We’re definitely into baked goods this week. Sally A. wrote to ask, “Where do you buy really good homemade rolls in Chattanooga, or how can I make them? I want to have that good yeast aroma in the air when my guests arrive. I would also like recipes using frozen roll dough.”
Anonymously, we had two requests: One for the special kinds of cupcakes and icing that you can buy at several cupcake stores around town and another for “the triangular cookies called hamantaschen that ran many years ago in this paper.
First today on the decadence chart is this mousse from Genie Hendrix:
Decadent Chocolate Mousse
7 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon red wine
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Place the chocolate in a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade. Process for 20 to 30 seconds, until finely ground.
In a saucepan combine milk, sugar and salt. Put saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves and the milk comes to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
With the food processor running, pour the hot milk mixture through the feed tube. Process for 10 to 20 seconds until the chocolate is melted. Using a spatula, scrape down the side of the work bowl. Add the oil, wine and vanilla. Process for 5 to 10 seconds. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a large bowl and cool for about 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl mix the cream until soft peaks just form. Do not overwhip the cream. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold a third of the whipped cream into the tepid chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold in the remaining cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 6 servings.
Next, from an anonymous Exchanger: homemade mint sauce.
Old-Fashioned Mint Sauce
3 large handfuls of mint leaves, stems previously removed
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
4 tablespoons wine vinegar
Wash and shake mint leaves; sprinkle them with sugar and chop fine. Put in a bowl. Heat the vinegar and pour it over the mint. Add more sugar if you think the sauce is too sharp. Serve hot or cold with roasted lamb or other meats. Makes 4 servings.
Variation: Use lemon juice instead of vinegar, and you may also add a little olive oil. This is not a traditional mint sauce, being much less violent in flavor, but it is exceptionally good.
Here’s an update on the corn dip recipe Jean Mauroner sent that ran last week: It needs a light touch of jalapeno peppers.
The cake that follows is Barbara’s version of the popular red velvet cake, here attributed to the Hotel Waldorf Astoria, and Barbara described it as “an extremely old recipe that I have been using for years.”
Waldorf Astoria Cake
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 ounces red food coloring
2 teaspoons cocoa
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon vinegar
Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Make a paste of food coloring and cocoa. Add to above mixture alternately the buttermilk and a mixture of flour and salt. Add vanilla extract. Fold in soda dissolved in vinegar. Mix as for any other cake. Pour batter into 2 (9-inch) cake pans that have been greased and floured, and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely and split each layer horizontally so that you have 4 layers. Frost with the following frosting.
Cream Cheese Icing
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (16-ounce) boxes powdered sugar
Soften cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat to spreading consistency. Ice cake.
Until next week…