Seven Minute Frosting (or...7 minutes to pure heaven!)

Seven Minute Frosting

Better Homes and Gardens "New" Cookbook, circa 1957

2 unbeaten egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

or 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/3 cup cold water 

(can substitute half of the liquid for Maraschino cherry juice)

dash of salt (must use)

1 teaspoon of vanilla (Grandpa always used Watkins!)

Add all ingredients except vanilla to the top half of a double boiler, beat for one minute off the heat while the bottom pot of the double boiler heats up on the stove.

Beat for one minute before placing over the boiling bottom half of the double boiler.

This "ancient" pot has boiled many batches of Seven Minute Frosting and still works like a charm!

Start your timer...

Have your Kindle nearby so you can while the time away easily...

Here's what it looks like at 4 minutes 34 seconds...

Be sure to use the highest setting on your hand mixer.

Seven minutes has passed - time to take off the top half and set it aside to add vanilla.

Adding one teaspoon of vanilla extract (or two)...

"Beat until of spreading consistency." 

I believe this means, "Beat for about one minute, or at least as long as you can stand it 

without digging in for a taste!"

Hurry!  Pour the frosting over your chocolate cake (warm cake right out of the oven works fine for this frosting!)

Hurry before family members come running to stick their fingers in the frosting!

And of course, the cook always must taste test before serving her family!

Ahhhh....there was still enough frosting to mound upon the cake and create heavenly clouds of yummy marshmallowy frosting goodness....yummmmm (sorry, too busy eating right now :-)

I managed to save you a piece, too...

here's  yours!

Enjoy!

Click HERE

Mother's Day Gifts came early!

My Mother and I received our Mother's Day Presents from my DD early this year!

Mother received a jar of homemade strawberry-rhubarb jam and I received an antique double-boiler!

Oh, boy!  I know what to do with this!!

I went straight for Grandpa Elvin Volker's 1957 Better Homes & Gardens "new" Cookbook

and found my all-time fav-o-rite frosting recipe for

Seven Minute Frosting

Look at that beautiful, fluffy, marshmallowy goodness!

(Grandpa Volker always let me lick the beaters :-)

Here's the recipe for you:

2 unbeaten egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

or 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/3 cup cold water 

(can substitute half of the liquid for Maraschino cherry juice)

dash of salt (must use)

1 teaspoon of vanilla (Grandpa always used Watkins!)

Place all ingredients except vanilla in top of double boiler (not over heat); beat 1 minute with electric or rotary beater to blend.  Place over boiling water and cook, beating constantly, will frosting forms stiff peaks, about 7 minutes (don't overcook or it'll get grainy).  Remove from boiling water.  Pour into mixing bowl, if you wish.  Add vanilla; beat till of spreading consistency, 2 minutes.  Frosts tops and sides of two 8 or 9" layers.

Frost sides first, then the top.

Great thing about this is you can swirl cupcakes in it upside down

and you can have 24 cupcakes frosted in no time flat with

no dirty knife to clean, either!

Sometimes, Grandpa Volker would substitute part of the water called for in the recipe with 

Maraschino cherry juice!

It made such pretty pink frosting - perfect for a girl's birthday or for Valentine's Day!

Broiled Coconut Version

Another of my favorite variations of this frosting is to bake a yummy chocolate cake in an 8 x 14 pan, spread this frosting over it, sprinkle all over with white coconut flakes, then place under the broiler in the oven briefly - maybe sixty to ninety seconds - watching the entire time - and take out and dive in!  It's heaven!!

Enjoy!

P.S.  This frosting contains no fat :-)

FREE GIVE AWAY!

Three original quilt patterns...

come & sign up!

Drawing will be held May 16, 2011

http://rocknquilts.blogspot.com/2011/05/guest-blogger-and-three-give-aways.html

Free online e-cookbook!

http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2010/06/a-free-e-cookbook/
Five ingredient recipes - save on your computer & use as a reference for supper after work!

Great Grandma Block's favorite price!  FREE!

Very easy fancy dessert just in case royals drop in for an after-wedding snack!

Company coming?  Here's something to "wow" them with thanks to Angel from http://themustardseedfamily.blogspot.com/2011/04/boxed-cake-mix-magic.html

Is there a person left who doesn't know that Prince William is marrying Katherine Middleton on Friday, April 29th?  Wouldn't it be fun to serve a cake like this with tea to 'celebrate' in your home, too?

While in Germany last summer,  my DD, our friends and I visited Marienburg Castle in Lower Saxony (Nidersachsen).  Here's a great website for a peek at the beautiful rooms, furniture and art works inside:
The entrance hall and the library are my two favorite spaces...the blue ceiling with its golden stars in the entrance hall inspires me to create a quilt in those colors!  This palace was designed by the Queen of Hanover (1818-1907) and you can really tell.  I absolutely love it!

Entrance Hall at Marienburg

Here's the link to even more photos:http://www.schloss-marienburg.de/smbinter/cms/index.php?id=19

A Gugelhupf Form is a cake pan used in southern German, Austrian and Italian kitchens.  It is similar to our Bundt Cake Pan.  Here are some examples:

 

ceramic Gugelhupf form

New Silicone Gugelhupf Form.
 This design was used by the King of Hanover at Marienburg Castle.
This was easy to travel with - I just folded it in half and laid it flat in my suitcase!  It weighs next to nothing, too.
Here's the link where you can purchase it through Amazon Germany:
http://astore.amazon.de/kochenbratenbacken.backen.backformen.shop-21/detail/B000FQCRFU

Copper Gugelhupf Form

Many times, European recipes call for a yeast bread with raisins or currants baked in these forms, but as we are in the United States, I opted for a nice, easy cake mix instead!

Here is the easy recipe to make this:

Easy, Fancy Dessert fit for Royalty

You'll need one white cake mix, with the addition of two teaspoons of orange or lemon extract.  (Angel's version was with a Butter Cake Mix and rum extract.)  Mix and bake according to directions, spray pan or form and bake according to directions.

For display, after the cake has cooled, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and place freshly washed, cut strawberries or desired fruit decoratively in and around your cake.  

Add freshly whipped, sweetened cream if desired.

Serve and enjoy all the oohh's and ahh's!

Even Prince William and his bride Katherine Middleton would enjoy this, don't you think?

Here's your piece:

Guten Apetit!  Bon Apetit!

American Style Sweet 'n Spicy Chicken Rub

It's sunny and nearly 70 degrees Fahrenheit, so it's Grilling Season!

My DD created the following recipe we enjoyed this evening and my DH grilled.

American Style Sweet 'n Spicy Chicken Rub

2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
dash of sea salt and cracked pepper
1/4 Tablespoon Famous Dave's Country Roast Chicken Seasoning (or paprika)
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp paprika
1 1/2 Tablespoon lemon & pepper salt
1 tsp celery salt

Mix the dry ingredients together. Set aside. Mix the liquids together and coat on chicken.  Rub chicken with the dry mixture on both sides.  Allow to sit for one hour, then grill.  Serve with fresh salad.

Enough for six to eight chicken breasts.

PS  This is what we had for dessert this evening - strawberries and whipped cream!

Frosted Chocolate Drop Cookies circa 1950, from the Swift'ning Company

Grandmother Block has a booklet we've found amongst her things...it is entitled "77 Recipes Using Swift'ning Make Your Own Mix" by Martha Logan, Home Economist, Swift and Company circa 1950.  Swift'ning is described as an all-purpose shortening.  Neither Mother nor I recall the name; do you, perhaps?

Inside, we found an interesting recipes called Frosted Chocolate Drop Cookies.

All the recipes require Make-Your-Own-Mix which is to be in a closed canister or can in the pantry, so we'll begin with that:

Swift'ning Make-Your-Own-Mix

Yield:  about 13 cups                      (We tried Bisquick - see pictures below)

2 cups Swift'ning
9 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon salt (or 1 1/2 to Tablespoons of salt may be used)
1/4 cup or 4 Tablespoons double-acting baking powder (like Calumet, K-C, and Clabber Girl)

Combined sifted flour, salt and baking powder.  Stir well.  Sift into a large bowl, large pan or onto heavy paper.  Add Swift'ning (all-purpose shortening).  Use fingers or pastry blender to distribute Swift'ning throughout dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  The Make-Your-Own Mix is now ready to use or store in a closed canister on your pantry shelf.

Martha Logan

Frosted Chocolate Drop Cookies

Yield:   18 to 20 large cookies (these made twelve for us; we used a Tablespoon)

1 1/2 cups Swift'ning Make-Your-Own Mix (do not pack) (We used Bisquick)
1/2 cup sugar
 1 egg, slightly beaten
1 square or 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
3 Tablespoons milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Blend Mix and sugar.  Add egg and beat well.  Stir in the chocolate, milk, and vanilla.  Drop from a teapsoon on a baking sheet, 2 inches apart.  Bake in a moderate oven.  Cool.  Spread with Snowy Cream or Chocolate Frosting. (see below)

Baking Temperature:  350 degrees Fahrenheit
Bake:  about 10 Minutes


Snowy Cream Frosting

1/4 cup Swift'ning (all-purpose shortening) (I'd like to try butter next time)
1/2 tsp salt (when I tried this, it was much too salty; next time I'll use 1/8 tsp)

1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 to 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 Tablespoon milk

Beat Swift'ning until light.  Beat in remaining ingredients.  Beat until smooth and creamy.

For Chocolate Icing, add 1/2 cup sifted cocoa powder.

from Taste of Home

Taste of Home online also has a comparable recipe here:  http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Chocolate-Drop-Cookies

Darla, I couldn't find the Charlotte's Chocolate Crinkle Cookie recipe from the back of the Imperial Sugar bag from the early 1960's, even when looking online, so I hope this will help at least somewhat for your Saturday treat day :-)

If anyone out there in blogland has that recipe, will you please let me know?

Thank you!

Here's my version used with what I had on hand - Bisquick

These are as easy as brownies to mix up!

350 degrees for 10 minutes produced soft, cake-like results...

if you prefer a crisper cookie, I'd recommend 12 minutes.

Mother prefers these without frosting; my DS prefers his with frosting!

My DS enjoyed a Chocolate Drop Cookie today as an after-school snack with a glass of milk.

Here's one for you!

Magazine Recipe Favorites

There are some favorites our family enjoys torn from magazines of year's past. The first one we'd like to share is called "perfect pancakes" and was found in The Family Circle Feb. 09 edition on pg. 174 by Julie Miltenberger of Food University. These bake up so light and fluffy - they really are the very best pancake recipe we've ever had. The key is to take the time to fold the whipped egg whites into the batter.

Perfect Pancakes

"It's supereasy to make pancakes from a mix. But odds are you have everything you need to make these breakfast (or anytime!) crowd-pleasers from scratch.

Makes 16 4-inch pancakes
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 2 minutes per batch

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice (we also like to add cardamom)
2 eggs (separated)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Butter, maple or pancake syrup, confections' sugar, for serving

1. Heat a griddle or large pan to medium heat. Heat oven to warm (180F) and place a foil-lined baking sheet inside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and allspice. Separate eggs and whisk egg yolks in small bowl with milk and oil.
3. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites to stiff peaks, about 1 minute. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture just until combined. Fold in egg whites in two additions, until no white streaks remain.
4. Using a ladle, drop 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter onto heated griddle. Repeat, spacing at least 1 inch apart. Cook 1 minutes, or until bubbles in batter pop and remain open (see third illustration). Carefully flip pancakes and cook an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute.
5. Transfer to baking sheet in warm oven; repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm with butter and syrup or confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Per Pancake 101 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat.); 2 g protein, 12g carbohydrate; 0g fiber; 133 mg sodium; 28 mg cholesterol"

Gather ingredients

 Sift flour

Measure carefully

 Adding 1/4 tsp cream of tartar to the egg whites produces better results

 Beat very little; just enough to combine - batter will be lumpy

Gently fold in the egg whites until it looks like this:

Heat griddle pan to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, then spray with Pam or add oil

1/3 cup of batter for each pancake

Almost enough bubbles to turn...

Oven at 180 degrees Fahrenheit to keep everything warm

Fresh, hot pancakes to serve to your family!

A happy breakfaster!

Food University on Tour

Next shows

•  Saturday, April 30, 2011, IKEA CHARLOTTE, from 2-4 p.m. with Curtis Aikens 

•  Saturday, May 7, 2011, IKEA SCHAUMBURG, from 2-4 p.m. with Mary Ann Esposito

For more information:

http://www.myfoodu.com/