Mad About Maida

Pumpkin Cake  Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.) , pg. 94. Another pumpkin recipe but hey, it is that time of year. This is an easy-to-make and assemble cake that is moist and delicious. Definitely not for the diet conscious! I thought the 2 cups of sugar sounded excessive and I might substitute some apple sauce to counter that. I may try that in the future. However, this is a great cake just the way it is listed. I found that I did not have allspice in my pantry. Fret not - you can use equal amounts of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. baking powder 1 TBS. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger 1/2 tsp. powdered cloves 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 tsp. allspice 1 tsp. salt 5 oz. (1 cup) raisins, dark, light or mixed 3 1/2 oz. (1 cup) walnuts, broken into medium sized pieces 2 cups pumpkin 2 cups sugar 1 1/4 cups safflower oil, corn oil, or other salad oi...

Pearl's Southampton Fruitcake (Classic Fruitcake) Source:  Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.) , pg. 152. I've never attempted a fruitcake before so this is a first for me. First Michael said "why spend all that money on this - no one likes fruitcake!" Well, he still has not tried the finished product. I just took a bite after letting it sit in the refrigerator for one week after baking. It is good, very rich and boozy! A small portion is enough to satisfy because it is very rich. I think fruitcake is something that grows on you. I found myself craving another bite the next day.  First of all, I decided to cut the ingredients in half - after all, I don't really think I need 16-18 lbs. of cake. If you do want that much, the recipe as written makes that much, enough for 4, 5 or 6 cakes.  If you need the full recipe, you can find it here on the Saveur website . Making this cake is a time-consuming process and must be plan...

Pumpkin Gingerbread Source:  Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.) , pg. 297. What says Fall better than pumpkin? This is a wonderful loaf cake that combines the flavor of pumpkin with ginger and other spices. It is good for breakfast or anytime for that matter. It also makes a nice gift.  2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 3/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. powdered ginger 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. cloves 1/4 tsp. dry powdered mustard 4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 eggs 1/3 cup strong prepared black coffee 1 cup mashed pumpkin 7 oz. (2 cups) pecans, cut or broken into large pieces Preheat oven to 350. Butter a loaf pan that has the capacity for 7 cups (9x5x3 or similar); dust with fine, dry bread crumbs. Set aside. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and mustard. Set aside. ...

Palm Beach Biscotti Source:  Maida Heatter's Brand-New Book of Great Cookies (Random House, 1995 ed.) , pg. 31 . This is the third biscotti recipe that I have tried from Maida's book "Maida Heatter's Brand-New Book of Great Cookies". The entire first chapter is devoted to biscotti and there are about 10 recipes altogether. The previous recipes I tried ( Barbara's Milk Chocolate Biscotti and Macadamia Shortbread Biscotti ) were so popular with friends and family that they have been pestering me to make more. Biscotti is surprisingly easy to make but it does take some time as you have to freeze it and rebake it a second time. The hardest part for me is during the final baking and removing it from the oven before it overbakes. You have to keep a constant eye on it. The great thing about biscotti is that is will last forever if stored in an airtight container. I made this batch to take on our beach vacation a few weeks ago. I didn't have ...