Beet Cake..and Other Unique Douglas County 4-H Cooking Entries

Sarah cooking for 4-H projects..sometime during the 1980's

For 12 years, I participated in Douglas County 4-H. Many people tend to assume that 4-H is only for farm kids and in 4-H, you only show animals at the fair. Despite all my begging for that steer...I only took clothing/sewing, crops, leadership, and... cooking. I am very grateful for these many years of cooking lessons from various 4-H ladies, including my mom. There were definitely some memorable experiences in 4-H cooking. I will never forget the girl that took a bread baking project from my mom..and she was afraid of flour! Once, I was doing a cooking demonstration, possibly one of my first demonstrations, making "Mary's Eggs" (Mary Ross). I put the fork I was using to stir the eggs in the microwave and nearly set the microwave on fire! Finally, there have been countless disasters and messes over the years when you are trying to teach kids how to cook. Who's the worst...a young child trying to cook..or a ditzy, annoying teenager?! Ask Martha..she would likely tell you, as she taught Bread Making mostly to teenagers.

Despite all of the disasters, I would recommend 4-H, especially home-ec type projects like cooking and sewing, to any youngster because it teaches you meaningful life skills. But this blog isn't about 4-H...it's about 4-H fair entries and the outstanding, unique, and straight out weird recipes that go with them. At some point during my 12 years of 4-H cooking projects, it became the right thing to make healthy recipes for fair entries. During the 90's, we were definitely on a health kick, starting to use whole grains, less fats and sugars, and more veggies and fruits. So, with this health kick, the fair judges definitely started looking for healthy recipes. And I remember as a kid, this wasn't very fun for me! I wanted to make brownies and things that looked pretty. Whole wheat prune bars aren't really nice to look at, nor do they taste good for that matter.

I can't remember many of the recipes I used for the fair, but here are a few that stick out in my mind. The first one is very simple and it is a recipe that I made for my first demonstration at 7 years old. The next one is the one recipe I came close to winnig a championship ribbon for. Unfortunately, in all my years of 4-H, I did not receive one championship or reserve championship ribbon and I always hoped I would :). When I entered the second recipe, I received third place and took it to the state fair. I was also asked by Arden Booth's daughter-in-law to make this bread for her personally--Arden Booth was an amazing supporter of Douglas County 4-H and is well respected in Lawrence, KS. The third recipe is some crazy idea that my mother had--Chocolate Beet Cake. Many people do not know this but I despise beets and the smell alone makes me gag. So, the idea of a Chocolate Beet cake is just crazy to me. However, after making it, I realized it had less sugar and fat than a traditional cake. And the beets made it incredibly moist. My picky tongue could very faintly taste the beets but it wasn't too bad. Finally, the last recipe is one I found recently that I would definitely do as a fair entry, if I was in 4-H now. They were delicious!

So, here's to 4-H cooking and always trying "To Make the Best Better!"

Sassy Recipes of the Week

Marigold Salad
**Great recipe for little ones

12-15 strawberries, stemmed and halved
1 large red apple, any variety
1 banana
Peanut butter
Sunflower seeds
Lemon Juice

Core apple but do not peel. Cut apple into 1/4 inch slices (so slices are thick round disks). Slice banana into bite size pieces. Place both in lemon juice to avoid browning. Dry apple slices (should be around four) and place on a serving plate. Press banana slices into apple where core was (banana might be slightly smashed). Spread peanut butter over entire apple and banana slice. Place another banana on top of the other banana and spread that banana with a tiny bit of peanut butter. Arrange sliced strawberries around the banana to represent petals. Sprinkle peanut butter topped banana with sunflower seeds.

Maple Pecan Coffee Twist

BREAD:
1 package or a tablespoon of yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup warm milk
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
FILLING:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon maple extract
1 stick of butter, room temperature
ICING:
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon maple extract
A few tablespoons of milk

Mix the yeast with the warm water and let set till foamy, about five minutes. Mix the rest of the bread ingredients till a dough forms. Knead for several minutes and form into a ball. Place dough ball in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let raise for an hour.
For the filling, mix all ingredients except butter till combined and set aside. Melt butter in microwave, set aside. Take dough and divide into three parts. Roll each part into separate large circles, about 15 inches. Place one circle on a large greased baking sheet. Brush circle with 1/3 of the melted butter and sprinkle with 1/3 of the filling. Seal the edges by pinching the ends of the dough together, completely around. Place a second circle on top, and repeat process. Place the last piece of dough on top and spread with butter and filling. Place a glass or round object in the middle. Take kitchen shears and gently slice dough circle into sixteen even slices, NOT cutting through entire circle--just to edge of glass. Carefully twist each slice several times. When finished with all slices, pinch edges together and tuck underneath. Cover with a towel and let raise for an hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients for glaze. Set aside. Bake for 25-30 minutes. When you take bread out of oven, slide a spatula underneath and transfer to wire rack to cool. Drizzle with icing. Slice and serve.

Chocolate Beet Cake

4 ounces of semisweet chocolate (I prefer Ghiradelli 60% Cacoa)
1 cup of oil
2 cups of sugar
3 eggs
2 cups of pureed cooked or canned beets
2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspooons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt chocolate with 1/4 cup of oil over double boiler or in microwave. Cool chocolate for a few minutes. Beat sugar and eggs together till fluffy. Stir in the remaining oil, beets, and melted chocolate. Beat thoroughly. Sift flour with salt and baking soda; add to batter. Stir in vanilla. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake until inserted toothpick comes out clean (baking times vary). Take out of pan and cool on wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.


Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

3 cups flour
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups of zucchini, shredded
1 stick of butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 cups of chocolate chips (I prefer Ghiradelli 60% cacoa chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, cocoa, soad, salt, and cinnamon. In separate bowl, mix together zucchini and butter. Combine with flour mixture, mixing well. In same separate bowl, mix sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine with flour-zucchini mixture. Stir all together till mixed well. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool and slice into bars.

Give Me The Butter!!!

Two years ago, a wonderful friend of mine from the Pennsylvania Dutch Country said “I will never eat margarine…always have real butter on the table.” Over the years, I’ve gone through different types of butters and margarines. I remember the big tan tub of Country Crock being in our fridge as a little kid. Here’s something to think about folks…if a tub of “butter” is located in the dry goods section of the Wal-Mart, then it’s probably a good idea NOT to eat it, despite the great value. I remember during Martha’s diet stages in the late 80’s we acquired the spray butters. Spray butter makes me cringe when I think about what exactly makes up that concoction. Ew. This was definitely the age of America’s obsession with margarine. No, Fabio, I really can believe it’s not butter. During the late ninties, it came out in health and nutrition reports how bad trans fats were and butter made a comeback! And Martha gave up on the old dieting ways and resorted back to a good ol’ stick of butter . Real butter. In recent years, I’ve tried the whipped butter, the canola butter, the “light” canola butter (margarine in disguise), etc. But with time, I’ve realized nothing beats softened butter. And yes, it needs to stay out on the table or counter..not in the fridge. My mom, Martha, is finally getting better at this!

Did you hear about the Texas State Fair’s most-talked about food? Yes, it was Fried Butter. I heard about it on the local Austin radio stations and our army friend, Andrew Wild, told us it was quite tasty. And you know if it is featured on Oprah, it has to be the next big thing. I was surprised to see Oprah taste it with reservations….I figured she’d dive right in! I’m not an Oprah watcher…but I was very intrigued to watch how exactly this fried butter is made. I figured that a pat or ball of butter was dipped in a sweet batter of some sort and flash fried—my guess was correct. This fall, it was the biggest hit of the fair. Despite its competition with deep fried peaches and cream and deep fried pecan pies, it stood on top, making it the talk of the town. Unfortunately, we did not make it to the Texas State Fair this year…but we will next year and I WILL be trying some deep fried butter! I will also try not to puke…

So, here’s what I’ve learned about butter. It does need to stay out on the counter. It will be soft and perfect for spreading and it is not unsafe to leave it out. If you are like me and go through at least a stick a week, it won’t have time to get nasty. Unsalted butters are best on breads such as sourdough or any bread with a distinct flavor that the butter will not mask. Sometimes it’s a matter of north/south. My in-laws (father-in-law, Jim, is from Philly) always use unsalted butter on the table. The first time I ate at their house I wasn’t too sure about it, but now I realize it can really enhance the flavor of a good bread and not mask it. I love it with artisan breads. All southerners use salted butter for everything..and I do too. I prefer the salty taste to match with maple syrup or jelly. Have you ever tried toast with butter and peanut butter?! Yes, it’s one of my guilty pleasures! Don’t knock it till you try it. It can be the best breakfast or late night snack. Finally, if you look in my fridge, you will see a few measly sticks of margarine. The reality is, some recipes turn out better with margarine than with butter. I try to use margarine without trans fats though. For instance, Martha’s chocolate chip cookies turn out much better with margarine and I really can’t tell you the scientific answer for why. They will have a better consistency and texture. But if your recipe calls for butter for anything except SOME cookies, it’s best to use the real thing…salted or unsalted depending on preference.
So, here are a few of my favorite butter-filled recipes. And as the Old Dutch proverb states…

“Eat butter first, and eat it last, and live till a hundred years be past.”

Sassy Recipe of the Week:
Very Simple and Delectable Shortbread:
**I prefer making my shortbread in a shortbread pan with indented snowflakes. It can be purchased on various websites, including amazon.com

¾ c of softened butter 1 ½ c flour
½ cup of powdered sugar ½ t vanilla or almond extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat butter with hand mixer till light and creamy. Beat in powdered sugar and then vanilla. Work the flour into the dough till stiff and smooth. Transfer to board and knead with hands. Press firmly into pan so patterns will show on shortbread. Prick dough with fork several times. Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned. Take out of oven and let sit for ten minutes. Slide knife along edges and quickly and carefully flip onto cutting board. Slice squares gently while shortbread is still warm. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Old-Fashioned Butter Pound Cake with Strawberries:

2 sticks of softened butter 1 c. of sour cream
2 1/2 c. of sugar ½ t baking soda
2 1/2 c. of flour 5 large eggs
1 t of vanilla ½ t of almond extract
Fresh sliced strawberries whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a hand mixer, cream the butter till light and fluffy. Add the sugar, followed by sour cream. Sift flour and baking soda together and set aside. Mix eggs in small bowl. Add third of flour mixture to batter, followed by a third of the beaten eggs, switching till batter is combined. Mix in extracts. Pour batter into greased Bundt cake pan and cook for hour and fifteen minutes to hour and a half. Cool on baking rack for 20 minutes and flip onto cutting board. Slice and serve with fresh whipped cream and strawberries.

Top Secret Recipes…Yeah, right!

Have you ever googled “Red Lobster’s Cheese biscuits” or “Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls” or “Houlihan’s Spinach Artichoke Dip”? Have you ever received the junk mail “Top Secret Recipes from your Favorite Restaurants”? I’ve done this..and I’ve got that email. Let me tell you…most restaurants keep pretty good tabs on their special recipes because those released “top secret” recipes are often crap! Now, I subscribe many cooking magazines and one of the magazine's sections is titled “Almost Famous” and although I haven’t tried many of the tempting ones, I have to wonder if they might be crap, too.

Here’s a perfect example. I really love Cinnabon Cinnamon rolls. I love the stringy yeasty dough, the intense cinnamon flavor, and the cream cheese frosting. Cinnamon rolls are one of my three “weakness foods” (be on lookout for weakness food blog). So, when I received the “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes” email from my friend Marla, I immediately tried the recipe for Cinnabon rolls. I will admit..the ingredients were a little strange. Tonic water in the dough? Bran flakes in the cinnamon filling? This didn’t make sense..but I thought maybe they were the secret ingredients that made Cinnabons special. So, I took some tonic out of the bar and I picked out bran flakes from a box of Raisin Bran and I made the “Cinnabon” cinnamon rolls..and I know I made it correctly. They may have looked right when they came out of the oven, but after the first bite, I knew they were not right. I could taste the tonic water in the dough and that was NOT a good thing. The filling was odd to say the least and overall, it tasted nothing like a Cinnabon cinnamon roll. This was a disaster!

Well, it’s New Year’s Eve tomorrow and today I googled “Melting Pot Fondue recipes” and came up with a few things but…. not exactly what I wanted. Take a guess what we’re having for New Year’s with our friends! I wanted the simple cheese-beer fondue and one of the chocolate fondues, and I wanted them to taste EXACTLY like the Melting Pot’s recipes. Instead of recipes, the first entry to pop up was a bookstore's copy of the Melting Pot’s own recipe book! This was perfect. We’ll have to see how it turns out, but I think fondue is a good choice for New Year’s and I played with the recipes to see how it turned out. Sometimes, it’s nice when restaurants share their “secrets”. Those are the best cookbooks!

For now, here are a few of my favorite “restaurant-style” recipes, including the fondues I am making for tomorrow. Cheers to 2010!!!


Sassy Recipes of the Week:
Tasty Cheddar Biscuits:
Recipe adapted by me

2 c. flour
1 1/2 T baking powder
2 1/2 t sugar
1/4 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder
4 T vegetable shortening
4 T cold butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese (not pre-packaged bagged kind, freshly shredded)
1 c milk
Garlic butter:
3 T butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 t parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease baking sheet or use pizza stone.

Pulse the first five ingredients in a food processor. Add the shortening and pulse until combined. Add the butter, repeat process. Pour in the milk and pulse just until the mixture is moistened and forms a dough. Mix in cheese. Turn out onto counter and gently knead until it makes dough ball. Knead as little as possible or the biscuits will be tough. Spoon the dough onto the baking sheet and bake until biscuits are lightly brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

While biscuits are baking, make the garlic sauce. Melt the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan for 1 minute, careful not to burn garlic. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley. Brush the biscuits with the garlic butter.


Chocolate Fondue:
Recipe adapted by me

8 ounces Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips
8 ounces of caramel sauce
4 T crunchy peanut butter (or creamy if you do not want pieces of nuts)
1 t rum
Canola oil
Strawberries, bananas, pretzels, dried apricots, marshmallows, cubed poundcake, cubed brownies

Stir first three ingredients in double broiler over medium heat. Mix till smooth and creamy. Carefully mix in teaspoon of rum. **I found this fondue to be very thick so I had to add a little canola oil. Pour into fondue pot and serve with fruits and sweets.

Cheese & Beer Fondue
Recipe adapted by me

2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (fresh cheese, not pre-shredded bagged kind, works best
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
3 T flour
1 cup of light beer
1/2 t dried mustard
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of hot sauce
Cubed sourdough bread, sliced granny apple, pretzels, tortilla chips, carrots, celery

Prepare double broiler over medium-high heat and spray pan with Pam. Coat cheese with flour. Saute garlic with a little olive oil. Saute for minute. Add half of cheese and beer. Stir constantly till it is smooth and melted. Add sauces and mustard. Stir and add rest of cheese. **You might need to add more beer if sauce is too thick.** Transfer to fondue pot and serve with breads, pretzels, etc.