Deluxe Gingerbread Cake

Deluxe Gingerbread Cake
Makes 16 servings. (ha!)
CAKE INGREDIENTS
3 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
4 tsp ground ginger
4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 cups fancy molasses
2 eggs
1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup finely chopped candied ginger
MAPLE SAUCE
3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 cups of sifted icing sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp rum
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray 9×13 baking dish with oil. In a medium bowl, using a fork, stir flour with ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, pepper and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter until well mixed, then add molasses and mix. Beat in eggs. Add flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir just until mixed. Pour in boiling water and add candied ginger. Gently stir until evenly mixed. Turn into baking dish.
2. Bake in centre of oven until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean – 60-65 minutes. Carefully remove to a rack to cool. It’s okay if the centre of cake sinks slightly. If making ahead, cover and store at room temperature, up to 2 days. Or wrap in plastic, then foil, and freeze up to one month.
3. For sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. While constantly whisking, slowly drizzle in the melted butter. Whisk in icing sugar until smooth, then maple syrup and rum. Pour back into saucepan and set over medium. Stir often, just until mixture starts to bubble. Immediately pour into a small pitcher. Serve (warm) over squares of cake. Sauce will keep well, covered and refrigerated, up to 3 days. Reheat in a low microwave until warm

Borscht

Borscht

1 pound cubed beef stew meat

1 marrow bone or meaty beef bone

3 clove garlic, peeled

1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 medium celery stalk, coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

12 whole black peppercorns

dill stems

leek greens

dried hot pepper

2 quarts water

Soup

2 quarts of beef stock

1 bunch beets (6) with tops- peel & slice allumette* stems chopped -leafs chiffonade*

3 cups cabbage - cored slice thinly

2 carrots peeled slice allumette*

2 celery stalk slice allumette *

1 large onion slice thinly

1 leek

Red wine vinegar

salt

fresh black pepper

½ cup minced fresh dill

½ cup sour cream, for garnish (optional)

 INSTRUCTIONS

In a 8 quart pot add the stock, beets, beet stems, cabbage, carrots, celery and onion, bring to boil and let simmer undisturbed for approximately 40 minutes.

Add the chffonade of beet leaves and chopped dill. DO NOT BOIL !

Add the red wine vinegar

Serve borscht accompanied separately with sour cream,

*Allumette is a matchstick-sized cut, (1/8 in. x 1/8 in. x 2 to 2 ½ in) long

*Chiffonade is a long thin cut of leafy greens

Bleach

Yepper, I bleach the kitchen, nice and sanitized

Wild Mushrooms

Went mushroom picking yesterday and gathered four bushels of sweetbreads, field, hen in the woods, honey and a couple more that I know not the names.