Glad 2010 is Over!

We have spent the most boring but peaceful holiday season ever--except for those years in London. In London EVERYTHING closes down and there is no food to be had unless you happen on to a side street that has a foreign (country) owner who does not hold the holiday season in great esteem. We did spend several Christmas seasons there because on Boxing Day, which is the day after Christmas, there was (or is) a big antiques fair. It was a good show and one where we bought well for our American customers. London does not decorate much or well at Christmas time and it is not like the old fashion book scenes. It is a busy place and the holidays are family times and mostly their events are out of sight.

The first picture is from New Year's Eve day, 2010. The light in the house was perfect and it was about 50 degrees outside after a month of snow and cold.

Anyway, there is absolutely nothing to report activity wise on Cooke Rd. We are, however, planning a Florida trip in the near future. We have a travel agent working on it because travel is such a pain in the butt now days. We were booked using my travel miles but they had a 1 1/2 hour trip turned into a seven hour horror excursion. So we are abandoning those miles and paying to get a straight shot.

I must say the quiet times allowed for several delicious recipes to be tried--speaking of delicious recipes, Bella, our little Yorkie, literally eats my recipes when ever she can get a hold of them. They are like a little doggie delicacy for her. She managed to digest several of them while I was reorganizing my recipe drawers. Very clever at slipping up grabbing one in a dainty fashion and then chewing it to bits.

Cakes were on the agenda this week, pound cakes to be specific. I tried two out of four recipes that I considered interesting. The eggnog pound cake was delicious, but not too pretty. The vanilla and spices turned the batter a tan color and it was baked in a loaf pan, so the top should have been prettier than it was. Actually, Giant Eagle has delicious pound cakes, but they cut them in half and it makes me so mad I won't buy them. They act like I am crazy when I ask for an entire, one piece, pound cake. It reminds me of Hilton Head where one cannot buy an entire ham...at least in October.

The second one I tried is pretty and delicious, except it was too sweet. I am cutting down on the sugar the next time I make it and I will indicate that when I write the recipe for you. The eggnog pound cake was in the Columbus Dispatch's Cook's Corner and the 'something different' pound cake was found on line at allrecipes.com I have always found the exact recipe I am looking for on line. There is no need to buy cookbooks any more, so I don't know what those authors are going to do and what am I going to do with hundreds of cookbooks that I have collected through these many years. I still have the first cookbook I bought as a teenager over 50 years ago on a trip to Alabama. It has wooden covers, if you can believe that.

Something Different Pound Cake
Big and delicious.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups white sugar (I am cutting back on the sugar, the cake is too sweet.)
5 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon rum flavored extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract

glaze:
1 cup white sugar (I will only use 1/2 cup next time)
1 teaspoon rum flavored extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup water

Directions
preheat 325, greased 10 inch tube pan
sift flour, salt, baking powder together and set aside

In a large bowl cream butter, shortening and 3 cups of sugar (use less) until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add 1 teaspoon rum extract, 1 teaspoon coconut extract. Add flour mixture alternately with milk and evaporated milk. Mix to smooth.
Bake at 325 for an hour and 15 minutes. I have a convection over, so I bake it for an hour. You know how to test to see if a cake is done.

Make the glaze by putting the following in a sauce pan and bringing to a boil stirring constantly:1 cup (way too much) sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon rum ex., 1 teaspoon coconut ex. and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pierce the cooled cake with a skewer and pour the glaze over the cooled cake and allow it to soak into the holes. Cool the glaze a bit too before pouring.