting—from cars to wines to ad campaigns. Sexy is the new “innovative”. So I guess I wasn’t surprised to find this title for a recipe in a church cookbook:

Sam’s Sensual Spice Cookies

Now most church cookbooks will have recipes like “Sinful Fudge” and the ubiquitous “Better Than Sex Cake”, but sensual?

With that in mind I attempted to photograph Pecan Praline Fudge (recipe below) as both “sexy” and “wholesome”. Here are the results:

Sexy

Wholesome

So food is now “sexy”. I wonder what my Granny Mitchell would think about that...
 
Pecan Praline Fudge

1 stick salted butter
1-1/2 cups white sugar
5 oz evaporated milk
1 - 12 oz package  semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 - 7 oz jar marshmallow creme
1/2 oz praline liqueur
1 cup pecans, chopped

Line 9-inch baking dish with aluminum foil and set aside.

In 2-qt heavy bottom pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add sugar and evaporated milk and blend well. Bring to rolling boil; reduce heat and simmer approximately five minutes, stirring constantly and being careful not to scorch.

Remove from heat and stir in morsels, vanilla, marshmallow creme, liqueur and pecans. Stir until mixture becomes creamy and slightly thickened. Pour into pan and allow to cool before cutting into 1-inch squares.

I'd Like to Thank the Academy...

Is there anything wrong with getting your acceptance speech ready? I daydreamed today about building my dream house. The funds for the house will be supplied by my baking business, which is still in development. Somewhat like an actor at an awards show, I'm already planning to win.

Baking is my joy. Now that I'm trying to make a business of it, I find that the aspects of creating the business are way too much fun. Composing pricelists, photographing my creations, designing a website to advertise and a blog to journal--these enterprises are enjoyable and time consuming. One activity often leads to another idea, another path, another development--and more time consumed.

Visualizing success is something I do well; so well, in fact, that by now I should be fabulously successful. My challenge lies somewhere between planning the success and celebrating the success--in the myriad of details that are such a pleasurable diversion from the completion of just one project.

In the meantime, baking continues to be my joy. I just hope I have enough time for it...