Mad About Maida

Crumb Crust This is Maida's recipe for a basic graham cracker crumb crust. The first time I tried it, I had terrible results. Years later, I tried again, and it turned out great. Patience is required.  1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup granulated sugar Scant 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 2 oz. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted Adjust a rack to the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375°.  In a bowl, mix the crumbs with the sugar and nutmeg.   Then add the butter and stir with a rubber spatula until the butter is evenly distributed; the mixture will not hold together.   Although the crumb mixture can be pressed into place directly in the pie plate, I line the plate with foil first, and then remove the foil before filling the crust.  This guarantees easy serving - the crust cannot stick to the plate.  It is a bit more work (or play) but I think well worth it. For a 9-inch pie plate (I use a glass one), use a 12-inch square of foil.  Tu...

Peanut Bars Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.) , pg. 219. These are thin cookie bars with a caramel base and topped with peanuts. They are made in a saucepan. They are very crisp. I think they are better the day after they are made. 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger 1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter 6 oz. (1 cup) butterscotch morsels 1 1/2 tsp. instant coffee 1/4 cup sugar 1 egg 3 oz. (3/4 cup) salted peanuts, chopped coarse (prefably the dry-roasted type) Adjust rack to center of oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 10 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 1 inch jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil as follows: Turn the pan upside down. Cover with a piece of foil large enough to fold down on all four sides and fold the edges just to shape them. Remove the foil. Invert the pan. Sprinkle a few drops of water in the pan to keep the foil in place. Place the foil in the pan. Use a folded towel or a pot h...

Spanish Orange Cake Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.) , pg. 132. There are 3 recipes for orange cakes in Maida's "Book of Great Desserts". In addition to this one, there is a "Texan" orange cake and one called "Indian River Sweet Orange Bread". I opted to try this "Spanish Orange Cake" first. I love the flavor of orange in baking, especially when combined with chocolate. This does not have chocolate in it. It is more like a pound cake, very light and delicate on the orange flavor, and very satisfying. I will have to try the other two recipes and compare them. This one is a definite keeper! 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 TBS. plus 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 lb. (2 sticks) butter 1 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs, separated, plus 3 egg yolks (that is a total of 5 egg yolks and 2 egg whites) 2/3 cup orange juice (before squeezing juice, grate and reser...

Frozen Chocolate Pie Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.) , pg. 236. (Note: This recipe calls for uncooked eggs) A very simple and delicious recipe for chocolate lovers. I have not attempted Maida's pie shell recipe yet so I used a bought frozen one for this recipe. I do plan to tackle her recipe soon (although it is scary looking!). I must confess that I have grown accustomed to Ina Garten's recipe which is very easy and good. 1 9-inch baked and cooled pie shell 2 oz. (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate 4 oz. semisweet chocolate 1/4 lb. (1 stick) sweet butter 1 tsp. vanilla extract Optional: 1 TBS. rum, Cognac, or strong prepared coffee 3/4 cup strained confectioners sugar 4 eggs (graded extra-large or jumbo) Place both chocolates in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool. Cream the butter until it is soft. Add t...

Toni's Pound Cake Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.) , pg. 157. If you are wondering if I have abandoned this blog, fear not! I've just been busy with gardening and other matters. I knew I would slow down during the spring and summer months because I'm so busy with gardening but once it gets hot and sticky, I'll probably be back in the kitchen.  I made this pound cake last weekend and ran it by Michael who says pound cake is one of his favorite desserts. This one passed with flying colors. We served it with strawberries and blueberries that has been flavored with Splenda and Grand Mariner. The recipe is named after Maida Heatter's late daughter, who said this was her favorite. Rind of 2 lemons, grated fine 3 TBS lemon juice 1 lb (4 sticks) butter 1 TBS vanilla extract 3 1/3 cups sugar 1/2 tsp mace 10 eggs 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour  Adjust rack one-third from the bottom of th...