Mad About Maida

Blueberry Ice Cream Source:  Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.) , pg. 305. Have you noticed that I like ice cream? It is my favorite dessert and I love it anytime of the year. Since I generally limit myself to sugar only on weekends and special occasions, I've been making ice cream a lot lately. My favorite ice cream to purchase is Ben & Jerry's and I've had to force myself to not buy their ice cream recipe book. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to control myself. So far, I have not met a Maida Heatter ice cream that I have not liked. My favorites are the chocolates but occasionally I go out on a limb and try something different. She has some rather interesting sounding ones, like Gin Ice Cream and Pumpkin Ice Cream, that I will get to eventually. This blueberry ice cream is sublimely creamy, rich and not too sweet. Like her previous ice creams I've tried, the one does not freeze hard (because it has alcohol in it) an...

Chocolate Banana Cookies Source:  Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.) , pg. 42. The next time you have bananas on hand that are past their prime, you might consider making these cookies. I usually them for banana bread but now I have this option. These cookies are very soft with the exception of an occasional nut and those could be left out if you don't want them. The recipe makes 55 large cookies. 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, cut into pieces 2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. baking soda Scant 1/2 tsp. salt 3 small or 2 large ripe bananas (to make 1 cup mashed) 5 1/3 oz. (10 2/3 TBS.) unsalted butter 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 6 oz. (generous 1 1/2 cups) walnuts, cut or broken into medium-sized pieces Adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Melt the chocolate over simmering water.   ...

Texas Chocolate Muffins Source:  Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.) , pg. 287. Also included in  (S ource:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great American Desserts  (Alfred A. Knopf, 1982, pg. 184). We had a retirement brunch for a co-worker this week and I made these muffins and Maida's Bran Muffins . As she says in her introduction, these are not really muffins but more like brownie cupcakes. Keep an eye on your baking time. She says 33-35 minutes but they were done for me in 20 minutes. This recipe makes 12 large muffins. Makes 12 muffins.  1 cup sifted all-purpose flour Pinch of salt 3 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder 8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 4 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp almond extract 7 oz. (2 cups) toasted pecans, broken into large pieces Preheat oven to 350. Butter and line a standard 12-muffin pan . Sift toget...

Bran Muffins Source:  Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.) , pg. 274. These muffins are moist, dark and sweet. They can be made ahead and baked the next morning or are good stored in an airtight container. The recipe makes 18 muffins. I used 2 standard 12 muffin pans and just filled the second with 6 muffins. 2 oz. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed 1/4 cup dark or light molasses or honey 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1 1/2 cup bran cereal 5 oz. (1 cup) raisins 4 oz. (1 cup) walnuts, broken into small pieces 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose whole wheat flour (stir lightly to aerate before measuring) 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose white flour (stir lightly to aerate before measuring) 3/4 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp baking soda Preheat oven to 400. Adjust rack to center of the oven. Butter and line muffin pans with paper liners (you can also make them without the liners). Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Pour t...