Mad About Maida

Raisin Banana Cupcakes Source:  Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.) , pg. 279 . Moist and delicious, the se cupcakes taste very much like ba nana bread. I didn't have light raisins on hand so I used dark ones. Be sure that your bananas are over ripe. 3 1/2 oz. (3/4 cup) light raisins 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour 3/4 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 3 large (1/2 cups) mashed fully ripened bananas 1 egg 1/3 dark brown sugar, firmly packed 1/4 cup safflower oil (or other vegetable oil) Preheat the oven to 375. Line a standard 12 -count muffin pan with paper liners or butter the forms and set aside. (Silicone cups also work great!) Steam the raisins in a vegetable steamer or in a strainer over shallow water in a saucepan . Cover the pan, bring the water to a boil, let it boil for a minute until the raisins are barely moist. Set aside. Sift toge ther the flour, baking po...

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies Source:  Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.) , pg. 5 6 . It has been awhile since I've made cookies. I came across a bag of coconut in the refrigerator and decided to do something with it. T hese are described by Maida as "old-fashioned, plain, homey ". They are very easy to make. They are buttery and stay soft after they have cooled. I don't think I've ever had an oatmeal cookies that I haven't liked. This is a good one to add to the collection! 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup light or dark brown sugar, firmly packed 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) rolled oats 1 cup shredded coconut, firmly packed (sweet or unsweet) Adjust racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat to 350. Line cookie sheets...

Longchamps' Cheesecake Source:  Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.) , pg. 138 . T his cheesecake is named after a restaurant chain in New York. It is very easy to make and wonderful. The lemon zest gives the cheesecake a nice touch. After making this I realized that the crust was your basic grah am cracker crust and not the nightmarish way she normally does it ( maybe she discovered this later??)   Although the recipe does not call for a water bath, I always use one when making a cheesecake. However, since this one will be covered with topping, that might not be imp ortant to you. About the topping - she recommends either fresh blueberries or strawberries.  I had frozen st rawberries on hand and used those. Her method was different ( I will explain both ways in the recipe). E njoy ! Crumb Crust 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon 7 TBS . plus 1 tsp. (1 stick minus 2 tsp.) unsalted...

Gingerbread Muffins Source:  Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.) , pg. 277 . Also in  Maida Heatter's Book of Great American Desserts  (Alfred A. Knopf, 1982, pg. 173). These delicious gingerbread muffins can be served plain or with vanilla ice cream. The Bittersweet Glaze is also optional. These are very easy to make. Again, I used my silicone baking cups which made the job even easier! Makes 16 muffins 1 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. ground cloves 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. dry powdered mustard 1 egg and 1 egg yolk 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup molasses (preferably dark) 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 TBS. granular or powdered instant coffee 1/2 cup boiling water Preheat oven to 400. The recipe will make about 16 cupcakes so you will need two 12-cup muffin pans but will only need to use 4 cups on one pan. Butter or spray the pan...

Bittersweet Glaze Source:  Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.) , pg. 289 . Good for vanilla ice cream or gingerbread. 1/4 cup boiling water 1 tsp. granular instant coffee 3 oz. semisweet chocolate 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate 1 tsp. vegetable shortening Over medium heat in a saucepan, stir the water and coffee granules together. Add the chocolates and shortening and stir until the chocolates have melted. Transfer to a mixer and beat briskly until the glaze is smooth. Serve warm or at room temperature.